Waterboarding - The Debate, Part 1

The last week or so, there has been considerable debate going on in the Shoutbox (so much that at this point you can not even find the instigating comments, because they have been overwritten by numerous new ones). It began with the question of "Waterboarding" and whether the use of such a technique could be acceptable in interrogation during warfare by US intelligence agents or soldiers. This series of posts is my attempt to answer the question for myself. This opinion is only informed by a few articles and the shoutbox debate.

First, as to its international legality, I think it is a useless argument. Combatants in Iraq and Afghanistan and terrorists elsewhere technically do not fall under the Geneva Convention. They do not represent a country, they do not wear a uniform, they do not fight according to the rules of war, and they are not signatories to Geneva. There is no point in referring to international law on this point, because by definition Al Qaeda operates outside of any state or inter-state structure.

Second, as to its Constitutional legality, it is likewise a useless argument. Aside from Joseph Padilla, all enemy combatants taken as prisoners for detention are not US citizens, and thus not covered by the Constitution (except for a few basic principles about universal human rights). Most of these incidents have likewise occurred off of US soil and often by those who were not US citizens, but instead proxies. There is no point in belaboring this argument, because the basis for it is absent.

So we are left with the moral argument, which is really the most important one anyway, because it bypasses the mechanics of law to look at the underlying questions of humanity and justice. The question really is, "If we consider ourselves a 'moral country', can we allow our agents to use Waterboarding in their interrogations of enemies or neutrals with important information?"

Let the debate begin. (Feel free to use the comments below to start discussing this. But be aware that I plan several follow-up posts which may or may not take into account your comments, because they may or may not be written long before this first post goes up.)

Ever wonder what Apple DID NOT release?

This site has up an interesting list of products that Apple thought up, created a prototype for, and then promptly abandoned. Some of them you can see why they abandoned (the useless buggy wireless laptop) and some of them you wonder why they gave up (the Mac Duo Tablet). It is fascinating to know what might have been.

Free Music!

I was introduced to the music of Derek Webb probably a few months ago. He is giving away one of his albums, Mockingbird, so long as you send the e-mail about his site to five friends (or put in five fake e-mail addresses). The album is an accoustic album, but even if that's not your type of music, I think most Mod-Bloggers would find the lyrics interesting. For example, in a song about poverty, he sings "Well, we're all living so good. / We moved out of Jesus' neighborhood. / Where He's hungry and not feeling so good / from going through our trash." While I don't necessarily agree with everything Derek Webb sings about, he's made me think.

Get Mockingbird at FreeDerekWebb.com. This offer is not going to last long. On Nov 27, it was announced that it would only be free for one more week.

Get Ready for Another Currency Redesign

Now that we have most of our dollar bills in day-glow orange, a judge has decided more changes are needed. This time they are needed to help the blind.

U.S. District Judge James Robertson ordered the Treasury Department to come up with ways for the blind to tell bills apart. He said he wouldn't tell officials how to fix the problem, but he ordered them to begin working on it.
The American Council of the Blind has proposed several options, including printing bills of differing sizes, adding embossed dots or foil to the paper or using raised ink.
"Of the more than 180 countries that issue paper currency, only the United States prints bills that are identical in size and color in all their denominations," Robertson wrote. "More than 100 of the other issuers vary their bills in size according to denomination, and every other issuer includes at least some features that help the visually impaired."
Government attorneys argued that forcing the Treasury Department to change the size of the bills or add texture would make it harder to prevent counterfeiting. Robertson was not swayed.
"The fact that each of these features is currently used in other currencies suggests that, at least on the face of things, such accommodations are reasonable," he wrote.

This actually makes a lot of sense to me. The changes requested (differing sizes or raised dots) seem a lot less significant than the changes they have already brought to the currency in an attempt to prevent counterfeiting.

I am the only one who did not know...

...that a Luffa is actually a garden vegatable? Somehow I always assumed it was a man-made woven product. But apparently, my assumption was more than a little wrong.

