Pakistan and the Taliban
Full story.
“We picked up Baradar and the others because they were trying to make a deal without us,” said a Pakistani security official, who, like numerous people interviewed about the operation, spoke anonymously because of the delicacy of relations between Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States. “We protect the Taliban. They are dependent on us. We are not going to allow them to make a deal with Karzai and the Indians.”
Full story.
How writers waste time . . .
A friend of mine is on deadline:
Me: How's it going?
Him: I spent this morning reading the blog of an anti-government post-smoking reformed Democrat racist with a serious rape complex who's raising his three-year-old adopted daughter with the help of two girlfriends, one of whom is a closet lesbian.
Me: Productive day.
Him: One of the best.
A friend of mine is on deadline:
Me: How's it going?
Him: I spent this morning reading the blog of an anti-government post-smoking reformed Democrat racist with a serious rape complex who's raising his three-year-old adopted daughter with the help of two girlfriends, one of whom is a closet lesbian.
Me: Productive day.
Him: One of the best.
Sleep writing . . .
Dream last night: Editor calls me up and starts giving me notes about one of my books... except that the characters he's talking about aren't familiar... nor is the plot... which isn't necessarily unusual (I often forget what the hell I'm doing after I've done it)... ... but the notes are tight ... I understand exactly what to do... I'm raring to go ... then I wake up and it's a book I haven't written; it only exists in the dream.
Bummer. It seemed like a pretty good book.
Kinda makes me want to go back to sleep and get to work.
Sooner, not later . . .
Story in tomorrow's New York Times:
Uh, and after that?
The Times' take is that this makes it less likely the Israelis will attack. I'm not quite connecting the dots here. The idea is to attack before, not after. No?*
Story here.
* Yeah, yeah, I know - "outside agencies" have been messing with the program, doing everything from assassinating scientists to delivering crap equipment. But sooner or later . . .
Story in tomorrow's New York Times:
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration, citing evidence of continued troubles inside Iran's nuclear program, has persuaded Israel that it would take roughly a year — and perhaps longer — for Iran to complete what one senior official called a “dash” for a nuclear weapon, according to American officials.
Uh, and after that?
The Times' take is that this makes it less likely the Israelis will attack. I'm not quite connecting the dots here. The idea is to attack before, not after. No?*
Story here.
* Yeah, yeah, I know - "outside agencies" have been messing with the program, doing everything from assassinating scientists to delivering crap equipment. But sooner or later . . .
No sitting between acts . . .
. . . er, At bats -
They've instituted something new at Yankee Stadium this homestand - little signs for the security guards asking people not to go down the aisle during an at-bat. Grace was in her glory up on level 200. I thought I was at a play.
It's just another part of the Tourist-if-i-cation of the Stadium, which at least during the summer hosts a significant number of tourists who come - well, I don't know why they come, exactly. Last night a couple with a seven or eight month old sat in front of us and didn't look at the field the whole time. People got up in the middle of one of the few Yankee rallies (well, semi-rallies) of the night. I'd say a good twenty to forty percent of the people around us were completely oblivious to the game. (One of the diehards did manage to shout down the wave. Points for that.)
Seems like it's a lot of money to waste if you're not a baseball fan, but what do I know? Given the outcome of the game, maybe I shouldn't have watched either...
. . . er, At bats -
They've instituted something new at Yankee Stadium this homestand - little signs for the security guards asking people not to go down the aisle during an at-bat. Grace was in her glory up on level 200. I thought I was at a play.
It's just another part of the Tourist-if-i-cation of the Stadium, which at least during the summer hosts a significant number of tourists who come - well, I don't know why they come, exactly. Last night a couple with a seven or eight month old sat in front of us and didn't look at the field the whole time. People got up in the middle of one of the few Yankee rallies (well, semi-rallies) of the night. I'd say a good twenty to forty percent of the people around us were completely oblivious to the game. (One of the diehards did manage to shout down the wave. Points for that.)
