30 November 2007

The Debate Review - And Floggings!

I've been spending a lot of time writing the last few days. I have a few things to get done tonight, so I'm going to try to keep this brief. Gus, Mighty Mo, Chazza, and Father Time, who know me in person, know that any of my attempts at brevity are almost certainly destined to fail. I make the attempt, though - we'll see how I do. A few news items first, and then a recap of the debate from last night.

* * *

In this post from a couple of days ago, I mentioned the woman who was sacked by the London Underground for spoof messages. Her website is back up, and you can go listen to the full selection here. Very funny stuff.

Keeping in mind that this happened during the height of the Cold War, I think it's fascinating that the Jordanian government asked President Nixon to attack Syria, which was supported by the Soviet Union then and the Russian Federation now. I think it's sort of an interesting historical revelation.

Most of you probably won't remember General Jones. When I joined the Navy (which is tied very closely to the Marine Corps - particularly my unit, which had a lot of Marines in it), General Jones was the Commandant of the Marine Corps. Instead of retiring, he was assigned to the post of Supreme Allied Commander of NATO (lampooned as "Supreme Intergalatic Overlord" in the Marine Times' birthday list, referenced in this post). President Bush has announced that General Jones will now be assigned as a special envoy to the Middle East - I thought that Prime Minister Blair was doing that in his retirement, but I have no doubt that the Prime Minister and the Supreme Intergalactic Overlord will work well together.

The unemployment rate in Germany is at a fifteen year low - kudos to Chancellor Merkel, who is proving to be head and shoulders above her predecessor (under whom the German unemployment rate was as low as it was in the years directly following World War II).

Iran has announced that they have a new longer range missile capable of hitting both American and Israeli targets. While I doubt that the Iranian claim is credible, I'd like to point out a couple of things. First: when Iran makes a claim like this, doesn't it weaken their claims that their nuclear program is for peaceful civil energy production? Second: if Iran really does have a longer-range missile capability, aren't you glad we're working on a ballistic missile defense system?

* * *

In the past, I've followed trends in the blogging community and denounced the bizarre and unacceptable human rights abuses that we seem to see so regularly coming from the Middle East, and other areas that are dominated by Muslims. I've sort of abandoned that over the last couple of years for a number of reasons, but mostly because I have bigger fish to fry than to keep track of barbaric things that Muslims do. I could go further into it, but that's the bottom line.

These things having been said, there have been several events lately in the Middle East that are worth bringing to your attention. First, I'd like to bring your attention to this story about a young woman in Iran who was brutally prostituted, first by her mother starting at age nine and subsequently by her "husband" once she was a teenager. The Iranian authorities, in addition to sentencing her husband to five years in jail for "providing a house for illegal sex", sentenced her to death by hanging. Fortunately, or as Arabic speakers would say, "inshallah" ("by God's will"), she was acquitted following the work of a truly courageous female Iranian attorney. The article's about her current situation - very much worth the read.

One of the big stories in international news during the last two weeks is about a Shi'i rape victim in Saudi Arabia (Saudi Arabia is overwhelmingly Sunni) who was sentenced to two hundred lashes for being in a car with a man who was not related to her. You can go read this article. In a nutshell, this young woman got married, she then met with a man she had been seeing prior to the marriage in order to retrieve a picture of herself in order to prevent her family from being dishonored through a non-relative having a photograph of her. Their car was commandeered by some thugs, who drove both the woman and the man elsewhere. Seven thugs (if I remember correctly, there were initially only two in the car) then proceeded to brutally and repeatedly rape both of them. The rapists were sentenced to jail, and the young woman was sentenced to ninety lashes. When she and her attorney appealed the decision and went to the media, the court doubled the rapists' sentences - and more than doubled the young woman's sentence, bringing it to two hundred lashes. Just to give some perspective, although the type of whipping that Jesus (and the Apostle Paul) received is somewhat different from the type of flogging practiced in Saudi Arabia, in the first century forty lashes was considered a likely death sentence; before being crucified, Christ received forty lashes before he was crucified. (By contrast, Paul received thirty-nine lashes on several occasions, considered to be just below the death penalty.) This type of treatment is beyond severe, and it will be quite unsettling if it is carried out in this circumstance. In fact, if it happens, it will border on being beyond belief. After initially defending the position, the Saudis are "reviewing the case" in light of widespread international condemnation.

The second story comes out of the Sudan in East Africa, where a British primary school teacher has been sentenced to fifteen days incarceration and subsequent deportation for allowing her students to vote to name a teddy bear "Mohammed". She was convicted on one of three charges, that charge being "insulting religion" - had she been convicted on all three charges, the sentence could have included longer incarceration, fines, and forty lashes. That's right, ladies and gentlemen: forty lashes with a whip for allowing children to vote to name a stuffed animal "Mohammed".

Now, I think it's important to note that these stories are just the surface - people around the world tend to enjoy drawing conclusions on news stories based on less than a typed page of information on the issue. For example, Richard Miniter's excellent book Shadow War explains why the situation in Darfur that we keep hearing about is far more complicated than the media portrays in this age of sound bytes and news cycles; and that, for all of the issues with terrorism in East Africa (including the tiny fact that bin Laden was holed up there for a while in the 1990's), the Sudanese government has given some assistance to the United States in apprehending al Qaeda terrorists since 9/11. As I listened to the BBC news webcast tonight, someone brought up that this teddy bear story has only become an issue lately, suggesting that there's almost certainly some political issue that's pushing the Sudanese government to crack down on this British woman.

With respect to Saudi Arabia, while the news media and the so-called pundits flip out about the dangers of Wahhabism, the Saudi nationality of the majority of the 9/11 hijackers, and oil money continuing to support terrorism, they frequently ignore the fact that the Saudis are slowly and carefully introducing democratic reforms, attempting to pace them so that their citizens (who have no prior experience with any concept resembling representative democracy) can adjust to these changes. Many people also ignore the fact that Saudi Arabia has been the victim of numerous terrorist attacks itself, and may even have more to lose from ignoring and encouraging terrorism than the United States. I'm not willing to give the Saudis a free pass, but anyone who boils Saudi politics and foreign policy down to these lowest common denominators is ignoring history and the bigger international and domestic picture in the Kingdom.

That having been said, I absolutely think that these stories are troubling. What's more, these are exactly the kind of stories that should do two things: help us to understand the threat that we face from militant Islam (which would be stoning and cutting off heads like the Taliban did, not whipping and jailing like the Saudis and the Sudanese); and put our own "excesses" and "American sins" into perspective. There are moderate Muslims, particularly in the West (I learned Arabic from one in college and have a couple of them on speed dial); and I honestly believe that most of the world's Muslims are just like most of the world's Christians, Buddhists, and Hindus: they just want to live their lives, survive another year, and be left alone.

This section is a bit scattered, but these stories jumped out at me, and I think they're important for people to be aware of.

* * *

I'm really dragging, and have been for a few nights now, so I'm going to do a quick review of last night's CNN/YouTube debate and then go to bed (which is a bit of a misnomer, since this won't be posted until tomorrow morning - oh well).

First, a note about the format. I caught a few minutes of Rush Limbaugh early this afternoon, and listened to Michael Medved's entire review of the debate (he spent two hours on it today). Rush was disappointed and thinks that the format cheapens and reduces the level of the discourse between the candidates. Honestly, I tend to agree with him on that, with a caveat I'll mention shortly. I don't, however, think that the debate was a total disaster (apparently there are some conservatives who believe this); I think that, with a couple of exceptions, most of the candidates performed very well. Many of the questions were not only baited questions from liberals, but showed CNN's liberal bias - honestly, there are much bigger issues in this campaign than gays in the military, and there were several other topics that were bizarre in their inclusion. Rush pointed out that CNN intentionally left questions about Iraq and foreign policy until later in the broadcast because operations in Iraq have improved so drastically - this is also apparent in the shift in course among the Democrats, who have lately been bringing up the issue of Iran far more than they've been discussing Iraq because Iraq is quickly turning into a losing issue for them.

