Abandon all hope, ye who enter here...

Good morning. Any bird that thinks it's a good idea to sing outside my window at four in the morning should be destroyed.

It's 14° Centigrade and partly in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 66° Fahrenheit with isolated thunder storms.

A barrel of oil is trading at $125.80 - keep blaming Congress until it's back to acceptable levels. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 12,646.22. The exchange rate is $1.98 for £1, or £0.51 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 Matthew 23.

I see your face, I see you staring back at me.

29 May 2008

The Fly Conquers Nature

I love conquering nature. I simply love it. Few things give me more joy than giving nature the proverbial finger. Don't get me wrong, I love nature - love its splendor, being within it, hate destroying it... But sometimes, when nature tries to fight you, you have to give it a swift kick in the junk. What am I talking about? Well, I've been experiencing some extremely uncomfortable skin issues over the last couple of months, and I'll be damned if I had any clue whatsoever what was causing them. I'd even gone so far as to see a doctor, who sent me to another doctor. Ladies and gentlemen, I can't tell you for a fact when the last time I'd seen a doctor was; probably at some point in '03 or '04, not counting the last time I saw an opthalmologist and my dentist in 2004, the approximate dates of which I remember for the sole reason that I got myself squared away before leaving the country for two and a half months.

So here I am, being a miserable little Fly. I'd prayed about it, I'd seen a doctor, I'd even allowed it to be a partial catalyst in the end of a romantic relationship. Finally, I decided that maybe (probably) there was an environmental factor contributing to it. I worked on cleaning up my place, wondering if there was some sort of sanitation or cleanliness measure that I was neglecting. Then, it hit me - and credit for that must be properly given to God - that my problems may have started right around the time that I'd started putting my bar of soap lower in the shower than I'd done originally. I'm not out of the woods yet, but I'm relatively sure that shifting my soap's location by about a foot and a half may have solved my issues. Excellent!

And great thanks go to Mighty Mo, the bastard love child of Danny Tanner and Monica Geller, whose excellent input should help me to kill nature dead. For any bachelors reading this: if you don't live in a dry, arid climate anymore, then clean your shower regularly. You, too, can conquer nature like a big, manly barbarian.

That picture is not of me and my son (as I obviously have no children), but of the nearly-two-year-old Little Desert Rat, or Desert Rat Junior, or whatever you want to call him. He's cute as a damned button, smart as a whip, and cooler than me in college - way cooler than me in high school. I got to hang out with him and the Desert Rat in April when I was visiting Hometown/College City.

Continuing this week's theme of satellite imagery from the Sahara Desert, today's image is Tadrart Akakus in Libya. Here's a Wiki link, and here's another picture. I'm not interested in the cave paintings, so much as I am in the amazing desert landscapes. Very impressive. Some of you may have seen this coming: Tadrart Akakus will be a featured location in the second of two spy novels currently in development by your friendly neighborhood Super Fly.

Remember Cheb Mami? Of course you don't! And why would you? All he did was a duet with Sting back in 1999 or so. Anyway, today's featured video is Cheb Mami featuring Samira, performing "Youm Wara Youm (Habibi)."

For any of my readers who are interested in listening to A) more Arabic or B) anything in a foreign language, perhaps for the purposes of zoning out, I recommend free podcasts from BBC Xtra, the BBC's Arabic service.

Have a great day, folks! Stuff Fly Wants tomorrow, just in time for the weekend!

Fly Report: 29th May 2008

Good morning. We have all the time in the world.

It's 12° Centigrade and foggy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 67° Fahrenheit with isolated thunder storms.

A barrel of oil is trading at $130.50 - keep blaming Congress, because it's still their fault. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 12,594.03. The exchange rate is $1.98 for £1, or £0.50 for $1.

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is lame, and unrelated to astronomy. The picture at the Orkneyjar Photoblog is new, and I saw the site when I was there!

Today's scripture reading is Matthew 22.

Lookin' for the places where no flowers grow.

28 May 2008

Ach du liebe Zeit!

All praise be to God for a revelation and miracle that's even more exciting than yesterday's revelation of Star Trek: CBS has MacGyver, too!

Today's satellite image is the Ahaggar Mountains (Wiki)
in southeast Algeria. I wouldn't say that it's going to play prominently in the second of two spy novels that I'm currently writing, but it will certainly get a noteworthy mention.

That's it, folks, MacGyver and Algerian mountains. Have a great day!

Fly Report: 28th May 2008

Good morning. Other Central Asian countries have inferior potassium.