Seems like it's a lot of money to waste if you're not a baseball fan, but what do I know? Given the outcome of the game, maybe I shouldn't have watched either...
Good deals in real estate
North Korea is posting videos on YouTube explaining how it's actually Paradise on Earth.
Nice visuals. Love the music. (Seriously.)
Even better are the denunciations of American and South Korean policies, like the one below. Thing is if you don't speak Korean, they look pretty positive, no?
(Search for your own with this term: uriminzokkiri. There are a bunch of satires of the U.S., including Hillary Clinton, but again you really have to know the language to get it. Or maybe not even then. NY Times story on the phenomenon here.)
I'll see your hedge and raise you a Sherman . . .
Bocage? I don't give a @#$#$ for your bocage . . .
(A month after the Normandy landings, Bradley's armies were slowed by the German defenses in the bocage or hedgerow area away from the beaches. The popular myth is that they were saved by the invention (and others like it) on the front of the tank seen here, which gave the tanks a way to get through the mounded dirt and foliage. Actually, the reality was considerably more complicated. But it's still a heck of a story.)
Bocage? I don't give a @#$#$ for your bocage . . .
(A month after the Normandy landings, Bradley's armies were slowed by the German defenses in the bocage or hedgerow area away from the beaches. The popular myth is that they were saved by the invention (and others like it) on the front of the tank seen here, which gave the tanks a way to get through the mounded dirt and foliage. Actually, the reality was considerably more complicated. But it's still a heck of a story.)
What Twain said . . .
An idle (I guess) question: Why do you think the official Army history of the Hurtgen battles lists more causalities than the entire First Army experienced at that point in the war?
Hmmph.
(The battles were a small part of the action in the First Army sector, and even if they had a disproportionate share of the casualties, they didn't account for them all. Right? Right? And the killer is I'm looking at the source referenced in the history.)
An idle (I guess) question: Why do you think the official Army history of the Hurtgen battles lists more causalities than the entire First Army experienced at that point in the war?
Hmmph.
(The battles were a small part of the action in the First Army sector, and even if they had a disproportionate share of the casualties, they didn't account for them all. Right? Right? And the killer is I'm looking at the source referenced in the history.)
Overheard
First person: I'm so disgusted.
Second person: Why's that?
First person: Just people - they think because they're media savvy that they're intelligent.
Second person: Huh?
First person: You know what I mean. It's like thinking, Hey, I can use a cell phone. That means I can build one.
Second person: Oh, uh-huh.
First person: That reminds me -- you should get a new phone.
First person: I'm so disgusted.
Second person: Why's that?
First person: Just people - they think because they're media savvy that they're intelligent.
Second person: Huh?
First person: You know what I mean. It's like thinking, Hey, I can use a cell phone. That means I can build one.
Second person: Oh, uh-huh.
First person: That reminds me -- you should get a new phone.
Jet blues . . .
On Monday, on the tarmac at John F. Kennedy Airport, a JetBlue attendant named Steven Slater decided he had had enough, the authorities said.
After a dispute with a passenger who stood to fetch luggage too soon on a full flight just in from Pittsburgh, Mr. Slater, 38 and a career flight attendant, got on the public-address intercom and let loose a string of invective.
Then, the authorities said, he pulled the lever that activates the emergency-evacuation chute and slid down, making a dramatic exit not only from the plane but, one imagines, also from his airline career.
On his way out the door, he paused to grab a beer from the beverage cart. Then he ran to the employee parking lot and drove off, the authorities said.
I know how he feels.
Story here. The idiot passenger who sent him over the edge will no doubt be sitting next to me next time I fly.
Madame Curie
Another random Bradley story:
One night in 1945, a British journalist visiting Bradley told of having had dinner with Madame Cure during the first war. The journalist -- Henry Wales, if the name means anything to you -- had been hired by MGM later to write a treatment based on the incident.
He never did, he told Bradley's staff. Radiation didn't have a pay off for the story. "Now with Pasteur, there was rabies and pasteurized milk," he said. "You see, there's a payoff. But with radium: You can see your watch at night. So what?"
