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There has been a modest decline since 2008 in support for requiring better fuel efficiency for vehicles, increasing federal funding for research on alternative energy and spending more on mass transit. A majority of Republicans continue to support these policies, but fewer do so now than in 2008 or 2006. In the current survey, 73% of Republicans favor requiring better fuel efficiency for cars, trucks and SUVs, down from 86% two years ago and 85% in February 2006. Similarly, 64% of Republicans favor increasing federal funding for research on wind, solar and hydrogen technology, down 21 points from two years ago. Republican support for spending more on subway, rail and bus systems has also declined — from 65% in 2008 to 55% now. Opinion among independents also has shifted. About three-fourths (76%) of independents favor higher fuel efficiency standards, down from 87% in 2008 and 2006. Similarly, 72% of independents support increased funding for alternative energy, down 13 points since 2006. And somewhat fewer favor spending more on mass transit (61% now, 74% in 2008). By contrast, support among Democrats for increased spending on alternative energy and mass transit and better fuel efficiency requirements has remained steady or increased slightly over the past few years. In 2006 and even 2008, the partisan differences in opinion about these policies were quite small, but now the gaps between Republicans and Democrats are 16 points or more. There has been little change in views about nuclear power over this time; 45% favor promoting the increased use of nuclear power now, virtually unchanged from 2006 when 44% supported this. Far more Republicans (57%) than Democrats (36%) or independents (45%) support the increased use of nuclear power.

A better option may be for you to implement realistic policies (and, optimally, contracts) concerning and controlling your employees’ use of social networking sites, in addition to other Web 2.0 outlets (such as blogs, wikis, pod-casts, and the like).  

A better option may be for you to implement realistic policies (and, optimally, contracts) concerning and controlling your employees’ use of social networking sites, in addition to other Web 2.0 outlets (such as blogs, wikis, pod-casts, and the like).

But in the end, Lt. Col. Hackett says every good Marine follows orders, and "if that's what the president orders, I can tell you by God we're going to excel above and beyond the other services to make it happen and be damn good at it."

OCEANSIDE, Calif. — They are the few, the proud and perhaps the military's biggest opponents of lifting the ban on openly gay troops. Most of those serving in America's armed forces have no strong objections to repealing the "don't ask, don't tell" law, according to a Pentagon survey of 400,000 active duty and reservists that is scheduled for release Tuesday. But the survey found resistance to repealing the ban strongest among the Marines, according to The Washington Post. It's an attitude apparently shared by their top leader, Commandant Gen. James Amos, who has said that the government should not lift the ban in wartime. The Senate is supposed to consider repeal during its lame duck session in December, with many legislators favoring changing the law to allow gays to serve openly. A few staunchly oppose it, however, and both sides are expected to cite the survey in arguing whether to move forward with repeal. The Corps is the youngest, smallest and arguably the most tight-knit of the enlisted forces, with many of its roughly 200,000 members hailing from small towns and rural areas in the South. Marines are unabashed about distinguishing themselves from the rest of the military, with a warrior ethos and a religious zeal for their branch of service that they liken to a brotherhood. "We've never changed our motto. We've never changed our pitch to new recruits. We have hardly changed our formal u

changed our formal u niforms in 235 years," said Marine Reserve Lt. Col. Paul Hackett, 48, who has been in the Corps

There are federal laws in place that control aspects of monitoring employee activity on the Internet, as well as common law and even Constitutional protections in some jurisdictions (such as California) that protect privacy.

Why the Marines are different On Tuesday, he offered some thoughts on why the Marines seem more averse than the Army, Air Force, or Navy to having openly gay troops in their ranks. He said it involved recruitment and the reputation of the Marines as a tough fighting force. While he disputed the notion that it’s “a macho thing," he added: “We recruit on a warrior ethos…. We live hard, we train hard. We do tough things,” he said. “We recruit men and women for that kind of ethos." “It’s never, ‘We’re going to give you a college education,’ ” he added. “We never say that.” Recruits who sign up for the Marines come in with “expectations,” Amos argued. “I can’t explain what the expectations are. I can’t explain what they think might happen.” For his part, Gates has argued that he would prefer an orderly repeal passed by Congress to an abrupt reversal by the courts – a scenario Gates called a "nightmare" that could cause mass confusion in the military. Amos said Tuesday: “I don’t know how dangerous a court ruling would be." But should the law be overturned, either by court ruling or by Congress, Amos said he respected civilian control of the government and would obey the decision. He recounted an answer he gave some young Marine lieutenants earlier in the day when they asked him what would happen if the ban was lifted. “Don’t make it too hard,” he told them. The answer, he added, is “actually easy. I’m going to get in step and do it smartly.” In such a case, it’s not a matter of “let’s reconsider it,” Amos said. “It’s a matter of ‘Yes, sir.’ ”