Driving Around in a Circle

First, the news.

Swiss Approve Constitutional Ban on Mosque Minarets (AP, Guardian, Times); BBC: Swiss referendum 'reflects unease with Islam - I'm all for tolerance and freedom of religion. At the same time, in any free society, there has to be an expectation that if immigrants want to enjoy the benefits of a particular society, they must assimilate into that society. Many immigrants to European countries who arrive from Islamic cultures make no effort to assimilate into the cultures and societies that, by their very natures, produce the benefits that draw immigrants in. The Swiss decision, while obviously controversial and difficult, reflects a public backlash over a refusal of one culture to acquiesce to the society into which it has moved.

Spanish aid workers abducted in Mauritania (CNN, BBC, Guardian)

Telegraph: Leeds university advertises for lap dance research officer - It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do that research. I assume that Sam-Wise's application is in the mail.

AP: Iran Earmarks $20M for Militant Groups Opposing West

CNN: U.S. military faces operation pack up [in Iraq]

CNN: Britain to host Afghan conference - That should be fun. I wonder what they'll talk about?

BBC: What is the appeal of Scottish identity? - Uh, it's awesome?

BBC: Australian aims to breed 'green' sheep that burp less

BBC: Indian soldiers' tricky role in southern Lebanon

BBC: Equipment 'ready' for UK troop increase in Afghanistan - Sure it is. Really. The MoD has been fantastic with their equipment so far, right? Right!?

Guardian: Glenn Beck: the renegade running the opposition to Obama - I think that may be overstating Beck's role a bit.

Guardian: [British] ID cards now available. Count me out. - "People in Manchester can now sign up for an ID card. Let's use the occasion to say a firm no to the database state."

Guardian: What a mess our [British] military has made

Guardian: Today's fanatic, tomorrow's saint

Times: Get us bin Laden, Brown urges Pakistan - You tell 'em, Gordon. I'm sure asking nicely will work really well. You know, with Pakistan. They're amenable to praise and motivation, right?

Times: Don't give in to terror, patriarch tells Russia

Times: Jeremy Clarkson: I'm so dead - shot by both sides in the website war - As usual, Clarkson's piece is very, very good.

AFP: Swiss reject arms exports ban

Just for Fun: SPURMO - "Single Proud UnmarRied Men Over thirty". Hysterical.

Okay, so I didn't blog about half of last week, because I went to Maryland for Thanksgiving. While locations and identities will remain undisclosed, I was invited to spend Thanksgiving with my former boss and my former boss's family, so I rolled up on Wednesday and came back on Friday. I've taken I-95 from Van Diemen's Station to the Beltway area and beyond on a couple of occasions thus far, but I'd never A) been to Delaware, or B) taken the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. This became the opportunity to do both. Here are a few reactions.

I-95 sucks. DC traffic sucks. Driving on the West Coast, even in traffic, is a joy compared to the chore of driving on the East Coast.

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge outside Annapolis, Maryland, is completely and totally awesome. Even though it's a toll bridge, it gives an astonishingly magnificient view of the Chesapeake Bay from a very high elevation. It was absolutely the highlight of the drive as far as I'm concerned. (Satellite Image)

Parts of "DELMARVA" - the Eastern Shore nexus of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia - bear a resemblance to rural parts of the West Coast, which was surprising. There were times when I felt like I could have been rolling through Oregon, Washington, or even parts of Idaho - fewer tall trees, but a very similar farm feeling, which I wasn't expecting.

I've been through Delaware now, and as far as I'm concerned, I can cross that off my list, forever. Pretty boring, and I didn't see a single thing worth stopping for. I'm surprised that they continue to let it be a state, although to be historically accurate, since they were the first state to ratify the Constitution, we're probably all Americans at their allowance. Isn't that depressing?

Route 13 on the Eastern Shore is exceptionally boring, and it's annoying because there's a seventy or eighty mile stretch in which the speed limit drops from 55 to 50, or 45, and then goes back up to 55 every few miles for the benefit of a handful of "towns". It's really a dreadful drive, and I'm sure it will probably serve my purpose the next time I decide to go up to Maryland, but it was pretty miserable.

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (Satellite Image), while not quite as cool as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, was still very cool. For those who are unaware, the Hampton Roads area of Virginia is serviced by three bridge-tunnels, which allow transit across the Chesapeake Bay and the James River for motorists while simultaneously allowing ships to transit the same waters. The view from the CBBT was also pretty cool, and my guess is that it's probably the longest bridge (bridge system?) I've ever driven over (twenty-three miles).

Van Diemen's Station still isn't (and never will be) "home", but it's good to be back. Hopefully, it will be good to leave again for good at some point in the near future, though I have no solid prospects for that at the moment.

Alright, that's it for today, folks. Have a great Tuesday, and check back tomorrow for more from yours truly.