Bradley, who knew the atomic bomb was on the way, said nothing.
Another random Bradley story:
One night in 1945, a British journalist visiting Bradley told of having had dinner with Madame Cure during the first war. The journalist -- Henry Wales, if the name means anything to you -- had been hired by MGM later to write a treatment based on the incident.
He never did, he told Bradley's staff. Radiation didn't have a pay off for the story. "Now with Pasteur, there was rabies and pasteurized milk," he said. "You see, there's a payoff. But with radium: You can see your watch at night. So what?"
Bradley, who knew the atomic bomb was on the way, said nothing.
Annotating books
I took Donald Burgett's Seven Roads to Hell out from the library the other day. (It's an excellent first-person account from the Battle of the Bulge; highly recommended.) I took it home and started to read. After a few pages I noticed someone had written in the book.
How could they do that, I thought, write in a library book? That's pretty terrible.
Then as I looked at the notes I realized that they were adding to the account - that some reader had put his own experiences in the margins and between the lines. (From what he saw and what he commented on, I'm guessing he served in CCB of the 10th Armored, probably as part of a scout unit.)
And instantly my feelings changed.
I do kind of wonder how I'd cite the notes, though.
I took Donald Burgett's Seven Roads to Hell out from the library the other day. (It's an excellent first-person account from the Battle of the Bulge; highly recommended.) I took it home and started to read. After a few pages I noticed someone had written in the book.
How could they do that, I thought, write in a library book? That's pretty terrible.
Then as I looked at the notes I realized that they were adding to the account - that some reader had put his own experiences in the margins and between the lines. (From what he saw and what he commented on, I'm guessing he served in CCB of the 10th Armored, probably as part of a scout unit.)
And instantly my feelings changed.
I do kind of wonder how I'd cite the notes, though.
On drinking . . .
. . . er, writing:
Great essay in the NY Times book section by Geoff Nicholson. Read it here.
. . . er, writing:
You could also substitute “drink” for “write” in these well-known examples of writerly wisdom. “An author ought to write for the youth of his generation” (Fitzgerald). “Write, damn you! What else are you good for?” (Joyce). “Writing is finally a series of permissions you give yourself to be expressive in certain ways. To leap. To fly. To fail” (Sontag).
Great essay in the NY Times book section by Geoff Nicholson. Read it here.
The Black Bear Liberation Army . . .
. . . strikes in New Hampshire.
LACONIA, N.H. (AP) — A black bear walked into a New Hampshire house through an open door, ate two pears and a bunch of grapes, took a drink from the family fishbowl and grabbed a stuffed bear on its way out the door.
If I were the Vermont Teddy Bear Company, I'd be very worried.
The proper use of Kleenex
Message on the side of Kleenex tissue pack:
(Honest. I'm not making that up.)
You can imagine the conversation on the way to the big house . . .
What are you in for, kid?
Uh, I had this tissue, see, and rather than blowing my nose with it . . .
Message on the side of Kleenex tissue pack:
Directions for Use: It is a violation of Federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling. Use only as a facial tissue.
(Honest. I'm not making that up.)
You can imagine the conversation on the way to the big house . . .
What are you in for, kid?
Uh, I had this tissue, see, and rather than blowing my nose with it . . .
Wylie update . . .
The fracas on e-books continues.
I don't really understand why OTHER writers are being punished, but then that does seem to be the way things always go - the someones who catch it are always writers.
Anyway, here's a link to the Authors Guild statement on the issue, which pretty much sums up things:
This is the most important development in electronic publishing since Apple entered the market offering publishers an "agency model" for selling e-books. Several aspects of the Wylie/Amazon/Random House entanglement merit comment:
Full statement here.
Url:
http://authorsguild.org/advocacy/articles/wylie-amazon-and-random-house-battle.html
When Lee Lawless was talking in the bar the other night, I didn't realize she was doing research for a sequel to her recently published short story in More Stories from the Twilight Zone. Shouldn't we all get a free drink or something?