Street Fighter Hilarity

When I was a younger man... okay a teen... I loved playing the Street Fighter games on my friend's SNES and Genesis systems. Don't ask me which character I used the most, as it may make you question my masculinity. Anyway, if you also enjoyed the Street Fighter games, you will find this hilarious! (FAIR WARNING: There is some profanity in this video. Do not click thru at work!) Makes me wonder how they will show off Blanka. (Don't bother with Part 1, all the good jokes are in the preview to this link.)

Only Too True

This is why it never hurts to ask the "stupid question" in engineering. Although at times I would love to have my own office, the benefit of having a coworker nearby to bounce an idea off of is wonderful.

It's Official: No one wants to see "Kerry 2008" signs

Hopefully, John Kerry can take a hint. According to a new poll, Senator John Kerry is the least popular potential candidate for President in 2008. And that is for both the Republican and Democratic side.

Democratic Sen. John Kerry, mulling a second bid for the U.S. presidency, finished dead last in a poll released on Monday on the likability of 20 top American political figures.
Among those placing ahead of Kerry were about a dozen potential 2008 White House rivals, including Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
"This is bad bad news for Kerry," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute in Hamden, Connecticut, which conducted the survey.
"Americans know who he is, and have pretty much decided they don't like him," said Brown.

This is pretty much only a suprise to John Kerry, who as recently as a month ago was visibly preening for another run. The only person less likely to elected in 2008 is Presient Bush, and that is mostly because of statutory term limits. I am not sure he'd lose, even now, if the Senator were his opponent.

Foxtrot's Position on Politics

Reason 165,241 why the iPod will beat the Zune

The ability to negotiate exclusive contracts with people that don't like them. It appears that the iTunes music store will the be exclusive online retailer of The Beatles. Most people are probably thinking "it's about time" with no clue to the hugeness of this. Apple Computer (owner of iTunes) and Apple Music (the Beatles production company) have been at each other's throats for much of the past twenty years. Numerous law suits have been filed between the two as well as numerous settlements only to be followed by numerous law suits. The moral of the story up till now is that Apple doesn't like Apple. Aside from the legal mumbo-jumbo, the Beatles haven't let anybody sell digitized versions of their songs (some of which are even hard to find on CD). If iTunes pulls this off then it will show a major change of course both on a legal as well as principle front for the Beatles and Apple Music. Which leads us back to why the iPod will beat Zune. The iTunes folks have negotiated multiple contracts with big-time acts - many of whom were not exactly happy with the whole online music thing - in order to get exclusive rights. The ability to get these acts on iTunes and not any other online music store will keep people coming back to iTunes and thus back to the iPod. The Beatles are one of those cultural icons that is bigger than any bullying MS or anybody else might throw at them and have so far deflected all offers. The ability to negotiate with such an icon is business savvy that you're not likely to be seen in MS or the Zune folks.

I wish we could ground our Congressmen for apathy!

Need to warn someone?

I could easily see the Warning Label Generator or the Warning Sign Generator being useful to many of our readers.

If you can't make a state recognize same-sex marriage...

...how about same sex divorce? that appears to be the strategy of one couple who got married in Massachusettes last year, and is now seeking to dissolve the union in a Rhode Island court, despite the fact that Rhode Island does not recognize same-sex marriages. Presumably, a ruling either way opens the door for considerable wrangling concerning "equal protection under the law."

You have to give them points for creativity. But if the judge in this case is smart, he'll simply rule that Rhode Island has no jurisdiction over a practice it does not endorse (or explicitly ban, their constitution and courts have been silent on the issue). What MA joined together, let MA put asunder if it so desires.

What Fruit Did Adam and Eve Eat?

The Straight Dope has up a discussion of the various traditions for what is the actual fruit Adam and Eve ate in order to be tossed out of the garden of Eden. Western Art tends to depict it as an apple, but that is not what the text says.

