Auburn and UNC coed murders: Hate crimes?

Two Georgia coeds were savagely murdered by animals with no regard for human life this week. But, today, there is some news which can give us solace that perhaps we will find their murderers and see them face the ultimate judgement (that means your death, if you're reading this, savage beasts).

Auburn coed and Marietta native Lauren Burk was murdered at school in Alabama, and her alleged assailant was arrested today.

UNC student body president and Athens native Eve Carson was also murdered this week, and the police have released a photograph of a "person of interest" (read: her killer) today as well.

As a father of two teenagers, I am sickened by these murders and am considering buying a handgun and letting my two children learn how to use it properly, so that when they are on their own at one of these unsafe universities, they can choose whether they might want to be one of the protected ones, or a sacrificial lamb.

Be that as it may, I wonder, will these gentlemen, when they are finally formally charged, face additional penalties for their hate crimes?

Update: America's Most Wanted will feature these cases tonight.

Time Magazine: Does Anyone Read it Anymore?

Last night, I dropped by some friends' of ours house to leave some things for them, and I noticed that they had a recent copy of Time magazine. Now, I must admit, I do not get my news from Time, or Newsweek, or any of their ilk.

However, growing up in a family of journalists, I remember Time, US News, and the occasional Life or Newsweek laying around my house. Oh, and Sports Illustrated, too.

My magazine reading doesn't extend past Car & Driver and National Review, and I/T industry rags, which I get for free.

But, I digress, so back to the story, which is that apparently, Time is in serious trouble. Why? Because, there's less advertising in Time than there is in those I/T trade rags that managed to survive the 2000/2001 Internet bubble bursting. I mean, National Review, which I always found pathetic in its lack of advertising and constant begging for donations, has more ads in it than Time.

You've all probably seen the circulation numbers for Daily Newspapers, and, I have twice cancelled subscriptions to Sports Illustrated after non-sports-relate leftists screeds, so , I think we can take some solace in the fact that, although John McCain is who we have to vote for, no one reads the leftists "news"magazines, the mainstream newspapers, network news, or listened to Air America (apparently, no one got paid there, either).


Nothing more here!

Nuclear Power: It's not just for France anymore...

My local paper, The Atlanta Urinal-Constipation, recently had the nerve to print this opinion piece touting the incredible safety record in the civilian nuclear power industry.

I don't believe that global warming is being caused by man, nor that it's entirely a bad thing, but I do think nuclear power is a great way to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and a way to reduce the demand for that oil.

But, I'll speak more about that some other time.

Nothing after the jump...
And here is the rest of it.

The Final 12: Live Blogging (kind of) the Results

49 minutes behind, so this isn't technically liveblogging, since we're on DVR.

Blake Lewis is so horribly bad, we FF'd through it. After the commercial.

So, Paula's video is numero uno on iTunes. Is it free? No iTunes on this PC, so I can't check now.

To fill an hour, we look at the synopsis of Tuesday's guys, and yes, the guys were generally better, and I am thinking we could see 3 guys in the final or 4. I think only Carly or perhaps Brooke can break through.

Predictions tonight were Chikezie and Luke. Dialidol thinks Stripper David is in trouble.

Ryan treats us to some guys getting in. No surprises with David A, David C, Jason Castro. Now, Ryan is going to give us three girls. Will there be any surprises?

But first, we have to endure the recap. They were generally awful. Recall, our predictions were Kady and Kristy. But, I also think Ramiele hurt herself badly last night. Dialidol did not like Syesha's chances. So, we will see.

First, Brooke. She's in. Next Syesha, she's in. So, Kristy and Kady are in bigger trouble. Kady Malloy is up next, and she's OUT. No surprise there, not even from her. She's so uneven, we're skipping the performance.

More commercials, now, David Hernandez, our favorite gay male stripper. He survives! Amazing, but, remember, I chose Chikezie. But, next is Michael Johns. Is this tonight's surprise? No, he's in! We're down to three. Luke is next up. We ALL know Luke is gone, and he is OUT! Again, no surprise. And, we're not going to belabor this by watching the song again.

Now, more girls. Ramiele, she's safe. Carly is next. She's safe. Amanda is up next. She deserves to go, but, she's safe.

This leaves Asia'h and Kristy. So far, I am 2 for 2. Simon thinks it will be Asia'h. Simon is RIGHT! So, I'm 2 for 3. Will it be a nearly lily white final 12? We'll know in a couple minutes...

General Noriega's son, and Chikezie. I would like to see Danny go, but, I fear it will be Chikezie. It is DANNY!!!!!! YAY!!!!!! Sanjaya part deux is gone, gone, gone. Now, Danny, sing Small Town Boy, please!!!!!!! Crap, he sings tainted love. Well, I have the real video of Small Town Boy for you.



I'm actually happy to be 2 for 4 tonight, because Danny is gone.

Ok, so what do you all think? Did we get the best final 12 we could have? Is American Idol racist and homophobic? I think not, we have 1/6 of the final 12 black and 1/12 of it homo/bi sexual. So, by percentages, we have a fairly representative final 12. Quotas are alive and well on AI!

For those sick of me blogging Idol, next week, there are only 2 episodes, and the elimination will be shorter with only one going off. I promise, more submarine stuff next week!

Nothing after the jump
And here is the rest of it.

American Idol: Final 8 Girls

The girls on American Idol tonight. DVR blogging it.

Asia'h and Syesha are the bookends tonight, so, the AI producers have decided they want those two to make it, but, of course, Luke was first last night, and he sucked, so let's see what happens tonight.

1. Asia'h - I Wanna Dance With Somebody - Randy is going to say she has pitch problems. I thought it was kind of frantic. Well, he didn't say it, he thought it was "hot." I can see her recording music, but, she's driving me nuts. Paula thinks it was "nailed." Simon is going to be more like me. They all think she's top 12 material. So do I.
   
2. Kady - Some Queen song - Saddled with the second spot. Going to be tough for her. I didn't realize that Kady had Jessica Simpson's, ahhhh, assets. Think she intentionally had the camera pan so we could tell that? She gets her best reviews of the series so far. Simon likes it better than last week, and she's robotic. I agree. I think she's still in serious trouble, she needs some help from the other contestants. Simon is right, personality is a problem for her.
3. Amanda Overmyer is next - Joan Jett's Hate Myself for Lovin' You - Votefortheworst.com will have to save her again. This is another rotten performance for Amanda. She had promise, but she has had something go wrong. Her voice is all over the place. These guys like this? I am sorry, it's awful. Let's see what Simon says. She does look much better. Simon says fantastic. But, we have seen the judges do this before when they want to try to con vftw into not supporting a contestant.
4. Carly - another song I don't know - and Carly has Michael Johns's same inability to connect with an audience. There's no doubt that she can sing. So, she's a good singer, but, she's missing something. There's a reason why she only sold 389 albums back in 2001. I think Paula's mostly sober tonight, by the way. Simon doesn't like the song. Lose the tattoos Carly. She's in.
   
5. Kristy Lee Cook - Faithfully - going to sing Randy's songs - did I mention Randy played bass for Journey? My daughter hates that every time I tell her Randy was in Journey. This is another girl who's on the bubble. I don't hate the rendition, but, something in her voice makes me feel it's not good. Now to the judges...Randy liked it...Paula thinks she could make a country hit out of it...Simon says...he likes the country influence, he thinks she's forgettable. I think she's in trouble.
   
6. Ramiele - Against All Odds - She is just singing this so she can hit some of those higher notes. I found it solid, but imminently forgettable. Randy - likes the songs with the big vocals, but thinks she's underconfident. Paula really likes texture and dogs, apparently. Simon thinks it was good, but old fashioned. Simon wanted the money shot. I think she's safe.
   