It's 12° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 68° Fahrenheit with isolated thunder storms.

A barrel of oil is trading at $127.23 - keep blaming Congress, but keep your fingers crossed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 12,548.35. The exchange rate is $1.98 for £1, or £0.51 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Matthew 21.

Looking for to save my, save my soul.

27 May 2008

Birthday Come Early

Sweet merciful glaven on a stick, do you people know what I found out last night? Every nerd's dream has finally come true: you can watch every episode of the classic Star Trek on the CBS website. Every episode. I think I'm about to go into anaphylactic shock.

Today's satellite image is Oran/Wahran/وهران, Algeria. Why? Because your videos for today, other than Star Trek, are both from Rachid Taha, an Algerian-French rai rocker from Oran. This first video is a live performance of one of my favorite songs, "Barra Barra," which was featured in the 2001 film Black Hawk Down.

The second video, also of Rachid Taha, is an Arabic cover of the classic song by the Clash, "Rock the Casbah."

Have a great day at work, folks!

Fly Report: 27th May 2008

Good morning. He was absolutely, one hundred percent faking it: he knew for a fact that Soilent Green was made out of people.

It's 13° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 56° Fahrenheit with thunder showers.

A barrel of oil is trading at $132.08 - blame Congress, because it's their fault. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 12,479.63. The exchange rate is $1.98 for £1, or £0.50 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Matthew 21.

Where do we go from here?

26 May 2008

Fly Report: 26th May 2008

Good morning. Everyone has AIDS! AIDS AIDS AIDS! AIDS AIDS AIDS AIDS AIDS AIDS! Everyone has AIDS!

It's 12° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 46° Fahrenheit with rain.

A barrel of oil is trading at $131.93 - this is beyond rational thought. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 12,479.63. The exchange rate is $1.98 for £1, or £0.50 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 Matthew 21.

After the flood, all the colors came out.

23 May 2008

Fly Report: 23rd May 2008

Good morning. It's an operation that has to be carried out with so much grace, charm, tact, efficiency, and vigor that its sheer perfection is quite nearly beyond comprehension.

It's 12° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 53° Fahrenheit with rain and thunder.

A barrel of oil is trading at $131.02 - this is beyond rational thought. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 12,625.62. The exchange rate is $1.98 for £1, or £0.51 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Matthew 20.

I'm going nowhere, where I am it is a lot of fun; there in the desert to dismantle an atomic bomb.

22 May 2008

Fly Report: 22nd May 2008

Good morning. There's an off chance that I might actually pull this off... And it's the challenge that both terrifies and envigorates me.

It's 11° Centigrade and mostly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 46° Fahrenheit with rain and thunder.

A barrel of oil is trading at $133.79 - this is beyond rational thought. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 12,601.19. The exchange rate is $1.97 for £1, or £0.51 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Matthew 19.

Take this soul, stranded in some skin and bones; take this soul, and make it sing.

21 May 2008

Ambitious Bachelor Fly

Hey folks. I apologize for the near-total lack of posts lately. I happen to have a bit of time at the moment, so I figured I'd tap out a few bits of news and do a little bit of good old fashioned ranting.

First off, and without noting any specifics: women are crazy.

A couple of weeks ago, I cooked. Yes, I know, astonishing. I cooked fettucine alfredo, which is to say that I boiled noodles and dumped in pre-made alfredo sauce. Well, it came to the point in the process where one would normally drain the exceptionally hot water from the pan. I was positive that I'd invested in a collander, but for the life of me, I couldn't find it. I searched and searched and searched; in every cupboard in fact. Eventually, I substituted the steaming tray from my Breville rice cooker, which worked sufficiently. I was cleaning up my kitchen on Saturday, and what would I find but that collander I was sure I'd purchased... Sitting right there, on the stove, in the very same place that it had been two weeks prior. Unbelievable.

Some of you have no excuse for ignoring my TDG. Others of you have no excuse for not forwarding the link to your friends, who would obviously enjoy submitting a response to it. Is it that I haven't put up a tangible prize? Should I pledge something as a "sweetener" of sorts?

I kid you not, I have at least two hundred links I want to post. Some of them are exceptionally dated, but I want to start posting them regularly at some point. Some of it's good stuff. I just came across this article about Algeria yesterday, and it's worth reading even though it was first published back in September. I also found this article yesterday, which explains one great way to save money, fight terrorism, and attack the energy crisis simultaneously: make sure your tires are properly inflated. As many of you know, I try to keep tabs on both Afghanistan and Iraq, and there have been a couple of interesting developments lately - many, in fact, although I've picked just two that could have long-lasting results. In Afghanistan, the recent rise in global food prices has actually led Afghan farmers to switch from growing poppies, which fund terrorism, to growing wheat, which they can both eat and sell for what is now a higher price than poppies. Meanwhile, the Iraqi government is attempting to pass a law preventing political parties with affiliated militias from running in parliamentary elections. Do you know who that excludes? Moqtada al Sadr and the Jaish al Mahdi Militia.

