What Caught My Eye Today

India - The largest democracy on Earth has itself a new toy. India joined an elite club of six nations last week with the launch of its own nuclear-powered submarine. INS Arihant (Destroyer of Enemies) begins trials this week with its builders slating 2015 as the date for the commissioning of the 6,000-tonne vessel with a 85-megawatt nuclear reactor. The Arihant is a key part of a highly ambitious military modernization program by India, which hiked its military budget in the current financial year by 24% to 28.4 billion dollars. While Pakistan was the first to react, many analysts feel development of the Arihant is aimed more at countering the threat from the region's undisputed naval power, China. Okay, let's take this one point at a time. First off, the other five nations is this little fraternity are: United States, United Kingdom, Russia, France and China. Next, "Destroyer of Enemies"--that's a little provocative for the name of a nuclear-armed submarine, don't you think? Commissioning in 2015? I don't know a lot about nuclear submarines, but that seems like an awfully long time to be tested a sub isn't exactly new (India bought an existing sub from Russia and basically modified it). And lastly, I don't see why Pakistan is all bent out of shape over this. India launching a sub that might be seaworthy in 6 years hardly seems like the most pressing issue that Pakistani government needs to worry about right now.

Economy - This just in. The global economic meltdown shows little signs of recovery, and the queen is wants some answers. Seriously. A group of eminent economists have apologized to Queen Elizabeth II for failing to predict the financial crisis after she demanded, during a visit to the London School of Economics last November, to know why nobody had anticipated the credit crunch. the letter says that says "financial wizards" who believed that their plans to manage risky debts and protect the financial system were infallible were guilty of "wishful thinking combined with hubris." Huh? Maybe the rest of the letter makes more sense. "In summary, your majesty, the failure to foresee the timing, extent and severity of the crisis and to head it off, while it had many causes, was principally a failure of the collective imagination of many bright people, both in this country and internationally, to understand the risks to the system as a whole." Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the correspondence. I can see why. It hardly seems worth it to respond to a 3 page letter that basically says, "I don't know". Still, I challenge anyone to say that the Queen of England doesn't wield at least some measure of power in this day and age. I bet you, she was just wondering out loud about the failure to predict this mess, and look what she got in response. That's pretty impressive in my book. A complete waste of time, but impressive, nonetheless.

Cricket - I want to give a shout out my main man Rod for attempting to explain some of the finer points of this most fascinating sport. I still don't really get it, but that isn't Rod fault. At any rate, I'm pretty sure that the third Test of the biennial Ashes competition between England and Australia got underway today, and if I'm not mistaken, Australia opened up a can of whoop-ass on the English squad. Australia made a confident start in the third Ashes Test against England leading 126 for 1 on a rain-disrupted first day. Australia is looking to level the series following their 115-run defeat in the last Test. Sounds like a whoop-assing to me. Rod--if you are out there--can I get a ruling on this?

Cycling - Yes, yes. I'm painfully aware that the Tour de France ended this past Sunday, but I have the sneaking suspicion that most folks reading this may not be the avid grand cycling tour fan that I am, so this will probably be new to you anyway. Astana rider Alberto Contador won the Tour de France in convincing fashion by more than 4 minutes over his closest rival. My boy, Lance Armstrong took third place almost 5 and a half minutes behind his teammate. Of course the real news (sadly) was the snick that these guys got into after the race was concluded. Armstrong also announced that he was launching a team US-based team sponsored by RadioShack and that he will be riding for RadioShack in the 2010 Tour de France. Shockingly, no invitation was extended by Armstrong to Contador to join the new team. And that concludes this year's coverage of the Tour de France. Next up, the Vuelta de Espana in September. I can barely contain my excitement.

What Caught My Eye Today

Swine Flu - According to the World Health Organization, the swine flu virus has reached 160 countries and could infect two billion people within the next two years. For those of you keeping count, that's almost one in three people. Crickey. The virus is thought to have killed almost 800 people in recent months. I've been mocking the mortality rate of this virus for several weeks. 800 out of 2 billion doesn't even come close to a statistical anomaly. What I've left out, is the fact that influenza viruses tend to mutate and do so rather rapidly. So while this particular strain may not be particularly lethal just yet, it could be. The majority of cases appear to be occurring in young people, around the ages of 12 to 17, although some reports suggest it is mainly older people who have required hospital treatment. The organization also said there was accumulating evidence suggesting pregnant women are at higher risk of more severe disease, but "certainly has no recommendations on whether women should try to have children now". If the day ever comes that the WHO contemplates making such a recommendation, I pity the fool who has to deliver that announcement to the world.

Iran - I try to keep an open mind about most things especially when it comes to politics and religion. These tend to be rather sensitive subjects that reflect cultural beliefs that I do not fully understand or appreciate. That being said when it comes to the Iranian political leadership I am quickly coming to the conclusion that the guys in charge are a few cards short of a full deck. Iran's top authority, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called on President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to dismiss a senior official who had said Iran was friendly with everyone, even the people of its sworn foe Israel. Khamenei apparently is not one to mince his words. "The appointment of ... Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie as vice president is against your interest and the interests of the government and will cause division among your supporters." the Ayatollah said."It is necessary to announce the cancellation of this appointment." See what I mean. Analysts have said that the decision by Ahmadinejad to appoint Mashaie, to whom he is related by marriage, suggested the president had only a small entourage of people he trusted. Ahmadinejad was re-elected in a presidential vote which stirred the largest display of internal unrest in Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution and exposed deep rifts in its ruling elite. On the off chance that you have not been following the Iranian political scene--I'm sure there are one or two of you out there--let me break it down for you. Back in June, Ahmadinejad was proclaimed the victor of a rather dubious presidential election by the aforementioned Ayatollah. This pretty much validated that Ahmadinejad was the Ayatollah's anointed one--and how convenient was it that the electorate agreed with him; even if they didn't know they did. One would assume that this would be the end of the story, but clearly not. Ahmadinejad in his infinite wisdom picks as his first vice president (apparently there are a whole bunch of vice president) a dude that no one, including the Ayatollah, likes. Given that the Ayatollah basically handed the presidency to Ahmadinejad, you would think that the dude would pick someone a bit more palatable for such a prestigious post. Of course, what I really want to know is what the Supreme Leader of Iran saw in this whack job in the first place.

Nepal - I'm not sure why, but Nepal is just a hotbed of news this week. A remote region of Nepal is hoping to improve local sanitation by asking everyone who applies for a citizenship card or passport whether they have a toilet at home. They say there is a lack of awareness of the health risks related to open defecation, and are hoping the proposed scheme will help to eradicate the practice. Maybe it is a cultural thing. What sort of awareness is the government looking for? People are taking dumps in the middle of the street. Is that not obvious enough? The proposal comes as Nepal is struggling to deal with a diarrhea outbreak that has reportedly killed around 150 people in a remote western region. Disease outbreaks are common during the monsoon, when floods mean water sources can easily become contaminated. The government has promised to eradicate open defecation by 2017, but officials say they are well behind schedule on the building of new toilets. It's stories like this that remind you no matter how bad things might seem, they are most assuredly worse someplace else. Though in the case of the Nepalese people, I'm not sure I can think of a "someplace else" that tops their predicament.

Cricket - I think I'm starting to get the hang of this sport (yeah, right). The third test of the bi-annual tournament between the national teams of England and Australia got underway yesterday. I'm pretty sure that the Aussies are leading, which is certainly good news for them after the English won the second test. At any rate, I have plenty of more time to pick up on the nuances of the sport. As close as I can figure, they are contesting one test a week. And seeing as this tournament consists of 5 tests, I've got two more weeks. Yeah baby.

Cycling - Technically, the Tour de France has two more stages left, but the winner was effectively decided yesterday. Astana team leader, Alberto Cantador won the individual time trial (that was actually a rather big surprise) and increased his overall lead to 4 minutes 11 seconds over his closest rival, Luxembourg rider, Andy Schleck. Unless he falls off a mountain or gets hit by truck, the yellow jersey is basically his. Lance Armstrong was fourth going into the time trial and managed to make up enough time on one of his rivals, Frank Schleck (Andy's older brother) to climb back to third place overall, 5 minutes 25 seconds behind Contador. Today's stage was supposed to be rather uneventful, but was far from it. First of all, UK rider Mark Cavendish won for a fifth time becoming the UK's winningest Tour de France stage winner of all time. Second, while his chances for winning the Tour are all be gone, Armstrong showed that he's still probably the smartest rider as he noticed that the final sprint would likely (and in fact did) result in a time gap, and was the only general classification contender to finish in the same time as Cavendish--all the other lead riders lost 4 seconds to Armstrong. In the giant scheme of things, the standings did not change, but awareness of the race going on around him, reminding everyone why Armstrong, not Contador, is still the big dog.