7. Brooke - Love is a Battlefield - She is actually the only one (besides Amanda) who brings anything original tonight, so, for that reason alone, I like it. Also, I like the crispness in her voice. Randy liked it, but he said it didn't bring anything new. Simon is with me. She should make it, and I hope she does.
8. Syesha - Saving all my Love - I just find these songs boring. I find this performance boring. She looks great, though. The judges say...good, predictable. We're obviously rushed for time. She's in.

Ok, so the verdict tonight is: Kady is out and Kristy is out.

Nothing else.

American Idol: Final 8 Guys

Tonight on American Idol, David Hernandez and Danny Noriega cover Bronski Beat (Small Town Boy for Noriega, I Feel Love for gay stripper David H).

I was just kidding, but, they should have. Instead, Generalissimo Noriega butchers Tainted Love and David Hernandez wins kudos for whatever he sang. I honestly can't remember what it was, but, I remember Simon telling him how he was going to sail through. Seriously, though, don't you think he might have had some more embarrassing moments at that gay strip club he worked at? I mean, really.

As for the Butcher of Panama's son, vote for the worst is going to make sure he is a final 6 candidate (he's 3rd on dialidol.com right now), so, even though he deserves to go after this, he won't. Sorry.

David Archuleta shows us he can tap the keys and sings another (yes, I agree with Simon, as usual) depressing song. When Ryan said Phil Collins, I thought he might sing "In the Air Tonight." Anyway, he's pretty much flawless, and is a shoe-in for the final 12, if not the final 2.

My new second favorite amongst the guys is David Cook. I'm starting to warm to him, and I think what he did with "Hello" was awesome. He could be a record producer. It could be a hit. Look for him to go far, even though he looks weird and has those odd facial expressions. Hey, he's a rocker.

As for the rest of them, Luke Menard started out with Jitterbug, or Wake me up before you go, go, whichever title you prefer. I like Luke, think he has a good voice, but, he's got a serious case of white man's disease, and his performances stink. And, come on, one of the two above should be covering Wham!. Luke, are you trying to tell us something??? Anyway, he's my vote for first off Thursday.


Michael Johns sucks up the place with something I can't remember (I remember it being bad), yet, the Carly-like pimping continues from the judges. Here's the deal Randy, Paula, and Simon - I like him, he's got appeal to women, and he might be able to sing, but, come on, this is two rotten performances in a row. He's not as safe as you think.

Chikezie does some song I have never heard before, and while I think he has a great voice and sound, Simon really, really hates guys who cover Whitney (or any girl, for that matter). Chikezie, say buh-bye. He's my number 2 off.

Jason Castro is another guy I am warming too. I liked him tonight, but, I still think he's stoned all the time. Just listen to him. And, tonight, Ryan actually interviewed him.

So, Chikezie and Luke will be gone, although I wouldn't be surprised if Michael Johns took a dive.

Of these guys, David A and David C are the odds on faves to go to the final four. Of course, David A is going to be the winner, so, the rest are playing for second.

Tomorrow, the girls. Will Kady surprise us and give America a good reason to keep her other than her hotness? Will Carly suck and give the judges the challenging task of making her seem the greatest thing since....David Archuleta? We shall see!

Sue Al Gore? Maybe John Edwards will take the case...

Weather Channel founder, John Coleman is mad as hell and he's not going to take it anymore, or, at least I think he is, and I agree with him. In addition to suing Global Warming Alarmists and Carbon Credit Scammers, he is dismayed that the Weather Channel has become an outlet for the Global Warming crowd.

I, for one, am dismayed that the Weather Channel is going the way of MTV. Where once we were able to reliably turn to it and get our local weather, and get insightful analysis of the forecast for our area, now we get "Forecast Earth," "Full Force Nature," and other crap designed to scare us into trading our Suburbans for Prii (that's the plural of Prius).

Good on ya, John!
. N/T.

Obama vs. McCain Feud Proves Obama Not for Change

The dust-up this week between Obama and McCain on Iraq is emblematic of what Obama is and what he stands for. Let's review the facts and the history very briefly:

1. We invaded Iraq, for whatever reasons, we did it. Whether there were some who were hoodwinked or not into it, those included Democratic Senators Clinton, Kerry, and others. Sure, the most liberal Democrats didn't vote with the President on this. For those Democrats, that was an easy vote.
2. We didn't find mass caches of WMD, and the aftermath was bloody and poorly planned.
3. In 2007, we shifted to the "surge" strategy under General Petreaus and supported vociferously by Sen. McCain. The surge has inarguably worked.

This week, McCain's campaign issues this press release in response to statements Obama made in Tuesday's Ohio debate with Sen. Clinton:

"Last night, we also heard Sen. Obama say that once he withdrew
US forces from Iraq he would 'reserve the right' to act
'if Al Qaeda is forming a base in Iraq,'
Is Sen. Obama unaware that Al Qaeda is still present in Iraq,
that our forces are successfully fighting them every day,
and that his Iraq policy of withdrawal would
embolden Al Qaeda and weaken our security?"

In response, Obama unleashed this at a campaign event:

“But I have some news for John McCain, and that
is that there was no such thing as al Qaida in Iraq
until George Bush and John McCain decided to
invade Iraq… he took us into war along with
George Bush that should have never been authorized
and should have never been waged.
They took their eye off the people who were
responsible for 9/11, and that would be al Qaida
in Afghanistan that is stronger now than
at any time since 2001.
I’ve been paying attention, John McCain!
That’s the news. So John McCain may
like to say he wants to follow Osama bin Laden
to the gates of hell, but so far all
he’s done is follow George Bush into
a misguided war in Iraq…”

First off, for the guy who is all about change, this is a typically Liberal reaction to McCain's statement. Obama panders to his far-left, anti-war crowd, who are still "all fired up" over the fact that we went to war with Iraq to begin with. There's no change, Senator Obama, when you're mired in the past. It's a childish, school-yard type response and not what we would expect from the guy who's going to change the way things work in Washington.

But, notice that he starts the reply off with a semi-falsehood, that there was no "al-Qaida in Iraq." While there may have indeed not have been any al-Qaida, nor any of the organization known as "al-Qaida in Iraq," there we certainly terrorists harboring in Iraq, and there was certainly a desire by al-Qaida and Saddam Hussein to cooperate on some levels.

Next, he wants to talk about "should have beens." I honestly ABHOR people who talk this way. It makes for nice flowing rhetoric and all sorts of "I'm smarter than you, because I knew what SHOULDA been," but, it is an attempt to divert attention from what IS the reality on the ground, and how Barack Obama would react to that. Mr. Obama, unless you have a time machine, you don't get to go back and change those votes. So, what are you going to do now?

Next, Obama tells us the real news, and that is, dun-dun-dun, that he's been paying attention! Wow!

Finally, he excoriates McCain for not, in Obama's estimation, doing enough to get Bin Laden. Does this mean that Obama would take the 140,000 troops we have in Iraq and take them all to Afghanistan (and Pakistan), maybe to do a cave-by-cave search? is he making an argument that we don't have the means to fight these two fronts at once? Liberals make the argument that fighting terrorism tends to be useless because for every one of them we call, they come back tenfold, yet, at the same time, they think that if we just chopped off the head (Bin Laden), we'd need n


I know the current talking points today are that a McCain administration is 4 more years of Bush. There is ONE defining issue in this election, it's who will prosecute the War on Terror in a way that keads to victory, and, do the American people believe that victory in Iraq is critical to that final outcome.

It may not be absolutely necessary, but, we're there, and we need to press on. McCain acknowledges that, and is willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve that victory. Obama and the dems do not.


Nothing here!

USS Ohio Pictures

Via the subreport, we have a slideshow of the Ohio. I recommend the pictures, but, you all may find the captions on them funny, as did I. For example:

• ABC compares the Ohio to an underwater version of an aircraft carrier.
  
• Without the aircraft.
• They say she's a new class of submarines built from 1970's vessels.
  
• I guess they technically are a new class, and the Ohio was launched in mid-1979 and they were designed in the '70s, but, I always thought of them as '80s vessels.
• Crew members monitor displays in the "navigation room."
  