Early rabbis suggested the fruit was:
- the fig, because the next verse mentions sewing together fig leaves to make loincloths;
- grapes, which later cause trouble for Noah, not to mention many other vino lovers;
- the citron, a lemonlike fruit which in Hebrew is etrog, a pun on ragag, "desire";
- wheat, khitah in Hebrew and thus a pun on khet, "sin" — a stretch, considering wheat isn't a fruit and doesn't grow on trees; or
- the carob, because in Hebrew its name puns on the word for "destruction."
Many modern scholars think the author(s) of the text had the pomegranate in mind.

Or, of course, it could have been a truly unique tree-born sweet thing. But either way this is interesting and something I never thought through before to this level.

A Glimpse of Venom from Spider-Man 3?

Don't blink or you might miss it. This is from a Fox Special set to air during commercial segments when they premiere Spider-Man 2 on network TV.

If you ask me Black Friday has gotten WAY too commercial...

I remember the good old days when Black Friday was about REAL things. Like... like... well... Okay, I guess it was never about "real" things.

Apple Store Black Friday Sale!

Most brick-and-mortar retailers have up Black Friday sales to entice you out of your tryptophan-induced drowse today, but were you aware that Apple.Com has an ONLINE Black Friday sale? That's right, here is one door-buster you can take advantage of without ever leaving your confy chair at home!

Happy Thanksgiving!

What are YOU thankful for?

New Dollar Coins on the Way!

CRChair was going to post this one, but it appears I have beaten him to the punch. The U.S Mint is going to release a new series of dollar coins featuring the presidents. They will start with George Washington and work their way up to at least Richard Nixon. One of the more interesting choices on the new coinage is the design decision to move "E pluribus unun" and "In God We Trust" from the face to the SIDES of the coins!

Great analogies collected by High School English teachers

These are great! It goes to show what a creative but persistently overtired and over-caffeinated mind can produce.

3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. Coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.

5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.

6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.

And now that you have read them here please do not put them in an e-mail and send them all over the internet. I make the request in all sincerity, knowing that someone out there has already done so and we'll all be "treated" to this list over and over via e-mail spam for the next 10 years.

I know this dog!

Flickr's Camera Stats!

I love Flickr for its great photo sharing, storage, and posting capabilities. (See my site here.) But now, it can also be a buyer guide for those seeking a new camera! This new section of Flickr tracks the most popular camera brands, models, and shows trend lines for which cameras are gaining and which are losing. Right now it shows Canon gaining in nearly all fronts for its great Digital SLRs, for example (I own a Digital Rebel XT). You can also click on the model name to see pictures taken with that camera. What a great way to shop for the best shutterbug apparatus!!!

Fusion for teens everywhere

A teen has created Nuclear fusion in his parents basement. If this is true you have to wonder why there are nations that still haven't mastered nuclear power.

THE HOBBIT will be missing its Gandalf

Hat tip to faithful reader Wacko! on this story. Apparently, New Line and Peter Jackson will NOT be making THE HOBBIT together. New Line has decided to proceed without Peter Jackson because of a dispute over accounting practices from the first film. This means that THE HOBBIT will be made by an entirely different creative team, because the writer, director, and special effects house were all Peter Jackson-exclusives.

Wow, what an amazing way to mess up a simple proposition. This is like trying to make a 7th Star Wars film without the assistance of George Lucas (though I will admit he was not the best DIRECTOR of the films). Hopefully, they will be unable to find another director willing to take a chance on this, because that poor director is SURE to fail to satisfy rabid Tolkien fans, even if s/he does an amazing job.

High School Dropout Epidemic

I really, honestly do not understand High School dropouts. There are SO MANY doors in our society that are ONLY open to those with a diploma, why would you give it up if you had any other choice? But this article suggests that the rate of quitters is way up and shows no sign of letting up any time soon.

