What Caught My Eye Today

Taiwan - The United Nations again blocked Taiwan's quest for membership in the world body despite a high-profile campaign this year by Taipei that has irritated the United States as well as China. Taiwan was expelled from the United Nations in 1971 in favor of China. It was the 15th consecutive year that a membership bid by the island of 23 million people had met the same fate, but the first time it had applied under the name Taiwan instead of its formal title, Republic of China. At issue is whether Taiwan is part of China or not. Beijing says it is and has threatened to attack the island if it declares independence. U.N. membership could be considered a move toward independence. The self-ruled island that China has claimed as its own since the 1949 civil war says the assembly's resolution no longer applies to present-day Taiwan, which is recognized by 24 countries. The Marshall Islands, representing that group, had asked for Taiwan's application to be considered by the new General Assembly session. Well I for one am shocked by this turn of events. You would think that the political clout of the Marshall Islands would have helped to further Taiwan's cause.

Iran - The deputy commander of Iran's air force said that plans have been drawn up to bomb Israel if the Jewish state attacks Iran. The announcement came amid rising tensions in the region, with the United States calling for a new round of U.N. sanctions against Iran over its disputed nuclear program and Israeli planes having recently overflown, and perhaps even attacked, Iranian ally Syria. Iran has said in the past that Israel would be Iran's first retaliatory target if attacked by the United States. Iran's ambassador to Kuwait said that U.S. bases in the Gulf would be targeted if the country was attacked and a top Revolutionary Guards commander said this week that Americans could be found all around Iran and that they were legitimate Iranian targets if the U.S. takes military action. Two U.N. resolutions imposing sanctions on Iran have failed to persuade the country to suspend uranium enrichment. Tehran insists the program is aimed at producing energy for civilian use but the U.S., its European allies and many others fear the program's real aim is to produce nuclear weapons. It's heartening to see the cogs of diplomacy working so well to diffuse this rather volatile situation. I'm curious whether this flap is as dire as the media is reporting, or if all we're hearing is a bunch of sound bits from mouthpieces that are not actually calling the shots.

Britain - In a visit to Britain by Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, top U.S. commander in Iraq said that Britain's handover of southern Iraq to government forces has been a success so far but he warned against a premature withdrawal of coalition troops from the country. Speaking before a meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Petraeus offered support for Britain's plan to give Iraqi security forces control of Basra province later this year or earlier next year. British media had reported that Petraeus intended to press Brown to increase the number of British troops patrolling the Iraqi border with Iran to cut off the smuggling of Iranian weapons to Shiite militias. So like, the media got wrong? The hell, you say. Could it possibly be that the truth was not as exciting and therefore may not grab as many readers or viewers? Perhaps I'm being a bit harsh here, but do you remember back in the day, when you could pick up a newspaper or turn on the evening news and actually get the news rather than some blow-hard's opinion on what you should think?

Stock Market - Stocks bounded higher as Wall Street extended its rally a day after the Federal Reserve's big interest rate cut. A mild reading on consumer prices added to the market's momentum. The move comes a day after central bank policymakers slashed the target federal funds rate to 4.75 percent from 5.25 percent because of signs that credit market problems could hurt the overall economy. The Dow on Tuesday climbed nearly 336 points — its biggest one-day point gain in nearly five years. Investors looked past record oil prices at other economic data that appeared to justify the Fed's rate cut and perhaps eased some concerns about lingering inflation. While stocks surged yesterday after the Fed cut rates, some investors have already begun wondering how long the central bank could sustain its efforts to provide cheaper access to cash if prices began to creep higher. Fear not, loyal readers. I still cannot quit my day job, at least not for a few more decades.

O.J. Simpson - Let me begin by saying--what a putz. With that out of the way, here's the latest. A judge set bail at $125,000 for O.J. Simpson in connection with the armed robbery of sports memorabilia collectors at a Las Vegas hotel. Simpson, standing in court in a blue jail uniform and handcuffs, furrowed his brow as the judge read the list of charges against him. He answered quietly in a hoarse voice and nodded as Justice of the Peace Joe Bonaventure Jr. laid out restrictions for his release, including surrendering his passport to his attorney and having no contact with co-defendants or potential witnesses. Simpson was charged with kidnapping, robbery with use of a deadly weapon, burglary while in possession of a deadly weapon, coercion with use of a deadly weapon, assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to commit a crime. He did not enter a plea. In what I hope echoes the sentiments of most of the general public, toss the guy in the clink and throw away the key, if for no other reason, so we don't have to read about or hear about this plight on society anymore.

Baseball - The California entrepreneur who submitted the winning bid on Barry Bonds' record-tying 755th home run ball said Tuesday that he also will let the public decide what to do with it. Ben Padnos told The Associated Press that he would follow the lead of fashion designer Marc Ecko, who bought Bonds' No. 756 ball, and let fans vote on whether he should give it to the Hall of Fame or destroy it. Ecko said Monday he was taking votes on whether to give the ball to the Hall of Fame, brand it with an asterisk or blast it into space. Unlike Ecko, Padnos plans to make money by selling ads on his voting Web site. If you, like me, want to celebrate democracy in its purest form (at least in Ecko's case), cast your votes for #755 here and for #756 here.

What Caught My Eye Today

Venezuela - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez threatened on Monday to close or take over any private school that refuses to submit to the oversight of his socialist government as it develops a new curriculum and textbooks. All schools, public and private, must admit state inspectors and submit to the government's new educational system, or be closed and nationalized, with the state taking responsibility for the education of their children, Chavez said. A new curriculum will be ready by the end of this school year, and new textbooks are being developed to help educate "the new citizen," said Chavez's brother and education minister Adan Chavez. The president's opponents accuse him of aiming to indoctrinate young Venezuelans with socialist ideology. But the education minister said the aim is to develop "critical thinking," not to impose a single way of thought. I'm sure that if "critical thinking" happens to align perfectly with Chavez's way of thinking, that will be by sheer coincidence. I mean is it his fault that he just happens to be right about everything?

Saudi Arabia - For the first time ever, a group of women in the only country that bans female drivers have formed a committee to lobby for the right to get behind the wheel, and they plan to petition King Abdullah in the next few days for the privilege. The government is unlikely to respond because the issue remains so highly sensitive and divisive. But committee members say their petition will at least highlight what many Saudis — both men and women — consider a "stolen" right. Conservatives, who believe women should be shielded from male strangers, say women in the driver's seat will be free to leave home alone and go when and where they please. They also will unduly expose their eyes while driving and interact with male strangers, such as traffic police and mechanics. But supporters of female drivers say the prohibition exists neither in law nor Islam, but is based on fatwas, or edicts, by senior clerics who say women at the wheel create situations for sinful temptation. Women tried to defy the ban once and paid heavily for it. In November 1990, when U.S. troops were in Saudi Arabia following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, some 50 women got behind the wheel and drove family cars. They were jailed for one day, their passports were confiscated and they lost their jobs. It's funny how depending on what side of a debate you happen to be on that the difference between a 'right' and a 'privilege' seems to get obscured. On another note, isn't it ironic how our nation's leaders can talk about creating a democratic and free society in Iraq, while seemingly turning a blind eye and deaf ear, to what I have to believe the majority of American citizens consider a basic right--the freedom to drive.

Pakistan - Pakistan's Election Commission changed the rules Monday to open the way for President Gen. Pervez Musharraf to seek a new five-year presidential term without giving up the powerful position of army chief. Opposition parties decried the move as a brazen violation of the constitution and accused the U.S.-allied leader of trying to bulldoze legal obstacles to his staying in power amid increasing demands for an end to military rule. They predicted a surge in democracy protests. the ruling was likely to end up before the Supreme Court, which has proved an impediment to Musharraf this year and which many people hope can find a way to guide Pakistan out of a political crisis that some fear could lead to violent demonstrations and martial law. What I want to know is who sits on the Election Commission and how did they get their posts in the first place. If these were political appointments, do you want to wager who made those appointments?

China - Beijing church leaders will ordain a new bishop this week filling an influential post that had been closely watched to gauge whether the government would consult with the Vatican on church appointments. Joseph Li Shan was approved by China's 59-member Conference of Bishops. There had been no contact between China and the Vatican about Li's appointment because the two sides have no diplomatic relations. But the Vatican-affiliated missionary news agency Asia News said Li may have received the Vatican's blessing. The Vatican says only it has the right to name bishops and the question of their appointment has been the main stumbling block in resuming relations with the government in Beijing. China views papal appointments as interference in its internal affairs. China forced its Roman Catholics to cut ties with the Vatican in 1951, shortly after the officially atheist Communist Party took power. Worship is allowed only in the government-controlled churches, which recognize the pope as a spiritual leader but appoint their own priests and bishops. Earlier this month, a bishop who led an underground congregation of Roman Catholics and was repeatedly detained in China for his loyalty to the Vatican died in police custody, according to a monitoring group. Well this will be interesting to watch. I'm all for compromise, but let's not confuse compromise with throwing in the towel. The Vatican risks setting a dangerous precedent if it allow's China to select it's own bishops. If China is granted that privilege, who is to say that other countries won't try to do the same?

Steve Fossett - Like Amelia Earhart's disappearance over the Pacific Ocean 70 years ago, the riddle of Steve Fossett's whereabouts is threatening to become one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries. Nearly two weeks after Fossett's light plane vanished above a vast expanse of rugged Nevada wilderness, an army of rescuers and volunteers are still no closer to locating the millionaire aviator. Fossett has not been heard from since September 3, when he took off on a solo flight from a private airstrip south of Reno, and failed to return as scheduled three hours later. Since then, a mini air-force of helicopters and planes have taken to the skies in an effort to locate the 63-year-old, a veteran of several world record breaking balloon and plane flights around the globe. A total of around 20,000 square miles (52,000 square kilometers) has been searched with no success. Seeing as we're drawing historical comparisons here, I'm thinking that there will soon be one more similarity between Fossett and Earhart--the one where the pilot is never found.