• Looks surprisingly like the control room, and the specific area in question the helm. Anyway, I guess you sort of "navigate" from here. Do Ohio's have a NavCenter??
• Finally, in a product from a major news organization, they managed to use the word "rejiggered." And here is the rest of it.

USS New York to be Christened Saturday

The USS New York (LPD-21), the Navy's newest San Antonio class LPD, will be christened tomorrow in Norfolk. The ship, in honor of our 9/11 dead, includes 7.5 tons of steel recovered from the World Trade Center site. Read more here. Nothing after the jump

New Chinese SSBN Spied!

Here's a nice picture of the Chinese Type 094 SSBN. I'd hate to try to keep this thing at PD with that giant sucking deck just inches below the sail.

Apparently, there are some other hi-res images that the Asian press has grabbed hold of. From UPI Asia:

HONG KONG, China, Some high-resolution images of China's Type 094 SSBN have shed new light on this mysterious strategic missile nuclear-powered submarine of the People's Liberation Army Navy. Satellite photos released by Google Earth reveal two of these new submarines at the Huludao Shipyard in northeast China. Read the rest of the article.

Angelina Jolie will never work in Hollywood Again

From an unlikely source, a case for staying in Iraq is made, and a call to all Presidential candidates is put out. Welcome aboard, Angelina. N/T

DVR Blogging the Idol Results Show

My daughter had softball practice tonight, so we're watching Idol via DVR (as usual). The opening medley of '70's hits was uneven at best. I don't know what's up with the producers on these, but the last 2 shows, they have been awful, as our favorite Brit would say.


After we review the guys, here's the meat of the matter. Remember that dialidol.com has Luke and Danny in last, with little separation from 2nd to 10th. Only David Archuleta is safe.

Ryan goes into the back row, and immediately sits down Chikezie and Michael Johns. Jason Castro is now safe, leaving Jason Yaeger and Danny Noriega...Jason Yaeger is gone and Danny is safe. I'm not surprised. Jason was 9th on my list, so this is not a surprise. Of course, Danny was 10th, but mostly because I don't like him. I can see he has a following, though.

Jason sings us out, and he's actually better than Tuesday, IMHO. I still think there is something screwy going on in the theater tonight.

Now, for the girls. In review, it's just as painful the second time. Back row again...Kristy, Amanda, Alexandrea, Brooke, Asia'h. It won't be Kristy as Ryan sits her down. Asia'h is safe. Brooke is safe. Alexandrea is going home, leaving Amanda for another week. Reandy is right, she needs to work hard every time. She was a LOT better tonight than last night. Had she given this performance last night, she might still be here.

Bottom row girls, includes all the good ones, except Kady, so who will it be? Not Carly, not Ramiele, not Syesha, so it's either Alaina or Kady. Alaina is gone, surprising everyone in America, not least of all Kady, who was certain it was her. She doesn't want to sing, but Ryan and Paula convince her otherwise. She pulls it together and sings pretty good.

After the break, Ryan tells us they're going to pimp the set and Ruben is going to record a special exit song, and, of course, Idol will give back again. Need I also point out that no less an authority than Bob Geldof also thinks George Bush has done more to help Africa than anyone else.

Now, we have to give another guy the boot. Doesn't really matter since David Archuleta is going to be wiping his butt with them all anyway. So, after Seacrest name drops for the Idol Gives Back event. The last guy is either Luke or Robbie. I am NOT surprised by this. Luke was last on dialidol after the West coast, and the guy that goews home is Robbie. Since he's wearing a wig, he has to go anyway.

So, dialidol was way off on the guys (these two were 2 & 3 there), closer on the girls, Alaina was last there, Alexandrea was 6th.

I had the guys 7/8 and the girls were mid-pack for me. But, no surprises, honestly.

Brazil and Argentina Cooperating on Something Nuclear

Argentina and Brazil are building a nuclear submarine together...or are they? Brazil says no, it's just for power.

Kitty Hawk to India Saga Continues

As Defense Sec'y Gates travels to India, the Indians are writing about his offer to give the Kitty Hawk to the Indians. And here is the rest of it.

Video of USS Ohio in Busan

I actually can't believe the Ohio is only now making it's first port visit, to Busan, South Korea. Enjoy the short Navy video, here, and an article in Stars and Stripes. I was actually surprised that the Ohio has never visited a foreign port, having been to Venezuela (pre-Chavez) and Barbados on the Floating Palace. And here is the rest of it.

USS New Mexico makes splash in home state.

Gotta love local news. New Mexico gets it's second named ship.


And here is the rest of it.

American Idol: Live Blogging the top 10 Girls

Updated at midnight eastern!

Semi Live blogging the girls (well, on DVR). You'll have to go past the jump. Okay, Carly and Asiah get the bookend spots. Anyway, here goes:

1. Carly Smithson - Crazy on You - Carly's best performance that I have seen. What's with the eyes looking up all the time and she insists on doing that crap with the microphone again. Odd. She can sing, but....she's still had her chance and will never get my vote. Plus, the tattoos are very off-putting.
2. Syesha Mercado - Me and Mr. Jones - Weird choice. And, she didn't pull it off. Simon uses his self-indulgent line. Randy is underwhelmed. Syesha, who was so strong last time, was pretty weak tonight.
3. Brooke White - You're So Vain - Since everyone says she's got a Carly Simon vibe, I guess she would have to take advantage of 70's week to do this song. Okay, everyone thinks she's Carly Simon 2, but, I don't think she really pulled it off. I like her, the makeup covers up her facial imperfections in HD, but, I fear she might not make the final 12. However, she's blonde and cute, and Simon likes her. She gets a ton of air time after the song.
4. Ramiele Malubay - Don't Leave Me This Way - last week's hottest brings her big voice to this disco classic. I don't know, I like her and she sang the song fine. I agree with Randy, Paula and Simon - it was just boring.
5. Kristy Lee Cook - You're No Good - This is another boring song from the '70's. Not much of an opportunity for her to show off what she may be capable of. I didn't like it. I think she's in trouble. Randy and Paula and Simon thinks it's a huge improvement. I just don't know.
6. Amanda Overmyer - Carry on My Wayward Son - She's butchering one of my favorite songs of all time. Out of tune, she looks incredibly strange, and the time spent dancing is a waste of our time. Randy, who knows something about '70s music, expresses my sentiments exactly. If Paula has to say "you can dance" that means she doesn't have anything good to say about the singing. Amazingly tonight, the judges are agreeing.
7. Alaina Whitaker - Hopelessly Devoted to You - Last week's surprise takes on this Olivia Newton-John standard. I think the song suits her, she overpowers a couple of notes and goes into screech mode, but all in all, it's a good choice that let's her show off some. Randy likes it less than me. Paula comes closer to my sentiment. Simon likes Alaina, but, he thinks she's being too old fashioned, too pageantry. He's right.
8. Alexandrea Lushington - If You Leave Me Now - I think she's in a precarious position in this competition. Last week she surprised, but I feel she's struggling at times to keep her head above water. This performance was not that good, plus she's dressed like a man. Why? I think Simon's got her nailed tonight.
9. Kady Malloy - Magic Man - I liked her, but she is really killing us all. My daughter asked me to fast forward through it she was so bad. The judges agree. If Kady doesn't lose the scowl, she's going to alienate what's left of her fans...
10. Asia'h Epperson - All By Myself - Given the pimp last spot, she's out of tune, badly. It seemed she forgot the lyrics at one point. She did hit most of the high spots, but, it was not well done. Randy obviously wants to keep her in the competition. Fortunately, Simon brings us back to reality. She wasn't good enough to get this song done, and the song was bigger than her.

