What Caught My Eye Today

Mike Huckabee - In reviewing recent postings, it occurs to me that I've been singling out Sarah Palin more than perhaps I should. After all, it's not like Palin has a monopoly on making statements that might not necessary have any basis in fact. Presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee mistakenly said President Obama was raised in Kenya during a recent interview in which he argued that the president's upbringing in Africa gave him a very different outlook on the world than that held by most Americans. The president's father was Kenyan, but met Obama's mother in Hawaii where Obama was born. President Obama did spend a portion of his childhood in Indonesia before returning to Hawaii. Seems like an honest mistake. I cannot tell you how many times I've confused Kenya with Indonesia. Obama first visited Kenya as an adult. "Birthers," those who believe Obama is not a natural born citizen, continue to drive conspiracy theories about the president's nationality. Huckabee, who ran for president in 2008 and is widely expected to run in 2012, has in the past made clear he doesn't side with birthers on this issue, recently saying birthers are "wasting time and energy" on the issue and "nonsense." He says he believes if there was something amiss about Obama's past, it would have been uncovered. "The only reason I'm not as confident that there's something [invalid] about the birth certificate, is because I know the Clintons ... and believe me, they have lots of investigators out on [Obama]. And I'm convinced if there was anything that they could have found on that, they would have found it, and I promise they would have used it." Setting aside that whole birther debacle (honestly, don't we have more pressing issues to deal with?), I fascinated by Huckabee's logic on this one. It is pretty much common knowledge that the only surname that die-hard Republicans revile more than Obama, is probably Clinton. And yet, Huckabee goes on record by citing the Clinton's investigating into Obama's birth as proof that he is a legal U.S. citizen. For the record, dude is probably right, but seriously, you have to question just how well he understands his constituency. You never ever give a Clinton credit for anything that could be viewed as positive if you are after the conservative vote.

New Zealand - A week after an earthquake killed at least 160 people in New Zealand, the country is experiencing a surge of new life. The birth rate also rose immediately after a 7.0-magnitude quake shook the same New Zealand region last September. Sadly that number is likely to increase substantially given that there are more than 200 persons still unaccounted for in the effected area. And yet, despite this tragedy, there are constant reminders that life goes on. Studies have shown an uptick in stress during pregnancy can sometimes trigger a hormone surge that induces early labor. Birth rates will spike not just immediately after natural disasters. They pick up around nine months afterward, too. I always thought those movie scenes where the boy begs the girl for one last "ba donk a donk" before the end of the world were a bit cheesy. Who would have thought there was research to support this. An 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck central Chile Feb. 27, 2010, for example, was followed nine months later by a baby boom. The same thing happened nine months after Haiti's devastating quake of Jan. 12, 2010. According to a reproductive health survey launched in October by the United Nations Population Fund, sex has been suggested a way of coping with stress. Hell, yeah! Stir-craziness may also contribute. The media has reported birth spikes all up and down the East Coast the past couple of autumns, attributed to the previous winters' “snowpocalypses.” In fairness, making "whoopee" sure sounds a lot more appealing than say, I don't know, talking.

Global Warming - NASA computer models reveal what a small, regional nuclear war in one part of the world would do to the global climate and environment. I guessing nothing good. The results are grim. If 100 Hiroshima-sized bombs (fascinating bit of trivia--100 Hiroshima-sized bombs make up a mere 0.03% of the worldwide nuclear weapons arsenal), each as powerful as 15,000 tons of TNT, were exchanged in a war between two developing-world nuclear powers such as India and Pakistan, models show the resulting fires would send five million metric tons of black carbon into the upper troposphere - the lowest-altitude layer of the atmosphere. In the shade of this carbon shield, Earth would cool. models show that for two to three years after a regional nuclear war, average global temperatures would drop by at least 2.25 degrees F (1.25 degrees C), and as much as 5.4 to 7.2 degrees F (3 to 4 degrees C) in the tropics, Europe, Asia and Alaska. Hence the term, "nuclear winter". But the reversal of the global warming trend wouldn't be a good thing. Really? I totally did not expect that. Model results suggest that agriculture could be severely impacted, especially in areas that are susceptible to late-spring and early-fall frosts. Additionally, the models showed global precipitation would reduce by 10% globally for one to four years, and the ozone layer would thin, resulting in an influx of dangerous ultraviolet radiation. And lets not forget the impact the extinction of the human race would have on farming, which I suspect would be rather significant as well.

Fred's Note: A dear friend and his lovely wife are expected their first child in a couple of weeks. These last two items are dedicated to them.

Names (Part I) - I came across this list of unique (a.k.a. crazy bizarre) names that celebrities have come up with for their offspring.

• Sparrow James Midnight Madden (Nicole Richie and Joel Madden)
  Umm, so is this a boy or a girl?
• Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa (Lisa Bonet and Jason Momoa)
  Huh?
• Seraphina Rose Elizabeth (Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck)
  I've seen worse...
• Bronx Mowgli (Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Pete Wentz)
  ...Like this one.
• Zuma (Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale)
  For a second I thought they named their kid after a malt liquor, but that one has an "i" not a "u".
• Clementine Jane (Ethan Hawke and Ryan Shawhughes)
  A bit dated, but not bad.
• Knox Leon (Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt)
  Knox?
• Sunday Rose (Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban)
  Sounds like a country song title...which make sense considering who daddy is.
• Moxie CrimeFighter (Magician Penn Jillette)
  Dude, that's just mean.
• Pilot Inspektor (Jason Lee and Beth Riesgraf)
  One can only conclude that both mom and dad were under the influence of Demerol when they came up with this gem.
• Kal-El Coppola (Nicolas Cage)
  "Superman"? Really?
• Seargeoh and Sage Moonblood (Sylvester Stallone)
  Proof positive, that Sly did one too many stunts that he probably shouldn't have.
• Jermajesty (Jermaine Jackson)
  I don't know. Seems a bit understated to me.

One can only conclude one of two possibilities: (1) Fame has the unfortunate consequence of depleting any common sense that you may have had, or (2) Famous people should not be permitted to procreate. No child deserves this sort of abuse.

Names (Part II) - Here are some unsung heros whose parents clearly did not give this whole naming gig as much thought as perhaps they should have. These poor slobs were screwed before they ever got out of the hospital

• John Koffman (Murfreesboro, TN)
  How's that last name working out for you, Jack?
• Sharonda Cox (Saint Louis, MO)
  Say it out enough times and ShaRONda starts sounding a bit like "sharin' da"
• Justin Butts (Springfield, MO)
  'Nuff said.
• Harry Ball (Castle Rock, CO)
  Poor bastard.
• Amanda Buttram (Conway, MO)
  That's a shame.
• Richard Large (Eufaula, AL)
  How's it hanging, Dick?
• Ben Dover (Nineveh, IN)
  Pity.
• Gayford Buttram (Niangua, MO)
  Honestly, Mr. and Mrs. Buttram, did you even consider changing your last name? You couldn't possibly have been under the delusion that "gay" and "butt" was going to result in anything that wouldn't result in your kid getting his ass kicked on a regular basis in the school yard.
• Michael Huntsucker (Kansas City, MO)
  No commentary necessary. Dude has suffered enough, wouldn't you say?