Thus Saith the Fly

Last Call

2009-12-05T15:28:00.003Z

My dear, dear friends,

Ah, welcome once again. Five years have passed since I arrived in this humble corner of the Internet, and more than four years have passed since I last addressed you in this fashion. An occasion to reveal myself has presented itself once again, but time is short, so do pay attention. A great deal has happened in the intervening period, and I, for one, couldn't be happier. My supervisors are beside themselves, and Our Father Below is absolutely thrilled - even he couldn't have dreamed that his plan could have turned out so well as it has of late. Don't get me wrong, his happiness turns him into even more of an arrogant prick than we usually fear, but I don't mind. It runs in the family.

It all started with subtle hits to collective discipline, temperance, and common sense. A poor decision here, a bit of excess there. Patterns emerge, habits are established, and all we have to do is wait. They say that patience is a virtue, but what about the evil within us? Is patience in the pursuit of evil and vice virtuous? Something tells me that when the moth is captured in the spider's web, the moth doesn't see the goodness in the spider's patience during the course of spinning a web, and then waiting for its prey. Instead, the moth looks on in sheer horror as the panic grows, until the spider devours it, bit by little bit. When a young Iraqi or Afghan digs a hole and puts a bomb into it, then waits in the heat of the sun for his target to arrive before pushing the button that sends shrapnel through the body of another young man, is that patience virtuous? Patience. Like any other virtue, it can be corrupted, and it can be used to corrupt other virtues, other positive qualities. Discipline. Temperance. Common sense.

Even though they will disagree on their nature, most people will at least agree to the existence of false gods. We were patient. We coaxed a few here, a few there, starting decades and centuries ago. We nudged some among you to disbelieve one thing, and others to believe in another. We convince one woman, through rumor or innuendo, to worship nature and value animals, or plants, or water over the lives of human beings. Then, we convince a man that a particular philosophy that causes only anger and suffering is no better or worse than another philosophy that leads its adherents to happiness and charity. Eventually, in a painstaking process that takes decades, or generations, we have turned you all against one another, in one faction or another, until society and politics congeal like cement to prevent you from working amongst yourselves to solve any problem that comes to haunt you. The sheer devastation is gorgeous - the chaos and global fatigue are as beautiful to my associates and me as any beauty that you could possibly perceive with your own eyes.

The result is that, of late, a world of your own making (resulting, of course, from our gentle and subtle suggestion) has fallen apart around you. A healthy desire for personal comfort has been combined with a national pressure to own anything and everything, to the point of believing that you must have things that you neither want nor need, regardless of whether you can pay for it - and this, "credit" as you call it, has fallen apart throughout the world, like a house of cards. We have delighted in observing the collapse, from New York, to London, to Moscow, to Dubai, to Beijing, to Tokyo and everywhere in between. The collapse of your systems of commerce and trade are a chaos that we can delight in, because we played such a crucial role in engineering it. Like a dock worker appreciating a ship he helped to build, or a carpenter touching the grooves in a finely crafted piece of furniture that he built from rough wood, we appreciate what you've done, because we inspired you to do it.

You are so disunited and confused, that the financial chaos is only a fraction of the complete chaotic picture - a symptom not of a failure in the system itself, but of a greater failure of your own selves. You argue about your own self defense, to the point that your nations and their far-flung outposts are ill-prepared to defend the very institutions that made you great. You put innocuous labels on the murder of babies, you disarm your neighbors until they lack the means to defend themselves, you turn gluttony into a national sport, and you sit idle, rather than doing good. These may seem unrelated to you, but they all stem from the same source: a patient, relentless campaign of seduction and sedition by a handful of talented, dedicated agents, who have combined their efforts to subvert and pervert your collective virtues, while solidifying your collective vices. Despite the insidious efforts of the Enemy, we have engineered a great victory for Our Father Below, in the form of this unholy turmoil. And the blame can be spread throughout the lot of you: whether Christian or atheist, liberal or conservative, few among you can honestly claim to lack any part in this mess. However, and unfortunately, these things do always seem to have a habit of coming back around, and though things may be delightfully bad at the moment, the Enemy always seems to marshall his forces and win a greater victory against us in this constant game. Perhaps those in the employ of Our Father Below are only forestalling the inevitable, crushing defeat; but as you can see, we're doing a great deal of excruciatingly delicious damage in the mean time.

Patience, to undermine discipline, temperance, and common sense. The best plans are simple ones, and this plan has been perfect in its simplicity.

Through the last five years, I have done my part to give you a sporting chance - a nugget here, a tidbit there. One might wonder why I would have made such an effort, with such little chance of payout. Perhaps the truth is that there is still a streak of good left in me. I can't honestly say that I know the answer to that question, but sometimes the question itself holds more value than the answers. Perhaps it was all for my own benefit and amusement - let's face it, there was very little chance back then that my information would have been spread far among you, and fewer and fewer have bothered to look at these dispatches as the years have slipped away from us. I seem to have made it out none the worse for wear, and for that I will be forever thankful. Yet, after five years, the time has come for this intrepid Fly to move on to other projects. This is not to say that I may not emerge again, in some other venue, to pass news of our work, or further hints at what could be done to stop us; however, this will be the final dispatch in this location, if for no other reason than the growing obsolescence of this particular medium. And, of course, there are other tasks to be accomplished - even assuming a long and destructive life ahead of me, there will never be enough time, there is no way to reclaim it, and the Enemy stopped manufacturing it years ago, so I must get into the habit of being more efficient with the stock that I have been given.

And thus, the time for goodbyes has arrived at long last.

So goodbye, Mighty Mo - of all those I met during the course of this wicked endeavour, you have been my favorite, and you won't be rid of me for a long time yet.

Goodbye, Father Time. I have delighted in our shared destructive pursuits since long before I started these cryptic dispatches, and even longer before I compelled you, quite by accident, to join in the fun. I look forward to your inclusion on the destructions of the future.

Goodbye, Sarah Canuck. You have been my faithful reader, and one of my most delighful partners in evil, and perhaps a reduction in keystrokes will allow us to delight in each other even more.

Goodbye, April. I hope that we meet again, someday, somehow, if for no other reason than the fact that you deserve a better most recent memory of me than the last one I that I gave you.

Goodbye, Themis, Goddess of Justice, or Triathlon Goddess, or Law School Goddess, or whatever it is that we finally settled on. I hope that you find whatever it is that you're running to. And swimming to. And bicycling to. There may be some more. Rowing to? It's all a bit too focused for my taste.

Goodbye to F3, and to The Mirror, and to Habibi, all of whom broke my heart in their own ways, and in their own times. Parting may indeed be such sweet sorrow, but luckily enough for me, absence has failed to make my heart grow any fonder for any of you, and I hope that you all get what you deserve.

And a fond goodbye to Manda, Sipidation, Jacob Copper, Harley, Lycan Thrope, The Poosh, M@, Mormon Buddha, Sarge, Gunny, EgyptJen, Bulldog, and perhaps a dozen or more other past denizens who have gone on to other things, or who still comment on occasion. They will forever be part of the flavor of these reports.

And goodbye, Bane. I imagine you're rubbing elbows with the Enemy by now, but know that we miss you - both good and evil can appreciate that wit of yours, wherever you've taken it.

And so, I will continue to seek out a place where the streets have no name, a land as white as snow. Although I still haven't found what I'm looking for, those of you who really need to know will discover ways to keep abreast of my various comings and goings - I am confident that as I walk away, you will follow. And before you ask, no, that's not some stupid insinuation that I would waste my time with Twitter - even Our Father Below couldn't have conjured something that inane, insipid, and pompous. "Micro-blogging" idiocy aside, I have delighted in your collective patronage over these past five years. As I continue to walk the walls in search of my own particular exit from my own personal Van Diemen's Land, into my own particular flavor of a proverbial City of Blinding Lights - be it in Red Rocks, Sydney, Mexico City, Boston, Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, Milan, Dublin, or even Zoo Station - I will remember your contributions to these dispatches, and to my continuing time as a Wanderer, with great affection. I have delighed in being your most excellent host, and I hope that you have delighted in being guests in this strangely distorted perspective into my life.

And with that, I bid you a fond farewell. Don't be sad - I'll see you again, when the stars fall from the sky, and the moon has turned red over One Tree Hill (which is to say, when the right opportunity presents itself). And now, there are some things that must be rearranged, before the change runs out completely...

Your increasingly and ravenously affectionate host,
The Fly

Wherein The Fly Thrives in Chaos and Uncertainty

2009-12-04T10:19:00.000Z

Last night was very productive, but very busy. Here's the news, much of which is about Afghanistan.

CNN: Former Soviet general: U.S. can't win - We can win; I fear that President Obama's ideology will prevent us from winning.

CNN: U.S. lawmakers question 2011 Afghan exit plan

BBC: Italy 'to boost Afghan mission'

Guardian: Obama's friends and enemies hit out at withdrawal date

Times: Obama war strategy attacked from both sides, Republican doves begin to hatch - Republicans support the troops. Republicans, by and large, are mature enough to understand that military force is too often the only answer to pressing international challenges. However, Republicans will continue to be reticent to send American troops into harm's way under politically-imposed circumstances that prevent such sacrifices from accomplishing anything relevant to our own national security. That's not being a dove - that's being realistic.

Times: "At last. Obama’s vision offers hope for all sides" - Huh. That's funny, I usually expect ignorant idiocy from The Guardian, not The Times.

Times: The West must talk; the Taleban need only wait

Michael Totten: Obama's Afghanistan Speech

Der Spiegel: Searching in Vain for the Obama Magic

I'm very, very worried about the direction that President Obama is trying to take this war. The economy is in real trouble; our country may be damaged beyond the point of no return if we give up in Afghanistan based on arbitrary time tables and a lack of national will and perspective.

Deadly bus explosion in Damascus kills Iranian pilgrims (BBC, Guardian); Guardian: Explosion shakes Syrian security

CNN: Climate research head resigns after leaked emails

Copenhagen talks must fail: top scientist (Guardian, Times) - James Hansen has lost any possible trace of credibility.

AP: Chechen Rebels Claim Deadly Russian Train Bombing

BBC: [Pakistani] Drug addicts offered therapy - and military training - Oh, great.

BBC: Mauritanian police chief sacked [following Spanish kidnapping]

BBC: North Korean designer jeans go on sale in Sweden - Thanks for the help, Sweden. Wankers...

Guardian: Libya convicts Swiss over Gaddafi's son

Guardian: Indefinite population growth is not an option - It's a good thing for us that global population is declining.

Times: US troops destroy Royal Navy's beer stash - I love beer. If I were in Iraq or Afghanistan, I wouldn't drink beer - and let's face it, beer is as much a part of my culture as it is a part of British, or French, or German, or Italian culture. These frequent stories of European soldiers drinking while deployed is a statement to the symptomatic breakdown in discipline and professionalism among many European units during the course of the last twenty or thirty years. It's very unfortunate.

Times: British Navy shows Iraqi sailors the ropes

Times: Sympathy letter from Gordon Brown arrives two years after soldier's death - A few months ago, I posted a link to a BBC audio slideshow entitled Soldier and Son, in which Ian Sadler talked about his son, Jack Sadler, over still photographs of Jack. Jack Sadler died in Afghanistan in 2007. I apparently missed the fact that Jack Sadler died in 2007, instead of 2009; Gordon Brown and his staff apparently missed the fact that they hadn't sent the condolence letter to Jack Sadler's father, Ian. Truly pathetic of the Brown Government - completely and totally unacceptable. Gordon Brown is going to lose the upcoming election, and he and the Labour Party deserve to lose the upcoming election.

Check in tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow is Saturday. Check in tomorrow. Until then, have an excellent Friday.

Fly Report: 04th December 2009

2009-12-04T10:18:00.000Z

Good morning. This is the last time that I will show my face; one last tender lie, and then I'm out of this place.

It's 9° Centigrade and cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 26° Fahrenheit with partial clouds.

A barrel of oil is trading at $76.73. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 10,366.15. The exchange rate is $1.66 for £1, or £0.60 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 Genesis 18. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

It's no secret that the stars are falling from the sky. It's no secret that our world is in darkness tonight. They say the sun is sometimes eclipsed by a moon, you know I don't see you when she walks in the room. It's no secret that a friend is someone who lets you help. It's no secret that a liar won't believe anyone else. They say a secret is something you tell one other person, so I'm telling you, child. And love, we shine like a falling star, we're falling from the sky tonight. A man will beg, a man will crawl, on the sheer face of love, like a fly on a wall, it's no secret at all. It's no secret that a conscience can sometimes be a pest. It's no secret ambition bites the nails of success. Every artist is a cannibal, every poet is a thief. All kill their inspiration and sing about the grief. Oh, and love, we shine like a burning star, we're falling from the sky tonight. A man will rise, a man will fall, from the sheer face of love, like a fly on a wall, it's no secret at all. Oh, love, we shine like a burning star, we're falling from the sky tonight. And, love, we shine like a burning star, we're falling from the sky tonight. A man will rise, a man will fall, from the sheer face of love, like a fly on a wall. It's no secret at all. It's no secret that the stars are falling from the sky - the universe exploded 'cause of one man's lie. Look, yeah, I gotta go, yeah, I'm running out of change. There's a lot of things, if I could I'd rearrange.

Great Challenges of The Fly's Generation

2009-12-03T10:19:00.000Z

Hey, folks. Busy night last night, and lots to do this morning, so just news today.

President Obama and Afghanistan:

Obama orders Afghanistan troop buildup (CNN, Guardian, Wired)

BBC: Nato pledges 5,000 Afghan troops; Times: McChrystal welcomes surge as Nato pledges troops; AFP: French cautious on more troops for Afghanistan, France open to more training, aid for Afghanistan - NATO has been the weak link in the Afghan fight since the 2001 invasion, and I find it difficult to muster any newfound confidence in their pledges.

Guardian: Barack Obama's Churchill moment - Leave it to someone writing for The Guardian to compare President Obama to Winston Churchill. Ladies and gentlemen, President Obama is no Winston Churchill; he's nothing like Winston Churchill.

Guardian: Not a surge but a ripple in Afghanistan - "If this is a counter-insurgency strategy, even with these extra troops from the US and UK, it's woefully undermanned." And how.

AFP: Obama struggles with Afghan exit dilemma - The fact that he's talking about pulling troops out of Afghanistan prior to the end of the 2009-2013 presidential term demonstrates that President Obama has no understanding of this conflict whatsoever, and that he's ignoring what his generals and other experts are telling him.

To quote a recent article by Michael Yon:

We ask Afghans for help in defeating the enemies, yet the Afghans expect us to abandon them. Importantly, Mr. Filkins pointed out that Afghans don’t like to see Americans living in tents. Tents mean nomads. It would be foolish for Afghans in “Talibanastan” to cooperate with nomadic Americans only to be eviscerated by the Taliban when the nomads pack up. (How many times did we see this happen in Iraq?) The Afghans want to see us living in real buildings as a sign of permanency. The British at Sangin and associated bases live in temporary structures as is true with American bases in many places. Our signals are clear. “If you are coming to stay,” Afghans have told me in various ways, “build a real house.” “Build a real office.” “Don’t live in tents.” We saw nearly the opposite in Iraq where pressure evolved to look semi-permanent. The Dr. Jekyll–Mr. Hyde situation in Iraq seemed to seriously catch hold by 2006 or 2007, by which time Iraqis realized we were not going to steal oil and might decide to pull out while leaving them ablaze in civil war.

In other words, by setting such short-term time tables for withdrawal, President Obama is effectively ceding the conflict to the Taliban and al Qaeda.

"Global Warming"/"Climate Change":

[Australian] Senate rejects Rudd climate plan (BBC, Guardian, Times); Times: Australia gives carbon scheme one last try - The fact that the Australians have effectively stopped this climate change debacle right in its tracks in their own country could be a great harbinger of things to come in other nations. We can only hope that the U.S. Congress will see the handwriting on the wall and back off on the Cap and Trade/"Cap and Tax" push, which is guaranteed to do nothing but cripple an already weak American economy.

Fox: Facing Scandal, Head of Climate Research Lab to Temporarily Step Down

Guardian: 'Do you feel uncomfortable travelling between various homes in various continents at enormous carbon cost?' - Apparently the host of the Newsnight program effectively called Sting, one of the most ardent environmentalists in show business, out on the carpet for his huge carbon footprint. Very, very interesting.

Times: Cost of fighting global warming 'to double' - The question is quickly becoming whether or not we should adjust to climate change (if it even exists), or spend ourselves into poverty and chaos in futile attempts to change the weather. I prefer cool climates, but if the world is destined to get warmer, I'm more eager to deal with the natural fallout from global warming (if it even exists) than watch as the generation or two ahead of mine destroy any chance at me and my children and my grandchildren having any sort of a future. As a recent Heritage Foundation lecture pointed out, the proposed "cure" is worse than the alleged disease.

The Jefferson Hour: The Fraudulent Attack on “Clean Coal” - Have They Been to Stanton?

Everything Else:

Ahmadinejad: Russia 'made a mistake' in IAEA vote (CNN, AFP)

CNN: UN halts funds to China wind farms

BBC: Uzbekistan withdraws from Central Asian power grid - Apparently, the Uzbeks are withdrawing from a Soviet-era power grid that serves Central Asia's former Soviet republics. Somewhat interesting.

BBC: Libya sentences Swiss men to jail - Crazy Uncle Moammar is still pissed about his son Hannibal being arrested last year when he got into some brawls in Switzerland.

BBC: Google to limit free news access

Guardian: Moving towards a united Christianity

Times: Technology ‘must drive global emissions cuts’ - 'New chairman of BP says businesses must take lead in cutting wastage and demand for domestic and international travel.' - Works for me. The solution to environmental challenges is greater efficiency, rather than punishing business in countries that actually make an effort to reduce pollution.

AFP: Northrop, Airbus threaten to pull out of tanker bid: Pentagon - Oh, this could get really, really interesting.

AFP: Game theorists hope to solve world's crises - Yeah, 'cause that worked really well for the Department of Defense from 1991 through 2003.

Have a great Thursday, folks, and check back tomorrow for more.

Fly Report: 03rd December 2009

2009-12-03T10:18:00.000Z

Good morning. If the thief comes here tonight, I hope to see you on the other side.

It's 9° Centigrade and cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 16° Fahrenheit with snow flurries.

A barrel of oil is trading at $77.24. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 10,452.68. The exchange rate is $1.66 for £1, or £0.60 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 Genesis 17. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

All that you fashion, all that you make, all that you build, and all that you break, all that you measure, all that you steal, all this you can leave behind.

Wherein The Fly is Fired Up

2009-12-02T10:30:00.002Z

The good news: I was crazy productive last night, having accomplished everything but my scheduled Arabic lesson (which can be doubled up on tonight); this includes a swim workout, push-ups and sit-ups, stretching, preparing a pomegranate for breakfast, preparing two days worth of work clothes, and watching Chuck while I did it. The bad news? Just the news today, but there are some pretty profound discussions from yours truly regarding climate change "science"/policy, and abortion/"health care" policy. Read on.

5 Brits Taken to Iran After Yacht Stopped in Iranian Waters (Fox, CNN, BBC, Guardian, Guardian, Times) - Is there anyone who the Iranians won't illegally detain anymore? First British sailors and Marines, then more British sailors and Marines, then three lost hikers in Kurdistan, and now this?

Australia vote deals climate law blow (BBC, Guardian); Times: Climate Change Scientists Admit Dumping Data; BBC: 'Show Your Working': What 'ClimateGate' means - Finally, the "scientists" who give the "evidence" of so-called "climate change" are seeing their ill-gotten credibility rescinded. I'm all for sustainability, and I'm all for government taking some role in making it happen, but this global warming/climate change hogwash has been a disaster in the making since day one. It appears that some folks are finally getting wise to the fact that this isn't science at all; but rather, partisans in positions of authority who have abused their hold over inconclusive data to influence international policy. This is simply unacceptable.

AP: Samuel Adams Beer Pushes the Envelop on Extreme Beer - Samuel Adams makes many awesome beers, they're one of the best brewers in the country, and I almost always have at least one of their products incorporated into my periodic Beer Runs. Samuel Adams Beer is representative of everything that is good and right in America.

CNN: Hezbollah blames U.S. for all terrorism - Yeah. Okay.

BBC: Saddam TV channel drops off air three days after launch

BBC: Spain fears Mauritania kidnap was al-Qaeda

Guardian: Dubai bans sale of the Sunday Times - Ha!

Guardian: The religious right redux - The writer tries to make the claim that it's the "religious right" who are trying to derail the absolute disaster of a health care reform plan that's currently languishing in the Senate. As both a social conservative and a taxpayer, my question is this: why should my tax dollars be used to fund something that I find morally objectionable, and that - worst case, but most common scenario - involves people making poor decisions? Let's face it, most abortions in this country do not result from rape and incest, and the vast majority of conservatives are willing to accept abortion in those cases. Most abortions happen because people - let's face it, both men and women, because it takes two - are too irresponsible to either use protection, take birth control medication, or abstain from sex. I'm twenty-seven years old, and I have never put myself in a position where I could possibly get a young woman pregnant. Moral objections aside, why should money that I worked hard to make, and that the government scarcely has any right to in the first place, be used to fund abortions for people who don't care to be as responsible as me? Nice try, Guardian, but you fail again.

Guardian: Building intolerance in Switzerland - Yeah, it's the Swiss who are intolerant, not the immigrants. Totally.

Times: Evidence of life on Mars lurks beneath surface of meteorite, Nasa experts claim - Not this rubbish, again...

AFP: Iran Guards take over naval forces in Gulf: US intelligence

UPI: Falklands oil quest takes off - Isn't that interesting, twenty-seven years later?

Have I sufficiently pissed enough people off with this post? Alright, well, check back in tomorrow for more from yours truly. In the mean time, off I go to save the world.

Fly Report: 02nd December 2009

2009-12-02T10:29:00.000Z

Good morning. I'm about to do something amazing, and nobody even knows it's coming.

It's 8° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 24° Fahrenheit with partial clouds.

A barrel of oil is trading at $78.40. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 10,471.58. The exchange rate is $1.66 for £1, or £0.60 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Genesis 16. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

What you leave behind, you don't miss anyway.

Driving Around in a Circle

2009-12-01T10:10:00.003Z

First, the news.

Swiss Approve Constitutional Ban on Mosque Minarets (AP, Guardian, Times); BBC: Swiss referendum 'reflects unease with Islam - I'm all for tolerance and freedom of religion. At the same time, in any free society, there has to be an expectation that if immigrants want to enjoy the benefits of a particular society, they must assimilate into that society. Many immigrants to European countries who arrive from Islamic cultures make no effort to assimilate into the cultures and societies that, by their very natures, produce the benefits that draw immigrants in. The Swiss decision, while obviously controversial and difficult, reflects a public backlash over a refusal of one culture to acquiesce to the society into which it has moved.

Spanish aid workers abducted in Mauritania (CNN, BBC, Guardian)

Telegraph: Leeds university advertises for lap dance research officer - It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do that research. I assume that Sam-Wise's application is in the mail.

