What Caught My Eye Today

World Population - The world's population is forecast to hit 7 billion in 2011, the vast majority of its growth coming in developing and, in many cases, the poorest nations. A staggering 97% of global growth over the next 40 years will happen in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the Population Reference Bureau's 2009 World Population Data Sheet (click here). High fertility rates and a young population base in the developing world will fuel most of the growth, especially in Africa, where women often give birth to six or seven children over a lifetime. The number is about two in the United States and 1.5 in Canada. By 2050, India is projected to be the world's most populous nation at 1.7 billion, overtaking current leader China, which is forecast to hit 1.4 billion. The United States is expected to reach 439 million for No. 3 on the list. I love this next bit of analysis by one of the authors of the report. "The increase from 6 billion to 7 billion is likely to take 12 years, as did the increase from 5 billion to 6 billion. Both events are unprecedented in world history." Really? See I thought unprecedented meant something that never happened before. If the last population increase of 1 billion took 12 years, that would suggest that this second increase of 1 billion over 12 years isn't without precedence (I'm just saying). And if you think about it, given the amount of time is the same, the rate of population increase is actually decreasing--16.7% from 6 to 7 billion vs. 20% from 5 to 6 billion (again, I'm just saying). Any way that you look at it, that's a lot of people, and the vast majority of them don't look to have a very easy go of things.

France - Officials at a local pool banned a Muslim woman garbed in a head-to-toe swimsuit--dubbed a "burquini"--because of France's pool hygiene standards. Under the policy, swimmers are not allowed in pools with baggy clothing, including surfer-style shorts. Only figure-hugging suits are permitted. The all-body suits, worn regularly by some women in Muslim countries, are growing popular in the West. They can be seen on female Muslim lifeguards on Australian beaches, in the United States and various European countries, from the Netherlands to Sweden. France is home to western Europe's largest Muslim population, estimated at 5 million, and Islam is the nation's second religion after Roman Catholicism. I'm all for hygiene, but how exactly do these officials think these leisure suits--I mean burquini--are going to cause a public health hazard. I'm of the opinion that the spectacle caused by some folks in their "figure-hugging suits" is much more hazardous than anything related to wearing a "burquini. (Fred's Note: I labored quite a bit to make that last sentence as tame as I could).

Armageddon - As frequent readers are well aware, I like to keep abreast of all the ways that the world could end on the off chance that a completely irresponsible shopping spree might be in order. This time, I bring you killer asteroids. NASA is charged with spotting most of the asteroids that pose a threat to Earth but doesn't have the money to complete the job. That's because even though Congress assigned the space agency that mission four years ago, it never gave NASA the money to build the necessary telescopes. And the United States is practically the only government doing anything at all. And that surprises who? NASA estimates that there are about 20,000 asteroids and comets in our solar system that are potential threats. So far, scientists know where about 6,000 of these objects are. That's a shame, isn't it? NASA calculated that to spot the asteroids as required by law would mean spending about $800 million between now and 2020. At the moment, NASA has identified about five near-Earth objects that pose better than a 1-in-a-million risk of hitting Earth and being big enough to cause serious damage. That number changes from time to time, as new asteroids are added and old ones are removed as information is gathered on their orbits. See, nothing to worry about, nothing at all. I guess I'll plan that first class trip to the tropics for another time.

Potpourri - Ah yes, my friends. It's time again for another edition of news oddities that beg the question, "Does this actually qualify as news?"

• Wisconsin - The Wisconsin State Fair introduced two new taste treats at this year's event: chocolate-covered bacon on a stick and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches dipped in pancake batter and deep-fried.
  You can almost feel your arteries hardening just thinking about them.
• Defamation - A Chicago landlord sued a former tenant for defamation after she complained in a Twitter message that her apartment was moldy. She was accused of publishing "a false and defamatory tweet."
  Which, by the way, was broadcast to all 20 of her friends prior to the news wires picking up on this nonsense and sharing this little nugget with the entire world.
• College Graduates - A graduate of New York City's Monroe College, sued her alma mater for the $70,000 she spent on tuition, saying she has been unable to find a job since earning her degree in April.
  As long as everybody is suing everybody, might I suggest to Monroe College to file a counter suit for misrepresentation. I'm betting they accepted this student in the first place on the basis that she displayed some intelligence. Clearly, she lied on the application.