What Caught My Eye Today - North of the Border Edition

Fred's Note: I'm chilling it north of the border hanging out with the family. Being four hours ahead of my normal time zone, not only am I able to what the Tour de France at a much more reasonable hour, but I also find myself with a bit more free time in the morning. So without further adieu...

Facebook - This was a pretty major headline in Canada last week. The writing is on the wall for Facebook, do more to protect the privacy of Canadian users of face the threat of court action. Canada's Privacy Commissioner posted a message in a report that warns the personal information of Facebook users may be at risk and said that Facebook breaches federal privacy law by keeping users' personal information indefinitely--even after members close their accounts. The Commissioner did acknowledge that the social networking phenomenon has highlighted the fact some people are quite comfortable showcasing their lives online. Ah yes, there is that. I have a Facebook account too, and like many things in life, a bit of due diligence is called for. Would you walk up to a total stranger on the street and start talking about that bender you went on over the weekend? Probably not. So why in the world would you brag about it (or worse yet, post photos of your debauchery) where millions of strangers can see it. Sure Facebook could improve its privacy safeguards, but maybe some of the responsibility for protecting one's privacy lies with the rocket scientists who are publishing their innermost secrets in the first place. If you ask me, Facebook would be much better served fixing the bugs in Mafia Wars. I'm just saying.

Nepal - Corruption is so endemic in Nepal that bribery is almost to be expected at Kathmandu's international airport. Big deal, In the States, we deal with bribery everyday--"Come on dude, my bag is only 5 pounds over the weight limit. Can't we make a deal or something?"--plus we have to contend with crap service, long lines, and rude people. So you'll forgive me if I don't seem too sympathetic to the situation in Nepal. In a bid to boost tourism, the government has devised a clever way to deter staff from soliciting "tea money" from hapless travellers: pocketless pants. Gimme a minute. I'll explain. This is all on the up-and-up. The government determined that airport officials should be given trousers with no pockets so that the would-be bribe-takers would have nowhere to hide their spoils. To me this is yet another example of the most effective solutions tend to also be the simplest ones. Last year Nepal ranked 131 out of 180 nations on Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index. Should you be curious, Denmark, New Zealand and Sweden were ranked #1; Canada was #9 (you go, Canada); and the U.S. came in at #18 (really? that high?).

New Zealand - This story broke late last month, but I just heard about it yesterday, so it's news to me. The instructions in Air New Zealand’s new in-flight safety video are given by employees who are nude except for body paint and strategically placed seat belts. And get this, the employees are...how should I put this...not ugly. Yeah, baby! The video and commercial are not as revealing as some might think (or perhaps hope, given the toned bodies of the employees). The realistic body paint makes it look as if the employees — flight attendants, baggage handlers and a pilot — are wearing uniforms. The one person not shown doing his actual job is the company’s buff chief executive, Rob Fyfe, who plays a baggage handler. Good for them. I'm not a big fan of air travel these days, but I am sympathetic to the fact that being in the airline industry these days pretty much sucks. It's nice to see at least one airline somehow manages to keep its sense of humor.

Tour de France - Stage #18 (the 40.5k individual time trial) is in progress as I write this. The big fireworks came in yesterday's stage in the Alps which included 4 category 1 climbs. Our man Alberto Cantador opened up a 2 minute 6 second advantage over his closest competitor--who is no longer Lance Armstrong. Armstrong played the dutiful teammate, marking another overall classification contender and in the process gave up precious time to Cantador and slipping to 4th place, 3 minutes 55 seconds of the lead. It is more than likely that Lance will work his way back onto the podium after today's time trial (the dudes in front of him aren't very good at this particular discipline), so that's all good. However (and I'll freely admit that I'm an Armstrong fan), it's pretty plain to see that having so many top flight riders on one team--Armstrong, Cantador, Kloden, and Leipheimer (who withdrew from the race with a fractured wrist) can really mess with your team strategy.

Ashes - This one goes out to my main man, Rod. When last we left the biennial cricket contest between England and Australia, the first test resulted in a draw (I think) and the second test was just getting underway. Well, England won the second test (I think), and now leads with three tests left to contest (I think). So there you have it. Have I mentioned how fascinating this sport is? I think I have.

What Caught My Eye Today

Space Shuttle - If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. An admirable sentiment to be sure, but the dudes at NASA have to be getting a bit frustrated at this point. NASA has finished fueling the space shuttle for a sixth attempt to launch Endeavour on a mission to the international space station. Thunderstorms have delayed the mission three times and hydrogen gas leaks have caused two delays. Endeavour holds the final piece of Japan's space lab, which should have flown last month. NASA could also launch Endeavour tomorrow, if managers agree to shorten the flight. Otherwise, the shuttle will have to step aside for a Russian supply run to the space station. That would bump the shuttle launch to July 26. This is a first--a traffic jam in space. Who would have thought that would happen so quickly. I've got like what, one whole space station, and we're already dealing with traffic congestion. If you ask me, that doesn't bode too well for the future.

Sarah Palin - Outgoing Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is facing yet another ethics complaint — the 18th against her and the very thing that helped to prompt her resignation. Eighteen? That seems rather high, doesn't it? The latest complaint alleges she abused her office by accepting a salary and using state staff while campaigning outside Alaska for the vice presidency. It's the third complaint filed against the Republican since she announced July 3 that she was stepping down. Palin said at the time of her resignation that her administration had become hamstrung by frivolous ethics complaints that also put her more than $500,000 in legal debt and set the state back about $2 million dealing with them.Given that there are 18 complaints so far, I cannot say that I blame her. Still, 18 complaints? I have a hard time believing that all of them are frivolous.

Air Travel - The first-ever all-pet airline conducted its first flight, one day after the new airline became operational. Pet Airways services five major cities—New York, Washington, Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles. Flights for the next two months are already booked. The company hopes to expand their service to 25 locations in the next three years. The animals on Pet Airways travel in their own carriers in the main cabin, not in the cargo hold as with most airlines. The $250 one-way fare is comparable to pet fees at the largest U.S. airlines. As a pet owner I applaud this business venture and hope it succeeds. Though I do have one question. If I can shove myself into a pet carrier can I get in on this action. $250 is a pretty sweet deal, not to mention the fact that I'd probably have more leg room than I would on a human only flight.

Cycling - We're over halfway done with this year's Tour de France and my main man, Lance Armstrong is still in third place, just 8 seconds out of the lead. Not much is likely to change in the overall standings until the mountain stages in the Alps in a few days time. While I'm partial to Armstrong's performance, I would be remiss if I did not give some props to some other Tour related headlines. First, Armstrong's team, Astana, occupies 4 of the top 6 places in the overall classification (Contador, 2nd, Armstrong, 3rd, Leipheimer, 4th and Kloden, 6th), yet somehow, Astana is second in the team classification. How is that possible? Second, Team Columbia rider, Mark Kavendish has won 4 of the 5 sprint stages so far. Dude knows how to close the deal in these group sprints.

What Caught My Eye Today

Economy - You know that old saying, "There is always a silver lining." Apparently, in a global recession, that silver lining manifests itself in the following way--"sure things are bad for us Americans, but they really blow chow for the rest of the world." The International Monetary Fund's latest tally of world economic conditions forecasts a 2.6% decline in U.S. economic output for all of 2009, and anemic growth of 0.8% in 2010. That's more optimistic than the IMF's prediction from three months ago, but still lousy. The United States should count itself lucky, though. The IMF expects at least 11 major parts of the world to have more severe economic contractions than the United State this year, including most of western Europe, Japan, Russia, and Mexico. Europe will still be stumbling along behind the United States next year, as well. If these projections come true, it means the United States, despite its overspent consumers, wrecked banks, and insolvent automakers, will be leading the world economy out of recession. Somehow. Yeah, that's reassuring. And I bet the rest of the world is thrilled that the United States will emerge from this mess, that arguably it created, before anyone else does.

Dick Cheney - According to U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA), the CIA withheld information from Congress about a secret counterterrorism program on orders from former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney. Girlfriend is just figuring this out now? CIA Director Leon Panetta disclosed Cheney's involvement when he briefed members of Congress two weeks ago. The still-secret program, which purportedly never became operational, began after the September 11 attacks on the United States. In one of his first acts as president, Barack Obama ordered more humane treatment for terrorism suspects. Panetta has vowed not to allow coercive interrogation practices, secret prisons or the transfer of terrorist suspects to countries that may use torture, a pledge seen as a break with the agency's policies under Bush. This is a bit of a tough one. September 11 broke new ground, so I believe it is a bit unfair to pass judgment too quickly on the leadership of that time--we were all pretty freaked out by that event. That being said, I think the leadership was a bit quick to toss aside everything this country stands for in its zeal to protect the nation from another such attack ever taking place on American soil. And they did succeed; but at what cost?

