What Caught My Eye Today

Fred's Note: Under normal circumstances, I would be celebrating my 14,245th day of existence with a bit more zeal (divide this by 365, and you'll figure it out). The sudden passing of a dear friend and co-worker has instead made me reflect a bit more closely on what I've done with that first 14,245 days and what I still want to accomplish with the days ahead. I think it is worth reminding oneself from time to time that life is precious and short. Use it wisely. As for my friend, Nigel...You will be missed.

Egypt - As if Egypt didn't have enough to deal with trying to cobble together a new democratic government. Egypt's new military rulers faced their first unwelcome diplomatic exposure as Israel reported that two Iranian warships were approaching the Suez Canal to pass through for the first time since 1979. The two navy vessels plan to sail through the canal en route to Syria. I'm sure the timing is purely coincidental on Iran's part. And that timing is pretty lousy. Rebuilding a country is complicated enough with out having to manage an international incident at the same time. On the domestic front, Egypt's ruling military command was trying to get their country back to normal after the 18-day revolution that rewrote modern Egyptian history. Some Egyptian workers ignored a call by the military to return to work and a committee hammered out constitutional changes to pave the way for democracy after 30 years of President Hosni Mubarak's rule. The Higher Military Council had urged Egyptians to put aside the revolutionary ardor in the interest of national unity and restarting the damaged economy. The way I see it, after 30 years, a little R and R is to be expected, don't you think? Heck, even I get 18 vacation days a year. Motivated by uprisings in Egypt and in Tunisia, hundreds of people, angry at the arrest of a rights campaigner, clashed with police and government supporters in the Libyan city of Benghazi. There have also been clashes in Iran, Bahrain and Yemen. I know we are only mid way through February, but my vote for person of the year is Mohamed Bouazizi. I continue to be amazed by the fact this all started with a single unemployed Tunisian man setting himself ablaze to protest a government that he felt was failing to look after the needs of its people.

Dogs - I think it goes without saying, but just in case you forgot...dogs rule. A 5-year-old Scottish deerhound named Hickory took home the top prize at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. It marks the first time that a Scottish deerhound has won the the most prestigious event of its type for purebreds dogs in the nation. Among the other contenders were a Pekingese (Toy), a Chinese Shar-Pei (Non-sporting), a Bearded Collie (Herding), a Cocker Spaniel (Sporting), a Portuguese Water Dog (Working), and a Fox Terrier (Terrier). Props to Hickory, but I have the sneaking suspicion that results were rigged. No way a cocker spaniel doesn't win if the judging was straight up...no way.

Peace - Wikileaks has been nominated for the 2011 Nobel Peace prize. Seriously? A Norwegian parliamentarian, said Wikileaks was "one of the most important contributors to freedom of speech and transparency" in the 21st century." By disclosing information about corruption, human rights abuses and war crimes, Wikileaks is a natural contender for the Nobel Peace Prize." Wikileaks released tens of thousands of secret documents and diplomatic cables, which it says have harmed U.S. interests abroad, including peace efforts. Awarding Wikileaks the prize would most likely provoke criticism of the Nobel Committee, which chose jailed Chinese pro-democracy activist Liu Xiaobo and President Barack Obama a few months after his election. I'm a pretty big fan of way the Nobel Prize represents, but it does seem like these guys go out of their way to make political statements with the awarding of the Peace Prize. Being a whistle blower does not necessarily mean you have any interest in peace. The truth...sure, but not necessarily peace.

Sarah Palin - Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's bid to trademark both her name and that of her daughter Bristol ran into trouble at the Patent and Trademark Office because the application forms were not signed, government records show. Applications to trademark the names Sarah Palin and Bristol Palin were filed in November but were quickly slapped down by a trademark examiner. The office also said Palin's application failed to show that her name had been used in commerce and could also be rejected on those grounds. Here's what has me scratching my head. Why does Palin feel the need to trademark her name? Does she really think anyone is going to forget who she is? If it were only that easy. Palin seems completely incapable of keeping her big mouth shut long enough for us to forget any of her pearls of wisdom.