Part of the reason why I haven't been posting much on the blog lately is that I've been inspired to write two spy novels simultaneously. The sequel plot hit me a couple of weeks ago like a sack of bricks, and I've been trying to get elements of both of them down on paper/electrons while they're still fresh in my head. What I really need is one or two solid, uninterrupted days of writing bliss, but the last one of these I got was Saturday, and that was spent writing the conclusion of my "Big Oily Mess" revision. At least one semi-regular TSTF reader is giving me input - sporadically - which I find to be extremely helpful and encouraging.

So my big project for today, despite driving rain with thunder and lightning, was to start cleaning up my place. I'm not sure whether I'm staying here or moving when my lease is up in July. If I stay, I'm done living like a stereotypical bachelor; I'd rather start living like a semi-classy bachelor. The first task is getting the place cleaned up and organized better. I'm going to have to purchase some supplies, and maybe some equipment. Once I have things a bit cleaner, or maybe while that's in progress, I'm going to disassemble my futon, cart it out to the dumpster (possibly in portions), and get two new pieces of furniture: a papasan chair and ottoman from Pier 1, and a bentwood gamer chair and ottoman from Target. I also have a LoveSac and a coffee table that I inherited from the Crypto King back in November that has yet to be set up. For the record, I don't foresee ever buying a futon from Wal Mart ever again. I bought one back in October for the visit from Laud, and it's been falling apart for about four months now. Completely unacceptable. Also, if I do renew my lease, my place will be pre-arranged for my second year; if I move, I've theoretically dumped the crap that shouldn't have made it out of California while simultaneously equipping myself with furniture for the new place.

Mighty Mo, I know for a fact that you're laughing at me right now. Because you are my beloved adopted sister, I'll refrain from diggin in at one of your many recent foibles... For now.

Here's a hilarious video from one of my favorite YouTube channels, Runaway Box/Man in the Box Show:

For your satellite map of the day, here's the Ulster Museum where I met with Dr. Richard Warner in September of 2004 and - no joke - discussed one of my university research topics with him. He even let me photocopy his articles on the subject. Someday, I'm going to combine them with the articles I got the next day at the National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology and History to write a kickass research paper.

Life? Me? Apparently the answer to that question is "no," but maybe that'll change a bit once I get this place put together. Oh, and I want to pick up a little bit of the
Algerian Arabic. Joy.

Eek. I dreamed I was house-sitting for the Obama family. Awkward.

Fly Report: 21st May 2008

Good morning. I thought it was funny, but now I've got money on a monkey fight.

It's 10° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 55° Fahrenheit with rain, thunder, and wind.

A barrel of oil is trading at $128.19 - Kull Wahad! The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 12,828.68. The exchange rate is $1.97 for £1, or £0.51 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 Matthew 18.

When I try to sing this song I, I try to stand up, but I can't find my feet.

20 May 2008

Fly Report: 20th May 2008

Good morning. Once I have removed the knife I carry in my boot from its sheath, I cannot return it until it has spilled, blood!

It's 11° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 84° Fahrenheit with partial clouds.

A barrel of oil is trading at $125.60 - Kull Wahad! The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 13,028.16. The exchange rate is $1.95 for £1, or £0.51 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Matthew 17.

One man betrayed with a kiss.

19 May 2008

Fly Report: 19th May 2008

Good morning. There were two sides to that billboard... And they both hurt, equally.

It's 10° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 78° Fahrenheit with partial clouds.

A barrel of oil is trading at $124.68 - Kull Wahad! The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 12,986.80. The exchange rate is $1.96 for £1, or £0.51 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Matthew 17.

I'm starting a landslide in my ego.

16 May 2008

Campaign TDG Part I: Radar Raid

You are in command of 1st Platoon, Echo Company, 3rd Battalion, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable). While you are underway with the Boxer Expeditionary Strike Group, forces from the Central Asian nation of Dirka-Dirkastan invade the neighboring nation of Kerplakistan. Both nations are former Soviet holdings. Dirka-Dirkastan is ruled by a maverick general and his military council. Kerplakistan holds noteworthy reserves of natural gas and copper ore, and minor reserves of unexploited petroleum; it is also a nuclear power on the order of Pakistan and India.