I am having a hard time identifying a top three, but, forced to do so:

1. Carly Smithson
2. Brooke White
3. Ramiele Malubay

The bottom 3:

1. Amanda Overmyer
2. Kady Malloy
3. Syesha Mercado

Well, the voting is up to America now. We shall see tomorrow

Update: 1151 PM ET

Dialidol has the east coast numbers, and it doesn't look good for Syesha or Kady, although they have Amanda in 3rd. She must have the rocker following this year. Brooke White leads Carly barely, and Asia'h is 4th. However, no girl has enough votes to be safe, so far. The biggest surprise the other direction is Ramiele is 4th from the bottom. However, the dialidol last three are solidly in the last 3 spots. Swap Alaina for Amanda, and my predictions are tracking.

AI7 Guys Week 2, The Davids Have It

The final 10 AI guys sang Tuesday nite, and, the David’s – David Hernandez, David Cook, and David Archuleta were all outstanding, with David Archuleta clearly the class of this field.  Paula was crying when he sang, and Simon rightfully declared the other 19 contestants very miserable, as they now should be.

Chikezie came back with a strong performance, Luke Menard redeemed himself (to me, apparently not to America, since he’s last on dialidol), and deserves to move on, but early fave Michael Johns mailed it in, and the rest, quite honestly, stunk.  Dialidol.com has David A way ahead, but, has Jason Yaeger and Robbie Carrico in 2^nd and 3^rd, who I thought were really in trouble (well, it’s within the margin of error on dialidol, so they’re still in trouble).  Nice to see Rodney Ho, over at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, agrees with me today.

In order, I saw them last nite as:

1.      David A – (Imagine) way ahead

2.      David H – (Papa Was a Rolling Stone) gets second

3.      David C – (All Right Now) – good rock vibe

4.       Chikezie – (I Believe to My Soul) – much better and soulful

5.      Luke Menard – (Killer Queen) – I thought it was very well done, and, unlike Simon, I’d like to forget Freddy Mercury

6.      Michael Johns – (Go Your Own Way) – like I said, mailed it in.

7.      Robbie Carrasco – (Hot Blooded) – The next four could go any way – not great

8.      Jason Castro – (I Just Want to be Your Everything) – boring, and the vocals were not good, and, the dreds are wearing thin, he had a deer-in-the-headlights look, and why did Ryan rush him off the stage so quickly.  Was the only contestant NOT to speak with the judges.

9.      Jason Yeager – (Long Train Runnin’) – boring song, poorly done.  Why dialidol has him #2, I don’t know.  Wouldn’t be surprised to see him go, though.

10.     Danny Noriega – (Superstar) – I hated it, but I hate his whole persona.  Dialidol has him next to last, so, you never know.

I think one problem we have with dialidol is, when there is such a clear cut division between the top and bottom, it’s hard for it to really make any distinctions at the bottom. This week, with Archuleta’s running away with the numbers, anyone could be in 2-10.

We’ll find out Thursday.

Lake Erie CO talks about "The Shot"

The USS Lake Erie's CO, has a few things to say about the satellite shootdown. N/T

Kitty Hawk to India

From The Weekly Standard, via redstate, comes this report that we may just be offering the Indians the USS Kitty Hawk, instead of scrapping it. The Russians were supposed to be delivering their old carrier, the Admiral Gorshkov, to the Indians, but that has been beset by delays, and now, apparently a dispute over the price. In exchange for the Indians filling the flight deck with aircraft purchased from us, we may give them the Kitty Hawk. (Nothing after the jump)

Tell Berkeley Where to Put It

Cookie points us to a video from Moving America Forward, a group fighting the idiots over in Berkeley who wanted to tell Marine recruiters to scram. Anyway, while the council there has backed down recently, I still think MAF's petition drive is worthwhile. Go see for yourself. And here is the rest of it.

100 Years of Submarines, refound

Messing around with del.icio.us tonight and trying to find more submarine bloggers we may have missed, I stumbled on the web site that accompanied the Smithsonian's celebration of 100 years of submarines back in 2000. The exhibit was called "Fast Attacks and Boomers: Submarines in the Cold War." Although the exhibit is no longer up, the web site lives on. For the nostalgic, it's not too bad, and a good place to point your friends who might have no appreciation for what you Cold Warriors lived through. For fun, I will add the link to my list of favorite sites, so you can always get back to it. Nothing here!.

How Well Do You Sleep Tonight

Outdoors Pro links to a great short film that should be required for all Americans, as a reminder of what we're up against.

Indonesian and US Navies to paricipate in joint exercises

The exercise we used to know as CARAT has a new name, read about it here. And here is the rest of it.

Blogging

Gus Van Horn posts about blogging over at his site this week. I highly recommend this post for anyone interested in blogging. If you're also an Objectivist Randian, I recommend Gus's site as a good place to start learning all about that particularly philosophy and Doc McDonald is one of our very own in the sublogosphere. You'll now find a permanent link to Gus's site on my list of faves to the right. Although I have some fundamental differences with Objectivists, they are one of those groups in our large melting pot that I have much more to agree with than to disagree with. But, where we disagree can be doozies. H/T to Bothenook.


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It was not a test, trust me...

CNO ADM Gary Roughead was in New London today touring Electric Boat and hearing all about how our pals at EB are cutting costs to get us under $2B per Virginia class submarine.

He opened the valve on the graving dock to float the New Hampshire, then had a short Q&A, where he opined on the missile shot, saying it wasn't a test of the ballistic missile system:

“It was what we said it was, a failing satellite that had a significant quantity of toxic material on board, and it was in the best interest to remove that hazard,” he said.

He added, “We made the system do something that it wasn't supposed to do. We had to go in and modify the computer program, we had to take three missiles out of our ballistic missile defense inventory and modify those missiles to be able to hit the target, so it really was not a test.”

So, that's the official word. I guess we get to put 2 of those back into the BMD inventory, so that's good.

He had something to say about those faulty welds:

“I am confident that we're on the right path, and that the safety of our submarines and our sailors is not compromised."

Poll Results - Christians will BAN abortion! Hurray!

Well, my very scientific, and lightly voted on, poll, is now closed, and the results are in. In case you live in a cave with Obama (oops, I mean Osama), the question was, "Whats' the most HORRIBLE thing the Christian Right will do when they get their way and rule the USA?"

1. A whopping 36% of poll respondents think that they (we?) will make abortion illegal in all circumstances. I would say that given the premise of the question, that would be a reasonable thing to do. Hey, since most of the people who will be having abortions anyway will be leaving the USA when this occurs, I doubt this will impact them much.
   
2. Coming in 2nd, with 27% of the vote, you think we'll round up all non-Christians and force them to convert. Well, actually, we have a more sinister plan, which ties into the 3rd place item....
   
3. So, in 3rd place, with 18% of the vote, you think we will round up all the atheists and objectivists and send them to our gulag at Gitmo. Well, while this is tempting, we think that Gitmo is a little too nice for these people. We will instead have mercy on those misguided ones and have them watch 7th Heaven re-runs until they convert to Christianity of their own accord, or commit suicide. Oh, by the way, you don't get to watch the Jessica Biel episodes!
   
4. In a tie for 4th place, 9% of you think we're going to make sodomy illegal in all circumstances or define marriage as being between a man and a woman. Let me just first state that there is no desire to do the former, as long as those practicing it are the latter.

Well, there you have it. As I expected, those who fear the Christian Right, fear the loss of a woman's "right" to choose death. I won't comment on this, except to say that science is marching us inexorably to the point where it will become obvious that we can sustain life from conception, amd this will blur people's opinions about whether abortion is murder or not. As for the argument that you can't tell people what to do with their bodies, I will remind that we do that all the time. We tell you what drugs you can take, we tell women they can't sell their bodies, we tell people they can't sell organs for profit, etc, etc. Heck, we even have Liberals who want to tell us we can't put tobacco in our systems (by the way, the Nazi's also banned tobacco, does that tell you anything about Liberals?), and they're telling us we can use trans-fats, and pretty soon, they're going to regulate how many calories we can consume daily.