Spain - Five runners were gored, two seriously, and six received other injuries at a packed running of the bulls at the San Fermin festival in Pamplona. One man was caught in the chest and legs when a large bull became separated from the pack on the slippery cobblestone streets leading to the bullring. The bull, a Miura weighing 1,268 pounds, jerked the runner upward and then rolled him along the ground in the entrance to the ring. Miuras are the largest and most famous of Spain's fighting bulls. The sixth running of the bulls at the annual festival was held two days after a 27-year-old man was gored to death. You would think after a guy died doing this, the organizers would have called it a day, but I guess not. For more than 100 years thrill-seekers have accompanied the bulls from a pen outside the city walls on a dangerous, daredevil run to the bullring. In the afternoon, the bulls face matadors and almost certain death. I'm truly sorry that this individual lost his life. However, given that these bulls are basically going off to slaughter, I cannot say I blame them for being a bit hostile.

Sports - Here's a quick round up from this past weekend.

Tour de France - Here's what you need to know. The first 9 stages are over, including the team time trial and 3 mountain stage in the Pyrenees. Team Astana could have taken the overall leader's jersey yesterday or today but elected not to this early into the race. Alberto Contador is in second place overall (6 seconds back of the lead), Lance Armstrong is in third (8 seconds back) and Levi Leipheimer is in fourth (39 seconds back). If you are keeping count, that's 3 of the top 4 cyclists all riding for the same team. And Astana's fourth best rider--Andreas Kloden is in sixth place (54 seconds off the pace).

NASCAR - We're 19 races into the 2009 season--one more than half way through--which means we're 7 races from the race for the Chase (NASCAR's championship). There are some familiar names at the top of the standings--Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, Kyle and Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards. But here's an interesting development. The drivers with the most wins (Mark Martin, 4, and Kyle Busch, 3) might not make it into the Chase based on points. Martin is within 12 points of elimination and Busch withing 14 points of elimination. And what about the biggest name in the sport--Dale Earnhardt Jr.? Put a fork in him, he's done. Jr. is more than 350 points out of the Chase.

Cricket - Okay, I think I can tell who is winning this Ashes gig in Cardiff, Wales between England and Australia. Australia moved with ruthless professionalism on Saturday towards victory in the first Ashes test against England before rain brought a premature end to the fourth day. It was the first time in Ashes history that four Australians have scored centuries in one innings and Australia's 674 for six declared compiled over more than 12 hours was their fourth highest total against England. So Australia wins, right? On Sunday, England denied Australia victory in the first Ashes Test with an heroic unbeaten last-wicket stand before an ecstatic capacity 16,000-strong crowd. England will go into the second Test at Lord's starting on Thursday with honors even. Or maybe not. If I'm reading this correctly--and this is a big "if"--it would appear that England and Australia played to a draw. Yes, let's call it a draw, shall we? Did I mention that this cricket is a fascinating sport?

What Caught My Eye Today

North Korea - More than two dozen Internet sites in South Korea and the United States, including the White House, were attacked in recent days by hackers that South Korea's spy agency said may be linked to North Korea. The timing of the cyber attacks raised suspicions about North Korea because it was around the U.S. Independence Day holiday and Pyongyang conducting missile tests.Way to connect the dots, genius. The attack was more about nuisance and harassment and was very low in the sophistication scale. Nuisance and lacking in sophistication? Sound like North Korea to me. If North Korea was responsible, it would mark an escalation in tensions already high due to the reclusive communist state's nuclear test in May, its firing of seven ballistic missiles in July and repeated attacks on longtime foes Seoul and Washington in its official media. Maybe I'm looking at this from the wrong perspective, but a feeble Internet attack doesn't exactly seem to rank the same importance as the test firing of missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Don't get me wrong; given enough practice, I can see these guys doing some serious damage. I just don't see this stunt being at the same level as test firing some ballistic missiles.

Slang - It never ceases to amaze me the nonsense that always seems to make its way into our judicial system. A Las Vegas man won a courtroom battle with the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles over his "HOE" license plate, which the agency tried to cancel on grounds that he was using a slang reference to prostitutes. The high court said the DMV based its opposition to the man's plate on definitions found in the Web-based Urban Dictionary, which includes user contributions. Justices ruled that the contributed definitions "do not always reflect generally accepted definitions for words." The plaintiff, whose case was pursued by the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, said he got the "HOE" plate in 1999 for his Chevy Tahoe, after being told "TAHOE" wasn't available. I'm gonna side with the DMV on this one. Hear me out. When you hear the word "hoe" what comes to mind? A garden tool? Probably. A woman of questionable moral character, maybe. A pickup truck? I seriously doubt it. That being said, this is such a lame ass way to spend taxpayer money. Did a court really need to rule on this? Last time I checked with my state DMV, they had a published list of letter combinations that were not available--mostly because of the derogatory inferences that could be made from them. Sorry, bro'. I'm going with "hoe" as a likely candidate for being interpreted as a derogatory term.

Pope - It's been ages since we've heard from His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI. I wonder what's on his mind these days. Pope Benedict XVI, on the eve of a global economic summit, lashed out at modern capitalism for being shortsighted and short on ethics. "Today's international economic scene, marked by grave deviations and failures, requires a profoundly new way of understanding business enterprise," the pontiff said. I'm not sure I'd condemn capitalism or call it shortsighted. Most of the reasons behind the most recent economic meltdown can be tied to legal loopholes, lax regulation, and people breaking the law. If you want to claim shortsightedness or a lack of ethics, I'd start with the legislators and regulators who allowed this activity to happen on their watch.

Cricket - I am, if nothing else, a man of my word. And it is in that vein that I give you this recap of the first day of action at The Ashes in Cardiff, Wales, the bi-annual cricket competition between England and Australia. Day 1 of Test Match 1 of Ashes 2009 comes to a close. The honors have been equally shared. First session to Australia. Second to England. Third to both. Perfect day's cricket. Now if someone could explain to me, what all that means....So are they tied, or what?

Cycling - I'll keep this short. Stage 5 is in the books. Swiss rider, Fabian Cancellara is still the overall race leader followed by Lance Armstrong, less than one second behind. That's right, these guys have covered 628km (390 mi), including a individual and a team time trial, and they are in a dead head. Pretty amazing, wouldn't you say?

What Caught My Eye Today

Senate - Better late than never I suppose. Minnesota finally has its second senator, and it only took, what, 8 months? Al Franken became a senator today. The Minnesota Democrat's swearing-in marked the end of an eight-month political and legal struggle and drew thunderous applause and a standing ovation in the Senate chamber. His presence gives Democrats 60 votes, enough to thwart possible Republican filibusters. If you follow U.S. politics, this is only somewhat the case. Two Democrats are out with health issues Last week the Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously ruled in Franken's favor after a protracted recount battle. His opponent, former Republican Sen. Norm Coleman, conceded shortly after the ruling. Democrats said Franken will assume seats on the Senate Select Committee on Aging, the Committee on Indian Affairs, the Judiciary Committee and the Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions. Plum assignments to be sure. Ah well, I guess the new guy has to start some place. Should you be wondering what the Select Committee on Aging does--I obviously was--it has no legislative authority, but it studies issues related to older Americans, particularly Medicare and Social Security. They need a committee to study the fact that entitlement for the aging population are completely hosed???

Sarah Palin - It's the headline that gets me. Girlfriend has a flare for the dramatic. Sarah Palin says she's not a quitter, she's a fighter, but adds that, politically speaking, "if I die, I die. So be it." I'm a bit slow. Maybe someone could explain to me how is resigning mid-term not considered to be quitting? There has been speculation that she has some legal issue that is not yet known to the public. But her lawyer said that she has no legal problems whatsoever, and simply is tired of the hostile political climate, legal bills and other distractions. I can't say that I'm completely unsympathetic to Palin's plight. But seriously, if she's going to contemplate a run for higher office at some point--Lord help us--Palin is going to have to develop a thicker skin. Politics is nasty business.

Michael Jackson - Michael Jackson fans came from near and far to say last goodbyes to their pop music hero, some traveling from across the U.S. and Europe for his public memorial at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. "I just wanted to say ... ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. And I just wanted to say I love him — so much," said Jackson's 11-year-old daughter, Paris-Michael. It was a deeply emotional moment, the most profound part of a memorial that accomplished what Jackson could not in life: humanizing a man who for so long had seemed like a caricature. Depending on your perspective, I suppose you could argue one side or the other that this caricature was of his own doing or a product of unrelenting publicity. I prefer to remember the man for his music and offer up my heartfelt sympathies to a daughter who has lost her father.

Cycling - Stage 4 of the Tour de France was the Team Time Trial. Not surprisingly, Lance Armstrong's team Astana won. With the likes of Levi Leipheimer, Alberto Contador, Armstrong and Andreas Kloden all riding for the same team, this was pretty much a foregone conclusion. Coupled with his rather impressive third stage ride, Lance is in a dead heat with current race leader Fabian Cancellara, who retains the yellow leaders jersey, because that's how the rules go. The first mountain stage comes in a few days, and perhaps with it, another yellow jersey for the man. Game on, my fellow cycling enthusiasts.