As I said, I think that the overall format is sort of cheesy and trendy, and reduces the level of discourse. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, for all of the masturbatory statements from the partisan hacks and "vloggers" on YouTube who think that YouTube is going to revolutionize the election process, I'm here to tell you that YouTube is irrelevant. The Internet has and will continue to revolutionize the way we communicate and discuss all issues, but YouTube is nowhere near unique or revolutionary in and of itself; in fact, it's the opposite, because unlike even blogging (which, admittedly, can be done by almost anyone), posting a video on YouTube can be carried out by someone without any semblance of intelligence. This was apparent in some of the bizarre and poorly conceived questions that CNN presented last night. The reason why I don't think this was a totally bad thing is this: it gave us a chance to see how the candidates react to people who are so obviously beneath them with respect to intelligence and character. As much as I'd love to be able to speak highly of any of the Democrat candidates, the simple truth is that they are all (save possibly for Governor Richardson, who I don't really know much about) pandering. With a couple of exceptions, I didn't get that impression. I believe that the way someone treats others who are not as intelligent, or charismatic, or dignified, or eloquent as themself says a lot about that person. In particular, I think that Governor Huckabee truly shined in this respect; but really, the majority of the candidates did a very admirable job of remaining respectful, poised, and eloquent when answering some truly bizarre, combative, and intellectually weak questions.

For lack of time, or a better way to approach it, I'm going to go through candidate by candidate with a brief synopsis of what I thought of their showings at the debate.

  • Mayor Giuliani: I thought that Mayor Giuliani did quite poorly in the debate. I would still vote for him against any of the Democrat front-runners, but his attitude, his attacks against Governor Romney, and the answers he provided to a number of questions were simply a disappointment. I've built up respect for the Mayor, who I've had mixed feelings about for quite a while; a lot of that respect was wiped out by his performance last night. I could tolerate him as the Republican candidate, and I think he'd be a strong candidate against Senator Clinton, but I wasn't pleased or impressed.

  • Governor Huckabee: I think that if anyone won the debate last night, it was Governor Mike Huckabee. I haven't agreed with all of the positions Governor Huckabee took while he was governor of Arkansas, but he is undeniably genuine, with excellent ideas for how to approach a number of America's most pressing problems. Regarding my point above, Governor Huckabee remained positive, upbeat, and charismatic in the face of combative questions from YouTube folks and attacks from Governor Romney. Last night confirmed Governor Huckabee in my mind as my second choice in the contest for the Republican nomination.

  • Congressman Hunter: Until last night, I wouldn't have been able to identify Congressman Duncan Hunter in a lineup of the candidates - I would have had no idea whether he was Congressman Tancredo, or vice versa. No one is taking Congressman Hunter too seriously as a candidate, and in some ways I think that's unfortunate, but as much experience as he has in Congress, I don't think that the House of Representatives is sufficient qualification for the presidency. That having been said, I had no real issues with any of his responses - I wasn't thrilled when he said that he'd reserve the option of raising taxes in a national emergency, but I understand his logic and I'll give him credit for being straighforward about the issue. I thought his responses were strong, and I wouldn't be disappointed to see him get the vice presidential nomination.

  • Senator McCain: Aside from appearing agitated on several occasions, I thoroughly enjoyed Senator McCain's answers, and I think that many of them were both hard-hitting and serious. I've admitted that I'm supporting Senator McCain at this stage, but honestly, I think that Senator McCain's points about his support for the surge in Iraq, his denunciation of Governor Romney's stance on torture, his vocal disapproval of the squabbling between Governor Romney and Mayor Giuliani that kicked off the debate, and his review of his record on slashing wasteful spending were all spot-on. I think that he looked and sounded extremely presidential, and he did an excellent job of demonstrating that his positions are more than just talking points. With all of these highlights, I have to say that one of the best parts of the night was Senator McCain's aggressive chiding of Congressman Paul's naive and uninformed isolationist rants - Senator McCain was absolutely right to point out to Congressman Paul that those kinds of policies are what led to World War II, and I was glad to see someone put Congressman Paul in his place on this issue. I don't think Senator McCain came off as being as dynamic and warm as Governor Huckabee, but for the most part I thought he carried himself extremely well.

  • Congressman Paul: I've mentioned before that I think Congressman Paul is dangerous. I still think that, and I think that he showed himself several times last night to be naive and misinformed on a variety of issues. I'll give him credit for a couple of good answers, particularly those relating to federalism over big government bureacracy and laws. That having been said, Congressman Paul is barely credible as a Congressman, let alone as a presidential candidate, and his performance at last night's debate demonstrated that to me further. I give him credit for being transparent, for being honest and genuine, and for having some orthodox ideas, but mostly he's a fringe candidate who lacks credibility and substance, and he showed that last night.

  • Governor Romney: Governor Romney has some great qualifications, and I'd be comfortable voting for him if he were the nominee, but I thought his performance last night was terrible. His squabbling with Mayor Giuliani, his attempts to attack Governor Huckabee's record on immigration (which, to his credit, Governor Huckabee adeptly and positively answered - and that on a subject that I'm not in full agreement with Governor Huckabee on), and that bizarre aside on the gun ownership question when he jumped in and said that there were two guns in his home that were owned by his son - what on Earth was that? - led me to lose considerable respect for Governor Romney. I'd be comfortable voting for him if he were the nominee, but I'm certainly not excited about him.

  • Congressman Tancredo: Congressman Tancredo performed well last night, I think. I disagree with him on a number of issues, several of which I think he's extreme on. I admit to not knowing much about him. One thing I'll give him credit for was his response on the issue of manned spaceflight - while Governor Huckabee had a great response about the utility and importance of the space program, Congressman Tancredo's statements about the other candidates' commitments to missions to Mars being unnecessary spending at a time when we have bigger fiscal priorities was well-received. I'm glad that Congressman Tancredo is not a credible candidate, but as far as the debate went last night, I'll give him credit for some great responses and for making some important points.

  • Senator Thompson: I think Senator Thompson performed very well last night, better than he's appeared in previous debates. His answers were excellent, he was funny and engaging, and after last night's presentation I would rank him third in my list of preferred candidates, after Senator McCain and Governor Huckabee.

    As I get ready to go to bed, I'll just once again note that I believe that most of these guys, particularly Mayor Giuliani, Governors Romney and Huckabee, and Senators McCain and Thompson, are very high quality candidates. In most instances, they present themselves as statesmen, not politicians, and I think that's something that has been lacking from mainstream American politics for a while. I get the line from Michael Medved, but I honestly agree with it myself: the winner last night was the Republican party, which means that the winner was the United States. Despite the low-brow nature of the debate format, the fact that we have credible Republican candidates discussing important issues in a (relatively) civilized manner is of great value and import. I'd love to see another debate soon, especially if it's a real debate, vice an attempt for CNN to look trendy and technologically/culturally savvy.

    * * *

    I've had a real issue with productivity on non-writing projects this week. Next week will be better due in large part to some issues that I had with my schedule this week that I don't have to worry about next week; however, I'm going to make a concerted effort to concentrate on some other projects next week, such as finishing Imperial Grunts and finally completing a stack of note cards that have been awaiting conversion into Arabic flash cards for a solid month. So, expect some things next week (including that third anniversary extravaganza), but expect most of them to be lighter than the things I've had on the plate this week. Also, I have an article for my parallel writing endeavour due on Sunday, so expect that article on Monday morning, bright and early following the Fly Report.

    Have a great weekend and be safe, folks!
  • Fly Report: 30th November 2007

    Good morning. Reach, reach out to me.

    It's 48° Fahrenheit and cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 30° Fahrenheit with afternoon snow.

