On BSG, I get distracted every five minutes from the "clever allusions" to the Iraq war and Islamic fundamentalism by stuff like people wearing eyeglasses, talking on telephones from straight out of the 1950s or using what appear to be 20th century handguns.

They're using plain old analog telephones because, at the time the Galactica was built, the Cylons had learned how to infiltrate pretty much any computer network (helps a bit I'm sure when you're a self-aware computer yourself). They made this blatantly clear during the miniseries to anyone paying the slightest bit of attention.

I appreciate the show more because they don't go out of their way to design some ridiculous "space age" telephone handset or zippy ray gun. It beats having Adama talk on a pink princess phone with wings, or using zap guns shaped like a DustBuster to shoot the bad guys with. Eyeglasses have been around for centuries, and I wouldn't bet on them going away anytime soon.

The particular civilization depicted on Battlestar Galactica seems to be much more advanced with aerospace technologies than our own, but their medical tech isn't as far advanced. I don't have any trouble buying that. We know from our own history here on earth that different civilizations advance technologically at different rates when developing in isolation from one another.

I think the program's allusions - to the Iraq war as well as to other things - have been extremely well thought-out, and have played out in unpredictable ways. They've certainly avoided the kind of one-dimensional moralizing which often characterized science fiction programs - like the various "Trek" incarnations - in the past.

The only criticism of this show I can agree to is that this third season has been substantially weaker than the first two. While it got off to an incredible start with the occupation of New Caprica (much to my surprise - I thought they'd written themselves into a corner with that plot development), it's been a rocky road for the program since then. They've introduced several interesting developments, but those have mostly been handled in a disappointing manner. The show does seem to be on an upswing these past couple of weeks though, so I'm a long way from giving up on it.

Why is it when Catholics behave like barbarians and make death threats against an artist we're supposed to "respect their sacred beliefs", but when Muslims do the same over a bunch of offensive (to them) cartoons they're soundly condemned here in America (including plenty of Catholics)?

My mamma taught me what's good for the goose is good for the gander. And Lord knows with their pedophile priests, the Catholics should know something about the goose . . .

She came over to the computer to see what all the "mmmms" were about.

It only took the author 100 or so words to compare the United States to Nazi Germany -- kudos.

If the jackboot fits . . .

I'm sorry Baghdad is such a shithole, but it's not the fault of the Americans.

Before the Americans arrived, bombs weren’t going off in Iraq a dozen times a day, slaughtering thousands a year. Crime wasn't rampant. A far larger percentage of the population had jobs and an income. There was a functioning, secular education system. The city had a working infrastructure. Gangs of criminals and terrorists didn't rule the streets.

After the Americans arrived and took over, crime became an everyday way of life. Terrorism is an everyday reality. Bombs slaughter hundreds. Jobs are scarce to non-existent. The educational system is in shambles, and under constant attack from extremists. The city's infrastructure is crumbling.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out who's responsible for this mess. Can you see your tonsils from where your head is stuck?

It doesn't really matter what America's intentions were or weren't. The reality is, we f'ed up, and it's the residents of Baghdad who paid the price. Many predicted this kind of disaster awaited the US – and the residents of Iraq – if we went ahead with our ill-advised, illegal invasion and occupation of the country. But you tonsil-gazing dead-enders remain as stone stupid now as you were five years ago. I've owned pets that have more common sense than you lot.

Oh, I don't know about that. I'd say given the number of right wingnut closet cases recently outed - such as whoremonger bottom and meth addict Ted Haggard and pederast Mark Foley - the current batch of Mayberry Machiavellis may have more in common with the Catholic Church than you might at first think. And I'm sure there must be a J. Edgar Hoover protégé decked out in a nun's habit lurking in some Washington, D.C. closet, eagerly awaiting a call from his master Karl Rove.

Assuming it's not Karl himself wearing the habit . . .

Second: As to the comment that "religion kills and stifles thought in all its aspects," it's a good thing Einstein, Kepler, Newton, and others didn't feel as that commenter did. They very well may not have accomplished what they did.

It's not clear that religion inspired Einstein at all when it came to his scientific accomplishments. His Spinoza-like deist conception of god also blinded him to the reality that "god" does in fact play dice with the universe.

As for Kepler, he probably would have accomplished a lot more if he hadn't wasted years trying to make observations (like Tycho's) fit into the silly, Platonic solids model of the solar system. Once again, we see preconceptions of perfection reinforced by irrational religion blinding great scientists to the truth staring them in the face. It's a testament to Kepler's powers of reason that he finally discarded the Platonic solids, but it's also tragic to realize just how badly society has been retarded over the centuries by religious dogma.