What Caught My Eye Today - U.S. Government, Climate Change, Silence, Potpourri

U.S. Government - Yes, Virginia, not only does Santa Claus exist, but the United States Congress does occasionally pass legislation. The U.S. Congress approved an 11th-hour deal to end a partial government shutdown and pull the world's biggest economy back from the brink of a historic debt default that could have threatened financial calamity. Almost sounds too good to be true. The down-to-the-wire deal, however, offers only a temporary fix and does not resolve the fundamental issues of spending and deficits that divide Republicans and Democrats. And there it is. It funds the government until January 15 and raises the debt ceiling until February 7, so Americans face the possibility of another bitter budget fight and another government shutdown early next year. Seeing as this is an off election year, political pundits and late night comedians must be thrilled at the prospect of having something to talk about for the next few months. In the end, the Democratic-led Senate overwhelmingly passed the measure on a 81-18 vote, and the Republican-controlled House followed suit 285 to 144. In addition to lifting the federal debt limit, the deal calls for creating a House-Senate bipartisan commission to try to come up with long-term deficit-reduction ideas that would have to be approved by the full Congress. Correct me if I am mistaken, but hasn't Congress been down this road before and failed? That's how we ended up with debt sequestration earlier this year. Their work would have to be completed by December 13, but some lawmakers say the panel faces an extremely difficult task. For the optimists (there must be a few of you left out there) I offer this...If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. For everyone else (myself included)... Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Seeing as the government shutdown is now over (temporarily), we have retired "Let Me Count the Days...Since the U.S. Government Shut Down" portlet, but fear not. This glorious moment in U.S. History will live on in the "Let Me Count the Days Hall of Fame" portlet.

Climate Change - If you thought the United States was in shambles, bear in mind, things could always be worse. Case in point... A Pacific islander is seeking recognition as the world's first climate change refugee in New Zealand as rising seas threaten his low-lying homeland. The man launched an appeal against a decision by New Zealand immigration authorities to refuse him refugee status and deport him to Kiribati in the central Pacific after his visa expired. The case has the potential to set an international precedent, not only for Kiribati's 100,000 residents but for all populations threatened by man-made climate change. Show of hands, please. Who would like to sit in the jury box for this case? If the appeal is successful, the man would become the world's first climate refugee. I wonder if you get to be in the Guiness Book of World Records for something like this. That would totally take the sting out of losing  your homeland to rising ocean levels.  Kiribati is among a number of island states, including Tuvalu, Tokelau and the Maldives, that the UN Human Rights Commission is concerned could become "stateless" due to climate change. Kiribati government's has raised the prospect of relocating the entire population or building man-made islands to rehouse them if predictions the sea will rise by more than 3 feet by the end of the century prove accurate. It has also moved to buy 5,000 acres of land in Fiji to act as a farm for Kiribati if salt-water pollution means the islands in the former British colony can no longer produce crops. How often have you read something containing the phrase, "wiped off the face of the Earth" and chalked it up to hyperbole? Here's a very real situation where we are talking about entire nations being swallowed up by the ocean in a matter of decades. This is serious stuff.

Silence - Struggling to come up with meaningful dinner time conversation with that special someone or maybe a business contact with whom you share no common interests? Have I got the perfect dining establishment for you. At the table, silence is golden, especially in noisy New York. That's the gamble a young restaurant owner is taking with patrons, who are prohibited from talking during four-course meals. The project, launched a month ago at Eat in Brooklyn's Greenpoint neighborhood, has created a buzz in a city where restaurants are often so noisy that they trigger routine complaints. Customers have to reserve days in advance for the privilege of eating without speaking or hearing a word on Friday or Saturday night in the small room that seats 25. For an entire hour, diners savor a menu based on local organic ingredients, watch one another and don't say a word. Cell phones must also be turned off.Customers who dare break the golden rule during the $40 prix fixe meal are forced to finish their plate on a bench outside.  Truth be told, I wouldn't mind seeing that policy implemented for cell phone usage at many of my favorite restaurants. As the dinner ends, after dessert, the silence ends. Some struggle to keep serious in the face of an experience that is the polar opposite of the constant frenzy prevalent in New York.

Potpourri - For those of you who cannot swing a reservation at Eat and, therefore, have to rely on the art of conversation, I offer up these dinnertime topics...

• Oil - The United States may overtake Russia as the world's largest producer of oil and gas in 2013. The U.S.'s monthly production rate has soared to the equivalent of 22 million barrels a day, while Russia's is estimated to be 21.8 million barrels a day. Most of this domestic production comes in the form of natural gas extracted through hydraulic fracturing (fracking), so order up another round of drinks, because a tank of gas will still cost a fortune.
• Chicken - The University of Mississippi conducted analyses of chicken nuggets purchased at two national chains. The first nugget contained 50% muscle meat and the rest composed of fat, blood vessels and nerves. The second nugget contained just 40% meat and the remainder being a combination of fat, cartilage and pieces of bone. Okay, maybe you want to skip this one.
• Dogs - Two dozen cities have banned retail dog sales, meaning canine pets will only be available via shelters and animal rescue organizations. The bans are based on evidence of widespread cruelty, overcrowding and starvation at high-volume commercial breeding businesses, or "puppy mills" that supply most dogs to pet stores. Isn't there enough pain and suffering in this world without some tool mass producing dogs with no regard for their welfare? Yeah, yeah, I know the same can be said for the animals who end up on my dinner plate, but there is something about a dog that just seems to pull at your heart strings.