    The average price of oil is $90.41 per barrel. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 13,311.73. The exchange rate is $2.06 for £1, or £0.48 for $1.

    Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is very cool. The picture at the Orkneyjar Photoblog is new.

    Today's scripture reading is Genesis 30. The Fly is reading Imperial Grunts by Robert Kaplan.

    Everywhere you go, you shout it; you don't have to be shy about it.

    29 November 2007

    Why We Fight

    Hey folks. I had hoped to do some reading tonight, but I'm instead doing something that's just as important - watching the CNN/YouTube debate. Without going into detail on the debate itself, I'd just like to say that it's remarkable how different the technology is in this election cycle than it was even four years ago. I remember watching/listening to President Bush's inauguration in 2005 at a school computer - before wifi was the norm, before YouTube. What a drastic change.

    Anyway, as I watch, I'm going to cover a few bits and pieces - nowhere near as prolific as I've been lately, but that's alright.

    * * *

    A couple of light stories. First, a Roman road map has been displayed for a single day in Austria, where it's one of the most treasured items at the Austrian National Library. Having studied Roman history extensively, I found this one very interesting.

    A somewhat ridiculous item, but one that's caused a lot of damage, comes from here in Old Dominion. A tanker driver failed to properly close the valve on his tank, and spilled chicken grease all over several miles of highway. Talk about a failure to secure your load!

    * * *

    A few stories about Iraq - once again, good news from Iraq itself, and frustrating news from outside Iraq.

    In this post from yesterday, I noted this article from the Agence France-Presse, which claimed that Colonel Don Farris of the 82nd Airborne Division has seen no decline in Shi'i attacks in Baghdad. How interesting, then, to see this article, which cites the same Colonel Don Farris as saying, essentially, the opposite:

    Attacks are down 75 percent in recent months in a perilous stretch of neighborhoods in northeastern Baghdad, prompting a U.S. military officer to proclaim Monday that security there is "dramatically improving."

    People line the streets, cars congest them, trash collectors and other city workers have returned, local leaders are holding community meetings again and "markets have come back like gangbusters," said Army Col. Don Farris, commander of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.

    He added that the largely Sunni al Qaeda in Iraq presence has been "crushed" since the beginning of May.

    And that's from CNN! Also, the BBC reports that more Iraqi refugees are returning from foreign countries like Syria (CNN, BBC). The BBC also has an article about a successful Sunni neighborhood watch program, and six thousand Sunnis have joined forces with the Americans against al Qaeda in Iraq.

    Meanwhile, the Japanese are wrangling over whether or not to discontinue their aerial logistical mission in Iraq. (AFP, BBC)

    * * *

    Oh great, some retired general who came out as gay upon retirement showed up at the debate to say that gays should be able to serve openly. Don't we have bigger priorities than this?

    * * *

    A few weeks ago, a friend who's easily swayed by adeptly-presented conspiracy theories asked me to watch a "documentary" presented by the BBC. It's titled "Why We Fight", and you can watch it here if you're so inclined; or rather, the first part of it. It's not high enough quality to warrant embedding on this distinguished blog.

    Today I was pleased to find an article that tore this production to shreds, and did so with a number of the same points that I made to my friend when he and I discussed it several weeks ago.

    I served briefly, and without distinction, as a Navy reservist. Since I finished college, I've been compelled to move myself far from the home that I love, including to a state that I loathed (California) and a state to which I am largely indifferent (Virginia). I didn't do this because I'm an unwitting part of some massive conspiracy, or because I'm living the fat life and making it big through some sort of corrupt war profiteering. I've done things that most people would never do because I'm well-informed and well-read about the state of affairs in the world, and because I support freedom and security in America. For some partisan hack masquerading as a legitimate journalist to oversimplify and misrepresent these issues is the height of idiocy.

    So, why do we fight? There are many ways to express why our brave men and women in uniform fight - two difficult but important stories are as follows:

  • The Longest Morning: The Story of Heroism, Courage, and Loss in the Face of Impossible Odds
  • Letter Shares Fate of Destroyed SEAL Team In Afghanistan
    I just came into the first item today - the story of true heroism and endurance under heinous conditions in Iraq. Long, but worth the read. The second item is a firsthand account from a Marine officer who supported Operation Red Wing, the tragic mission described in Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell.

    This is why we fight.

    * * *

    As much as I'd love to recap the debate, I need to get to bed. I'll throw together a review of the debate tomorrow evening. I'll merely note that CNN.com, which appears to be CNN's barely-funded little brother, seems to have some very attractive female correspondants. Not bad.

    Just a reminder, please offer your input on your top ten favorite posts from the last three years, and your top ten favorite links that I've posted. Enjoy your Thursday, ladies and gentlemen, and tune in tomorrow.
  • Fly Report: 29th November 2007

    Good morning. It's always frustrating when someone you wanted to make sweet love to gets married - even if you know for a fact that you never had a chance!

    It's 41° Fahrenheit and rainy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 27° Fahrenheit with snow.

    The average price of oil is $92.44 per barrel. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 13,289.45. The exchange rate is $2.07 for £1, or £0.48 for $1.

    Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is cool. The picture at the Orkneyjar Photoblog is new.

    Today's scripture reading is Genesis 29. The Fly is reading Imperial Grunts by Robert Kaplan.

    All of this can be yours, just give me what I want and no one gets hurt.

    28 November 2007

    He's No Colonel Sanders

    You know, it comes in fits and starts, but lately I've been much better about posting content regularly.

    * * *

    Those of you who have followed this blog for a long time will know that I love to read. I love to own books, I love to read books, I love to loan books, I feel I need books. One thing that I love, at that both Father Time and Peter have been lucky enough to witness firsthand in the form of my infamous archive CD, is the literal libraries worth of free, public domain, open source literature that one can find online. Some of these pieces of literature are precious works of church history, like History of the Church by Eusebius. Others are valuable pieces of ancient history, like Agricola by Tacitus. Still others are primary source documents, such as Ahmed ibn Fadlan's Rusiyyah.

    Others are less enlightening. Hitler's anti-semitic tirade, Mein Kampf, is available online - in some instances on the websites of pro-Hitler hate-mongers, in others on sites that preserve it as the unfortunate (yet necessary) historical document that it is. You can also find the asinine and remnants of other wicked men who didn't come close to measuring up to Hitler's legitimate intelligence (for all of Hitler's many failings, he was in many ways a Machiavellian* political intellect) - documents like Guerrilla Warfare by one of the world's most colossal failures at guerrilla warfare, Ernesto "Che" Guevara.**

    Okay, many of you are asking yourself by now: "He's linked to Hitler and Che Guevara; where is he going with this!?" Well, folks, a few weeks ago when I was looking up Guevara's fourth rate guerrilla warfare handbook, I was also looking up the infamous Green Book by Muammar Qaddhafi, which is both a pertinent document in understanding the recent history of North Africa and highly entertaining. Espousing his theory on politics, economics, and society, Colonel Qaddhafi reveals hidden truth about human biology - truly insightful stuff, fully worth turning this into the only occasion when anything related to female-specific biology will ever be mentioned on this blog. Observe:

    Women are females and men are males. According to gynaecologists, women menstruate every month or so, while men, being male, do not menstruate or suffer during the monthly period. A woman, being a female, is naturally subject to monthly bleeding. When a woman does not menstruate, she is pregnant. If she is pregnant, she becomes, due to pregnancy, less active for about a year, which means that all her natural activities are seriously reduced until she delivers her baby. When she delivers her baby or has a miscarriage, she suffers puerperium, a condition attendant on delivery or miscarriage. As man does not get pregnant, he is not liable to the conditions which women, being female, suffer. Afterwards a woman may breast-feed the baby she bore. Breast-feeding continues for about two years. Breastfeeding means that a woman is so inseparable from her baby that her activity is seriously reduced. She becomes directly responsible for another person whom she assists in his or her biological functions; without this assistance that person would die. The man, on the other hand, neither conceives nor breast-feeds. End of gynaecological statement!
    Wow. Women are females and men are males? Men don't get pregnant or breast feed? I wonder what other great scientific revelations Colonel Qaddhafi will make. The Green Book was published in the early 1970's, so he's probably due for something new - I have no doubt that it will be anything less than revolutionary***!