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American Idol, Sayonara crappy ones

Well, the first 4 Idols are gone, and, I have to admit, there were no real surprises. For the guys, Garrett and Colton were axed. For the girls, Amy Davis and Joanne Borgella. Dialidol had the girls exactly, and only had Colton slightly ahead of Chikezie, so they pretty much nailed it. Who's next? I don't know, but my hope is Carly the cheater will fall flat on her face and forget the words next week, and won't be able to use her Prison Break tattoos to remember them.

Who are my favorites (and not necessarily who I think will make the top 12?

First, the girls (in no particular order, and note that one of these will definitely NOT make it, since AI is pimping Carly for at least the final 4):

1. Ramiele Malubay
2. Syesha Mercado
3. Kady Malloy
4. Kristy Cook
5. Asia'h Epperson
6. Amanda Overmyer
   

The guys:

1. Michael Johns
2. David Archuleta
3. Jason Castro
4. David Cook
5. Luke Menard
6. David Hernandez

As for the guys, I am also on a mission to get Danny Noriega off the show. I mean, how can we allow the son of General Manuel Noriega win on our favorite American show??????

Success!

Last night, cloaked in the veil of secrecy provided by American Idol and a trumped-up lunar eclipse, the Navy successfully used an SM-3 ABM and the Aegis system on board the USS Lake Erie to shoot down a dying spy satellite. Story here and here... Nothing after the jump

American Idol 7, Episode 1, The Girls

At this point in American Idol this season, I am not that interested in the guys. Michael Johns and David Archuleta are the best, and we'll see them in the final 6.

As usual, it's the girls that I find more interesting, especially with a couple of ringers brought into the fray. I have already discussed here the recording industry past of Carly Smithson. Kristy Lee Cook also has a bit of a history, but not nearly as much was invested in her.

Tonight, Carly, in her intro piece, spoke about the old recording contract. From the Internet reports, what Carly said tonight did not quite accurately describe her situation, and it makes her no less of a ringer to me. In Carly's intro, she mentioned she had signed a recording deal at 15, made an album (a failure) at 17, but that the record company had gone under and she was lost in the shuffle. I don't know if she was on a sub-label at MCA, but, she was with a major recording studio, and she sold all of 378 albums, after an investment of greater than $2M. I guess I'll let the voters decide (she's doing pretty good on dialidol.com right now).

As for her performance tonight, I thought it was pretty crappy. Idol gave her the coveted closing spot, and Paula and Randy were falling all over themselves to praise her. I note that Simon spoke truth to power as usual, and said she basically sucked. Listen to Simon people.

As for the other girls, Ramiele was clearly the best, with Asia'h being very good. Rocker girl Amanda Overmyer was wierd, but good, as was Alaina Whitaker (surprisingly).

Who stunk - Amy Davis and Joanne Borgella. However, Amy has a career as a model, as these pictures will attest, so, Amy, it was nice knowing you, but see you in the next SI Swimsuit Edition!

My personal favorite, Kady Malloy, was less than good, and if I didn't like her already, I'd say she's in trouble, too. Come on, Kady, Groovy Kind of Love?




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Health Care Solutions, Chapter 1: How We Got Here

That our current health care system has serious flaws can not be denied. I can not believe there is a single serious Conservative or Liberal who could not agree on that. Yet, both sides differ greatly in their prescriptions for the problems that ail us.

I am a free marketer, a believer in capitalism, and have a general distrust of the government's ability to do anything well where we want innovation and cost control. I believe Ronald Reagan's greatest legacy to this country was to re-prove the ability of free markets to drive innovation up and costs down. He showed us that when we removed the shackles of government, in the form of high taxation and excessive regulation, the free market was the best friend the consumer could have, and the only natural way for economies to function.

As history, the current employer-provided health care system grew out of wage and price controls instituted during WW2. To attract the few qualified people not actually fighting the war, employers began offering health plans. Unions picked these up as parts of collective bargaining agreements, and during the explosive growth years after the war, health plans became more and more comprehensive and feature rich. Ultimately, the government got into the act, favoring employer-sponsored plans via large tax incentives to the employer. It is estimated the value of these tax incentives is $150B annually.

So, after 60 years, we're got a health care system that essentially is tied to employment. If you're employed, you have health care, if not, well, you probably don't, unless you fall into one of those groups that the government plays the 3rd party role - the poor via Medicaid, or seniors, via Medicare. Roughly 60% of people in the US are covered under employer-provided heatlth plans, with about 10% covered under privately-purchased plans. The remainder of the covered are covered under the two government programs. Most estimates are that about 16% of the population is uncovered at any given time.

Medicaid is a true transfer payment, where we all pay income taxes that get redistributed to those unable to care for themselves. It's welfare. Like it or not, we have chosen that system through our elected officials. It isn't changing, and as a safety net, it's a necessary system in this country.

Medicare plays the same shell game we play with Social Security, and is tied to it. Via payroll taxes, we all "pay into" Medicare as we work, so that we can draw from it after we retire at age 65. That's the story, but, like Social Security, we're actually paying today for someone else's Medicare. Regardless, the idea is it's insurance bought for the future. Die at 61 and, well, your Medicare taxes work for someone else. Live to be 100, and, well, you get the picture.

I think we can all agree that there are many structural problems with our health care system, chief among them:

1. The market is controlled by 3rd parties (an insurer/employer cabal)
2. The system is focused on the provider.
3. Costs and quality are unknowns to the consumer. Quality is unknown before the fact and costs are often unknown forever.
4. The system focuses on sickness and disease and not prevention
5. Medicare faces significant funding issues.
6. Large number of Americans are uninsured

I'll address my thoughts in posts to come.... Nothing after the jump

Ditch Compassion, rebrand Conservatism! (oh, and pass the Viagra)

Do yourself a favor, and head over to Townhall.com's Scott Ott (editor of scrappleface.com, a great parody site) and read his column on why we need to ditch "compassionate" conservatism. It's also a good read on what being conservative is all about.

Erectile Dysfunction - Just GO AWAY!

Is anyone else sick of cialis and viagra commercials? I mean, come on, I do NOT want to be humming the Viva Viagra tune for the rest of my life, but, apparently, if I take Viagra, I'm going to be enjoying some time in Vegas. Unfortunately, the reality of that is that the crowd that buys this stuff enjoys Vegas by watching Elvis imitators, gambling away their kids college funds, or looking for another drink.

Seriously, though, if you're using Viagra, I don't think a kid showing up unexpectedly from college (let's face it, he's getting it, ok), or a plumbing emergency (hey, I KNOW where the shut-off valve is located) is going to make me wait "for the moment." If you need this stuff, trust me (as someone on the verge), you don't get enough "moments" to postpone your semi-annual one.

Do the guys look slightly more desirable than the women in these commercials? Who do the drug companies think is buying this stuff, the women? Either this is a ploy to make men think Viagra makes them better looking, or these people's marketing is a little off. Hey, Pfizer, you want 50 year old men to buy Viagra, make it deliver some 25 year old nymphomaniacs to their front doors. You know, the kinds of girls who can stay with a man with 4-hour, chemical erection. If the crowd is stupid enough NOT to know that Viagra doesn't prevent STD's and HIV, then they just might be dumb enough to believe that they can get a 25 year old blonde sex freak into bed.

If these commercials were clever, like the Bob series for Enzyte, then they might be watchable, and I, for one, might take them seriously. Alas, not even Bob was true, as the makers and marketers of Enzyte are accused of fraud, and their product, sadly, does not work. The good news is that Bob lives on on YouTube.

American Idol 7

Ok, I'm not too proud to admit it, around my house, we spend a lot of the winter and spring enjoying American Idol. From the early auditions where we get to watch the worst, to the voting, where we vicariously live through these young people as they try to fulfill their dream, we watch and pick our favorites, and thanks to unlimited txt messaging, we become a part of it.

However, this season, I can't let American Idol get away with something they are trying to perpetrate on us all, and that is allowing essentially a professional, already discovered singer sneak into the competition.

