What Caught My Eye Today - Syria, India, Antarctica, Olympics

Syria - President Barack Obama has signed a secret order authorizing U.S. support for rebels seeking to depose Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his government. Is it just me, or does this secret order not seem so secret. The fact that I read this in Featured Headlines on Yahoo News suggests otherwise. Obama's order, approved earlier this year and known as an intelligence "finding," broadly permits the CIA and other U.S. agencies to provide support that could help the rebels oust Assad. Precisely when Obama signed the secret intelligence authorization, an action not previously reported, could not be determined. Maybe that's the secret part! A White House spokesman declined comment. Sure, now they are tight-lipped. A little late for that, don't you think, Sparky?

India - Busy week for the Asian sub-continent. India plans to launch a mission to Mars next year, putting an orbital probe around the red planet to study its climate and geology. The mission would mark another step in India's ambitious space program, which envisages the Asian giant's first manned mission in 2016. One can only assume that the timing of this auspicious undertaking coming two days after a power outage leaving 700 million citizens without electricity is completely coincidental. The estimated cost of the mission is between 4 and 5 billion rupees ($70 - $90 million dollars). India began its space program in 1963 and has developed its own satellites and launch vehicles to cut dependence on overseas agencies. In September, 2009, India's Chandrayaan-1 satellite discovered water on the moon, boosting the country's credibility among established space-faring nations. But the program suffered a major setback in December 2010 when a satellite launch vehicle blew up and fell into the Bay of Bengal after veering from its intended flight path. Yeah, complete system failure does tend to bring that celebratory mood back down to earth.

Antarctica - Not a lot to say here; it's just you don't see the frozen continent making it into the headlines very often. Drilling of the seabed off Antarctica has revealed that a rain forest grew on the frozen continent 52 million years ago. Sediment cores drilled from the ocean floor off Antarctica's east coast revealed fossil pollens that had come from a "near-tropical" forest covering the continent in the Eocene period, 34-56 million years ago. analysis of temperature-sensitive molecules in the cores had showed it was "very warm" 52 million years ago, measuring about 20 degrees Celsius (68 F). Higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere were thought to be the major driver of the heat and ice-free conditions on Antarctica, with CO2 estimates of anywhere between 990 to "a couple of thousand" parts per million. CO2 is presently estimated at about 395ppm. The ice on east Antarctica is thought to have formed about 34 million years ago. It has been suggested that there would be major impacts to global temperatures were the ice to recede, because it is an integral cooling mechanism for the planet, regulating the temperature by reflecting the sun's energy into space. Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I wonder if I should trade my timeshare in Hawaii for some nice beachfront property on the South Pole? You know, before prices start to go up.

Olympics - When Olympic medalists return to the United States, they're in high demand. They'll also draw some unwanted interest from everyone's favorite bureaucrats: the IRS. Medalists will have to pay hefty taxes for standing on the podium in London. It's not the value of the medal itself that will require a separate line on this years tax returns, it's the tax on the prize money that comes with a gold, silver or bronze. See this is why no one likes the tax man. The United States Olympic Committee rewards Olympic medalists with honorariums. A gold medal brings $25,000. Silver medals get you $15,000. And a bronze is worth $10,000 which translate to tax bills of $8,986, $5,385 and $3,500 respectively. Rumor has it that there is bi-partisan support in Congress to pass a tax exemption law for medal winners. Of course, they're going to have to find a way to fund this tax break, so I won't be holding my breath on this one.

Olympics - Six days into competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, medals have been awarded for 89 of 302 events. For the first time, The United States tops the medal table in both total medals and gold with 37, 18 of which are gold. Japan (19), Germany (17) and Russia (17) round out the top 5. Host nation, Great Britain is starting to hit its stride with 15 medals, good enough for 7th on the medal table. In the run for the gold, the United States and China have a sizable lead over South Korea with 7 golds (8th in total medals), France with 6 (6th overall) and Great Britain with 5. Out of the 209 nations compete in the Games, 49 have been awarded at least one medal. Alas, poor Bangladesh is not one of them.