(That's actually the wrong book up there. You can get the right one here. Or get the one my story is in here.)
Afghan leaks (2)
A few more random thoughts on the documents and the related stories . . .
1. The reports (and therefore the stories they're based on) are mostly ground level/unprocessed reports, and they will be criticized as such. It's true that they are very susceptible to rumor and the like, but they are not as far off or as inaccurate as some will claim. The biggest problem is reading them out of context. So: a grain of salt, not a bagful.
2. There are a lot of references to ISI (Pakistani intelligence) in the documents - don't buy the critics' 'no smoking gun' defense.
3. The documents aren't an argument for or against involvement in Afghanistan. What they are is an argument that Pakistan is not the gung ho ally some have pretended it is.
4. The Guardian, which was the other paper that initially began reporting on the papers, has an interesting animated graphic that shows where IED attacks have taken place. Let the graphic run and draw your own conclusions. (Graphic page is here.)
5. You didn't think the Secretary of State's saying that Pakistan knew where Osama was last week was just a coincidence, did you? Do you believe it now?
6. The Pakistan connection is the most explosive bit in the stories from a MSM point of view, but there are many other interesting facets. My favorite so far (I haven't finished reading) is the one about the aircraft tasked to shoot down the UAV - do you get a little tally marker on the fuselage for that?
A few more random thoughts on the documents and the related stories . . .
1. The reports (and therefore the stories they're based on) are mostly ground level/unprocessed reports, and they will be criticized as such. It's true that they are very susceptible to rumor and the like, but they are not as far off or as inaccurate as some will claim. The biggest problem is reading them out of context. So: a grain of salt, not a bagful.
2. There are a lot of references to ISI (Pakistani intelligence) in the documents - don't buy the critics' 'no smoking gun' defense.
3. The documents aren't an argument for or against involvement in Afghanistan. What they are is an argument that Pakistan is not the gung ho ally some have pretended it is.
4. The Guardian, which was the other paper that initially began reporting on the papers, has an interesting animated graphic that shows where IED attacks have taken place. Let the graphic run and draw your own conclusions. (Graphic page is here.)
5. You didn't think the Secretary of State's saying that Pakistan knew where Osama was last week was just a coincidence, did you? Do you believe it now?
6. The Pakistan connection is the most explosive bit in the stories from a MSM point of view, but there are many other interesting facets. My favorite so far (I haven't finished reading) is the one about the aircraft tasked to shoot down the UAV - do you get a little tally marker on the fuselage for that?
Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the obvious
Pakistan Aids Insurgency in Afghanistan, Reports AssertMilitary documents reflect deep suspicions among U.S. officials that Pakistan’s spy service has for years guided the Afghan insurgency with a hidden hand.Full story here. Should be mandatory reading.
Agents as publishers
The big news in the book world the other day was the announcement by agent Andrew Wylie that the agency would begin publishing ebooks of some of its (famous) clients on its own.
This naturally upset a number of publishers, but it's not surprising at all. The rapid changes in technology, as well as actions by publishers themselves, have dramatically changed the model the book world has followed since the dawn of the mass market paperback era. In many instances the value of what traditional publishers do has decreased to such an extent that they have become almost irrelevant - or in this case, completely irrelevant.
Publishers are aware of this, in varying degrees, but they haven't been able to solve it. I don't think the problem is unsolvable in the whole, but it will be very difficult for publishers to add real value to books such as those Wylie is epubbing - established classics (for the most part) that are so famous they far transcend any publisher, be it a traditional press or an unknown. Without control of the distribution network - something Amazon realized two or three years ago - publishers have very little to offer in those cases.
One reaction has been to try and claim all rights and, in effect, partial authorship of works. Neither is a sustainable strategy, however. The former depends on the importance of physical books, which is declining; the latter implies that editors are more important than the authors, a difficult argument to sustain even in the alleged golden age of publishing. Who believes that Max Perkins contributed more to a particular book than the writer?