While the People's Islamic Army of Dirka-Dirkastan suffers from some supply issues, their senior officer corps benefits from former service in the Red Army; many senior non-commissioned officers had combat experience in Afghanistan, and a handful have experience in Chechnya. Kerplakistan is a developing democracy with a predominately Muslim population; the Kerplakistani National Army is well trained, and equipped with both surplus Soviet/Russian equipment and limited Western systems as a result of favorable relations with the United States and the United Kingdom. While the likelihood of the PIAD successfully occupying and consolidating gains in Kerplakistan is low, the ability of the KNA to force a Dirkastani withdrawal is also low.

While the invasive capacity of the PIAD is limited, their defensive capacity is effective, particularly their air defense and command and control capacity. Dirka-Dirkastan subscribes to Soviet/Russian military doctrine, requiring that all operational and upper-level tactical decision-making take place at the highest levels of Dirkastani military leadership. Because of this, the S-2 has determined that the critical vulnerability of the PIAD is their command and control facilities within Dirka-Dirkastan.

This incursion by Dirkastani forces has led to an international outcry. Because of its favorable relationship with the United States, the Commander in Chief has initiated diplomatic and economic measures to punish Dirka-Dirkastan. In addition, the Boxer ESG has been rerouted in order to place the 15th MEU within range of the area.

You receive a warning order to prepare for a covert operation inside Dirka-Dirkastan, aimed at disrupting PIAD operations in Kerplakistan. You are tasked with disabling, not destroying, the al Khamsa Radar Station, one of six stations used by the PIAD for both remote sensing and command and control. The al Khamsa station is located fifteen miles from the Dirkastani/Kerplakistani border. Your platoon will be inserted by two MH-53 aircraft, which will be escorted by two AH-1 SuperCobra gunships; your insertion will be covered by Navy AWACS aircraft in order to prevent detection by Dirkastani forces. Once your insertion is complete, your platoon will maintain radio silence and hump the remaining distance to the al Khamsa site. Your insertion will place you in the al Bahairat Noor Basin, east-northeast of the objective.

The al Khamsa Radar Station is located in a small lake basin; the dominating feature of the basin is a small dry-lake, and the site is surrounded by tall, rolling, rocky hills. The facility consists of one large radar dish, eight adjacent buildings, and a garage/barracks several hundred yards from the main station. The garage/barracks buildings are separated from the main site by a hill, eliminating line-of-sight from one location to the other. The station is staffed by a support crew of twenty to thirty specialists and guarded by a security section of two motorized rifle squads on a rotating schedule.

While most of the Dirkastani forces are committed to the invasion of Kerplakistan, a reserve force has been kept behind. Satellite imagery indicates that the nearest PIAD unit is the 32nd Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment, located approximately one hour northwest of the al Khamsa site. Tactical planning and rules of engagement should reflect a commitment to stealth and expediency for two reasons: because of the relative proximity of the reserve forces, and because simultaneous operations are being conducted at two of the other five radar stations on the Dirka-Dirkastani/Kerplaki border. In addition to your standard platoon of forty-one, you have been assigned two sniper/spotter teams composed of two men apiece, as well as two intelligence specialists and two demolitions specialists.

Your primary objective is disabling the al Khamsa Radar Station - operation of the station must be disabled, but destruction is only authorized if disabling the site is deemed impossible upon arrival at the objective. Upon completion of the mission, you will hump back to the insertion point, then break radio silence and call for extraction. Emergency extraction will be available in the event of mission compromise. In a time limit of one hour, provide a detailed assault plan to include maneuvering instructions for your three rifle squads and two sniper/spotter teams.

Fly Report: 16th May 2008

Good morning. All we are is dust in the wind, dude. Dust... Wind... Dude!

It's 12° Centigrade and mostly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 77° Fahrenheit with sunshine.

A barrel of oil is trading at $123.80 - Kull Wahad! The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 12,992.66. The exchange rate is $1.95 for £1, or £0.51 for $1.

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is boring, and unrelated to astronomy. The picture at the Orkneyjar Photoblog is new.

Today's scripture reading is Matthew 16.

Baby please, baby please don't go.

15 May 2008

Fly Report: 15th May 2008

Good morning. I was young, but I wasn't naive. I watched helpless as you turned around to leave.

It's 12° Centigrade and mostly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 55° Fahrenheit with rain.

