What Caught My Eye Today - 2011 Predictions

Fred's Note: Time for Fred's 3rd annual predictions for the upcoming year. As always, yours truly will be engaged in a nail-biting battle of prognosticative wits against the finest fortune tellers of our day. First up...the experts:

1. India will have a nuclear incident.
   Fingers crossed (and toes for that matter) that one doesn't happen.
2. California, specifically, Los Angeles, will suffer a major earthquake.
   It's happened before as recently as 1994, so I guess it isn't beyond the realm of possibility.
3. Egyptian President Muhammad Mubarak will die.Dude is 83 years old and has been on the job for 29 years. I guess they don't get hung up on term limits in that neck of the woods.
4. World War III will start.
   Interestingly, this prediction popped up on a number of lists, though after a bit of checking, this seems to have been a rather popular prediction for several years running. These fortune tellers are an optimistic lot, aren't they?
5. The Dow Jones Industrial Average will reach 13,500.
   This would certainly be welcome news for my dwindling aspirations of early retirement.
6. Prices for gold and silver will soar.
   Gold is currently trading at about $1,400 USD an ounce while silver is going for around $30.00 USD.
7. Newt Gingrich will announce his candidacy for the 2012 U.S. Presidential election
   No doubt in an attempt to thwart an possible run by Sarah Palin.
8. Germany will drop the Euro.
   And if that happens, you might as well pencil in 2012 as the year the Euro died.
9. The Miami Heat will win the NBA Championship.
   Lemme see. Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh? Yeah, I can see that.
10. Tiger Woods will re-marry.
    Sure, why not?

And now for my predictions...

1. Turkey will launch a military incursion into the Kurdistan region of Iraq
   I say this not because I have the first clue about the geopolitics of this region, but merely because things have been going so well in that part of the world. I think it is high time to introduce a little drama here, don't you?
2. Despite enormous international pressure, China will not unpeg its currency (the renminbi) from the US Dollar.
   Why would they? Things have worked out rather well for the Chinese economy so far.
3. Israel will continue its policy of neither confirming or denying possession of nuclear weapons.
   One wonders if there is anyone out there who still thinks this is an open question.
4. The pope will not die.
   I'm not saying this is a good or bad thing...I'm just saying. Dude is will be 84 this year, so you never know.
5. Oil prices will top $120 a barrel in the new year.
   I don't know about you, but I for one a looking forward to paying $5 for a gallon for gas.
6. The U.S. unemployment rate will remain above 9%.
   And along with that, I'm betting a steady increase in predictions that President Barack Obama will be a one-term president...unless...
7. Sarah Palin will announce her candidacy for the the Republican nomination for the 2012 Presidency election.
   I initially thought she might wait until early 2012 to announce, but I'm not sure she's capable of keeping her big mouth shut for that long.
8. The San Francisco Giants will not make the MLB playoffs.
   Sure, they won the World Series (and who saw that one coming), but I just don't see them pulling off that off two years in a row. Of course, I'd happily take my lumps if I got this one wrong.
9. Tiger Woods will win a major.
   No way, dude goes two years in a row with goose eggs. As for his personal life, I'm thinking boyfriend maintains his bachelor status.
10. American Idol will be cancelled after its 11th season.
    Think anyone will actually notice?

What Caught My Eye Today - 2010 Predictions Recap

Fred's Note: As we bring 2010 to a close its time to see how well I did with my second annual predictions. 2009 worked out rather well (if I do say so myself.) with a record of 6 correct predictions, 3 wrong and 1 push. The so-called experts managed only a 2 and 6 record. As always we start first with the experts:

2010 Predictions (Part I) -

1. The start of WWIII. The war will begin in November of 2010 and will end in October of 2014. Will start as a normal war, then will include usage of nuclear and chemical weapons.
   Unless you consider the Republican party "shellacking" of the incumbent Democrats in the U.S. Congress the start of something really big, I going to have to chalk this one up as wrong.
2. One or two US Supreme Court justices may become seriously ill or die by 2010.
   So close. If they had gone with retirement, they would have been golden.
3. One or two more elderly Senators will die by the end of the year.
   Sadly, the distinguished senator from West Virginia, the Honorable Robert Byrd, made good on this prediction. It is also worth noting that former Alaska senator, Ted Stevens also pass away this year, falling victim to a plane crash in his home state.
4. Confusion over leadership leads to the collapse of the North Korean government.
   Some regional experts say that the transition from the Dear Leader, Kim Jong Il, to his son Kim Jong-un is, for all intensive purposes, a fait accompli. So I have to give a thumbs down on this one, but boy, the prognosticators sure got close on this one.
5. At least 3 Democrats will lose their seats to Republican or Independent candidates in the next election.
   Try 63, and that was just in the House of Representatives.
6. Somalia will become a deadly battleground for the US.
   Not so much this year. Perhaps next.
7. The Pacific Ring of Fire will trigger many storms and threats of a typhoon and/or tsunami damaging the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and China.
   Well, they forgot the volcanoes, but they got the rest right.
8. An assassination attempt will be made on Afghanistan President, Hamid Karzai.
   Well, if there were any planned attempts, none of them made the press; and obviously, none of them succeeded.
9. Tiger Woods attempts suicide.
   I double checked my notes on this one to see if they meant career suicide, but nope, they meant the real deal. Didn't happen.
10. The Dow Jones Industrial average will finish the year under 9000.
    At last check, the Dow was safely treading water well above 11,500.

Final score for the experts: 3 right; 7 wrong.

2010 Predictions (Part II) - Okay my turn...

1. Olympics: The US will make the top 10 in medal count...barely.
   I guess I underestimated the American team. Turns out they topped the overall medal count with 37 medals, though the top gold medal count went to the host country of Canada (14 versus 9 for the U.S).
2. Economy: The US unemployment rate will drop to 9.5%
   Not so much, I'm afraid. Still stuck at 9.8%.
3. Economy: The Dow Jones Industrial average will finish above 11,750.
   In my defense, I came really close. But barring a miracle, I don't really see the Dow gaining the 200 or so points in the next couple of days that I would need to claim victory.
4. International: Greece will be dissolved after it defaults on its national debt. Okay, not really, but I'm betting Greece will default on its international debt obligations.
   I'm sort of glad I was wrong on this deal, seeing as these sort of things rarely go well.
5. International: Queen Elizabeth II will celebrate her Diamond Jubilee (60 years as queen).
   Yeah, yeah...I know way to stick my neck out on that one.
6. Soccer: The US will make it into the knock out stage in the World Cup.
   Who da man? But can someone please explain to me what the U.S. team has to do in order to beat Ghana?
7. Cycling: Lance Armstrong will win his 8th Tour de France title.
   Dude, lost his winning mojo, finishing in 39th place overall, but it was still fun to watch him ride.
8. Golf: Tiger Woods will win at least one major.
   Boyfriend not only let me down here, but didn't manage a single victory of any kind all year. I'd say Karma was the big winner this year.
9. Pop Culture: Brad Pitt and Angela Jolie breakup.
   Not so much. Good for them.
10. Pop Culture: A female will win this year's American Idol.
    And wrong again. I think the big loser here is the show itself. Seriously, it was barely watchable this year and with no Simon Cowell around for the upcoming season, why bother at all?