    * * *

    A few years ago... Well, come to think of it, I guess it was probably more than a decade ago. At any rate, back "in the day", I read an article by a guy named Robert Zubrin about colonizing Mars. That article is here. I was quite surprised today to read an article at AFP Spacewar on Zubrin, titled "The Plan to Destroy OPEC". I'm not sure I agree with Zubrin's position - I've spoken before about my skepticism about reliance on biofuels. However, I think that his overall premise is compelling. The article's worth reading if you have any interest in these or related issues - and there are a lot of related issues, the most pertinent being that of the relationship between energy independence and national security.

    One of the big concerns around the world right now is the state of the American dollar, and you can't listen to American or foreign media without the issue coming up. (I think I even heard a crackly denunciation of American economic policies and the sub-prime mortgage issue on the Voice of Iran the other night - there's a big shocker.) Now, I'm absolutely in favor of a strong American dollar - if I were in charge of government spending, for example, I'd strengthen the dollar by dismantling redundant and/or pointless government agencies. However, despite the issues and the decline in the value of the dollar, it appears that the issue is a bit more complicated than just "devalued dollar = bad". One demonstration of this is that the European aerospace giant Airbus, the same company that went grossly over-budget in their competition with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, are having economic problems due to the attractiveness of American planes versus Airbus planes when sold side-by-side in dollars. Given that a Dreamliner can cost up to two hundred million dollars per plane, the potential positive impact to the American aerospace industry is considerable.

    One of the funniest things I've seen in the news lately is this story. The woman who has been the voice of the London Underground, otherwise known as "The Tube", has been sacked for recording spoof messages. You can hear a few of them here; there are also a few more here, at least for the duration that the podcast is up (the relevant portion is in the last two minutes, starting at around 24:55). Very funny overall - even the part about "our American tourist friends".

    We would like to remind our American tourist friends that you are almost certainly talking too loud.

    When I've been to the Kingdom, I haven't heard obnoxious Americans on the Tube. I did hear this obnoxious American guy, I want to say he was from Texas, several rows down from me on a Virgin train from Edinburgh to Carlisle on 11th September, 2004. He was speaking with some Asian men, I don't know where they were from, but I was more embarrassed than you can imagine - having just spent two months, in (at that point) two different countries (with two to go) being a good ambassador for American manners, class, and humility. Anyway, funny story.

    * * *

    Lately, I've tried to make a point of reporting every bit of good news out of Iraq that I could get my hands on. In the interest of full disclosure, I think that it's worth noting a couple of setbacks that have come about in the last few days. Not surprisingly, these setbacks have occurred not in Iraq, but in the West - save for one.

    According to Colonel Don Farris of the 82nd Airborne Division, his troops have seen no decline in attacks in their sector of Baghdad, which includes either some or all of the infamous Sadr City. According to Farris, his troops saw nine EFP attacks in October, up from a monthly high of seven earlier in the year. However, even this article acknowledges that the rates of violence in Iraq have dropped considerably, and the ceasefire called by Moqtada al Sadr is holding.

    Iraqi officials are seeking one final United Nations mandate authorizing the presence of the American-led coalition through 2008. An AP article indicates that the move has more to do with issues of the UN placing restrictions on Iraqi sovereignty. Overall, it's international political wheeling and dealing - worth checking up on.

    The real setbacks for Iraq have been political, and they've taken the form of two recent defeats for foreign leaders who supported and continued to support the liberation of Iraq. Following October elections in Poland, a new prime minister has been sworn in - liberal leader Donald Tusk, who has pledged to withdraw the Polish contingent of nearly nine hundred troops from Iraq. Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, a stalwart supporter of the Bush Administration and operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan, has lost to Labor leader Paul Rudd, who has pledged to sign Kyoto (a whole different issue) and pull Australia's five hundred combat troops out of Iraq.

    It's very frustrating to see these political figures base so much of their campaigns on pulling troops out of Iraq - just like it's frustrating to see the similarly pandering rhetoric of American Democrats (and Congressman Paul, but that's yet another tangental issue) in our own political race. It's additionally frustrating to see that they're focused on cutting and running ath precisely the moment in which the Coalition is beginning to consolidate what will hopefully be a tangible, unequivocal, and undeniable victory. However, political defeats for our close political allies in Australia and Poland do not negate the fact that we're winning in Iraq.

    * * *

    I know that I've posted a lot of items about both Iraq and politics lately. Both are big issues, and both are pertinent and important. While I don't intend to turn this back into a political blog in the midst of the election, I think that politics will continue to be discussed here, particularly through the primaries. One we have the nominees, it will be clear who my candidate is, and why, and there will be less of a pressing need to post some sort of play-by-play of the election. However, I've mentioned a couple of times lately that I support Senator John McCain's bid for the Republican nomination, and I'd like to give a few reasons why. I'll start off with a few videos - if you're not interested in watching them all, do yourself a favor and at least watch the third and final video, which happens to be the shortest.





    Why do I support Senator McCain? I support Senator McCain because I honestly believe that his policies are the best for our country, and I believe that his entire life has been spent living those policies and those values. In an age of political opportunists, corruption of the political process, and attacks on the American homeland and the American family, Senator McCain has a history of integrity and a reputation as a maverick. Allow me to give a few examples.

    I'll start off with economic issues. The second video above gives some excellent examples of Senator McCain's demonstrated fiscal conservatism, and if there's anyone who has a history and a reputation for attacking frivolous political expenditures, it's Senator McCain. He has literally saved the American taxpayer millions upon millions, probably billions upon billions, of dollars over the course of his career. In a day and age in which the American dollar is devalued by both domestic and foreign factors, and this result is felt by Americans in the form of such heinous occurrances as hundred-dollar-a-barrel oil prices (which, as I've stated previously, is bought and sold on a dollar rate), this kind of fiscal leadership is precisely what we need. More on that later.

    As far as social issues go, I believe that Senator McCain has been consistently correct on his stances. I'll admit to an incomplete knowledge on this front, but the one that sticks out is Senator McCain's consistent pro-life voting record. While I could vote for Mayor Giuliani or Governor Romney if either received the Republican nomination****, I'm far more comfortable with a consistent and unabashed pro-life record. Senator McCain has that, and has made no qualms about his Christian faith. As far as social issues go, I think that Senator McCain's biggest liability is his 1980 divorce; that having been said, I don't think that Senator Clinton, if she receives the nomination, would dare attack Senator McCain on such grounds. Further, while most of the other candidates come from money, Senator McCain is the son and grandson of Navy admirals - prestigious positions, to be sure, but no one joins the military to get rich. Senator McCain is very well off financially due at least partly to his wife's family connections to Anheuser-Busch, but that doesn't negate the act that he comes from a military family, not a wealthy family. Further, he graduated near the bottom of his class at the United States Naval Academy - I think those who take the time to learn that will appreciate the fact that he's been able to turn inauspicious beginnings into a successful career in public service.

    Politically, Senator McCain is a bona fide conservative, but has an established record as a political maverick, and also has experience working across the aisle with Democrats. Do I think that he's necessarily the best candidate to bring healing and unity to America's political establishment? Maybe not the best, but I can't think of anyone better, and I can certainly think of candidates who would be much worse.

    As most of you will have surmised, the most important issue to me is national defense. Why do I think that Senator McCain is the right man for this job? Aside from the obvious part - the one about him being a retired Navy captain, a combat veteran, and a former prisoner of war - Senator McCain has consistently been right on issues relating to national defense. He's held defense contractors accountable for giving the government what they promised, he has consistently supported the Iraq War, and he supported the "surge" long before it was popular among other politicians, long before it was implemented, and long before it was successful and showing results. No candidate has more defense experience or credentials than Senator McCain, and I can't positively name a single candidate on either side who has served in the military other than Senator McCain.

