What Caught My Eye Today

Congress (Part I) - The Capitol rang loud with vows to fix the crisis-ridden economy as Congress opened for business at the dawn of a new Democratic era. God help us all. "We need action and we need action now," said Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Republicans agreed, and pledged cooperation in Congress as well as with President-elect Barack Obama. Yeah right. I'll believe it when I see it. And even then I'll probably still be skeptical. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a veteran of numerous battles with President George W. Bush, made plain how glad he was the old administration was winding down. "We are ready to answer the call of the American people by putting the past eight years behind us and delivering the change that our country desperately needs," he said on the Senate floor. We are grateful to begin anew with a far more robust Democratic majority." You realize, Senator, that with this new found majority you may actually be held accountable for accomplishing something now.

Congress (Part II) - Naturally, the Senate was full of opening day theatrics to amuse avid fans of C-SPAN...and you all know who you are.. In a scripted bit of political theater, Democrat Roland Burris of Illinois was informed he would not be seated because his paperwork was not in order. He pledged a lawsuit, the latest twist in a political drama that began when he was named to Obama's Senate seat by Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who has been charged with having attempted to sell the appointment. One other Senate seat was in limbo. Democrat Al Franken holds a 225-vote lead over former Sen. Norm Coleman in Minnesota, a result certified on Monday by the state Canvassing Board. He has not yet received a certificate of election, and with Republicans threatening to protest, Democrats made no attempt to seat him. You gutless cowards! Why don't you take that 58 seat majority out for a spin and see what it can do? Assuming all this nonsense gets sorted out and some point--and the government decides to do its job--the Senate will be divided 59 to 41 in favor of the Democrats and the House of Representatives will be 257 to 178 in favor of the Democrats.

Gaza - France and Egypt announced an initiative to stop the fighting in Gaza hours after Israeli mortar shells exploded near a U.N. school sheltering hundreds of people displaced by the onslaught on Hamas militants. At least 30 Palestinians died, staining streets with blood. They said they were awaiting a response from Israel. Israeli officials in Jerusalem declined immediate comment on the announcement, which came amid diplomatic efforts by the U.S. and other nations to resolve a conflict that has seen 600 people killed in 11 days. This next part is particularly fascinating. Some 15,000 Palestinians have packed the U.N.'s 23 Gaza schools because their homes were destroyed or to flee the violence. The U.N. provided the Israeli military with GPS coordinates for all of them. Presumably, the U.N. did this as an attempt to avoid having these shelters accidentally bombed by the Israelis. What appears to have happened, what that the U.N. basically gave pinpoint accurate bombing coordinates to the Israeli Air Force. You know what they say--"No good deed goes unpunished." And how about a shout out to the Egyptians (and yes, the French) for attempting to broker a truce to put a stop to the mounting casualties. Not so long ago, the United States would have been the likely peacemaker.

Natural Wonders - The Grand Canyon, Mount Everest and Loch Ness will vie with more than 200 other spectacular places in the next phase of the global competition for the New 7 Wonders of Nature. The 261 nominees from 222 countries include some of the most famous mountain peaks, lakes, and other attractions, such as the Great Barrier Reef and Niagara Falls (click here for the full list). Over a billion people are expected to join in Internet voting that will nominate 77 semifinalists for the top natural wonders, which will share in the glory already enjoyed by the seven man-made wonders chosen 18 months ago. Take that American Idol. Choosing world wonders has been a continuing fascination over the centuries. UNESCO keeps updating its list of World Heritage Sites, which now totals 878 places. I'm all in favor of anything that will lead to a greater appreciation for the natural wonders that exist all over the world. Plus, who doesn't like a good a good election? Though I have to question. what's so special about the Mississippi River? Dude, it's a river. And in some spots its barely that.