U.S. Navy 1, Somali pirates 0

So apparently some Somali pirates chose to engage two U.S. Navy ships. Then the U.S. ships returned fire, took care of business, and boarded the pirates' ships to take prisoners and arms.

I'm not sure if U.S. forces have gotten down with pirates since the Barbary Coast battles at the very beginning of the 19th century, but the American arsenal has improved considerably since those days. Say what you will about the Navy: They often have bad haircuts and wear silly uniforms, but they have some awesome firepower.

I could see, when looking the massive U.S. ships, that some might think they don't have close-quarters fighting capabilities; perhaps the USS Cole tragedy lent some credence to this misconception. But it's not so.

One piece of technology the U.S. has on its side is the CWIZ, which stands for Close-In Weapons System (but of course is pronounced "Sea Whiz"). This puppy has 20mm machine guns that shoot between 3,000 or 4,500 rounds per minute. It's meant for tracking missiles headed toward the ship, but can also be used on small crafts. I can just see it turning a boat into toothpicks.