The Noble Pundit

A Very Merry Boxing Day

For those of you who are celebrating it today.

Yesterday was a nice day. The kids got all excited with their presents, I finally was able to get the last of the spyware and viruses off the computer, and we spent most of the afternoon down at my parents house. All in all, a very enjoyable day (and the perfect time to have a day off from work. Six and seven days a week is starting to get to me!)

I did have one of those revelations yesterday that I really am getting old. For Christmas, I got (among other things) shaving cream and after shave from the kids. And you know, there was no urge to groan or anything like that. My first reaction on opening the presents was "Cool! I need this!" I'm becoming old and practical. What's up with that?

I hope everyone else had a wonderful Christmas, also.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to one and all! I won't be posting anything else today as I'm spending time with the family.

I Hate Viruses and Such

There has been no posting yesterday or today so far because I'm trying to get a couple of viruses and spyware programs off the computer that are making it nearly impossible to use. So far I've run the new version of Ad Aware, two virus scans, and have manually erased a couple of other programs that the various software programs wouldn't pick up. What a pain in the butt!

I'll be getting back to regular posting as soon as I can get this mess cleaned up.

Quick Links

Navy Announces Ohio Class SSGN Conversion Contract Award - 145 Tomahawks, plus 60 Special Forces guys. Makes for one hell of a platform. I don't necessarily like the fact that we're giving up some of the SSBNs, but if they think that it will make us safer in the end...

Libyan deal shows need for shift in U.S. diplomatic tactics, analysts say - Negotiating is nice and should be the preferred method of dealing with others, but sometimes a use of force is the best negotiating tool available.

Is Kim sweating over dictator's capture? - Good question. I'm really starting to think that there is a link between Quaddafi's change of heart and Kim's mysterious Jimmy Hoffa impersonation.

A Banner Day For Law Enforcement

Yesterday was apparently a banner day in the annals of law enforcement, particularly here in Florida. But let us first look at the latest request by the British police:

Police call for remote button to stop cars - Oh, yeah. This is a brilliant idea. What happens when the button falls into the wrong hands? How do we avoid inadvertent stoppage? It would give a very new and literal meaning to getting stopped by the cops, though.

And then, down in Naples:

Thief mistakenly hops into cop car - You just know that you're having a bad theiving day when you try to make your escape and the getaway driver is wearing a jacket that says "Sheriff." Just not a good experience, but still better than the next guy.

And a little closer to home (actually, about 4 miles from home):

Former inmate rejailed when picking up belongings - Remember, when you go to get your belongings from the jail after getting released on a DUI conviction in which your license was revoked for life, don't drive yourself. And most certainly don't drive yourself in a stolen car. I swear, there are some people that are simply too dense to be out on the streets.

Islam Doesn't Slow Economic Progress?

Marcus Noland has released a study in which he promotes the theory that Islam does not slow economic development. I disagree.

Take out the oil wealth in many Islamic countries and what kind of economic structure do you find? Not much of one. It tends to be tribally developed and geared more towards tourism and religious pilgrimages than it does towards any kind of manufacturing or wealth creation. There is virtually no economic diversification and therein lies the root of the problem in the Islamic economies.

The centrality of religion in the Islamic world tends to squash any real efforts towards economic gain. People are not encouraged to live life so much as they encouraged to prepare for death. Christianity went through a similar spell during the Middle Ages. It wasn't until Europe experienced the Renaissance and Enlightenment that we truly began the process of creating wealth.

The Christians of the Renaissance realized that religion and wealth do not necessarily need to be mutually exclusive. Muslims have not reconciled the idea of creating wealth, which can in turn be used to honor Allah.

Islam, right now, is so pervasive in its host societies as to discourage and repress the spirit of capitalism. Mr. Noland is correct in asserting that Islam is not the only reason for the slow and backwards economies found in the Muslim world. But to ignore or dismiss the contribution of Islam to the backwardness is to deny that there is a problem.

Only a true critical assessment of Islam's overly pervasive role in the society can help to bring about the changes needed to improve the lot of the Muslim world.

Woo Hoo!

Ah, finally was able to get my server to run the scripts like it was supposed to so that I could actually post something! The three posts from this morning are finally up, although they were already showing in the category archives (see the left sidebar).

Hopefully I won't be having any more problems any time soon.

Slavery?

Geesh. Accusations of slavery in Florida are flying once again.

If the accusations are true, it would be truly deplorable. I am interested in finding out if we have a bit of hyperbole going here, though.

Slavery is a serious accusation and needs to be investigated and prosecuted as such.

A Fight Over Jesus

Ha'aretz is reporting on a dispute over an inscription of a burial box, or ossuary that supposedly was that of James, brother of Jesus. The inscription, if authentic, would be the oldest known physical mention of Jesus as the ossuary itself does date back to the first century AD.

Interesting stuff.

Al Gore Busted For Smoking Pot!

Well, actually it was his son, Al Gore III, but it still makes for a good title, no? As it turns out, Gore #3 was cruising around Bethesda, MD with his lights off, his sunroof and windows open, in the freezing cold middle of the night. Cops found, besides a driver who was very likely wasted out of his mind, a partially smoked joint, a box with some extra weed in it, and the "odor of marijuana coming from inside the car."

Gore has been charged with misdemeanor possession of pot, as have his two male passengers.

I'll be interested to see how the Gore family reacts to this issue. When Jeb's daughter had her issues, she ended up in rehab. Will Al Gore end up there also? Inquiring minds want to know!

"We must get rid of Arafat"

In this case, Bush would be dead on right. Arafat does need to go on his merry way if there is ever to be peace in Israel and the Territories. To hear of the American President evenallegedly making these remarks would be a nice step forward.

I'm a little less than confident in the veracity of the article, seeing as how it is secondhand information and it describes a "Christmas drinks party" which is a very unusual description, to say the least. Somewhere, something isn't quite right with the story, I just don't know what it is.

But still, Arafat is the biggest obstacle to peace in the region and he does need to go. The sooner we acknowledge that fact, the sooner a true and lasting peace will be achieved.