If my math is right, it would appear that I too finished up the year 3 and 7. That said, I continue to maintain my lead over the "experts" with a 9-10-1 record versus their paltry 5 and 13. Bring on the new year!

What Caught My Eye Today - 2010 In Review

Fred's Note: Just a quick note of thanks to my friends at the Associated Press, Reuters, BBC, The Week Magazine and a host of other media outlets for turning a blind eye to my blatant plagiarism. Without these fine organizations and institutions, this blog would not be possible.

2010 - As 2010 draws to a close, and what a year it was, I thought I would join in with all those media outlets that I've "borrowed" content from and come up with my own list of top headlines for 2010.

January - A massive earthquake devastates the island of Haiti, killing 230,000 people, injuring another 300,000, and leaving more than a million homeless. And perhaps you will recall, 9 days later George Clooney hosted one heck of a benefit concert that broadcast on nearly every broadcast network raising more than $66 million in one night.

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, declared that the age of privacy has ended. The new “social norm,” says Zuckerberg, is to share one’s personal information “more openly and with more people.” Speak for yourself, homeboy. Just because you are Time magazine's Person of the Year, doesn't mean you speak for the masses. I, for one, still value what little privacy I have left. By the way, loved you in "The Social Network".

February - The populist conservative movement known as the Tea Party holds its first convention. The keynote speaker—for a $100,000 speaking fee—is Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and vice-presidential candidate. Speaking from notes written on her hand, Palin rips into President Obama, inquiring of the boisterous crowd, "How’s that hopey-changey stuff working out for ya?" Ah yes, a proud day for all Americans. Though give these guys credit. Despite the likes of Sarah Palin, the Tea Party has certain struck a chord with a pretty sizable chunk of the American population, as demonstrated by the number of Tea Party endorsed legislators getting elected to Congress in November.

March - President Obama signs into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the first major expansion of social welfare since Medicare in 1965. Not a single Republican votes for it. Call me crazy, but I'm thinking we haven't heard the last about this. A South Korean warship, the Cheonan, sinks after a torpedo strike—most likely from a North Korean submarine—killing 46 seamen. Things sort of went downhill from here.

April - In my humble opinion, April quite possibly was the lousiest month of the year, though that deal in Haiti back in January is pretty tough to beat. A military airliner crashes in Russia, killing Polish President Lech Kaczynski and dozens of Polish officials. President Obama is due to attend Kaczynski’s funeral, but the trip is canceled when the Ejyafjallajokull volcano in Iceland erupts, spewing potentially engine-clogging ash into the atmosphere. The ash cloud lingers for weeks, grounding millions of passengers in Europe and costing the global airline industry around $200 million a day. 2010 wasn't exactly a banner year for air travel in Europe. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signs into law a controversial bill empowering state police to demand the papers of anyone they have a “reasonable suspicion” of being an illegal immigrant. Incidentally, girlfriend won re-election in November by a landslide, so you cannot argue that she wasn't looking after the interests of the people she represents. In the Gulf of Mexico, BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig explodes, killing 11 oil workers and injuring another 17 before sinking to the ocean floor. And that was just the tip of the iceberg.

May - BP raises its estimate of how much oil is flowing into the Gulf to 5,000 barrels a day, making this already the worst man made environmental disaster in North American history. Days later, the U.S. Geological Survey ups the figure to between 12,000 and 19,000 barrels a day. Even then, they weren't even remotely close to how much oil was spewing into the Gulf. President Obama nominates Solicitor General Elena Kagan, 50, to replace Justice John Paul Stevens on the Supreme Court. Debate rages over whether or not Kagan’s sexuality is fair game for public scrutiny, until the White House reveals that despite never marrying, and having once been photographed playing softball, Kagan is in fact heterosexual. I don't know, dude, seems like a bit of a stretch to me. I mean why else would you play softball if you weren't gay?

June - Israeli troops board a relief ship headed for Gaza, and when they’re met with resistance from club-wielding activists, the commandos open fire, killing 10. The outraged international reaction leads Israel to loosen its strict blockade of Gaza and the 1.5 million Palestinians who live there. And we wonder why the peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians never seem to make much progress. Here's a thought--stop killing each other! In the Gulf, BP engineers finally succeed in fitting a "containment cap" to the ruptured oil well that will capture up to 15,000 barrels of oil a day. But government experts revise their flow rate to 60,000 barrels a day. It took two months, but the estimates are finally getting closer to the mark.

July - Spain wins soccer’s World Cup. Facebook announces it now has 500 million users. WikiLeaks, an anti-secrecy website, publishes 92,000 classified U.S. military documents from the ongoing war in Afghanistan (yeah, those dudes were just getting warmed up), revealing intense frustration by commanders on the ground over Afghan corruption and the Taliban’s military resiliency. In the Gulf of Mexico, BP engineers finally stanch the flow of oil from the ruptured Deepwater Horizon rig, but not before an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil—206 million gallons—have spilled into the water. President Obama signs into law a sweeping package of new regulations on the financial industry. "Thanks to this bill," says Obama, "the American people will never again be asked to foot the bill for Wall Street’s mistakes." Right. Until the next time it happens. Controversy erupts around plans to build an Islamic cultural center in Lower Manhattan, two blocks from the site of the former World Trade Center. Sarah Palin, weighing in via her Twitter account, calls on Muslims to "refudiate" the planned mosque, explaining—when it’s pointed out that there is no such word—that "Shakespeare liked to coin new words too. Got to celebrate it!" I don't know about you, but if I had a nickel for every time I found myself comparing Sarah Palin to William Shakespeare....