Chocolate - Mars Inc. said it will continue to use 100 percent cocoa butter in its U.S. chocolate products, bucking an industry campaign to allow cheaper vegetable oils to be substituted. The announcement comes amid a push by a dozen food industry groups to change long-established federal standards to allow for replacing cocoa butter with another vegetable fat, up to a level of 5 percent. The groups say the change, which would save money for manufacturers, would allow more flexibility and innovation. Manufacturers already can use vegetable fats instead of cocoa butter, but they are not allowed by the Food and Drug Administration to call it chocolate. In a world awash in terrorism, human suffering, global warming and pretty much any other depressing situation you can think of, it's nice to hear that someone is tanking a stand to protect the sanctity of one of the few bastions of pleasure that we have left in the world. Good for you Mars--keep the chocolate clean.

What Caught My Eye Today

These first two items come courtesy of this month's issue of Esquire:

Kazakhstan - Kazakhstan discovered it had oil - and a lot of it - in 2000. When they start pumping the Kashagan oil field in the Caspian Sea in 2011, Kazakstan's oil production will double. By 2015, the country's reserves could top 110 billion barrels, catapulting it into the top five oil producing countries in the world. The world's ninth largest country jumped from #82 to #63 on the World Bank's ranking of countries, boasting a banking system more advanced than Russia's. The government's business-friendly efforts, coupled with an average economic growth rate of 9% per year, budget surpluses topping 6% per year, and increased public spending are attracting foreign investment from companies including Deutsche Bank, Exxon Mobil, Ernst & Young, Mitsubishi and ABN AMRO Bank. Too bad the nation's leader, Nursultan Nazarbayev, is nuts. President for as long as the country has been in existence-since 1991-Nazarbayev has a history of unstable behavior. His most recent exploit has been moving the capital from Almaty, a city on the southern border near China, to Astana, a made up city in the middle of nowhere. Speculation abou the president's motives range from his desire to move create a capital free of dreary Communist baggage to his belief that Astana is easier to pronounce than Almaty. Among the many reasons why I will never be rich is my aversion to risk. But seriously, how many of you would invest billions of dollars with this crackpot in charge?

Imperialism - Here is a fascinating take on 5 candidates to be added to the United States:

Cuba: Fidel Castro dies, leaving his brother Raul in charge of the country. Raul gets replaced by some "national unity" committee that holds free presidential elections within 5 years. One or more of those candidates stumps openly for American statehood. Florida holds every subsequent U.S. presidential candidate hostage to the Cuba-statehood plank.

Washington D.C.: Assuming Cuba comes into the Union as a "red state", expect the political spectrum to be balanced out with the former district being added as a "blue state."

Puerto Rico: This "red state" contender would command half a dozen seats in the House based on its population. Currently, Puerto Rico draws $20 billion out of the Treasury each year in federal grants while paying back nothing in taxes and is subject to all our laws while having no representation in Congress and no vote for president.

Mexico: Well, parts of it, at least. The northernmost states could conceivably join up in some scheme balance by GOP-heavy Texas's subdivision (The 1845 congressional joint resolution admitting Texas allows for its division into as many as 5 separate states). The United Mexican States has a history of secessionist movements. While the northern states are clearly integrating economically with the U.S., the ones continue to fall behind.

Central America: Leading candidates here include El Salvador (where 1 in 5 Salvadorans lives and works in the U.S. already), Panama (I'm guessing that the Canal has something to do with this) and Costa Rica (where an increasing number of American retiree are choosing to relocate).

Canada: The western provinces (British Columbia and Alberta) have never liked the francophone easterners and would make a wonderfully matched set in Quebec ever got its wish and triggered Canada's breakup.

I can see the Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico scenarios coming to fruition some day, but the rest of this seem completely far-fetched (though amusing).

O.J. Simpson - O.J. Simpson was arrested Sunday and faces multiple felony charges in an alleged armed robbery of collectors involving the former football great's sports memorabilia. Prosecutors were planning to charge Simpson with two counts of robbery with use of a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery, burglary with a deadly weapon, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and coercion. A conviction on the most serious charge, robbery with use of a deadly weapon, could bring a sentence of three to 35 years for each count. Simpson said he and other people with him were retrieving items that belonged to him and that there were no guns involved and that he went to the room at the casino only to get stolen mementos that included his Hall of Fame certificate and a picture of the running back with J. Edgar Hoover. Simpson said that he did not call the police to help reclaim the items because he has found the police unresponsive to him ever since his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, were killed in 1994. This seems reminiscint of how Al Capone was brought down. When law enforcement could not get him on any murder raps, they busted him for income tax evasion. One way or another, the guilt will find a way to get busted.

Golf - The PGA Tour's "new era in golf" came to a familiar conclusion Sunday when Woods captured the Tour Championship in record-setting fashion, closing with a 4-under 66 for an eight-shot victory at East Lake and his seventh title of the season. Along with winning the Tour Championship and its $1.26 million prize, Woods was a runaway winner of the FedEx Cup and the $10 million that goes into his retirement account. Woods' primary objective is winning majors, and he already has 13 of those. The World Golf Championships were created in 1999, and he has won 14 of 25. And now the FedEx Cup. It was the 61st career victory for Woods, which makes him at 31 the youngest player to reach that mark. Jack Nicklaus was 35 when he captured his 61st tour victory. The $1.26 million in cash he earned Sunday pushing his season total to $10,876,052, the second-highest mark in PGA Tour history. Woods came up $29,114 short of the record set by Vijay Singh in 2004, although Singh earned that in 29 tournaments. Woods played in only 16 this year. You almost feel bad for the rest of the guys on the PGA tour...almost. Over on the women's side, dominating the singles matches like they always have, the Americans celebrated one of the most coveted wins in women's golf Sunday, a 16-12 decision over Europe to win the Solheim Cup.

NASCAR - Clint Bowyer raced to his first Nextel Cup victory Sunday, starting from the pole and leading all 221 of the 300 laps to win at New Hampshire International Speedway. Bowyer entered the 12-driver Chase as the only contender without a victory, and had never finished higher than third in his short Cup career. Jeff Gordon, the four-time series champion, finished second and was followed by two-time series champion Tony Stewart. Kyle Busch was fourth and followed by Martin Truex Jr., Johnson and Matt Kenseth as Chase drivers took the top seven spots. Johnson and Gordon are tied for the points lead, and Stewart is just 10 points back. Bowyer moved up eight spots into fourth place, only 15 points out. Kyle Busch jumped four spots to fifth and is 35 points behind. Truex is sixth, 40 points back and Kenseth is seventh. Carl Edwards dropped four spots to eighth, and Denny Hamlin fell three spots to ninth. Kevin Harvick is 10th. Jeff Burton 11th and Kurt Busch plummeted seven spots to 12th.

College Football - Here are the latest rankings after week 3 of the college football season. Nick Saban's first big win at Alabama vaulted the Crimson Tide into the top 25 for the first time this season. Coming off a 41-38 upset of Arkansas, Alabama (3-0) climbed to 16th in the latest Associated Press poll. Surprising Kentucky (3-0) also entered the top 25 for the first time in 2007 at No. 21 after upsetting Louisville, 40-34. There were two other newcomers in the poll as well: No. 24 South Florida (2-0), which was idle last week after upsetting Auburn, 26-23, in its season opener, and No. 25 Missouri (3-0), which drubbed Western Michigan, 52-24. Louisville (2-1) dropped from ninth to 18th, while Arkansas (1-1), 16th last week, fell out of the top 25. Southern California (2-0) strengthened its spot atop the poll following an impressive 49-31 victory at Nebraska as the Trojans collected 46 of 65 first-place votes and 1,605 points from a panel of writers and sportscasters. Louisiana State (3-0) remained second after routing Middle Tennessee State, 44-0. The Tigers received 1,577 points and the remaining 19 first-place ballots. Florida (3-0), Oklahoma (3-0) and West Virginia (3-0) complete the top five, followed California (3-0), Texas (3-0), Ohio State (3-0), Wisconsin (3-0) and Penn State (3-0). No. 11 Rutgers (3-0) starts the second 10, followed by South Carolina (3-0), Oregon (3-0) and Boston College (3-0), which climbed seven slots and staked an early claim as the top team in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 24-10 win at Georgia Tech. No. 15 Clemson (3-0), Alabama, No. 17 Virginia Tech (2-1), Louisville, Hawaii (3-0) and Texas A&M (3-0) complete the top 20. Completing the poll are Kentucky, Georgia (2-1), South Florida (2-0), Nebraska (2-1), which dropped 10 spots, and Missouri. UCLA (2-1) and Tennessee (1-2) also dropped out of the poll following lopsided losses.

What Caught My Eye Today

Japan - After less than a year in office, Shinzo Abe quit as prime minister of Japan. Abe said that it was evident by his party's poor showing in July's elections that he had lost the people's confidence. Abe's tenure was marked by small-scale financial scandals, and analysts speculated that some larger transgression might soon emerge. One has to believe that the latter had more of a bearing on his decision to leave office. Can you imagine a head of state leaving office just because the people didn't like the job he or she was doing? I know a lot of people in the U.S. have been fantasizing about that for several months (or even years), but let's be real here.

Germany - The German army rejected nearly half its annual call-up of conscripts last year because they were overweight and out of shape. In 2002, 19% were rejected on medical grounds. In 2006, that figure jumped to 45%. Officials suspect that in some cases, sympathetic doctors are colluding with healthy but reluctant recruits, pronouncing them unfit. National service remains a divisive issue in Germany. Supporters say an army of "citizens" is a safeguard against a domestic military takeover. Detractors say that a professional army made up of volunteers would be more effective in defending against external threats. A "domestic military takeover?" Sounds to me like some folks over there are still a little spooked about a possible repeat of World War II. I'm all for learning from history, but this seems a little extreme.