A barrel of oil is trading at $123.75 - Kull Wahad! The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 12,898.38. The exchange rate is $1.94 for £1, or £0.51 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Matthew 14.

Don't worry, everything's just fine.

14 May 2008

Wherein the Fly is Taking Crazy Pills

I think that the world is probably going to burn to the ground this week... Or something like that. Ugh. Someone please make the badness stop.

I saw this yesterday, and I HAD to include it on the blog. It was a moral imperative.

As I mentioned on Friday, a campaign-level tactical decision game (TDG) will debut at the end of this week. For those of you who haven't been around long enough to see what a TDG is like, just plug "TDG" or "tactical decision game" into the search bar. I'll provide several links tomorrow, or Friday with the new TDG itself.

This weekend I picked up Radio Havana, the propaganda tool of the Super Castro Brothers. Thus, here's the apparent location of Radio Havana. Interestingly enough, I figured that I probably wasn't the first person to do a play on the Super Mario Brothers by calling Chairman Fidel and Comrade Raul the "Super Castro Brothers". Well, as you can see, I'm apparently not the only one who's come up with it, but it looks like I may have been the first on the Internet to coin the phrase all the way back in my first month of blogging, and two of the three entries returned by Google are my little ol' blog. Most excellent!

Wow, would you look at that? The week is looking up.

Fly Report: 14th May 2008

Good morning. My love for you was blind, but I couldn't make you see it.

It's 12° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 55° Fahrenheit with rain.

A barrel of oil is trading at $124.66 - Kull Wahad! The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 12,832.18. The exchange rate is $1.95 for £1, or £0.51 for $1.

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is cool. The picture at the Orkneyjar Photoblog is new, and it's worth checking out.

Today's scripture reading is Matthew 14.

Too much is not enough.

13 May 2008

Fly Report: 13th May 2008

Good morning. I came across a fallen tree; I felt the branches, are they looking at me?

It's 11° Centigrade and mostly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 62° Fahrenheit with sunshine.

A barrel of oil is trading at $123.00 - Kull Wahad! The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 12,876.31. The exchange rate is $1.96 for £1, or £0.51 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Matthew 13.

Have you come here for forgiveness?

12 May 2008

Fly Report: 12th May 2008

Good morning. Lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones, and I will try to fix you.

It's 11° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 46° Fahrenheit with rain.

A barrel of oil is trading at $124.92 - Kull Wahad! The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 12,745.88. The exchange rate is $1.95 for £1, or £0.51 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Matthew 12.

And then she makes you watch her from above, and you need her like a drug.

09 May 2008

Warning Order - Warning Order

Now hear this, now hear this. In one week, Thus Saith The Fly will commence a campaign-level tactical decision game. This is your warning order. Stay tuned.

Fly Report: 09th May 2008

Good morning. Do you ever look around you and wonder how it was that you got to where you are?

It's 14° Centigrade and fair in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 47° Fahrenheit with rain and thunder.

A barrel of oil is trading at $123.74 - Kull Wahad! The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 12,866.78. The exchange rate is $1.95 for £1, or £0.51 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Matthew 11.

She screams like an angel for your love.

08 May 2008

Fly Report: 08th May 2008

Good morning. Give a little bit; give a little bit of your love to me.

It's 13° Centigrade and fair in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 60° Fahrenheit with isolated thunder storms.

A barrel of oil is trading at $122.78 - unbefrickinglievable! The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 12,814.35. The exchange rate is $1.95 for £1, or £0.51 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Matthew 10.

You put your lips to her lips to stop the lie.

07 May 2008

A Big Oily Mess (Revised!) Part I: Understanding High Fuel Prices

While most Americans are anxious about rising fuel costs, and all Americans are impacted by the increased price for oil, the reasons for the quick rise in the price of a barrel of crude since 2004 are many and complicated.

One of the most pressing factors in the oil crisis is that oil is traded on U.S. currency. What's this mean? That it's bought and sold on a dollar rate, as opposed to pounds sterling, euros, or yen. When the dollar declines in value, as it has declined in value over the last several years, it takes more dollars to buy a barrel of oil, and that translates into higher prices at the pump. The declining value of the dollar, based on factors ranging from deficit spending to increased entitlement payouts to the chaotic stock market, means that Americans have been hit harder by the increased price of oil relative to other countries that have enjoyed steady currency values. This is further complicated by the recent slowing of American economic growth, which has compelled oil speculators to invest in oil futures as a "sure thing." The result of this set of controls is that the actual American demand for oil is perceived as disproportionately drastic by Americans.

