Octopodial Chrome

Over the past year, motorcycle crashes have killed more Marines than has combat. Both the Marine Corps & the Navy have seen a jump in motorcycling deaths; I wonder what’s up. Is it a general thing—are motorcycling deaths among the wider population going up (perhaps as a result of more motorcycling newbies taking it up to save on gas)—or is it particular to the military? I guess only further research will tell.

Today is Navy Day, a holiday first celebrated in 1922 and last observed in 1949. Today Navy Birthday---two weeks prior to Navy Day--is observed in its stead.

On a more personal note, this evening after work I went downtown in Denver and was commissioned an ensign in the United States Navy Reserve. It's the culmination of just over two years of effort and the beginning of a new chapter in my life. My (part-time) naval career is going to be challenging, but I believe it will be very rewarding as well.

Why did I join? That's a complex question, but it boils down to three factors: I think I should, I think I'll be good at it and I think I'll enjoy it. There's a war on, and I believe that my talents can be of use. And while it'll be a lot of work, I expect it will be frequently interesting & often fun.

I've had a lot of fun updating this blog over the last five years and change; it's been a fun way to jot down my thoughts on subjects I find interesting, including politics, national security and foreign relations. It's been a pretty frank outlet for, as my tagline reads, stuff that made sense at the time. That will naturally need to change from here forward; observant readers may have noticed that for quite awhile now I've been almost silent on a lot of issues. That will continue; in addition as I can find time I will be working my way through the archives, redacting & deleting as appropriate. Meanwhile, I should note that nothing in this blog---past,present or future---is the opinion of the Navy, the Department of Defense or the government of the United States.

I apologise for the infrequent updates, but I daresay that with my new workload they'll be even fewer and far between. That's the way it goes.

Edward Cardinal Egan asks that you just look. Look at that picture, and answer three simple questions.

That’s all there is to the debate over infanticide. Is the infant a human being? Yes, it is. Is it an innocent human being? Yes, it is. Are the authorities in a civilised society duty-bound to protect innocent human beings should someone wish to kill them? Yes, they are so bound. End of story—nothing else matters.