India - Okay, this one is a bit creepy. The demand for Hindu funeral pyres is rapidly deforesting India. Burning a single body in the traditional Hindu manner requires 600 to 1,000 pounds of wood. With more than 8 million Hindu deaths a year, India burns 50 million trees annually, producing 50,000 tons of ash and 8 million tons of carbon dioxide. The government offers environmentally friendly gas-powered cremations, but only the poorest are sent off that way, as most observant Hindus insist on wood.

Arctic - Parts of the Arctic are losing summer ice so fast that no polar bears will be able to live there within a few decades, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. As a result, two-thirs of the world's estimated 25,000 polar bears may be gone by 2050. The agency found that as the climate warms, the remaining bears will be relegated largely to the ARctic archipelago of Canada and the northern Greenland coast. Polar bears depend on sea ice as platforms from which to hunt seals and other food. Clearly this report is flawed. Global warming is just a myth, right? How could any sane person possibly equate warmer climates to global warming?

Under-age Drinking - Apparently, you won't find much in Maine. A supermarket refused to sell a bottle of wine to a 65-year old woman because she didn't have identification. State law requires stores to check the ID of anyone who looks 27 or younger. By the woman's own admission, "no wone would mistake me for 30 or even 40. The store manager told the woman the chain has a firm policy of requiring ID from anyone who looks younger than 45. Absurd as this whole incident was, this broad must be doing something right to come off looking that good. Either that or the supermarket's staff is dumber than dirt.

Motor Sports - Accused of using leaked secret data from its main rival Ferrari, the Formula One team McLaren was hit with a record $100 million fine Thursday by the World Motor Sport Council in the biggest scandal to hit auto racing's premier circuit. The F1 case broke in July when a 780-page technical dossier on Ferrari cars was found at the home of McLaren's chief designer, Mike Coughlan, who was later suspended. Ferrari mechanic Nigel Stepney, who allegedly supplied the documents, was fired. McLaren escaped censure by the World Motor Sport Council in July due to insufficient evidence that Ferrari's technical documents were misused. The $100 million fine imposed on McLaren is 40 times larger than the previous F1 record. Over here, in the U.S., the press is making a big deal over the $500,000 fine levied against New England Patriot's head coach, Bill Belichick for illegally video taping defense signals for its opponent. Kind of sounds like small potatoes compared to the F1 fine. You know, with all this proliferation of steriods, blood doping and, now, cheating, I'll take amateur sports from now on. The simple fact of the matter is when you play for pay it is no longer sport, it's a job and it's all about business.

What Caught My Eye Today

Iraq - Defense Secretary Robert Gates raised the possibility of cutting U.S. troop levels in Iraq to 100,000 by the end of next year, well beyond the cuts President Bush has approved. Stressing that he was expressing a hope, not an administration plan, Gates said it was possible that conditions in Iraq would improve enough to merit much deeper troop cuts than are currently scheduled for 2008. It was the first time a member of Bush's war cabinet had publicly suggested such deep reductions, perhaps offering a conciliatory hand to anti-war Democrats and some wary Republicans in Congress who have been pushing for troop reductions, a change in the U.S. mission and an end to the war. Okay, now I'm getting concerned. First General Petraeus, and now the Secretary of Defense is making statements to suggest that our war policy in Iraq may actually change to reflect the will of the country. Surely, I must be missing something here.

Iran - President Bush and other American officials will one day face trial just like deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein for "the catastrophes they caused in Iraq." Speaking to thousands of worshippers during the first Friday prayer of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that Bush will be called to account for the U.S.-led invasion. "A day will come that the current U.S. president and officials will be tried in an international supreme court for the catastrophes they caused in Iraq," he said. Yeah, I see this happening...around the same time that monkeys start flying out of my butt.

Taiwan - Taiwan's president, Chen Shui-bian, criticized the U.S. on Friday for refusing to support a referendum the island is planning to hold on whether to seek U.N. membership under its own name. He believes the U.S. opposes the referendum because of China's opposition, intimidation and threat of military action. Chen said the referendum is the best way to show the world that the majority of Taiwanese favor the island gaining a U.N. seat. "I'm convinced that the United States would rather improve relations with North Korea than Taiwan," Chen said. "The U.S. also believes Kosovo will be independent eventually. If you support Kosovo, why can't you support or at least care about Taiwan? Are we that unworthy?" Taiwan is a close U.S. ally, although they have no official ties. U.S. officials worry that Chen's referendum plan will provoke China and upset the delicate balance of power in the region. I hate to say it, but it sounds like some of Chen's accusations may have some merit. Not that it matters. Taiwan can only get into the U.N. if the Security Councial approves it. And guess who has veto power? Yup. China.

Zimbabwe - If you are an animal lover, you may want to skip this item. Pets are being slaughtered for meat in shortage-stricken Zimbabwe and record numbers of animals have been surrendered to shelters or abandoned by owners no longer able to feed them, animal welfare activists say. Animals, like people, are being hard hit by Zimbabwe's economic meltdown, with official inflation of more than 7,600 percent, the highest in the world. Independent estimates put real inflation closer to 25,000 percent and the International Monetary Fund has forecast it will reach 100,000 percent by the end of the year. Vets have run out of the drug used to put down the animals and are relying on intermittent donations from neighboring South Africa. One veterinary practice was waiting for supplies to destroy about 20 animals, and on Friday could neither feed them adequately nor fatally inject them. Pets, mostly dogs, have been butchered and eaten. In its latest bulletin to donors and supporters, the SPCA said it launched an awareness campaign on "the ethical and moral issues regarding the killing and consumption of trusted companion animals." I don't have much to add here other than it's hard to image things can get much worse.

Soccer - Here's the latest from the Women's World Cup in China. Abby Wambach scored twice as the U.S. beat Sweden 2-0 -- her third in two games in China. The victory boosted the United States to four points atop Group B -- the same as North Korea -- with a final group game Tuesday in Shanghai against Nigeria. North Korea defeated Nigeria 2-0 on Friday and faces Sweden on Tuesday in the northern city of Tianjin. A draw will be enough to get the United States to the quarterfinals, although a victory might guarantee first place and a quarterfinal against Japan or England. If the U.S. finishes second it will have a tougher time against defending champion Germany. In Group A in Shanghai, Germany and England played a 0-0 draw. In the other Group A game, Japan defeated Argentina 1-0 on an injury-time goal.

Golf - Tiger Woods ran off five straight birdies, including one he never saw go in from the bottom of a bunker. Then he rammed in a 70-foot eagle putt for a 28 on the front nine of defenseless East Lake, the lowest nine-hole score of his career to cap off a a second round 63 and a 3 shot lead going into the weekend at the Tour Championship in Atlanta. As for the FedEx Cup, it might be time to start wiring that $10 million prize into Woods' retirement account. Steve Stricker is second behind Woods in the playoff standings, but was nine shots behind him going into the weekend at East Lake. Phil Mickelson needed a victory to have any chance of winning the cup -- and that was if Woods finished worse than second alone -- and he was seven shots behind through two rounds. Woods is playing some of the best golf of the year, a staggering 65 under par in 18 rounds since the British Open. He is 29-6 on the PGA Tour when he has at least a share of the 36-hole lead, and he hasn't spit up a lead on the weekend in three years. There are plenty of superlatives that you can apply to the rank-and-file, but when you are talking about Tiger Woods, they just seem ordinary. How crazy good is this guy?

What Caught My Eye Today

Iraq - President Bush, defending an unpopular war, ordered gradual reductions in U.S. forces in Iraq, but firmly rejected calls to end the war, saying the insurgents who threaten Iraq's future are a danger to U.S. national security. American troops must stay in the battle, Bush said, and more than 130,000 will remain after the newly ordered withdrawals are completed in July. Bush said 5,700 U.S. forces would be home by Christmas and that four brigades — at least 21,500 troops — would return by July, along with an undetermined number of support forces. Now at its highest level of the war, the U.S. troop strength stands at 168,000. Bush said the U.S. engagement in Iraq will stretch beyond his presidency, requiring military, financial and political support from Washington. With no dramatic change in course, Bush's decision sets the stage for a fiery political debate in Congress and on the 2008 presidential campaign trail. Democrats said Bush's modest approach was unacceptable.

Wait, there's more where this came from...

A new White House report on Iraq shows slim progress, moving just one more political and security goal into the satisfactory column: efforts to let former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party to rejoin the political process. The latest conclusions largely track a comparable poor assessment in July on 18 benchmarks. The earlier White House report said the Iraqi government had made satisfactory gains toward eight benchmarks, unsatisfactory marks on eight and mixed results on two. Congress required President Bush to submit the report to lawmakers, assessing whether the Iraqi government had made progress toward achieving the 18 goals. In the new report, the Iraqi government showed positive movement on only one of the benchmarks. The White House report is more positive than two other recent Iraq progress reports that harshly criticized lack of progress in Iraq. The Sept. 6 report by the Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq, chaired by retired Marine Corps Gen. James Jones, said Iraq's security forces will be unable to assume control of the country in the next 12 to 18 months without U.S. help and that the national police force is rife with corruption and infiltrated by militia forces and should be disbanded. The Government Accountability Office progress report on Iraq, released Sept. 4, said violence in Iraq remains high, fewer Iraqi security forces are capable of acting independently, and the parliament in Baghdad has failed to reach major political agreements needed to curb sectarian violence.

All I can say, is that if any of this surprises you, clearly you haven't been paying attention.