That singer is Carly Smithson, the "Irish Girl" who was denied her chance two years ago because of a "visa" problem. Reminds me of all those Dominican baseball players who can't make it to spring training. Jeez, these schedules are made like years in advance, can't they get their visas well in advance? Come on. Anyway, I will make it my Season 7 quest to deny this cheater, and the AI Producers, who won't come clean on her history, her place in AI history. Read more here, too.

Oldest Submariner Honored

Submarine Force Master Chief (SS) Jeff Garrison presents a submarine force coin to Floyd “Skipper” Matthews during Matthews’ 105th birthday celebration Feb. 3, 2008, in Florence, Ala. Matthews qualified in submarines in 1925, having joined the Navy at the age of 16, three years younger than the age his recruiter listed on his enlistment papers. During his career, Matthews served with Lt. Cmdr. Charles “Swede” Momson, the inventor of the Momsen lung, and was a member of the crew that used the Momsen lung to rescue 30 crewmembers of the USS Squalus when their sub sank in 240 feet of water off Portsmouth, N.H. Matthews served on USS Chickasaw, a submarine that performed security patrol duties during two nuclear bomb tests in the Pacific in 1946. Matthews is one of America’s last remaining World War I veterans, a number that is believed to be less than 10.

Anyone who served with Swede Momsen, one of the true heroes of the submarine force, is a friend of mine! Happy Birthday Skipper!


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More Oil from Oil Shale

Most of you know, I am skeptical when it comes to Global Warming. Not that there has been measurable warming itself, as the evidence is plainly evident that in the last 20 years that has been warming on average across the planet. My doubts are in the sources of this warming - is it Man, or is it Memorex (well, the SUN is an obvious culprit). Anyway, I get emails from a leftist anti-industry group called the Center for Biological Diversity (who seems interested in mostly diversity of non-human biology) and these serve to keep me informed of what the anti-Man left is against. So, today's is actually an interesting email, because today, the CBD wanted me to send a protest email to the Oil Shale and Tar Sands Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS, there's a mouthful). Anyway, with some careful rewording, you can take their protest statement, helpfully supplied by them, and change it to a very useful support statement, which I did.

If you'd like to make a statement, use mine, and go here:
"Dear Sherry Thompson, BLM Project Manager:

I am writing to OPPOSE the "No Action" alternative in the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Oil Shale and Tar Sands. The proposed development comes at a time when we desperately need to be seeking more native fossil fuels and reducing our reliance on foreign oil sources. The Bureau of Land Management should speed ahead with the proposed development completely, and, in fact, should seek to open more options for oil shale development.

I urge the Bureau of Land Management to reject the No Action alternative and to accelerate plans to develop oil shale and tar sands on public lands in the Rockies."

Anyway, the site also has a great overview of Oil Shale/Tar Sands, and I encourage all interested in this potential 400-1200 year source of oil, to read this.

Religion - A Pain the Rear to Non-Believers

My fellow sub blogger, Doc McDonald, has, I think, some interesting views regarding the separation of Church and state. I happen to vehemently disagree with them. The discussion that started it is here, with a synopsis of a longer reply I intend to place in this post.

My summary post was this.

My problem with this line of thinking is that somehow, intolerance of Christians and Christianity is no problem. Nearly all Christians will bend over backward to show tolerance and respect for people who practice their religions (even atheism) peacefully. If Christians were so hell-bent on forcing their theology down the throats of all non-believers, why is it that Israel seems to have no stronger defender than Evanegelicals? Is it because Christians make up so much of a majority of relgious people in this country that you fear they are only steps away from creating a theocracy, despite over 230 years of proof to the contrary?

Your response centers mostly on the issue of prayer, and publicly-sanctioned prayer. So, for the record, as a Christian, in the public square, I see NO need to have the government sanction prayer. Furthermore, I don't really WANT the government to sanction prayer. However, I also see no need to have the government, in the interest of serving the minority or political correctness, BAN prayer. I see room for compromise in a civil society, wheer we could agree, for example, that it is acceptable to start the school day with a 1 or 2 minute "moment of silence" or "contemplation." Then all those that choose to use that moment to pray to a God of their choosing should be able to do so. Those that choose not to, well, I'd ask them to be respectful of the others and use it for their own contemplation (or take a nap, or pick their nose, or whatever). There was a time when we recognized that Faith was a very personal and important thing to many people, yet, I can understand how those that consider themselves "rationalists" scoff at those of Faith, and I wonder how much of that condescension sinks into the consciousness of those people.

Finally, you state in your reply that because the Constitution provides Freedom "of" Religion, it also, therefore, guarantees, Freedom "from" Religion. However, this is a very 9th Circuit kind of interpretation of the 1st Amendment, and one which I, and many Constitutional Scholars, reject. I do believe that in a civilized society, you have the right to reject religion, and not be forced to participate in religious ceremonies, nor should the state compel you to do so. We might actually have honest agreements on what you consider "forced," and we can certainly debate those. As a matter of fact, I will place a point-for-point rebuttal to your detailed reply on my blog, but, for this is the summary.

However, I chose to take his reply bit by bit, my comments are in BOLD interspersed with Doc's comments.

Let me substitute the word "Christian" for Catholic - a religion which was part of my past, and one, therefore, that to me, is a familiar synonym for Christian.

"First, when a student who does not believe as Christians do, be it a Muslim, a Jew, an Atheist, etc. is forced to listen to a Christian prayer in a public setting such as school, he or she is forced to participate at gun point."

1. Are you implying that when a Christian Prayer is allowed in a school, the state uses it's police power to force others to participate, like the tax system? I think you stretch that point a tad, as your next sentence seems to admit.

2. It's amazing to me that for how hard objectivists and atheists preach individuality, they would consider that non-Christian kids are so obsequious that they will go along with a prayer to a God they either don't believe exists, or in whom they don't believe. If my kids were Jewish, Atheists, Muslim, Objectivists, Scientologists, Whateverists, I would explain to them that in those moments of "public" prayer to a God that either doesn't exists, or that they don't acknowledge, to spend a couple of moments either a)praying to your God, or b)picking your nose, or c)laughing at the sheep, or d)allowing those believers their few moments to pray and show some respect for their heartfelt faith.

3. I realize that somewhere in this country we have become so obsessed with the rights of the minority that we have become a tyranny of the minority.

"Granted, no one can force them to pray, but they are forced to "pretend" they are praying, giving the illusion that "everybody does it"; therefore, it's the right thing to do."

Silently respecting the desires of the majority does not diminish your own beliefs. In fact, I think it identifies you as a thoughtful, conscientious human being.
What would happen to a student who just got up and went about his or her business during this "moment"?

I think he would be immediately identified as a non-believer. Is that such a bad thing? I would challenge these students to have the courage of their (parents') convictions.

"What would your reaction be if a school official penalized a child of yours for praying in an obvious manner during a break in the classroom routine?"

It's been said that as long as there are tests, there will be prayer in school. I would be upset if this happened, certainly. But, I think there is room in our society for tolerance.

What would a "Christian's reaction be if suddenly, ALL students had to kneel on "prayer blankets", face the east and recite a Muslim prayer?

I can't tell you what your generic "Christian's" reaction would be, only mine. If all students HAD to kneel and face Mecca, I would find that offensive and Unconstitutional. However, if that payer were optional, I would have no problem with it, and I would instruct my kids to pray in their own manner or do nothing, but be respectful of the religious beliefs of those Muslim kids. If this event, though, was disruptive of the school day, I might also protest it. But, let's assume for argument that you live in a school district that is 50% Muslim, and that the school's schedule is arranged so that there is time allotted for a traditional Muslim prayer say around the lunch period. If that community decided they wanted to allot that time for (insert euphemism for prayer here), I would tell me kids, use that time for your own purposes.

How about a simple Jewish prayer - although one really wouldn't know the difference by the words, one would "feel" the difference in knowing it came from a Jewish text.