Contrary to popular belief, sport utility vehicles are not part of the problem. Automobiles account for a minor share of American fuel consumption. Demand for oil in the form of gasoline has decreased in the last several years, a result of the free market's impact on demand. Given that most Americans see automobiles working on a regular basis, it's easy to conclude that motorists are the problem. However, what most Americans don't realize is that petroleum-based energy generation is the source of most of America's electricity. In addition, industrial and manufacturing operations use petroleum-based lubricants make up for a substantial fraction of America's overall demand for oil. Also, plastic is in greater and greater demand globally for a wide range of products, and the plastic requires oil as a primary ingredient. While it's easy to blame motorists, America's increased demand for electricity and manufactured goods are bigger factors in the increased demand for oil.

The price of oil is increased through two bottlenecks: supply, and refinement capacity. While oil is found in many areas of the world, a number of these locations are either difficult to locate or exploit (like undersea fields), or in unstable areas (like the Middle East). Contrary to popular belief, most of the oil consumed by America does not come from the Middle East; in fact, America imports more oil from neighboring Canada than it does from anywhere else. Even so, a notable amount of American oil comes from places like Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Venezuela. Not only are several oil-producing nations prone to supply and transport delays caused by violence or other instability, but many of these countries actually refine the oil they produce, turning it from crude into end products like diesel, gasoline, or lubricants. The United States has not constructed a new oil refinery since the Carter Administration. As a result, America is dependent upon oil exporting countries not only for oil, but for refined oil. Both of these needs impact the overall supply and cost of oil for American consumers and industries. Another factor is the price manipulation by OPEC. Gone are the days of the late 1970s oil embargo, but OPEC still influences prices by putting limits on both the production and refinement of crude oil. Other entities, like Russia and Venezuela, have been known to either threaten or make good on threats to increase the price for their oil supplies; and the deteriorating stalemate with Iran, an oil producer and a neighbor to oil producers, hasn't helped.

As controversial as it is to question the wisdom of ethanol production, it's worth noting that ethanol is part of the reason for increased oil prices. This may seem counterintuitive, but the process of creating ethanol requires the expenditure of nearly as much petroleum-based fuel as is created by the ethanol process. Most service stations in the United States now incorporate a percentage of ethanol in every gallon of gasoline. That constitutes a large quantity of ethanol, and when one considers that nearly the same amount of gasoline is burned in the production process, and the longer and more complicated process of producing combination gasoline-ethanol results in a higher overall production cost, it's easy to see why the increased production of ethanol has failed to reduce the price of petroleum.

While the American demand for global petroleum supplies has remained relatively constant, and even declined in some sectors, the global demand for oil has increased. A great deal of this increase results from the recent industrialization, on a massive scale, of both China and India, though these are just two examples. As it is in America, so it is in China and India: increased industrialization means an increased need for electricity, lubricants, oil as an ingredient in various manufactured goods, and the like. Increased prosperity in these nations also results in an increased demand for individual users, whether for cars, or products, or electricity.

These are just a few of the major factors in the increase in petroleum prices since 2003-04. As complex as the issue is, no single "silver bullet" solution exists, and only one or two alterations in the overall picture can produce dramatic changes in the prices Americans experience. he next installment will explore a few of the proposed solutions that will either fail to solve the issue, or even impact it negatively.

Fly Report: 07th May 2008

Good morning. Now and then, you just walk right in, ask me how it's been since you've been still.

It's 16° Centigrade and fair in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 54° Fahrenheit with thunder showers.

A barrel of oil is trading at $121.25 - it's supposed to be goingDOWN, not UP! The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 13,020.83. The exchange rate is $1.97 for £1, or £0.51 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Matthew 9.

Won't you tell me something true? I believe in you.

06 May 2008

Wherein The Fly is Brief

Sometimes I can't believe how much I rule. I don't have time to tap out the story yet, and I need to get permission from Miss Tina to tell it in the first place. That having been said... Sometimes I can't believe how much I rule.

I'm sure most of you would have been thrilled to read something substantive this morning from your most excellent host, The Fly. Unfortunately, inspired to keep writing by a recent acquaintance whose blog name isn't yet finalized, I spent most of the evening last night working on my spy novel, or کتاب مخابرات. (For those of you non-Arabic speakers, that's Kitab Mukhabarat.) I'm making some good progress, but I can only write so much in one day, which means that I've been posting less lately. If it's the choice of skipping a few blog posts, or not writing an actual novel, I'll skip a few blog posts. Tomorrow I'll post the second part (and maybe the first?) of my revised edition of "A Big Oily Mess", updated for 2008 from the original version from 2005 (linked below, in case you want to read up early).