AP: Iran Earmarks $20M for Militant Groups Opposing West

CNN: U.S. military faces operation pack up [in Iraq]

CNN: Britain to host Afghan conference - That should be fun. I wonder what they'll talk about?

BBC: What is the appeal of Scottish identity? - Uh, it's awesome?

BBC: Australian aims to breed 'green' sheep that burp less

BBC: Indian soldiers' tricky role in southern Lebanon

BBC: Equipment 'ready' for UK troop increase in Afghanistan - Sure it is. Really. The MoD has been fantastic with their equipment so far, right? Right!?

Guardian: Glenn Beck: the renegade running the opposition to Obama - I think that may be overstating Beck's role a bit.

Guardian: [British] ID cards now available. Count me out. - "People in Manchester can now sign up for an ID card. Let's use the occasion to say a firm no to the database state."

Guardian: What a mess our [British] military has made

Guardian: Today's fanatic, tomorrow's saint

Times: Get us bin Laden, Brown urges Pakistan - You tell 'em, Gordon. I'm sure asking nicely will work really well. You know, with Pakistan. They're amenable to praise and motivation, right?

Times: Don't give in to terror, patriarch tells Russia

Times: Jeremy Clarkson: I'm so dead - shot by both sides in the website war - As usual, Clarkson's piece is very, very good.

AFP: Swiss reject arms exports ban

Just for Fun: SPURMO - "Single Proud UnmarRied Men Over thirty". Hysterical.

Okay, so I didn't blog about half of last week, because I went to Maryland for Thanksgiving. While locations and identities will remain undisclosed, I was invited to spend Thanksgiving with my former boss and my former boss's family, so I rolled up on Wednesday and came back on Friday. I've taken I-95 from Van Diemen's Station to the Beltway area and beyond on a couple of occasions thus far, but I'd never A) been to Delaware, or B) taken the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. This became the opportunity to do both. Here are a few reactions.

I-95 sucks. DC traffic sucks. Driving on the West Coast, even in traffic, is a joy compared to the chore of driving on the East Coast.

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge outside Annapolis, Maryland, is completely and totally awesome. Even though it's a toll bridge, it gives an astonishingly magnificient view of the Chesapeake Bay from a very high elevation. It was absolutely the highlight of the drive as far as I'm concerned. (Satellite Image)

Parts of "DELMARVA" - the Eastern Shore nexus of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia - bear a resemblance to rural parts of the West Coast, which was surprising. There were times when I felt like I could have been rolling through Oregon, Washington, or even parts of Idaho - fewer tall trees, but a very similar farm feeling, which I wasn't expecting.

I've been through Delaware now, and as far as I'm concerned, I can cross that off my list, forever. Pretty boring, and I didn't see a single thing worth stopping for. I'm surprised that they continue to let it be a state, although to be historically accurate, since they were the first state to ratify the Constitution, we're probably all Americans at their allowance. Isn't that depressing?

Route 13 on the Eastern Shore is exceptionally boring, and it's annoying because there's a seventy or eighty mile stretch in which the speed limit drops from 55 to 50, or 45, and then goes back up to 55 every few miles for the benefit of a handful of "towns". It's really a dreadful drive, and I'm sure it will probably serve my purpose the next time I decide to go up to Maryland, but it was pretty miserable.

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (Satellite Image), while not quite as cool as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, was still very cool. For those who are unaware, the Hampton Roads area of Virginia is serviced by three bridge-tunnels, which allow transit across the Chesapeake Bay and the James River for motorists while simultaneously allowing ships to transit the same waters. The view from the CBBT was also pretty cool, and my guess is that it's probably the longest bridge (bridge system?) I've ever driven over (twenty-three miles).

Van Diemen's Station still isn't (and never will be) "home", but it's good to be back. Hopefully, it will be good to leave again for good at some point in the near future, though I have no solid prospects for that at the moment.

Alright, that's it for today, folks. Have a great Tuesday, and check back tomorrow for more from yours truly.

Fly Report: 01st December 2009

2009-12-01T10:10:00.001Z

Good morning. There is nothing new under the sun.

It's 4° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 31° Fahrenheit with snow.

A barrel of oil is trading at $78.11. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 10,344.84. The exchange rate is $1.64 for £1, or £0.61 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 Genesis 15. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

I have held the hand of the devil. It was warm in the night; I was cold as a stone.

Beer Run: November 2009

2009-11-30T10:22:00.002Z

First, the news catch-up from last week.

Afghanistan decision to come within days (CNN, BBC) - So much for President Obama being prepared to lead a war on "day one". His lackluster, half-assed, sluggish handling of Afghanistan thus far has been an absolute joke, and every day that he's delayed has made it more difficult for our troops to win.

Iraq luring 'virtual visitors' to Mesopotamia's treasures (CNN, Times)

Fox: Man Marries Virtual Girlfriend ... With Public Reception - Behold: what our world is coming to.

Fox: Climate Skeptics See 'Smoking Gun' in Researchers' Leaked E-Mails - Uh, gee, ya think? The fanaticism over "climate change" has always been about pre-existing politics, moreso than it has ever been about a fictional looming catastrophe.

Fox: Pirates Attack Oil Tanker Off Africa's West Coast - Pay attention: west coast. Somalia is on the east coast of Africa. This means that the world must now also deal... With West African pirates!

AP: Afghan Provinces Get Millions to Reduce Opium Poppies - Believe it or not, opium eradication efforts are making progress.

AP: 2 IRA Dissidents Charged With Attempting to Kill Officer

AP: Taliban Leader Issues Muslim Holiday Message

Sky News: Man Who Made Predictions on TV Now on Saudi Death Row for 'Witchcraft' - It's tough to build a dialogue with any society that still executes people for witchcraft.

CNN: Zakaria: Did Obama get his message across in China? - Hope, change, we surrender, please stop censoring the Internet. Yeah, I think he got his point across.

CNN: Official: Pakistanis want Taliban defeat - Gee, ya think? The issue is a lack of security, not some latent public support for the Taliban. The locals hate the Taliban more than we hate the Taliban.

CNN: Italy debates public crosses

BBC: Jerusalem Diary: Hummus wars

BBC: Morocco's wine growers sniff success abroad

BBC: Belgian pleads guilty to US-Iran arms sales charge

BBC: Climate 'drives African conflict' - Oh, come on. Seriously? Idiots.

BBC: What is the future for Dutch troops in Afghanistan?

BBC: Gaddafi 'to mediate' football row - Algeria and Egypt are being so nasty to one another over a soccer game that Crazy Uncle Moammar has to be brought in to negotiate. Way to go, folks.

BBC: Climate cash is 'unaccounted for'

Guardian: Caught up in the Middle East's forgotten war [in Yemen]

Guardian: The mystery of Dr Aafia Siddiqui

Guardian: Will Murdoch's Bing gamble pay off? - Apparently Rupert Murdoch is working with Microsoft to try and hamstring Google. Very, very, very interesting.

Guardian: The voices of climate change sceptics

Guardian: Men's groups are fine by me, sister

Guardian: Afghanistan: time to go - "One things is clear: Nato's military mission has failed. We need to focus now on a power-sharing deal to enable an early withdrawal." Early withdrawal? I think that should read "surrender, cut and run, and give up". The Taliban don't share power. There are not moderate elements to the Taliban or al Qaeda. The only options are victory or surrender. Unfortunately, Europe lost the will to defend itself long ago.

Times: Pakistan fears over new Afghanistan strategy

Times: Colonel S is living proof that is possible to tackle Afghan corruption

Times: Chavez defends the 'bad guys' of the world

Times: Feral camels terrorise Outback community

Times: Obama's delay 'is affecting British support' - Gee, ya think?

Times Blog: Alpha Mummy: These Kids Have Too Many Sodding Toys

Wired Danger Room: US Turns to Trash Talk to Fight the Taliban

Wired Danger Room: Russian Prez Channels his Inner Rumsfeld - Why are the slack-jawed idiots at Wired always bagging on Rumsfeld? I'm sure they're far more intelligent than he is, right? And they have a much deeper understanding of military issues and foreign conflicts? Oh, wait, they don't, at all.

AFP: China slams 'prejudiced' US report on espionage

AFP: Few US firms ready for workforce disruption: survey

AFP: Obama to meet war cabinet on Afghanistan - Hasn't he been meeting with his war cabinet for months? President Obama's handling of Afghanistan has been a military and political disgrace thus far.

AFP: French warship in arms deal arrives in Russia

AFP: Chinese raided in Germany for spying on Uighurs: report

SPX: UK MoD Upgrade Bid Promises More Punch For Army Warriors

Defense Systems: Counter-IED task force established

Michael Yon: Afghan ideas from Great Britain

Second, the beer run from Saturday.

Guinness Extra Stout

Harp Lager

Widmer Hefeweizen

Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier

Carlsberg

Blue Moon - Which is made by Coors!? Really?

Check back tomorrow for more, including a recap of my Thanksgiving, which was awesome. Have a great Monday, folks!

Fly Report: 30th November 2009

2009-11-30T10:22:00.001Z

Good morning. You were always on my mind.

It's 5° Centigrade and rainy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 47° Fahrenheit with sunshine.

A barrel of oil is trading at $76.28. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 10,309.92. The exchange rate is $1.65 for £1, or £0.61 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 Genesis 14. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

I'm not coming down.

Stuff Fly Wants: November 2009

2009-11-25T10:38:00.005Z

Field Gear

British special forces style rucksack - £75.00

British SAS smock - £95.00

British Desert Under Armour Combat Shirt - £29.99 NEW

British Desert DPM ~~trousers~~ and shirt

MARPAT Desert Utilities - $67.98

Tiger Stripe Utilities - $39.98

Khaki Tru-Spec Tactical Response Uniform trousers (2) - $89.80

Sand Crye Precision Field Pants AC - $115.00

Sand Crye Precision Combat Shirt AC - $145.00 NEW

Khaki TRU-SPEC T.R.U. Combat Shirt - $50.99 NEW

U.S. Army ACU tan sweat-wicking uniform T-shirts (3)

Under Armour Cold Gear

5.11 Tactical Polos (3) - $89.97

Rubbermaid 48 Gallon ActionPackers (2) - $69.99

Sony 8GB Walkman Video MP3 Player (black) - $119.95 (Amazon price $99.77)

Mini Cargo Pocket Organizer - $27.95

M9 Mag Pouch - $29.95

Bushmaster Deluxe Armorer's Kit - $180.95

FN FAL

Household Items

Union Jack - $8.09

Amazing Pasta Maker [click me] - $39.95

Fouled Anchor lapel pin

Walther PPK

Roman Mainz Gladius - $144

The Maxim Coffin Coffee Table - $3995.00

Pawleys Island Tri-Beam Hammock Stand - $140.00

Pawleys Island Beach Quilted Hammock - $199.99 (Amazon price $184.36)

Discipline poster - $19.95

book case

Clothing

Royal Marines T-Shirt - £10.96

More Cowbell T-Shirt - $20.00

Position Wanted: Pope T-Shirt - $12.99

Clan Cleland tartan kilt and kilt pin - $400.00 - $700.00

deer skin sporran

Books

Bravo Two Zero by Andy McNab - $7.99

Contact Zero by David Wolstencroft - $7.99

Entertainment

Battlestar Galactica: Season 4.5 - $49.98 (Amazon price $31.49

Best of Chris Isaak (CD & DVD) - $24.98 (Amazon price $22.99)

Kids in the Hall - Seasons 1, 2, 3, and 4 - $179.90 (Amazon price $155.98)

Gladiator Extended Edition - $35.98 (Amazon price $22.99)

Apocalypse Now - The Complete Dossier - $19.99 (Amazon price $13.99

Switchfoot - The Legend of Chin - $11.98

Stephanie Schneiderman - Live at Kung Fu Bakery - $15.98

Hootie & the Blowfish - The Best of 1993 Through 2003 - $11.98 (Amazon price $8.97)

Mystical Chants of Carmel by the Carmelite Monks - $18.95

Fly Report: 25th November 2009

2009-11-25T10:37:00.000Z

Good morning. I was just a skinny lad, never knew no good from bad, but I knew love before I left my nursery.

It's 8° Centigrade and partly cloudy with wind in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 50° Fahrenheit with partial clouds.

A barrel of oil is trading at $75.96. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 10,433.71. The exchange rate is $1.66 for £1, or £0.60 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 Genesis 14. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

Here today, and gone tomorrow.

Van Diemen's Station Blues

2009-11-24T10:28:00.000Z

400-Pound Car Bomb Fails to Detonate in Belfast (AP, CNN)

Guardian: US funds anti-Taliban Afghan militias - Experts warn that secretive programme could fuel long-term instability in the country; Times: British to train Afghan militias

Guardian: Can Islam be reconciled with science?, Religion and science shouldn't mix

BBC: Coffee and chess - Kandahar revives cultural pastime

BBC: Tough lessons for Obama on Mid-East peace; Are the Democrats losing their way?

BBC: NASA Cassinin spacecraft sends pictures of Saturn's moon

Guardian: WWII Aerial Images

Guardian: Silent witness in the Sinai

Guardian: Climate sceptics 'put world at risk' - Ahem.

Guardian: Saudi Arabia goes to war [in Yemen]

Guardian: An insidious argument for censorship

Times: Afghanistan's grievances and tribal splits: ripe for exploitation?

Times: Save this oasis of pleasure for Iraqis [soccer] - FIFA banned Iraq from playing soccer because there's a political mess entanging Iraq's soccer executives. Bad mojo all around.

Times: [British] Army lacks bite to take on Taleban

UPI: Enigma of Russian MiG-29s for Lebanon

AFP: China ramps up espionage against US: study

AFP: Obama Afghan decision to come after Thanksgiving

AFP: Britain's Tories say would pull troops out of Germany

Commentary: How Politics Destroyed a Great TV Show - Jonah Goldberg has an interesting take on the politicization of Battlestar Galactica. He brings up a number of points that I hadn't considered, or hadn't caught on to, when watching the course of the show. Worth the read if you're a Galactica fan.

Commentary (Michael Totten): A Third Lebanon War Could Be Much Worse than the Second

Fly Report: 24th November 2009

2009-11-24T10:27:00.001Z

Good morning. No one can grab hold of your own dreams but you.

It's 6° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 46° Fahrenheit with partial clouds.

A barrel of oil is trading at $76.87. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 10,450.95. The exchange rate is $1.66 for £1, or £0.60 for $1.

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is suh-weet. The picture at the Orkneyjar Photoblog is new, and it's awesome.

Today's scripture reading is Genesis 14. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

You're kept awake, dreaming someone else's dream.

Authenticity Maintenance

2009-11-23T10:31:00.002Z

Sometimes, it's important to keep it real. Isn't that right, Father Time?

AP: Al Qaeda's Message Spreading Through English-Language Sites
Fox: Tracking Your Taxes: Americans Spend Millions for Environmental Groups to Sue the Government
Fox: Colombia Says Venezuelan Soldiers Blew Up 2 Bridges
AP: Muslim Nations Seeking International Blasphemy Ban
CNN: Afghan minister: Taliban can be defeated - Yes, the Taliban can be defeated, but not without a substantial anti-corruption push in the Afghan government, and not without more troops with solid objectives being deployed from outside Afghanistan.
Guardian: Say no to asbos for downloaders - The article may be about the Internet in Britain, but everyone should read it: granting the executive power to ban someone from the Internet over a so-called crime (and a minor one at that) that is almost impossible to prove is a recipe for disaster on all fronts.
Times: Hurricane Katrina flood was man-made disaster - Absolutely correct: money had been diverted away from the very projects that were necessary to ensure the survival of a city that was built below sea level. Hurricane Katrina was not a horrible natural disaster, or "proof of climate change" - it was a testament to government corruption in New Orleans and Louisiana.
Times: Archbishop [Williams] tells Pope: women priests here for good - Rowan Williams is a jackass. I would know, I'm one of his parishioners, sort of.
News: North Korean defector describes life in the secret state's army
UPI: Commentary: Piece of Cake - A very interesting piece on the possible aftermath of a theoretical Israeli strike against Iran's nuclear facilities.

That's it for today. Like I said at the outset: very authentic. Have a great Monday.

Fly Report: 23rd November 2009

2009-11-23T10:31:00.001Z

Good morning. I was thinking "either she's a cannibal, or she's really not that funny," and I was pulling for cannibal 'cause I'd never met one before.

It's 6° Centigrade and rainy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 39° Fahrenheit with partial clouds.

A barrel of oil is trading at $77.64. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 10,318.16. The exchange rate is $1.65 for £1, or £0.61 for $1.

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is gorgeous. The picture at the Orkneyjar Photoblog is new, and it's awesome.

Today's scripture reading is Genesis 14. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

But a day will come, in this dawning age, when an honest man sees an honest wage.

AMF: Going Through the Motions

2009-11-20T10:07:00.002Z

Fox: Pennsylvania Union Leader Criticized for Threatening Legal Action Over Boy Scout's Volunteerism

CNN: North Koreans escape to cold reality - Survival requires actual work? Communism and socialism (and the media) promote unrealistic perceptions of real life? Fascinating.

BBC: Alcohol 'protects men's hearts' - Father Time is the helathiest man alive.

BBC: Egypt recalls Algerian envoy as football row deepens - A diplomatic war, vandalism, and violence. Over soccer. Unreal.

Times: Karzai signals end for private security firms - With corrupt and inept police and military personnel? Good call for politics, bad call for the actual security that's necessary to win the war and stabilize the country.

Times: Brain-eating tribe helps mad cow research - Ha!

Times: Go home (early) and multiply, bankers are told - Japan has such huge issues with population collapse that some businesses are giving their employees additional family time, in order that they might breed like we all hope Mighty Mo and the Man of Steel will do soon.

Times: Ancient Greek worshippers showed inclination towards the Sun

Times: EU to seek special status at UN - First the International Olympic Committee, now the EU? Earth to the United Nations: these aren't countries. What's next, General Assembly seats for Greenpeace, the Arab League, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps?

UPI: Arabs go for air power to counter Iran

AFP: Afghan village armies fight the Taliban - The people in Afghanistan and Pakistan hate the Taliban. This war can be won, but President Obama needs to grow a backbone, and President Karzai needs to destroy corruption.

Wired Danger Room: In Nod to Global Warming, Navy Prepares for Ice-Free Arctic - The comments are priceless, holding the Wired blogger accountable for being a moron.

Just for Fun: Project Rho - Do you have nerdy tendencies? You may enjoy this website.

Have a great weekend, folks.

Fly Report: 20th November 2009

2009-11-20T10:07:00.001Z

Good morning. I ain't had a drop of liquor since I quit singin' wit' ABBA.

It's 11° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 55° Fahrenheit with sunshine.

A barrel of oil is trading at $77.01. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 10,332.44. The exchange rate is $1.67 for £1, or £0.60 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Genesis 13. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

I listen through your ears, and through your eyes I can see.

Featuring Mono Lake

2009-11-19T10:22:00.002Z

News.

Fox: U.K. Ex-Soldier Faces 5 Years in Jail for Turning in Discarded Gun - Leave it to the British government to punish a former soldier for trying to obey the law.

CNN: U.S., China compete in Africa

Australia mulls Scientology probe (BBC, Times) - Australia could become the second country to investigate and/or prosecute the Church of Scientology under criminal laws, following France's lead a few weeks ago.

BBC: Soviet lessons - Echoes for Nato in the Soviet exit from Afghanistan - You know, it's getting really annoying to read all of the headlines attempting to compare Afghanistan (and previously Iraq) with Vietnam, and with the Soviet experience in Afghanistan. Much love to Father Time, but the sooner the Baby Boomers die out (and thus, the living memory of the Vietnam War with them), the better off American national security will be. (It would also help with entitlement reform, but that's another problem altogether.

BBC: Afghans 'blame poverty for war'

BBC: Obama 'close' to Afghan decision - Sure he is. Didn't they say that about three months ago?

BBC: Verbal war over Egypt-Algeria tie - Conflict over soccer. Unbelievable.

Times: French village to honour veteran piper's bravery

Times: Which Queen? Which speech? Who cares? - The point that this article makes is pretty profound, and pretty legitimate: people don't care enough about politics to pay attention, for a variety of reasons. That's a critical weakness for any society, because when people don't care, they don't notice when bad things start happening.

AFP: Web security company warns of 'cyber arms race' - Yawn.

UPI: Rejavi: Iran overhauls security service - Maryam Rajavi is the head of the MEK, and what she says carries a lot of weight.

Michael Yon: FYI: Paperwork for Afghanistan Media Embed

Satellite image of the day: Mono Lake. I used to pass by Mono Lake (which is featured in today's Astronomy Picture of the Day) on my way from Zoo Station to Hometown, and it's really a beautiful area. Please, do yourself a favor and look at both the APOD picture, and the satellite image.

Have a great ~~Wednesday~~ Thursday - thanks, Sam-Wise!

Fly Report: 19th October 2009

2009-11-19T10:20:00.002Z

Good morning. The best way to start your day is with a cuppa, and an English muffin with marmalade. It's awesome.

It's 11° Centigrade and fair in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 48° Fahrenheit with sunshine.

A barrel of oil is trading at $78.98. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 10,426.31. The exchange rate is $1.67 for £1, or £0.60 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Genesis 12. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

A man builds a city, with banks and cathedrals.

A Conversation with MILF Force One

2009-11-18T10:49:00.001Z

Happy, happy, joy, joy; happy, happy, joy, joy; happy, happy, joy, joy; happy, happy, joy, joy; happy, happy, joy, joy; happy, happy, joy, joy; happy, happy, joy, joy, joy! Can anyone tell me what that's from?

AskMen.com: 5 Drinks Your Father Drank

AP: Kenyans Recruited to Fight in Somali Civil War

Qaddafi to Italian Women: Convert (Fox, Guardian)

CNN: Scientist reveals life as a prostitute

CNN: Zakaria: No one thinks hikers are spies - I disagree with Zakaria on a few points, but his perspective on these issues is an interesting one.

CNN: Disarming the Velvet Revolution

BBC: Age of cyber warfare is 'dawning' - Yawn.

BBC: Fears al-Qaeda is bound for Mali's fabled desert town [Timbuktu]

Guardian: Miliband calls for majority of Taliban to be reintegrated into Afghan society - Good luck with that, Dave.

Guardian: Speed cameras - the bigger picture - Everyone should read this article.

Guardian: Gallery: Hippopotamuses attack a crocodile on the Nile

Times: British Army Tells Soldiers to Bribe Taliban With 'Bags of Gold'

Times: Muslim teachers and students reject Darwin - To some, this is the ultimate outrage. To me, it's a non-issue. Ardent Darwinians are every bit as closed-minded and dogmatic as rabid Creationists, so the fact that Islamists reject Darwin is immaterial to me.

Times: Scramble for survival: the helicopter medics who risk death to save others

Times: Photo Gallery: Afghanistan

AFP: Post-Saddam Iraq demands right to nuclear power

AFP: N. Korea unlikely to give up nuclear weapons: US expert - The irony is that this guy gets paid to say something that I could have told the AFP for free.

