What Caught My Eye Today

Budget - President Barack Obama defended Congress' pet projects as he signed an "imperfect" $410 billion measure with thousands of examples. Let's not forget that President Obama was Senator Obama just a few short months ago. But he said the spending does need tighter restraint and listed guidelines to do it. Obama, accused of hypocrisy by Republicans for embracing billions of dollars of earmarks in the legislation, said they can be useful and noted that he has promised to curb, not eliminate them. Useful, huh? Yeah I can see how they could be useful for getting yourself re-election to another term. Funny how once you don't have to worry about winning your state or congressional district, how easy it is to say you want to eliminate all those earmarks. Oh, and another thing. Other than John McCain, Republicans are every bit as guilty as Democrats in cramming those earmarks into the budget. Hypocrisy? Give me a break.

Women's Liberation - I swear on a stack of bibles that I am not making up this next item. As International Women’s Day was celebrated this past Sunday, the Vatican had a novel message for the women of the world: give thanks for the washing machine. This humble domestic appliance had done more for the women’s liberation movement than the contraceptive pill or working outside the home, said the official Vatican newspaper. The justification for this is even better. While early models were expensive and unreliable, technology had improved to the point that there is now "the image of the super woman, smiling, made-up and radiant among the appliances of her house." Oh, yeah. That totally is my image of a super woman. "Pat yourself on the back, honey. You earned it. Look at how clean those linens are." Of course I'll be saying that while attempt to dodge from whatever she happens to be throw at my head for say something so stupid.

France - France's conservative government wants to wean the country's youth off the bottle with a ban on under-18 drinking. Why, so they can become obnoxious sooner? In a double-whammy, legislators voted to ban the sale of tobacco for those under 18, the latest step in a progressive crackdown on smoking. The new measures come three days after Assembly lawmakers voted to ban all-you-can-drink events in open bars popular with young people. Just so you know, the French government hasn't completely lots its collective grip on reality; the law exempts wine tastings so important to the wine industry. I wonder how that wine will taste coming out of a beer bong?

Alaska - Oh, say it ain't so, Bristol. Levi Johnston and Bristol Palin, the teenage daughter of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, have broken off their engagement, about 2 1/2 months after the couple had a baby. Johnston said he and Bristol Palin mutually decided "a while ago" to end their relationship. He also said some details of the breakup, rumors of which had been swirling on the Internet, were inaccurate. You mean like the one where the Governor almost killed him for knocking up her daughter while she was trying run for Vice President? Bristol Palin said in a statement issued through a spokeswoman for her mother's political action committee that she was "devastated." "Unfortunately, my family has seen many people say and do many things to `cash in' on the Palin name," she said. "Sometimes that greed clouds good judgment and the truth." I have no doubt that this is a trying time for the young lass, the sentiment of the moment seems somewhat diminished by the fact that her heartache was broadcast through her mother's political action committee. Kind of cheezy if you ask me.

Baseball - While no one in the States pays too much attention to the World Baseball Classic -- like me, for instance -- this is a pretty big deal around the rest of the world. Last night, there was an upset of epic proportions. The Netherlands caught the Dominican Republic—and the rest of the baseball world—by total surprise. Twice. The Netherlands rallied for a 2-1 victory over the heavily favored Dominicans, earning an astonishing spot in the second round and eliminating the Dominican Republic from the tournament. It was the second time in four days that a Netherlands squad made up of little-known players upset the Dominican Republic, considered one of the favorites coming into the 16-team tournament thanks to a roster filled with major league All-Stars. To put this into context, the Netherlands beating the Dominican Republic in baseball, would be like the United States soccer team beating any country in Europe.