    To top it off, Senator McCain favors a common sense solution to the economic tyranny of OPEC, and that solution doubles as a common sense solution to the political issue of climate change. That solution? More nuclear power. This is the right solution, many conservatives have been advocating for a long time, and one of those conservatives is John McCain. Many nations around the world, including France and Japan, derive the majority of their electricity from nuclear energy. In a world of constantly rising oil prices, nuclear power would ease American the oil burden that is compounded by America's overwhelming reliance on oil-burning power stations, simultaneously reducing the need for oil and natural gas heating systems in American buildings. This is a good, common sense energy policy that partially divorces American industrial and personal lifestyles from unstable foreign oil, while simultaneously slashing our carbon footprint (that should make hippies happy - unfortunately, they have irrational and unfounded fears about nuclear energy). The fact that Senator McCain supports this policy as a solution to a number of issues is very encouraging to me.

    There are other reasons why I support Senator McCain, but these are the big ones. I supported him in the 2000 primaries, and I very much hope that he receives the nomination. Of the nine major candidates for the Presidency of the United States in 2008 (Mayor Giuliani, Senator Thompson, Senator McCain, Governor Romney, Governor Huckabee, Senator Clinton, Senator Edwards, Senator Obama, and Governor Richardson - my apologies to fringe candidates like Congressmen Kucinich and Paul, and Ambassador Keyes), I think that Senator McCain is the best qualified to lead our nation during this critical juncture in American and World history. That is why I support his candidacy.

    That having been said, I remain encouraged by the viability and quality of each of the five mainstream Republican nominees - particularly Senator McCain and Governor Huckabee. After all, the only major qualification that Senator McCain lacks is that he's not Norris-approved!

    * * *

    Zounds! Look at all of those asterisks! A total of ten! Great Scot! Alright, all that having been said, I must get moving on other projects for tonight - walking, reading, making a lunch for work tomorrow, and preparing my work clothes.

    For those of you who are reading, one more thing. Next Wednesday, Thus Saith the Fly will celebrate its third birthday. Time permitting, I plan to compile two lists: my top ten posts since 05th December 2004, and my top ten favorite links that I've posted here (most of them having been posted, in various contexts, several times). I'll also post something quite novel - a side-by-side image of yours truly, The Fly, in 2004 and the Fly in 2007. Aside from many other changes, there have been some appearance changes over the last few years. At any rate, if anyone wants to weigh in on posts they've enjoyed over the last few years, please feel free - I'd love to see your input.

    For now, have a brilliant Wednesday, and stay tuned.

    * Niccolo Machiavelli's stuff is available online, too, and it's much more interesting reading than Hitler's finest prison rants.
    ** In fact, the only thing that Guevara was really any good at was posthumously hawking T-Shirts.
    *** It will have to be, because the revolution he took on in the late 1960's really hasn't gone anywhere lately.
    **** Mayor Giuliani is personally pro-life, politically a pro-choice moderate, but better on the issue than any of the Democrat candidates; Governor Romney is pro-life now, but used to be pro-choice, which is and will continue to be an issue.

    Fly Report: 28th November 2007

    Good morning. You know, if it weren't for trucks, we wouldn't have tailgates.

    It's 41° Fahrenheit and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 31° Fahrenheit with partial clouds.

    The average price of oil is $93.87 per barrel. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 12,958.44. The exchange rate is $2.07 for £1, or £0.48 for $1.

    Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is vaguely interesting. The picture at the Orkneyjar Photoblog is new.

    Today's scripture reading is Genesis 28. The Fly is reading Imperial Grunts by Robert Kaplan.

    Maybe your hands aren't free.

    27 November 2007

    Stuff Fly Wants: November 2007

    There are a few additions to the list this month - I think I've eliminated far fewer items from the list since I moved than I used to. A few items should be knocked off the list at some point soon. Enjoy.

    Field Gear
  • British special forces style rucksack (available at Silverman's in London, item number 35116) - £89.99
  • British SAS smock (available at Silverman's in London, item number 22001) - £90.00
  • British Desert DPM trousers and shirt
  • MARPAT Desert Utilities - $67.90
  • Six Color Desert Utilities - $39.90
  • Tiger Stripe Utilities - $39.90
  • Khaki Tru-Spec Tactical Response Uniform trousers (2) - $89.80
  • Sand Crye Precision R6 Field Pants - $105.00
  • UDT/SEAL Team Swimmer Trunks (2) - $71.90
  • Multicam Hunting Shirt - $27.95
  • U.S. Army ACU tan sweat-wicking uniform T-shirts (3)
  • Under Armour Cold Gear
  • Carhartt Double Front Logger Dungarees (2) - $93.00
  • Grundig Mini World 100PE shortwave radio - $40.00 (Amazon price $30.00)
  • Archos 104 4GB MP3 Player - $159.99 (Amazon price $83.89)

    Miscellaneous Clothing
  • Royal Marines T-Shirt - £10.96
  • More Cowbell T-Shirt - $17.99
  • Position Wanted: Pope T-Shirt - $20.00
  • Clan Cleland tartan kilt and kilt pin - $400.00-$700.00

    Household Items
  • Xbox DVD Movie Playback Kit - $29.99
  • Union Jack
  • Amazing Pasta Maker - $39.95 [click me]
  • Fouled Anchor lapel pin - $3.00
  • Walther PPK
  • Orkney satellite map
  • Britain and Ireland Map - $10.99
  • Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Middle East Map - $10.99
  • Roman Mainz Gladius
  • The Maxim Coffin Coffee Table - $4135.00
  • Fascinations Antworks - $20.00 (Amazon price $16.50)
  • Stikfas Assault Team - $22.99 (Amazon price $20.99)
  • Bentwood Chair - $69.99
  • Outfitter XL Cot - $99.99
  • Pawleys Island Tri-Beam Hammock Stand - $140.00
  • Pawleys Island Beach Quilted Hammock - $222.00 (Amazon price $184.36)
  • papasan chair and ottoman
  • filing cabinet
  • book case

    Books
  • Travels of ibn Battutah - $18.00
  • Bravo Two Zero by Andy McNab - $7.99
  • Contact Zero by David Wolstencroft - $7.99

    Entertainment
  • U2 PopMart Live from Mexico City - $29.98 (Amazon price $27.99)
  • Best of Chris Isaak (CD & DVD) - $24.98 (Amazon price $22.99)
  • James Bond Ultimate Collection - Volumes 1, 2, 3, and 4 - $359.92 (Amazon price $234.52)
  • 24 - Seasons 1, 2, 3, and 4 - $269.92 (Amazon price $154.53)
  • Space Above and Beyond - Complete Series - $41.99 (Amazon price $36.98)
  • Reno 911! - Season 2 - $39.98 (Amazon price $31.99)
  • Firefly - Complete Series - $49.98 (Amazon price $24.97)
  • Kids in the Hall - Seasons 1, 2, 3, and 4 - $179.90 (Amazon price $155.98)
  • The Drew Carey Show - Season 1 - $39.98 (Amazon price $29.99)
  • Gladiator Extended Edition - $39.98 (Amazon price $29.99)
  • Apocalypse Now Redux
  • Gattaca - $14.94 (Amazon price $10.99)
  • Mars Attacks! - $9.98
  • Quigley Down Under - $14.98 (Amazon price $10.99)
  • The Proclaimers - Life With You - $25.99
  • Switchfoot - Nothing is Sound - $18.99 (Amazon price $13.99)
  • Switchfoot - The Legend of Chin - $11.98
  • Remy Zero - The Golden Hum - $18.98 (Amazon price $14.99)
  • Stephanie Schneiderman - Live at Kung Fu Bakery - $15.98
  • Go-Go's - Return to the Valley of the Go-Go's - $31.98
  • Mystical Chants of Carmel by the Carmelite Monks - $18.95
  • Fly Report: 27th November 2007

    Good morning. And there are voices that want to be heard.