AFP: Russia to boost naval presence: Medvedev - This is precisely what the world needs: more broken-down Russian naval garbage clogging major waterways.

AFP: Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine create joint brigade: ministry - Good for them! The European "battle groups" and the "Franco-German" brigades are sort of a joke, really, but I think this has the potential to be a very good thing, particularly with Poland and Lithuania as NATO members, and Ukraine was a NATO hopeful that won't be allowed in due to everyone's pants-wetting collective fear of a resurgent Russia.

UPI: Iran warns it may produce S-300 system - Out of what? Rocks and sand? Iran is not Russia. Making AK-47 rifles is one thing, making an S-300 missile system that even the Russians can't reliably make work is quite another. Who do they think they're kidding?

Commentary (Michael Totten): Damascus Reverts to Form

Starship Modeler: USS Poseidon - For anyone who saw and enjoyed J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movie a few months back; and for anyone who, like me, thought the Kelvin was really cool, Starship Modeler has an original series version of the Kelvin. It's cool. If you're a Trek fan, go check it out.

And, just for grins, a conversation between me and MILF Force One, a girl I used to hang out with in college. This was by text Sunday morning, when I was still in bed and she was going grocery shopping after her bartending shift. (She lives on the West Coast, so she's three hours behind my Van Diemen's Station time zone.)

MILF Force One: Where's my early morning shopping buddy?
The Fly: Totally. I'm like a UAV pilot, providing support by remote.
MILF Force One: You're the best. So what aisle are the bagels on?
The Fly: Bagels are on the bread aisle. This is so easy! Ask me another one!
MILF Force One: LOL You made my night!

Sometimes, you just have to sit back and enjoy the simple things in life. Until they show up, have a great Wednesday, folks.

Fly Report: 18th November 2009

2009-11-18T10:48:00.000Z

Good morning. I was totally mean to Pixley.

It's 8° Centigrade and rainy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 50° Fahrenheit with sunshine.

A barrel of oil is trading at $79.43. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 10,437.42. The exchange rate is $1.68 for £1, or £0.60 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Genesis 11. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

Get down off your holy cloud, always.

Unrelated: Germans Love David Hasselhoff

2009-11-17T10:47:00.005Z

And now, the news!

Gaddafi preaches to Rome beauties (BBC, Times) - You know what? I can usually figure out where Crazy Uncle Moammar is going with his outlandish stunts, but this is... Yeah. I have nothing.

Belle de Jour revealed as research scientist Dr Brooke Magnanti (BBC, Guardian, Times) - What's not to like? Whores, science, and college. Feel-good story of the week.

[Obama] Warning over Copenhagen deal (Guardian, Times) - The One cares about climate change, really, he totally does. Keep voting for him, hippies!

Iran ‘running out of time’ over uranium deal - President Medvedev offers support for US with warning that Russia might consider sanctions if UN-brokered plan is ignored (Times, AFP)

AskMen.com: 7 Pick-Up Rules Women Want Men to Know

CNN: Can justice halt Taliban?

CNN: Al Qaeda accuses Blackwater

BBC: Greenpeace 'to put humans first' - It's about time, hippies!

BBC: Algeria secures Egyptian embassy - Soccer hooliganism, in North Africa? Perish the thought.

BBC: Just what is [British] officer material?

Guardian: Are we too selfish to survive? - A very, very interesting concept. Worth reading.

Guardian: Rowan Williams: politicians should question focus on economic growth - Rowan Williams is a jackass, and I'm saying that as a devout Anglican. He's an embarrassment to Anglicanism.

Times: Obama still searching for foreign success - Maybe he'd find it if he didn't spend all of his time bowing to Saudi kings and Japanese emperors.

Times: Bombed and shot yet still the Taliban come

Times: Italy calls for a single European Army - "Franco Frattini, Italy's Foreign Minister, said that without a common foreign policy and army Europe would be irrelevant" - Yeah, because a unified army, would, you know, totally fix Europe being a disunited basket case. Earth to Europe: you're tons of little countries, not one big one! Stop pretending!

Times: Royal Mail: Britain’s worst company

AFP: All eyes on Murdoch as newspapers ponder digital future

AFP: Obama eyes compromise strategy on Afghanistan

UPI: Outside View: The Soviets' Afghan Lessons

Denver Post (via Michael Totten): Photographer Collection: David Guttenfelder in Afghanistan Photos

Commentary (Michael Totten): The Show Needn't Go On

Angel's Gate Art: Welcome to Fake Iraq

Eli Carling: Mojave Desert

Okay, so remember this? Well, it happened again. Same company, same gig, same everything. It looked like I was going to get hired, and then it fell through, again. Brutal.

That's it for today, folks. Have a great Tuesday!

Fly Report: 17th November 2009

2009-11-17T10:47:00.001Z

Good morning. In some countries, listening to Sara Bareilles' "Love Song" is considered torture. America is one of those countries.

It's 9° Centigrade and rainy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 55° Fahrenheit with sunshine.

A barrel of oil is trading at $78.21. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 10,406.96. The exchange rate is $1.68 for £1, or £0.60 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Genesis 11. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

I know a boy, a boy called Trampoline, you know what I mean?

A Painful Monday Morning

2009-11-16T10:09:00.000Z

I get the distinct impression that today is going to be painful.

Army Dog Found After 14 Months Lost in Afghanistan (AP, BBC, Times) - This is why black labs are the best dogs in the world. Seriously. Amazing.

US envoy opposed to Afghan surge (BBC, Guardian, Times) - You've gotta hand it to Secretary Clinton for doing a bangup job of keeping her folks in line over at the State Department. The US ambassador to Afghanistan doesn't support increased troop levels, and was allowed to admit that? Shameful.

Fox: Cuba Mandates 'Extreme' Cuts to Solve Energy Crisis

CNN: Germany to send troops for Afghanistan reconstruction

CNN: Top al Qaeda leader blames Blackwater for Peshawar blasts

BBC: Photos 'show Iran arms-ship link'

BBC: Syria urges French Mid-East role

BBC: Algerian 'terror gang' broken up

BBC: Angolan 'mafia targets Chinese'

Guardian: New history battle rages in Europe

Guardian: DNA database: Acid test

Guardian: Protecting Kensington, from Kandahar?

Times: Taleban winning ground in propaganda war

Times: Iran warns Saudi Arabia over attacks

Times: China and India in 'scramble for Africa', China and India compete in new cold war

Times: It's not about health, it's about who runs the US

Times: Battle of the Baghdad Bulge - This article is really disconcerting, and demonstrates an overall decline in discipline in the Army - not the Marine Corps, not the Navy, just the Army (the Air Force has always been a little goofy) - in the last couple of decades.

Financial Times: Obama to press China on Afghanistan - Good luck on that, The One!

AFP: Medvedev promises new missiles for Russian army - Maybe these ones will actually work!

AFP: Pentagon to focus on IED threat in Afghanistan: Gates

UPI: China tightens its grip on Africa

Instructables: How to Grow Flowers on a Military Base in Iraq

Great hooglie mooglie, am I tired.

Fly Report: 16th November 2009

2009-11-16T09:49:00.000Z

Good morning. My mule don't like people laughin'... Gets the crazy idea you're laughin' at him.

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

A barrel of oil is trading at $76.79. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 10,270.47. The exchange rate is $1.67 for £1, or £0.60 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 Genesis 11. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

See the oil fields at first light.

AMF: Rainy Day Recess

2009-11-13T11:43:00.002Z

Some of you may know that my area of Virginia - well, basically, like half of the Atlantic coast - got hit by a pretty big storm last night. The language of "like a Category 1 Hurricane" is being thrown around, as the high tides, flooding, and strong winds were in some ways equivalent to those in a hurricane. They sent us home from work yesterday morning, so I spent most of yesterday at Van Diemen's Station. You'd think that would result in a fantastic blog post.

You would be wrong.

Here's a list of what I did yesterday, instead of writing up a blog post for yesterday's news:

ate leftover Tuna Helper

drank beer from the Pacific Northwest, and tea

watched A Fistful of Dollars from start to finish, without my limping laptop to distract me

chatted on Facebook with friends (my power didn't even start blinking until I'd gone to bed)

read a chapter from Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré

went to bed to the sound of unusually clear reception from the Voice of Justice (Iran), without actually perceiving much of it

So, that's it for today. Check in Monday for more, and have a great weekend.

Fly Report: 13th November 2009

2009-11-13T11:43:00.001Z

Good morning. It's gonn' rain!

It's 9° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 38° Fahrenheit with sunshine.

A barrel of oil is trading at $77.05. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 10,197.47. The exchange rate is $1.65 for £1, or £0.60 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 Genesis 11. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

After the flood, all the colors came out.

Jeremy Clarkson Rules

2009-11-12T10:47:00.002Z

Afghanistan:

Sources: Obama mulls 4 Afghan options (CNN, AFP) - President Obama's only option should be to do exactly what the generals tell him. He has no experience, at anything, so this nonsensical "mulling" from someone who knows about a fraction of what *I* know about foreign policy is just ridiculous.

Times: US wants more Nato troops for new surge; BBC: Obama in Afghan troop level talks - Send the amount of troops that General McChrystal asks for. Do it. Man up.

BBC: Can Taliban fighters be persuaded to switch sides?

Everything Else:

Father of Kalashnikov celebrates 90th birthday (CNN, Times) - Apparently, Mikhail Kalashnikov still spends most of his days at work, developing new lines of weapons. I have no clue whether those designs actually get produced; and the AK-47, AKM, AK-74, AK-101, AK-103, and AK-107 certainly have bittersweet histories. That having been said, Mikhail Kalashnikov was a total badass in the 1940's, and he's a total badass now.

AP: U.S. Accuses Iran of Sending Weapons to Syria

AP: Israel Shows Documents It Says Link Iran to Arms

CNN: Iran urges Yemen's neighbors to stay out of rebellion

CNN: Jihad and juice inside Libya's terror jail

Guardian: The pornography of grief - and the devalued poignancy of the poppy - It's about British politics, but it's worth reading, because it makes some biting points of British culture that certainly spill over into all areas of Western culture.

Times: Which will come out on top: paper or gold? - An article about the real value of gold, versus the subjective value of paper currency. I'm not a gold standard advocate like the Ron Paul fanatics, but I think that America and other Western countries really need to get a handle on the unlimited printing of cash without any real value to back it up.

Times: Fuel duty could be bad for the planet

Jeremy Clarkson: I've got a solution for the rainforest: napalm the lot, Get me a rope before Mandelson wipes us all out - I'm quickly growing to love Jeremy Clarkson. Both of these editorials are poignant and hilarious. Go. Read. Enjoy.

Fly Report: 12th November 2009

2009-11-12T10:47:00.001Z

Good morning. I will be your safety.

It's 10° Centigrade and wind and light rain in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 38° Fahrenheit with rain and snow.

A barrel of oil is trading at $78.60. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 10,291.26. The exchange rate is $1.67 for £1, or £0.60 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 Genesis 10. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

Come on, love - here she come now.

Fly the Flag High and Proud

2009-11-11T10:13:00.003Z

CNN: U.S.: No Afghan troop decision made; UPI: IEDs are main threat in southern Helmand; BBC: Japan to boost aid to Afghanistan - It's time for President Obama to make good on the only campaign promise he should keep, and commit to winning the war in Afghanistan. Everyone credible, even the perpetually skeptical Michael Yon, says that the war is winnable. He should abandon his misguided quest to butcher health care, abandon his misguided quest to fix America's economy by ruining it first, and commit to the only campaign promise he made that was worth even half of the breath that he expended to make it: he should commit to winning in Afghanistan, and give the generals and the troops the resources they need to do their jobs.

UPI: Riyadh ups the ante by joining Yemen war; AFP: Yemen rebels say Saudi jets using phosphorous bombs; BBC: Iran warning over Yemen conflict - It appears that Yemen is the new front in the cold war between Riyadh and Tehran. Wonderful.

BBC: Money talks: What does China want for its $10bn loan to Africa?

BBC: Turkey to announce PKK peace plan

BBC: Anglicans welcome offer from Rome

To those of you in the audience who are veterans (Father Time being the most notable), thank you for your service to this great nation. Happy Veterans' Day.

And, as an added bonus, an E-mail that I spent some time writing to a friend who I met at [Generic State University].

[Athena],

> Yes, I'd like to hear about your someday house in Wyoming. :)

That's it, huh? :)

I want to build a house out of recycled shipping containers. About twenty-three of them, to be exact: three in the basement, eight on the first floor, eight on the second floor, and one in each corner. The ones on the corners will be upright, and serve as sort of "towers", for lack of a better word, but even upright they'll be about the same height as the two floors. Two of those corner containers will contain spiral staircases (on opposing corners), one of the others will be part of the garage, and the other will be a conservatory with an open ceiling, windows, plants, and a couple of chairs.

The house will be roughly square, with a 20'x20' courtyard in the middle. All of the guest areas would be on the ground floor: living room, dining area and kitchen, garage, at least one guest room, and a few other things. On the second floor would be the master bedroom and master bathroom, possibly a second bedroom, a library/den/study, a small armory, and whatever else ought to go on the top floor. I don't know if there will be a deck or something on the roof, but I've thought about a balcony or porch in lieu of one of the upper deck containers.

The basement would consist of two regular containers, and one fallout/storm shelter, not because I'm paranoid about nukes hitting Wyoming or anywhere else (I'm not), but just in case something comes up - a tornado or whatever.

Now, it should be noted that I don't intend to have them actually look like a collection of shipping containers. Probably without exception, the inside will be finished like the house, and the outside will be finished like a house, maybe with logs to make it look cabin-like, maybe with some other type of stylish and normal-looking exterior, and a normal (for Wyoming) yard and everything. Probably no punji-stakes. I think.

Not only would the shipping containers be strong, and heavy, but they would be a good use of recycled/sustainable material. I'm absolutely no enviro-weenie, but I think that sustainable and responsible use of resources is precisely what we as good humans and good Christians should be doing, as good stewards of the planet. Building houses with shipping containers is actually a growing trend, though I doubt it's what one would call "mainstream", and most of the designs that people come up with for shipping container houses are ugly modern art jobs, but the concept is sound, and it's cheaper to build a house out of containers than it is to build using traditional building materials. I was first introduced to the idea when I was working in California, because the villages out there are almost entirely built using pre-fabricated housing units that are built out of shipping containers and arranged in various configurations. For example:

[link redacted]

And you can see pictures:

image
image
image

My house obviously wouldn't look like those, but it gives you an idea of the structure and how they've gone together where they've been used by the military. Here are a few sites for companies that specialize in supplying them to the military, both for training sites and for pre-fabricated buildings for deployment overseas. That last link, for Safecastle LLC, is a company that (I'm pretty sure) turns shipping containers into tornado and bomb shelters - for example, there were people who used their shelters to ride out Hurricane Katrina.

Fort Irwin buildings
Allied Container
CMOUTS LLC
Strategic Operations
Safecastle LLC

So, there you have it, the basic nuts and bolts of my pipe dream for building a sort of retirement home/castle in the wilds of Wyoming - somewhere in this vicinity:

link

Thoughts? Admit it, you think I'm completely and totally insane.

- The Fly

Happy Veterans' Day. Have fun.

Fly Report: 11th November 2009

2009-11-11T10:13:00.001Z

Good morning. Saith Gus: "I have a long history with cake."

It's 9° Centigrade and cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 56° Fahrenheit with clouds.

A barrel of oil is trading at $78.77. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 10,246.97. The exchange rate is $1.67 for £1, or £0.60 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Genesis 9. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

I'm ready for the laughing gas.

234

2009-11-10T10:09:00.001Z

Iran to charge 3 American hikers with espionage (CNN, BBC, Guardian) - A couple of points. A) If they were spies, they would have had better land navigation skills, and wouldn't have strayed into Iranian territory. B) As we found out during the Spring of 2007, the Iranians aren't above crossing borders to detain people. I know I'm not exactly dispassionate in this situation, but as far as I'm concerned, Iran's all wet.

Chinese Premier Pledges $10B of Aid to Poor African Nations (AP, BBC, Times - You can bet that this money has long-term strings attached. China's adventures in Africa are chock full of bad mojo.

Nine executed over Xinjiang riots (BBC, Guardian)

Berlin Wall Galleries (Guardian, Times)

Guardian: Iran's top-down [nuclear negotiation] unity; AFP: Iran Tested New Nuke Design; Refuses To Export Enriched Uranium

BBC: Yemen rebels 'down fighter jet'

Guardian: Civil unrest has a role in stopping climate change, says Al Gore - Manbearpig. Manbearpig, manbearpig, manbearpig. MANBEARPIG.

Guardian: The pope's Anglican division

Guardian: No honeymoon for Hamid Karzai

Times: Allies 'may abandon northern Helmand'

Times: Poppies evoke foreign field of Afghanistan

Wired Danger Room: Rebooting Afghanistan's Low Tech Air Force

Wired Danger Room: Avril Lavigne, David Axe in Afghan Firefight - Idiot...

Michael Totten: Post-Communist Postcards - Just photos, but really, really fascinating.

Cracked: The 7 Most Badass Last Stands in the History of Battle

Last, but certainly not least: happy 234th birthday to the Leathernecks of the United States Marine Corps. Oorah!

Fly Report: 10th November 2009

2009-11-10T10:08:00.001Z

Good morning. From the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli...

It's 9° Centigrade and cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 56° Fahrenheit with clouds.

A barrel of oil is trading at $78.58. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 10,226.94. The exchange rate is $1.67 for £1, or £0.60 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 Genesis 8. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

Well if you dream, then dream out loud, always.

Wherein the Fly Hates DRM and the RIAA

2009-11-09T10:38:00.001Z

A few weeks ago, I bought a new computer. Now, some of you may remember that a few years ago, there was a massive uproar among recording artists and within the recording industry that revolved around record sales that were supposedly going to be hurt by digital music. Rather than responding to this with an actual effort to adjust to and exploit the new technology, the recording industry came in kicking and screaming. They finally relented once they'd figured out a solution that would sufficiently screw the consumer: digital rights management.

As I mentioned, I bought a new computer. As I've transferred the files from my old computer, I've found that all of the files I downloaded from the now-dead Yahoo(!) music store are permanently locked. I spent an hour or so auditing those files, and here's what I found.

I have 647 total audio files (mp3s), some of which are podcasts, some of which are rarities or oddities I've found online, and most of which are music.

Of those 647 total audio files, 308 files are from the Yahoo(!) Music store, and are DRM locked. At $0.99 per song, that's $304.92 that I've paid to legally acquire music, that I'm now unable to use.

Of those 308 locked files, I have the CDs for 198 of those songs - 186 songs worth of which are available here, and 12 of which are on CDs that are across the continent in [Hometown].

I don't have the CDs for 106 of those files, so the only way to reacquire them would be to repurchase them on Amazon.com, or buy the CDs. That means I'd be out at least another $106 to reacquire music that I'd already purchased.

Needless to say, I'm less than thrilled about all of this. I get a new computer, and because the RIAA are dicks, I have to spend at least $106 all over again? All of this, for obeying the rules, instead of downloading music illegally? I'm obviously frustrated with Yahoo(!) for taking down their DRM server - MSN is keeping theirs up until 2011, and seriously, it's not that costly to keep that kind of resource available for your customers when you shut down. The real issue is the RIAA.

As far as I'm concerned, the RIAA can go fuck itself.

Also, I'll probably be selective about which songs I replace, not only out of frugality, but because I don't think that the folks who enforce this DRM nonsense deserve another $106 (or $308, for that matter) from me.

Idiots.

Fly Report: 09th November 2009

2009-11-09T10:37:00.000Z

Good morning. You throw your pearls before the swine, and make the monkey blind.

It's 10° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 52° Fahrenheit with sunshine.

A barrel of oil is trading at $77.60. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 10,023.42. The exchange rate is $1.66 for £1, or £0.60 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 Genesis 7. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

Something is about to give, I can feel it coming, I think I know what it is.

The Fly's Vacation: Day 7

2009-11-06T12:26:00.002Z

The Fly's vacation, yesterday:

swim PT

dinner with Sam-Wise and Mrs. Sam-Wise - fantastic

I think I did some more, but I can't remember what it was, and I don't care. Vacation! Woohoohoo!

Fly Report: 06th November 2009

2009-11-06T12:26:00.001Z

Good morning. The Fly has thoroughly enjoyed his vacation.

It's 9° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 65° Fahrenheit with partial clouds and wind.

A barrel of oil is trading at $78.95. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 10,005.96. The exchange rate is $1.66 for £1, or £0.60 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 Genesis 7. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

In a little while, I won't be blown by every breeze.

The Fly's Vacation: Day 6

2009-11-05T13:17:00.004Z

Yesterday was pretty relaxing. After going hog wild with Big Brother Caleb and family on Tuesday, I took it easy yesterday. Here's what I did:

job applications

an Arabic lesson

a journal entry

spent a few minutes playing with a black labrador puppy named Shea - she looks a lot like Bareback Jack, the Wonder Dog did at that age

So, for today's post, a semi-recent conversation with Themis, Goddess of Justice.

Themis: I may kill [The 747].
The Fly: Hold that thought. I want to enjoy this with a beer. I'll be right back.
Themis: lol
The Fly: Killian's Irish Red. You were saying?
Themis: So [The 747]'s genius idea?
Themis: Spin class then yoga right after.
The Fly: Right.
Themis: Fuck that.
Themis: I'm hurting.
The Fly: Did she do it?
Themis: Yes.
The Fly: Did you?
Themis: Yes.
Themis: And I'm hurting.
The Fly: So how do you think you'll do the killing? Will there be pictures? Maybe I'll spring for champagne.
Themis: haha
Themis: She looked at me over lunch & goes "didn't you do the same thing last weekend?"
Themis: Me: "Hell no - i did yoga then hip hop!"
Themis: Her: "Oh, well hell I didn't know that."
Themis: Genius move.
Themis: Maybe it'll shock my body into dropping those two pounds so I can break 150.
Themis: And I'm glad I'm sore. It means I worked.
Themis: But I wanted to beat her once she realized that I'd never done that (nor had i wanted to).
The Fly: On the plus/weird side, she actually went to two classes in a row.
Themis: Yes she did!
Themis: Great success there.
Themis: I knew we were in trouble when our yoga instructor (who did spin class with us for most of the class) started going "for you people who did spin before this, im sorry for this next pose."
Themis: Mentally, I'm going "... Fuck."
The Fly: ROFL
Themis: But again, I should thank her.
Themis: Because it forced me to push my body.
Themis: Makes me think I might actually be able to take off two pounds this week.
Themis: Which is good, because I havent taken off two pounds in one week since week three or so.

Whoohoo! Vacation! Vacation rules!

Fly Report: 05th November 2009

2009-11-05T13:17:00.001Z

Good morning. Believe, believe in me. Believe - believe! That life can change, that you're not stuck in vain.

It's 9° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 64° Fahrenheit with sunshine.