August - In Washington, Fox News’ Glenn Beck holds a rally to "Restore Honor" on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. "Restore Honor" or "Boost One's Public Image"? I always get those two confused. Voting largely along party lines, the Senate confirms Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. Amazing. I thought that softball deal was the final nail in coffin. In California, a federal judge overturns Proposition 8, a state ballot initiative banning gay marriage, though he imposes a stay on his own ruling in anticipation of appeals. Honestly, don't we have enough "softball" players already without encouraging them to live together like...God forbid...those of of use who don't play "softball"? In Chile, a cave-in at a copper mine traps 33 miners nearly a half-mile underground, and they are feared dead. 17 days after the cave-in, workers drilling an exploratory bore-hole in the search for the missing miners find a note taped to the end of their drill-bit: "We are alive in the refuge." This ranks pretty high up on my list of feel good stories of the year, few that there were..

September - After a seven-year campaign that cost the lives of 4,400 U.S. troops and at least 100,000 civilians, the last U.S. combat unit leaves Iraq. With 50,000 "support troops" remaining in the country—and mindful of his predecessor’s premature declaration of "Mission Accomplished"—President Obama describes the pullout only as "a milestone in the Iraq war." Dude might not be very popular at the moment, but you have to give Obama credit for choosing his words a bit more careful than some of his predecessor's have.

October - After 69 days underground, the 33 Chilean miners return to the surface, one by one, in a specially designed rescue capsule, stepping out to the cheers and hugs of jubilant family members and the glare of media superstardom. My money is on Lifetime Network producing the first made-for-television movie. WikiLeaks publishes a trove of 400,000 classified U.S. military documents, this time from the war in Iraq. Now we're talking! Anyone can publish 92,000 classified documents, but 400,000? That takes skill, my friends. Computer-security experts tell the world of an ultra-sophisticated computer virus named "Stuxnet," seemingly engineered to locate and destroy the industrial centrifuges being used in Iran’s nuclear program. Here's a interesting question to ponder. Which is a more effective deterrent, a computer virus or the threat of "shock and awe". If you base your decision on pure entertainment value, I'm thinking you have to go with "shock and awe". Think about it. How riveting would it be to watch a computer virus?

November - The Republican Party cleans up in the midterm elections, seizing back the House of Representatives with a record net gain of 63 seats. In the Senate, the GOP wins 24 of 37 races, leaving Democrats with a meager six-seat majority. A visibly shaken President Obama describes the results as a "shellacking." For me, "shellacking" should be a contender for word of the year along with the likes of "austerity" and "chimichanga". But then again, I have a bias toward words that actually exist, though the fact that some dictionary publishers suggests that "refudiate" is well on its way to achieving word status. No word yet on "hopey-changey". North and South Korea exchange artillery fire, raising tensions along their disputed border to their highest level in more than a decade. I'm thinking these guys are probably going to appear rather regularly in the 2011 headlines.

December - WikiLeaks publishes another massive trove of documents: 251,000 secret diplomatic cables containing a wealth of sensitive and embarrassing revelations. Is anyone besides me wondering just how secret these diplomatic cables really are? WikiLeaks has published close to 750,000 so far, and apparently has loads more to reveal. In a scene from Sarah Palin’s Alaska that chills vegetarians and Democrats everywhere, Palin clubs to death a huge halibut that one of her family members caught, and then triumphantly holds up its still-beating heart. There's a disturbing image. In a TV interview, Palin says she’s confident that she could beat President Obama in 2012. If other Republicans "don’t have a shot at winning," Palin says, "I would offer myself up." Lucky us.

What Caught My Eye Today

Nuclear Non-Proliferation - President Barack Obama locked up enough Senate Republican votes to ratify a new arms control treaty with Russia that would cap nuclear warheads for both former Cold War foes and restart on-site weapons inspections. The Obama administration has made arms control negotiations the centerpiece of resetting its relationship with Russia, and the treaty was critical to any rapprochement. Not to mention the fact, that dude won the Nobel Peace Prize last year largely based on the expectation that he would do something to reduce the number of nuclear weapons worldwide. Obama has insisted the treaty is a national security imperative that will improve cooperation with Russia, an argument loudly echoed by the nation's military and foreign policy leaders, former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton and six Republican secretaries of state. You might think that this was one of those rare occasions where the interests of national security would trump petty partisan politics, which one could argue it did since 11 Republicans voted to end debate, but there was plenty of grumbling going on. "We know when we've been beaten," Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah told reporters hours before the vote. Really, Senator, who was beaten here? The American people or the GOP. Every once and a while, you find yourself in that unusual situation, where you have to the chance to do right thing with no real downside, dude. Do you really want to ruin the moment by pouting about it?

Education - Nearly one-fourth of the students who try to join the U.S. Army fail its entrance exam, painting a grim picture of an education system that produces graduates who can't answer basic math and bolstering bolsters a growing worry among military and education leaders that the pool of young people qualified for military service will grow too small. Let's consider this for a moment, shall we? Some of those questions can be sort of tricky and...let's face it...might not be that terribly important for your rank-and-file foot soldier. Questions are often basic, such as: "If 2 plus x equals 4, what is the value of x?" See what I mean? who cares what "x" is? "X" isn't gonna be of much help when somebody is shooting at you. (Incidentally, "x" is 2, should you have been wondering). All kidding aside, it isn't the simplicity of questions like this and the fact that 1 in 4 test takers could figure out the correct answer. No, that sad fact is just the tip of the iceberg. Recruits must score at least a 31 out of 99 on the first stage of the three-hour test to get into the Army. Seriously? That's it? The military exam results are also worrisome because the test is given to a limited pool of people: Pentagon data shows that 75 percent of those aged 17 to 24 don't even qualify to take the test because they are physically unfit, have a criminal record or didn't graduate high school. Isn't that nice? Looks like we hit the trifecta--fat, dumb and stupid.

Teen Pregnancy - Good news, people, good news. You know that silver lining you've been looking for these past couple of years that the economy has been languishing in the gutter? I found it. The U.S. teen birth rate in 2009 fell to its lowest point in almost 70 years. The birth rate for teenagers fell to 39 births per 1,000 girls, ages 15 through 19. Experts say the recent recession — from December 2007 to June 2009 — was a major factor driving down births overall. Do they now? Maybe these researchers didn't get the memo from the Department of Defense about how many rocket scientists between the ages of 15 and 19 cannot solve for "x"? Experts acknowledge they are speculating and noted a lack of key data that would answer questions about whether teens are having the same amount of sex, whether their use of contraception changed, or whether they were getting pregnant just as often as in earlier years but were having more abortions. I agree. Maybe if the study contained some actual key data, the findings might actually be useful. That said, there was a tasty little morsel buried in this study. Turns out that one age demographic is getting its freak on. The one exception was women older then 40 — a group that may be more concerned with declining fertility than the economy. The birth rate for women ages 40-44 was up 3 percent from 2008, to about 10 births per 1,000 women. That's the highest rate for that group since 1967. It's all about the cougar, my friends. It's all about the cougar.

