micromux

Terrorists Defeating Terrorism

While we consider the escalated war against terrorism that America is prepared to engage in, we should carefully profile our new enemies in these matters.

Afghanistan has been principal in these issues. The US media has reported that the Afghan government is responsible for harboring these fugitives of terrorism, and even our President has confirmed these suspicions. Who is the Afghan government? More importantly, what is the relationship with bordering nations like Pakistan and Iraq.

The apparent truth seems to be that the Afghan government is highly decentralized and extremely dependent on terrorist organizations. This is the failure experienced by the Soviet Union when it attempted to control Afghanistan by controlling the Afghan burocracy. A country that lacks centralized government cannot be centrally controlled, and this makes it very difficult to attack.

Even more disconcerting is the question of victory, something that is not always clear at the beginning of any war but that must be considered in order to recognize the onset of a favorable outcome. The defeat of Afghanistan does not immediately appear as a possible outcome because there is no central authority to conquer. Another potential outcome is the elimination of terrorist organizations globally; however, this is equally improbable simple because we can never know the existence of every terrorist cell in every nation.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has a central government that has been tainted by terrorist cells in the country. Even more troubling is the prospect of nuclear assaults that could be enacted if terrorists decided to overpower the Pakistani regime. Of course, Iraq vigorously supports any activities that might jeopardize the American stability and can therefore be considered another valuable ally of terrorists.

The victory against terrorism needs to be willfully executed by the terrorist themselves. Terrorists need to recognize the vicious nature of their acts against humanity, and discontinue the planning and execution of these kinds of exercises.

9/11

In the twilight of our greatest terror, America stands poised for a sustained military conflict against an elusive enemy. There is no doubt that the horrors of this Tuesday will be eternally engrained in our memories, but we should temper our angst with introspection of these events.

More importantly, understanding the essence of this evil is the only means to devise appropriate countermeasure. A treachorous approach is one that demands immediate forceful response, especially considering the perpetrators of these crimes are likely anticipating this kind of reaction. These terorists are educated in modern miltary techniques and are connected to our vast array of information technologies.

Every action that we take creates an opposite reaction. In fact, it is these actions that have at least partially places us in this predicament. The terrorist groups that attack us today are the same groups that we provided weapons and military training to.

Is it possible a violent assult of Afghanistan or Iraq can cause the desired immediate affect? More than likely, this kind of attack will provide a sense of relief that there is something Americans can do in the war against terrorism. The truth, however, is that these groups are willing to die in a conflict against the world power of the United States. Any military attack that we make today will result in a faceless attack against American citizens tomorrow.

The Osama bin Laden terrorist group does not believe that any Americans are innocent. We are all equally guilty of any attack executed either by our government or our military. Therefore, by invoking our military we will all be attacking Laden and every American in every place of every country will then be guilty of this assult.

The terrorism continues as a consequence of any response. This is not the kind of world civilized people live in.

Queuing Protocol

It’s surprising the number of people who do not understand queuing protocol. This is the relatively standard technique for waiting at a commercial establishment to order or purchase something.
For example, waiting in a line at a famous fast food restaraunt you would expect the majority of people would stand behind others who were waiting before they arrived. Imagine my surprise when a supermom in a mini-van arrives and decides that the current line formation is insufficient for her requirements. In this case, it was going to be easier if she could stand to my immediate left with her gaggle and occupy a large percentage of my peripheral vision. In fact at various intervals it became clear that my position in line was in jeopardy.
In fact, her attempt at line process reengineering was almost successful. Customers arriving subsequent to supermom had some confusion in terms of where the line should begin. In most cases they ended up immediately behind me, which ultimately served to obfuscate the precense of supermom in the line.
Then there was the retired couple at a local pharmacy who decided that it would be faster to approach the cash register if they stepped on my feet. Granted, this particular line was executed in parallel with the checkout counter, but that’s no excuse for encroaching onto your neighbors feet.
The ultimate line breach had to be when an amorous couple at a local ice cream stand decided they would abort their order. They were immediately in front of me when they resolved to abruptly leave the line. Rather than start waiting at the end, or even leave the ice cream stand altogether, they decide to hold each other at the front of this line. What am I suppose to do at this point?
Maybe a few sessions with a therapist on commitment would be good for them. The older couple need to learn that they have as much time as everyone else, and supermom is lacking her organizational skills altogether.
It seems evident that lines are a reflection of our conformity, but they also describe our ability to manage pressure when confronted with circumstances beyond our control.

How To Buy Hotdog Buns

Grocery shopping should be a relatively straightforward task. One can imagine picking up fruits and vegitables, followed closely thereafter with some dairy products and a cold farm-grown chicken.
Unfortunately, arriving at the bread isle is a recipe for disaster. This is the age old quandry of getting enough hotdog buns to support the hots dogs available in another isle. Amazingly enough, the American plastics industry is now in cahoots with the soda manufacturers.
A relatively obscure company called America Cooks manufacures a wonderful gadget called the Soda Shoot. This plastic creation can be positioned in your refrigerator and allows you to store soda cans. While the front purports to sequester only the most popular cans on the market, the fine print reminds us that it “dispenses ten 12 ounce cans”.
What exactly am I suppose to do with the other two? Or should I beligerantly ignore these storage capabilities and buy six packs of soda while sacrificing storage capability.
This is yet another example of the consumer getting a great idea that altogether misses the mark. A lack of requirements analysis has produced this gem, and as I proceed to shotgun my first diet softdrink of the evening, I wonder if there is any way I could possible fit another can in the Soda Shoot.

First Posting

This is my first posting, and it will be followed with some slightly more interesting discourse on the state of technology and the world.