Japan: Oh Brother

AIG Bonuses and now this....

I was already in an aggravated state about my dim job prospects and the news of the AIG bonuses. But what is really sent me close to the edge yesterday was HRP-4C. She is 5 feet 2 inches tall, weighs 95 lbs with doe-like eyes and chin-length shiny black hair with bangs. She is able to speak in a tiny feminine voice and comes with a programming technology that allows the user to develop fun moves for the robot. Oh brother.
This is not one small step for mankind...ladies...meet your future competition. What man is not going to want one of these for Christmas? Of course, HRP-4C is being developed by a Japanese company as a "socially useful robot" to meet the growing demands for care developed to care for the elderly and the sick. Sure.
Us female humans have a little time left because HRP-4C still cannot help with daily chores but she is making her debut as runway model this week at a fashion show.

Australia: Hero in Underpants

A man in Australia suffered scratches and shredded underpants wrestling with a kangaroo after it smashed through his bedroom window. The man who initially thought a "lunatic ninja was coming through his window" struggled to get the hopping kanga in a headlock and drag it to the front door. While kangaroos are common in Australia, they rarely invade homes according to experts.

Russia: Gift Giving

No doubt by now you have heard the news of the oops we had trying to give a gift to Russia. We made up a small device with a red button that said RESET in english and PEREGRUZKA in russian. The gesture was supposed to symbolize our government's efforts to reset our relations with Russia. One small problem...we had the wrong russian word on the device. PEREGRUZKA means overcharge;PEREZAGRUZKA means reset.

I am not going to criticize the poor soul at the State Department would made the mistake. I am sure they feel terrible about their global gift-giving gaffe. Peregruzka...Perezagruzka...it could happen to anyone. Afterall, in a Moscow restaurant, I once said in my best russian, I am soup rather than I want soup.

I am a little more upset with the lame gift we gave to our best friends in the whole wide world. British PM Gordon Brown was in Washington last week and left with a basket of DVDs and a few toy helicopters!!! British soldiers have fought and died with our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and our gift looks like we sent an intern with fifty bucks to Blockbuster and CVS. And, if that wasn't bad enough. I am not sure that we gave our only true ally DVD's in a format that works with British DVD players.

So here is my solution: I nominate my sister, Lian Dolan to become our Czar of Gift Giving. Lian is tops when it comes to gift-giving. Her creative and thoughtful gifts are legendary in our family. I know she can do the same for our country. Because our government gift-giving needs are so urgent, I recommend that she be approved without Senate confirmation.

Kyrgyzstan --U-Turn on US Base?

Kyrgyzstan's president has raised the possibility of letting US forces remain at an airbase, which supports US and Nato operations in Afghanistan.

Egypt: Additional Attacks

The U.S. Embassy in Cairo warned Americans in Egypt that additional attacks similar to the bombing that killed a French tourist in February and other recent strikes may be planned, Reuters reported March 3. Embassy staff said that the Egyptian government had increased security in downtown Cairo and in tourist areas, but told Americans to exercise caution.

Don't Miss

Don't miss The Wall Street Journal's article on The Perilous State of Mexico. Lumped in the same category as Pakistan, Mexico is at risk of a catastrophic collaspe, becoming a failed state. The instability could lead to a new flood of refugees and more economic uncertainty if our 2nd largest trading partner becomes drug state.

I am Just Thinking....

I am just thinking....that our Secretary of State looks pretty happy in her new role. She has her own plane, a press entourage, gets plenty of nights away from Bill and people around the world seem happy to see her. I am just thinking that maybe she is glad she didn't win and doesn't have to deal with TARP funds, bailouts, stimulus bills and Republicans.