What Caught My Eye My Today

Weather - In light of the fact that most of North America and Europe are experiencing some of the worse weather on record, I'd like to being today's posting with a seasonal tune that really captures the spirit of the moment (click here). Perhaps you are familiar with the opening line, "Oh the weather outside is frightful, But the fire is so delightful, And since we've no place to go, Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

South Carolina - Here's one of those stories, that if I had not read, I wouldn't have believed it. Members of the NAACP are protesting a gala ball commemorating South Carolina's decision 150 years ago to secede from the United States. They said they were disgusted with the so-called "Secession Ball" and believe it is honoring men who committed treason in order to keep slavery in place. Not surprisingly, dance organizers see things a bit differently. Organizers of the gala say it is not a celebration of slavery. Instead, the Confederate Heritage Trust says the ball is to honor men who were willing to die to protect states' rights. Should you be interested in the historical facts, the vote for secession was 169 to 0 in favor of seceding from the United States, though about 57% of the state's 703,000 residents in 1860 were slaves. The thing about this story that gets my noodle going is that we read headlines from around the world about barbaric injustices such as stoning women in Islamic countries as punishment for infidelity, when not too long ago, one could make the argument that the United States...or at least portions thereof...wasn't much better when it came to civil rights.

Puppies - We're all familiar with those news stories the births of octuplets, but when was the last time you heard about septendecuplets? That's right, my friends, 17 little'uns. A purebred Rhodesian Ridgeback in Germany has given birth to 17 puppies, leaving their owner thrilled but fatigued after having to feed them with a bottle for several weeks because their mother couldn't cope with the demand. It took Etana a full 26 hours to give birth to all of the puppies Wow. The amazing thing is that mother and all the puppies are healthy. The puppies were given African names because the Rhodesian Ridgeback is an African hunting dog.The females puppies are called Bahati, Binta, Bahya, Bashima, Batouuli, Binki, Bora, Bisa and the male ones are Baakir, Banjoku, Belay, Bruk, Bundu, Bayo, Bukekayo, Biton and Bulus. Dude, I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the fact that this dog carried 17 puppies to term and delivered every last one of them. I mean...damn...that be impressive.

Cricket - This just in...okay, maybe yesterday...but I just caught up on the latest results at the Ashes tournament this morning. Australia beat England by 267 runs to clinch victory in the third Ashes Test in Perth and level the series at 1-1 with two matches remaining. Australia must win the series to reclaim the Ashes while a draw would result in England retaining the urn. Yeah, that's right, the trophy is an urn. What else would you expect them to name the trophy for a contest named "The Ashes"?

Skiing - I don't usually report on skiing outside of an Olympic year, but this sort of thing has only happened twice in 45 years (once in 1983 and again in 2008). After six events in the 2010-2011 World Cup ski season, American skiers top both the men's and women's overall standings. Lindsey Vonn, 2010 Olympic gold medalist in the downhill and gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in downhill and winner of the last three overall World Cup championships, leads in the women's overall standings as well as the Downhill, Super G and Combined disciplines . Over on the men's side, Ted Ligety, 2006 Olympic gold medalist in combined and the two-time World Cup champion in giant slalom, has a slim lead in the overall standings and a commanding lead in his specialty, Giant Slalom. So there you have it.

What Caught My Eye Today

Germany - Last time I checked there was no shortage of candidates for Darwin Awards (click here) but it would appear that there is a television games show where the contestants seem hell bent on winning this coveted prize. A contestant on Germany's most popular game show, "Wanna Bet?" was hit by a car and broke his back as 10 million viewers watched live. The show features celebrities betting on whether a contestant can complete difficult stunts. Like say, oh...I don't know...getting broadsided by a car and living to talk about it afterwards? In recent years, the stunts have grown ever more dangerous. I stunned. Phil Collins, Cameron Dian, Justin Bieber and Cher were among the guests who saw a contestant bounce on spring-loaded stilts and somersault over moving cars. Seriously? Man, that Justin Bieber is just everywhere these days He cleared 3 cars but slammed into the fourth and smashed to the ground. Not surprisingly, there are dozens of film clips posted to YouTube. What few editorial restraints I place on myself, prevent me for including any such links.

China - Recent survey results published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development revealed that Shanghai students ranked first in the world in reading, science and math. The survey ranks 15 year old students in some 60 countries and this was the first year that Chinese locations were assessed. The U.S. ranked 17th in reading, 23rd in science and 31st in math. Hold on. Before you get your knickers in a bunch, let's put this survey into proper context. Let us not forget that only 43% of Chinese students receive more than compulsory education (yes, I checked). I'm not saying that the U.S. educational system is the envy of the world (far from it, sadly), but it is accessible to a far greater percentage of the population. And as anyone with a passing interest in statistics would acknowledge, the greater the sample size, the greater degree of variation.

Egypt - Not exactly the first place that comes to mind when you see a headline about shark attacks. A tourist was killed and four others mauled by sharks at Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Days earlier after four more tourists were attacked authorities closed the beaches, found and killed two sharks-a mako and a whitetip-and declared the area safe. Right. A few days later a snorkeler was killed when a shark ripped her arm off. Honestly, can you think of a worse way to go? Experts are investigating what could be causing sharks in the area to turn on humans. Two words: fresh meat.

Art - I've always considered myself as having an open mind when it comes to art; freedom of expression, creative, imagination and all that. I also think I do a pretty good job of keeping an open mind when it comes to other people's definitions of art. There are times, however, when my open mindedness is tested. I submit to you Exhibit 1. An artist commissioned to decorate the Christmas tree at the Tate Britain gallery in London, chose to leave the tree bare. In explaining his actions, he said,"When you see a tree in the forest you don't think, 'That tree is naked, it needs a bit of tinsel.' " Point taken, but consider this. The tree dude was commissioned to decorate wasn't in a forest was it? One wonders how much this guy was paid to basically do nothing.