I don't think the ultimate answer is going to be agents publishing books. Those are two different roles. Agents have a great deal at stake in publishers' survival - you don't need middlemen if one of the sides disappears. But as a strategy to further encourage change - which everyone thinks was the real reason Wylie went ahead with the plan - the attention is justified.
This may simply make publishers dig in harder; unbundling rights is already a bigger issue in many negotiations than the dollars. But if that's all they do, it will be a failing position. Publishers have to take more steps to restore value to their part of the equation.
Chinese UFO?
Or a test firing of a new missile?
Well actually, neither, as the video is a Progress-M launch over Biakonur. See here.
Read all the way to the bottom. The rest of the post, by the way, does an excellent job of discussing the actual sighting, which may or may not have been a test firing of a solid-fueled anti-ship variant of the DF-21.
I really do like the music on this version of the video, even though it's not the original . . .
Or a test firing of a new missile?
Well actually, neither, as the video is a Progress-M launch over Biakonur. See here.
Read all the way to the bottom. The rest of the post, by the way, does an excellent job of discussing the actual sighting, which may or may not have been a test firing of a solid-fueled anti-ship variant of the DF-21.
I really do like the music on this version of the video, even though it's not the original . . .
Random Omar
One of the things that happens when you're working on a big-topic non-fiction book like a biography is that you end up with all sorts or random facts that just don't fit anywhere.
But they feel like they ought to.
Kinda.
Such as: on D Day-plus three or four, Bradley's headquarters was overrun by OSS members presumably looking for a helping hand. It became so chaotic that he eventually banned all OSS operations except for those run by one officer whom he had dealt with before.
Which means that problems between the army and the CIA basically date back to the CIA's inception. And that Bradley didn't find the OSS people directly useful. (There are some references to human spies in A Soldier's Story, but it's generally interpreted as a cover for Ultra, still top secret when the book was published.)
Can't find a good place for it in the bio, though.
One of the things that happens when you're working on a big-topic non-fiction book like a biography is that you end up with all sorts or random facts that just don't fit anywhere.
But they feel like they ought to.
Kinda.
Such as: on D Day-plus three or four, Bradley's headquarters was overrun by OSS members presumably looking for a helping hand. It became so chaotic that he eventually banned all OSS operations except for those run by one officer whom he had dealt with before.
Which means that problems between the army and the CIA basically date back to the CIA's inception. And that Bradley didn't find the OSS people directly useful. (There are some references to human spies in A Soldier's Story, but it's generally interpreted as a cover for Ultra, still top secret when the book was published.)
Can't find a good place for it in the bio, though.
From the Dept. of Realpolitik
Or how things really work
Item:
Spy Swap Forced Prosecutors Into Balancing ActOn June 29, two days after the arrests of ten Russian agents in New York and three other States, Preet Bharara, the United States attorney in Manhattan, called an emergency meeting of his closest aides. Their criminal case, he was aware, was fast becoming a deal being orchestrated b politicians and diplomats.Mr. Bharara told his aides that he had just learned that serious talks were under way at the highest levels of the American and Russian governments for a spy exchange that would end the criminal prosecution. He knew the idea of a swap had been discussed in the Obama administration as a way to resolve a potentially delicate situation at a time when the United States and Russia were trying to improve relations. But there had been no indication that a deal would come together so quickly.
“Is it appropriate for us to even be considering these sorts of things?” Mr. Bharara said he had asked his lieutenants. “Should we ever acquiesce in a trade?”
The proudly independent Manhattan federal prosecutor’s office and the Justice Department “should never be an extension of or a rubber stamp for the White House,” he said, adding, “I feel that very strongly.”
Uh-huh.
How many people think the exchange wasn't contemplated* before the arrests? Raise your hands . . .
Times story here.
* In fairness, a careful reading of the story doesn't contradict that. But you're definitely supposed to get the impression this is one no-nonsense, in-charge prosecutor here. I'm sure he is - but this case isn't Exhibit A.
Pouring your blood into your book . . .