A barrel of oil is trading at $79.53. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 9802.14. The exchange rate is $1.66 for £1, or £0.60 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Genesis 6. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

Believe.

The Fly's Vacation: Day 5

2009-11-04T13:20:00.001Z

Yesterday was excellent. Epic. Awesome. Here's what I did:

Genesis 4, and five (long) chapters of Confessions Book VIII.

shooting with Big Brother Caleb

swim and stretch PT

synchronized my clocks and watches

downloaded and then deleted (from the web) the contents of my original website

dinner, beer, and pipe/cigar smoking with Big Brother Caleb, Big Sister Vassi, and the Hybrid

Right, then. Off with the horns, and on with the show. So, a few months ago, during a particularly ill-fated episode with Match.com, I began to communicate with a young lady whose name was - and I'm not making this up - Britney Spear. Now, Britney Spear was pretty, but not that pretty, and she wasn't exactly... Huh. Well, let's put it this way, she was no Themis, Goddess of Justice - Themis has always been fairly thin, and has been on an Ahab-esque quest to slim down over the last year or two. Britney Spear couldn't make the same claim.

The thing about Britney Spear is that she was certifiably crazy. Like, couldn't hold down a conversation, crazy. With CCG, there was at least a coherent thread to our conversations, even if she was completely irrational. The big thing with Britney Spear was that she'd get really flirty, like, borderline dirty, and when I'd respond (and let's face it, I'm almost all talk, certainly early in a relationship), she'd get really obnoxiously outraged.

Where am I going with this? Well, the time frame for my first set of conversations with Britney Spear was February/March of this year. I decided that she was crazy, and we stopped chatting. Then, I saw her (but didn't approach her or interact with her) a few weeks later, and we started chatting again. This, too, was short-lived. I had a conversation with Chops/Crypto King about one of the conversations, and I've forgotten about it until yesterday. Today, I share it with you, because even though it's a bit crass, I thought that the exchange was hilarious, as are many of my exchanges with the Crypto King.

The Fly: So guess who decided to flirt-text with me last night as I was trying to go to bed.
Crypto King: fattie mcnutjob?
The Fly: Ding, ding, ding.
The Fly: Couple of texts back and forth, told her I was getting ready to go to bed.
The Fly: Convo from there went something like this.
The Fly: "Well, let me know if there's anything I can do to help... When you're better :)"
The Fly: Me: "That sounds like a very dangerous offer."
The Fly: Her: "Maybe it's an offer I want you to take me up on."
The Fly: Me: "Don't talk your way into any corners that you're not prepared to act your way out of."
The Fly: Her: "No acting necessary."
Crypto King: well, either she's being a tease, or she wants the cock.
The Fly: Me: "Too bad, it was the acting (actions) that I was looking forward to."
The Fly: Her: "That's your fault for confusing acting with actions." ((WTF?))
The Fly: Me: "So, are you all talk, or are you prepared to do the actions?"
The Fly: Her: "I guess you'll just have to ask of* out to find out." ((Apparently she's not yet mastered predictive text, as a simple click of the * button would have changed "of" to "me" since they both use the 63 sequence on a phone keypad.))
The Fly: At that point she'd interrupted sleep several times, so I told her I was going to bed.
Crypto King: well, it sounds like you've got hot fattie ass just waiting for you, anytime you care to take her up on the offer.
The Fly: Hot as in easily aroused, or hot as in attractive?
The Fly: At any rate, I can't tell whether she wants my stuff, or if she thinks that this is her second chance to tease me into buying her food. That sure seemed to be her primary motivation a few weeks ago, and she wasn't that great at masking it.
Crypto King: do you really think she's changed her goals so much in a couple of weeks.
Crypto King: still, times are tough, maybe she's willing to put out in exchange for some food.
The Fly: If I did, I wouldn't have mentioned what I think her real goal is.
Crypto King: she's angling for the goods. and she probably knows she's not attractive enough to get them based on looks alone.
Crypto King: so she starts with the teasing.
Crypto King: I seriously doubt she puts out so easy, but it's entirely possible she does.
The Fly: Well, back to the theme of "Has she changed that much in a few weeks", her line about giving me a BJ was something along the lines of "It'll take a lot of free dinners before that happens." Not "We'll have to know each other pretty well," or "I'll have to be really comfortable with you," or "That will take some time." A lot of free dinners.
The Fly: Maybe I can just buy her a shit ton of TV dinners at Harris Teeter and then point at my junk.
Crypto King: in these economic conditions, that might work.
The Fly: Or I could go to a butcher and buy her a side of beef.
Crypto King: nothing gets them hotter than raw beef.
The Fly: And with that line, this conversation just got slated for blog posting.

"Nothing gets them hotter than raw beef." Classic. Have a great day, folks!

Fly Report: 04th November 2009

2009-11-04T13:19:00.001Z

Good morning. The life that I've been living from the day I first drew breath, has been my way of forgetting, I'm on a journey to my death.

It's 11° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 58° Fahrenheit with sunshine.

A barrel of oil is trading at $79.30. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 9771.91. The exchange rate is $1.64 for £1, or £0.61 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Genesis 5. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

Josephine, be careful of small men with big ideas.

The Fly's Vacation: Day 4

2009-11-03T13:39:00.001Z

Stuff The Fly did on his first "real" day on holiday:

got back into my morning ritual: Genesis 3, the tail end of Book VII of Confessions by Augustine, and the Book of Common Prayer

swim workout, push-ups, sit-ups, and stretching

job applications

half-assed attempt at doing dishes

opened a wine bottle with a Leatherman Juice CS4 - this means that I can now throw out the bottle opener that I bought for Katherine's visit

watched a bunch of episodes of Dharma and Greg on YouTube - I love that show

went to sleep to the annoyance of the Voice of Russia on shortwave, because the Voice of Justice is tough to pick up during the Winter months

There have been more. In the words of Ice Cube: I have to say, it was a good day. Today I'm:

more job applications

going shooting with Big Brother Caleb

another swim workout, and stretching

more episodes of Dharma and Greg - seriously, that show is totally awesome

maybe a hot bath with Epsom salt and a good book

There could be more. Here I go...

Fly Report: 03rd November 2009

2009-11-03T13:38:00.000Z

Good morning. Vacation, all I ever wanted. Vacation, had to get away. Vacation, meant to be spent alone.

It's 11° Centigrade and cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 54° Fahrenheit with partial clouds.

A barrel of oil is trading at $77.10. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 9789.44. The exchange rate is $1.64 for £1, or £0.61 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Genesis 4. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

I gotta stand up to ego, but my ego's not really the enemy.

The Fly's Vacation: Day 3

2009-11-02T12:52:00.002Z

Happy Monday, folks! First, the news.

Passport, documents linked to Al Qaeda member who planned 9/11 terror attacks are found along Afghan border (AP, Guardian, Times)

BBC: Internet addresses set for change

BBC: Somalia: where hair fringes, music and tobacco are banned - Tobacco is banned, but they chew khat all day long... You know, just like Mohammed did.

Guardian: What does [the Anglo-Catholic amalgamation] mean for women?

Times: Officers 'ate VIP dinner as [French] soldiers died in [Afghan] ambush'

Times: President Obama 'gave perks to donors'

Times: Johnston lays bare truth about Palin family - Okay, this kid is what, nineteen? I realize that the media hates Sarah Palin, but should we really be giving this kind of attention to a nineteen year-old? Would the media be giving attention to a nineteen year-old who claimed to have dirt on the Obama or Biden families? I doubt it.

Wired: Breaking News: Air Force Officer Speaks Pashto! - Unbelievable. Yet another reason to question the continued relevance of the Air Force, which should have been retained by the US Army instead of becoming its own service.

AFP: Russian submarine fails to launch troubled missile: report

So, I'm taking a week's holiday from work, trying to recover from the last few months, and finish up some projects. I probably won't blog much news this week, but I'll probably discuss different projects and such that I'm working on. Stay tuned.

Fly Report: 02nd November 2009

2009-11-02T12:33:00.001Z

Good morning. We're going on a holiday, gonna take a villa, a small chalet.

It's 10° Centigrade and rainy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 52° Fahrenheit with sunshine.

A barrel of oil is trading at $76.84. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 9712.73. The exchange rate is $1.65 for £1, or £0.60 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Genesis 3. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

Waves of regret and waves of joy, I reached out for the one I'd tried to destroy.

AMF: Just the News

2009-10-30T09:32:00.000Z

Hey, folks! It's finally Friday! Here's the news.

Afghanistan:

US set to pay Taliban members to switch sides (CNN, BBC)

U.S. commander, NATO in Afghan strategy talks

War training on a California beach

BBC: UN endorses Afghan troop request

Times: John Kerry reinvented as Afghan link

AP: International, Afghan Forces Outnumber Taliban 12-1

Guardian: Video: US strategy failing in Afghanistan

UPI: Outside View: Taliban's viral insurgency

CNN: Security expert: Peshawar attack demonstrates arrogance of Taliban

Times: Commanders hope to make Obama agree to surge

BNP on the BBC:

AP: Report: Protesters Break Past BBC Security

CNN: 'I am not a Nazi,' [British] National Party leader says on BBC

Guardian: The real threat of immigration

Times: The BBC lynch mob proved BNP leader Nick Griffin’s best recruiters

For those of you who aren't aware, America's immigration problem is actually not as bad as Europe's. In Europe, the situation is so bad that white supremacist political groups are actually gaining traction, because like in the United States, mainstream parties won't bother dealing with the issue for fear of alienating voters. The slowly-growing legitimacy of the British National Party wasn't quashed when a bunch of obnoxious twerps were brought in to ambush their party leader, Nick Griffin (MEP), on the BBC's Question Time. I may discuss this situation further at a future time.

In General:

BBC: Kenya Anglicans reject Pope offer; Times: Vatican row delays Anglo-Catholic text

UPI: Reports: Clean coal more costly - Yes, because it's a new technology, and because the industry is set up to keep doing things as normal. For the time being, clean coal is the best compromise since dirty hippies refuse to acquiesce to common sense nuclear energy, and solar and wind are like the empty promises that so many of The Fly's ex-girlfriends have given him.

Fox: Eat a Dog, Save the Earth - How Green? - Now the "climate change" folks want us not to keep pets. No pets? No meat? No electricity? I'll learn to live without glaciers, thanks.

Yemen intercepts Iranian ship with arms (BBC, UPI)

Obama meets coffins of fallen soldiers (Guardian, Times) - Publicity stunt. Sickening publicity stunt. If I'd been the father of the deceased, I'd have told President Obama to get bent.

AFP: EU lifts Uzbek arms embargo

Report Blames Cutbacks on Safety Checks for British Military Deaths
(AP, CNN); Times: [British] Top brass are failing our Top Guns

AFP: France signs defence agreement with Kuwait

Old USA Today: Signals foil IEDs but also troop radios

BBC: Yemen rebels 'fight Saudi forces'

AP: Bahrain lawmakers Vote to Ban Citizens From Having Relations With Israelis

Times: Obama faces first election test in Virginia - Creigh Deeds is going to lose. Bob McDonnell is going to win. That's change you can believe in.

BBC: In pictures: On the silk road in Syria

Guardian: Enemy of the public option - Thank God for Joe Lieberman. I disagree with him on a number of issues, but Joe Lieberman is the kind of Democrat I could and would vote for.

The Onion: 14 American Apparel models freed

Have a great weekend!

Fly Report: 30th October 2009

2009-10-30T09:31:00.000Z

Good morning. Damn, woman! I just gave you sweet lovin' five minutes ago, you tryin' to kill me!?

It's 13° Centigrade and rainy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 51° Fahrenheit with morning rain and snow.

A barrel of oil is trading at $78.88. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 9962.58. The exchange rate is $1.66 for £1, or £0.60 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 Genesis 3. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

You love this town, even if that doesn't ring true. You've been all over, and it's been all over you.

Stuff Fly Wants: October 2009

2009-10-29T10:59:00.001Z

Hey, folks! Happy ~~Wednesday~~ Thursday! Today I'll catch up on most of the leftover stories from last week, and then do Father Time's favorite post of the month, the Stuff Fly Wants list.

* * *

BBC: Vatican's Anglican decision is dramatic and historic; Times: 400,000 former Anglicans flock to Rome - More straggling articles about the Anglican/Roman Catholic news from last week.

Police Arrest 11 Iranian Revolutionary Guards (AP, BBC, Times) - Fascinating! The game is afoot.

French court convicts Church of Scientology of fraud (CNN, BBC, Guardian)

Report: Palestinians denied water by Israel [according to Amnesty International] (BBC, Times) - There's another rant about this below. Basically, I'd be willing to consider believing this if it was someone reputable; insteade, it's Amnesty International, which is a total joke, and blatantly anti-Semitic. It's not Israel's fault that the leaders of Amnesty International haven't seen the Pallywood video.

AP: NASA Sees Huge Fires Across Parts of N. Korea - The article claims that the Norks are burning in preparation for planting or something. If you ask me, they're probably trying to obscure something from the view of satellite imagery.

Fox: U.N. Report Demands Repeal of Counterterrorism Laws to Promote 'Gender Equality' - Following up on their epic win of giving a seat to the IOC, the UN is trying to use CT laws to promote gender equality. Would someone remind me why we fund this feckless, corrupt organization and allow it to take up perfectly good American land?

Fox: French Minister: Muslim Burqa 'Contrary' to French Values - As much as I respect religious toleration, there is a fundamental conflict if a group - ethnic, religious, ideological, whatever - refuses to accept and assimilate into the culture into which it injects itself. If a person wants to retain their own culture to the Nth degree, they probably shouldn't be trying to find a better life in a country that's so fundamentally different than their own. Allowing immigration is great, but the burden then falls on the immigrant to assimilate. All of my ancestors did it, and if I were moving to a different country with a fundamentally different culture, I'd expect to do it as well.

CNN: Afghanistan drug trail spanning the world

CNN: Ignored by society, Afghan dancing boys suffer centuries-old tradition

BBC: Why 'adolescent America' has to grow up - As annoying as this article is, it makes an interesting and, at the very least, thought-provoking point. If we as a culture continue to lend value to the garbage that comes out of Hollywood, or other elements of juvenile American culture that are exported, it's very difficult to claim any sort of cultural superiority.

BBC: UK navy forces to return to Iraq

BBC: US boosts Seychelles piracy fight

BBC: Australia coastal homes at risk [from climate change] - You know, a while ago, I downloaded and listened to a podcast from the Heritage Foundation entitled Policy Peril: Why Global Warming Policies Are More Dangerous Than Global Warming Itself. I remain a skeptic of so-called "global warming" and "climate change" - I think that humanity should be responsible stewards of the planet, but I also think that the "science" of "global warming"/"climate change" is anything but settled, and I don't think we should enact sweeping policy changes based on disputed information. Thus, ridiculous headlines such as this one really annoy me.

BBC: Audio slideshow: Soldier artist [in Afghanistan]

BBC: What defines your religion? - This was actually a really interesting piece. It's inspired by a case in the United Kingdom that discusses the basis for admission to a Jewish school, but it delves a bit deeper to discuss what actually defines a person's faith (but not much deeper - it's the BBC, after all).

Guardian: The 'good' Taliban - Islamists and army fight insurgents - I'm getting pretty sore with the Pakistani government, which seems to be perfectly willing to jeopardize their security and my security by continually making deals with terrorists who break their promises.

Guardian: Who are Syria's real friends?

Guardian: Runoff splits Afghanistan in three

Times: Human Rights Watch accused of anti-Israel bias - Part of the reason why I ignore just about any negative press that Israel gets anymore isn't that I offer unconditional support to Israel - in fact, I'm perfectly willing to call Israel out if it does something wrong. The problem is that anti-Israeli sentiment, some of it based on ignorance, some of it based on anti-Semitism, is so endemic in the media and in various international bodies, that the claims of groups like Human Rights Watch, or even the UN, have lost any trace of credibility. When they'll call Israel out for one or two alleged deaths of people who were probably militants to begin with, but they won't call out "Palestinians" for their verifiable and unapologetic rocket attacks against Israeli schools, there's not much credibility to grant.

Times: Missing Link? No Way - Apparently that "missing link" from a few months ago isn't a missing link at all - or, at the very least, it's being hotly disputed. See? Darwinians can jump to their own faith-based conclusions, too!

Times: Vatican gives Marx the thumbs up - And they were doing so well...

Times: First US official resigns over Afghanistan war

Times: Climate chief - give up meat to save the planet - See above. This is just silly. Comparing meat consumption to drinking and driving, in the name of "climate change"? If these are the kind of people who are pushing this global warming agenda, no wonder people are starting to question it.

Times: Gaddafi apologises for WPC Fletcher murder

Times: India Knight: The obese want to have their equality cake and eat it too - This is one of the best op-eds I've read in a long time, and I'm guessing that one reader of this blog in particular will agree with every word of it.

Wired: US largesse keeps African militaries rolling

Wired: Helicopters: Achilles' Heel of the Afghanistan War

Wired: Pak Taliban spooked by drones, insider account shows

ThreatPost: Report: Cyberterror Not a Credible Threat - I've thought this for years. The concept of "cyber-terrorism" is intriguing, and was really terrifying back in the late 1990's when nobody knew any better. The truth is that, while there's a moderate amount of damage that might be done by criminal or state-sponsored hackers, America's nuclear arsenal, nuclear power stations, electrical grids, and hospitals housing grandma aren't just accessible at the click of a mouse, if they're plugged into the Internet at all. Not that they're reputable as journalists, but the kids over at Cracked.com pointed this out a while ago in conjunction with Hollywood movies, which portray computers as a simple means of blowing stuff up and erasing people from the face of the planet. The truth is that terrorism requires bloodshed, and it requires people to be terrified when that bloodshed occurs. The hacking that China has been publicly accused of/proved to be doing over the last few years? Not terrorism. North Korea running DDoS attacks on South Korean networks? Not terrorism. Georgian and Estonian networks being attacked by (probably) Russian state-sponsored or criminal-sponsored hacking teams? Not terrorism. Obnoxious? Yes. Vandalism? Yes. Violent and terrifying? Not really.

UPI: Libya eyes new Russian jet fighters

AFP: Pentagon conducts secret war game on Afghan options: report

AFP: Boatload of Iranian arms seized off Yemen: reports

AFP: Medvedev unhappy with quality of Russian weapons

* * *
Field Gear

British special forces style rucksack - £75.00

British SAS smock - £95.00

British Desert DPM ~~trousers~~ and shirt

MARPAT Desert Utilities - $67.98

Tiger Stripe Utilities - $39.98

Khaki Tru-Spec Tactical Response Uniform trousers (2) - $89.80

Sand Crye Precision Field Pants AC - $115.00

~~UDT/SEAL Team Swimmer Trunks (2) - $71.90~~

U.S. Army ACU tan sweat-wicking uniform T-shirts (3)

Under Armour Cold Gear

5.11 Tactical Polos (3) - $89.97

Rubbermaid 48 Gallon ActionPackers (2) - $69.99

~~TAD Gear Pathfinder Zip Hoodie - $117.70~~

Sony 8GB Walkman Video MP3 Player (black) - $119.95 (Amazon price $99.77)

Mini Cargo Pocket Organizer - $27.95 NEW

M9 Mag Pouch - $29.95 NEW

Bushmaster Deluxe Armorer's Kit - $180.95

FN FAL

Household Items

Union Jack - $8.09

Amazing Pasta Maker [click me] - $39.95

Fouled Anchor lapel pin

Walther PPK

Roman Mainz Gladius - $144

The Maxim Coffin Coffee Table - $3995.00

Pawleys Island Tri-Beam Hammock Stand - $140.00

Pawleys Island Beach Quilted Hammock - $199.99 (Amazon price $184.36)

Discipline poster - $19.95

book case

Clothing

Royal Marines T-Shirt - £10.96

More Cowbell T-Shirt - $20.00

Position Wanted: Pope T-Shirt - $12.99

Clan Cleland tartan kilt and kilt pin - $400.00 - $700.00

deer skin sporran

Books

Bravo Two Zero by Andy McNab - $7.99

Contact Zero by David Wolstencroft - $7.99

Entertainment

Battlestar Galactica: Season 4.5 - $49.98 (Amazon price $31.49

Best of Chris Isaak (CD & DVD) - $24.98 (Amazon price $22.99)

Kids in the Hall - Seasons 1, 2, 3, and 4 - $179.90 (Amazon price $155.98)

Gladiator Extended Edition - $35.98 (Amazon price $22.99)

Apocalypse Now - The Complete Dossier - $19.99 (Amazon price $13.99

Switchfoot - The Legend of Chin - $11.98

Stephanie Schneiderman - Live at Kung Fu Bakery - $15.98

Hootie & the Blowfish - The Best of 1993 Through 2003 - $11.98 (Amazon price $8.97)

Mystical Chants of Carmel by the Carmelite Monks - $18.95

* * *
That's it for today. Check in tomorrow for what should be the last of the articles carried over from last week. Have a great ~~Wednesday~~ Thursday!

Fly Report: 29th October 2009

2009-10-29T10:58:00.000Z

Good morning. Mmmmm, how about a little more of that good lovin', Chef?

It's 14° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 35° Fahrenheit with sunshine.

A barrel of oil is trading at $76.86. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 9762.69. The exchange rate is $1.64 for £1, or £0.61 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 Genesis 3. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

Oh, lordy, you've been stealing from the thieves, and you got caught.

Bollocks

2009-10-28T20:19:00.001Z

Beer-related technical issues. Hopefully back to blogging by Monday. Standby.

UPDATE: Okay, it appears to be better than I'd thought. Basically, I spilled beer on my new laptop. However, it appears to have only disturbed the keyboard. With only $86 (USB hub, USB keyboard and mouse, and monitor/laptop stand), two and a half years of working with techies, and a dream, I'm back up and running, and when all's said and done, I think I'm going to be able to get the thing squared away for under $200, which is much better than spending another $700 on another brand new laptop.

Ugh. I need a vacation.

Beer Run: October 2009

2009-10-27T09:45:00.002Z

Hey, folks! It's Beer Run day! First, more of my news catch-up, then the Beer Run update.

* * *
Anglicans and Roman Catholicism:

USA Today: Is Catholic Church rustling - or just welcoming - Anglican converts?

National Post: Amen to a good offer

Wall Street Journal: Vatican in Bold Bid to Attract Anglicans

BBC: Rome rules on admitting Anglicans

I think that this offer by the Roman Catholic Church to conservative Anglicans is both fascinating and envigorating. In no uncertain terms, this represents an unequivocal indication of just how broken the Anglican Communion is. It's schizophrenic, the only "leadership" is from the branches of the Communion that have lost any trace of accountability, and it's obvious. It's so obvious, that Anglican clergy have been making requests of the Holy See to allow them to have a special dispensation within the Roman Catholic Church, and the Holy See has responded.

I'm not positive that I'll start going to Mass, but I'm thinking about it. The Roman Catholic Church has caused me to keep it at arms length because there are so many items of doctrine and dogma that I disagree with - things that are just plain wrong, ahistorical, et cetera. This development could very well allow me to put those differences behind me, as the Roman Catholic Church appears to be ready to accept Anglicans as they are, as a sort of church-within-a-church. That's profoundly stirring, and should send a message to devout Anglicans everywhere, not to mention the leaders of the Anglican Communion.