But wait, there is more. I give you Exhibit 2. A Polish artist was granted a $2,338 grant from the British government (around 1,500 pounds) for an art show that consists of "a painting that hasn't been painted yet', an "invisible sculpture" and "a movie shot with no film in the camera. Let me guess, the inspiration for this "art" (for lack of a better term) was the classic fairy tale, "The Emperor's New Clothes".

What Caught My Eye Today

Ukraine - Want a better understanding of the world's worst nuclear disaster? Come tour the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Really? Isn't that akin to walking into an active volcano to get a better understanding of volcanic eruptions? Beginning next year, Ukraine plans to open up the sealed zone around the Chernobyl reactor to visitors who wish to learn more about the tragedy that occurred nearly a quarter of a century ago. Chernobyl's reactor No. 4 exploded on April 26, 1986, spewing radiation over a large swath of northern Europe. Hundreds of thousands of people were resettled from areas contaminated with radiation fallout in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. The so-called exclusion zone, a highly contaminated area within a 30-mile radius of the exploded reactor, was evacuated and sealed off in the aftermath of the explosion. All visits were prohibited. 2,500 employees maintain the remains of the now-closed nuclear plant, working in shifts to minimize their exposure to radiation. Several hundred evacuees have returned to their villages in the area despite a government ban. A few firms now offer tours to the restricted area, but the government says those tours are illegal and their safety is not guaranteed. Call me old-fashioned, but my idea of a getaway vacation does not include hanging out in places that glow in the dark due to radiation contamination. Send me a postcard.

Healthcare - As is so often the case in politics, you win some and you lose some. Let's start with the bad news for the Obama Administration (if you are a Republican, I'd say this counts as good news). A U.S. District Judge declared a key part of President Barack Obama's landmark healthcare law unconstitutional, backing arguments by the state of Virginia that Congress exceeded its authority by requiring Americans to start buying health insurance in 2014 or face a fine. The individual coverage mandate was considered a key guarantee in the plan for keeping health insurance premiums low, because it ensures that healthy as well as sick people will buy insurance. I'm sure more knowledgeable people than me know the answer to this, but how is paying into healthcare fundamentally different than paying into Social Security? I hate to sound draconian about this, but I say if you choose not to pay into healthcare, that is your right. However, if and when the day comes that you find yourself in need of healthcare, don't expect any financial assistance.

Taxes - Obama did get some good news (interestingly, if you are a Republican, this probably also qualifies as good news). President Barack Obama's bipartisan tax plan was on its way to passing its first test in Congress. The $858 billion package, which would keep lowered income-tax rates from expiring at the end of the year, picked up 62 votes in the 100-seat Senate. Both chambers of Congress could approve the bill by the end of the week, despite complaints from many Democrats that Obama has given away too much to the Republicans who will soon enjoy greater clout in Washington. Economists estimate the tax package could lift economic growth next year by up to a full percentage point, perhaps pushing it above 4 percent. Moody's Investors Service warned it could move a step closer to cutting the United States' top-notch triple-A bond rating in the next two years if the package becomes law. The rat bastards! Who do they think they are? So the national debt hits $20 trillion. One wonder if those punk-ass jerks at Moody's are even American. I'm thinking the INS might need to investigate.

Palestinian State - Europe reaffirmed its readiness to recognise a Palestinian state at an "appropriate" time, stopping short of outright recognition despite mounting pressure to break the Middle East impasse. Let me translate that diplomatic babble for you -- We know it is the right thing to do, but we're cowards. Pressure has built on the European Union to flex muscle after Israel refused to extend a moratorium on settlements, with 26 former European leaders last week demanding sanctions, and Argentina and Uruguay joining Brazil in recognizing an independent Palestinian state. You sort of have to admire Israel's ability to stand its ground in the face of mounting opposition to its tactics. I think Israel is wrong, but that doesn't change the fact that it has been remarkably effective in preserving its position regard formal recognition of a Palestinian state.

Climate Change - In case you had not heard, there was two week climate change conference that just concluded in Cancun, Mexico. Not to worry...nothing happened...again. The climate change conference in Cancún appears to have sealed the fate of the Kyoto Protocol, the only legally binding treaty to combat climate change, and left countries squabbling over the substance and form of a new treaty for the future. Japan said it would not commit to reducing greenhouse-gas emissions under the protocol after the first term of obligations for industrialized countries expires at the end of 2012. In effect, that means any emissions reductions by major industrial nations will be voluntary and at their own discretion – a far cry from the enduring, global commitment to reduce global warming agreed to in Kyoto 13 years ago. The first commitment period of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol requires industrialized countries to bring carbon emissions 5% below 1990 levels by 2020. By contrast, the US promised to reduce its carbon emissions by 17 percent by 2020 from 2005 levels, which works out to 4% from 1990 levels. I have a theory on climate change. Clearly, the political will of important players, like China, India and the United States, just doesn't exist and that does not appear likely to change in the foreseeable future. What seems much more likely is for progress to be made on a smaller scale, by state and local governments seizing upon opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in ways that make sense for them. Once the grass roots support is established, there won't be nearly as much opposition by national governments to sign off on protocols that, in effect, have already been enacted at local levels. Of course, this theory is predicated on the assumption that the Earth remains inhabitable long enough for these local initiatives to take effect, but let's not get hung up on details, shall we?

What Caught My Eye Today

For the second day in a row, today's headlines come courtesy of our friends in the United Kingdom.

Protests - In a major security breach, furious student protesters attacked a car carrying Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, as it drove through London's busy West End on its way to a theater. I'm thinking the security detail for this excursion is going to have a devil of time explaining its way out of this fiasco. A group of up to 20 struck it with fists, sticks and bottles, breaking a window and splattering the gleaming black vehicle with paint. In the frenzy, some chanted "off with their heads!" Dude, that's not cool. The guy already has to live with the fact that most of the general population hates him. Sending him off to the guillotine seems be adding insult to injury, don't you think? A witness who was following the protesters, said Charles kept his calm, gently pushing his wife toward the floor to get her out of the line of fire. Gently? Sure he did. I bet dude was shoving her out of the way so he could hide.

Music - I heard this story on NPR yesterday and thought it was a joke...apparently not. Since Christmas Day 1952, millions of people in Britain have sat by their radios to hear which song will become the Christmas Day number one single. In recent years, that song has effectively been decided by one man: Simon Cowell. His televised talent show "The X Factor" strategically announces a winner just days before the public votes on the Christmas number one, and so for three years running, the winning songs have been pop ballads. last Christmas, the British public staged a revolt against Cowell's hit machine. And they voted to make "Killing in the Name," a 1992 song by Rage Against the Machine. This year, some of Britain's biggest pop stars are trying to do the same thing by releasing a new version of John Cage's composition 4'33". There's something about this particular piece that makes it unlike anything I have ever heard (click here). I just can't put my finger on it.