. . . literally.
Full story here.
. . . literally.
Luxury publisher Kraken Opus mixed in a pint of Mr. Tendulkar's blood with paper pulp to create the signature page for a book celebrating the renowned batsman's career. The 10 limited-edition copies, which comes out in February, cost $75,000 each and have already sold out.
Kraken is one of a handful of high-end publishing houses that are pushing the boundaries of extravagance and novelty in the luxury book market. Such books are being treated as investments and sometimes commanding prices usually reserved for original art works.
Full story here.
A health care model to emulate
The envy of the world, no less . . .
The World Health Organization has said an Amnesty International report critical of North Korea's health system is unscientific and outdated.WHO spokesman Paul Garwood insisted he wasn't criticizing Amnesty's work. But he said Thursday's report was anecdotal, with stories dating back to 2001. He contrasted that with WHO's science-based approach. Amnesty's report contradicted the rosier picture given by WHO chief Margaret Chan after her April trip there.Chan said the communist country provides universal coverage and is the ''envy'' of developing nations. Amnesty cited amputations without anesthesia and payments to get care.Asked Friday what countries are envious of North Korea's health, WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib said she couldn't name any.
Ha-ha-ha-ha.
Steinbrenner
I don't intend to speak ill of the dead, but it's interesting how radically the views of George Steinbrenner have shifted over the past decade.
Steinbrenner was a very mixed blessing and quite often a curse for Yankee fans, especially during the first two decades of his ownership. And it was his formal removal from the sport and the team that helped set the stage for the revival in the mid-90s.
The papers are filled with considerable nonsense today. Here's a typical quote: "Steinbrenner famously challenged his players." Embarrassed and belittled would be more appropriate words, even in the example the writer gave.
I'm not a hater, but distorting and exaggerating the record do no one any good - not Steinbrenner, certainly, and more importantly not anyone who wishes to emulate his success.
The Voice of God was a Navy man . . .
And other facts you didn't know about Bob Sheppard:
“So I looked around and found out the Navy was interviewing men—qualified men—to become naval officers, which would be a little bit more pay than a sailor. And I dropped in, in Manhattan one day, where the recruitment office was located and I said, ‘I’m here to enquire. Not to join (laughter). I’m here to enquire about the possibility of getting a Navy assignment.
“And the man said, ‘Well . . . you’re old enough. You’re healthy enough, I guess. While you’re here, without any decision on your part, why don’t you just go in the back. The doctor’s there and he’ll examine you and see if you’re fit. If you’re not fit, I’ll tell you that.’
“So I went in the back, and the doctor went over me, and he said, ‘You’re fine.’ I went in front, and I said, ‘The man said I’m fine.’
“He said, ‘That’s step number one.’
“I said, ‘Wait a minute! Step number—I’m not here to join, I’m here to enquire!’
Column here.
Now batting for the angels . . .
The Iron Man of stadium announcers. Bob Sheppard, passed away today.
Sheppard never too a swing, but his voice will haunt Yankee Stadium forever. He proved there could be poetry in a lineup card.
My friend Jay-roam did a column on him before he died, asking what the secret was to his distinctive style. "Very simple young man," he said in his sententious voice. "Enunciate."
EEE-none-seeeee-ate
A life directive if ever there was one.
The Iron Man of stadium announcers. Bob Sheppard, passed away today.
Sheppard never too a swing, but his voice will haunt Yankee Stadium forever. He proved there could be poetry in a lineup card.
My friend Jay-roam did a column on him before he died, asking what the secret was to his distinctive style. "Very simple young man," he said in his sententious voice. "Enunciate."
EEE-none-seeeee-ate
A life directive if ever there was one.
Some things aren't meant to be solo . . .
Just back from the International Thriller Writers convention, where I was very pleased to learn that Robert Ludlum doesn't research his sex scenes solo.
Saw the usual suspects and a bunch of new ones. Dave Hagberg has a new book out, which he was flogging to every bartender he met. Which is a lot of bartenders. I'm definitely looking for it on the NYT best-seller list later this month.