Indonesia - An 8.4-magnitude quake that shook Indonesia on Wednesday. But despite the intensity of the shallow undersea earthquake, no waves lashed the beach and the family shack was undamaged. A quirk of nature sent the full force of the tsunami out to sea, preventing a repeat of the 2004 Indian Ocean disaster that killed more than 230,000 people. Two other powerful temblors — magnitudes 7.8 and 7.1 — followed on Thursday off Sumatra and two weaker quakes were felt later. More than 30 aftershocks have rattled the region in the last day and many people refused to return to their homes, fearing a repeat of the 2004 tsunami. Sensitive to criticism about slow responses to the 2004 tsunami triggered by a magnitude-9 quake, governments issued alerts as far away as Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa, telling people to leave beaches. People in Mombasa, Kenya, crowded into buses after hearing the warning over the radio. I'm torn on this one. Are these guys unlucky because of the rash of earthquakes that continue to rattle their country, or, are they extraordinarily lucky because this time Mother Nature decided to cut them a break? Tough call.

Japan - Japan's space agency launched its much-delayed lunar probe beginning what it calls the largest mission to the moon since the U.S. Apollo flights. The Selenological and Engineering Explorer — or SELENE — probe came four years behind the agency's original schedule. The SELENE project is the largest lunar mission since the U.S. Apollo program in terms of overall scope and ambition, outpacing the former Soviet Union's Luna program and NASA's Clementine and Lunar Prospector projects, according to Japan's space agency. It involves placing the main satellite in orbit at an altitude of about 60 miles and deploying the two smaller satellites in polar orbits. Researchers will use data gathered by the probes to study the moon's origin and evolution. I'm not exactly sure why this has got everyone so excited. We've been there and done that...more than 40 years ago. Still, seeing as there is a country other than the U.S. or Russia pulling this stunt off, I suppose congratulations are in order.

China - After a more than a decade of delays, China's tallest building is slicing through Shanghai's hazy, skyscraper-studded skyline. The 101-story Shanghai World Financial Center, a 1,614 foot wedge-shaped tower with a rectangular hole at the very top, will be topped out tomorrow as its last beam is laid. The $1 billion Shanghai project, due for completion in time for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, is a monument to the city's ambitions to reclaim its status as a key international center. Taiwan's Taipei 101, at 1,667 feet, beat the building's height, taking the tallest sweepstakes in 2004. Developers of a skyscraper in oil-rich Dubai recently declared theirs the world's tallest building when construction reached 1,680 feet — and the building is still far from finished. That is one big mamba-jamba. If you don't believe me, see for yourself (click here).

U.S. Dollar - The US dollar hit to new record low against the euro ($1.3886) as investors fretted about a world credit crunch. The dollar has fallen in the past week, amid hopes that Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in a bid to reassure markets over current credit fears. At the heart of the dollar's decline have been problems in the U.S. housing market, caused by the Fed increasing interest rates in order to slow accelerating inflation. The increases have led to higher borrowing costs, triggering an increase in the number of people defaulting on loans, especially in the sub-prime mortgage market. The impact on the consumer and businesses may be mixed, analysts said. Eurozone consumers could benefit from cheaper prices for some imported goods. At the same time, there is also good news for eurozone companies because oil, metals and many raw material prices are quoted in dollars, and the strength of the euro should dampen firms' input costs. However, while the strong euro may cut some import costs, it could also have a negative effect on exports as European-made goods become more expensive. The U.S. is one of Europe's largest trading partners. This just goes to show that the world is getting smaller by the day. I will say this, anything that can get the interest rate on my home equity line to go down, I'm in favor of. That vacation to Europe can wait. Hell, they don't like us much anyway.

What Caught My Eye Today

September 11 - Victims' families gathered in a park to mark the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks in the first remembrance ceremony not held at ground zero, an event that failed to evoke the same emotions as the hallowed ground of the World Trade Center site. The Manhattan ceremonies were held largely in a public park because of rebuilding at ground zero. First responders, volunteers and firefighters who helped rescue New Yorkers from the collapsing twin towers read the names of the city's 2,750 victims. Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani returned to ground zero Tuesday, despite objections by several victims' families and firefighters who said he should not speak at the remembrance because he is running for president. Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton attended the ceremony, but did not speak. Around the country, Americans went through familiar mourning rituals as they looked back on the day when terrorists hijacked four jetliners and killed nearly 3,000 people. President Bush attended ceremonies at the White House and the Pentagon, and the 40 passengers and crew members who died when a flight crashed into a Pennsylvania field were honored as "citizen soldiers." It's sometimes hard to fathom what the world was like before that day. So many things have changed since then, from air travel to our nation's foreign policy. September 11 will play a crucial role in our country's evolution for years to come--I'm not exactly sure that's such a good thing.

Iraq - Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. ambassador to Baghdad Ryan Crocker insisted progress was being made under Bush's strategy of temporarily building up troops to allow time for Iraqi lawmakers to achieve political reconciliation in testimony before the U.S. Senate. But the bipartisan criticism directed at both men during congressional hearings raised questions about whether Bush could count on Republican colleagues for help in staving off Democrats' demands for a faster pullout. Petraeus repeated his plan -- outlined on Monday -- to gradually pull out the extra 30,000 "surge" forces and bring troop levels back down to about 130,000 by next summer. But Petraeus said he could not predict how quickly troop levels would fall after the summer and his force should still protect the Iraqi population, not focus solely on handing over to Iraqi forces and conducting counter-terrorism missions. I'll say this. The Senate was definitely a tougher crowd to please than the House was yesterday. While I continued to be impressed but not entirely happy) with Petraeus' grace under pressure, it certainly appeared as if Crocker was starting to get a bit flustered.

Ethiopa - Celebrations are under way in the streets of Addis Ababa as Ethiopia ushers in the new Millennium. The country uses the calendar of the Coptic Orthodox Church - for which the 21st Century began on Wednesday at midnight. In the 6th Century, the rest of Christendom revised its estimate of the date of the birth of Christ - but Ethiopia stuck with the old date, which means it only now marks the start of the year 2000. Because it was never colonised, Ethiopia has always had a special significance for the rest of Africa. Happy New Year, I guess. I hope that Y2K bug didn't mess anything up for you guys.

Zimbabwe - A prominent critic of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has resigned as the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo, after an adultery scandal. Zimbabwe's state media in July published photographs of what it said was Pius Ncube in bed with a married woman who worked for his parish. His lawyers called the allegations an orchestrated attempt to discredit him. Bishop Ncube has this year called for mass street protests and foreign intervention to remove Mr Mugabe. A brief statement from the Vatican said Pope Benedict XVI had accepted Bishop Ncube's resignation under the article of church law that says a bishop should retire if he is ill or if "some other grave reason" had made him unsuitable for office. Well if it was a smear campaign against the bishop, it sure was an effective one.

Soccer - Check it out guys, the Women's World Cup is underway in China. In The U.S.'s first match, blood streaming from a gash on the top of her head, Abby Wambach came off the field. For 10 minutes, the United States played short-handed while she got stitches. Fifth-ranked North Korea didn't waste its chance. The United States allowed a pair of goals while Wambach was off the field then rallied for a 2-2 tie Tuesday in its opener at the Women's World Cup. The top-ranked Americans, trying to regain the title they won in 1991 in China and 1999 at home, extended their unbeaten streak to 47 games. But playing in the toughest of four groups, they put pressure on themselves heading into games against third-ranked Sweden on Friday and Nigeria next Tuesday. It's customary to call the toughest group, the 'Group of Death,' and in this case the U.S.'s group is aptly named. The U.S. is ranked #1, North Korea #5, Sweden #5, and Nigeria #24. Ouch.

What Caught My Eye Today

Iraq - Facing Democratic lawmakers and many voters demanding a quick end to the U.S. engagement in Iraq, General David Petraeus said a 2,000-member Marine unit would return home this month without replacement, outlined plans Monday for the withdrawal of 30,000 troops by next summer and suggested the force could fall to about 130,000 by August without jeopardizing modest recent security improvements. Petraeus appeared at a congressional hearing seen as a crucial moment in the U.S. debate over the war, which Bush has vowed to pursue but which many Democrats, who control Congress, say must end. "I believe we will be able to reduce our forces to pre-surge level by next summer without jeopardizing the security gains," Petraeus said at a joint hearing of the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees. "The military objectives of the surge are in large measure being met," Petraeus added during a hearing that was repeatedly interrupted by protesters shouting "war criminals" and other anti-war slogans. Petraeus said the number of "security incidents" had dropped in eight of the past 12 weeks and the overall number of civilian deaths from the conflict had fallen by 45 percent since December. As predicted, no major surprises today, except maybe one. In the sea of ineptitude that is our government, there stands an island of reason in the form of General David Petraeus. The man did not mince words, largely because he didn't say anything that was stupid, or more importantly, not true. Regardless of your opinion of the war, you have to applaud Petraeus for keeping it all real. Plus, regardless of what he said, no one in Washington was likely to suddenly switch positions on the war.

War on Terrorism - Weapons of mass destruction, small boats packed with explosives and Islamic radicalization are the greatest terrorist threats facing the country, top U.S. security officials said. The officials told Congress the country is much better prepared to face terror threats than it was then, but that terrorists' desire to attack the United States remains strong. The radicalization of potential new terrorists, in the U.S. and abroad, is another growing concern, the intelligence officials said at the hearing on the nation's terrorism preparedness. Despite the confidence expressed by top administration officials, fewer Americans believe the country is adequately prepared for another attack. A CBS News/New York Times poll taken Sept. 4-9 found that 39 percent of Americans think the country is sufficiently ready — down from 49 percent a year ago and 64 percent in March 2003, when the war in Iraq began. I wouldn't go so far as to say the American public is pessimistic. I think realistic is a more accurate description. Bottom line, if someone wants to do you harm and is hell bent on finding a way to do it, chances are that person will pull it off. I think most Americans have come to grips with that.

