Proving once again that the US Military makes strategic decisions based on the rantings of the lunatic fringe, our post last week about the Marine Corps' "We teach black people to swim" ad prompted an article about the "controversy" in the Marine Corps Times, and a healthy discussion on the paper's online discussion boards. Sentiment among the ex-military commenters there is currently running 30-0 against the ad having a racial component. "In my life time, I've learned through life experiences, in order for a person(s) to make a comment such as this. That they are racial in one way or another," says one. He's right, you know. (UPDATE: Former gay porn star/ Marine and current conservative blogger Matt Sanchez adds: "Smearing the military is never a big enough issue for the Gawker, it's a reflex. Maybe if they "subtly" stereotyped gay males as promiscuous this issue would have warranted greater indignation.") [MCT. Watch the ad here.]

In this time of war, the US Marine Corps is ready to do whatever it takes to meet its recruitment levels, and that includes teaching black people not to be so darn scared of the water. In this ad that aired during the NBA Finals last week, the Marines send a simple, straightforward message: "Hey, black people. We know you can't swim. That's okay! We'll teach you how, and then let you ride in a cool boat, if you just sign up for the Marines now. Okay? Okay." Watch the subtle stereotyping in action below:

Soldiers are fighting back against a government attempt to take their men's magazines away! Stars and Stripes talked to a bunch of our military men at a base in Germany, and they voiced universal opposition to a proposed bill to ban "sexually explicit" magazines—including Playboy, Penthouse, Maxim, FHM, and the like—from Army bases. They're good for morale, the soldiers say. And besides (everybody together now), they read them for the articles!

Hello, athletic young women: are you "weary of being separated from boys and men in sports?" And eager to prove yourself "on a larger stage?" Well you're not going to make the WNBA, that's for sure. So why not do what 2,507 of your wisest female peers did last year and join the Marines [NYT]? In this period of difficult recruiting, the Few, the Proud are even putting in some extra effort to make their ads seem good to chicks like you!

The front page of today's Times dining section carries a story about the increasingly sophisticated food sent to U.S. forces stationed around the world, both by patriotic citizens who send individual troops things like organic granola, power bars, and Starbucks coffee beans, and by the Pentagon itself, which is upgrading the food offered.

The ravishing Radosh and his mighty Nexis account today paint for us a Times/Fleet Week retrospective.

A loyal reader crunches the numbers to prove what we all already knew:

If you were looking for someone you'd trust with your life — someone who need to be the very epitome of honesty, reliability, and loyalty — where is the absolute last place on Earth you would look?

We know the Army has been missing its recruitment quotas. But, still, we somehow how think this ad (spotted by a tipster on Friendster) is going after the wrong demographic.