Politics - It's stories like this that remind me of the old adage, "with friends like these who needs enemies". Angry House Democrats staged a noisy revolt against President Barack Obama's year-end tax cut agreement with Republicans, pledging to block a vote unless there are changes to scale back billions ticketed to help the rich. As announced by Obama earlier in the week, the deal would extend tax breaks at all income levels that are due to expire on January 1, renew a program of jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed that is due to lapse within days and implement a one-year cut in Social Security taxes. The two-year cost of the plan, estimated at as much as $900 billion, would further swell record federal deficits. Despite the additional red ink, the president has said the plan is essential to add strength to an economy recovering slowly from the worst recession in eight decades. Now for those of you who don't follow U.S. politics that closely, let me try to explain why I find this story so amusing. First, Obama is a Democrat. One would think that he would have the support of his own party, but not in this particular case. Obama committed the cardinal sin of compromising with the enemy in attempting to do right by the people he represents rather than his party--I say we hand the rat bastard over to those pissed of students in the U.K. But I digress. Second, the tax cuts that the Republican party was hell bent on preserving, are going to add on to an already astronomically national debt, just under $14 trillion as of today. Mind you that it is the Republican party that is supposed to be represented by fiscal conservatives and so-called deficit hawks. I can't quite figure out how the two reconcile, but then again, I'm not a politician. In my world, two plus two still equals four.

Life Expectancy - In a report released by the National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. life expectancy has dropped slightly to 77.8 years. That's down a bit from an all-time high of 77.9 years for 2007. Life expectancy was down for both men and women. Overall, women continue to live longer, until about 80, compared to 75 for men. Death rates declined for six of the 15 leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, homicide and accidents. Death rates went up for chronic lower respiratory diseases, Alzheimer's disease, flu and pneumonia, high blood pressure, suicide and kidney disease. Lemme break out my trusty abacus for a minute here (that would be a counting tool primarily used in Asia...just so you know). Let's see here...slide that there...carry the one...move that over here...got it. Based on this latest data and the current trajectory of Social Security, I should be able to retire 3 years 7 months after I die. Goodie.

What Caught My Eye Today

United Kingdom - Perhaps you have heard that the British royals are gearing up to have themselves a royal wedding next year. With that in mind, I present a royal daily double. In a public display of filial duty, (I looked it up; filial means the relation of a child to a parent.) Prince William said he had no desire to take the throne ahead of his father, Prince Charles. Polls show that a majority of Britons would prefer that he succeed Queen Elizabeth as monarch, bypassing his less-respected father. A royal aide was quoted as saying "Wills know his place in the royal family, and he considers himself to be very low down the food chain." Yeah, almost as far down as his younger brother Harry. Seriously, thought, how is William supposed to answer loaded questions like this?

Moving on to the pending nuptials of dear Prince William and the lovely fare maiden, Kate Middleton... Ten days after the engagement was announced, the first book on the couple's romance was published. The book was cranked out by a tabloid royal reporter, who combined older material with 4,000 words he wrote over 48 nonstop hours. That is pretty astounding. I for one am certainly amazed that this parasite actually knows that many words.

Personal Consumption -- The U.S. Department of Labor has calculated that the average American household earns $62,857 before taxes and spends close to 80% of that figure. On what, you may ask? Read on, dear reader, read on. How the money is spent:

• 34.43% on housing
• 15.61% on transportation
• 12.99% on food
• 11.15% on insurance premiums
• 10.45% on miscellaneous expenses
• 6.37% on health care
• 5.49% on entertainment
• 3.52% on apparel and services

Just out of curiosity, where do you think education and charitable gifts fit in here? One would think that these would be consider a bit more noteworthy than "Miscellaneous".

Zimbabwe - Under the direction of Zimbabwean strongman Robert Mugabe, the government signs off on weather reports before they are broadcast. I think it goes without saying that there is a rational explanation for doing this. In the wake of Mugabe's disastrous agriculture policies, the government considers weather--especially news of continued drought--a sensitive topic. The state-sponsored newspaper explained that, "the public are not thought to be ready for bad weather." Yup, just as I thought, a perfectly rational explanation. I wonder, though. Is it not within the realm of possibility that the public might make the connection between the lack of rain and the continuation of the drought? I'm just saying.

Kenya - Kenya's Prime Minister announced that any Kenyan found engaging in homosexual acts will be jailed. He said his government would enforce all laws in the new constitution, passed last August, including one that criminalizes "sex against the order of nature." A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said the remarks had been taken out of context, and that he was simply trying to reassure conservative villagers that the new constitution did not legalize gay marriage. Clearly not. Last time I checked it was a pain in the neck to find a Justice of the Peace willing to perform a marriage when one or both of the participants was incarcerated. There must be some bigger picture thing that I just don't get about same-sex marriage. I simply don't understand what threat this poses to traditional marriage or the moral outrage this seems to incite. Think about it. Not only do half of all "traditional marriages" end in divorce, but fewer people are even bothering to go through the effort. Why shouldn't homosexuals have the same opportunity to be just as miserable as the opposite sex couples?

The Ashes - My man Rod has informed me that the Second Test in the biennial cricket contest between Australia and English has concluded. Here's the scoreline...see if you can figure out who won.

Australia batting first made their worst start to a Test match in 60 years, when they lost the opening three wickets for two runs. Simon Katich was run out before facing a ball, and captain Ricky Ponting for a first-ball duck. Michael Hussey made 93 before being dismissed by Graeme Swann and Australia were bowled out on day one for 245.

On the second day, England captain Andrew Strauss was dismissed for a single in the first over of the day's play. At the close of day two, Alastair Cook had made 136 not out to break the England record for runs scored and minutes at the crease without being dismissed. This consisted of 371 runs in 1,022 minutes of play.

Early on the third morning, Kevin Pietersen reached his first century since March 2009 before Cook was out for 148. Supported first by Paul Collingwood (42) and then Ian Bell (68 not out), Pietersen reached the second double-century of his career. Pietersen was finally out for a Test-best 227 before England declared on 620-5. This was the first time that the England team had passed the 500 run mark in successive innings in the Ashes and left Australia needing 375 runs to make England bat again.

