Mishmash Musings

The Taliban released a video of a U.S. soldier believed to have been captured after “wandering” off his base on June 30. The solder says his name in the video, which I haven’t seen, but it’s not mentioned in this Washington Times article. What is mentioned is that Defense Department officials confirm the man’s identity.

The date given in the video is July 14, but officials couldn’t confirm that that was accurate. In the video, the soldier talks about how he’s afraid he’s never going to see his family or girlfriend again. He also answers questions posed to him in English by one of his captors, and spews some obvious propaganda about how America and the American people should seek to end the war by bringing troops home.

Someone who has viewed the video says that it wasn’t recorded in one take, that it instead stops and starts frequently. Presumably, that means the captive was “coached” on what to say for each segment.

Anyway, I hope the army can find out where this guy is being held and get a rescue mission under way. I also send positive thoughts to the soldier’s family here in the States.

Bring him back!

I wrote a couple weeks ago that I was trying a new approach to dieting. Well, new for me, anyway. It’s not exactly groundbreaking stuff here! Instead of strictly counting calories, I’m keeping a much closer eye on my fat intake.

Let me tell you, this is a lot harder than it sounds! Limiting fatty foods means that I’m usually stuck eating some kind of boneless, skinless chicken for dinner, or some equally boring fish. This has been getting to me recently, as I’ve noticed I’ve been craving some of my fatty favorites, like burgers or pizza.

I seem to do ok with breakfast and lunch. I eat a lot of oatmeal for breakfast, which is just fine with me, and I’ve taken to eating ham and cheese on whole wheat bread with mustard instead of mayo for lunch. I know I should forgo the slice of cheese and its nearly 5 grams of fat, but I don’t have that much willpower!

Honestly, I’m not sure how long I can keep going with this low-fat approach. It’s stressful, and I hate having to check the labels before I eat anything. Maybe what I should do instead is find a diet pill that works to help alleviate some of the pressure to cut out so much fat. I don’t necessarily want to rely on supplements, but seriously, I have a feeling that I’m going to go on a major binge in the near future. Yes, I know eating a low-fat diet is just healthier all the way around. I just wish it wasn’t so damn hard!!

I am way late to the Blu-ray vs. DVD debate, and honestly had never given the question much thought before. But since we recently bought a PS3, we decided to rent a couple of Blu-ray movies just to see what all the hoopla was about.

Wow, there’s not even any contest! The Blu-ray picture is head and shoulders above DVD quality — so much so that my usually non-discerning eyes had no trouble noticing the difference. We’re talking crystal-clear sharpness with zero graininess at all.

The only problem, of course, is that Blu-ray costs so much more than DVD. It even costs more to rent. Is the better quality worth the extra money? Maybe going forward, but there’s no way in hell that I’m replacing my current DVD collection with Blu-ray.

I’m officially a convert! I just hope they start releasing many more titles on Blu-ray.

Here in the U.S., teachers often complain about low salaries and less than ideal working conditions, such as overcrowded classrooms. These factors supposedly discourage lots of people from entering the profession, thereby leading to shortages across the country.

Well, what if you could become a millionaire just from teaching? That’s exactly what’s happening in South Korea right now. I just read this Reuters article about how some top cram school teachers in SK earn the equivalent of $4 million per year from teaching math to high school kids hoping to get into top universities. Isn’t that amazing??? Four million per year for teaching math?!

But before you pack up your belongings and contact long distance moving companies to ship everything to Seoul, bear this in mind: Only the elite of the elite can command those types of salaries… and you have to speak Korean! If you can overcome those hurdles, go for it!

(Photo: REUTERS/Lee Jae-Won)

The confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor will begin today, and since there are 12 Democrats on the committee vs. only 5 Republicans, it’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that nothing too terrible will happen and that she’ll eventually be confirmed by the Senate. Unless, of course, some kind of major skeleton is unearthed before the hearings conclude.

I personally don’t think Sotomayor is cut out for being a Supreme Court justice because she admittedly lets her personal experiences color her interpretation of the law. This is ridiculous, and not what Supreme Court justices are supposed to do.

Then again, practically every other person on the bench right now does the same thing, so….

Man, I totally agree with Mark R. Levin, who argued in his book Men in Black that the Supreme Court has gradually asserted powers for itself that were never intended by the framers of the Constitution. The Supreme Court rules on just about every damn thing these days…. That’s not what they’re supposed to be for. When a court of unelected judges does this, it takes democracy (voting power) out of the hands of the people. Think about it. All it takes is 5 judges to change the laws of this nation. Doesn’t that scare you? It should!

During the G8 summit, Pres. Obama pledged that the U.S. would pitch in to the $20 billion aid package proposed by the Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi. It’s not clear how much America is expected to pony up, but if history is any indication, it’ll be the bulk of the amount.

Now wait just a second here. Are we really in a position to be donating money??? What about the trillion-dollar deficit? What about people in our own country who are jobless, homeless, or hungry? What about our own kids?

Sure, the endless commercials showing African children with bulging bellies and flies swarming around their heads tug at my heartstrings too, but come on! Enough is enough! Just as an example, the state of California is mired in a financial catastrophe of its own, with a $26 billion deficit. That’s just for one state! Couldn’t they use a helping hand here?

I have no problem with the U.S. helping foreign countries when we’re prospering. But to continue providing this much aid — especially to an area as corrupt and overrun by military insurgents as some of those African nations — is an outrage.

Obama obviously cannot just hand out this money on his own. Here’s hoping Congress votes down this absurdity.

Why is this commercial being talked about so much? I’ve seen it mentioned on several online news and entertainment sites, and the YouTube clip has been posted on a ton of blogs too. Is it really that creative/interesting/funny? So Evian decided to use a bunch of CGI skating babies to promote their bottled water…. so what. I think it’s dumb.

Is it safe to turn on the TV yet? Earlier today there was nothing on any of the channels except the Michael Jackson memorial. I know his death has been a major media event from the start, but we’re at a week and a half now since his passing, and there’s no sign of the coverage letting up.

First, there was all the speculation surrounding his death and autopsy. Then there was speculation about whether or not he had a will and who would control his estate. Then there were rumors about his debts vs. assets. Then there was this star-studded televised memorial with the worldwide lottery to determine who could get tickets.

You’d think that would be all, but I’m sure there’s more to come. The coroner will release a final cause of death, and if it turns out that Jackson accidentally overdosed, then there’s going to be lots more coverage. And what kind of term life insurance rates and policies do you think a guy worth an estimated $500 million had at the time of his death? Would his policies become void if it’s proven that he overdosed?

And let’s not forget the children here. To us outsiders, Jackson was a spectacle, a superstar, sometimes a freak show. But to his kids, he was “the best father in the world”, as 11-year-old Paris said during the memorial. How are they going to handle all of this?

Looks like the tabloids will continue to feed on Jackson’s death for months and months to come.

(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, Pool)