Since a Jewish prayer would probably be in Hebrew, we'd likely know the difference. But, asked and answered.
The only difference is in the activity or the source that has been sanctioned, and who decides what to sanction? Me? You? Hardly. To pray or not to pray, that is the question.

If that IS the question, then the answer seems to be, in many states, "To pray." Because nearly all organized religions pray, then the setting aside of a few moments of our public lives to pray would not seem a terrible imposition on society, were that what society (in the form of our elected leaders) decided. Why don't we attempt to let people govern themselves locally?

What to pray and how to pray, that is the other question. To live free or die, that is the imperative our founding fathers left for us to follow.

What to pray, and how to pray, is left to the pray-er. During the time of prayer, or silence, or contemplation, I leave it to the non-believer to come up with what to do. I trust they can make good use of the time, without resorting to disrespectful activity.
Prayer has NOTHING to do with a public school curriculum or any other activity, unless one is enrolled in a religious school or attending a religious event. Would you wear Bermuda shorts to a formal dinner or feel comfortable dressed that way at such an affair?

A red herring. Should our leaders choose to make it part of the curriculum, it becomes part of the curriculum. We have legislative bodies at many different levels in this country (I propose that such decisions, like most government decisions, are best decided closest to the governed, let's posit in this case, the local school board) and those that oppose are welcome to challenge those leaders at the ballot box, but, as in many things, I find it obnoxious that they would use the power of the courts to obtain what they can't do legislatively. As to your Red Herring question, if the custom became Bermuda Shorts, or the host(s) requested Bermuda Shorts, I would dutifully comply with the wishes of my hosts, or not attend, as would be my prerogative.
The gun holder, of course, is the authority representing the school, i.e. the local and the federal governments. They hold a power over students that require conformity or penalty.

The problem here is the non sequitur that there is a penalty for non-compliance. Perhaps there should be a penalty for disruption, but not for compliance. I think certainly to impel people to comply would be wrong, and should not be sanctioned. The force of peer pressure, or of weakness, is not analogous to forced compulsion.

An invocation at a public ceremony: swearing in ceremony, swearing to tell the truth with a hand on a bible - a book that is absolutely meaningless to an atheist, but serves as a symbol or "depth" to Christians.

Here, I agree with you. I find it unnecessary that anyone be required to take an oath on the Bible (in fact, I believe in most states, even here in Georgia, witnesses are no longer sworn to Truth using a Bible). However, I think anyone that wants to use the Bible (or the Qu'ran) to demonstrate their fealty to the Truth during a swearing in or affirmation, should be permitted to do so, public ceremony or not.
The United States Constitution guarantees freedom OF religion, and therefore, freedom FROM religion.

Another non sequitur. While some WANT and desire to believe this (most serving on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, and a handful on the Supreme Court), it is not what the founders intended.

In order to afford the same opportunity to each group, religion is appropriate in a religious setting; it is not appropriate in a public or civil setting where people of disparate beliefs may gather for a purpose other than religion - a State of the Union message, a swearing into office ceremony, a graduation ceremony and so on.

I think that's open for debate. I vote for Federalism on this one.
I could go on, but that wasn't the point. The point was that one could accomplish all of these things and more without the imposition of government force. Atheists do not come into your place of worship and demand you include even brief secular discussions about the advantages of a life of reason vs a life that contains elements of "the willful and blind acceptance of the improvable and the unknowable".

We're not talking about my place of worship. We're talking about the public sphere, where, unfortunately, secularists (whether they're atheists or well-intentioned religionists) ARE demanding that the public schools teach children philosophies and doctrines that are anathema to Christians (things like the acceptability of gay marriage, the acceptability of "alternative families, the promotion of promiscuity, the re-writing of American History, etc), while these things do little to further the educational experience of our kids.

So, what gives people the right to force those of us who choose to live according to the world as it is, to instead accept and to live in the same manner as those whose faith demands otherwise?

I don't believe that anyone is asking those who "choose to live according to the world as it is" to live in any specific manner. You're free to choose your own way. Even if you were a Christian, free will provides you the means to behave as you are compelled. The only difference is that the Christian will answer for his deeds to a higher power someday in some way, the non-believer believes he will not.
We each have an equal right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I spent 20 years of my life protecting those rights and would reluctantly, but willingly die to protect your right to worship. What are you willing to do to protect my right to be left alone when it comes to matters of religion?

I too would die reluctantly protecting anyone else's rights (I think Patton addressed this the best), but, like you, I would die willingly.

I am sorry that non-religious people seem to feel assaulted or offended by the majority in this country. However, I don't need to DO anything special to protect your right to be left alone, as that right already exists. In this entire opus, other than stating a distaste for public prayer (which I addressed ad nauseum), I am not sure where religion is encroaching on your right to be left alone. If you have specific other areas you'd like to point to where religion is impacting your right to be left alone, I'd like the opportunity to address them.

Those Dastardly Christians

My fellow sub-blogger and Objectivist, Doc McDonald, clearly feels that Evangelicals pose a threat to the GOP and the country. In his defense, he's not the only one.

The Conservative coalition in this country is made up of a triad of groups, Fiscal Conservatives, who also tend to Libertarianism, who favor smaller government, lower taxes, and less involvement in our lives from the government, largely because it impacts their bottom line. National Defense conservatives, who grew out of the Anti-Communist movement of the 50's and still favor a pre-eminent role for the United States in fighting terrorism today, and social conservatives, who, since 1980 at least, have succeeded in keeping an anti-abortion plank in the GOP Platform, and, for whom, the Life issue is their number one issue. It is these Far-right, fire-breathing, Bible-thumping, intolerant, want-to-tell-you-what-you-can't-do-in-your-bedroom Christians that this post is all about.

Actually, what this post is about, is about trying to find out what it is exactly, that the rest of the coalition finds so threatening about these Far-Right Extremists.

Doc's post and a co-worker of mine, an intelligent man, who feels much the same way, have me wondering why they feel that way? What has the Christian Right actually DONE that gives people (from opposite ends of the political spectrum in these two cases) the impression that they are soooooooo absolutely dangerous.

I am not personally a regular churchgoer, I run in circles with people who are, and either these fire breathing dragons are pulling one of the most elaborate ruses in history on the rest of us, or I am missing something here.

So, what is it I am missing? I'll throw out a few of my thoughts, then I challenge the rest of my readers (well, the one of them), to help me out here.

1. Abortion - The Christian Right believes Life begins at conception, and, the most extreme would like to see abortion outlawed nationally in all circumstances. There are many proposed HLA's. Most merely state that life begins at conception or that the right to regulate abortions shall be left to the states. Even if Roe were overturned today, it would not lead to mass deaths due to "back-alley" abortions. States like Connecticut, California, New York, etc, would immediately pass laws (already on the books in CT) making abortion legal, and states like Georgia, SC, Alabama, Mississippi, would immediately place significant restrictions, if not outright outlawing abortion. I can't disagree with Doc's premises that it is low self-esteem, lack of education, etc, that leads to promiscuity and abortions. That's true, and, programs that remove those things will lead to fewer abortions. Regardless, the argument that if we just provided every kid with condoms and birth control and taught them how to use them has an analog in the argument that if we just took guns from everyone we wouldn't have any murders. Those both skirt the fact that murder is wrong, except in the most extreme of circumstances.
   So, what is it about the Christian Right's abortion stance is it that strikes so much fear into the hearts of the anti-religionists? Is it the fear that once they succeed in passing an HLA, or overturning Roe that suddenly women will be dying left and right from illegal abortions? Is it that along with the CR's success here, they will get birth control outlawed, too? This, friends, is where I'd like your help, because I don't know what it is here that so bothers this group.
   