Cricket - And by this I mean the sport not the insect. A friend of mine in the UK told me that The Ashes starts tomorrow, matching Australia against England and is one of international cricket's most celebrated rivalries and dates back to 1882. I liken it to the America's Cup in yachting, but that's just me. Sadly, I don't expect there to be much television coverage here in the states, but I'll do my best to keep you posted on this epic event. I know what you are thinking, but seriously, there is no need to thank me.

What Caught My Eye Today

Sarah Palin - This caught my eye last week, so I'm running a bit behind on this one. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has flummoxed the political world with her abrupt resignation. Even Rush Limbaugh is stumped. "As far as I know, nobody in Palin's camp or Palin herself has said what the hell this is about and why she's doing this." Honestly, what was this broad thinking. Palin of all people should know that she should have vetted this sort of decision with Limbaugh before making any public announcement. What a dunce. in her resignation speech, she spoke vaguely about hoping to "effect positive change outside of government." Neither she nor her aides have spelled out her future plans. Maybe--and I know this is way out there--but maybe Palin is being vague because she's got no clue what she's going to do next. It's been known to happen. Still if you thought girlfriend was going to go quietly, think again. She sent out a Twitter message and posted a combative note on Facebook.

"The response in the main stream media has been most predictable, ironic, and as always, detached from the lives of ordinary Americans who are sick of the "politics of personal destruction." How sad that Washington and the media will never understand; it's about country. And though it's honorable for countless others to leave their positions for a higher calling and without finishing a term, of course we know by now, for some reason a different standard applies for the decisions I make. But every American understands what it takes to make a decision because it's right for all, including your family."

You tell 'em, Sarah! If you want my two cents worth (and I bet you do), I think you should point the finger at Tina Fey. The nerve of her mocking your good name. I bet if she could see Russia from her house (like you), she'd be singing a different tune.

Russia - This story caught my attention if for no other reason than you don't hear about two nuclear super powers talking about reducing their arsenals very frequently. Rarer still, they are in agreement. Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev confidently committed to a year-end deal to slash nuclear stockpiles by about a third. The planned START replacement pact — the centerpiece summit agreement — calls for each side to reduce strategic warheads to a range of 1,500 to 1,675, and strategic delivery vehicles to a range of 500 to 1,100. Current limits allow a maximum of 2,200 warheads and 1,600 launch vehicles. The new treaty, as conceived, would run for 10 years. Sounds like a pretty good start to me. Both men renewed pledges to pull U.S.-Russian relations out of the dismal state into which they had descended during the eight years of the Bush administration. That can't be right. I remember distinctly when Bush said he looked then-President Vladimir Putin in the eye and found that he had a good soul. You cannot do better than that, can you?

Trash - I preface this next item by giving you advance notice that whether it rates as a "newsworthy" story is a matter of opinion. A father and son are facing almost $20,000 in fees and fines after New York authorities said they removed about 42 tons of trash from their property. Brookhaven Town officials said they took away tires, car parts, hoses and other trash — about 85,000 pounds in all — piled up on a residential lot in Mastic Beach on eastern Long Island. Should you be curious, that's enough garbage to fill 10 garbage trucks. Seriously, 85,000 pounds of crap? I bet you guys were the toast of your neighborhood.

Sports - I'll make this as brief as I can for you non-sports fans...

Tennis - Roger Federer is official the man--at least in the tennis world. He won his 15th grand slam title (sorry Pete Sampras, you're second banana now) by beating Andy Roddick in 5 sets. Roger, apparently wanted to recapture some of the magic from last year's duel with Rafael Nadal which was also a 5 set affair, which some call the greatest tennis match of all time. This year, Roger decided to team up with Roddick to produce a 77 game match with the fifth set going to Federer, 16 to 14. As for Roddick, dude didn't win, but sure as heck announced to the rest of the tennis establishment that he's got game.

Golf - Well if Federer is going to win, then I guess Tiger best do so as well. Which he did in the PGA tournament that he hosts, the AT&T National. That makes 68 career wins. If you are wondering when #69 might happen, the British Open takes place in two weeks.

Cycling - Lance isn't leading after 3 stages, but sure is making his presence felt. In a rather surprise break away late in the third stage, most Tour favorites were caught be surprise, but not Mr. Armstrong. And for his efforts, Lance now finds himself in third place overall, ahead of teammates, Levi Leipheimer and Alberto Contador. Of course, if you don't follow bike racing, then everything I just said won't mean a lick to you. Suffice it to say, Lance doesn't enter races that he doesn't think he can win. Dude is in it to win it. Or to put it another way, what Federer is to tennis and Woods is to golf, Armstrong is to cycling.

What Caught My Eye Today

Cold War - President Barack Obama has said Russia must understand that "old Cold War approaches" to relations with the US belong in the past and said he would convey this to Vladimir Putin during talks in Moscow next week. Unless I'm very much mistaken, I think Putin knows that Cold War is over. Obama said the former Russian president - now prime minister - "still has sway" in Russia. That's one way to put it; "complete control" would be another. Obama said Putin was someone who has "one foot in the old ways of doing business and one foot in the new". The president said the U.S. was developing a "very good relationship" with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev , who succeeded Putin last year. That's good, because Obamo's relationship with Putin doesn't look too promising right about now. The issue of reducing both countries' nuclear weapons will be high on the agenda during Obama's visit, which begins next week. I've got my fingers crossed, rubbing the rabbit's foot and any other lucky charm I can find in order to give these talks a boost.

Swine Flu - The United Nation's top health official opened a forum in Mexico on combating swine flu by saying that the spread of the virus worldwide is now unstoppable. Some people will do or say anything to hog the spotlight. Honestly, is it really that bad? As the summit opened, the United Kingdom alone was projecting more than 100,000 new cases of H1N1 a day by the end of the summer. As the peak of the flu season approaches in South America, some areas have declared a public health emergency and Paraguay has reported its first death. Hmm. Yeah, that sounds bad. The World Health Organization says most H1N1 cases are mild, with many people recovering unaided. Then again, if the cases are mild... It has been more than two months since the initial alert over swine flu. Since then, the H1N1 virus has entered more than 100 countries, infected more than 70,000 people and killed more than 300 worldwide. Oh, for heaven's sake. Let's call it a push, shall we?

Afghanistan - U.S. Marines suffered their first casualties of a massive new military campaign Thursday as they engaged in sporadic gunbattles along 55 miles of Taliban-controlled heartland in southern Afghanistan. One Marine was killed and several others were injured or wounded on the first full day of the assault, the largest military operation in Afghanistan since the fall of Taliban government in 2001. I've heard that about gunbattles--sometimes those bullets hit something with a heartbeat. An immediate goal is to clear away insurgents before the nation's presidential election in August. The Pentagon is deploying 21,000 additional troops to Afghanistan in time for the elections and expects the total number of U.S. forces there to reach 68,000 by year's end. That is double the number of troops in Afghanistan in 2008 but still half as many as are now in Iraq. In my line of work, when I do something well (rare as that is) I get a pat on the back and the occasional monetary bonus. I guess in the military when you succeed in stopping the bad guys from shooting at you, your reward is to going someplace where they are still shooting. I think I'll stay put.

Honduras - The head of the Organization of American States, Jose Miguel Insulza, said he plans to travel to Honduras on Friday to insist on the restoration of President Manuel Zelaya, who was ousted in a coup earlier this week -- a mission he said is likely to meet rejection, bringing diplomatic and economic punishment for the impoverished Central American nation. How about a little "glass half full" perspective, Mr. President? With a lousy attitude like this, you are bound for disappointment--as if you needed any more help. The interim government of has so far shown little willingness to do so, arguing that the army acted legally — on orders of Congress and the Supreme Court — when it raided Zelaya's house amid the rattle of gunfire and deported him, still in his nightshirt. I take it from this report, Zelaya wasn't expecting visitors, which begs the question if Congress and the Supreme Court were involved, don't you think the President would have had some inkling that something was going on?

Cycling - As if I had to remind you. The Tour de Lance--I mean France--starts on Saturday. Yeah, baby.

Tennis - And if that wasn't enough excitement for you, we have an all Williams final (Serena and Venus), again, in the ladies singles championship at Wimbledon. I know my track record at picking winners is far from stellar, but I think this time around, I'm on safe ground. I'm going with Williams to win it all.

What Caught My Eye Today

Fred's Note: I was all set to break precedent and lead off with a soccer story, but instead I'll being breaking precedent by leading of with not one, but two (actually three) celebrity deaths.

