What Caught My Eye Today - Kazakhstan, China, North Korea, Caribbean, Canada, Fusion

Kazakhstan - Seeking to dispel its backward image, the president of Kazakhstan has proposed changing the nation's name to "Kazakh Yeli" which means "Land of the Kazakhs." Call me crazy, but I sort of like Kazakhstan better. Kazakh Yeli sounds more like a some dude's name than a sovereign nation. Kazakhstan is much more economically developed than its former Soviet socialist republic neighbors, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan and has none of the insurgent problems of Afghanistan or Pakistan. No offense, but when you set the bar so low, it's kind of difficult not look impressive by comparison. The "stan" suffix, claims the president, makes the world lump the country in with those. I'm not so sure about that. Seriously, if you asked the average guy on the street what he thought of the "stans" I thinking the guy is as likely to ask if the "stans" are some new boy band as he is to comment on the economic prowess of a bunch of Central Asian countries. Some Kazakh media have started using the new name, though Parliament has not yet voted on whether to formally adopt the new name.

China - China has announced a massive urbanization plan to move 100 million more farmers to cities in the next 6 years, and to improve the lot of the 100 million former farmers currently denied basic services in cities that were never adequately prepared to absorb them. Good plan. You have already screwed up the lives on 100 million people -- and that doesn't include the poor existing city dwellers that got overwhelmed by the influx of new neighbors -- so why not double the number? You know what I always say, if you are going to go, go big.. Under the plan, 60% of China's 1.4 billion people will be living in cities by 2020. In the United States, 82% of people lived in cities in 2010.  Here's the thing you need to remember. 60% of 1.4 billion is equivalent to the entire U.S. population, two times over.  This relocation of 100 million people over the next six years would be the same as moving most of the population of the east coast of the United State, someplace else. Certainly an attractive option to anyone living in New Jersey (I kid...sort of), but  what about everyone else?

North Korea - Every single eligible voter in North Korea turned out to vote in favor of the state's slate of deputies. Who knew that North Koreans were such a civic-minded lot? Candidates picked by dictator Kim Jong Un received 100% of the vote with 100% turnout. Hmm. Probably just a coincidence, I'm sure. Voting is mandatory every 5 years, and there is only one option on the ballot: yes to all the names listed. Look at that, civic-minded and efficient. No wonder Dennis Rodman holds North Korea in such high regard.  Any voter who wishes to vote against a particular candidate must cross out the name and take the ballot across the room to a special booth, but nobody does that. Go figure.

Caribbean - Caribbean nations have agreed to a 10-point plan for slavery reparations from European nations that once colonized them. Prime ministers from 15 countries and territories drew up a document that includes demands for a formal apology and debt cancellation from former colonizers including France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, as well as money to help Rastafarians resettle in Africa. Two observations here. First, don't you find it a little disturbing that in this day and age nations are still grappling with slavery issues. And second, resettle in Africa; pray tell why?  If I recall my history correctly (and I think I am), most of the people who found themselves transported to the Caribbean to live out the rest of their lives as slaves, were captured and sold by competing tribes in Africa. Plus, if you read the headlines, Africa isn't exactly enjoying a renaissance. I'm thinking I would take my chances where I'm at.

Canada - UFO sightings are sky-high for a second year in a row. The 1,180 reports of UFOs in 2013 were topped only by the record 1,981 sightings in 2012, mostly in the west of Canada. By comparison, just 141 UFOs were reported in 1989. I'm sure the increased sighting have nothing to do with the increase in activity resulting from the burgeoning oil sands extraction industry. Three reports included sightings of extraterrestrials, while four were reports of alien abductions. Makes sense if you think about it.  When you have that many out-of-towners visit, you are bound to get some rabble-rousers as well. Many sightings were reported by pilots or police. That must mean the sightings are the real deal.

Fusion - Scientists have re-created, for a brief instant, the nuclear fusion reaction that powers the sun, taking a major step toward developing fusion as a viable energy source on Earth. Scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory shot 192 lasers with a peak power of 500 trillion watts --roughly 1,000 times the power output of the entire U.S. power grid -- at a dime-size gold cylinder; inside the cylinder was a pea-size capsule containing a fuel of two hydrogen isotopes. Here's my question. One assumes the scientists performing these tests are pretty bright, but honestly, did anyone ponder the possibility  that generating 500 trillion watts of power could be...oh I don't know...insanely dangerous? Under compression, the nucleus of the atoms in the fuel fused, generating a temperature higher than that at the sun's center and triggering additional nuclear reactions. Hotter than the sun? Red flag? Anyone? If nuclear fusion can be mastered and controlled it could generate almost limitless amounts of energy from seawater without generating radioactive wastes.  That would be pretty awesome, assuming we don't blow ourselves up in the process.