A recent study by the Department of Education found that 31 percent of American students were dropping out or failing to graduate in the nation's largest 100 public school districts.
The implications from dropping out of high school are enormous, including a higher risk of poverty and even an abbreviated life span.

I wonder how much of this has to do with the No Child Left Behind tests, which have ended the practice of social promotion by providing clear standards for achievement? It may well be that this issue has been there for years, but we are only knowing about it now because school has become more difficult (and correctly so). Any educators out there with an opinion to share?

Gas at Super Stop & Shop

BJs was closed for some unknown reason, but was 5 cents cheaper

Happy Birthday, CRChair!

Many happy returns from all of us here to CRChair, the best brother on the face of the planet, and a valued member of the Mod-Blog team.

Feel free to leave your birthday wishes in the comments below, or in the Shoutbox.

War Criminals

Well, it's official. Our President is a war criminal according to Democratic Underground. Oh wait, I linked to Andrew Sullivan, didn't I? It's so difficult to tell those two sites apart any more.

Gas prices "officially" up

CNN.com is reporting that gas prices are up 5 cents per gallon nationally after a 3 month slump in prices. They theorize that this is due to the end of a "mini-glut" of oil after the high demand of summer. But we all know the real reason. Thanksgiving is coming and is one of the heaviest driving weekends of the year. Higher prices mean higher profits, and this is the oil campany's chance to soak the consumer.

She added that she expects little pump price changes in the near term, unless the mild weather turns severe, causing a spike in heating oil prices. That spike would also increase all petroleum prices, Lundberg said.
Another factor that could cause gas prices to rise in coming months would be a strong adherence by OPEC countries to their pledge to cut world crude oil production by 1.2 million barrels a day or another decision to reduce production when OPEC meets again next month, Lundberg said.

I know some are thinking "If Thanksgiving has a higher demand with a static supply, then it makes sense that prices would go up." Yes, I know Supply-And-Demand. But the gas companies long ago used up my goodwill in relation to their corporate bottom lines.

Charlie Rangel LOVES the Draft

This has got to fall under "any publicity is good publicity", because otherwise Congressman Rangel has a sizeable number of screws loose.

U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel, the incoming chairman of the House of Representatives' tax-writing committee, said he would introduce legislation to reinstate the draft as soon as the new, Democratic-controlled Congress convenes in January.
Asked on CBS' "Face the Nation" if he was still serious about the proposal for a universal draft he raised a couple of years ago, he said, "You bet your life. Underscore serious."
"If we're going to challenge Iran and challenge North Korea and then, as some people have asked, to send more troops to Iraq, we can't do that without a draft," he said.

The Congressman is about as liberal as they come, so this is not serious. Rather is a bit of political theater. Personally, I'd rather be having real debates about real issues.

Some days I need "A Spiritual Touniquet"

Review: Casino Royale

I'm going to get any suspense out of the way right away and make a very bold statement for those who don't want to read the entire review. Casino Royale is, hands down, the best Bond movie made to date. Furthermore, it is so superior to the previous Bond movies as to make them very nearly shameful in comparison. In every area, Casino Royal shines. There are two things that you should know though, before you get to the theater...

1) This is not a prequel. It has been marketed as such since it deals with the beginning of Bond. However, it is set in our time and has, just like Batman Begins, ripped the old sheets out of the book and started at a new beginning. It is in no way disrespectful of the previous films, but it very clearly aims to re-define what Bond is. And what a job it does in the process.

2) This is to the Bond franchise what BSG is to the Battlestar Galactica world. This is an extreme re-envisioning of what Bond is and what he is about. I will explain how below...

Daniel Craig is incredible as the new Bond. I've only seen him in Tomb Raider previously but I was very impressed with him here. He is certainly more of a man's man than the previous Bonds. He brings much more raw physical power to the role and the writers make good use of it. He's also able to pull off a very human performance of a role that is often too one-sided.