Entertainment - Michael Jackson, the sensationally gifted child star who rose to become the "King of Pop" and the biggest celebrity in the world only to fall from his throne in a freakish series of scandals, died today. He was 50. Jackson died at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. The circumstances of Jackson's death were not immediately clear. Jackson was not breathing when Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to a call at his Los Angeles home about 12:30pm. Jackson's death brought a tragic end to a long, bizarre, sometimes farcical decline from his peak in the 1980s, when he was popular music's premier all-around performer, a uniter of black and white music who shattered the race barrier on MTV, dominated the charts and dazzled even more on stage. And yet, for all the tabloid fodder that he offered, all you were likely to see in the media today were tributes. Why is it that we always seem to wait until someone is gone before we say something nice about them?

So that is your 80s icon. For children of the 70s, arguably the most famous poster babe that decade has also passed away. Farrah Fawcett, 62, died this morning at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, nearly three years after being diagnosed with anal cancer. A winsome smile, tousled hair and unfettered sensuality were Farrah Fawcett's trademarks as a sex symbol and 1970s TV star in "Charlie's Angels." But as her life drew to a close, she captivated the public in a far different way: as a cancer patient who fought for, then surrendered, her treasured privacy to document her struggle with the disease and inspire others. Here's a testament to just how much 'star quality' Fawcett had--she starred in only one season of "Charlie's Angels"; how many other "Angels" can you name? I admit with some degree of embarrassment--actually, quite a bit--that I can name at least three others.

And finally, for my parents' generation, one of the greatest talkshow sidekicks of all time also died this week.Ed McMahon, the loyal "Tonight Show" sidekick who bolstered boss Johnny Carson with guffaws and a resounding "H-e-e-e-e-e-ere’s Johnny!" for 30 years, died Tuesday. He was 86.

Talk about a bad week for Hollywood. Good grief.

Soccer - Had you read my posting on Monday, you will fully appreciate just how knowledgeable I am about this sport. The United States’ 2-0 victory over European champions Spain in the Confederations Cup semi-finals on Wednesday earned a place on the list of great international upsets. Clearly, I have no idea what I'm talking about. Of course, in my defense, neither does the rest of the soccer universe--all of whom did not give the U.S. the remotest chance of beating Spain. Next up for the U.S. will be Brazil in the final this weekend. Given my track record on predicting the outcomes of international soccer matches, I'll go with the U.S. by a touchdown.

I'm sure there was some actual news today. Let's see what we've got...

Healthcare - Senators working to give President Barack Obama a comprehensive health care overhaul said they had figured out how to pare back the complex legislation to keep costs from crashing through a $1 trillion, 10-year ceiling. "We have options that would enable us to write a $1 trillion bill, fully paid for," according to Senate Finance Committee Chairman, Max Baucus. Is this suppose to be good news? Sure we can spend $1 trillion on healthcare, or anything else for that matter. I'm more interested in the question of whether or not we should spend $1 trillion. Baucus declined to detail how the costs were being cut. Big deal. I say we take him at his word. I mean, we're only talk, what...A TRILLION DOLLARS!!! Dude, I think we're entitled to a few details how how exactly a TRILLION DOLLAR bill is "fully paid for."

Iran - Iranian authorities briefly arrested dozens of university professors who met with embattled opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, but he vowed to persevere with his election challenge despite the apparent attempt to isolate him from his supporters. The declared winner of the June 12 balloting, hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, accused President Barack Obama of meddling in Iran's affairs. Well, of course Obama meddled. How else can you explain international outrage of the "divine assessment" of the people which gave Ahmadinejad almost 63% of the popular vote? Mousavi has alleged massive fraud in the balloting. Sounds like sour grapes to me. Ahmadinejad's standing at home appears to have suffered since the election. Several Tehran newspapers reported that 185 out of 290 members of parliament, including Speaker Ali Larijani, stayed away from a victory celebration for Ahmadinejad. Ahmadinejad's patron, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has said the election result would not be reversed. The fallout may leave Khamenei and the ruling theocracy battered by once-unthinkable defiance of their leadership. And the Iranian people don't seem to bright either. Your Supreme Leader has spoken. I fail to see why the general population, and apparently most of Parliament, should find it necessary to question his edict. It's as if they think their voices should be heard or...dare I say, matter.

Swine Flu - Swine flu has infected as many as 1 million Americans, U.S. health officials said, adding that 6% or more of some urban populations are infected. The estimate voiced by a government flu scientist was no surprise to the experts who have been closely watching the virus. That's nice. I feel so much better that this pandemic comes as no surprise to the experts. The United States has roughly half the world's swine flu cases, with nearly 28,000 reported to the CDC so far. The U.S. count includes 3,065 hospitalizations and 127 deaths. Regular seasonal flu sickens anywhere from 15 million to 60 million Americans each year. Is it just me or does this 1 million milestone sound like just the beginning of an oncoming influenza trainwreck?

What Caught My Eye Today

North Korea - A North Korean-flagged ship under close watch in Asian waters is believed to be heading toward Myanmar carrying small arms cargo banned under a new U.N. resolution, a South Korean intelligence official said. I wouldn't put it past North Korea to test these sanction, but still, it would have appeared slightly less suspicious if some other intelligence agency had made this announcement. After all, South Korea (understandably) is a bit jittery these days. The U.S. military began tracking the ship after it left a North Korean port last week on suspicion it was carrying illicit weapons. Analysts say a high seas interception — something North Korea has said it would consider an act of war — is unlikely. Why bother? If the U.S. blocks the ship from unloading its payload, the same objective is achieved. Myanmar's military government, which faces an arms embargo from the U.S. and the European Union, reportedly has bought weapons from North Korea in the past. Again, not much of a surprise. You have to figure that despotic military regimes with little regard for their people or the international community, would gravitate toward each other...you know, for moral support and that sort of thing.

Tobacco - Lamenting his first teenage cigarette, President Barack Obama ruefully admitted that he's spent his adult life fighting the habit. Then he signed the nation's toughest anti-smoking law, aiming to keep thousands of other teens from getting hooked. Obama praised the historic legislation, which gives the Food and Drug Administration unprecedented authority to regulate what goes into tobacco products, to make public the ingredients and to prohibit marketing campaigns geared toward children. Full disclosure: I'm a non-smoker and in favor of anything that makes the air cleaner. That being said, the President could be treading on thin ice here. I'm not saying that I oppose measures to prevent teens and children from picking up bad habits, but where do you draw the line? I'd really rather not see responsibility for making lifestyle decisions completely left to the federal government. When I was growing up, those choices were left to a different set of decision makers--you might be familiar with them. They were called "parents".

Dark Matter - Time to embrace your inner science-geek. Far below the Black Hills of South Dakota, crews are building the world's deepest underground science lab at a depth equivalent to more than six Empire State buildings — a place uniquely suited to scientists' quest for mysterious particles known as dark matter. The site is ideal for experiments because its location is largely shielded from cosmic rays that could interfere with efforts to prove the existence of dark matter, which is thought to make up nearly a quarter of the mass of the universe. So why bother with all this? I'll tell you. Scientists believe most of the dark matter in the universe contains no atoms and does not interact with ordinary matter through electromagnetic forces. They are trying to discover exactly what it is, how much exists and what effect it may have on the future of the universe. Physicists have said that without dark matter, galaxies might never have formed. By learning more about dark matter, they hope to understand better whether the universe is expanding or contracting. Scientists hope to start construction on the two deepest labs by 2012 and open them by 2016. The projects are expected to cost $550 million. Maybe, I'm missing the bigger picture here, but isn't the fact that the universe does exist and, by some cosmic miracle, we happened to find a suitable environment--the Earth--to live, enough? Let's say that we prove dark matter exists, and let's say that in doing so, we discover that the universe is going to implode upon itself in a couple of billion years or so. Is that really going to change anything? Heck, the human race will be luck to survive 10,000 more years, let alone a few billion. I'm just saying.

Golf - The U.S. Open finally concluded on Monday after players slogged through 5 days of nearly non-stop rain. Tiger Woods managed to scrape his way to a sixth place finish (even-par). On the off chance that you were wondering who won, some dude named Lucas Glover earned what will likely be his only major championship with a 7 under par score, two shots better than the rest of the field. Even in loss, Woods managed to make the headlines. Apparently, this is the first time in five years all the major trophies belong to someone other than Tiger Woods. Frightening how much game this guy has.

Soccer - Humor me on this one. The things that had to go right for the United States in this tournament are almost beyond belief. Outplayed by Italy and Brazil, the U.S. soccer team once again was on the verge of first-round elimination from a big international tournament. To reach the semifinals of the Confederations Cup, the Americans needed to beat Egypt by at least three goals while the world champion Italians lost to Brazil by at least three. At the risk of stating the obvious, both happened. Otherwise, why would I have reported this story in the first place. Now it’s on to a semifinal matchup with European champion Spain, unbeaten in 35 matches since a November 2006 exhibition loss to Romania. The Spaniards are the world’s top-ranked team. Suffice it to say, if the U.S. manages to pull off an upset against Spain, the soccer world may spontaneous combust. Seriously.

