What Caught My Eye Today - Stock Market, 2012 Presidential Race, Taiwan, China

Stock Market - Feel free to file this one in the "Isn't that ironic?" folder. For a lot of Americans asking whether they're better off than when President Barack Obama took office in 2009, it's a tossup. Some things are better, such as job security, lending conditions and the stability of the overall economy. But there are fewer jobs, incomes have fallen and average net worth has plummeted. As a member of the investor class, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has benefited directly from one of the few developments under Obama that has been unambiguously positive. One thing Obama can genuinely crow about is a vigorous stock market rally during his first three-and-a-half years. Wait, wait. Save your breath. I already know the response to this is. Something to the affect of, "The market didn't go up because of him, it went up in spite of him" Did I get that right? From the day Obama took office, the S&P 500 stock index has risen by 64%. Overall, the rising stock market has helped Americans recover nearly $10 trillion worth of financial assets since 2008, according to Federal Reserve data. The bottom line for Romney is that he most likely suffered losses under Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush. Let me if I've got this straight--the market goes up, but we don't like the guy, so it's his fault that the market didn't go higher; however, the market went down under the other guy who we liked, so clearly the market conditions were beyond his control, so it's not his fault. Okay, I think I got it. For a second there, I thought there might be some sort of double standard.

2012 Presidential Race - So we wrapped up the Republican National Convention last week and have the Democratic National Convention this week. Guess what, both political parties think their guy is the one best equipped to lead the nation for the next four years. Crazy, I know. These things are so scripted, I'm not sure anyone who has already decided who they are going to vote for is likely to change their mind, and those who haven't -- if they tune in to both conventions -- are going to be swayed one way or the other. That said, what we can be sure of is some great soundbites. First, the Obama campaign. The headline says it all -- Obama aide: ‘The country is better off’. The way I heard it, they canned the Obama aide who said the country was in the crapper; dude was not towing the party line.  Meanwhile, Mitt Romney sprinkled his latest stump speech with sports analogies, arguing "If you have a coach that's zero and 23 million, you say it's time to get a new coach." Isn't he just the wittiest guy? And not to be outdone in the quotable quote department, Hank Williams Jr., whose "Monday Night Football" theme song was pulled by ESPN last year after he compared President Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler, lashed out at the president during a Labor Day weekend concert saying, "We've got a Muslim for a president who hates cowboys, hates cowgirls, hates fishing, hates farming, loves gays, and we hate him!" Atta boy, Hank. Who needs facts when a health dose of slander will do?

What with all the lofty news coming out of the U.S. political arena, I thought it might be nice to switch things up a bit with these last two items courtesy of our Asian brethren. As is often the case with stories such as these, I'm not sure how exactly they qualify as newsworthy, but they sure are noteworthy.
Taiwan - Taiwan's government wants men to sit down to urinate in the interest of cleanliness. The country's Environmental Protection Administration has directed local governments to put up signs in public restrooms requesting that men sit so they are less likely to leave a mess. There's a "number one" vs. "number two" joke in there someplace. And another thing...what do you think the Public Service Announcement for this initiative will look like? A Swedish political party recently published research showing that men empty their bladders more thoroughly while sitting.  Okay, this is a little creepy if you ask me. A political party is keeping tabs on our potty breaks?  A line has definitely been crossed here.
China - The latest beach accessory in China is the "face-kini," a full head mask that ensures that wearers go home without any trace of a tan. Of course they did. What sane person would actually want to risk contact with sunlight when they venture outside? In China, darker skin has traditionally been associated with outdoor labor, while pale skin indicates aristocratic status, so the new mask in proving to be popular. It always fascinates me how perception can vary so much depending on who you are and where you live. Personally I equate a bit of sun with having some balance in one's life that includes some time outdoors as opposed to the pasty white skin that usually comes with spending too much friggin' time behind my desk.