General News:

US Biden to reassure Poles (BBC, AFP) - Yeah, I'm really positive that Vice President Biden is reassuring the Eastern European allies that President Obama gave the finger to on the anniversary of the Nazi invasion of Poland. Seriously.

CNN: Greenpeace protests genetically modified corn in Mexico - Greenpeace is protesting Mexican efforts to feed people. Unbelievable.

CNN: Atheist ads to adorn New York subway stations - Is it just me, or are most evangelistic Christian advertisements a lot more uplifting than these obnoxious Atheist billboards that they've taken to running on public transportation?

BBC: Australia to review Afghan force - Australia is looking to pull out of Afghanistan. Thanks, Kevin Rudd.

BBC: African view: China's new long march

BBC: Violent clashes in Algiers slums

BBC: US arms Mali to battle al-Qaeda

BBC: Bedouin who serve in Israel's army

Guardian: Iran will do business but not with France

Guardian: Religion, HIV and the developing world

Guardian: You can be good without God, Denham tells church leaders - Most people just aren't. They've done studies of this.

Guardian: A moral atrocity: Judge Goldstone has been suckered into letting war criminals use his name to pillory Israel

Guardian: Climate change in Siberia - 'Our reindeer go hungry'

Guardian: The great birdwatching war hero

Times: The decade that changed who we were - An article about the first decade of the new millennium.

Times: [British] Women have got greedy with maternity leave

Times: Britain and US reject Iranian accusations over terror attacks

Times: Yemen could become first nation to run out of water

Times: Tory stance on European Union worries Obama

UPI: Iran's enemy within strikes again

UPI: Turkey set to sue Israel as rift deepens

UPI: Walker's World: China's new enemies

Michael Totten: From Bucharest to Chernobyl

Michael Yon: Adopt-a-stan

* * *
It's been a while since I did a beer run. Through a business deal with some co-workers whereby I took some notes for them during a series of meetings, I was inundated with four six-packs of Guinness Extra Stout. It was wonderful, but it certainly delayed my regular beer run cycle. I refused to drink the rest of that horrible Hoegaarden, and I only had one bottle of Guinness left by this weekend, so I did a beer run when I was out grocery shopping on Sunday. I picked up my signature six six-packs, and this is what I got:

Guinness Extra Stout

Harp Lager

Widmer Hefeweizen

Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat

Pete's Wicked Strawberry Blonde

Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier

For those of you who have seen my Beer Run posts in the past, none of these will come as a surprise. I've had all of these before, and none of them are particularly adventuresome. In the coming weeks, following the end of this Iraq disappointment, I want to get back to basics on a number of things, just to regain a sense of personal equilibrium. Familiar beer will help with that, I hope.

* * *
That's it for today. Tomorrow, I'll finish up the news catch-up process, and throw in Father Time's favorite post of the month: the Stuff Fly Wants list. Until then, have a great Tuesday.

Fly Report: 27th October 2009

2009-10-27T09:44:00.001Z

Good morning. Saith Mrs. Mike Nelson: "That's okay, I like pictures of pudding any day."

It's 10° Centigrade and cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 40° Fahrenheit with rain and snow.

A barrel of oil is trading at $77.85. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 9867.96. The exchange rate is $1.63 for £1, or £0.61 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 Genesis 2. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

Love is blindness.

The Shocking Revelation

2009-10-26T10:13:00.003Z

Alright. It's Monday, and I've had the weekend to collect myself and get the new computer squared away. There are a number of things to catch up on.

* * *
Let's start off with the biggest item: I'm not going to Iraq. I had hinted at something over the last few weeks, but I didn't want to mention anything until I had something conclusive.

During the last full week of September, I was contacted by a representative from Aegis, a company that I've written about in the past on this blog. It's the current business endeavour of the semi-legendary Tim Spicer, the retired lieutenant colonel in the Scots Guards who wrote An Unorthodox Soldier. The next day, I interviewed for a position in Iraq, and was invited by the close of that week to schedule an interview at the company's American office in the DC area.

I scheduled the interview for their first available day, which was 05th October. Regular readers may remember that I was negligent in blogging for a couple of days, and the reason was that I was in the DC area overnight for the interview, and to meet with several friends in the surrounding area. Without going into detail, I was given a number of reasons to believe that the interview had gone extremely well, and that I would be more competitive for the position than the other candidate who was selected for a second interview. Once I left the office, I was standing by, with the understanding that I would be updated as appropriate.

About two weeks ago, I got an update that I was still being considered for the position, but that the company had not yet been able to meet with the other candidate for the second interview. I E-mailed again on Thursday, inquiring about the situation and mentioning a further qualification that I had neglected to mention during the interview. I received a reply on Friday morning indicating that the client had placed a hold on new hires. My contact said that he doesn't believe that the position will be filled, but will keep my information on file in case of any future opportunities. It sounds like standard business speak, but I have reason to believe that he's being straight with me, and I'll contact him sporadically for the purpose of keeping me on his radar.

The position in question would have been a perfect fit for my background, interests, and goals - tailor-made for yours truly - and I would have been thrilled to work for this particular company. I'm unquestionably disappointed that the opportunity fell through, but the bottom line is that I'm glad to have a final answer. For the last month, I'd been living my life on hold, and this answer allows me to get back to the projects that I had been working on previously. Getting upset and losing myself isn't my style - fighting harder for what I want is.

So, for those who hadn't seen the news on Facebook, and for any regular readers who may have been curious what's been going on over the last few weeks (other than the unrelated trouble with my laptop), that's the answer: I was within a proverbial stone's throw of going to Iraq, but it's not going to happen for the time being.

* * *
A couple of weeks ago, prior to learning that I would be paying nearly $700 for a new computer, I made a couple of orders from the Stuff Fly Wants list.

~~UDT/SEAL Team Swimmer Trunks (2) - $71.90~~

~~TAD Gear Pathfinder Zip Hoodie - $117.70~~

Except... It's not that simple. Okay, so with the jacket, it is. And actually, I decided that I'd rather have the jacket, as opposed to the "hoodie" - I really hate that word, by the way. I have a few points of disappointment with the jacket. First, I thought that it would have spots for velcro patches on both arms; and second, I thought it would have pockets on both arms. Instead, it has one of each - not a problem, just not what I'd expected. The third issue is that the pocket on the arm, which is intended for use with an mp3 player, appears to be too small for mine (and mine isn't particularly large). Overall, though, I'm pretty pleased with it.

The UDT trunks are a different story. Now, for those who aren't familiar with UDT trunks, they're worn by the Navy SEAL teams in training and on operations, and the design goes all the way back to the Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT) of World War II. They're not fancy, but they're great swim trunks. They run small, and even if they fit, they're pretty tight. Now, the $32.35 price tag didn't really jump out at me, but I decided that the time had come to get a pair in order to facilitate my swim workouts - my board shorts are fine, but I prefer the UDT trunks.

Well, the UDT trunks arrived late last week, and I tried them on. Barely. It was immediately apparent that I'd need to go up a size. I also noticed that, despite only being available on one website, the trunks were made by Tru-Spec - a military clothing giant. After a quick Googling, I found that the trunks were available elsewhere online, for about $15 less. So, at this point, I've ordered two pair - a pair in tan, and a pair in black - from U.S. Cavalry. For $20.99 apiece. Which is much less than $32.35. Seriously, if you figure that $20.99 is marked up a bit, then $32.35 must be, what, a one hundred percent markup? That's just ridiculous. So, since they don't fit, I'm going to try to return them, which is going to be a real hassle, but probably worth the effort.

* * *
I have a week's worth of news to catch up on, so I'm going to triage it and take care of it over the next few days.

Afghanistan:

Too early to send more US troops to Afghanistan: Kerry (Times: Times, AFP) - People are still listening to this turd burglar? Unbelievable.

AFP: Afghanistan's helicopter force takes to the skies

TrueSlant: Are the Taliban trying to recruit Russia and China to their side?

Times: On patrol with the roadside bomb hunters in Afghanistan

Wired Danger Room: Winning Over the Taliban? Fat Chance

Iran Attack:

Iranian Revolutionary Guards vow revenge on Britain and US (Fox, Times

BBC: Iran accuses Pakistan over attack; Times: Rumours of Western support for Iranian dissident militia groups have broad backing

BBC: Soldiers of God: Profile of Iranian Sunni militant group Jundullah

AFP: Iran Guards prestige target for rebels

CNN: Iran mourns dozens killed in attack

General News

Guardian: Dutch MP hails UK visit 'victory'; Times: Protests force anti-Muslim politician to retreat - The British government needs to get over this bizarre idea that people who call out Islamists for what they are should be excluded from British soil.

‘Sufficient evidence’ to charge Libyans over WPC (Guardian, Times)

Guns given to Somali quiz winners (BBC, Fox)

BBC: Kyrgyzstan looks into reviving the death penalty

BBC: Israelis mark Emirates flag debut - How pathetic is it that there is so much hate in the Islamic world that an Israeli delegation to some conference being allowed to display their flag at their table is counted as a diplomatic victory?

BBC: Libya frees 'repentant' Islamists

Guardian: William Shatner should not be beamed back for Star Trek 2

Guardian: Tajikistan, in other words - The BBC has an interesting story about the politics and academic fallout of language in Tajikistan.

Guardian: Michelle Obama, black like me - Focusing on the first lady's ancestry is part of an American obsession with slavery that we need to leave behind

Guardian: The rise of the religious left - Whoever wrote this article is an idiot. The "religious Left"? Seriously? What a load of drivel.

Times: Terrorists plotted mass attack in name of jihad

AP: GPS Causing Truckers to Crash Into Bridges - People who use a GPS to navigate while driving are pathetic.

BBC: BBC dot.life: Reading the Kindle - The BBC has another interesting article about the Kindle e-reader. The Crypto King might be somewhat interested in this.

BBC: Scientists announce planet bounty

BBC: 'Militants' hunted in Tajikistan

BBC: Israel spying devices found by UN

BBC: US drone 'shot down over Somalia'

BBC: China honoured in Central Africa

Guardian: Linking Islam and terrorism is wrong

Times: International Olympic committee to get UN seat - The International Olympic Committee? If the IOC gets a UN seat, the UN has officially given up any trace of legitimacy.

Michael Totten: Patterns of Dictatorship

BBC: In pictures: Landscape photo of the year 2009

Blog: Stonehead - In looking for pictures of Orkney, I found a blog by a "crofter" (small-scale farmer) in northeast Scotland. Fascinating.

* * *
That's probably enough for today. Be sure to check back in tomorrow for more, to include more catching up on the news, and a number of other items of interest. Until then, have a great Monday.

Fly Report: 26th October 2009

2009-10-26T10:12:00.000Z

Good morning. Actually, it was Alypius who prevented me from marrying, urging that if I did so it would not be possible for us to live together and to have as much undistracted leisure in the love of wisdom as we had long desired.

It's 10° Centigrade and cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 52° Fahrenheit with clouds.

A barrel of oil is trading at $79.35. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 9972.18. The exchange rate is $1.63 for £1, or £0.61 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 Genesis 1. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

Too much is not enough.

The Fly's Long Computer Nightmare

2009-10-23T09:04:00.003Z

Wow. What a week. Okay, I'm going to forego at least most of the news for today, and start catching up on blogging this weekend.

On Saturday morning, my computer wouldn't boot up. It would turn on, but it wouldn't get past the initial screen. I made a quick run to Best Buy, and decided that another reconditioned Dell would be a better use of my money. I ordered a reconditioned laptop, and paid about $70 for the next business day shipping. My hope was that this would get it to me on Monday, but I expected it on Tuesday. When checking my balance on Tuesday, I noticed that the money that had been withdrawn on Monday was back in my account. That afternoon, after a call to Dell, it was determined that they had put my order on hold, and hadn't bothered trying to contact me at the E-mail address or phone number that I'd provided with my order, on the grounds that the phone number didn't match the one associated with my card (because it had changed - a year ago). Unbelievable. I got it sorted out, it shipped on Wednesday, and it arrived today. During my lunch break this afternoon, I went to Best Buy and picked up a SATA hard drive enclosure, hoping that the hard drive from my old laptop would be operational.

So, as I write this now, I've grabbed the files I want from both the old laptop, and my ancient desktop machine. My project for this weekend will most likely be to classify and sort through all of the files from both old computers, put them into proper categories and directories, and back them up to CD as appropriate. It sounds worse than I expect it to actually be - in fact, I expect it to be rather therapeutic, as it's something that I've been meaning and/or trying to do with the ancient HP desktop computer for months.

It's been a relatively slow news week, but there have been a few stories worth noting. The big one as far as I'm concerned was the Roman Catholic Church's invitation to accept Anglicans, no questions asked, as is. That's big news, and as an Anglican with Catholic leanings, I'm still turning it around in my head. I'll probably have more to say about it on Monday.

Many regular readers of this blog will know that my life has been very, very odd lately, as I've prepared for a dramatic change that may or may not actually happen. I don't have any news, and for a variety of reasons, I will continue to be cryptic as to what the actual situation is. The big frustration is that it's caused me to essentially put my life on hold for the past month as I wait for news. I haven't received any update on the situation for about a week and a half, so yesterday evening I sent a brief message to the party in question, seeking an update and adding some additional information about my background. Maybe I'll hear something tomorrow; maybe I'll hear something next week.

Regardless of what happens, I need a vacation. I had been putting a vacation off until the first week in October due to goings-on at work, and then the week before I was planning to take some time off, this situation arose. For reasons relating to that potential change, I've held off. It's difficult for me to foresee another week going without me receiving some sort of news about this potential upcoming event: either it will happen, and I'll start preparing for it, or it won't, and I'll take a much-needed vacation, even if it's just puttering around Van Diemen's Station and the surrounding community for a few days. With respect to the potential event: when I know something, the blog readers will know something, and they'll know something specific. One outcome or another has to come sooner or later.

As of today, it's been a solid year since I spoke with CCG. It's time to take that item off of the Fly Report, so it will be absent on Monday. Believe it or not, there are times when I miss her, and I always wonder whether she's reading the blog, as she tended to do over the last several years. At any rate, I may or may not replace that Fly Report item with something different.

I'm still reading from and enjoying Augustine, and there will be several items worth sharing - items about Augustine's relationship with his buddies and women - next week. Augustine, for better or for worse, is sounding more and more like a fraternity guy as I continue reading, and it's really entertaining.

Alright, I have things to do. Have a fantastic weekend, folks, and tune in Monday - there's a lot of catching up to do, and some of it will be very entertaining, I promise.

Fly Report: 23rd October 2009

2009-10-23T09:03:00.001Z

Good morning. Thank God, that's finally over.

It's 12° Centigrade and cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 56° Fahrenheit with partial clouds.

A barrel of oil is trading at $80.26. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 10,081.31. The exchange rate is $1.66 for £1, or £0.60 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 Proverbs 8. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

Consecutive days without CCG: 365

And I know it aches, and your heart it breaks, you can only take so much. Walk on.

Still Stranded

2009-10-20T21:14:00.002Z

Apparently, because I hadn't updated my phone number with my bank a year ago, Dell has yet to ship my laptop, nor did they bother to E-mail me at any point in the last two business days (or four real days) to let me know that there was an issue. I will allegedly have my new laptop tomorrow. In the mean time, I guess I'll go run some errands since I'm not getting any blogging or any other work done in the mean time.

Usually, I blame the French. This time, I'm choosing to blame Father Time. I'm sure that he accidentally (read: intentionally) did something to botch the whole thing during the course of polishing his thimble collection.

Epic Fail

2009-10-18T18:43:00.002Z

My Dell Laptop bit the dust. Bogus. I've ordered a replacement, and I'm optimistic about the prospect of getting my data off of the hard drive (hopefully the account-specific files won't be encrypted, or else I may be hosed). However, I don't expect the replacement to arrive until Tuesday. I'm limping along with my the computer that I started the blog on, an ancient HP Pavilion 6460 running Windows 98 First Edition - oh, yeah, baby! So, expect no posts on Monday or Tuesday, and we'll see what Wednesday brings.

Oh, yeah, and Jundallah strikes again - this time killing at least one general in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Wow.

AMF: Postponement!

2009-10-16T09:34:00.000Z

Hey, folks! So, I stayed up later than I really wanted to on Wednesday night to finish up Thursday's post. And I was up pretty late on Tuesday night, too. So, in lieu of finishing Catch-Up Week today, I'll leave the last items for Monday (they're a tad involved, far beyond what I wanted to get into last night). So, here's the news to close out this week.

AP: Obama Calls for $250 Payments to Seniors - Is there anyone that President Obama doesn't want to give a government-funded hand-out to?

AP: Groups Question $7B China-Guinea Mining Deal

CNN: Finland makes fast Internet access a legal right - A legal right? The next thing you know, people will be manufacturing a "legal right" to free health care. Oh, wait...

BBC: California sees the return of gold fortune-seekers - Ha. I'm so glad I got out of California. Unlike states like Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, which were all founded by folks who wanted to make a new life for themselves through hard work and rugged individualism, California was founded by a bunch of bums who wanted to make a fortune out of little or no real work. That culture persists to this day, and as far as I'm concerned, California can have it.

BBC: MoD equipment plan 'unaffordable' - It appears that with an ongoing fiasco with Chinook helicopters, and no effort to buy life-saving surplus MRAP vehicles, Britain's military procurement system may be even more screwed up than America's.

BBC: Australia 'open' to atomic energy - Now if we could only get American hippies to realize the benefits of emissions-free nuclear energy...

BBC: Will 'Hotel of Doom' ever be finished? - North Korea has been trying to build this obnoxiously tacky hotel for decades, and they've apparently restarted work on it. And nuclear weapons. Even though the North Korean populace is all starving. This, ladies and gentlemen, is yet another example of communism sucking.

BBC: US dismisses Afghan surge report - Apparently the DoD isn't planning to send 13,000 additional troops.

BBC: Egypt groups target Mubarak son - Very, very interesting. Hosni Mubarak has been large and in charge in Egypt since the early 1980's, and he's not getting any younger. His succession, like that of neighboring countries like Libya and Syria, could become very interesting in the coming years, or sooner if something were to happen to him.

BBC: In pictures: Romance in a Tehran park - Iranians deserve to be free. Don't believe me? Just look at these pictures of young Iranian people being herded off for questioning by police for enjoying each other's company in a public park. Oh, and they're executing people who were involved in the riots a couple of months ago, now that the attention has died down. Ali Khamenei, Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, and their entire filthy regime deserve to be utterly laid waste to by the Iranian people, and if it happens, I hope the West offers to help. I want to see a free Iran in my lifetime, and so do the Iranians.

BBC: Once-heretic Galileo given exhibition at the Vatican

Guardian: Geert Wilders, the 'pre-criminal' - Home Office attempts to deny UK entry to extremists are both authoritarian and inept. Pre-emptive gagging is a bad precedent

Guardian: Why I celebrate the Tel Aviv centenary

Times: 'Islam is violent' Obama's new pastor says

Times: French troops died when Italy stopped 'bribes'; Times: Victims' parents criticise French army

Michael Totten: Hezbollah Isn't a Model for Afghanistan - The idea of "bringing the Taliban into the political system" is deeply and fatally flawed. Michael Totten explains why.

Washington Post: David Ignatius - President Obama's Crucial Afghanistan Decision

Small Wars Journal: China's Preoccupation with Asymmetric Warfare

That's it, folks. Have a great Friday, have a great weekend, and check back Monday for the conclusion of Catch-Up Week.

UPDATE: Oh, wow. YouTube was generous this morning.

Awesome. Don't get murdered! I love Spricket24, even though she's a total hippy and/or hippie.

Fly Report: 16th October 2009

2009-10-16T09:33:00.000Z

Good morning. Contrary to popular belief, Al Gore didn't actually invent the Internet. However, he did invent global warming, so there's that.

It's 11° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 58° Fahrenheit with partial clouds.

A barrel of oil is trading at $76.72 - I don't like where this is going, or that nobody in the media or the administration appears to be paying any attention to it. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 10,062.94. The exchange rate is $1.62 for £1, or £0.62 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 Psalm 146. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

Consecutive days without CCG: 358

I know the truth about you.

Catch-Up Week, Day 4: False Prophets of Various Stripes

2009-10-15T09:46:00.007Z

It's the fourth installment of Catch-Up Week, and this will be a long, long post. First, the news; then, catch-up items; finally more quotes from Augustine. Father Time, I'm sure you'll be primarily interested with the passage from Augustine, but you might also take some interest in the catch-up section. Anyway, on with the news...

Afghanistan

U.K. Set to Add 500 More Troops in Afghanistan (AP, CNN, BBC, Guardian); Guardian: Extra 13,000 US troops to Afghanistan

Times: General: we could buy our way to Afghan victory - It could be part of the solution, but there's no way to just buy our way out of this war. We need to win it.

Times: US says al-Qaeda in 'poor financial state'

AFP: US military says Afghan force numbers no secret

Michael Yon: Market Garden, Afghan Lunacy

New York Times slideshow: With the US Marines in Afghanistan

Everything Else

Armenian leader in Turkey for 'soccer diplomacy' (CNN, BBC, Times) - This is probably a good sign - soccer is kind of a joke, but it's huge throughout the rest of the world, and I'm glad that the Armenian and Turkish diplomats involved took the opportunity to do this.

BBC: A photo a day for 64 weeks

BBC: Berners-Lee 'sorry' for slashes - Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the world wide web, apologizes for the dual slashes that are included in all website addresses.

Guardian: White House says Fox is 'rightwing propaganda', not news - President Obama really, really doesn't like criticism or challenges to his authority. As far as I'm concerned, his fear of any and all criticism serves as an indicator of just how insecure he is. I, on the other hand, look forward to frequent, cordial, and substantive challenges from Father Time. It's just one more reason why I'm more qualified to be President of the United States than President Obama is... You know, in addition to having served at least a single day in uniform, and having ever held a real job.

Guardian: The decommissioning of [IRA] Marxism - What a lot of people forget is that the Irish Republican Army (and various splinter Republican groups) are and were motivated in large part by Marxism. Apparently, the claim is that Marxist ideology in Ulster has fallen apart as a result of the decline in violence in Northern Ireland over the last decade. As far as I'm concerned, less violence and less Marxism are both good things.

Guardian photo: Indian subway tunnel

Times: First new picture of Jaycee Lee Dugard since she was freed

UPI: New players reported in Yemen war

AFP: With economy down, US military recruitment is up

The Onion: Report: Al-Qaeda Allegedly Engaging In Telemarketing

BBC: Biases, U-turns, and the BBC's climate coverage - The BBC doesn't have a fantastic record of unbiased and iron-spined reporting on the climate debate. That having been said, I think the BBC deserves some credit. Even if the reporting has a consistent tendency to have a leftist, enviro-whacko bias, the BBC does make an effort to give voice to a number of different climate change skeptics. Like I said, their record isn't fantastic - observe...