What Caught My Eye Today

Indonesia - Indonesia has opened thousands of "honesty cafes" in schools and government buildings, in which patrons use the honor system to leave money for snacks and drinks. The attorney general's office, which sponsors the cafes, hope they will teach civil servants and ordinary citizens to think about the importance of being honest. Only about 5% of the cafes said customers were walking off without paying, and schools that operated the cafes have reported a decrease in cheating on tests. According to corruption watchdog, Transparency International, Indonesia is one of the world's most corrupt nations. While I applaud the effort--and more so the early success--of this program, I have to admit that I'm skeptical that something like this would work in America. Don't get me wrong playing on a guilt conscience is a powerful ploy, but, speaking strictly for myself, I'm not one to let my conscience get in the way of a free meal.

National Anthem - Some dude at the Washington Post is attempting to make a case for replacing "The Star Spangled Banner" as the U.S. national anthem. "The Star Spangled Banner" has to go. As a national anthem, Francis Scott Key's "notoriously unsingable" song is highly flawed. The melody, stolen from an old English drinking song (Really? I did not know that.), spans nearly two octaves, when most people are good for only one. The first eight lines constitute one enormous sentence with no good place to catch your breath. In the entire first verse, the only vaguely American ideal is "land of the free"; the rest is just bombs and war and bloodshed. Fortunately, there are plenty of good alternatives--"My Country 'Tis of Thee," "Battle Hymn of the Republic," "God Bless America," and "This Land is Your Land" just to name a few. Okay, maybe I'm missing the point, but it seems to me that the song isn't the problem--the quality of the singer is. Seriously, you don't see operas being rewritten just so Uncle Bob can sing along. Why would you want to change an iconic piece like "The Star Spangled Banner". There is a time and a place for change; this isn't one of them.

Clouds - This one is for all my meteorological "get your freak on" readers. The last time a new category of cloud was added to the official meteorological atlas was in 1951. Now the founder of the Cloud Appreciation Society (I kid you not. This is a legitimate organization--click here), is lobbying to add a new variety: asperatus, or the "Jacques Cousteau cloud," because it resembles a rolling ocean. This particular formation does not appear to be one of the 80 previously classified. A spokesperson for Britain's Royal Meteorological Society said that the discovery is "astonishing. It's not every day that you get a new cloud." You just have to love the enthusiasm exhibited by weather geeks. In fairness, you cannot blame them. For some strange reason, cloud formations don't seem to garnish the headlines that you might expect.

Potpourri - For those of you looking for a break from news on the Iranian presidential election and the global recession, I offer you these next couple of items, all of which, tragically, are deemed newsworthy:

• A survey on road rage declared New Yorkers to be the angriest, most aggressive drivers in the U.S.
  In a related story, Los Angeles drivers are set to stage a protest claiming that they, not New Yorkers are the biggest jerks on the road.
• Students in a California elementary school found out they must attend 34 days of summer school because their school day was 5 minutes too short on 34 days. The school district must make up the entire days or lose funding.
  Has anyone checked to see how much it is going to cost to open the school for an unplanned 34 days?
• A California lawyer has won a $510,000 discrimination settlement from the Oakland Athletics because the team gave free floppy sun hats to female fans to promote breast cancer awareness.
  Yeah, that money will be put to a much better use on this than finding a cure for breast cancer. Lame litigation like this is what gives lawyers such a bad reputation.

What Caught My Eye Today

Iran - Good news, everyone. The controversy over who won Iran's presidential election last week looks like it is winding down. Do these guys have their act together or what. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sought to end the deepening crisis over disputed elections with one decisive speech — declaring the vote will almost certainly stand and sternly warning opposition leaders to end street protests or be held responsible for any "bloodshed and chaos" to come. That's right, scare the electorate into submission. Good plan. I there is a lesson to be learned here, my friends. Embrace democracy at your peril. Everything is everything when the results go your way, but the problem with allow the people determine those results is that they have an annoying tendency of not always voting the way you want them to. Thank goodness, Iran doesn't have this problem thanks to a supreme leader who can settle such matters with a single edict. Lucky bastards.

Hunger - Here's a milestone, no one is likely to celebrate. The global financial meltdown has pushed the ranks of the world's hungry to a record 1 billion, a grim milestone that poses a threat to peace and security, U.N. food officials said. Because of war, drought, political instability, high food prices and poverty, hunger now affects one in six people, by the United Nations' estimate. The number of hungry people is estimated to have reached 1.02 billion — up 11% from last year's 915 million. The world's most populous region, Asia and the Pacific, has the largest number of hungry people — 642 million, up 10.5% from last year. Sub-Saharan Africa registers 265 million undernourished, an 11.8% increase. Even in the developed world, undernourishment is a growing concern, with 15 million in all and a 15.4% increase, the sharpest rise around the world. As much as I like big numbers, I'm stuck on the little ones. One out of every 6 people on the planet is hungry? I'm almost at a loss for words...almost. Here's a radical notion. Maybe if we spent more time making sure humankind was well nourished, we wouldn't have to spend so much effort trying to figure out why so many people are angry with each other. Heck, if I was hungry all the time, I'd be pissed off to and looking for someone to blame.

Golf - Here's a 64 dollar question--who's leading the U.S. Open after a rather lengthy rain delayed first round. I'll give you a hint--It's probably not who you think, eh (actually there's two hints in there). Despite a double bogey on his back nine, Canadian Mike Weir closed with back-to-back birdies for a 6-under 64, giving him a two-shot lead and the lowest score in the U.S. Open in six years. Phil Mickelson challenged for the lead until he missed some short putts coming in and settled for a 69. Tiger Woods dropped four shots over the last four holes for a 74, his highest start at a major since a 76 at Winged Foot in the 2006 U.S. Open, the only time he has missed a cut in the major. Weir's great play put Woods right on the cut line — the 10-shot rule. I wouldn't rule Woods out just yet, but man does this guy like to dig himself into holes, or what?

Soccer - This just in...U.S. Soccer still blows on the international stage. The latest case in point is the 8-nation Confederations Cup being played in South Africa. Not only has the U.S. been shredded by both Italy (3-1) and Brazil (3-0), but it has the distinction of having earned not one, but two red cards. Way to go, Stars and Stripes. Bring on the World Cup!

TLC - In a clear sign that the tabloids are desperate for a headline, any headline, here's the latest in the ridiculous saga known as "Jon and Kate Plus 8". The TLC network says its biggest stars, Jon and Kate Gosselin, will announce a major decision on their reality show, "Jon & Kate Plus 8." Splashed across Web sites and magazine covers in recent weeks are accounts of infidelity by both spouses — Jon with a 23-year-old schoolteacher and Kate with her bodyguard — accusations both of them deny. Originally envisioned as a series chronicling the challenges of raising a supersize family, "Jon & Kate" has become more of a show that raised the question: Can this marriage be saved? Riddle me this--which is the more tragic tale--that the TLC network is exploiting this family for a ratings bonanza or that the viewing public is delivering those ratings?

What Caught My Eye Today

Iran - The Iranians attempted to elect themselves a president this weekend. The key word be "attempted". Protesters set fires and smashed store windows as groups challenging President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election tried to keep pressure on authorities. Rival candidate, Mir Hossein Mousavi, sent a letter to the Guardian Council — a powerful clerical group — calling for the election to be canceled. He has claimed that he was the real winner. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has closed the door for a possible compromise. He could have used his near-limitless powers to intervene in the election dispute. But, in a message on state TV on Saturday, he urged the nation to unite behind Ahmadinejad, calling the result a "divine assessment." Political posturing aside, it's Khamenei who pretty much has the final--well, pretty much, the only--say on this. If he's made up his mind that Ahmadinejad has won the election, then all this speculation is mute. I'm thinking that when Khamenei make mention of "divine assessment" he's referring to his own.

War on Terror - Director Leon Panetta says former Vice President Dick Cheney's criticism of the Obama administration's approach to terrorism almost suggests "he's wishing that this country would be attacked again, in order to make his point." One would assume that Panetta is exaggerating just a tad bit, to make a point. Then again, this is Cheney we're talking about, so you never know. Cheney has said in several interviews that he thinks Obama is making the U.S. less safe. He has been critical of Obama for ordering the closure of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, halting enhanced interrogations of suspected terrorists and reversing other Bush administration initiatives he says helped to prevent attacks on the U.S. Don't get me wrong here, I think that Cheney's notion of suspending all the principles that America was founded on, in order to protect those very same principles is, by definition, flawed. However, I wouldn't for one moment question Cheney's patriotism. As much as I like the sound bite, I think Panetta went a bit off the reservation on this one.

Potpourri - Here's a hodge podge of news items whose only common link is this--Oh, come on. Like this really happened.