2. Gay Rights and Defense of Marriage - is this the other issue that so disturbs? There are certainly some high profile Evangelicals who have serious theological and moral problems with homosexuality. And, they have made no secret that they find the homosexual lifestyle (at least as practiced by many gay men) abhorrent and immoral. There is something to be said for tradition, if it didn't work, it would be a tradition we would want to see changed. To many on the Christian Right, the tradition of one man, one woman has withstood the test of time, and is the best environment to raise children who will be productive members of society, not to mention, procreating members of society (but, I digress, as science is making that point moot). Anyway, is this one of those areas that puts us on a slippery slope to theocracy? I'd be interested in hearing those arguments.
3. Public Displays of Faith - I'll lump things like displaying the 10 Commandments in public places, Manger scenes, etc into this category. Is this the horrible slope to a theocracy that people find so objectionable? I'm curious?

Those are just the most prominent and the ones I feel like addressing right now. I want someone to paint a picture for me of how awful the world would be if the Christian Right got their way.

Another Ice Age???

As if global warming weren't enough to worry about, now we have to worry about Global Cooling, too. Where does it all end?????? . N/T.

USS Augusta to be Scrapped

Sadly, the USS Augusta (SSN-710) is going to be joining the "Floating Palace" (pictured on your right here) on the scrap heap before her time. Commissioned in 1985, she will be meeting the cutting blade now. She was placed on the inactive list following a ceremony in Groton this week. (Video, article). Nothing after the jump.

McCain for President

Tomorrow is Super Tuesday. Since I am away for a couple of weeks, I took advantage of the early voting period and voted last week. So, I have already placed my vote. Interestingly, I listened in a few people's conversations who were also early voting, and at least a couple of women (black) were saying this was the first election they were interested in. That's bad news for Republicans, I believe.

So, after much consternation this season, I decided, after talking to my father and giving it much thought, that I was going to vote for John McCain. I know that may be apostasy to friends I have on the right, but, here is my rationale:

1. The same #1 reason I voted for Bush in 2004, because I think he's the meanest, baddest, most serious candidate who understands the threat of global jihad, and will continue to take the fight to the enemy. Many will say he opposes Gitmo and waterboarding, and those are good points, but here's why they are wrong:
• I don't believe that it really matters where the detainees are held. Gitmo, here, some foreign country, doesn't matter to me. These guys are already being coddled at Gitmo, and the courts and Liberals will continue to push to give them Constitutional rights anyway. So, I think our enemy here is the Courts, not John McCain.
• Although I have done a rotten job completing some of my Joint Professional Military Training, I have gotten far enough to realize that we do have some ethical standards and morals to uphold in this country and as the military in this country. So, if John McCain, as one of the only men in office who was actually tortured, says waterboarding is torture, and he doesn't want it the official policy of the United States, then I accept that. Now, do I wish he had just refused to make a statement, yes, I do, but he has also made clear that in the "ticking (nuclear) bomb" scenario, he'd do whatever is necessary to stop it. I think in McCain, he is making clear that if a decision like that is going to be made, he's going to make it, and he's going to make the right decision.
2. He can win. Look, I like Romney, I liked Thompson, but, the former seems (and I only mean seems, because I don't think he is) an empty suit. I don't believe John McCain is a repeat of Bob Dole. I think Fred Thompson would have been Bob Dole, notMcCain.
   
3. He has said repeatedly that he will appoint judges like Scalia, Thomas, Roberts, and Alito. And, since the next president is going to get to appoint as many as 3 judges in the next 4 years, he has a 1 in 3 chance of getting the nature of the court changed.
   
4. He's serious about controlling spending, to his detriment (see below). I think he'd actually try to cut spending. He was one of the few to vote against Bush's expansion of Medicare, he has said he would reform social security, via private retirement accounts, and take on Medicare and Medicaid. He understands the ticking time bomb those things are, and he is prepared to expend some political capital on them.
   

Let's address the areas where McCain has worked against Conservative causes:

1. Immigration - here McCain was clearly wrong and out of step with most conservatives. But, hey, so was W, and we all voted for him. I don't think anyone that actually ever listened to what W had to say about this issue ever could have not known what W was for. So, McCain just took the same path, as did many Republicans, and how those lined up was largely based on geography and the safeness of their seat. Look, J.D. Heyworth is evidence of what taking a strong stand against immigration in Az will do for you. I also believe that McCain got the message, he can be for border security first, and still get something else done on immigration. I will say that I am not against large numbers of immigrants being allowed into the US from Mexico. Especially given that they are 90% Roman Catholic (and practice it), I see them ultimately as Republican voters and as a firewall against the secularists who want to make Secularism our official state religion. But, I digress...
2. McCain/Feingold - Ok, he was just plain wrong here, and he needs to admit it, but, this was another pre-2004 item that W signed into law. We voted for W in 2004, didn't we?
3. Bush Tax Cuts - Wrong for voting against them, but, if memory serves, he took this tack in the 2000 election, and I think he felt compelled to stick with it, in keeping with his maverick image. At any rate, Republicans go against tax cuts at their peril. I don't think it's likely to happen again. McCain likes to say he wanted spending cuts in exchange, and voted no because they weren't there.
   
4. Stem Cell research - this is becoming a non-issue with recent advances, but McCain has been on the wrong side of it. But, he has been a consistent pro-lifer, and has stated that he thinks Roe should be overturned. On other social issues, he's supported letting States decide issues such as gay marriage. I tend to agree with this approach. There are those that get all apoplectic when candidates don't support a Human Life Amendment, Marriage Amendment, etc to the Constitution. I am a Federalist also who believes that 1) the states are the best places to decide these issues (just like abortion) and 2) they're not going to pass anyway. These are done as stunts, not as serious policy initiatives.
   

Nothing after the jump!

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RADM Fluckey Laid to Rest

In the kind of burial at sea I want (scattered from a submarine, the USS Pasadena), RADM Eugene Fluckey was laid to rest on January 24th on the site of one of his many WW2 triumphs. RADM Fluckey was one of those legendary submariners of the war as CO of the USS Barb. Read more about it. No more.

iPod keeps blogger from blogging

Well, I haven't posted in a while. I have been learning the vagaries of iTunes, since my family surprised me with an iPod Touch for Christmas this year. Those who know me, know I am a Windows bigot(warts and all). I appreciate the Mac commercials and their gentle poking of fun at Windows. But, I secretly pray that Windows-guy will punch that smarmy Mac guy in the face just once (like in this parody). People in the technology world like to lambast Microsoft's unwillingness to make all their intellectual property open source, but, hey, Apple is the most proprietary and closed company in the industry. I guess no one's slamming them because they only have what, 8% of the market, and outside of publishing, very little in businesses.

That said, my daughter is on her second iPod (the first Mini needed to be replaced by the newer Nano, just because) and my son received an iPod Touch when they were first released. I stuck by my trusty and easy to use Sansa M260, mainly because I didn't need the virus iTunes to get my music on it. I admit after the princess gave up her original Mini, I took it and started to enjoy it, and, after seeing the interface on the iPhone, and my son's Touch, decided that was the killer GUI, especially for an MP3 player. Anyway, I have a rather large CD collection, and have been spending the last month getting album art into itunes and onto my iPod. Anyway, if you listen to music, you should look at the iPhone and iPod touch.

CNN attempts to smear Marine Officers

Being out and about today getting a flu shot with a couple of shipmates, we had the opportunity to watch some CNN and the reports about the 8 months pregnant Marine who is missing and presumed killed. CNN, in their usual anti-military fashion, was featuring a scroll, during the Sheriff's press conference, saying she had "accused a superior officer of raping her." Unfamiliar with the case, I caught a little audio saying she was a Lance Corporal, and jokingly mentioned to my co-workers, I bet he's a Corporal and CNN wants everyone in America to think this was a a superior officer. Well, now that I am back in my room and able to watch Fox News, I am vindicated, the accused was....a Corporal. CNN has this right over at cnn.com, but, shame on CNN for their either ignorant, or scurrilous attempts to make it seem that this was an act between an Officer and a junior enlisted person, vice what were essentially two co-workers.