The new vision of Bond is also bold. Very few cheesy one-liners here. This Bond is far too busy doing his job to be the funny man. He is a calculating killer who will get the job done with as much brutal force as is necessary. He also manages to not sleep with every female who crosses his path. In addition, he is a much more physically in your face. This Bond isn't above getting bloody and dirty to get the job done. It is refreshing to finally see a Bond who can't take on three goons and regain his perfect facade with a turn of the necktie. Craig is working far too hard to look like he's sat in a styling booth for hours. The added realism was appreciate on my part. And also, we finally see a Bond who wears clothes a bit more appropriate for the kind of action he is undertaking. Craig is more likely to come onto the scene wearing a polo shirt and a pair of kahkis. And he still looks good doing it. Finally, he's above all else, a real human. This is no cardboard cut out. Craig plays a character who is fully fleshed out with an array of emotions. He cries, he gets angry, he truly cares for other characters, etc.

The technology is interesting and useful, but never flashy. The previous several Bond outings had become nothing more than extended commercials for every product that could be shoved down our throats. Here, the focus is back on highlighting technology that is useful and not just about showing a brand label.

The baddies in this movie are also quite different. When Bond comes up against even a henchman here, he's got to fight like he means it. Every battle truly feels like life and death is at stake. Even the lowliest goon is not without abilities and, like most people, actually thinks when confronted by an adversary. As a note, one encounter with a particular enemy features a torture seen that is truly cringe worthy, and effective. The entire audience gasped in horror and several were squirming in their seats during the thankfully brief scene.

In closing I will say, as I said at the beginning, that this is easily the best Bond we've seen yet. Certainly, some will disagree. But I feel it is the most human and the most compelling of the movies yet. I find the new approach refreshing and I hope it will recapture the spirit of the movies for a new generation.

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Bowhunter!

Congratulations from all of us here at Mod-Blog to Bowhunter and Mrs. BH on the birth of BABY BOWHUNTER!

CNN on PS3: Uninspiring

It is a bad week for technologists on CNN. First, they slammed the Zune, now they are slamming the Playstation 3.

The question is: If you're somehow able to find a PlayStation 3 on a store shelf this year, is it worth buying one? Sadly, the answer is not yet. The system is too expensive for what most people will get out of it -- and the initial slate of games don't offer enough innovation or thrills to justify the purchase.
Wait until prices drop $100 or even $200 -- and until there are a few more good games available - before you consider making the plunge.

As of now, I am not planning on buying a PS3 for several months. Who knows if one shows up over Black Friday weekend, but I don't see any compelling reason to upgrade from my PS2.

Ever wonder what it would be like to experience Star Wars for the first time in the post-Prequel World?

Entertainment Weekly went out and found a reader who had never seen any of the Star Wars movies, comics, cartoons, or owned a single action figure. They then tried a little experiment and had him watch the entire saga from Episode 1 to Episode 6 on Cinemax's new HD run. It is interesting to see that (1) he can really laugh at the changes in George Lucas, but (2) he was still captured by the magic of the world.

It was only a couple of minutes before my first Jar Jar Binks sighting, and I found myself wondering: Why does he sound like a Jamaican Elmo? However, those are questions for another time. I found I was often confused in this movie. Terms like Sith, Jedi, and The Force were new to me and they came with little explanation. Obviously, most people watching this movie would have seen the other movies and know what is going on, but this first-timer did not. I was obviously dealing with a more experienced partner.

It makes me again wonder what the Prequels would have looked like if George had written those scripts back in the 70s and 80s.

Microsoft does not support Zune on Windows Vista

You gotta love it. Microsoft is not only abandoning previous customers by refusing to support their own PlaysForSure initiative. They are also refusing to support their most avid fans by not supporting Microsoft Vista, their newest operating system!

To be honest, I am sure Vista support is coming. It is technically still in Beta. But it shows the mindset (and desperation) of the Zune team.