Then there was the legendary editor who was alternating drinks with Cokes. But I promised not to blow his cover . . .
Just back from the International Thriller Writers convention, where I was very pleased to learn that Robert Ludlum doesn't research his sex scenes solo.
Saw the usual suspects and a bunch of new ones. Dave Hagberg has a new book out, which he was flogging to every bartender he met. Which is a lot of bartenders. I'm definitely looking for it on the NYT best-seller list later this month.
Then there was the legendary editor who was alternating drinks with Cokes. But I promised not to blow his cover . . .
Jan Swafford
I mentioned Jan Swafford the other day because of something he* wrote about ebooks. Here's a belated link to his page at Random House, and another to his biography of Johannes Brahms, available at Amazon.com.
He's also a composer who's done a number of orchestral pieces. He's said to be working on a biography of Beethoven. Given his track record, it's bound to be an important book.
*I got his gender wrong in the original post. Sorry about that.
I mentioned Jan Swafford the other day because of something he* wrote about ebooks. Here's a belated link to his page at Random House, and another to his biography of Johannes Brahms, available at Amazon.com.
He's also a composer who's done a number of orchestral pieces. He's said to be working on a biography of Beethoven. Given his track record, it's bound to be an important book.
*I got his gender wrong in the original post. Sorry about that.
Claws of the Leopard . . .
The Italian translation of Leopards Kill just came out, and it has an interesting title:
Gli Artigli Del Leopardo
My Italian is just barely good enough for me to figure out that that means something along the lines of Claws of the Leopard. I think the translator was a little nervous when he told me about it, but I like it. It has kind of a nice ring to it.
The original still confuses people, who sometimes wonder who it is who's being killed. And then there's the folks who are convinced from the title it's a nature book . . .
The Italian translation of Leopards Kill just came out, and it has an interesting title:
Gli Artigli Del Leopardo
My Italian is just barely good enough for me to figure out that that means something along the lines of Claws of the Leopard. I think the translator was a little nervous when he told me about it, but I like it. It has kind of a nice ring to it.
The original still confuses people, who sometimes wonder who it is who's being killed. And then there's the folks who are convinced from the title it's a nature book . . .
Team Swish
How can you not vote for this guy?
Well all right, if you're a Boston fan. But otherwise, click here.
(While there, check out his video. You have to run it from that page, because it won't easily embed.)
How can you not vote for this guy?
Well all right, if you're a Boston fan. But otherwise, click here.
(While there, check out his video. You have to run it from that page, because it won't easily embed.)
Still our masters
Remember those headlines about congress passing a financial reform bill that would prevent another financial meltdown and make large banks and hedge funds start paying their fair share of taxes?
WASHINGTON — Congressional negotiators briefly reopened the conference proceedings on a sweeping financial regulatory bill on Tuesday after Senate Republicans who had supported an earlier version of the measure threatened to block final approval unless Democrats removed a proposed tax on big banks and hedge funds.
Conference negotiators voted to eliminate the proposed tax and adopted a new plan to pay the projected five-year, $20 billion cost of the legislation.
And the thing I love is that the guys who stopped it weren't even going to vote for it in the first place.
E-books - a matter of perception . . .
Slate has an interesting and somewhat 'contra' article on ebooks by writer Jan Swafford here.
It's definitely worth reading. One of the things he gets very right is the difference in how we perceive various media (and yes, he does give the nod to Marshall McLuhan).
Of course the question is, will that actually matter in a few years, when the way most readers have learned to assimilate written thought is through screens.
(And yes, many writers though not all, work the way he describes. But it's not absolutely necessary, and for most books it's been a long time since I've worked that way. Same with most of the writers I know.)
Slate has an interesting and somewhat 'contra' article on ebooks by writer Jan Swafford here.
It's definitely worth reading. One of the things he gets very right is the difference in how we perceive various media (and yes, he does give the nod to Marshall McLuhan).