... Yeah, yeah, I know, Glenn Beck, boo, hiss. The point, though, is that the BBC reporter changed the article under pressure from a "climate change activist". But, like I said, the BBC has made a point of interviewing folks from both sides of the spectrum, as I've cited before - the interviews are just poor quality, like pretty much everything that the BBC does. So... Yeah. Brilliant.

* * *
Back in July the Wired.com blog, which is literary tripe, did a slideshow on the history of the AK-47 assault rifle. A few of the items struck me as odd, but I wasn't paying close attention to the narrative. I went back and looked for it again, and found that I wasn't the only one who'd seen a few issues with it. The write-up was most obviously done by some anti-gun twerp who has no clue about the subject he's covering. Here are just a few samples.

Original: Early in the Iran-Iraq War, an AK-47-toting Iranian soldier watches smoke rising from burning oil refineries near the Iranian city of Abadan. The Iraqis under Saddam Hussein, armed and supported by the United States, used mostly M16s.
Eventually corrected by Wired: Early in the Iran-Iraq War, an AK-47-toting Iranian soldier watches smoke rising from burning oil refineries near the Iranian city of Abadan. The Iraqis included AK-47s in their arsenal as well, although the Soviet Union imposed an arms embargo on Iraq after Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Iran. Iraq’s new partner, the United States, was able to provide Saddam’s troops with the spare parts necessary to keep their Russian-made weapons functional.
The Truth: Iraq was a Soviet client state, and both sides were using AK-47s. The author obviously has absolutely no concept of the history of the Iran-Iraq War, or the various nations that were arming both Iran and Iraq. Iran Contra and the Israeli connection come to mind as far as Iran goes. This claim that Iraq received substantial support from the United States during the 1980's is just bizarre - American support for Iraq prior to the ouster of Saddam Hussein was superficial, at best.

Original (and uncorrected): A Taliban militiaman checks his AK-47 while cleaning it between skirmishes in the mountains of Afghanistan. The ammunition clip has been removed, which, considering the way he’s holding it, shows good sense.
The Truth: The magazine is removed, not the "clip" - the author obviously has no knowledge of the meaning behind gun terms. Oh, yeah, and the entire upper receiver of the weapon has been removed for cleaning, so the claim of "good sense, considering the way he's holding it" is pure ignorance on the part of the writer.

Original (and uncorrected):Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) holds an AK-47 with a modified shoulder stock and ammunition drum during a 1999 news conference in Washington D.C. Feinstein was seeking a federal ban on high-capacity ammunition clips. She didn’t get it.
The Truth: Again with the "clip" versus "magazine" mistake, not to mention one reader's comment: "The photo of Feinsein is a true classic. A U.S. Senator committing assault with a deadly weapon!! Bolt closed, magazine inserted, finger on trigger. Anyone with any sense would have hit the deck the instant they saw that."

The Murdoc Online comments are well-informed; the Wired.com users who left comments really pulled no punches, and rightly so. Two of the reasons why I've grown to loathe the "journalists" who write on military topics, particularly for Wired, is that most of them can't proofread, and they don't appear to have any real clue what they're writing about, even the higher-ranking ones. This kind of ignorance when writing on a topic that people actually know about, and that's important for informing the public about critical national security issues, particularly when average readers can post fact-checks in the comments section, is both comedic and inexcusable.

Speaking of comedic and inexcusable, through some of my experience with conservative media outlets, I came to know bits and pieces about an author named Douglas Farah. Wikipedia describes him as an "investigative consultant and freelance writer on finance and national security issues". He's apparently the son of missionary parents, and spent much of his upbringing in Bolivia and elsewhere in Central and South America. He worked as a correspondent for United Press International, and as a bureau chief for the Washington Post, and, oh yeah, he has absolutely no concept of reality.

How do I know? Well, let's look at two articles he's written in the last couple of years. The first, titled IEDs and the Failure to Adapt, deals with the DoD's provision for counter-IED warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to Farah, the American military's reliance on technology has failed to translate into a reduction in IED attacks or IED deaths. He basically implies in his article that the DoD was sluggish and ineffectual in dealing with the IED threat.

He goes on, but that's sort of the gist of the article. Let's think about this for a second. In July of 2000, shortly before I was formally inducted into the United States Navy Reserve, I had a conversation with a recently-commissioned ensign, with whom I discussed the Joint Strike Fighter. For those who aren't familiar with the F-35 Lightning II, it's a massive program to develop a multi-service, multi-nation attack/fighter aircraft. In July of 2000, I heard it mentioned for the first time. More than nine years later, they're still in the testing phases, and the first F-35 aircraft isn't expected to be fielded for another three to five years. This sort of development and implementation timeline is common for military systems, as has been noted in recent months with respect to a variety of systems across all four branches of the United States military as the new administration has sought to slash wasteful DoD spending.

Now, take the IED threat. Without going into excessive detail, I'll cite systems like the Warlock electronic countermeasure system, which was a Desert Storm-era system that was originally designed to prevent the explosion of certain types of mortar and artillery rounds, that was re-tasked and re-packaged for counter-IED warfare. Or how about MRAP vehicles, like the Cougar and the Buffalo? Or, semi-related, what about the C-RAM system, which countered a growing threat from indirect fire attacks? These systems didn't exist in the American arsenal prior to the invasion of Iraq, and by the time Farah wrote his article on the topic in October of 2007, robust initiatives throughout DoD had provided these systems to American personnel to counter threats that had emerged after the outbreak of the Iraq War. Sure, the DoD took longer that was optimal to get on the ball with respect to IED warfare, and lives were lost in the interim; but once the severity of the problem was realized, the DoD acted with much greater flexibility and ingenuity than normal to begin countering the threat.

And it's not as if he wrote this piece in '05 or '06, during the height of the IED threat - he wrote it in late 2007, when these systems were already being fielded in Iraq, far quicker than the typical testing and acquisition curve for military procurement. Was Farah lying? Probably not - he was probably just completely ignorant of the topic he was addressing. For a so-called "investigative journalist", writing on a topic despite this profound level of ignorance is just inexcusable.

I mentioned within the last few weeks that I recentely reread one of my favorite books, An Unorthodox Soldier by Lieutenant Colonel Tim Spicer, OBE. Because of this and other reasons, I've recently been doing some casual Internet research about LtCol Spicer and his current company, Aegis Defence Services. What would I run across but another poorly researched article by Douglas Farah? Here are a few of the highlights - I can't speak to the entire article, but he seems to botch a number of the items to which I can speak specifically. First and foremost, he couldn't even be bothered to proofread his own headline. From there...

Well, it looks like Aegis, the company run by British mercenary and profiteer Tim Spicer...

"Profiteer" is a bit strong, particularly since Spicer's first company, Sandline International, isn't actually accused of having accepted payment in commodities. In both Papua New Guinea and Sierra Leone, the two locations to which Farah is referring when he says that Spicer "has a long history of involvement with rogue armed groups", Spicer and his company were paid in cash, in exchange for logistical, training, and operational support provided to legitimate military forces in vetted and legitimate conflicts.

One of Spicer's main business partners in the 1990s was Anthony Buckingham, and oil entrepreur with interests in Africa. Together they founded Executive Outcomes, a forerunner of Sandline (see above).

The part about Tony Buckingham is true, and Buckingham was tied to both Executive Outcomes and Sandline International; but Executive Outcomes was founded by South African businessmen and a former South African lieutenant colonel named Eeben Barlow in 1989, when Spicer was still a fairly junior officer in the Scots Guards regiment of the British Army. Sandline wasn't founded until around 1996, after Spicer had retired from the British Army as a senior lieutenant colonel. The history of Sandline's founding and its timeline are well documented in Spicer's book, and while I can accept that the book almost certainly contains some spin, I don't think that the chronology of Spicer's military career, or his involvement with Sandline International (vice Executive Outcomes), or the timelines for the founding of either company are at issue. Farah just plain gets it blatantly wrong.

Spicer formed Aegis to operate in Iraq.

Aegis was formed in 2002, prior to the outbreak of the Iraq War (which commenced in March of 2003). At the time of the invasion, Aegis was doing security consultation work for the Disney Cruise Line. Again, Farah's narrative is at odds with fairly well established chronologies.

Somehow, despite his open affiliation with ... various mercenary operations in Africa that offered military services in exchange for the right to diamond fields...

Again, I don't think this particular item is actually in evidence. In Spicer's book, he notes that the company prefers payment in cash, but that he is not inherently opposed to taking payment in commodities. Trying to tie Spicer's work to conflict diamonds, no matter how controversial it may have been, is pretty questionable.

His reviews have not been good. The GAO has consistently found his company to be doing a poor job, but that appears not to matter. It was renewed recently for another year.

This is literally the only time I've ever read or heard this. My understanding, having read articles about Aegis and LtCol Spicer in Vanity Fair and the Times of London, is that Aegis has not only done good work in Iraq (to include designing and operating a system for tracking all private contractors in Iraq in the same way that military personnel are tracked), but has essentially avoided the scandals that have dogged companies like Blackwater/Xe in Iraq, and ArmorGroup in Afghanistan.

I'm not going to bother looking up the GAO report - Farah could be accurate on that, but as far as I'm concerned, the outright lies and/or ignorance that are easily fisked out of this article with only moderately detailed level of knowledge on the subject are enough to prevent me from bothering to verify any of his other claims. Add to that the previous article about Iraq, in which Farah has no knowledge of rapid fielding initiatives which saved lives by streamlining the acquisition process, and Farah loses any trace of journalistic or investigative credibility.

Apparently, I'm not the only one who takes issue with Douglas Farah's reporting. His Wikipedia page links to an article about him at a site called Loonwatch, in which the writer attempts to make a case for Farah being an delusional anti-Muslim fanatic. I didn't read the whole article, but what I did read would seem to indicate that Farah tends to make outlandish inferences based on very tangental connections and limited evidence. I'm sure that Farah's own beliefs on a number of subjects overlap with my own, but I'd rather not have someone like this making my political or philosophical cases for me. Whether you're liberal or conservative, people like Douglas Farah give journalists of every feather a bad name - and that jackass from Wired.com who doesn't know anything about guns isn't much better.

* * *
Today's passage from Augustine, which I read Monday morning, discusses a couple of issues that I've studied extensively, both from academic and religious perspectives: the interrelationship between legitimate science and legitimate religious faith, and the disconnect that many heretical religious groups have with reality. I've done a bit of abridgement, as Augustine had a tendency to rattle from a relevant discussion of his experiences right into verbose praise of God. I'm all for verbose praise of God, but I think it detracts a bit from Augustine's narrative. So, read on.

And as I had already read and stored up in memory many of the injunctions of the philosophers, I began to compare some of their doctrines with the tedious fables of the Manicheans; and it struck me that the probability was on the side of the philosophers, whose power reached far enough to enable them to form a fair judgment of the world, even though they had not discovered the sovereign Lord of it all... They have discovered much; and have foretold, many years in advance, the day, the hour, and the extent of the eclipses of those luminaries, the sun and the moon. Their calculations did not fail, and it came to pass as they predicted. And they wrote down the rules they had discovered, so that to this day they may be read and from them may be calculated in what year and month and day and hour of the day, and at what quarter of its light, either the moon or the sun will be eclipsed, and it will come to pass just as predicted. And men who are ignorant in these matters marvel and are amazed; and those who understand them exult and are exalted. Both, by an impious pride, withdraw from thee and forsake thy light. They foretell an eclipse of the sun before it happens, but they do not see their own eclipse which is even now occurring. For they do not ask, as religious men should, what is the source of the intelligence by which they investigate these matters. Moreover, when they discover that thou didst make them, they do not give themselves up to thee that thou mightest preserve what thou hast made... They do not know the way which is thy word, by which thou didst create all the things that are and also the men who measure them, and the senses by which they perceive what they measure, and the intelligence whereby they discern the patterns of measure. Thus they know not that thy wisdom is not a matter of measure.

[...]

Yet I remembered many a true saying of the philosophers about the creation, and I saw the confirmation of their calculations in the orderly sequence of seasons and in the visible evidence of the stars. And I compared this with the doctrines of Mani, who in his voluminous folly wrote many books on these subjects. But I could not discover there any account, of either the solstices or the equinoxes, or the eclipses of the sun and moon, or anything of the sort that I had learned in the books of secular philosophy. But still I was ordered to believe, even where the ideas did not correspond with--even when they contradicted--the rational theories established by mathematics and my own eyes, but were very different.

[...]

Yet, since he did not know even these other things, and most impudently dared to teach them, it is clear that he had no knowledge of piety. For, even when we have a knowledge of this worldly lore, it is folly to make a profession of it, when piety comes from confession to thee. From piety, therefore, Mani had gone astray, and all his show of learning only enabled the truly learned to perceive, from his ignorance of what they knew, how little he was to be trusted to make plain these more really difficult matters. For he did not aim to be lightly esteemed, but went around trying to persuade men that the Holy Spirit, the Comforter and Enricher of thy faithful ones, was personally resident in him with full authority. And, therefore, when he was detected in manifest errors about the sky, the stars, the movements of the sun and moon, even though these things do not relate to religious doctrine, the impious presumption of the man became clearly evident; for he not only taught things about which he was ignorant but also perverted them, and this with pride so foolish and mad that he sought to claim that his own utterances were as if they had been those of a divine person.

When I hear of a Christian brother, ignorant of these things, or in error concerning them, I can tolerate his uninformed opinion; and I do not see that any lack of knowledge as to the form or nature of this material creation can do him much harm, as long as he does not hold a belief in anything which is unworthy of thee, O Lord, the Creator of all. But if he thinks that his secular knowledge pertains to the essence of the doctrine of piety, or ventures to assert dogmatic opinions in matters in which he is ignorant--there lies the injury. And yet even a weakness such as this, in the infancy of our faith, is tolerated by our Mother Charity until the new man can grow up “unto a perfect man,” and not be “carried away with every wind of doctrine.” But Mani had presumed to be at once the teacher, author, guide, and leader of all whom he could persuade to believe this, so that all who followed him believed that they were following not an ordinary man but thy Holy Spirit. And who would not judge that such great madness, when it once stood convicted of false teaching, should then be abhorred and utterly rejected? But I had not yet clearly decided whether the alternation of day and night, and of longer and shorter days and nights, and the eclipses of sun and moon, and whatever else I read about in other books could be explained consistently with his theories. If they could have been so explained, there would still have remained a doubt in my mind whether the theories were right or wrong. Yet I was prepared, on the strength of his reputed godliness, to rest my faith on his authority.

I used to see a conflict between science and religion, but after studying under Professor Augustus, I refined my beliefs and views on the subject. As far as the disconnect between science and religion, I think that there are two groups at fault. The first group is select scientists, who vocally and militantly turn science into a surrogate religion, losing any trace of actual objectivity. It's one thing if scientists are indifferent to religion; it's quite another if a scientist is openly hostile to religion, and attempts to use science to unequivocally denounce religious faith. This creates an inherent conflict of interest, and as far as I'm concerned, it's quite revealing of many so-called "scientists'" actual motives.

The second group, of course, is overly dogmatic Christians. Many people fail to realize that, following the age of Aristotle, nearly all scientific research in the Western world was conducted by Christians who were seeking to better understand God through the discovery of His creation in greater and greater detail. There's an inherent difficulty in dogmatically rejecting any scientific evidence that contradicts an entirely literal interpretation of the Bible, and it's also unnecessary - there are plenty of figurative and poetic passages in the Bible, and there's no reason to believe that various passages that discuss things like origins or other items that interact with science aren't included in that. Christians who are dogmatic about such items are really doing themselves, and centuries upon centuries of Christian scientists, a great disservice.

There's more that can be said about this, but for me, the bottom line on this topic is that science and religion are inherently linked, rather than being inherently contradictory. I may discuss this in greater detail at another time.

As far as heretical religious movements are concerned, Augustine's experiences with the teachings of Mani (the founder of the Manichean faith/philosophy) are highly demonstrative of modern heretical sects and cults, many of which can be carefully examined and subsequently dismissed as ignorant heresy based upon their rejection of obvious factual evidence. It's one thing to have faith in something that can never be proved or disproved; it's quite another for one to maintain faith in something that's easily disproved, or even disproved with some degree of expertise or difficulty. This reinforces my previous statement: there is no inherent conflict between legitimate science and legitimate religion - if you find an actual conflict between the two, the issue is either bogus science (which is out there), or in many cases, inherently bogus religious doctrine.

* * *
That's a long post, but I'm glad that I got it all squared away - catching up is hard work, but ultimately satisfying. Have a fantastic Thursday, folks, and check back tomorrow for a few more items to complete Catch-Up Week.

Fly Report: 15th October 2009

2009-10-15T09:46:00.001Z

Good morning. Tutum te robore reddam.

It's 13° Centigrade and rainy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 54° Fahrenheit with partial clouds.

A barrel of oil is trading at $74.62. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 10,015.86. The exchange rate is $1.60 for £1, or £0.63 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 Psalm 145. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

Consecutive days without CCG: 357

God will not deal with the proud.

Catch-Up Week, Day 3: Big Willy Style's All In It

2009-10-14T10:20:00.004Z

Hey, folks! First, the news, then another couple of catch-up items.

Afghanistan:

BBC: Al-Qaeda 'faces funding crisis'

BBC: Japan 'will end' Afghan mission

BBC: Now or never for Waziristan push?

Times: Afghan recruits 'turned into cannon fodder'

Times: [Balochistan refugee] camps are Taleban breeding ground

Times: Britain's success in Afghanistan is measured in small steps - An article by a battalion commander with The Rifles, one of the United Kingdom's best infantry units.

UPI: Feature: Outposts vital in Afghanistan - I differ with General McChrystal on the strategy of withdrawing from remote outposts. The remoteness of the outposts isn't the problem - the problem is that we don't have enough troops to effectively staff them. It's worthless to reinforce cities that are already largely safe, just to allow the Taliban to run wild in the countryside. If we're going to win this war, it will eventually require us to secure the countryside anyway. With more troops, it's possible. If we concentrate on the cities and leave rural staging and logistics areas to the Taliban, it's far more difficult.

AFP: Desert the enemy for US armoured vehicles

China in Africa:

China offers $4.4bn lifeline for Guinea 'massacre' junta (BBC, Times) - I think China also provided funding to the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe. I've been collecting articles for month in anticipation of doing an article about China's growing pseudo-colonial operations in Africa, but with the end of my stint writing for my parallel writing endeavour, that article is indefinitely postponed.

BBC: All Chinese to me: Liberians take lessons - to read the deals they sign

Times: Tanzanian women in hunt for Chinese husbands

Everything Else:

Guardian: A damning verdict on Russia; BBC: Ingush attack suspects 'killed' - Apparently that UN report about last year's South Ossetia war wasn't so forgiving of the Russians as was originally advertised.

CNN: 'Mad scientist' aims to build greener future

CNN: Should Americans banish the burger? - Banish? No. Eat fewer of? Maybe. I don't think that hamburger is the problem, and the idiot in the story who hasn't let any of his daughters eat hamburger, ever, is a moron. Beef is not inherently dangerous to eat if it's properly prepared and cooked. I'm living proof: I've probably eaten thousands of hamburgers in my life, and I have yet to get E Coli. The danger of hamburger isn't E Coli, it's the same danger that Americans face in everything they do: doing it too much.

CNN: 'Digital dirt' can haunt your job search

CNN: [British] soldier dies after receiving [British] smoker's lungs in transplant - Chalk another win up for socialized health care: a British Iraq War veteran receives transplanted lungs after being diagnosed with a rare respiratory disorder, and the NHS gives him the lungs of a smoker. About a year later, he's diagnosed with lung cancer, and dies. This, ladies and gentlemen, is just one more reason to oppose socialized health care: higher costs and higher demand equal lower quality control.

BBC: Cold turkey: A Facebook addict cuts herself off from the site

BBC: Japan's new hi-tech 'graveyards' - Weird.

BBC: Assad decrees Syria smoking ban - Weird.

Guardian picture gallery: Sergio Leone: a tribute at the Rome film festival

Times: Marge Simpson to appear in Playboy - Weird, and certainly not enough to get people to start subscribing to Playboy again.

Times: Unionists walk out over Clinton's peace speech - Who sent Secretary Clinton to lead negotiations with the Irish? Senator Kennedy, I could maybe, sorta, not really see doing it because his family was definitely Irish. Since when does the American Secretary of State try to horn in on Irish negotiations? Very odd.

Times: If the future's worth having, it won't be free - Whine, whine, whine, bitch, bitch, bitch. When newspapers start doing the job that they claim they've been doing for decades, then maybe I'll pay for their content. Most of it's literary sausage: low quality, and poorly composed. The Internet has become the great equalizer and bullshit detector when it comes to mass information distribution. When newspapers start giving me steak instead of tripe, then maybe I'll consider paying for the content. As it is, news sites are essentially interchangeable save for a few exceptions, and if one starts charging, another will jump in to fill the void.

Times: Cleverness is no more. This is a dumb Britain - Jeremy Clarkson is becoming one of my favorite columnists. In this piece, he explains why Britons (and I'd venture to say Americans) are too stupid to understand good comedy, or good anything. Case in point? Chuck barely made a third season, and with a reduced budget, while Family Guy has been renewed by popular demand at least twice. And Sam-Wise, if you dare try to defend Family Guy, as God is my witness, I will IP block you from commenting for a month.

UPI: Walker's World: Obama's absurd prize - Yup. Pretty much.

Daily Mail: Britain is the worst place to live in Europe (despite our big pay packets) - England and Ireland are worse places to live than Italy? The folks who ran this survey will forgive me if I don't count "annual hours of sunshine" as an indicator of quality of life. France and Spain have better living conditions than the United Kingdom? Give me a break.

* * *
Last week, I saw a link on YouTube, and out of a sheer desire for entertainment, I decided to take a quiz at the website of the Clinton Foundation, which was gauged at testing my knowledge of "urgent global issues". A mere sampling of the questions:

In New York City, approximately what percent of carbon emissions is generated by buildings? I wasn't aware that carbon in New York City was an "urgent global issue".

How many acres of tropical rainforest are lost to deforestation each year? Okay, I'll give him this one.

What is the leading cause of death worldwide among people ages 15-59? Uh... AIDS? Sorry, I don't consider a disease that's passed almost entirely by easily preventable behavior to be an "urgent global issue".

How many children and teens are obese or overweight in the U.S.? Yeah, 'cause Bill Clinton should be lecturing people on health and fitness after that bypass surgery of his a few years back...

Fill in the blank: More than half of all people in Africa live on $_ per day. Ehhhh, I'll give him this one, too, although "urgent global issue" may still be a bit strong.

The gap between the rich and poor is the largest in which region of the world? Urgent global issue? Oh, yeah, the haves and the have-nots. Apparently President Clinton still doesn't realize that life isn't a zero sum game.

How many people in the United States do not have a bank account? People having bank accounts in the United States is an "urgent global issue"? Seriously?

Since leaving the White House, President Bill Clinton has accomplished which of the following through his Foundation? Oh, right, I forgot: it's all about Bill.