Fun Products of the Day

Think Geek is selling a USB Missle Launcher! A little pricey for how often I'd use it, but fun none the less.

They've also got up a USB Electric Guitar. Not sure how practical it is, but interesting. It would be good for Apple's GarageBand.

Rudy Runs!

First, John McCain filed for an exploratory committee for a presidential run. Now, Rudy Giuliani is throwing his hat into the ring. This should be a shock to no one, as Rudy is the logical anti-McCain. A liberal Republican with impeccable 9/11 credentials with no fingerprints on the Iraq War.

The former mayor filed papers to create the Rudy Giuliani Presidential Exploratory Committee, Inc., establishing a New York-based panel that would allow him to raise money to explore a White House run and travel the country.
The four-page filing, obtained by The Associated Press, lists the purpose of the non-profit corporation "to conduct federal 'testing the waters' activity under the Federal Election Campaign Act for Rudy Giuliani."
The paperwork, dated last Friday, is signed by Bobby Burchfield, a partner at the DC-based law firm of McDermott Will & Emery, a firm that handles political work.

I am glad Rudy is running, but I must say again that I hope he is not the nominee. His pro-choice stand on abortion would make it impossible for me to vote for him. If he is the one, I will be voting for a third-party candidate in 2008.

Video Game vs Real Violence

Of course, it misses several philosophical points in the gun debate, but it does make a good one as well.

Runaway Camel?

While I don't know that anyone here will ever have this problem, I found the following "how to" article interesting: How to Regain Control of a Spooked Camel

See, Costumes *DO* Work in Catching Criminals

Even as the TV series Heroes and Smallville have mostly eschewed "costumes" in favor of "more gritty and realistic" portrayals of crime-fighters, the police are learning that a costume can be useful in foiling the dastardly deeds of evildoers.

The Dynamic Duo - Sgt Tony Smith and PC Mike Holman - pulled on the superhero outfits in a bid to unsettle the suspected baddies.
They pretended to be drunks looking for a fancy dress party and knocked on the door of the suspect's home.
Those inside refused to answer the door to the loud, comically dressed visitors - which was what the officers wanted.
Batman and Robin then went around the back of the property in Weymouth, Dorset, while seven uniformed officers went to the front door.
Those inside the house were PLEASED to see the policemen and complained to them about the fancy dress drunks. They then invited the officers in.

No doubt the British police will be adopting superhero outfits for many of their major branches. However, a word of advice: avoid spandex for your more rotund officers.

Ultimate Cuteness

Withe girl and her sister
Originally uploaded by fairy810621.

Is there anything cuter than newborn puppies sleeping?

More "Rock the Sound" Videos

TobyMac easily put on the best show of the night, even though I liked the music of Casting Crowns far better. His group so CLEARLY is having the time of their lives every second.


Casting Crowns was still the best pure music of the night, and was the most focused on pure worship.

Thanks to CRChair for these great recordings!

McCain Informally Formally Announces 2008 Presidential Campaign

That's right, Big John has announced that he may form an exploratory committee about maybe running for president in 2008. Maybe. Personally, I think after Reagan we are unlikely to elect a man to START his service older than Reagan was. Then again, if John McCain is out front, it provides two years for Democrats to exhaust their heavy guns on him while other potential nominees gain strength, raise money, and get a sense for the electorate. It would not be entirely out of character for Senator McCain to throw himself on a grenade for his party.

Walking on Water... Sort Of

This is physics in action. These guys mixed corn starch and water in a concrete mixer, then filled a small pool. The surface tension is so amazingly high in the resultant liquid, that they can literally run across the top of the water! But if they stop moving, it is quicksand time. They're speaking japanese, I think, so feel free to turn off the sound for this one.