One final note. I saw this article yesterday on MSN. Long-time readers will know that I loathe MSN - not to the degree that I loathe the Whore, may she be hit by a double-decker bus in God's mercy - but every now and again I find something useful on there. This article was very interesting, and in my case, very accurate. My beloved little brother, Twitley, got away with MURDER - drinking, smoking, skipping a month of his foreign language class - while I was twice threatened with grounding for getting home fifteen or twenty minutes late from church group meetings. I was essentially forced into college, while my brother was encouraged into nine months of mechanic school. Am I complaining? Only in that I feel like my brother should have been held to the high standard that I was. We've both turned out pretty good, very interesting given that we weren't raised extremely strictly, but I've certainly lived my life much straighter than he has. The bottom line, though, is that I found the article quite interesting and true to my experience; and when I mentioned it to my mother on the phone last night, she agreed with me. Isn't that something?

Awwww, hell, I'll just finish this post out now that it's this long. Video of the day? Hilarious:

And your satellite image for the day? Ehhhhh... How about Algiers.

Have a great day, folks!

Fly Report: 06th May 2008

Good morning. "Why are you so far away?" she said. "And won't you ever know that I'm in love with you? That I'm in love with you."

It's 10° Centigrade and cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 48° Fahrenheit with clouds.

A barrel of oil is trading at $119.13 - it's supposed to be goingDOWN, not UP! The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 12,969.54. The exchange rate is $1.97 for £1, or £0.51 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Matthew 8.

You can push, but you can't direct it.

05 May 2008

Fly Report: 05th May 2008

Good morning. You want it all, but you can't have it; it's in your face, but you can't grab it.

It's 15° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 73° Fahrenheit with rain and sunshine.

A barrel of oil is trading at $115.91 - WTF? The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 13,057.06. The exchange rate is $1.97 for £1, or £0.51 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Matthew 7.

You can reach, but you can't grab it; you can hold it, control it, but you can't bag it.

02 May 2008

Whoops

Hey folks. My apologies: I teased a discussion of what posters I might or might not put up in my flat, and I'm not going to discuss it today due to a lengthy phone conversation last night with Red Dwarf, who's pretty much the only person from high school whom I still speak with on a near-regular basis. I'll post about posters next week. Have a great weekend!

Fly Report: 02nd May 2008

Good morning. In the song, is the guy singing "secret agent man" or "secret Asian man"?

It's 12° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 45° Fahrenheit with rain and snow showers.

A barrel of oil is trading at $112.13 - still unacceptable. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 13,010.00. The exchange rate is $1.97 for £1, or £0.51 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Matthew 6.

Twilight, can't find my way.

01 May 2008

Time to Decorate - Fly Style!

Hey folks! Well, as anyone who's read this blog for a long time will know, the Fly is the consummate bachelor. How is this evidenced? One example is that a quick glance at the bedroom of my one bedroom flat would lead one to believe that I was a victim of the recent tornadoes in Suffolk, while a look at my refrigerator would reveal a perfectly organized beer supply. In reality, I just never really finished moving in. Now, I'm not positive that I'm even staying in this flat once my lease is up in July - for reasons I won't go into - but that's nearly three months away. When my buddy Laud was here at the end of October, I bought a Wal Mart futon. I never had any trouble with the Wal Mart futon I bought for Zoo Station, but this worthless piece of crap is pathetic, broken, and I think it's gonna go. A couple of weeks ago, Butt Rubber showed up with a used futon formerly owned by the father of Olive Oil and Disc Golf Wife (who are sisters), but I'm not sure what its destiny will be in the long run.

The point? It's time to strategically acquire a couple of pieces of furniture. At the moment, I have an XChair by Green Eggs and Hammocks; a Lovesac and a perfect bachelor coffee table from the Crypto King and family when they left town (which I intend to pay him the agreed-upon price for, hopefully soon); an untrustworthy stool from Target, purchased when I first arrived from Zoo Station; and a dining room set on extended loan from my gracious and outstanding boss. I intend to keep most of that, although one or both of the futons will disappear. So, what are my plans?

I want to get 1) a Bentwood Chair ($79.99) from Target to replace a similar chair that went back to Hometown with my folks when I left Zoo Station last year; and 2) a papasan chair and ottoman (roughly $150) from Pier 1 Imports, also to replace the tired set I left behind at Zoo Station. I may or may not go the extra mile and substitute a bentwood chair with a matching ottoman ($179.99) for that first item. That would give me, and potential guests, a variety of comfortable seating options, all of them featuring a "feet-up" option. Furthermore, chairs and ottomans are far easier to move within any given metropolitan area, or in a PODS-style shipping container, than a busted up futon.