    It's 48° Fahrenheit and cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 36° Fahrenheit with snow and wind.

    The average price of oil is $96.45 per barrel. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 12,743.44. The exchange rate is $2.07 for £1, or £0.48 for $1.

    Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is very cool. The picture at the Orkneyjar Photoblog is not new.

    Today's scripture reading is Genesis 27. The Fly is reading Imperial Grunts by Robert Kaplan.

    Grace finds beauty in ugly things.

    26 November 2007

    She Blinded Me! With Science!

    A few things, on a few different topics. Read on.

    * * *

    A few words about politics.

    As I've mentioned before, I think that the Republicans have several extremely strong candidates. When I can get a letter written, I'm going to make a small donation to Senator McCain's campaign, but I would be comfortable with Senator McCain, Senator Thompson, Mayor Giuliani, Governor Romney, or Governor Huckabee as the nominee. I remain dismayed at what I see to be remarkably low quality in the Democrats who are running.

    Governor Huckabee has released his first campaign video, and while it may be a bit too comical for its ultimate purpose, I think that it may have a positive effect by highlighting Governor Huckabee's credentials while showing his personality.



    One of the criticisms of Senator Dole in 1996 was that he didn't show a sense of humor or much personality until after the election had concluded - appearing on Saturday Night Live and various other talk shows. As a result, we've seen a big shift since then, with many candidates from both parties appearing on late night talk shows in particular in order to show a more personal side to the electorate. I think this video could accomplish that early for Governor Huckabee. He appears to be running ahead in some polls, although the overall picture suggests that the race is still wide open.

    One thing worth noting is the disproportionate amount of coverage Governor Romney is getting for being Mormon. Now, I think that Governor Romney's faith is an issue - I do. I'm about as much of an expert on Mormonism as one can be without actually being Mormon. I have issues, many issues with the Mormon faith, but the bottom line is that Governor Romney's values are of more import than his theology. Now, if the media wants to bring up Governor Romney's political positions, some of which have changed considerably, I think that's legitimate. I'm not one of those bloggers who spends every post railing against the evils of the mainstream media, but every time that the old media makes Governor Romeny's faith an issue, it demonstrates its inherent bias and lack of journalistic integrity. The mainstream news outlets can do better than this - they choose not to due to either bias or laziness, and it's not fair to Governor Romney.

    As far as the race amongst the Democrats goes, Senator Clinton's lead appears to be eroding. Senator Obama is leading in Iowa polls, and if Senator Clinton doesn't finish first or a very close second in Iowa, she's going to have a difficult time attempting to recover. In the last couple of months, I've spoken with several staunchly left wing friends, all of them young women, who have said that electing Senator Clinton to the presidency would be completely unacceptable. I know that this evidence is anecdotal, but to me, it's indicative of the relative lack of overall support that Senator Clinton actually has. People have claimed that all democrats and all women are going to vote for her, but I've been saying for several years now that that's not the case.

    Okay, look at it this way. Senator Clinton's supporters think that she'll receive support from all Democrats, and from the majority of women. However, they appear to ignore the fact that many feminists won't vote for her because of her reaction to President Clinton's affairs, and centrists and moderate women won't support her because she's pro-abortion (not pro-choice, pro-abortion), not to mention her weakness and inexperience on national security issues. The majority of men don't like her, at all, for any number of different reasons. She'll also lose a lot of the anti-war voters because she voted for the war, and now her answer to those questions is to somehow imply that President Bush tricked her or something. Further, Senator Clinton has a great deal of political and legal baggage, much of which is completely or largely unrelated to the considerable political baggage that President Clinton carries. A mere taste of this, and one that could very well come into play in a big way if Senator CLinton receives the nomination, can be seen below.



    I still believe it's likely that Senator Clinton will receive the nomination, but she is in no way bulletproof, and if she does indeed get the nomination, I honestly believe that she'll have an uphill battle against any of the top five candidates, based on her level of experience alone. Honestly, can you imagine a debate between Senators Clinton and McCain (just for example) if things continue to improve in Iraq? Senator Clinton, a one and a half term senator with no other actual qualifications or job experience who voted for the Iraq War before she backtracked; versus Senator McCain, a decorated war hero with the better part of thirty years experience as a senator who supported the Iraq War straight through and recommended the surge when such a move was unpopular? Or against Governor Huckabee, a dynamic orator with no personal or political baggage and real experience running a state? Or Mayor Giuliani, a moderate conservative who has real experience not only in the justice department, but who cleaned up New York City?

    I think it's going to continue to be an exciting race to watch, and I'm nowhere near as terrified of a democrat win as I was a few months ago. Now if President Bush could only get that dollar back up in value...

    * * *

    I originally posted the first paragraph of this section with Thursday's news post, but decided to pull it and post it here with a number of other archaeology/science-related articles that I've been saving up.

    The European Space Agency is putting the finishing touches on the Jules Verne, their partner to the Russian Progress supply ships. The ESA craft will deliver supplies to the International Space Station. Meanwhile, images from Mars have located current and inactive probe landers - very cool, particularly finding the old Viking landers from the 1970's.

    A cave sacred to the ancient Romans has been discovered beneath Rome's Palatine Hill (AP, BBC, Guardian) (see the final line of the above exchange between myself and Friar Dave) - very cool, and somewhat reminiscent of the 1999 discovery of Roman ships buried in Pisa, and the possible discoveries of Atlantis near Spain and near Cyprus. Also, in a story I didn't see until a while ago, excavations in Rome may have revealed the tomb of the Apostle Paul.

    On an island off the coasts of Iraq and Kuwait, archaeologists are exploring an outpost used by Alexander the Greek. In Turkey, a massive statue of Emperor Hadrian, the legendary Roman leader, has been discovered. Another great discovery is that of a viking long boat in England, found - where else? - underneath a pub!

    Back in April, scientists announced the discovery of a mineral remarkably similar to literary and film descriptions of Kryptonite.

    Back in September, the AP reported on a project aimed at archiving the world's dying languages. Throughout history, there have been many, many languages that have gone extinct, and I think that's very unfortunate; although these languages don't necessarily retain much utility (hence their decline), any effort to retain as much of the sum total of human knowledge as possible is a good thing in my book. Meanwhile, the Brits have developed a method that will allow scientists to read otherwise unreadable ancient documents.

    * * *

    Here's another recent conversation with the Crypto King, who recently moved with his wife and kids (Geki-K and Chick Magnet) out to the West Coast.

    Crypto King: and since we don't have beds, we've bought some sleeping mats at ikea and we're all sleeping together on them.
    The Fly: Japanese style, mats on the floor.
    Crypto King: pretty much, only there's not enough that we get one each.
    The Fly: Fair point.
    The Fly: What is it, you and [your wife] on one, and the boys on one?
    Crypto King: it's like tetris.
    Brilliant!

    * * *

    A few defense/security related stories; after all, that's my bread and butter, right?

    There's been a lot of buzz since early September regarding the Israeli air strike on a building in the Syrian desert. Nobody seems to want to talk about it - the Syrians have claimed it was an empty, unused building, the Israeli government has scarcely acknowledged that the raid happened. Evidence suggests that the "vacant building" was tied to undeclared Syrian nuclear activity; one expert believes that it was a Syrian nuclear bomb factory.