Windows minus anti-virus

Slashdot is running a story on a statement the outgoing president of MS where he says that he's comfortable with his son running Vista without an anti-virus program running. Given MS's history with security most would scoff at this comment, but my question is with this sort of triumphalistic statement how long until Vista is the security nightmare that XP has been (surely the Windows XPerience has been anything but enjoyable for millions of users that were infected by viruses resulting from holes unpatched for months at a time)? This does explain to some extent the new stuff in the EULA limiting the use of anti-virus software. From my very biased point of view this could only be a boon for Mac OS X - which as far as I know is still as solid as a rock with few if any working viruses.

Spider-Man 3 Trailer!

A second Spider-Man 3 Trailer is up and ready for viewing! It explains a little more of the plot, and how Raimi is putting his own spin on the Sandman and Venom villain arcs. It looks better than I had expected, and I had high expectations.

Puppy Furniture

Although my dogs are small, they always loved it when I did this.

And Now the Fallout

Rumsfeld is out. It's hard to say rather he was pushed out or not. The President has certainly been open about this desire to keep him on board. But, after the election, he might be a necessary fallguy. The new debate about the future of the conservative movement has officially begun.

After the election, I am ready for some mindless fun...

...and while this movie is still months away, even the trailer seems to qualify!

Joe Wins!

Months after being rejected by his own party for the dreaded sin of... BIPARTISANSHIP... Joe Lieberman has won his independent campaign for the U.S. Senate. Congratulations, Joe. May the experience make you always realize you owe more to the voters than to the Democratic party bosses.

Want a Zune? Consider how Microsoft Treats Its Customers

Microsoft is preparing to launch the "Zune", its own music player and its answer to the iPod. You may be considering one of the brown machines for your own gadget shelf. If so, consider this fact: Microsoft spent the last few year advertising its MSN Music Store which sold music from the major labels, but if you were a customer none of the music will be useable on the Zune. So if you bought hundreds of CDs worth of music, now you'll have to buy it all over again.

Compare that to the iPod ecosystem, where the latest music bought today can be played on the very first iPod. And where you can burn any of your iTunes music as real music CDs, which can be re-reripped to MP3s to play on any music player. Personally, I would not trust MS with my music.

Election Day - Do Your Duty!

Yes, I am as sick of the election commercials as you are. Yes, I have had at least 5 calls in the last 24 hours from taped politicians asking me to vote. Yes, I am sick and tired of hearing how awful/wonderful Diane Farrell is. But today is election day, so it is time to get out and vote. It is the right and duty of every adult American. And after the 2000 election, we know that every vote DOES matter and that some races may be won by a single cast ballot.

Prices holding at moderate levels

Prices holding at moderate levels
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

I wonder how long until the gas companies start jacking up prices in anticipation of Thanksgiving Weekend?

Rock the Sound Pictures

Rock the Sound is an organization bringing Christian bands to the New York, Connecticut area. ("Sound" refers to Long Island Sound.) We went to their annual major concert in Bridgeport's Arena at Habor Yard, and had the joy of seeing Casting Crowns among others. We got a number of pictures, click on the picture below to see the whole set.

Or click below for a video taken by CRChair.

This one is for YOU Bowhunter

Saddam Will Hang

It is not his last conviction, surely, but Saddam faced sentencing for the killing 148 Shia men and women. He was sentenced to death by hanging. He had requested death by firing squad (presumably a soldiers death) and instead will be treated like a common criminal. It remains to be seen what effect this will have (1) on the Nov 7 election in the USA or (2) the unrest in Iraq. My own gut reaction is that will likely be the start of a diminution of violence, or a trigger for the outbreak of outright civil war in Iraq.

Casting Crowns at Rock the Sound

Casting Crowns at Rock the Sound
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Casting Crowns at Rock the Sound

Casting Crowns at Rock the Sound
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Pillar at Rock the Sound

Pillar at Rock the Sound
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Stellar Kart at Rock the Sound

Stellar Kart at Rock the Sound
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Military votes No Confidence in Rumsfeld?

Allegedly, this editorial is slated to run in the official Military Times editions on Monday, November 6. That is one day before Election Day for those keeping score at home.