Economy - Strained by an ailing housing market and credit woes, the economy in 2007 is expected to log its worst growth in five years and should be somewhat sluggish next year. The #1 risk, though, is that the economy will lose its footing altogether and fall into a recession, forecasters say. A forecast released Monday by the National Association for Business Economics puts the growth of gross domestic product at 2 percent for this year. The pace was 2.2 percent in the group's previous survey, in May. If the latest prediction proves correct, growth would be the weakest since 2002. With the weaker outlook, the forecasters are concerned about the risk of recession. More than 60 percent of those responding cited recession "as the major risk facing the economy over the next year, while only a third cited inflation as the greatest problem," the group said. I know that economists are generally pessimistic by their very nature, what with economics being the 'study of scarcity,' but how about throwing us a bone here, guys? If we're going to get blown up by terrorists, can we at least have a little fun before we die?

Football - The Buffalo Bills' Kevin Everett sustained a "catastrophic" and life-threatening spinal-cord injury and his chances of regaining a full range of body motion are very small, an orthopedic surgeon said. Everett was hurt in Buffalo's season opener against Denver on Sunday when he ducked his head while driving in to tackle Broncos' Domenik Hixon during the second half-opening kickoff. Everett dropped face first to the ground after his helmet hit Hixon high on the left shoulder and side of the helmet. Replays showed the player twitching for a few seconds as he attempted to get up before falling back to the ground. Everett's eyes were open but he showed no further signs of movement during the next 15 minutes as the team's medical staff and emergency personnel placed him on a backboard and, with the player's head and body immobilized, loaded him into an ambulance. For all the talk about this being a business, its times like this that you remember the human side of the game, and a rather dangerous one at that.

Britney Spears - As in most train wrecks, it was hard to focus on just one thing as the Britney Spears disaster unfolded on MTV's Video Music Awards. There was just so much that went wrong. Out-of-synch lip-synching. Lethargic movements that seemed choreographed by a dance instructor for a nursing home. The paunch in place of Spears' once-taut belly. At times she just stopped singing, as if even she knew nothing could save her performance. The consensus is clear: Britney Spears performed like she was sloshing blindfolded through mud. Again, I have to hand it to the folks at the Associated Press. I could not have said it any better myself. Sadly, I think these guys had to sugar-coat it a bit for mass consumption. Girlfriend was seriously not good.

What Caught My Eye Today

Iraq, Part I - The Iraqi government defended its efforts to stabilize the country on the eve of a key U.S. progress report but said it needs more help and was not ready for a timetable on the withdrawal of American forces. Iraq also issued a new appeal to neighboring countries to step up assistance at a conference that drew delegates from across the Middle East and representatives of the U.S., the U.N. and the Group of Eight industrialized nations. Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said bordering countries had been slow to fulfill promises to stem the flow of fighters and weapons into Iraq. He urged Syria and Jordan to ease restrictions on Iraqis trying to enter those countries, with Damascus due to begin imposing the requirement on Monday. Iraqis near the border with Syria boarded buses and crammed their belongings into the luggage holds as they tried to beat the deadline. Let me see if I've got this straight. The Iraqi government claims that it is making progress on stabilizing their country but cannot say when U.S. troops may begin to withdraw. then it goes on to chastise neighboring countries from letting to many of their people into Iraq while at the same time not letting enough Iraqis cross over to their borders. Yeah, I'd say these guys have things well in hand.

Iraq, Part II- President Bush's war strategy is failing and the top military commander in Iraq is "dead flat wrong" for warning against major changes, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Joseph Biden said. Sunday. "The reality is that, although there has been some mild progress on the security front, there is, in fact, no real security in Baghdad or Anbar province, where I was dealing with the most serious problem, sectarian violence," said Biden, a 2008 presidential candidate who recently returned from Iraq. Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker are scheduled to testify before four congressional committees, including Biden's, on Monday and Tuesday. Lawmakers will hear how the commander and the diplomat assess progress in Iraq and offer recommendations about the course of war strategy. Officials familiar with their thinking say that the advisers would urge Congress not to make significant changes. Their report will note that while national political progress has been disappointing, security gains in local areas have shown promise, according to the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing internal deliberations. Petraeus and Crocker will say the buildup of 30,000 troops, which bring the current U.S. total to nearly 170,000, is working better than any previous effort to quell the insurgency and restore stability. Like it or not, what these guys are saying is basically true. And frankly, the military isn't the problem here. Hell, they should be commended for doing a tremendous job despite the lack of an coherent political solution to clean this mess up.

Taiwan - Tensions have ratcheted up over an ambitious political gambit by Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian that has rattled both China and the U.S., Taiwan's closest ally. At issue is Chen's plan for a public referendum next year on Taiwan seeking entry to the United Nations. Beijing views the referendum as a direct challenge to its claim that Taiwan is part of China. The referendum would ask whether the territory should apply for U.N. membership as "Taiwan." The Mainland Affairs Council, which implements Taiwan's China policies, published a poll in August putting support at more than 70 percent. Any name would be symbolic. The U.N. Security Council would have to approve Taiwan's membership, and China has a veto. Chen's move worries U.S. officials enough that they have publicly criticized it. The United States is wary of getting dragged into a scrap between a democratic friend and its giant neighbor across the Taiwan Straits. China hardly wants war either. That would cast a giant shadow over its economic leap forward and next summer's Beijing Olympics. But ignoring Chen would give new impetus to Taiwanese independence — a prospect Beijing abhors. Any conflict that has the potential for pitting the U.S. against China would pretty much suck for everyone. Some question the timing of Chen's announcement as thousands of protesters demanded that Chen step down over suspected corruption. In November 2006, Chen's wife was indicted for corruption involving suspected misuse of $14.8 million Taiwan dollars from a presidential office state affairs fund. Prosecutors have said they will indict Chen once he has to quit the presidency next May, ending eight years in office and of immunity from charges. Though I have to say, for lack of a better term, this is a welcome change of pace from the never-ending debacle that is the Iraq War. And while you have to question his motives, given the scandal he's facing, you have to admit Chen has moxie.

The Pope - Pope Benedict XVI has appealed for renewed respect for Sundays as he celebrated Mass at St Stephen's cathedral in the heart of Vienna. He was speaking on the final day of his three-day visit to Austria. In his sermon, the Pope said leisure was a good thing amid the mad rush of the modern world, but warned of the dangers of it becoming wasted time. Say what? Maybe I'm missing something here. Isn't the whole point of leisure time is that yo can do with it what you want? If you want to spend it going to Church or watching paint dry on the side of a building, that's your prerogative, right?

Sports - Talk about an action packed weekend. So much to cover, so little time...

Gymnastics - US star Shawn Johnson became the most successful competitor at the world gymnastics championships in Germany when she claimed her third gold. She added to the all-around and team gold she won earlier in the competition as the United States finished second on the medals table behind China with four gold to five for the Chinese.

NASCAR - The Chase for the Nextel Cup is set, and it does not include Dale Earnhardt Junior. Jimmie Johnson hit his stride at exactly the right time, winning two straight races to roll into the Chase for the championship. Dale Earnhardt Jr. never had a chance, the victim of five faulty motors when his season was on the line. Now Johnson will run for a second consecutive Nextel Cup title, while Earnhardt watches from the sidelines for the second time in three years. Although Jeff Gordon dominated the standings all season long, his points lead is gone because Johnson, his teammate, won two more races than he did. Tony Stewart, the two-time series champion, will be 30 points back in third. Carl Edwards is seeded fourth, followed by Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Jeff Burton, Harvick and Clint Bowyer.

Indy Racing League - Dario Franchitti squeezed out half a lap more than Scott Dixon on their final fuel load Sunday and that's all it took for the Scot to win his first IndyCar Series title in what might be his farewell to open-wheel racing. The two leaders came into the season-finale at Chicagoland Speedway with Franchitti leading the standings by just three points. Sources say Franchitti will sign with Chip Ganassi Racing to drive the No. 40 Dodge in the NASCAR Nextel Cup series beginning in 2008. He will join Juan Pablo Montoya, another former open-wheel star, a heralded rookie with Ganassi's NASCAR Nextel Cup team this season.

Golf - Tiger Woods won his 60 tournament and took the lead in the inaugural Fed Ex Cup standings with an 8-under 63 that shattered the scoring record at Cog Hill and gave him a two-shot victory in the BMW Championship.

Tennis - Roger Federer came through, beating Novak Djokovic 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-4 for his fourth consecutive U.S. Open championship and 12th Grand Slam title overall. Federer became the first man since Bill Tilden in the 1920s to win the American Grand Slam four years running, and he moved within two of Pete Sampras' career record of 14 major titles. On the women's side, Justine Henin overwhelmed No. 4 Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1, 6-3 Saturday night to win her second U.S. Open title and seventh major championship overall.

Track and Field - Jamaican Asafa Powell cruised to victory in the 100 meters final of the Rieti IAAF Grand Prix in Italy on Sunday after breaking his own world record in his heat. He set the record of 9.74 seconds and then was back on the track some 90 minutes later to run 9.78 in the final.

College Football - Less than 24 hours after wowing a national audience, Louisiana State apparently impressed the voters as well. LSU remained second in the latest Associated Press poll. However, the Tigers (2-0) received 25 first-place votes - 20 more than last week - thanks to their 48-7 rout of then-No. 9 Virginia Tech. Idle Southern California (1-0) maintained its spot atop the poll, garnering 1,594 points and the remaining 40 first-place votes. Oklahoma (2-0) climbed two spots to third following a 51-13 thrashing of Miami. West Virginia (2-0) and Florida (2-0) each fell one spot to fourth and fifth, respectively. Texas (2-0) moved up one spot to sixth courtesy of a 34-13 triumph over then-No. 19 Texas Christian. Wisconsin (2-0) dropped two spots to seventh, followed by California (2-0), Louisville (2-0) and Ohio State (2-0). There is good news on the horizon for either Michigan fans or Notre Dame fans, both coping with 0-2 starts. One of your teams will get its first victory of the season next week. I say this with a high degree of certainty, give the fact that you guys play each on Saturday.

Let's see did I miss anything...oh yeah, one more thing...The NFL season kicked off this week.