• A fisherman reeled in a live missile off the coast of Florida in waters used for weapons training by the Navy. The bomb squad that dismantled the bomb said it could have exploded at any time.
  And that my friends, is what you call a bona fide fishing story.
• A Virginia clinic is offering free Botox injections to the unemployed. A patient explained her rational for taking advantage of the offer--"You're more likely to be perceived in a better light, if you look good."
  by all means. I'd totally go with a freakishly fake smile as opposed to relying on actual marketable job skills.
• European budget airline Ryanair announced plans to charge passengers for each trip to the bathroom. Two of the three bathrooms on each plan will also be removed to make more room for extra seats. The CEO justified the move saying, "We are flying aircraft on an average flight time of one hour around Europe. What the hell do we need three toilets for?
  Of course that hour refers to time in the air only. I'm guessing that doesn't account for the 30 odd minutes you're sitting on the plane during preboarding, or the time you spend on the taxiway before and after your flight. But I'm sure the folks at Ryanair know what they're doing. What could possibly go wrong with limiting access to a bathroom?
• A California judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by a woman who said she had purchased "Cap'n Crunch with Crunchberries" because she believed "crunchberries" were real fruit.
  Seriously, who determined that this case had enough merit to be brought to a judge in the first place?

American Idol - The fact that Idol is still in the news is proof positive, that pop culture has clearly decided to take the summer off. American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert revealed that he's gay. And??? Lambert said he decided to compete on the show after taking "certain funguses" at the Burning Man Festival in Nevada I'm still not seeing any surprises here. He all revealed that he was attracted to married first-place winner Kris Allen, whom he called "totally my type," except that he's "100% straight" And there you have it. All this time I was thinking that it was sheer coincidence that these guys were roommates during the competition. Who know that Glambert was trying to make a play for Kris Allen. I'm thinking this show would be a lot more interesting next season if FOX aired an "Idols After Dark" deal on Cinemax.

What Caught My Eye Today

Influenza - Swine flu is now formally a pandemic, a declaration by U.N. health officials that will speed vaccine production and spur government spending to combat the first global flu epidemic in 41 years. The announcement by the World Health Organization doesn't mean the virus is any more lethal — only that its spread is considered unstoppable. Why doesn't that make me feel any better about this? Since it was first detected in late April in Mexico and the United States, swine flu has reached 74 countries, infecting nearly 29,000 people. So far, swine flu has caused 144 deaths, compared with ordinary flu that kills up to 500,000 people a year. There, was that so difficult? Now I feel better. I'll take my chances with 144 over 500,000 any day of the week.

CIA - The CIA believes Osama bin Laden is still in Pakistan, and the spy agency is hoping to close in on him as that country's military cracks down on the northwestern tribal area where he is thought to be hiding. I don't want to sound unpatriotic or anything like that--I want the dude caught as much as anyone does--but seriously, if the CIA (or anyone for that matter) had a clue as to where this guy was shacked up, we'd be reading about how bin Laden was captured rather than where he might be hiding.

And in other CIA news... The CIA will spend nearly $250 million in the next five years to double the number of intelligence officers that are proficient in a foreign language. Less than a third of CIA analysts and overseas spies are proficient in a foreign language. What a novel idea. Maybe our chances of catching the bad guys would go up a bit if we understood what they were saying.

Palau - Palau's president said that his tiny Pacific nation's tradition of hospitality prompted the decision to take in 13 Chinese Muslims in limbo at Guantanamo Bay, but China called them "terrorist suspects" and demanded they be sent home. It's the first time since 2006 that the U.S. has successfully resettled any of Guantanamo's Uighurs. The U.S. government had determined they weren't enemy combatants and should be released. But China objected saying the men are members of extremist groups working to separate the far western region of Xinjiang from China. With all due respect to China, that part of the world isn't exactly what I would call prime real estate. The fruit and sheep which account for most of Xinjiang's exports cannot be that valuable to China. I'm guessing the sheer land mass, one sixth of China's total territory is much more compelling a reason to keep the region under tight wraps. But back to Palau... Palau has retained close ties with the United States since independence in 1994 and is entitled to U.S. protection under an accord. Two U.S. officials said that the U.S. was prepared to give Palau up to $200 million in development, budget support and other assistance in return for accepting the Uighurs and as part of a mutual defense and cooperation treaty that is due to be renegotiated this year. And as if that wasn't enough to piss of the Chinese... Palau, a former U.S. trust territory in the Pacific, is one of a handful of countries that does not recognize China, instead recognizing Taiwan.

Wealth - You may just want to skip this next item. It isn't pretty. The brute force of the recession earlier this year turned back the clock on Americans' personal wealth to 2004 and wiped out a staggering $1.3 trillion as home values shrank and investments withered. And if you think the first quarter of 2009 was bad... The hit to Americans' net worth was worse late last year. In the October-December period, it fell a record 8.6%, the largest drop on record dating to 1951. Wow, that just plain sucks.

Naturally, we cannot end on such a down note--I suppose we could, but how depressing would that be?--and so we shall not.

Sex - A spokesman for the daughter of Sonny and Cher says Chastity Bono "has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity" and began the sex-change process earlier this year. Chastity's father, Sonny, was said to be "proud of his decision" and hopes "that his choice to transition will open the hearts and minds of the public regarding this issue." See. I told you so. Honestly, considering Chastity's lineage, an announcement like this doesn't seem so far-fetched. You go, girl...I mean guy...I mean...Oh, good grief. Good for you...Chase, is it?

What Caught My Eye Today

Greenland - On June 21, Denmark will grant the right of self-government to Greenland. Policymakers for island of 56,000 are making big plans. Since Greenland has an abundance of swift rivers, the potential for cheap hydroelectric power is huge. Then there are the oil, gold, palladium, platinum, and zinc deposits. An unusual twist in all this: the impact of global warming. Melting ice is causing rivers to run even faster making it easier to reach those deposits. First things, first. I thought Greenland was a country already. I mean you'd think that the distinction between what a country is and what it isn't would be pretty straightforward. Turns out...not so much. Greenland was a Danish colony for about 300 years. Then, in 1985, Greenland became an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark. Now don't confuse "autonomous" with "independent" like I did. Basically, Greenland was given the right of home rule (Home rule refers to a demand that constituent parts of a state be given greater self-government within the greater administrative purview of the central government--I looked it up). It wasn't until a referendum last year that Greenland was given control of the police force, coastguard, and courts. As an added bonus, Greenlandic will be recognized as an official language. And finally, here's a fascinating bit of trivia. Did you know that in 1946, the United States offered offered to buy Greenland from Denmark for $100,000,000, but Denmark refused to sell. If we had pulled that deal off, that would have rivaled Alaska for the steal of the century.

New York Stock Exchange - To quote that famous tagline (assuming you are familiar with "Project Runway"), "One day you are in, and the next day you are out." My, how the mighty have fallen. It didn't suit the blue-chip image of the Dow Jones Industrial Average to continue to include the stocks of bankrupt General Motors and ward-of-the-state Citigroup, So it's casting them out of the list of 30 in favor of Cisco Systems and Travelers. Interestingly, Travelers used to be a subsidiary of Citi. Cisco trades at around $20 and Travelers a bit over $40, compared with the less that $4 for the discarded companies. The higher prices will likely make the Dow move more erratically because of the way the average is calculated. But that's a minor blemish compared with the better reputations of the new stock. Yeah, that's right. Screw reality. We need those numbers to look good, darn it. The NYSE has more than 2700 listings (to say nothing of the more than 5000 on the NASDAQ), and yet the vast majority of the population relies on a revolving door index of 30 stocks (barely 1%) as its primary gauge of how well the economy is performing. Of course, if Jim Cramer and all those other "experts" say that the Dow is an accurate measure of the economy, then I guess it is...because they're never wrong.

National Secrets - The U.S. federal government mistakenly posted on the Internet a "highly confidential" 266-page report on the nation's nuclear plants, weapons labs, and nuclear-storage sites, with specific locations and details on what can be found there. Big deal. You've been able google that stuff for years. Seriously, this would be funny if it wasn't so tragic. Ever since, September 11, 2001, this country has been obsessed with securing the homeland. And then we do something like this. You know, if terrorists really wanted to hit us, they'd sit back and just wait for us to shoot ourselves in the foot.

Russia - The Russian Navy opened fire on a village near St. Petersburg during exercises in the Gulf of Finland. Somehow, no one was injured when artillery fire from an anti-submarine ship rained down on the village. I have a theory on this one. I'm thinking that no one was injured, because as soon as the village got word that the Navy was in the neighborhood, the locals got the heck out of Dodge. See, I don't think this is the first time the Russian Navy was aiming at the wrong target.

Golf - Tiger Woods won the Memorial this past weekend coming from 4 strokes behind in the final round. That's two wins in 7 tournaments that Tiger has entered since he came back from knee surgery. And he's finished in the top ten in 4 of the 5 other tournaments he's played in this year. That makes 67 career victories for Woods, 6 behind Jack Nicklaus and 15 behind Sam Snead.