Australia began batting early on day four and started a fightback before losing the wicket of Michael Clarke (80) off the last ball of the day. Although Hussey completed a half-century.

You got that? Me neither. Apparently, England won. The result was the 100th time England had beaten Australia and gives them a 1-0 advantage over Australia in the best of five series (though, remember the first test ended in a draw). Sadly, we'll have to wait with baited breath until Dec 16 for the Third Test to start.

What Caught My Eye Today

Palestine - Argentina announced today that it recognizes the Palestinian territories as a free and independent state within their 1967 borders, a step it said reflects frustration at the slow progress of peace talks with Israel. The recognition comes three days after Brazil's recognition. Uruguay and Paraguay are expected to recognize Palestinian statehood in the next few days, followed by Bolivia and Ecuador. The Palestinian Authority opened a diplomatic mission in Buenos Aires in 1996 and in 2008 Argentina installed a representative in Ramallah, the West Bank Wow. Who would have thought that with all attention be focused on the United States, Europe and the Middle East, that South America would swoop in and steal the spotlight. How telling would it be if South America, through its bold actions, ended up resolved the decades old Palestinian question.Yet more proof the the center of the universe is no longer Europe or, maybe--perish the thought--even the United States.

Italy - Other than the food, the thing I love most about Italy is its government. Since 1946, the Italians have had 24 different prime ministers, or roughly 1 every 30 months. Silvio Berlusconi is the second longest-serving Prime Minister of Italy, a position he has held on three separate occasions: from 1994 to 1995, from 2001 to 2006 and currently since 2008. And, oh by the way, he ranks as the 74th richest man in the world with a net worth of USD 9 billion. Alas, all is not well for Signor Berlusconi. Four Italian ministers resigned from the coalition government, deepening the political crisis sparked by the latest scandal surrounding Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's sexual escapades. I almost forgot. Dude has a crazy active sex drive for a man his age. Berlusconi admits he pressured police to release an underage woman, who had previously attended parties at his home, after she was accused of shoplifting, but he has vowed to stay in office. Given that he maintains a comfortable majority in the upper house, an upcoming parliamentary no-confidence vote is unlikely to force him to call for early elections. Let us not forget one this. Boyfriend is worth $9 billion! Dudes this rich don't play by the same rules as the rest of us mere mortals.

Exorcisms - I swear on a stack of Bibles, I'm not making any of this stuff up.. With demand for exorcisms high and only a handful of priests qualified to perform them, the Catholic Church held a two-day training session onthe ancient rite. I'm not sure what I find more surprising--that there is high demand for exorcisms or that it only takes two days of training to be able to perform one. The training included instruction on the scriptural basis of evil, how to evaluate whether someone is truly possessed (a "violent reaction to holy water" is one symptom), and exorcism prayers and rituals. Priests receive hundreds of requests annually from people seeking to banish evil spirits. I couldn't find any statistics, but for my money, I'm betting the majority of those requests are coming from a patch of dirt bordered by First Street, Independence Avenue and Constitution Avenue in Washington D.C.

Words - Stay with me on this one. Why, you ask. Think about it. Where would you be without them? ... You're scratching your heads now aren't you? The Global Language Monitor has announced its top ten words of 2010. The Global Language Monitor’s WOTY was conceived in 1999 as a way to create a cultural record of the year as reflected in the world’s current global language, English. GLM monitors million of web pages on the Internet, Blogosphere, and social media in addition to over 80,000 print and electronic media sites.

1. Spillcam — The BP Spillcam instantly beamed the immensity of the Gulf Spill around the world to the dismay of environmentalists, BP’s PR staff and the President.
   Really? this is the ord of the year. Yawn.
2. Vuvuzela — Brightly colored plastic horns that first came to prominence at the South African World Cup.
   And they sound pretty bitchin' too, don't they?
3. The Narrative – Though used at least since The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass in 1845, ‘The Narrative’ has recently been gaining traction in the political arena, virtually replacing the need for a party’s platform.
   Who needs an actual opinion or position on an issue, when one can rely upon a narrative? No wonder the politicians are all over this word.
4. Refudiate — Conflation of “refute” and “repudiate” (un)officially coined by Sarah Palin.
   Atta girl. Way to stay relevant.
5. Guido and Guidette — Hey! All things Jersey are hot.
   Hmm. I appear to have missed the text from Paris Hilton on Jersey being hot.
6. Deficit – A growing and possibly intractable problem for the economies of most of the developed world.
   Just out of curiosity, when did basic math skills go the way of the dodo bird? I find it fascinating that world leaders are just now figuring out that when you spend more than you make, bad things happen.
7. Snowmagedden (and ‘Snowpocalypse’) — words linking ‘snow’ with ‘apocalypse’ and ‘armageddon’, used to describe the record snowfalls in the US East Coast and Northern Europe last winter.
   This winter isn't shaping up to be much better.
8. 3-D – Three-dimensional (as in movies) is buffo box office this year, but 3-D is being used in new ways generally describing ‘robustness’ in products.
   Too bad the folks in charge of producing movies are spending more time trying to produce better technology instead of better plot lines.
9. Shellacking – President Obama’s description of the ‘old-fashioned thumpin’ in George W. Bush’s words, that Democrats received in the 2010 US Mid-term elections.
   Give the dude some props here. He didn't try to sugarcoat this bloodbath.
10. Simplexity – The paradox of simplifying complex ideas in order to make them easier to understand, the process of which only adds to their complexity.
    Like say, oh I don't know, deficit spending.

I don't know. This list is okay, but I guess I have a bias. For me, the word of the year, every year, should be "chimichanga". First of all, who doesn't like deep fried burritos? Secondly, you can't really say "chimichanga" without smiling (try it). How many words can you say that about? Okay, maybe vuvuzela, but you get my point.

What Caught My Eye Today

Fred's Note: We start today's posting with a question. Who is Herman Van Rompuy? The answer appears below in the last story.

Golf - I don't usually start with sports stories--okay, so like yesterday was special--but I haven't seen one of these headlines in over a year. Tiger Woods is starting to look like his old self at the Chevron World Challenge. Woods got off to a blazing start Friday and played bogey-free in the second round for a 6-under 66 to take a four-shot lead into the weekend of his final tournament of the year. He was at 13-under 131, his best 36-hole start to the year by six shots. This is only the second time Woods has been atop the leader board after any round this year, and the first time by himself. One would be hard pressed to imagine 2011 being much worse for Tiger than 2010 was.

Speaking of Mr. Woods, here's a segue way you don't see everyday.

