What about, as a lyric tenor with charisma who can also nail as many high C's as necessary, --- Juan Diego Florez?

Or a dramatic tenor with looks and charisma who can splendidly play, for example, Werther, Florestan, Don Jose, Lohengrin (that I have seen)--- Jonas Kaufmann

It is likely that there are others who do not have the necessary agent or PR flack.

From what I have read, it seems that Capt Semrau has the confidence of his soldiers -- but not the top brass out of combat.

Well said, Sir. You have put a front-line soldier's point of view.

I can put a front-line physician's point of view. Far more frequently than anyone admits to, when faced with a dying patient in pain for whom no treatment is likely to save his life, heavy doses of opiates are given. The life is brought to a speedier end, but it is the humane thing to do. I hate to think of what would happen to such a physician if a disgruntled colleague made a formal complaint.

As for warfare in Afghanistan: Kipling put it well
"When you're left for wounded on Afghanistan's plains
And the women come out to cut up your remains
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
And go to your gawd like a soldier."

The Afghanis on patrol with Capt Semrau woud have left the Talib to slowly die in agony. Militarily speaking he should have continued with the patrol,especially since enemy was in the vicinity. It would have been stupid to call a helicopter under these conditions and risk having it destroyed - and all for someone who would die anyway.

Triage has always been used in war!! Moribund soldiers have been eased out when there are no resources to treat. I suppose Capt Semrau was entitled to a trial by his peers -- people who have actually served in the front lines in Afghanistan.

They could have done better. They could have passed a suspended sentence.

Capt. Semrau is a scapegoat, as someone has said. From my point of view, the government is acting as an accessory to much more horrible acts -- real crimes -- by covering up and censoring.

I think that what he is saying is that there is a considerable amount of far far worse behaviour going on now in Afghanistan that is being covered up. And it is Capt. (not demoted in my mind) Semrau who has been prosecuted for not only a humanitarian act (putting a moribund person out of his misery) but also a militarily necessary act because he was on a mission with a patrol and could not break off to sit until this guy died. They had just come under fire, so calling for a helicopter would expose that to being shot down. Had he left the guy to die alone in agony, he would have never been prosecuted.

This kangaroo court was a travesty. Our participation in Afghanistan is leading to much worse abuses that not only are unreported, but are actively covered up.

Capt. Semrau was an exemplary and respected soldier. So now our forces have lost him. Another stupidity.

I am retired and when working was limited in what I could contribute to an RRSP. As a result, now I am now living mostly on my savings. I have friends who are retired civil servants. I do not begrudge them their pensions; but I am very angry that they can split them with their spouses and save on income tax. I cannot do anything similar with my savings and hence pay far more tax than they do with equal incomes.

That splitting should be stopped -- and possibly would be were it not for the fact that the politicians will have the same benefit when they retire.

Surely it is time to stop focussing on Wagner's anti-Semitism. I think that the words of Leonard Bernstein are most appropriate: "Wagner is long dead and buried, as is the Third Reich, but we music lovers are alive and hungry for great music. And if Wagner wrote great music, as I think he did, why should we not embraqe it fully and be nourished by it".