Tennis - Roger Federer finally won his French Open and in the process tied Pete Sampras for most Grand Slam titles--14, and he became the sixth player to win the career Grand Slam. Some will say that the win wasn't as good, what with Rafael Nadal losing in the fourth round, but they're missing the point. Rafa lost, Roger didn't. That's how you win Grand Slams. Way to go, Roger. By the way, how many Majors do you think Tiger Woods has? Yup--14.

What Caught My Eye Today

National Sovereignty - This isn't exactly a news item, but I dig on stories like this one. When is a country not a country? Fascinating question, wouldn't you say. When the United Nations says it isn't. An official U.N. country needs approval from 9 of the 15 Security Council members. Here are 10 territories that are almost, but not quite countries (number in parentheses represents how many U.N. member states do recognize it):

• Palestine (98) - Next in line to become a U.N. member, if a two-state solution with Israel moves forward.
  Yeah, that should happen any day now.
• Kosovo (60) - Russia still considers it part of Serbia and is singlehandedly blocking its U.N. membership.
  As you continue down this list, this whole nation-state recognition thing between Russia and the rest of the Western world becomes a recurring theme.
• Western Sahara (46) - Some think it should be part of Morocco, while others think it belongs to Algeria. Biggest barrier to U.N. membership--no one has an incentive to get involved.
  I don't care who you are, that's got to hurt the old ego.
• Taiwan (22) - In 1971, President Nixon helped oust Taiwan from the U.N. to appease China and prevent Soviet expansion.
  Nice. All this railing against the Chinese to grant Taiwan its independence, all the while, the U.S. was the one who gave Taiwan to China in the first place.
• Abkhazia (2) - Declared independence from Georgia in 1991. Kept out of the U.N. by the West.
  Sound familiar?
• South Ossetia (2) - Declared independence from Georgia in 1992. Kept out of the U.N. by the West to keep out a pro-Russia vote.
  This is starting to sound like a broken record.
• Northern Cyprus (1) - Declared its independence from the rest of Cyprus in 1983. While the southern Republic of Cyprus is a full member of the U.N. and E.U., the north's only supporter is Turkey.
  This is what happens when you pick the wrong side to back you up. Turkey is all that and a bag of chips, but does not match up too well against...well, the rest of the world.
• Nagorno-Karabakh (0) - Primarily Armenian, but Azerbaijan claims its territory. Nobody recognizes it because picking a side means angering Russia, Armenia or Azerbaijan.
  These guys are hosed, unless they have more oil and natural gas then those other guys, and I just don't see that.
• Somaliland (0) - Was merged with Puntland to create Somalia 20 years ago. Wants independence, but no luck, chiefly because once a country is created, the global community is hesitant to dismantle it.
  The irony here is that Somaliland is a pretty stable joint with its own currency and school system. But, yeah I can see why we want to keep it hooked up with Somalia, what with the success story that mess has been.
• Transdniestria (0) - Declared its independence from Ukraine and Moldova in 1990, but has been governed by 1992 by Moldova which does not recognize its secession.
  Okay, maybe its just me, but if you want to be a country, pick a name that people have half a chance of pronouncing correctly.

Russia - Russian President Dmitri Medvedev established a presidential commission with the aim of "counteracting attempts to falsify history so as to undermine the interests of Russia." The commission will report to the president any domestic or foreign examples of "false" accounts of history. The formation of the commission is seen as a response to the wave of new history books in former Soviet Bloc nations that portray the fall of the Soviet Union as the "liberation" of Eastern Europe. History is a peculiar thing. More often than not, history tends to be written by the "winning side". By sheer coincidence (I'm sure) that history paints a rather positive picture of the "winners" while offering a not so flattering account of the "losing side." Funny how the Russians view themselves as the "losing side" in recent history.

Armageddon - If you have been paying attention you, no doubt, have noticed in the "Let Me Count The Days" section of this blog, that the end of the world is a less than 1300 days from now. Should you be curious why the end is so near, I give you this. The world is coming to an end on December 21, 2012. That's the day the Earth will be destroyed in some kind of fiery apocalypse. Well that does sound rather ominous, doesn't it? This latest end-times prophecy is based on the Mayan Long Count Calendar, which ends on that day. Of course, there are those that are of the opinion that when the calendar ends, it basically starts over, but then this story wouldn't be nearly as interesting would it?

China - I know things are tough all over, but this is harsh, even by Chinese standards. A man who held up traffic for five hours by threatening to jump off a bridge, was finally shoved off it by an impatient commuter who justified his actions by saying, "jumpers are very selfish". The jumper landed on an emergency air cushion and survived. With countrymen like that, I'm not sure surviving was much of a consolation.

Great Britain - Indulge me on this one. It really short. Plus, who doesn't appreciate a little potty humor every now and again. Residents of Butt Hole Road, in South Yorkshire finally tired of the jokes and the busloads of American tourists snapping photos of the street sign and changed the street's name to the more respectable Archer Way. What, only American tourists found this funny? I think not. And another thing, you can change the name all you want, my friends. To me you will always be Butt Holes. (I know, I know, cheap shot. I just couldn't help myself).

What Caught My Eye Today

Federal Budget - You may have recently heard that President Barack Obama submitted his budget proposal for 2010 complete with a mind boggling price tag of $3.55 trillion. The creative folks at Newsweek came up with a way for us ordinary folks to get our hands around this number. What can you buy with the 2010 federal budget?

• Everything produced in Italy in 2008 - $2.399 trillion
• All the oil in Saudi Arabia - $781 billion
• An electric car for every 16- and 17-year old in America - $146.2 billion
• The International Space Station - $130.2 billion
• A refund for everyone defrauded by Bernie Madoff - $65 billion
• The Big Dig, Boston's urban-infrastructure project - $22 billion
• Full funding for the Krasnow Institute's project to map the human brain - $4 billion
• All the tea in China - $1.84 billion
• The treasures of King Tut's tomb - $507 million
• A 99 cent MP3 download from iTunes for everyone in America - $301 million

All that and you'd still have close to $20 million...you know, for incidentals.

Cuba - Indulge me for a moment while I go off on a bit of a tangent. The California Supreme Court ruled today to uphold Proposition 8, a constitution ban on same sex marriage. Five state legislatures have decided to legalize same sex marriage, and to that list we might be adding a rather unexpected entry--Cuba. Mariela Castro, daughter of President Raul Castro, led hundreds of Cubans in a street dance last week to promote gay rights. Remind you of anyone here in the States? I'll give you the answer at the end. Mariela is an outspoken advocate for gay and transgender issues who has worked to change Cuban attitudes toward homosexuality. Homosexuality was decriminalized in 1979, although discrimination is still widespread. What is it about "daddy's little girl" that drives fathers to an early grave? Any guesses? You have to go back to 2002, when this daddy's girl joined the Republican gay-straight alliance and said sexual orientation should be a "non-issue for the Republican Party." At the risk of stating the obvious, Mary Cheney was in the minority on that issue. She certainly didn't have much influence on her father, Dick.

Canada - 9,000 Americans studied at Canadian universities in 2008, up from 2,300 in 1996. Many Canadian schools said applications from U.S. citizens are up sharply. Some universities report that Americans make up over 10% of this year's freshman class. Even though foreign students must pay higher tuition fees than Canadians do, a year of college in Canada costs about one-third as much as it does in the United States. Ah yes. It's an age old dilemma. Is the typical American student willing to spend a third of the money to get three times the amount of education? A very tough call, indeed.

China - Here's another entry for the "So Bizarre It Must Be True" file. China's first theme park devoted to sex has been demolished, weeks before it was due to open. "Love Land" (I swear I'm not making this up) was going to feature giant models of genitals, workshops on sex techniques, and educational displays about condom use. Here in America have something similar to what these guys were trying to do with this theme park, only we have a slightly different term for it--porn. The developer of the facility said he got the idea for the venture after visiting a popular sex park in South Korea. Locals began complaining when they saw the naked statues going up. Go figure.

Daydreaming - Daydreaming is often viewed as a sign of laziness or a lack of seriousness, but a new study says that's a bad rap. Neuroscientists found that when a person begins daydreaming, there's a lot of activity in regions of gray matter dedicated to high-level thought and complex problem-solving. Ah ha! I thought so. Check this out. I was in this staff meeting and my summer holiday was just around the corner. I started reminiscing about this trip I took to the South Pacific back in college. There was that time when the locals in Fiji introduced us to the local brew, Fiji Bitter. Dude, I got so toasted. Then there was that bar in New Zealand. There was this hot girl that talked me into signing up for that jelly wrestling and I totally...umm...So where was I? Daydreaming, right? Supposed to stimulate the brain? Works for me.