Pressure run-ups

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101129/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_nuclear

One Iranian nuclear scientists was assassinated today, in a show of overt consequences for the Iranian nuclear program.

Based on the fact that the US has banned itself from conducting in assassinations, I would expect the Israelis to be behind such an attack.  They stand to bear the brunt of a nuclear Iran and are not going to stand idly by while Iran develops nuclear weapons.  The Israelis want to avoid nuclear war as much as any other nation, and I imagine, like many others in the world, are severely distrustful of Iranian restraint in utilizing the weapons that would have horrific consequences for everyone in the world.  I hope that the Israelis continue to ramp up pressure on the Iranian scientists and do whatever is necessary to hamper their efforts.

I would expect the Arab nations to publicly condemn Isreal and the US for this act, but I imagine that behind the scenes they are cheering.  A nuclear Iran would destabilize not only the Persian-Arab region of the world, but every corner of the globe.

We cannot allow Iran to achieve their goal of nuclear armament.  This would result in global chaos on an unparalleled scale.

Environmentalism and Me

People come to me occasionally and say, "You're a conservative, Republican capitalist, you must want all living things on this planet to die."

I kind of have to laugh at that, because the answer is "obviously not".  If I were really possessed of that kind of demon, I would be running around with a flame-thrower lambasting every green (or olive, since we don't have many truly green things here in New Mexico) thing I could find.

The Great Lottery

I am going to vent here some.  My distaste for our government is pretty strong.

A War of Graffiti

This is an interesting look at the war in Afghanistan.

The top set are American graffiti, and the bottom are Taliban graffiti.  The very first image reads: "THE FEW THE PROUD".

Diplomacy, Technology and Warfare

I found this curious article and another similar article while reading the news today.

Everyone is worried about the economy, and justifiably so, but even if our economy dissolves, it will be the military and our advanced technology that maintain peace for our nation in a time of future crisis.  As long as we possess nuclear weapons and the potential to throw them anywhere in the world, people will respect our borders.  Obviously, nuking people is not the best strategy when it comes to war; but when all other options expire, we need to possess the ability to annihilate our opponents.

But there are other technologies that other countries desire, and therefore, are willing to barter for.  These technologies offer us some leverage in negotiating with friends and allies, as well as the power to subdue overt enemies.  This type of negotiating is exceedingly powerful and effective, because other countries see how we utilize the weapons at our disposal to prosecute those who seek to do harm to our country.  However, we need to exercise restraint in how we use this method though.  The stipulation is that we must be cognizant of is who our friends in the world are and who our enemies are.

Responsibility and Deception

I think I have found the source of the Great American Recession.

A380 Engine Blowout

A few days ago, one of Airbus' A380 superjumbo jets had yet another technical issue with their monstrous aircraft.  This time the engine failed, spewing debris across the wing and damaging the aircraft to the extent that it was forced to make an emergency landing.

Airbus A380 wing ripped apart by engine pieces

Gaming Violence and Sex

There is an interesting case in the Supreme Court this week, that I would like to comment on.

The case is regarding violent and sexual content in video games.  Games like Grand Theft Auto, God of War, and Resident Evil portray a level of violence that is heretofore unseen in the history of games.

The question at hand though is this: should these games be regulated?

What is love? Oh, baby, don't hurt me.

Love.

This essence has been written about, sung about, talked about, or experienced by every human being who has existed.  Such universality of usage should clearly preclude much consideration of it, yet it seems that most people simply avoid love, or alternately focus on one piece of it.

I intend to address it as fully as I can.  First, to ensure that my understanding of it is as complete as it can be; and second, to seek further insights from people with a different perspective than I.

Love, as I understand it, consists of three different definitions.... three aspects, perhaps.  The qualities that define each aspect from the other are experiential in nature primarily, but also could be considered in the manner of expression.  Oddly enough, the triune nature of love seems to reflect the triune nature of God as well.

I will describe the three facets of love as I had them described to me once, many years ago, using some of the Greek words for love.  The three types of love are, agápē (ah-gah-peh), philía (fil-eh-ah), and érōs (err-oce).  For anyone familiar with Ancient Greek, you will probably know where I am about to go.