For two years, American sergeants, captains and majors training the Iraqis have told their bosses that Iraqi troops have no sense of national identity, are only in it for the money, don't show up for duty and cannot sustain themselves.
Meanwhile, colonels and generals have asked their bosses for more troops. Service chiefs have asked for more money.
And all along, Rumsfeld has assured us that things are well in hand.
Now, the president says he'll stick with Rumsfeld for the balance of his term in the White House.
This is a mistake.
It is one thing for the majority of Americans to think Rumsfeld has failed. But when the nation's current military leaders start to break publicly with their defense secretary, then it is clear that he is losing control of the institution he ostensibly leads.

If true, this is likely to be a bombshell - the generals publicly criticizing their commander. I do not think it is likely to change the outcome of the Congressional elections themselves on November 7, but I think it is likely to have large sway over how the freshman Congresspeople vote come January.

That Didn't Take Long...

I'm waiting before I make much of a comment on Haggard and the situation he is now in. To jump on either side without a lot more facts answered would be premature at this point. But, with a display of class that has become all too common for Andrew, he's not bothering to wait and see. He's even already pegged exactly what Haggard's problem is:

I'm afraid I feel for Haggard. This is what happens to a man psychologically and spiritually destroyed by actually advancing a lie he knows to be a lie about homosexuality as a "chosen lifestyle" while being gay himself.

If only Haggard had come out and acknowledged that what he claimed was his heart-felt interpretation of the Bible was really just a lie intended to support the great Rovian plot against homosexuals, then he could have avoided all of this. Everything can be summed up very simply then. It's all about the lie that the "right" forces on the American people that homosexuality is Biblically forbidden which leads to the downfall of men. Everyone who opposes homosexuallity is obviously a flaming homosexual themselves, just fighting against it out of trite political desires. Right. Very classy, Andrew.

Funny Fundraising

I can't help but think of this type of situtation everytime my brother talks to these people.

Why most Mod-Bloggers will be buying MacOS X 10.5 instead of Windows Vista

Microsoft just does not get it. Their userbase is shrinking due to Apple and Linux making inroads, as users get fed up with usability issues, security issues, and a series of draconian DRM (digital rights management - tightly controlling what you can do with your own software). So what what is their reaction? Even more restrictions in the Windows Vista end user license. What kind of restrictions? It is now illegal to use Parallels or another virtualization software to run Windows inside of MacOS X or Linux... unless you buy the most expensive version. You are now also only allowed to transfer Windows Vista to one other computer ever and only once. So if you were to buy Windows Vista for your old PC, then buy a laptop online on eBay with Windows XP on it, that is your ONLY chance to use the original Vista CD/DVD to upgrade a computer.

Compare this to Apple, who not only has no controls against copying, but sells a "family license" with 5 installs for only a few dollars more than their regular version. How long will people put up with this?

The Troops Respond

Just in case you haven't seen it yet, the troops respond to Kerry:



Posted on Drudge Report

In Memoriam: Dad

I miss you and love you. Not necessarily in that order.

What will be the result of John Kerry's "botched joke"?

In a flashback to the 2004 presidential campaign, John Kerry has again stuck his foot in his mouth with veterans and had been forced to apologize. If you have been under a rock for the last 24 hours, here is the deal.

Kerry made the comment Monday to students at Pasadena City College in California.
He said: "You know, education -- if you make the most of it, you study hard and you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well.
"If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."

As democrats hastily back away from John Kerry in an attempt to save their anticipated election victory next week, the question comes to mind: What will be the impact of this verbal snafu?

I predict that the Kerry remark has little to no impact on the election. Congressional elections are largely won on local issues, and unlike GWB John Kerry is no one's party leader. However, it has likely ended any possibility of John Kerry making a "come back" run for president. He has reminded us all of his inability to stand up to scrutiny at key moments. He is not someone the democats want representing them nationally, and not someone Americans want in the top spot.