To all of the responders, and the writer of the article itself, I have but one question:

How would you accomplish all needing to be accomplished yourselves?

I'm defending nothing. I'm merely asking all of you to look inward and throw out some possible ways whatever you think is wrong could be corrected and the outcome prove beneficial to the whole War on Terror thing.

Seems a lot of crying is going on here and gnashing of teeth, etc. This is nothing but a monumental waste of time. What we all need to hear is alternatives that work and good ways of implementing them. These letters are full of fanciful opinions that mean squat. Let's hear how to fix all of it and make what we need to work, work!

Thanks and I appreciate it.

Energy conservation upgrades are urgently needed around the world. There is no question about it. The only question I have concerning California's energy use is what is the net increase in California's electricity coming from outside of the state? Could it be up 232 percent since 2005? I see conflicting reports on this matter. Regardless, it would seem the importation of electricity has more than doubled in the last 3 years. Of course, this is one way of meeting increased demand without building more generating infrastructure. :)

Pax,

While I agree with some things you've said I don't agree with the "most folks" part. I would have said "some folks."

There are literally tens of millions of zombies/drones/bots cruising the Net, delivering spam, packeting various targets, sitting on IRC and numbering in the millions, and lost in the ether because their C2 has been removed by the good guys. I'm talking at any particular minute during the day.

Ad or not, "most folks" aren't able to keep this at bay. Not to mention the fact that the story is targeting business and not the home. The business is where the computer clueless congregate.

There are about 80 PCs at the place I do some of my work and, while the routers keep them from actually getting online, (The place is shut up tight.) there are still bots found running on them so often it surprises me. Why? The answer to that is in the relatively clueless people who sit at them.

I left out one important point I wanted to make: Routers, software firewalls and antivirus suites do not come with built-in common sense for the user to install in their brains. :)

If you're absolutely sure you positively do not want to contract an STD of any sort and you're also doubly sure you do not want to become pregnant or father a child, how many choices do you have?

Screw common sense, let's gamble! ;)

I laugh hysterically when I think of one simple scenario:

Unplug Edwards from this story and put Romney or McCain in there.

To a person, you would all be sitting at the cannibalistic press dinner table with a knife and fork ready to devour him with a nice red wine while watching American Idol.

Your hypocrisies truly know no bounds and I find it funny in an extremely pathetic sort of way.

Meanwhile, Edwards' political career just got preempted by the sound of a flushing toilet. While he may not be much of a thinker he's only human, right?

@AKA Smith

Then we are like-minded. :)

You asked, "Whatever happened to unity through diversity?"

Wouldn't you say those, by their very definition, are mutually exclusive? You can unite or you can be diverse. The phrase "Unity Through Diversity" has no real meaning at all.

Look up "political correctness." The often touted two words that wouldn't need the first word if the second was true.

Concerning freedom of religion, I'm all for it. I don't want my government telling me I have to be a <<insert religion here>> nor do I want my tax money going to support any certain religion in any way at all.

Having said that, as an agnostic, I don't think having a 2-ton granite representation of the Ten Commandments is wrong unless a 2-ton representation of Buddha or whatever wasn't allowed. Freedom of religion means just what it says. We're free to follow the teachings of our religion of preference. As long as the money for these things comes from somewhere other than the taxes I pay, I'm okay with it. As long as EVERY religion gets equal billing, I'm okay with it.

I don't see what the problem is other than some people's guilty feelings. Guilt is a prime breeder of resentment.

The United States is NOT a democracy. The United States is a Constitutional Republic.

The difference is law.

In a democracy, California would not be allowing homosexual marriage now since the people of the state voted against it.

No, a Constitutional Republic is distinctly different from a Democracy. As I said, the difference is in the Rule of Law.

Look up "mobocracy" which is what a Constitutional Republic obliterates.

Yeah? Where is it written that when you can't refute what someone says you have to resort to personal attacks? You realize you just lost the debate, right?

I'll say it again. The words republic and democracy are not interchangeable. Of course, you can't refute it hence your "wingnut" crack and your pasting irrelevant crap. :)

Before you continue flaunting your ignorance (Which isn't a very smart thing to do.) perhaps you should educate yourself. Wikipedia has a good writeup on Constitutional Republics.

It's a common misconception that the US is a democracy. Why, I have no idea.

I find it amusing when so many people parrot the phrase, "playing the POW card."

McCain has many good cards to play. People just cry about them because they know and accept, deep in their hearts, that the democratic candidate has no real cards to play at all.

It's damned irritating to know that, deep down inside, and not be able to voice your opinion on it for fear of being an "outsider."

I'd be crying, too.