NFL - Okay here we go. Here are my early season picks for the playoffs (by the way, if you have not yet noticed, my prognostication skills suck the big tamale):

AFC: East - New England; North - Baltimore; South - Indianopolis; West - San Diego; Wildcards - Pittsburgh and Buffalo

NFC: East - NY Giants; North - Chicago; South - New Orleans; West - Seattle
Wildcards - Dallas and San Francisco

AFC Winner: Indianapolis; NFC Winner: New Orleans

Superbowl Winner: Indianapolis

What Caught My Eye Today

President Bush - If the Associated Press had not done such a good job reporting this story, I would have added my usual commentary, but this is just too good...

President Bush had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day at the Sydney Opera House. He'd only reached the third sentence of Friday's speech to business leaders, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, when he committed his first gaffe. "Thank you for being such a fine host for the OPEC summit," Bush said to Australian Prime Minister John Howard. Oops. That would be APEC, the annual meeting of leaders from 21 Pacific Rim nations, not OPEC, the cartel of 12 major oil producers. Bush quickly corrected himself. "APEC summit," he said forcefully, joking that Howard had invited him to the OPEC summit next year (for the record, an impossibility, since neither Australia nor the U.S. are OPEC members). The president's next goof went uncorrected — by him anyway. Talking about Howard's visit to Iraq last year to thank his country's soldiers serving there, Bush called them "Austrian troops." That one was fixed for him. Though tapes of the speech clearly show Bush saying "Austrian," the official text released by the White House switched it to "Australian." Then, speech done, Bush confidently headed out — the wrong way. He strode away from the lectern on a path that would have sent him over a steep drop. Howard and others redirected the president to center stage, where there were steps leading down to the floor of the theater.

Osama bin Laden - The new video message from Osama bin Laden appeared on militant Islamist Web sites, a day after it was released by a U.S.-based terrorist monitoring organization. In the video, bin Laden makes no overt threats and does not directly call for attacks. Instead, he addresses Americans, telling them the Iraq war has failed and urging them to turn away from capitalism and democracy and convert to Islam. In the video, bin Laden attacked capitalism, multinational corporations and globalization. "This is why I tell you: as you liberated yourselves before from the slavery of monks, kings and feudalism, you should liberate yourselves from the deception, shackles and attrition of the capitalist system," he said. Bin Laden also derided President Bush, saying events in Iraq have gotten "out of control" and the American leader "is like the one who plows and sows the sea: He harvests nothing but failure." What talk like that you almost have to wonder if bin Laden is getting some of his material from the Democratic party.

Iran - Iran must pay $2.65 billion to the families of the 241 U.S. service members killed in the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, a federal judge declared in the largest-ever such judgment by an American court against another country. Iran has been blamed for supporting the militant group Hezbollah, which carried out the suicide bombing in Beirut. It was the worst terrorist act against U.S. targets until the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. The ruling allows nearly 1,000 family members and a handful of survivors to try to collect Iranian assets from various sources around the world. Iran has denied responsibility for the attack. The nation did not respond to the 6-year-old lawsuit and was represented only by an empty table. Oh I'm sure this ruling has Iran quivering in its shoes. How in the world does anyone see this judgment being enforcing?

Australia - Leaders from Russia and Australia signed a deal to export Australian uranium to fuel Russian nuclear reactors, but promised it would not be transferred to Iran's disputed atomic program. While the agreement forbids Russia from selling Australian uranium to any other nation or using it for military purposes, critics of the deal worry that it could make it easier for rogue states to obtain the raw material. Australia has the world's largest reserves of uranium, but has no nuclear program of its own. Exporting uranium for nuclear power remains a touchy issue among many Australians, who are uneasy about its environmental impact and potential for weapons use. Critics say the inflow of Australian uranium would allow Russia to divert its own supply of the atomic resource for military or export purposes. I've read several accounts describing Australia's desire to shed its traditional connections to the UK in order to stand on its own as a player on the Asian scene. I suppose this is one way to go about doing that, though not one that will likely sit well with its Western allies.

Paris Hilton - I highlight this story mostly because it uncharacteristically involves a legal dispute brought by Hilton as opposed to against her. Paris Hilton is suing over the use of her picture and catchphrase "That's hot" on a greeting card. Hilton sued Hallmark Cards Inc. in U.S. District Court seeking an injunction and unspecified damages to be determined at trial. trademark "That's hot," which was registered on Feb. 13, 2007. The lawsuit claims commercial appropriation of identity, invasion of privacy, misappropriation of publicity, false representation that Hilton endorses the product, and infringement of a federally registered trademark. The damages would be based on profits from the $2.49 cards, said Hilton's attorney. Hallmark defended the card as parody, which is normally protected under fair-use law. Girlfriend is entitled to do whatever she wants, I suppose, but 'invasion of privacy'? That's a bit of a stretch don't you think? It's a freakin' greeting card, for Chrissake.

What Caught My Eye Today

War on Terrorism - A federal judge struck down parts of the revised USA Patriot Act saying investigators must have a court's approval before they can order Internet providers to turn over records without telling customers saying the government orders must be subject to meaningful judicial review and that the recently rewritten Patriot Act "offends the fundamental constitutional principles of checks and balances and separation of powers." The American Civil Liberties Union had challenged the law, complaining that it allowed the FBI to demand records without the kind of court order required for other government searches. Sounds like 'Big Brother' took it in the shorts this time around. It must be aggravating to wage a wage on terrorism when little annoyances like the Constitution and Bill of Rights keep getting in the way.

China - President Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao tackled contentious issues ranging from climate change and Iran and North Korea to recalls of tainted Chinese food and individual freedoms in China. Before meeting with Hu, Bush and his aides said he was eager to talk about increasing trade and climate controls and to express satisfaction with Beijing's role in pressing North Korea to agree to disavow nuclear weapons. But he was also ready to discuss product-safety issues following a rash of recalls in the United States, and to register his worries about China's exchange rate policies. Hu said their talks took place in a "friendly atmosphere." "We both expressed a desire to work toward further development and growth of the business and commercial ties to our two countries," said the Chinese leader. I sure hope, Bush isn't turning into a cream-puff on foreign policy. It's been almost a whole week and he has pissing off any foreign heads of state yet.

Global Economy - Global economic growth is likely to be dampened by the turbulence which has swept world markets, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF said it would be revising down its growth projections - with this year being more affected than 2008. The US would see the largest impact, with some parts of Europe also set to endure lower growth. Its comments came a day after the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development warned the US economy would slow sharply in the second half of 2007. Uncertainty over the size of losses in the sub-prime lending market has caused stock market turmoil. Oh goodie, another reason my boss can use to explain why I'm not getting a raise...again.

Opera - Luciano Pavarotti, opera's biggest superstar of the late 20th century, died He was 71. Pavarotti, who had been diagnosed last year with pancreatic cancer and underwent treatment last month, died at his home in his native Modena. Instantly recognizable from his charcoal black beard and tuxedo-busting girth, Pavarotti radiated an intangible magic that helped him win hearts in a way Placido Domingo and Carreras — his partners in the "Three Tenors" concerts — never quite could. Pavarotti scoffed at accusations that he was sacrificing his art in favor of commercialism. "The word 'commercial' is exactly what we want," he said after appearing in the "Three Tenors" concerts. "We've reached 1.5 billion people with opera. If you want to use the word 'commercial,' or something more derogatory, we don't care. Use whatever you want." I'm the last guy who could be accused of being an opera fan, but I must admit, Luciano had himself quite a set of pipes.

Steve Fossett - I'm a bit late on reporting this story. Rescue crews took to the skies over northwestern Nevada for a fourth day Thursday as authorities expanded the search for missing world record-setting aviator Steve Fossett. In all, the expanded search area is 200 to 300 miles wide and stretches 120 miles south from the small town of Yerington, Nev., to Bishop, Calif., on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada. In all, it's an area about the size of Massachusetts. Fossett was on a mission to study possible dry lake beds for a planned attempt to break the world land speed record when he disappeared on Monday. Fossett's plane, a Bellanca Citabria Super Decathlon, carried both water and food, but there also were troubling signs: The missing plane's locator device had not sent a signal, there had been no communication from the plane's radio, and an emergency wristwatch Fossett wore to signal his location had not been activated. Some veteran pilots speculated he may have fallen victim to the treacherous Sierra Nevada winds that squeeze through the narrow canyons. Let's hope that the luck Fosset has had to date can hold out just a little bit longer, long enough for rescuers to find him alive and well.

Tennis - Tell me if you've heard this one before. Roger Federer maintained his dominance over Andy Roddick to reach the semi-finals of the US Open on Wednesday, keeping alive his bid to win four titles in a row in New York. The top seed and defending champion defeated the home favourite 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 in an intense night-time encounter that turned on two tie-breaks which brought out the brilliant best from the world's top player. Federer made it 26 wins in a row at the US Open. Over on the women's draw, Wimbledon champion Venus Williams outlasted Serbian third seed Jelena Jankovic 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/4) to reach the US Open semi-finals, where she will defend family honor against Justine Henin. World number one Henin ousted Serena Williams in a quarter-final to put herself in the path of elder sister Venus, who is 7-1 lifetime with seven triumphs in a row against the Belgian star entering the semi-final showdown. Henin and Venus Williams, each a six-time Grand Slam winner, have not played each other since Williams beat Henin in a 2003 Australian Open semi-final. Beating both Williams sisters in the same Slam has been done only once, when Martina Hingis downed Serena in a quarter-final and Venus in a semi at the 2001 Australian Open. The game is definitely on at the USTA. You go, girlfriend.

What Caught My Eye Today

Iraq - Honestly, I don't know what to make of these two stories. They sound rather--oh, what's word I'm looking for here--contradictory. Why don't you judge for yourselves.