Genetics - Researchers analyzing the DNA of 181 young adults who provided a complete history of their sexual activity and intimate partnerships have concluded that the dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) gene might help explain why some people are more prone to infidelity and promiscuity. Anyone want to place bets on whether or not Boy Wonder was part of that study? Individuals with a certain variant of the DRD4 gene were more likely to have a history of uncommitted sex, including one-night stands and acts of infidelity. The researchers were quick to point out that their findings shouldn't be viewed as an excuse for cheating or promiscuity. My bias tends toward science, but I find myself leaning toward the more traditional explanation of infidelity--the offending part is (depending on gender) a "douche bag" / "slut".

Astronomy - A new study suggests there are a mind-blowing 300 sextillion stars, or three times as many as scientists previously calculated. That is a 3 followed by 23 zeros. Or 3 trillion times 100 billion. The estimate is based on findings that there are many more red dwarf stars,the most common star in the universe, than once thought. How could our estimates be that far off, you ask? I know I did. When scientists previously estimated the total number of stars, they assumed that all galaxies had the same ratio of dwarf stars as the Milky Way, which is spiral-shaped. But about one-third of the galaxies in the universe are elliptical and aren't really made up the same way as spiral-shaped galaxies. Scientists believe there are 100 billion to a trillion galaxies in the universe. Way to narrow that range down, guys. And each galaxy — the Milky Way included — was thought to have 100 billion to a trillion stars. The elliptical galaxies, which account for about a third of all galaxies, have as many as 1 trillion to 10 trillion stars, not a measly 100 billion. This finding tripled the estimate of stars in the universe from 100 sextillion to 300 sextillion. Whew, mystery solved. I'll sleep better tonight finding comfort in the knowledge that I have a much larger number of stars to make a wish upon.

Potpourri - Today's edition highlights statistics that no one really wants to be a part of...

• Poverty - The poverty rate in the U.S. rose to 14.3% last year, the highest level in more than 50 years.
  Interestingly, the unemployment rate is just 9.8%. Does that mean that for 4.5% of the population, they might be better off quitting their jobs and taking unemployment?
• Congress - Nancy Pelosi, recently chosen by Democrats to be House Minority leader in the next term of Congress, is the most unpopular active politician in the U.S. Pelosi's net favorability ratings of -25 (55% unfavorable; 30% favorable) is worse than Dick Cheney's (-17), Sarah Palin's (-14) and George W. Bush's (-9).
  Figures that this would be the one area where Pelosi managed to beat the Republican party. Atta girl.
• Crime - St. Louis, Missouri had the highest violent crime rate in 2009, replacing Camden, New Jersey as the most dangerous U.S. city. Detroit, Michigan, Flint, Michigan and Oakland, California round out the top 5.
  I'd watch my back if I were you, St. Louis. Tony Soprano doesn't take kindly to coming in second to no body. Capiche, paisano?

European Union: The European Union has had a president for a whole year now, yet average Europeans rarely hear of him. Diplomats credit the president, former Belgian Prime Minister, Herman Van Rompuy (there's your answer), with saving the euro during the financial crisis last year by convincing French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to accept a deal. Much of his work has been behind the scenes, forging links among various intergovernmental institutions and making the vast bureaucracy of the European Union run smoothly. However, Van Rompuy was conspicuously silent when a volcanic eruption in Iceland buried much of Europe under ash and when Haiti needed European assistance to help dig out from its earthquake. I think dude's problem is all about image. Herman appears to be under the delusion that results speak louder than words. That rarely is the case, unless of course the results involve an illicit affair with some young eye candy, a la Silvio Berlusconi, current Prime Minister of Italy.

What Caught My Eye Today

Soccer - Most readers probably don't hav as much interest in the beautiful game as I do, but trust me when I say that, outside the U.S. this was big news. Russia and the tiny Gulf state of Qatar scored stunning victories in the battle for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. FIFA could have played it safe by going to the ready-built stadiums of the United States or to the sport’s motherland of England. Both promised minimal worry and lots of cash. Sure, but where is the excitement in that? Russia, already spending massively on the Sochi Winter Olympics it will host in 2014, now has the added and greater challenge of readying airports, modern stadiums, trains and other public works it will need not only to host 32 football teams and millions of visitors but also to transport them efficiently from cities spread from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Ural Mountains that form the European boundary with Asia. Qatar, with a population of 841,000, has not only never hosted a World Cup but not even played in one. FIFA inspectors who toured the country, which is half the size of Israel and slightly smaller than Connecticut, cautioned that the intense heat in summer, when the tournament will be played, posed a potential health risk for players and fans. Personally, I find the Qatar undertaking much more interesting than Russia. I read in a separate article, that organizers are designed stadiums that can be dismantled after the World Cup and shipped off to other countries in need of modern soccer facilities. I can't wait to see how they plan to pull that off.

Capital Punishment - Yet another reason it sucks to be on Death Row, especially in Ohio. Ohio has imposed a time limit on the last words of condemned prisoners. The new rule, authorizing wardens to set "reasonable restrictions on the content and lenth" of an inmates's last remarks, was instituted after a condemned prisoner apologized for his crime and recited the "Hail Mary" for 17 minutes before his execution. You can't really fault the guy for stalling. He had nothing better to do, did he?

Boredom - Now pay attention! After feeding 300 million facts into a new computer search engine, experts have announced that April 11, 1954 was the most boring day of the 20th century – a day when nothing of note happened. Of course, it goes without saying, as soon as this was announced, detractors emerged. It is not the first time a particular day has been singled out for its lack of moment.According to BBC Radio, April 18, 1930, was the dullest day of the 20th century after an announcer informed the nation at the 6.30pm bulletin: ‘There is no news.’ I don't know about the most boring day, but this posting certainly qualifies as one of the most boring I've ever posted.

Now for something that you can't help but get all tingly inside about...

Cricket - My main man, Rod, hooked me up with the 411 on this one. Hard to believe it has been two years already. The 2010–11 Ashes series is being played in Australia. The Five Tests are scheduled to take place from November 25, 2010 through January 7, 2011. Up to the start of the 2010–11 Ashes series, Australia led the way with 31 series to England's 29; five had finished as draws. England won the most recent series in 2009 by two Tests to one, but Australia had whitewashed the last one held on home soil, winning 5–0. I checked the results of the First Test which wrapped up on Monday, and I'm not exactly sure how it happened, but the match was declared a draw. I guess they don't have overtime or shoot outs in cricket.