Monthly Archives: November 2005

Nov072005

Yo Ho

I’d heard that there were still modern-day pirates operating in the Indian Ocean and near the coasts of certain, shall we say, restless nations, but this weekend’s report of a cruise ship falling under attack seems more like something out of a movie than anything that could really happen. Did you hear about this? Briefly, the luxury passenger ship Seabourn Spirit was off the coast of Somalia bound for Mombasa, Kenya, when it was beset by pirates in a pair of 25-foot inflatables. The pirates fired on the cruise ship with machine guns and an RPG, but the Spirit managed to outrun the shorter-range inflatables. How wild is that?

Even more wild is the science-fictiony claim made in one article I ran across this morning:

The liner used a sonic blaster to foil the pirates. Developed by American forces to deter small boats from attacking warships, the non-lethal weapon sends out high-powered air vibrations that blow assailants off their feet. The equipment, about the size of a satellite dish, is rigged to the side of the ship.

So far, the article I linked to above is the only mention I’ve found of this sonic weapon, so I’m inclined to think it’s nonsense, one of those paranoid fantasies that occasionally slips into the public consciousness, like black helicopters and “chem-trails.” That’s not to say sonic blasters are out of the realm of possibility — I have seen plausible-sounding stories about the development of such weapons. But you’d think that it would be bigger news if a radically new type of weapon actually had been deployed somewhere, and was used during such a spectacular incident. Unless of course you’re one of these Muldery types who is inclined to note that the mainstream US media has completely ignored the development of sonic blaster technology while the one article that mentions its use in the Seabourn Spirit case is from a British source. Hmmm… suddenly I feel the need to find my tinfoil hat…

In any event, I’m sure this incident was a pretty harrowing experience for the Spirit‘s passengers and crew, but, on the positive side, if you successfully survived a pirate attack, you’d have a helluva traveler’s tale to relate during your post-vacation slideshow…

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Nov062005

Non-Political Meme

I suspect that the last couple of entries may have left a bitter aftertaste in the mouths of some of my loyal readers, so how about some nice refreshing memage as a palate cleanser? Here’s one courtesy of Jen, who always seems to find the current memes. It’s called The Meme of Two:

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Nov052005

Scalzi on Presidential Incompetence, and Some Other Political Ranting

I imagine my previous entry probably ruffled a few feathers, so as long as everyone in Utah is pointing and hissing at me anyhow, I may as well go ahead and reference Scalzi’s recent post on President Bush’s plummeting national (if not local) approval rating. I find this section especially resonant:

What do I think about the Bush’s approval rating? Well, I think it’s exactly what he deserves. He’s a terrible president with an incompetent administration, and it’s gratifying to see the large majority of the American people coming around to this fact. Would that they would have come around to this conclusion a year ago, when the vote was on.

 

You’ll note, however, that I did not say that I was happy that Bush has such a God-awful rating. I’m not. Having a weak and deeply unpopular president makes us vulnerable as a nation, particularly when we are engaged in a war, and especially when engaged in a war that it is becoming increasingly clear the origins of which are best described as an administration misadventure. I don’t like Bush, and I wish he weren’t president; nevertheless he is my president, and my country is ill-served at home and abroad by his weaknesses, both real and perceived. Noting that this is a mess of his own making is cold comfort indeed. Bush may have made this bed, but we all have to lie in it.

 

One hopes that if the American people get anything out of the Bush second term, it’s to be reminded that the next time around, Republican or Democrat or something in between, they might want to try for competence. It’s not too much to hope for. Because at a 35% approval rating, we have a clear indication people recognize that incompetence isn’t working.

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Nov042005

Why Do I Stay Here?

From time to time, well-meaning friends who have escaped the protective dome that seals off my home state from the rest of our sinful planet ask me why I stay in Utah. Their implied suggestion is that I, with my unorthodox (for Utah) interests and attitudes (not to mention my somewhat scruffy looks), might be happier if I lived in some place a bit more… cosmopolitan. I don’t deny that they could be right. After all, I am an unmarried, childless, socially liberal, anti-authoritarian agnostic who enjoys the occasional distilled beverage and generally doesn’t care what people do (or don’t do) with their genitalia. My out-of-state friends are not misguided to wonder what could possibly keep me living in a place that is notoriously conservative, religious, provincial, family-oriented, and hostile to dissenters — in short, about as opposite from everything that defines my life as you can get. Nevertheless, my response to their concern is usually just a shrug and the somewhat lame proclamation that, “this is home.”

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Nov032005

The Halloween That Never Was

I don’t know about you, but I thought Halloween was a bit of a bust this year. The month of October came and went so quickly for Anne and myself that we never quite managed to get into the spirit of things. Neither of us found the time to decorate our places, and when my favorite holiday arrived, it may as well have been any other sleepy Monday night in The SLC. We received a grand total of two trick-or-treaters at her apartment, a far cry from our remembered childhood times when the doorbells rang until well after the candy buckets were empty and the grown-ups were down to handing out Ritz crackers and the Tic-Tacs they scavenged from the car seats. Ah, well, c’est la vie, I guess. There’s always next year, when we’ll be sure to do something really cool.

Or maybe not. In my experience, making plans for holidays to come is often a recipe for disappointment. Allow me to illustrate…

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