For Christmas, my parents gave me a gift card to Cabela's so that I could get something we used at work in my old job: an Outfitter XL Cot ($99.99). I've been meaning to order it for ages, and I'm going to try to get that accomplished by the end of the week, though there are no guarantees. At some point, maybe in a nice one or two bedroom rental house (inshallah), I'd like to get a Pawleys Island tri-beam hammock stand and quilted beach hammock... And a filing cabinet and a book case, though I'm probably getting ahead of myself.

If I get ambitious this weekend, which is possible, I fully envision ordering the cot and the bentwood chair, picking up the papasan chair and ottoman, and clearing out at least one futon. Although I have an article due this weekend, I ought to be able to get everything done if I can keep myself motivated. And this is to say nothing of putting up posters... But I'll leave that for Friday.

Also, just to put you folks on notice, a Tactical Decision Game warning order is coming soon. Stay tuned.

Fly Report: 01st May 2008

Good morning. This weekend I'm going to a Juan-on-Juan Mexican basketball tournament.

It's 10° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 39° Fahrenheit with rain, snow, and wind.

A barrel of oil is trading at $112.57 - still unacceptable. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 12,820.13. The exchange rate is $1.98 for £1, or £0.50 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Matthew 6.

Too much is not enough.

-	Yomping
Week 1	35 mins x 25 lbs
Week 2	35 mins x 25 lbs
Week 3	35 mins x 30 lbs
Week 4	40 mins x 30 lbs
Week 5	40 mins x 35 lbs
Week 6	40 mins x 35 lbs
Week 7	45 mins x 40 lbs
Week 8	45 mins x 40 lbs
Week 9	45 mins x 45 lbs
-	Swimming
Week 1	25 mins x4
Week 2	25 mins x4
Week 3	30 mins x4
Week 4	30 mins x4
Week 5	35 mins x4
Week 6	35 mins x4
Week 7	40 mins x4
Week 8	40 mins x4
Week 9	45 mins x4
-	Push-Ups
Week 1	3x15 x3 days
Week 2	4x20 x3 days
Week 3	4x25 x3 days
Week 4	4x25 x3 days
Week 5	5x25 x3 days
Week 6	5x25 x3 days
Week 7	5x30 x3 days
Week 8	5x30 x3 days
Week 9	5x30 x3 days
-	Sit-Ups
Week 1	3x15 x3 days
Week 2	4x20 x3 days
Week 3	4x25 x3 days
Week 4	4x25 x3 days
Week 5	5x25 x3 days
Week 6	5x25 x3 days
Week 7	5x30 x3 days
Week 8	5x30 x3 days
Week 9	5x30 x3 days
-	Pull-Ups
-	N/A

Thus Saith the Fly

30 May 2008

Stuff Fly Wants: May 2008

Fly Report: 30th May 2008

29 May 2008

The Fly Conquers Nature

Fly Report: 29th May 2008

28 May 2008

Ach du liebe Zeit!

Fly Report: 28th May 2008

27 May 2008

Birthday Come Early

Fly Report: 27th May 2008

26 May 2008

Fly Report: 26th May 2008

23 May 2008

Fly Report: 23rd May 2008

22 May 2008

Fly Report: 22nd May 2008

21 May 2008

Ambitious Bachelor Fly

Fly Report: 21st May 2008

20 May 2008

Fly Report: 20th May 2008

19 May 2008

Fly Report: 19th May 2008

16 May 2008

Campaign TDG Part I: Radar Raid

Fly Report: 16th May 2008

15 May 2008

Fly Report: 15th May 2008

14 May 2008

Wherein the Fly is Taking Crazy Pills

Fly Report: 14th May 2008

13 May 2008

Fly Report: 13th May 2008

12 May 2008

Fly Report: 12th May 2008

09 May 2008

Warning Order - Warning Order

Fly Report: 09th May 2008

08 May 2008

Fly Report: 08th May 2008

07 May 2008

A Big Oily Mess (Revised!) Part I: Understanding High Fuel Prices

Fly Report: 07th May 2008

06 May 2008

Wherein The Fly is Brief

Fly Report: 06th May 2008

05 May 2008

Fly Report: 05th May 2008

02 May 2008

Whoops

Fly Report: 02nd May 2008

01 May 2008

Time to Decorate - Fly Style!

Fly Report: 01st May 2008

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