Iraq's security forces will be unable to take control of the country in the next 18 months, and Baghdad's national police force is so rife with corruption it should be scrapped entirely, according to a new independent assessment. The study is a sweeping and detailed look at Iraq's security forces that will factor heavily into Congress' upcoming debate on the war. Republicans see success by the Iraqi forces as critical to bringing U.S. troops home, while an increasing number of Democrats say the U.S. should stop training and equipping such units altogether. The 20-member panel of mostly retired senior military and police officers concludes that Iraq's military, in particular its army, shows the most promise of becoming a viable, independent security force with time. But the group predicts an adequate logistics system to support these ground forces is at least another two years away. The report also offers a scathing assessment of Iraq's Interior Ministry and recommends scrapping Iraq's national police force, which it describes as dysfunctional and infiltrated by militias.

Meanwhile...

The top U.S. military commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, has suggested he would recommend a cut in U.S. troop numbers around March when he delivers long-awaited testimony to Congress next week. In Sydney for a meeting of Asia-Pacific leaders, Bush said he saw signs of progress in Iraq on both the military and political fronts and again held out the possibility of a cut in troop numbers from the current 160,000.

So I say again, which is it? All I see here is more ammunition for Congress and the President to throw at each other.

Senate - To the dismay of fellow Republicans, Sen. Larry Craig launched a determined drive to save his seat on Wednesday, vowing to stay in office if allowed to withdraw his guilty plea in a men's room sex sting. The decision to deploy his legal team marked a reversal of his pledge to resign on Sept. 30, and raised the possibility of a protracted legal and political struggle, much of it playing out in public, with gay sex at its core. Lawyers not involved in the case have said Craig faces a difficult challenge, pointing to Minnesota Rules of Criminal Procedure requiring that a defendant show a "manifest injustice" to withdraw a guilty plea. In Craig's case, he voluntarily signed a plea agreement that included a provision stating that the court would not accept such a confession of guilt from anyone who believed himself innocent. Craig's campaign suffered an instant setback, however, when the ethics committee refused to set aside a complaint lodged against him. What a boob! I vote for the other guys. You'd think I'd be happy that this guy was screwing with his fellow Republicans. But this is going too far. Give it up, dude.

Air Force - A B-52 bomber was mistakenly armed with six nuclear warheads and flown for more than three hours across several states last week, prompting an Air Force investigation and the firing of one commander. The plane was carrying advanced cruise missiles from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., to Barksdale Air Force Base, La., on Aug. 30. The missiles, which are being decommissioned, were mounted onto pylons on the bomber's wings and it is unclear why the warheads had not been removed beforehand. According to the officials, the weapons are designed with multiple safety features that ensure the warheads don't accidentally detonate. Arming the weapons requires a number of stringent protocols and authentication codes that must be followed for detonation. And they are designed to withstand a significant impact, including an aircraft crash, without detonating. I'm sorry, but how could someone possibly confuse a normal ordinance with a freaking nuclear warhead? And another thing, how does one know if the 'safety features designed to withstand an aircraft crash' actually work. Call me a skeptic, but there are alot of things out there that don't function exactly how they were designed.

Germany - Three men have been arrested in Germany on suspicion of planning a "massive" attack on US facilities in the country. A Federal prosecutor said the three had trained at camps in Pakistan and procured some 1,500lbs of chemicals for explosives. Media reports said the men were planning attacks against a US military base in Ramstein and Frankfurt airport. The suspects were alleged to be members of the German cell of a group she named as Islamic Jihad Union. Two of the men were German nationals who had converted to Islam, while the third was a Turkish man. They had been under surveillance since December, but the authorities decided to act when it became clear the men were planning to move their huge stores of hydrogen peroxide. On behalf of those of us who can barely stand the long security lines at airports, many, many thanks to German law enforcement agencies responsible for foiling the attempt.

iPod - Apple Inc. slashed the price of the iPhone by $200 Wednesday — a rare move for the company that typically discounts only older products. It also updated its iPod media players, introducing a model with a touch-screen and other iPhone features. Analysts said the price drop would definitely boost sales, possibly allowing Apple to achieve its self-proclaimed goal of selling 1 million iPhones by the end of September. But they also questioned the move, which is not consistent with Apple's standard marketing practice of lowering prices during a product's second or third update. Apple also typically keeps the price the same but adds new features and storage when a product is upgraded. See this is why I rank analysts up there with politicians. When was the last time you heard something insightful from one of these blow hards. Case in point...this could be a good move if sales go up, but might be a bad move if profits suffer do to price cutting. Way to go out on a limb there, buckwheat.

Tennis - I'll start my U.S. Open update by saying my picks got hammered last night. Both Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal lost--which pretty much leaves me with Venus Williams. Speaking of Serena...uh-oh.

The American media turned on Serena Williams on Wednesday, labeling the former world number one as "classless" and "graceless" after her sullen reaction to her U.S. Open exit at the hands of Justine Henin. Top seed Henin beat the American 7-6 6-1 in the quarter-finals for the third consecutive grand-slam event on Tuesday but a despondent Williams gave the Belgian scant praise. "I just think she made a lot of lucky shots and I made a lot of errors," Williams said at her news conference. "I really don't feel like talking about it. It's like I don't want to get fined. That's the only reason I came. I can't afford to pay the fines because I keep losing." Players who fail to appear for post-match news conferences face fines from tennis officials. Seriously, the media should be getting on its knees and kissing Serena's feet. Finally a scandal to report on; a weak one (and let's be real here, an understandable one), but a scandal nonetheless.

What Caught My Eye Today

President Bush - The President has been racking up the frequent flier miles over the past few days. His schedule said Bush was spending Sunday evening in Washington before traveling the next morning to Australia. Instead, Air Force One lifted off from Andrews Air Force Base after dark Sunday night on a secret flight to Iraq. For security reasons, the president's trip — his third to Iraq — was a closely guarded secret. Bush flew to this remote desert air base and met with top politicians from Baghdad as well as leading Sunni Arab sheiks who have led a local movement opposing al-Qaida in Iraq. He was joined by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and other key advisers, including the U.S. ambassador in Baghdad, Ryan Crocker, and Gen. David Petraeus, the top American commander in the country.
From Iraq, the President went to Australia to meet with one of his few remaining staunch war allies, Australian Prime Minister John Howard ahead of a 21-nation Asia-Pacific summit later in the week. Bush's trip is intended to show he's not neglecting the region, and he has a busy schedule of one-on-one meetings with Asia-Pacific leaders on the sidelines of the APEC forum later in the week, including sessions with Chinese President Hu Jintao, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Japanese Prime Minister Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and Indonesian President Bambang Yudhoyono.

You know, all this travel and being presidential may actually help Bush's approval rating. That is, of course, if Bush manages not to piss anyone off or do something like call out another country as a safe harbor for terrorism.

Mexico - Hurricane Felix walloped Central America's remote Miskito coastline while Hurricane Henriette slammed into resorts on the tip of Baja California as a record-setting hurricane season got even wilder with twin storms making landfall on the same day. Felix roared ashore before dawn as a Category 5 storm along Nicaragua's remote northeast corner. The 160 mph winds peeled roofs off shelters and a police station, knocked down electric poles and stripped humble homes to a few walls. By late afternoon, Felix had weakened to a Category 1 storm with winds of 80 mph. In the Pacific, Henriette's top winds increased to 85 mph and it made landfall just after 2 p.m. on the southern tip of Baja. Felix was the 31st Category 5 hurricane seen in the Atlantic since record-keeping began in 1886 — and the eighth in the last five seasons. Some meteorologists say human-caused increases in sea surface temperatures are making storms stronger, while others say the numbers are up because new technology allows us to measure their intensity better. Two category 5 hurricanes in one season and two on the same day--that's gotta suck in a muy grande way.

2008 Presidential Race - John McCain was told by New Hampshire high school students he might be too old to be president and too conservative to be respected. "Thanks for the question, you little jerk," McCain joked back to one student who asked the 71-year-old about his age. "You're drafted." McCain's two-day trip to New Hampshire launches his fall campaign for the GOP nomination. During a morning visit with students, he explained why he was not shrinking from his support for a temporary increase of troops in Iraq and why students should pay attention. You have to give the guy props for his sense of humor, thought the real credit has to go to the students who asked the questions that the pundits are too afraid to ask.

College Football - Oh yes, my friends, it's that time of year again. The final fallout from a disastrous opening weekend for Michigan came Tuesday, when the Wolverines dropped all the way out of The Associated Press Top 25, an unprecedented fall from No. 5 to unranked. Since the AP poll expanded to 25 teams in 1989, no team has taken a bigger tumble in one week. After an opening college football weekend filled with blowouts and highlighted by Appalachian State's stunning 34-32 upset of Michigan at the Big House, there was little notable movement in the Top 25 other than the Wolverines. Southern California was voted No. 1 by the media panel, followed by LSU, West Virginia, Florida and Wisconsin/Oklahoma. Florida State also fell out of the rankings. The Seminoles were 19th heading into their season opener at Clemson and lost 24-18. Clemson moved into the rankings at No. 25 and Georgia Tech also moved into the Top 25. The Yellow Jackets were 21st after winning at Notre Dame 33-3.

Golf - Phil Mickelson shot 5-under-par 66 on Monday in the final round of the Deutsche Bank to finish two strokes ahead of Tiger Woods, Brett Wetterich and Arron Oberholser. The victory was worth $1.26 million and 9,000 points in the Fed Ex playoffs, moving him to the top of the standings. Then, complaining that the PGA Tour Playoffs are too much of a commitment for players already tired from a long season, Mickelson decided to skip the BMW Championship this week outside Chicago. Even if Mickelson does skip the next event, he long ago locked up a spot in the Tour Championship. But that would make it three consecutive weeks that a top five player in the world rankings has sat out one of the playoff events. Tiger Woods sat out Week 1, and Ernie Els sat out the Deutsche Bank to be with his kids as they started school. I'm not sure this is what PGA officials had in mind when they dreamt up this FedEx Cup, though I have to say I'm not that surprised. Most people want to see guys like Mickelson, Els, and Woods. Unfortunately, these happen to be the last guys on the Tour that need another big payday. They make enough in endorsements and are probably better served taking the time off and focusing on the 4 majors.