    I think I'm going to end up writing an article about this subject, but I'll mention it here briefly. Reminiscent of this article that I posted a few months ago, Military.com also has an article about the new Air Force utility uniform. Apparently the uniforms do a poor job of helping Airmen in desert climates expel heat, and Airmen have taken to removing the internal map pockets in order to mitigate the heat retention inherent in these added layers of material. In addition, the "digital tiger stripe" pattern, while sort of cool, is reminiscent of the ACU color pattern used by the Army. This is really frustrating because our guys deserve the best possible uniforms and equipment that we can give them. The color schemes of the ACU and ABU uniforms, while possibly effective as camouflage in some areas, have no utility for camouflage in the desert - they don't, that's just the way it is. Also, the vast, grand majority of Air Force personnel don't need internal map pockets in their uniforms - these map pockets could be easily incorporated into specialized versions used by the Air Force Special Operations community. Meanwhile, the Marines continue to be happy with the MARPAT utility uniforms. Go figure.

    There are more questions as to the situation in Afghanistan; one report claims that the Taliban have a permanent presence in fifty-four percent of Afghanistan. NATO continues to debate the level of effort and tactics to be used in Afghanistan (1, 2). In one barely-believable story, NATO allies appear to be squabbling amongst each other over Germany's inability to conduct night operations; Germany is one of many NATO nations that have severely restricted their troops' ability to so much as entire hostile areas, leaving the lion's share of heavy combat in Afghanistan to the Brits, the Canadians, the Dutch, and the Americans. (For the record, I believe that Germany's very presence in Afghanistan is a big step in the right direction, as I noted in this article.) Meanwhile, American forces are making contingency plans for supplying forces in Afghanistan in the event that the situation in Pakistan deteriorates further; elsewhere, the new Japanese Prime Minister has vowed to resume Japan's Afghan naval fueling mission.

    A couple other stories: there's some level of disagreement as to how many F-22 fighters the Air Force needs. This is a tough sell for me, because the United States military is getting much more mileage out of aircraft designed for close air support, like the A-10 Thunderbolt II, the AV-8B Harrier, and the AC-130 Spectre. As far as the immediate need for squadron upon squadron of F-22 Raptor aircraft, I honestly don't see it. However, we continue to face the looming juggernaut of the People's Liberation Army - which is not to say that we're going to go to war with China, but then again, we never techncally went to war with the Soviet Union, either. Given that establishing air superiority will be essential in any conflict with China (or other nations like Iran, although it's likely that their stock of disintegrating F-14's wouldn't survive the initial hours of an air war). The Iraq War, and the efforts to combat the IED menace, have proven that while research and development can be ramped up, there's still a time curve that must occur - things don't happen overnight. So, like I said, this one's a tough sell, because as far as current and projected operations are concerned, the Air Force would do well to acquire more aircraft optimized for close air support. That tends to be a mission that most of the core leaders in the Air Force look down upon, focusing instead on air superiority and technologically sophisticated fighter aircraft. However, it's not out of the question that the Air Force could require a large inventory of F-22 aircraft within the foreseeable future. This is one to watch in the future.

    Just because it's related, it's worth noting that there are rumblings that the F-22 might be sold to Japan (link), and apparently South Korea may be interested as well, although a State Department statement from July indicates that this may be a red herring; here's another link. Now, I realize those links are old, but I've seen another link within the last few days, so maybe the ban was lifted? I don't have a solid answer on that one.

    Speaking of air power, there appears to be Congressional dissent on arms sales to Saudi Arabia. According to the Congressional statements:

    A coalition of 188 members of the House of Representatives warned that if the technology fell into the "wrong hands" it could harm US forces in the Middle East and threaten Israel.

    "Any sale of JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) technology to Saudi Arabia must come with guarantees backed by strict conditions notified to Congress followed by regular reporting."
    I'm not quite sure whose hands these Congressmen think that the JDAM technology is going to fall into - it's not as if al Qaeda has an Air Force, though I suppose they could be worried about the technology being acquired by various Arab allies of the Saudis. Again, I think this is sort of a red herring - after all, the Saudis are flying one of the biggest fleets of F-15 Eagles in the world.

    And finally, there's an interesting article from the Guardian about one soldier's book about Chechnya. The article's worth a read if you have any interest in Russian affairs and military history.

    * * *

    I've been thinking a lot about my faith lately; I'm not sure quite what inspired it, but I've been listening to studies by Steve Gregg and sermons by Ashley Day lately, and researching to see whether or not there are any monastaries within driving distance that offer retreat opportunities. I've also been researching Episcopal churches in the area - somehow, I figure that an Episcopal church in a heavy military area is likely more orthodox than the denomination as a whole. For some reason, this all reminded me of a poem that Friar Dave wrote last year, that I'll reproduce here without his permission (knowing full well that he'll have no problem with it).
    The Twelve in Us All
    I sold my country in a greedy hour,
    I fought my brother for a seat of power.
    I fell asleep when you called my name,
    I thought our causes were the same.
    I relied on fish and bread,
    I believed that you were dead.
    Still a stranger you sought me out,
    I would drown with all my doubts.
    I am simply James the Less,
    I am simply Thaddaeus.
    I would take your life for coin,
    If we yet remained unjoined.
    In case you didn't catch it, it's a poem about the Twelve Disciples. Sort of poignant, I guess - at least, it stuck out for me.

    * * *

    That should do it for today. Tomorrow I'll present the November 2007 edition of Stuff Fly Wants, which will be forwarded to my parents in abbreviated form as a Christmas wish list since they're not really onboard with the "Fly doesn't celebrate Christmas" concept. On Wednesday or Thursday, I hope to have either one of two articles started, which will mirror the article for this Sunday's submission for my parallel writing endeavour. This week's article will either be on the extent and legitimacy of the "Axis of Evil", or on giving our soldiers better uniforms.

    Also, I realized after I posted the article last week that I referenced the picture of the cross being restored to St. John's Church in Baghdad without actually posting the picture. I don't want to go through the hassle of contacting someone about permission to use the image (since my the folks I write for already did that for the actual article), so I'll link to Michael Yon's article that displays the picture. Go check it out - it's really worth seeing, every bit as iconic as those pictures of the Iraqis with the purple fingertips from early '05.

    Alright, folks, your decadent four day weekend is over (save for Mighty Mo, who worked on Friday just like I did). Have a great day - at work - and stay tuned for more throughout the week.

    Fly Report: 26th November 2007

    Good morning. 'Til now, I always got by on my own; I never really cared until I met you.

    It's 39° Fahrenheit and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 36° Fahrenheit with sunshine.

    The average price of oil is $97.78 per barrel. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 12,980.88. The exchange rate is $2.06 for £1, or £0.49 for $1.

    Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is very cool, but has nothing to do with astronomy (a shortcoming that could be fixed with better writing). The picture at the Orkneyjar Photoblog is new.

    Today's scripture reading is Genesis 25. The Fly is reading Imperial Grunts by Robert Kaplan.

    I'm looking in the places where no flowers grow.

    23 November 2007

    Fly Report: 23rd November 2007

    Good morning. You're shying away; I'll be coming for you anyway.

    It's 39° Fahrenheit and cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 31° Fahrenheit with sunshine.

    The average price of oil is $96.53 per barrel. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 12,799.04. The exchange rate is $2.06 for £1, or £0.49 for $1.

    Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is cool. The picture at the Orkneyjar Photoblog is new.

    Today's scripture reading is Genesis 23. The Fly is reading Imperial Grunts by Robert Kaplan.

    You elevate my soul.

    22 November 2007

    News Attack! (Updated!)

    I've been trying to get this post written for almost a week. I had a few items about Iraq to post, but they've been incorporated into this article; however, I have a few other Iraq-related stories to add. Anyway, read on.

    * * *

    One of the issues that the American government faces is retaining diplomatic/economic supremacy in the international community. With issues like the rise in oil prices and the declining value of the dollar, this effort becomes more and more challenging. As such, it's frustrating when the Federal Government can't find ways to work with both strategic allies and strategic friends, particularly when doing so pushes them closer to our strategic competitors. What do I mean? Well, here are two stories.