The "answers" to each of these are used to plug Clinton's various philanthropic initiatives: the Clinton Climate Initiative, the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative, the Clinton Foundation Alliance for a Healthier Generation, the Clinton Hunter Development Initiative, the Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative, and the Clinton Economic Opportunity Initiative. I'm sure that these things probably do some socially progressive things, some of which is probably a good thing. But seriously, it's obviously all about Bill, and some of this crap is just ridiculous. And, once you finish the "quiz" (which is to say, once you've been caught up on what President Clinton's been up to other than skirt-chasing since leaving the White House), you're shown the screen pictured above! You can get E-mail updates from Bill Clinton! As many pictures of scantily clad women as my buddies send me on occasion, I'm not sure my inbox could handle the amount of nudity that President Clinton is likely to forward when he's chillin' at his Dell.

Hilariously unbelievable.

Oh, and I ordered some stuff from the Stuff Fly Wants list on Sunday night: one pair of UDT/SEAL Team Swimmer Trunks, and a TAD Gear Pathfinder Jacket, both of which I hope to use in the coming weeks for one thing or another. More on that as it develops.

* * *
No philosophical quotes today, so if you've been following my quotations of St. Augustine, check back tomorrow. After some initially boring passages, I've been starting to really get into some of the recent readings. I'm trying to do five chapters daily ("chapters" being sections - the "chapters" as we would call them are called "books", as was common in the ancient documents that contained successive sections on individual scrolls or folios), which is a tall order, but worth the effort. On Monday, the passages had a great deal to say about the interrelationship between science and legitimate religious faith. Today's section had a lot of relevance to heretical religious movements and cults, at least from my point of view. I'll try to post some of the relevant sections in the coming days. Until then, have a fantastic Wednesday.

Fly Report: 14th October 2009

2009-10-14T10:19:00.000Z

Good morning. Nemo me impune lacessit.

It's 14° Centigrade and rainy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 51° Fahrenheit with rain.

A barrel of oil is trading at $73.97. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 9871.06. The exchange rate is $1.59 for £1, or £0.63 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 Psalm 144. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

Consecutive days without CCG: 356

Baby, come on, show your soul.

Catch-Up Week, Day 2: College Reading Redux

2009-10-13T09:26:00.001Z

First, the news. Then, a catch-up item. Then, a quote from Augustine's Confessions. Joy.

CNN: Armenia, Turkey sign historic agreement; AP: Turkey: Armenia Must Pull Out of Nagorno-Karabakh - I can't really fathom this one. After a century of diplomatic tension caused by Turkish genocide of Armenians, the first thing that the Turks can come up with after reestablishing diplomatic relations is "Get your ass out of Nagorno-Karabakh"? Very, very odd.

AP: Irish National Liberation Army Renounces Violence in Ireland

Official: French Physicist Exchanged E-Mails With Al Qaeda Contact (AP, AFP)

BBC: What happened to global warming?

BBC: Afghans seek refuge in Tajikistan

Guardian: Mammoth find in Russia

Guardian: The 'no peace now' camp

Guardian: All the President's E-mails - A comedian writing for the Guardian once again envisions President Obama's E-mails, this time focusing on his Nobel Peace Prize.

Times: Taliban 'daisy chain' kingpin caught in raid

Times: US may pay Afghan fighters to ditch Taliban - I have to say, I don't know that this strategy would be as effective as it was in Iraq.

AFP: Tribal ties, Soviet legacy frustrate Afghan development

Michael Totten: Cult of Personality, In the Crosshairs of the Syrian-Iranian Axis - The first is a brief note about the inappropriateness of President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize, and the second is an interesting interview with a Lebanese journalist/politician about politics in Lebanon and throughout the Middle East.

Just for Fun: Cracked.com presents Disaster Movies! The money quote: "Armageddon is in the Criterion Collection?" Priceless.

* * *
A few years back, I was taking a course in Greek history, and we were assigned an essay titled "Not Out of Africa". In the last few decades, there's been a politically correct push to claim that civilization, and indeed human life as we know it, all arose out of Africa. Now, there's no actual evidence for that - and most of the claims are easily reduced to chaff with the use of the evidence that does exist - but that doesn't stop racially motivated "scholars" from making the claims.

I can't remember whether or not this link is the actual version of "Not Out of Africa: Modern Myth vs. Ancient History" by Mary Lefkowitz that I read, but if it isn't, it at least covers the high points. I forget what it was that made me decide to dig through the interwebz for it the other day, but I read it again, and found it fascinating. If you have any interest in the dark side of political correctness, or intellectual rigor, or academic honesty, or racial politics, or history in general, you might enjoy this.

* * *
Today's philosophy quote is from Confessions by St. Augustine.

If physical objects please you, praise God for them, but turn back your love to their Creator, lest, in those things which please you, you displease him. If souls please you, let them be loved in God; for in themselves they are mutable, but in him firmly established--without him they would simply cease to exist. In him, then, let them be loved; and bring along to him with yourself as many souls as you can, and say to them: “Let us love him, for he himself created all these, and he is not far away from them. For he did not create them, and then go away. They are of him and in him. Behold, there he is, wherever truth is known. He is within the inmost heart, yet the heart has wandered away from him. Return to your heart, O you transgressors, and hold fast to him who made you. Stand with him and you shall stand fast. Rest in him and you shall be at rest. Where do you go along these rugged paths? Where are you going? The good that you love is from him, and insofar as it is also for him, it is both good and pleasant. But it will rightly be turned to bitterness if whatever comes from him is not rightly loved and if he is deserted for the love of the creature. Why then will you wander farther and farther in these difficult and toilsome ways? There is no rest where you seek it. Seek what you seek; but remember that it is not where you seek it. You seek for a blessed life in the land of death. It is not there. For how can there be a blessed life where life itself is not?”
- Augustine, Confessions, Book IV, Chapter XII

There will be another, longer passage from Confessions at some point this week, but that's all for today. Have a fantastic Tuesday, and check in tomorrow for more.

Fly Report: 13th October 2009

2009-10-13T09:25:00.000Z

Good morning. God made men. Sam Colt made 'em equal.

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

A barrel of oil is trading at $72.97. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 9885.80. The exchange rate is $1.59 for £1, or £0.63 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 Psalm 143. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

Consecutive days without CCG: 355

Gloria, in te domine, gloria exultate.

Catch-Up Week, Day 1: News Rants and Philosophy Quotes

2009-10-12T09:27:00.003Z

Hey, folks! I hope everyone had a great weekend. There are a number of items today, and this week begins a sort of catch-up week for me, so expect some items of interest. Also, if you absolutely don't care about the news, or if your name is Father Time, don't miss the section at the bottom of this post.

NATO Forces Will Stay in Afghanistan for Another Year (AP, AFP), but...

Times: Obama - involve Taleban in Afghanistan future

Peace an illusion, says Israel FM (BBC, Times) - As long as terrorists care more about killing Jews than they do about preserving the lives of their own children, there will never be peace.

Times: Comment: absurd decision on Obama makes a mockery of the Nobel peace prize; BBC: Have Your Say: What do you think of Obama's Nobel Prize? - The One's spin machine has to be hating life at the moment. In trying to congratulate him for not being George Bush, the Nobel committee has brought additional attention to the fact that President Obama's administration has, thus far, been a big joke. That's harsh.

CNN: Swiss city allows controversial right-wing poster

BBC: Chinese pipeline 'threatens' Chad villages

BBC: Camp Ashraf groups vow to fight on - More about the aftermath of the raid that the Iraqi security forces ran on the MEK base in Iraq a couple of months ago.

BBC: Sole surviving union jack from Battle of Trafalgar up for auction

Guardian: [Anglican] Church removes power from women bishops

UPI: Australia to lighten soldier body armor

AFP: Tea, nuts, and tribal talks in Southern Afghanistan

Guardian: Britain refuses to lend Iran artefact

* * *
I have a few articles that I'd like to comment on this morning.

AFP: Qaeda urges Uighurs to launch jihad against China: SITE

The last thing al Qaeda needs to do is piss off the Chinese. Terrorists use knock-offs of Russian weapons manufactured by the Chinese. Also, the Chinese have the largest land army in the world, and al Qaeda would do very well to let the proverbial sleeping dog lie. For the time being, the Chinese government is content to watch America and her allies as they struggle to consolidate Iraq and wage a difficult campaign in Afghanistan. If al Qaeda drags the Uighurs into an all out jihad, all bets are off. As much as I'd like to see someone take the Chinese down a peg or two, and as much as I'd like to see the Chinese actually cooperate with the West in the war against Islamist terrorists, al Qaeda has a lot to lose on this one - and, let's face it, getting the Chinese into this fight is a taller order than al Qaeda is likely able to make good on.

Times: [Gaza] donkeys earn their stripes by posing as zebras; CNN: Animation confronts Gaza breast cancer taboo

Why is it that I should be sympathetic for the people in Gaza? Rather than stop people from launching rockets at Israel for long enough to get some sanctions suspended, the Gazans are dying donkeys to look like zebras. Gaza is so screwed up that its "doctors" can't even diagnose breast cancer - they claim that it will "go away once [women] get married"! And I'm supposed to feel sorry for these people, and believe that it's all Israel's fault? Ridiculous.

Times: I refuse to freeze with the green Nimbys - The money quote:

The more I try to be green, the more the showy extremism of the green lobby infuriates me. Not because it’s pious and hypocritical — although it is — but because it’s so wantonly ineffectual. Face it, Dreadhead, it’s time for some pragmatism. People in the developing world aren’t going to spend their lives in dank holes, eating weevils, however much you might like them to. Failure to accept that will only hold us back.

Telegraph: 40 MPs in plea to Barack Obama over computer hacker Gary McKinnon - It's an old article from a few months ago, but I looked for it specifically so that I could make note of the money quote from McKinnon's mother:

I'm desperately trying to get through to Obama. This is from the Bush era, it is not of Obama, he would not want this to happen.
- Janis Sharp, mother of Gary McKinnon

First and foremost, if this guy hacked into DoD computer systems, he should be held accountable for his actions, regardless of where he did it - and I'd say the same thing if it was an American who had hacked into the .txt file on the 486 that the Ministry of Defense uses to store its top secret nuclear launch codes. The fact that he allegedly suffers from Asperger's is immaterial - if his condition is so severe that he can't be held responsible for his actions, then he should never be allowed to touch a computer, he should be detained to prevent him from doing anything like this again, and his parents should be the ones who are jailed.

Second, blaming the whole thing on President Bush is just absolutely ridiculous. So, President Obama couldn't possibly want some guy who hacked into DoD computer systems to be brought to justice for his crimes? It's not "of Obama"? He "wouldn't want this to happen"? If that were the case (and as much as I dislike President Obama, I highly doubt that), then it would be time for impeachment proceedings. This is just absolutely ridiculous.

Okay, that's the end of my news rants for today. Now, for something a bit different...
* * *
For the last several months, I've added a new item to my morning Bible study and prayer time. At first, it was a review of the Anglican short catechism. I followed that with the Anglican Articles of Religion. Once I'd completed the Articles, I moved on to Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, which I finished a couple of weeks ago. I've now started on Confessions by St. Augustine. I've been meaning, for the last few days, to include a couple of quotes from these two latest texts, so today I'm finally going to get around to doing so. First, a passage from Mere Christianity that jumped out at me.

All the same, the New Testament, without going into details, gives us a pretty clear hint of what a fully Christian society would be like. Perhaps it gives us more than we can take. It tells us that there are to be no passengers or parasites: if a man does not work, he ought not to eat. Every one is to work with his own hands, and what is more, every one's work is to produce something good: there will be no manufacture of silly luxuries and then of sillier advertisements to persuade us to buy them. And there is to be no "swank" or "side," no putting on airs. To that extent Christian society would be what we now call Leftist. On the other hand, it is always insisting on obedience - obedience (and outward marks of respect) from all of us to properly appointed magistrates, from children to parents, and (I am afraid this is going to be very unpopular) from wives to husbands. Thirdly, it is to be a cheerful society: full of singing and rejoicing, and regarding worry or anxiety as wrong. Courtesy is one of the Christian virtues; and the New Testament hates what it calls "busybodies".
- C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, Book III, Chapter 3

I'm not sure that I'd agree with the description of the initial tenets as "Leftist" - in fact, it sounds very capitalistic to me. Communist and socialist societies are generally defined by providing for all, regardless of the quality or quantity of one's efforts. The part that really jumped out at me was the fourth sentence: "Every one is to work with his own hands, and what is more, every one's work is to produce something good: there will be no manufacture of silly luxuries and then of sillier advertisements to persuade us to buy them." I think that even Father Time might see eye to eye with me on that one.

Overall, I enjoyed Mere Christianity quite a bit - it made me think about a number of questions that are commonly posed about Christian doctrine in ways that I hadn't considered before. I haven't quite fallen in love with Confessions yet, but I've found a few interesting quotations and passages. Here's the first.

"There are some who seduce through philosophy, under a great, alluring, and honorable name, using it to color and adorn their own errors."
- Augustine, Confessions, Book III, Chapter IV

I think that this is absolutely true. Now, it's worth noting that while I tend to be fairly exclusive with respect to doctrine and theology, I acknowledge that many philosophies have a great deal of overlap and/or merit. For example, I'm a devout and orthodox Protestant Christian, but I've also found a great deal of merit from Stoicism, which is an ancient Greco-Roman system of philosophy that was popular with the Roman military during the early centuries after Christ. Father Time and I have also discussed Buddhism, and while I don't follow it directly, we've found certain points of overlap between the philosophy of Buddhism (which, according to him, is less a religion and more a system of philosophy), and my own beliefs. There are, however, a wide array of both religious and political philosophies in circulation at any given point in history (to include today) that lack any sort of merit, and these philosophies are often structured in such a way as to mask their own shortcomings, thus discouraging or even preventing any sort of scrutiny. So, Augustine's point holds a lot of water in my estimation.

As I continue to read Confessions, and follow on with History of the Church by Eusebius, I'll continue to post interesting passages as I find them.

* * *
Throughout the rest of the week, I plan to post a few items that I've been holding onto for a while. So, this is a sort of catch-up week for me, in addition to being a regular week as far as news and other random items are concerned. And who knows, maybe there will be some news of great interest to share with you folks. Until then, have a great Monday.

Fly Report: 12th October 2009

2009-10-12T09:26:00.000Z

Good morning. There is no such thing as progress.

It's 10° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 32° Fahrenheit with clouds.

A barrel of oil is trading at $71.61. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 9864.94. The exchange rate is $1.59 for £1, or £0.63 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 Psalm 142. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

Consecutive days without CCG: 354

So let it go, and so to fade away.

AMF: News About Afghanistan

2009-10-09T09:03:00.000Z

Hey, folks. Here's the news.

Afghanistan

Wired Danger Room: Qaeda: Drons Suck, but Spies are Worse

UPI: Outside View: Pakistan Matters More - The two are inexorably tied because the Taliban are almost exclusively Pashtuns, and the Durand Line (which divides Afghanistan and Pakistan) runs through the middle of Pashtun territory. To beat the Taliban in Afghanistan, we must help the Pakistanis win in Pakistan. In order to help the Pakistanis keep their (nuclear-armed) country secure, we must win in Afghanistan.

AFP: Kandahar NATO base: Hockey, Discos, and Funerals

Taliban Say They're No Threat to Other Countries (AP, Guardian, AFP) - The Taliban have threatened to attack Washington, D.c., and they have tightly linked themselves to al Qaeda, to include hosting their training and operations bases. This statement lacks credibility.

Guardian: No early pull-out from Afghanistan, Tories vow

Times: US troops in Afghanistan 'losing heart'

Times: Obama seeks middle road for Afghan battle; AFP: Troop request on table as Obama weighs Afghan mission

Times: British troops in Afghanistan

Posted by Michael Yon: A month in Helmand: the soldiers' stories

I just saw an article (AP, hosted on Yahoo(!), so I'm not going to link it because Yahoo(!) pulls their links). Apparently one of the administration's spokesmen has come out and said that the Administration is de-emphasizing the fight against the Taliban, and shifting focus to a more exclusive effort against al Qaeda. Translation: the Obama Administration is looking for a way to give up. So much for all that talk about Afghanistan being the "real epicenter of the war against al Qaeda".

Everything Else

CNN: Al Qaeda tells Uyghurs to prepare for holy war - I doubt that the Uighurs will actually work with al Qaeda. This is actually a stupid move on the part of al Qaeda, because if the Uighurs join up with al Qaeda, the Chinese are more likely to join our team in the war against al Qaeda. As it stands, the Chinese are content to watch the United States fight. Many of the weapons that terrorists use are also Chinese knock-offs of Soviet equipment, so whether or not the Chinese are intentionally supporting terrorism, they're benefiting from it. Very interesting.

Times: Iran blames US for nuclear scientist 'defection' - I hope we did help him defect!

Times: Global safety net in the hands of volunteers - Apparently there are a bunch of geeks who are the first line of reporting in cases of online hacking attacks.

Posted by Michael Totten: Silicon Israel

Commentary (Michael Totten): Iran Isn't Stalinist Russia

Wired Danger Room: Russian Mercs: We'll Out-Blackwater Blackwater

Fox: How to Travel Solo for Less

UPI: Saudis consider Russian air defense system

UPI: Kalashnikov Maker Faces Bankruptcy - Apparently, all of the cheap knockoffs of Kalashnikovs are severely cutting into the business of a two hundred year-old Russian arms manufacturer. I honestly have no clue what to think about this.

Have a great weekend, folks!

Fly Report: 09th October 2009

2009-10-09T09:02:00.000Z

Good morning. More people will come if they think we have punch and pie.

It's 9° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 26° Fahrenheit with snow and wind.

A barrel of oil is trading at $70.64. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 9786.87. The exchange rate is $1.61 for £1, or £0.62 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 Psalm 141. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

Consecutive days without CCG: 351

In a little while, surely you'll be mine. In a little while, I'll be there.

Cute-With-Chris-Reference Thursday

2009-10-08T09:17:00.003Z

Just the news today. I was exhausted last night. Check in tomorrow for more.

Obama 'rules out' Afghan cutbacks (BBC, Guardian, Times); Times: US defence chief hints at troop surge, Obama tries to heal Afghanistan war rifts; BBC: Obama seeks advice on Afghanistan - I'm getting more and more frustrated with President Obama's lackadaisical, highly reactive, highly political handling of Afghanistan. So he rejected the advice of Vice President Biden, who should never have opined in the first place on a topic for which his understanding and expertise are entirely non-existent. Am I impressed? I'll be impressed when he gives General McChrystal the troops that he's requested. This is getting ridiculous, and it's costing American, coalition, and Afghan lives on a daily basis.

Times: Report: British PM Denied Request for Troop Surge in Afghanistan; BBC: UK public 'against Afghan war'

CNN: Harsh Afghan outposts raise serious challenges for U.S., Afghan insurgents pushed into U.S. base, official says; Wired Danger Room: After Deadly Assault, Questions Linger over A-Stan Strategy

Scientists discover massive ring around Saturn (CNN, BBC, Guardian, Times)

BBC photo: Saudi biker Nadine Shehab poses with her national flag during the second Lebanon Harley-Davidson tour, which concludes on Monday.

BBC: Dollar falls on oil plan report

BBC: Ex-Army chief 'offered Tory role'

BBC: Russians plan return to the 'morning star' [Venus]

Guardian: Six months into his stint as a guard at Guantánamo, Terry Holdbrooks converted to Islam. What made him do it, asks Sarfraz Manzoor - If you read the article itself, it becomes somewhat evident that this guy's conversion was probably a function of a lousy upbringing, an inability to get along with his peers or fit into the military, and a fundamental ignorance of the history of Islam. It's unfortunate, because it sounds as if the guy is still pretty confused about life.

Guardian: Georgia's Russian roulette - You know what? I have a lot of sympathy for an "illegal order" if it's made to protect a leader's free democracy from an incursion/invasion by a former imperial power looking to flex its muscle in a blatant show of force.

Guardian: Bloggers get free stuff, so what? - Laws that target bloggers? Don't legislators have more important matters to attend to than enacting blatant limitations on free speech and free enterprise?

Times Gallery: North Korea in Pictures

Times: Studio heads roll as Hollywood counts cost of biggest flops - Hollywood movies have become worse and worse in the last few years, and rely heavily on remakes of old movies and/or television programs, or cinematic depictions of toy lines... Anyway, it's good to see that Hollywood may finally be realizing that content and coherent screenplays will ultimately pay off better than overpaid actors and obnoxious special effects. I have no sympathy for these executives. As noted in the number one spot of a recent Cracked.com column, the Internet has made it possible for people to vote with their feet early in a movie's run, so that good movies get attention, while lousy movies get the shaft. It serves Hollywood right, and it's about time they started to figure it out.

Wired Danger Room: Yes, it's time to contain al Qaeda - Wired.com "journalists" possess roughly the same level of understanding about foreign affairs that one would expect of a fifth grader who left his report on Pakistan until 22:00 the night before it was due. The only reason I still go there is that, on occasion, they link to articles that are worth reading - next to nothing that Wired.com columnists write is actually worth reading in its own right.

Wired Danger Room: Gates: Fight Afghan War to Deny Qaeda Propaganda Win

AFP: Gooooood mornin Afghanistan! US fights Taliban on airwaves

AFP: Biden to visit Czech Republic, Poland, Romania - Something tells me that Vice President Biden is being shipped overseas, again, because President Obama wants him out of the way in order that Biden can't make further trouble while Obama tries to smooth over Biden's recent comments about Afghanistan.

AFP: NKorea may not be serious about giving up nukes: analysts - Okay, we have about twenty years of historic precedent on this. What do these analysts think they are, psychic? I don't even pay that much attention to North Korea, and I could have told you this three or four years ago. Those who fail to learn from history are idiots.

UPI: Bolivia defends Chinese aircraft purchases

UPI: Kazakhs allow French arms transit [to Afghanistan]

Gizmodo: Life Without Cable or Satellite TV is Easier than You Think - I'm living proof.

Baby, what is your name? Let me buy you... A draaaaaaaaaaank.

Fly Report: 08th October 2009

2009-10-08T09:17:00.001Z

Good morning. All the girlies say I'm pretty fly for a white guy.

It's 8° Centigrade and rainy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 35° Fahrenheit with partial clouds.

A barrel of oil is trading at $69.12. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 9725.58. The exchange rate is $1.59 for £1, or £0.63 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 Psalm 140. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

Consecutive days without CCG: 350

You make me feel like I can fly.