Tennis - With the quarterfinals set for both the men's and women's draw at the U.S. Open, let's see how I did with my picks:

Men's Draw: Nadal (2) over Federer(1) in the final; Dark horse pick: Lleyton Hewitt (16)
My dark horse, Hewitt, crashed and burned in the second round. Other than that it's all good.

Women's Draw: Serena Williams (8) over Sharapova (2) in the final; Dark horse: Venus Williams (10)
Not sure what happened to glamour girl Maria Sharapova in the third round, though if the experts are right, it won't matter much. All the talent is in the top half of the draw including Justine Henin and the 2 Williams sisters.

What Caught My Eye Today

Iraq - British soldiers began withdrawing from their final remaining base inside the southern Iraqi city of Basra. Around 550 soldiers stationed in Basra Palace were leaving the downtown site to join 5,000 other personnel at an air base camp on the fringes of the city — ending their permanent presence in Iraq's second largest city. The Iraqi military sent hundreds of reinforcements to the city to prevent Shiite militias and criminal gangs from expanding their influence now that the British have gone. With the British drawdown, U.S. and Iraqi authorities have expressed concern about the land supply line from Kuwait to Baghdad and beyond and security of the oil fields — until now under the eye of British troops. The withdrawal occurred in the midst of a power struggle between rival Shiite groups throughout southern Iraq, and some analysts fear violence will continue as the British continue to draw down their forces. Maybe the British decided that it wasn't their place to have troops interfere in what is basically an internal conflict. What a novel idea.

And in related news involving the UK and Iraq...

A second retired British general slammed the United States over its Iraq policy saying that it had been "fatally flawed. Maj. Gen. Tim Cross, the most senior British officer involved in the postwar planning, said he had raised serious concerns about the possibility of Iraq falling into chaos but said former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld dismissed the warnings. The comments come a day after the release of critical comments made by the general who led the British army during the Iraq invasion. Retired Gen. Sir Mike Jackson also singled out Rumsfeld for criticism, saying his approach to the invasion was "intellectually bankrupt." You have to hand it to the British for their way with words. I continue to be amazed that, nearly a year later, new stories continue to surface about the ineptitude in which Donald Rumsfeld handled this war.

Iran - Iran's president claimed that his country is now running 3,000 centrifuges to enrich uranium for its nuclear program, reaching an Iranian goal that could add momentum to efforts to impose new U.N. sanctions on Iran. The claim appeared at odds with a report by the U.N. nuclear watchdog on Thursday that put the number much lower — at close to 2,000. The International Atomic Energy Agency said enrichment had slowed and Iran was cooperating with its nuclear probe, which could fend off calls for a third round of sanctions. Iran previously announced operating 3,000 centrifuges in April, but the IAEA said at the time that Iran had only 328 centrifuges going at its underground Natanz enrichment facility in central Iran. In its latest report, the IAEA put the number of centrifuges enriching uranium at close to 2,000 with another 650 being tested. Okay, is anyone besides me confused here. I thought that the U.N. sanctions and the IAEA were supposed to be curtailing Iran's nuclear program. If this is curtailment, I'd hate to see what Iran would be capable of doing with no supervision.

Hurricanes - After a late start, hurricane season is in full swing. Downpours and gusty wind from Hurricane Felix battered a cluster of Dutch Caribbean islands as the Category 3 storm headed toward Central America. With 125 mph winds, Felix is on track to skirt Honduras' northern coastline Tuesday and plow into Belize on Wednesday as a Category 4 storm. Felix became the second Atlantic hurricane of the season on Saturday evening, following Hurricane Dean, which left at least 20 dead in the Caribbean and carved out a destructive swath that stretched from St. Lucia to Mexico. Along the Pacific coast of Mexico, meanwhile, authorities discontinued storm warnings as Tropical Storm Henriette moved out to sea. Forecasters put it on a path that would not threaten land until Thursday, when it could hit a remote section of the Baja California peninsula.

Pope - Pope Benedict XVI urged hundreds of thousands of young Catholics on Sunday to take better care of the planet, saying the world's water supply needs to be preserved and shared to avoid conflicts. Benedict has been on something of a green campaign of late, lamenting just this past week the environmental impact of recent forest fires in Italy and Greece. An estimated 500,000 people turned out for Benedict's Mass, the ANSA news agency said, citing police. Most of them spent the night camped out on tarps and tents on the field down the hill from Loreto, Italy's most important shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The meeting was an Italian warm-up for next year's World Youth Day, in Sydney, Australia, which the 80-year-old pope plans to attend. Given the precarious state of the global climate, a little "divine intervention" couldn't hurt.

Pacific Rim - Senior officials from Pacific Rim nations began meetings in Sydney, Australia to prepare for a summit of regional leaders that will tackle trade and global warming. The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum — with its focus on trade and a membership that includes powerhouses China, Japan and the United States — was founded in 1989 to promote trade and investment in the fast-growing region, has broadened its mission over the years to include security, political, health and environmental issues. President Bush is scheduled to hold a series of one-on-one meetings over subsequent days with Howard and other leaders, including Chinese President Hu Jintao, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. APEC members — which include the world's top three greenhouse gas emitters in the United States, China and Russia — are not expected to announce any specific targets to cut carbon emissions. On trade, APEC leaders are expected to issue their ritual call for the successful conclusion of the Doha talks, which have foundered amid bickering between rich and poor nations, largely over farm trade. They also will discuss a longer-term proposal to create a Pacific-wide free-trade zone, dubbed the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, stretching from Chile to China and enveloping nearly half the world's trade. I'm sure these guys have a pretty full agenda already, but do you think maybe, just maybe, they could spend a minute or two talking about ways to improve the manufacturing of consumer goods? I'm not pointing the finger at any particular country, I'm just saying.

What Caught My Eye Today

Senate - In a subdued ending to a week of startling political theater, Sen. Larry Craig announced his resignation Saturday, bowing to pressure from fellow Republicans worried about damage from his arrest and guilty plea in a gay sex sting. "I apologize for what I have caused," Craig said, his wife Suzanne and two of their three children at his side with a historic Boise train station as backdrop. "I am deeply sorry." Making no specific mention of the incident that triggered his disgrace in his remarks, he spoke for under six minutes and took no questions. Two words--"He gone." You can almost hear the collective sigh of relief in the Republican party that this PR nightmare that started Monday ended so quickly.

2008 Presidential Campaign - Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards joined three other Democrats who say they will skip states that break party rules by holding early primaries. Their decision is a major boost to the primacy of four early voting states — Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. The DNC has tried to impose discipline on a handful of unruly states determined to vote before Feb. 5 and gain influence in the election cycle. They have now agreed that they won't compete in any other states that vote before Feb. 5, as Florida plans to do and Michigan is poised to do. Their decision is a blow to Florida, which had moved its primary to Jan. 29, and Michigan, where the legislature this week voted to push its primary to Jan. 15. Michigan acted despite the DNC's threat to punish Florida by stripping it of its 210 delegates unless it comes up with another plan in the next four weeks. The prospect of five candidates bypassing Florida and Michigan would essentially turn those contests into nonbinding beauty contests, with no delegates at stake if the DNC imposed its punishment. Who do these guys in Florida and Michigan think they are...trying to make their votes count? Don't they know that the candidates have carefully orchestrated primary strategies? The nerve of some people to put the interests of voters ahead of the DNC and its presidential candidates.

Afghanistan - Sort of a good news, bad news story. The good news is that Afghanistan had a banner year in crop production. The bad news is that crop was opium. Opium production has doubled in Afghanistan in the past two years, giving that nation a 93% share of the world's heroin and morphine supply. Well, I suppose someone had to top the list, but 93%? Holy smoke! (Now, now. Admit it. That was a little funny.)

China - And we thought things in the U.S. mining industry were bad. Two brothers dug their way out of a collapsed mine in Beijing this week, eating coal and drinking urine to stay alive for five days. The miners were given up for dead just a day after an illegal coal mine caved in on them. Their survival was a rare bit of good news for China's mining industry, after 181 men died in a flooded mine last week. China loses more than a dozen miners each day in fires, explosions, and flood. Take your pick for shock value on this one. You have plenty to choose from.

Water - Here are some fascinating little factoids related to bottled water:

Between 1976 and 2006, annual consumption of bottled water rose for an average of 1.6 gallons per person to 27.6 gallons, or 1625%.

In 2006, Americans consumeed 8.25 billion gallons or 30 billion bottles of water.

Fewer than a quarter of empty water bottles are recycled. The rest--about 2 billion pounds annually--end up in landfills, incinerators, but the side of the road, or in the sea. The so-called Eastern Garbage Patch in the North Pacific Ocean, described as the biggest trash dump in the world, is 90% plastic, much of it in the form of old water bottles. (This is a fascinating oceanic phenomenon. Click here for more information on it)

On balance, bottled water is incredibly expensive. Whereas its price generally ranges for 75 cents to $6 a gallon, tap water costs about 80 cent to $6.40 per thousand gallons. Assuming your tap water cost the same as the cheapest bottled water, your average monthly water bill would be about $9,000.

In the interest of full disclosure, I've been known to consume the occasional bottle of Dasani. Though I prefer my tried and true Brita water filter.

Infidelity - A Texas man is suing 1-800-FLOWERS for $1 million for revealing to his wife that he was having an affair. When he sent fores to his girlfriend, the man specifically aske dthe flower delivery service to keep the transaction private. Shortly after, however, a note arrived at the couple's home thanking the man for his business. His wife is now suing for divorce, demanding an extra $300,000 based on the evidence of her husband's adultery. Oh yeah, this is totally on 1-800-FLOWERS. Give me a break.