Random thoughts

Babble on.

For a couple of days now, I've had ideas for posts, and no time to actually write them. Unfortunately, I don't forsee having any more time in the near future, so I'm compromising - mentioning them without actually discussing them in full.

Without further ado, here are a bunch of things that deserve some further thought:

• Damian Penny makes note of the one issue in the Monday Night Football tempest-in-a-teapot that has gone blessedly unremarked: a black man and a white woman isn't raising any eyebrows. Personally, I think it's equally interesting that back-to-back people of colour have been appointed America's top diplomat, and all anyone seems to be talking about is moderate vs. hardliner, not black vs. white. That has to be progress.
  
• The videotape of a U.S. Marine shooting a wounded, unarmed man in a mosque has caused some justifiable outrage (I don't include the nutbars who say "SEE! Amerikkan SS! They're ALL terrorists and murderers!"). Louise Arbour needs to spend more time shutting up - she has no mandate unless the soldier's own country refuses to act. See Target Centermass for the thoughts of an ex-serviceman: "If the evidence on this tape and the accompanying allegations are true, this soldier needs to be prosecuted...Let’s watch how the UCMJ [Uniform Code of Military Justice] wheels roll on this one." Note to John at Castle Argghhh!: I've been hoping you'd post on this, as I'd really like to hear your take on the issue.
  
• I don't have a problem with buying the Upholders from the UK. I would have preferred nuclear subs so we could get under the ice-cap in the arctic, but that's pie-in-the-sky here in Canada. The Upholders were a good alternative (whether they were the best alternative is hard to say - and the argument becomes cloudy with the benefit of hindsight). What upsets me is that the Chretien/Martin government took so long to make the decision. I'll bet you dollars to doughnuts corrosion problems limiting dive depth wouldn't have existed in the early-90's when the deal was first proposed. Having said that, you don't throw the baby out with the bathwater by eliminating Canada's sub-surface capability entirely, as has been suggested.
  

Ugh. These all deserve longer posts, but work calls.

Babble off.