Wherein the Fly Conquered Wednesday

As I write this post, I'm watching 300. That's a movie that will put hair on your chest. First, the news.

Piracy Feared After Cargo Ship Vanishes in English Channel (Times, BBC, Guardian) - This is a fascinating story. A Russian cargo ship (Maltese flagged) leaves Finland in July, bound with a load of Timber set for delivery in Algeria - and disappears. This is after the ship is allegedly boarded in the Baltic Sea the day after it embarked. For some reason, I think that this story could get a lot more interesting than it already is before it's all over.

BBC: Respect for Geneva laws of war is lacking, 60 years on; Guardian: Don't dismiss the Geneva conventions - I'm all for the Geneva Conventions, at least in theory; but the truth is that they have largely failed through many instances of the Law of Unintended Consequences, and the letter of their law is so obsolete that it has lost much of its relevance to modern war. As we observe the sixtieth anniversary of their "final" implementation, the Geneva Conventions' marginalization results from thir own specificity in decades past.

Fox: Taliban Chief Writes 'Handbook' to Win Hearts and Minds of Afghans - This is going to come back to bite the Taliban, because the Taliban grunts don't make any attempt to follow these rules. It destroys their credibility in the fight for legitimacy, which is the core of the Afghan conflict.

Space.com: NASA's Mars Orbiter Recovers From Computer Glitch

CNN: Guinness' success highlights opportunity in Nigeria, Africa - That's because Guinness is fantastic.

Guardian: Is a camel cull really necessary?

Guardian: Notes and Queries: Railway Speak - Entertaining. Good for a laugh.

Times: Terrorists attacked Pakistan nuclear sites - Just wonderful.

AFP: Russia building new Star Wars missiles: Air Force - Good luck with that, comrades. Some working military gear would be a good start.

AFP: Poland considers boosting Afghan force - Poland is totally awesome. They supported us in Iraq, and now they may pick up Western Europe's slack in Afghanistan. The next time I go to Europe, I'm absolutely throwing some tourist dollars at our Polish friends.

UPI: Taliban have gained upper hand - Maybe, but I'm not convinced just yet.

Just for Fun: Nicolas Cage's Son - The comments are absolutely hysterical. If you've ever made fun of Nicolas Cage, this is the page for you.

Fars: Official Hails Self-Sufficiency of Iran's Defense Industries - That's why all of Iran's military "innovations" are made from recycled Russian SCUD parts, and all of their combat aircraft are the rotting hulks of forty year-old American F-4s, F-5s, and F-14s.

Here are some of the things I did last night, instead of writing up a longer post.

I did an excellent swim workout.

I talked to Father Time on the phone for a while.

I went to Red Robin for dinner, since I didn't have the energy or the ingredients to make a quick dinner.

I wrote in my new journal (while I was at Red Robin).

Today's video is the second part of the Angry Video Game Nerd's Alien Invaders review.



I may write something more comprehensive tonight, if I have the time. Until then, have a fantastic Thursday.