    India and Russia have pledged to strengthen their ties, both in military and economic matters; this includes the joint development of a stealth aircraft. The United States has made a point of "courting" India, for lack of a better word; there were highly publicized military exercises in the Bay of Bengal in September involving India, the United States, Japan, and Australia. India will conduct military exercises with China in December as well. There have been issues with the proposed nuclear cooperation between India and the United States; overall, though, it is in our best interest to encourage a strong alliance with India, an up-and-coming economic and military power house in South Asia.

    The United States has also turned down South Korea's requests for assistance with their space program, due to non-proliferation concerns. (Obviously we're not worried about the South Koreans developing ballistic missiles, but the technology is dual-use so there are political and diplomatic concerns.) So, given that they couldn't get their ally, the United States, to help them with their space program, what did they decide to do? They sought assistance from the Russians, who were more than willing to provide it. Really, though - couldn't we have figured out some sort of compromise in order to keep our allies from seeking assistance from Russia?

    Russia has finally pulled out of a base in Georgia, although tensions between the former Soviet core and the now-independent Caucausian nation persist over an alleged Russian air raid a few months ago. Russia is also exploring the option of deploying ballistic missiles to allied Belarus in an effort to counter the American/allied ballistic missile shield. The Russian government has also pledged to build a surface fleet second only to the United States, although this article on the subject makes the Russian program appear to be every bit as troubled as France's Charles de Gaulle.

    * * *

    Iran has finally presented evidence that may indicate malignant intent in their "peaceful nuclear program". However, the IAEA has said that Iran's transparency on their nuclear program has declined since 2006, when Iran stopped cooperating on several key areas. (Fox, BBC) The IAEA says that Iran has come clean about their past efforts, but that their current intentions are still a mystery due to limited cooperation. (BBC, AFP) The Iranian regime is also apparently considering enriching uranium in a neutral country in order to reduce scrutiny and controversy over the program.

    Meanwhile, the abrasive and confrontational foreign policy of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad is facing increasing criticism from both conservatives (like the mayor of Tehran) and moderates (like former Iranian presidents Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammed Khatami) over his treatment of the nuclear crisis and his antagonism of the international community. The Iranian regime has also been critized by Iranian Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi (AFP, BBC), who has gone on record saying that while Iran has the right to nuclear energy, flaunting that right is not worth a war with the United States. Ahmedinejad has also been sharply criticized by a prominent Iranian newspaper, widely held to have impeccable Islamic credentials.

    American military representatives have highlighted continued diplomacy in recent weeks. China, master of the diplomatic cock block, has gone on record and affirmed Iran's right to a nuclear program, while simultaneously discouraging nuclear proliferation. Also, Venezuelan despot Hugo Chavez is visiting President Ahmedinejad - draw from that what you will, but it suggests to me that my earlier assertion that the Axis of Evil goes beyond rogue Middle Eastern states is absolutely accurate.

    For the record, I have no issue with Iran having a nuclear program; and at some point, I could be okay with Iran having nuclear weapons. However, I think that this Iranian regime having a nuclear capability of any kind is completely unacceptable. It's similar to my views on Pakistan's nuclear program (which, admittedly, could be problematic soon), or the nuclear energy aspirations of Egypt or Algeria or Libya, even though Islamist threats persist to some degree in all three of those countries. The issue is not nuclear energy, which is the most viable (and, for the record, most environmentally sustainable) form of energy currently available (in the absence of fusion, for example); the issue is the credibility of the promises of peaceful use of nuclear technology. With this particular Iranian regime, that credibility simply does not exist.

    * * *

    Behold! Here's a conversation with the Crypto King from a couple of months ago that follows up on this post about bachelor cuisine.

    The Fly: I am, after all, a historian. And you are, after all, a connoisseur of mature content.
    The Fly: And Hamburger Helper.
    Crypto King: Indeed I am.
    Crypto King: I wish I could get a degree in that.
    Crypto King: Either one, before you ask.
    The Fly: You can. I think it's called Women's Studies.
    The Fly: LOL
    The Fly: I wouldn't have even thought of getting a degree in HH without you saying that last line.
    Crypto King: Not a true HH fan, then. I see.
    The Fly: Up for debate, apparently. I'd had no doubt before this.
    Crypto King: yet you never even entertained the idea of majoring in HH. so disappointing.
    I laughed. I hope you folks did, too.

    * * *

    I have a few quick notes about conditions in Iraq, most of the recent noteworthy developments having been noted in this article from a few days ago.

    The importation of weapons from Iran into Iraq, including EFPs, appears to have slowed or stopped. General Petraeus also gives partial credit to Syria for a reduction in the in-flux of foreign terrorists into Iraq. What this means, exactly, is the subject of speculation. Hopefully, it means that Iran and Syria, no matter how unreliable and rogue they are, are keeping their pledges to stop arming and encouraging terrorists. Both regimes are particularly Machiavellian on issues like this; the bottom line, though, is that if there are less EFPs and foreign fighters getting into Iraq, that's good news for our troops as they continue to consolidate security gains in the country.

    A U.S. Army major general has claimed that Northern Iraq is now the most dangerous region of the country (AP, AFP). This is primarily in areas like Diyala and Salah ad Din (and possibly Mosul?) (map), and less the Kurdish areas like Dahuk, Sulaymaniya, and Irbil. Even in the "most dangerous region", though, violence is still declining significantly. Look at it this way: even America has its own "most dangerous" areas.

    Meanwhile, even the BBC is reporting the good news: Iraqis return home 'in thousands'.

    * * *

    As I've mentioned previously, Friar Dave is a grad student at a major university. Every now and again, he provides me with veritable gems from students who didn't pay attention or study.

    Friar Dave: Did you know Marcus Aurelius' Meditations were the basis of Stoicism?
    Friar Dave: (and according to students in the other class, Phillip and Alexander "went on crusade" against the Persians)
    The Fly: No they weren't, the Enchiridion by Epictetus was. Marcus Aurelius was a continuation.
    Friar Dave: Yes. Of course.
    The Fly:
    The Fly: Oh, wait, is this test answers?
    Friar Dave: yep
    Friar Dave: Additionally, Phillip of Macedon's only histocial significance (according to many students) was that he was Alexander's father
    The Fly: ROFL
    The Fly: Going on a walk, keep it coming.
    Friar Dave: right, and back to work for me
    The Fly: k
    Friar Dave: and nero set fire to the palestine hill
    Palestine Hill? That's Palatine Hill. See below.

    * * *

    In yet another story that proves that Islamists hate freedom, not American/Western decadence and foreign policy offenses, Taliban representatives murdered a boy who was teaching his schoolmates English. In a tangentally-related story, hooded "Palestinian"* militants are receiving classes from the Red Cross on the laws of armed conflict and protection of human rights; I know for a fact that there are jokes to be made there, but I'm going to be professional and leave it be.

    I've wondered for years now why Afghanistan's illicit poppy production couldn't be exploited to make pharmaceuticals, thereby turning an illicit cash crop into a legitimate and productive cash crop to fuel productivity and prosperity throughout Afghanistan. I actually discussed it with M@ once, as he's in the medical field. M@ told me that the poppy crop in Afghanistan exceeds the actual demand for pharmaceutical poppy production. Well, apparently I'm not the only one who had this idea. Under the linked proposal, production and trade would occur at the village level, vice the farm level. It sounds like a good idea to me, but I'm admittedly ignorant on the issue.

    British snipers are slated to get new rifles. Very cool.

    And finally, the French navy has joined in the fun, escorting two ships laden with relief supplies so that they couldn't be hijacked... by Somali pirates!

    * * *

    Wow, lots of news, lots of links. I have a few more stories, but they can wait. I'll try to (finally) write up an introductory "China Watch" post this weekend, to include a few recent stories. Stay tuned, and have a great Thanksgiving!

    * For a reminder of why I use quotation marks in such situations, take the red pill.