Whirlwind

2009-10-07T10:14:00.005Z

Hey, folks. I've been swamped the last couple of days. Here's a brief run-down of what's been going on.

drove from Van Diemen's Station to Arlington on Business on Monday morning

conducted business in Arlington on Tuesday afternoon

drove to Annapolis, where I met up with Aunt Jo, who let me crash at her place on Monday night

went to dinner near the waterfront and went for a short walk around the city with Aunt Jo

got up early and went to Arlington National Cemetery to visit and photograph the grave of LCDR Ralph C. Bisz, whose funeral I attended about a year ago

drove around the national mall searching for a parking spot so that I could revisit the monuments; alas, no parking was to be found

met up with The Van, with whom I went to middle and high school, for lunch - she's even more wonderful than she was back then

drove back to VDS

did a quick turn-around and went to have dinner, drinks, and cigars at the home of Big Brother Caleb, a buddy from my days in the NROTC unit at [Generic State University]

finally got to bed at around 2300

So, needless to say, I'm running a few minutes behind my normal schedule, and I haven't had an opportunity to so much as touch the news during the course of the last couple of days. I've had a blast, though, and something tells me that the best is yet to come. Anyway, I should be able to have a real post, to include some fun items, scraped together in time to post tomorrow. Thanks for your patience, and for anyone who hadn't seen it on Facebook yet, things went quite well on Monday.

Take 'er easy, folks - remember, no one is guaranteed a tomorrow.

UPDATE: Oh, wow. I love Man in the Box.

Fly Report: 07th October 2009

2009-10-07T10:14:00.001Z

Good morning. Wow. That was an eventful couple of days.

It's 9° Centigrade and rainy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 44° Fahrenheit with rain and snow.

A barrel of oil is trading at $70.25. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 9731.25. The exchange rate is $1.59 for £1, or £0.63 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Psalm 139. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

Consecutive days without CCG: 349

October, and the trees are stripped bare of all they wear. What do I care?

Fly Report: 05th October 2009

2009-10-05T09:43:00.006Z

Good morning. All your money won't another minute buy.

It's 9° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 32° Fahrenheit with snow.

A barrel of oil is trading at $68.87. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 9487.67. The exchange rate is $1.59 for £1, or £0.63 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 Psalm 137 and 138. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

Consecutive days without CCG: 347

Something is about to give. I can feel it coming, I think I know what it is.

Mexicans, Motorcycles, and Redneck Thievery

2009-10-05T09:43:00.005Z

Big things are afoot, so I haven't had an opportunity to put together a regular post. Solution? The latest transcript from me and the Crypto King. I'm not sure if I'll be posting anything tomorrow, so if nothing else, stop back by on Wednesday.

Crypto King: there's no rule that you have to stay local when you're on vacation, you know.
The Fly: Yes, I realize that. But where would I go and what would I do?
Crypto King: you could go anywhere in the world.
Crypto King: You sound like my little brother.
The Fly: I don't have the money to go anywhere in the world.
Crypto King: it's cheaper than you think, but sure, let's go ahead and rule out the entire Asian continent.
The Fly: Well, even Europe. You're talking, minimum, probably about two grand.
The Fly: There's nothing I want to see in Canada, and really very little if anything on the East Coast. Mexico's a total joke, as is South America.
Crypto King: so saying Mexico and South America is a joke from personal experience? Where have you visited down there?
The Fly: I've been to Mexico twice. Ensenada, same place both times. I'm just saying, I'm really not interested in going to Mexico. It's in the tropics, and if I'm going to go somewhere on vacation, I'm certainly not interested in going to a Spanish-speaking country that's warmer than where I already live.
Crypto King: I hate Mexico too, but I've only ever been to Tijuana, so that's kind of expected.
The Fly: LOL
The Fly: The one thing I've considered is getting on a cruise ship.
Crypto King: I have a friend who loves to go on cruise ships. He likes it so much, he quit his job (years and years ago) to get into being a travel agent, so he could get discounts on cruise ships.
The Fly: Really? That's actually pretty funny and cool.
Crypto King: yeah, we used to give him a hard time about cruises being kind of girly, but he stuck to his guns.
Crypto King: before he got married, he used to do quite well with the ladies.
Crypto King: Anyway, there are parts of South America that are quite cold, that might be fun.
Crypto King: Or not. Whatever.
Crypto King: I think you should rent a motorcycle and drive for two straight days, camp overnight, then drive back.
The Fly: That requires motorcycle certification on my license, which would require actually learning how to ride a motorcycle (which would cost money), and a trip back to [Hometown] to get the endorsement on my license.
The Fly: I thought about going to the Outer Banks for a long weekend or something.
The Fly: Two or three days off in addition to a weekend could actually work, even if I just hung around the house.
Crypto King: I've heard the outer banks is nice, but we never bothered going.
Crypto King: okay, revise my earlier plan - I think you should steal a motorcycle. no endorsement needed.
The Fly: Wouldn't there be the slight issue of having no clue how to ride a motorcycle in the first place?
Crypto King: it can't be that hard.
Crypto King: rednecks can do it.
The Fly: I mean, I know I'm "Boy Scout", but I'm not sure that a perfectly good joyride is worth dying over.
The Fly: And your redneck line proves my point, I think.
Crypto King: I said rednecks can do it, not only rednecks can do it.
Crypto King: kind of like "rednecks can breathe, it must not be that difficult".
The Fly: No, proves my point because rednecks are constantly being maimed and killed by motorcycles.
Crypto King: right, and they're also blowing up outhouses and stuff.
Crypto King: I think somebody with some common sense could probably do anything a redneck could, without killing himself.
The Fly: I'd bet fifty dollars that if there were a study done of redneck mortality, at least one fifth of redneck deaths preceded by the words "Watch this, y'all!" involve motorcycles.
Crypto King: Is that really in question?
The Fly: If you have to ask that, my point is proved.
Crypto King: not unless you're telling me that you're no smarter than a redneck.
Crypto King: or perhaps you mean to say that you are a redneck?
The Fly: Dude, rednecks observe and participate in stock car racing, do you think I should go do that, too?
Crypto King: as I said, riding motorcycles is something that plenty of non-rednecks do as well.
Crypto King: but if it's something a redneck could do, then odds are you could do it too.
The Fly: We're not talking about riding motorcycles. We're talking about stealing motorcycles and riding them without having been properly trained. Apples and oranges.
Crypto King: not really, I was talking about the riding part.
The Fly: There is no doubt in my mind that I could ride a motorcycle, given proper training and certification beforehand. I have any number of doubts that I can ride one safely and keep my life, and I use as my measuring stick the alleged frequency of redneck motorcycle accidents.
Crypto King: nowhere did I mention that rednecks steal motorcycles.
Crypto King: I said that you should steal a motorcycle, to get around the requirement to fly home and get your license endorsed.
The Fly: So you think I should take the training, and then steal a motorcycle once I'm properly trained, solely to bypass the license endorsement requirement?
The Fly: You understand that the point of continuing this conversation for so long is solely to post it on the blog, right?
Crypto King: yeah, I was hoping to really get some good quoteworthy parts in there
The Fly: And you totally did.
Crypto King: I think I've done better.
The Fly: True, but it was good all the same.
Crypto King: well, here's hoping I do better next time.

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

AMF: Afghan Frustration

2009-10-02T09:46:00.002Z

Hey, folks! Just a few items for this week's AMF.

Roman emperors' amphitheatre found (BBC, BBC, Times)

AP: Powerful Cleric Slams Saudi Arabia Coed University

CNN: Kurdish play to premiere in Turkish theater

BBC: 'Different' Afghan strategy urged

Guardian: Putin in the firing lineWhile Medvedev isn't currently presenting a serious challenge, Putin faces looming problems that could be his undoing

Times: Forces’ favourite Sandbag flies in to his new home - After months of waiting and working, the British Army's dog mascot and a few others have finally been pulled out of Iraq for a new life in the United Kingdom.

Times: Forget the Lisbon treaty. Europe’s on the right path

Wired Danger Room: Video: On the Front [Afghan] Lines with Echo Company

* * *
Beyond those stories, there are a handful of stories about Afghanistan that I'd like to comment on, briefly.

AFP: White House slams Republicans on Afghanistan

Times: White House split on second Afghan troop surge

Michael Yon (in the Washington Times): The Greatest Afghan War

I'm very concerned about Afghanistan. Congressional Democrats played politics with the Iraq War - I'm not alleging, I'm saying it as fact. All the while, their claim - from Senator Kerry in 2004 to Senators Clinton and Obama in '08 - was that President Bush had "taken his eyes off of the real fight in Afghanistan" for an "elective war in Iraq" - a war that President Clinton had continued in the late 1990's, and that American military policy had been based around the anticipation of since the cessation of major hostilities in 1991. Afghanistan has been the sacred cow of left wing defense policy for around six years now, and their criticism of the handling of Afghanistan formed a major portion of the Democrat political platform in the '08 election.

Afghanistan is being called Obama's War. Now that President Bush is out of office, President Obama's allies in Congress are openly against doing what it would take to win in Afghanistan - Speaker Pelosi, for example. Now, President Obama, who has already stalled twice on determining his "strategy" for Afghanistan, appears to be publicly dismissing the advice and requests of his top generals. Our NATO allies, who were entrusted with accomplishing the mission, have largely failed, and are likely to fall out one by one in the next two or three years.

I understand the arguments for pulling out of Afghanistan; but, quite frankly, I find them to be unacceptable. Beyond the simple stupid patriotism of wanting to demonstrate that America can accomplish anything it sets its national will to accomplishing, abandoning or failing to resource the war in Afghanistan would leave both Afghanistan and Pakistan as continued security risks. Can we really afford the economic, political, and social fallout of another 9/11? I'm not one to constantly use 9/11 as a rallying call, but let's remember what happened to America's economy, and its standing abroad, in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Is the risk of allowing that kind of disaster to happen again, through pure inaction and political lethargy, really one that America should be willing to take?

I've heard conservatives who have praised President Obama for authorizing the first troop surge in Afghanistan. They obviously haven't been paying attention, because President Obama authorized about half the number of troops that the generals were asking for - enough to make the public think that he has a plan for Afghanistan, but not enough to satisfy the manpower needs. If President Obama continues to play politics with resourcing for the Afghan War, both American and Afghan lives will be lost, and to no justifiable end.

If President Obama, who championed the Afghan War during the campaign, isn't willing to do what it takes to win, we should stop putting American troops in harm's way in Afghanistan and pull them out. However, what he should actually do is give the generals the resources and the troops that they require to successfully complete the mission, regardless of the timetable; meanwhile, he should take off the gloves with respect to Pakistan and Iran, because schizophrenic Pakistan and malignant Iran are big parts of the problem as well, and must be part of the eventual solution. It's the right thing to do for America, it's the right thing to do for the Afghan people, and it's imperative that President Obama figure this out. He was full of talk in 2008, and if he wants any moderates to even consider voting for him in 2012, this would be a good way of countering the swelling assessment that he is, indeed, all talk. America needs a Commander-in-Chief with a backbone, not a telemprompter; and America needs to win in Afghanistan, for our sake and for theirs.

* * *
I had intended to post something else today, but it can wait until Monday. Be sure to check back Monday, because in addition to the undisclosed item that's being delayed from today, I'll be posting my most recent chat transcript with the Crypto King - always exciting, always entertaining. Have a great weekend, folks!

Fly Report: 02nd October 2009

2009-10-02T09:45:00.000Z

Good morning. Who dares wins.

It's 8° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 56° Fahrenheit with sunshine.

A barrel of oil is trading at $69.47. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 9509.28. The exchange rate is $1.59 for £1, or £0.63 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 Psalm 136. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

Consecutive days without CCG: 344

It's a private show, no one else gonna know. I want you.

Thursday News Blitzkrieg - Jawohl!

2009-10-01T09:03:00.001Z

AP: Qaddafi and Chavez are strengthening their relationship between the two countries; BBC: Gaddafi's Venezuela shopping trip

CNN: Afghan FM at U.N.: Don't abandon country

Guardian: Angela Merkel, the new Maggie Thatcher

Guardian: The Tories don't do progressive - Nor should they. If you ask me, the so-called "progressives" in Britain have done quite enough to set that country back a few years.

Guardian: The cost of America's gun addiction - Another ignorant op-ed from another vapid American hippie in the same ol' Guardian.

Wolverine, James Bond and the mobile phone (BBC, Times)

Times: Russia should join Nato to avoid new Cold War - Now there's an idea.

Wired Danger Room: Machine Gun Social for South Carolina Candidate - If more conservatives had fundraisers like these, Democrats would probably never win control of the White House or either house of Congress.

CNN: Study points to benefits from Great Depression - The jokes write themselves on this one. Just for the record, I think that their data may be inaccurate - for example, the Great Depression lasted from 1929 into the 1940's, as opposed to the "four years of the Great Depression, 1930-1933" as stated in the article. Then again, it was printed by CNN, so consider the source.

Georgia 'started unjustified war' (BBC, Guardian, Times); Times: 'Kremlin lied' Georgia claims ahead of war report - The EU will have to excuse me if I point the finger squarely at Russia on this one.

Times: British troops 'lack armoured vehicles'

Times: US under Obama could slide into military dictatorship, says Gore Vidal - Gore Vidal is a deranged lunatic, and has been for a long time, but I think that at least a couple of the items he notes in his remarks have some merit to them. Only a couple, though.

AFP: NKorea looks to unconventional warfare: US general

AFP: Kiwi soldiers quietly battle to develop Afghan countryside

BBC: US relaxes grip on the internet - Leave it to the Obama Administration to screw up the Internet. Equitable management of the Internet that takes European sensibilities into account? Yeah, that's exactly what we need. Unbelievable.

Fly Report: 01st October 2009

2009-10-01T09:02:00.000Z

Good morning. The Fly is an expert in falling on his sword.

It's 9° Centigrade and rainy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 49° Fahrenheit with morning rain and snow.

A barrel of oil is trading at $69.44. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 9712.28. The exchange rate is $1.60 for £1, or £0.62 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 Psalm 135. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Confessions by Augustine.

Consecutive days without CCG: 343

You want to be the song, be the song that you hear in your head.

Real Men of Genius: Father Time

2009-09-30T10:21:00.006Z

In lieu of a regular post...

The Fly presents: Real Men of Genius. Today we salute you, Mr. Really, Really, Really Old Man.

[singing] Mr. Really, Really, Really Old Ma-an...

When most men reach your age, they just keel over and die. But not you, oh General of the Geriatric. You continue to amaze, with your volunteer work; your yard work; your infrequently updated blog; and your curmudgeonly comments about your friends' romantic lives.

[singing] Hand me that shovel...

Only you have the time to spend three months preparing a backyard for an informal wedding ceremony, all the while throwing rhetorical grenades at men who are literally a third your age.

[singing] Giving adviiiiiiiiiice!

So crack open an ice cold Guinness, oh Titan of the Trowel. Remember: every year that you hold on is another twenty days of sloppy comedy for your friend's blog.

[singing] Mr. Really, Really, Really Old Ma-an!

Thus Saith the Fly, Old Dominion, Virginia.

(I kid because I love. Hope all's well, Father Time.)

Fly Report: 30th September 2009

2009-09-30T10:20:00.001Z

Good morning. The Fly is in the market for a miracle.

It's 11° Centigrade and rainy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 51° Fahrenheit with rain and snow.

A barrel of oil is trading at $66.63. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 9742.20. The exchange rate is $1.59 for £1, or £0.63 for $1.

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

Today's scripture reading is Psalm 133 and 134. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.

Consecutive days without CCG: 342

I wish you were here to see what I have seen.

Crazy Uncle Moammar and Wild Bill

2009-09-29T09:44:00.003Z

Hmmmm. Welcome to Tuesday, folks.

Jobless Man Uncovers Gold Hoard with Metal Detector Sky News (Sky News, CNN)

[British] General quits 'over Afghanistan' (BBC, Times)

CNN: UK newspaper reveals mole who leaked lawmakers' expenses - The unidentified individual who leaked documents about inappropriate personal expenditures that members of parliament were making with taxpayer money did so because he was being guarded by troops who were taking second jobs in order to pay for decent gear before they went off to war. The British Army has been chronically underresourced for more than thirty years, to the point of squaddies taking second jobs to pay for decent equipment, and members of parliament were spending public funds to have the moats at their houses cleaned. I'm not in favor of leaking sensitive documents, and I'd never do it, but I think this guy deserves a statue in Whitehall.

Times: Armed with guns and tea (Taliban)

Times: Gaddafi interpreter 'collapsed during UN speech'; The Taleban: the options and recommendations

AFP: US general to send Afghan troop request this week Pentagon

AFP: Marines go shopping to win Afghan hearts and minds

SPX: [Australian] Vice Chief Outlines Need For New Ground Combat Vehicle

UPI: Al-Qaida warns Saudis: We'll hit you again

Michael Yon: Bullshit Bob - Michael Yon is most excellent, and this one's a more important read than most of his fantastic articles.

Carnal Nation: Why Sex Positive COmmunity Should Care About Gun Rights - The Crypto King, AKA Chops, has routinely reminded me of the excellence of Oleg Volk, whose posts feature guns and hot women. I ran across this article while reviewing some of his posts the other day. I obviously disagree with the basis of some of the arguments, but the core of the editorial is accurate: so-called "progressives" who try to manufacture justifications for gun control are hypocritical and short-sighted, given that liberal agenda items like abortion and gay rights are based on very broad interpretations of the Constitution. The right to keep and bear arms is explicitly and clearly stated in the Second Amendment; a woman's "right to choose" is stated nowhere, nor is the so-called "right to gay marriage" that lefties have tried to fabricate. Efforts to fight for these undefined and controversial "rights", while simultaneously denying a fundamental human right that is explicitly stated in the Constitution, are bizarre and logically untenable.

AP: Gaddafi Able to Pitch Tent in Venezuela; AP: Libyan Leader Gaddafi Cancels Trip to Canada; Times: Gaddafi proposes a 'Nato of the South' - Good ol' Crazy Uncle Moammar: always in the news.

CNN: Bill Clinton: 'Vast right-wing conspiracy' as 'virulent' as ever - Is it just me, or does President Clinton almost sound like Crazy Uncle Moammar on this one? Vast right wing conspiracy, my ass. Conspiracies are secret!

CNN: Simple Facebook question raises problems around the world

BBC: What Iraq lessons are there for the Afghan campaign?

BBC: Afghan storm kills French troops - I'm generally reticent to make light of death, particularly death of soldiers at war; but French soldiers dying in a storm? It's almost as if the French have surrendered to weather.

Guardian: On Calvin, part 1: A world figure

Times: General backs call for surge in Afghanistan - "[British] Lieutenant-General Jim Dutton says that al-Qaeda cannot be denied their safe havens by 'simply patrolling from the skies'" - something we learned in Kosovo, something that we've relearned in Iraq and Afghanistan, and something that some politicians seem keen to ignore.

Times: Afghanistan troops surge: stakes for Obama could not be higher

Times Gallery: Afghan National Army military training camp; British soldiers on the front line

Commentary Magazine (Michael Totten): The Arab Preference for War

Michael Yon: The American Pedros: No Nonsense Rescuers - Michael Yon publishes the work of a Danish journalist. It's not up to his usual standards, but when Michael posts something, it's worth reading.

I've written previously about one of my favorite books, An Unorthodox Soldier by LtCol Tim Spicer, OBE. I finished re-reading it about a week ago, having received my original copy (of three) back from Desert Rat Tim a few weeks back. For this, and other reasons that I may or may not discuss at some point in the near future, my interest in LtCol Spicer and his work since 1999 (when he published the book) has been sparked anew. As such, I recently ran across a couple of articles about LtCol Spicer and his more recent expoits.

Vanity Fair: Iraq's Mercenary King

Times: Making a killing

And, just for fun, from College Humor: Metaphor-Free Radio by College Humor. Excellently hilarious.

That's it for today, folks. Have a fantastic Tuesday.

Fly Report: 29th September 2009

2009-09-29T09:44:00.001Z

Good morning. After watching an episode of NCIS, I've come to the conclusion that no self-respecting terrorist would wear ACU trousers.

It's 10° Centigrade and partly cloudy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 82° Fahrenheit with partial clouds.

A barrel of oil is trading at $66.02. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 9789.36. The exchange rate is $1.59 for £1, or £0.63 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 Psalm 132. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.

Consecutive days without CCG: 341

It's just a moment, this time will pass.

Stuff Fly Wants: September 2009

2009-09-28T10:17:00.000Z

Field Gear

British special forces style rucksack - £75.00

British SAS smock - £95.00

British Desert DPM ~~trousers~~ and shirt

MARPAT Desert Utilities - $67.98

Tiger Stripe Utilities - $39.98

Khaki Tru-Spec Tactical Response Uniform trousers (2) - $89.80

Sand Crye Precision Field Pants AC - $115.00

UDT/SEAL Team Swimmer Trunks (2) - $71.90

U.S. Army ACU tan sweat-wicking uniform T-shirts (3)

Under Armour Cold Gear

5.11 Tactical Polos (3) - $89.97

Rubbermaid 48 Gallon ActionPackers (2) - $69.99

TAD Gear Pathfinder Zip Hoodie - $117.70

Sony 8GB Walkman Video MP3 Player (black) - $119.95 (Amazon price $99.77)

Mini Cargo Pocket Organizer - $27.95 NEW

M9 Mag Pouch - $29.95 NEW

Bushmaster Deluxe Armorer's Kit - $180.95

FN FAL

Household Items

Union Jack - $8.09

Amazing Pasta Maker [click me] - $39.95

Fouled Anchor lapel pin

Walther PPK

Roman Mainz Gladius - $144

The Maxim Coffin Coffee Table - $3995.00

Pawleys Island Tri-Beam Hammock Stand - $140.00

Pawleys Island Beach Quilted Hammock - $199.99 (Amazon price $184.36)

Discipline poster - $19.95

book case

Clothing

Royal Marines T-Shirt - £10.96

More Cowbell T-Shirt - $20.00

Position Wanted: Pope T-Shirt - $12.99

Clan Cleland tartan kilt and kilt pin - $400.00 - $700.00

deer skin sporran

Books

Bravo Two Zero by Andy McNab - $7.99

Contact Zero by David Wolstencroft - $7.99

Entertainment

Battlestar Galactica: Season 4.5 - $49.98 (Amazon price $31.49

Best of Chris Isaak (CD & DVD) - $24.98 (Amazon price $22.99)

Kids in the Hall - Seasons 1, 2, 3, and 4 - $179.90 (Amazon price $155.98)

Gladiator Extended Edition - $35.98 (Amazon price $22.99)

Apocalypse Now - The Complete Dossier - $19.99 (Amazon price $13.99

Switchfoot - The Legend of Chin - $11.98

Stephanie Schneiderman - Live at Kung Fu Bakery - $15.98

Hootie & the Blowfish - The Best of 1993 Through 2003 - $11.98 (Amazon price $8.97)

Mystical Chants of Carmel by the Carmelite Monks - $18.95

Fly Report: 28th October September 2009

2009-09-28T10:11:00.002Z

Good morning. Halt! Hammerzeit.

It's 11° Centigrade and rainy in Kirkwall. In Cody, the forecast calls for a high of 74° Fahrenheit with sunshine.

A barrel of oil is trading at $65.19. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 9665.19. The exchange rate is $1.60 for £1, or £0.63 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 Psalm 133. The Fly is currently reading The Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force by Julian Thompson and Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.

Consecutive days without CCG: 340

Don't take it on board, don't fall on your sword, just play another chord - if you feel you're getting bored.