Of course the question is, will that actually matter in a few years, when the way most readers have learned to assimilate written thought is through screens.
(And yes, many writers though not all, work the way he describes. But it's not absolutely necessary, and for most books it's been a long time since I've worked that way. Same with most of the writers I know.)
Speaking of COIN . . .
Somewhat different take on events from a friend of mine:
Colonize or go home . . .
http://www.parcbench.com/2010/06/23/the-good-war-counter-insurgency-colonize-or-go-home/
Somewhat different take on events from a friend of mine:
Colonize or go home . . .
http://www.parcbench.com/2010/06/23/the-good-war-counter-insurgency-colonize-or-go-home/
Sanctionizing
Or not:
Or not:
Iran sees no risks to its gasoline imports, an oil official said on Tuesday, a day after France's Total TOTA PA joined the list of Western oil companies stopping sales to Iran due to sanctions.
The head of the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company told the oil ministry website SHANA that consumption was declining, helping trim Iran's reliance on gasoline imports.
"Under any conditions we are able to supply the country's gasoline needs and there is no problem in producing or importing gasoline," said Farid Ameri, sharing the optimism of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who has dismissed the sanctions threat.
And until it does, sanction will never have a chance to work. If they were going to work at all . . .
Actually, the action by Total will have more of an impact than the government admits. But sanctions have a long way to go. Now if the world were to stop buying Iranian oil . . .
You thought the Cold War was over . . .
Item:
Looks like I just lost some of my most devoted readers. Bummer . . .
Full story here.
Complaint here.
Item:
WASHINGTON – In what law enforcements officials portrayed as an extraordinary takedown of a Russian espionage network, the Justice Department on Monday announced charges against 11 people accused of living for years in the United States as part of a deep-cover program by S.V.R. -- one of the successors to the Soviet-era K.G.B.
Looks like I just lost some of my most devoted readers. Bummer . . .
Full story here.
Complaint here.
Pirates, start your engines . . .
Last week's ruling favoring Google over Viacom has been billed as a victory for YouTube, but it's really a victory for copyright pirates.
Basically, the court threw out a suit against Google for illegally allowing copyrighted material owned by Viacom to be posted on its website. The case was summarily dismissed, with the court claiming that YouTube had no way of knowing whether copyrights were infringed, and therefore had no liability. Even though they then turned around and put ads on that material.
Basically, that says that anyone can pretend that his head is in the sand and "allow" files - as in movies, music and books - to be posted and "shared" . . . make money off the process . . . and have zero liability or responsibility to the original creator.
Pawn shops should be so lucky.
(Story here.)
Last week's ruling favoring Google over Viacom has been billed as a victory for YouTube, but it's really a victory for copyright pirates.
Basically, the court threw out a suit against Google for illegally allowing copyrighted material owned by Viacom to be posted on its website. The case was summarily dismissed, with the court claiming that YouTube had no way of knowing whether copyrights were infringed, and therefore had no liability. Even though they then turned around and put ads on that material.
Basically, that says that anyone can pretend that his head is in the sand and "allow" files - as in movies, music and books - to be posted and "shared" . . . make money off the process . . . and have zero liability or responsibility to the original creator.
Pawn shops should be so lucky.
Viacom general counsel Michael Fricklas called the ruling “fundamentally flawed,” and vowed to appeal. “It is, and should be, illegal for companies to build their businesses with creative material they have stolen from others,“ he said, adding that “legitimate websites shouldn’t have to compete with pirates.”
(Story here.)
A saint for our time . . .
You've heard of the Lords of Flatbush - Monsignor Quinn was the saint of Bed-Stuy . . . maybe literally.
Story in the NY Times here. The spirit of Christ was strong in him.
You've heard of the Lords of Flatbush - Monsignor Quinn was the saint of Bed-Stuy . . . maybe literally.
Story in the NY Times here. The spirit of Christ was strong in him.
Signs of improvement
Item:
Even if the order is mostly a clarification of McChrystal's intent, it's a step in the right direction - for the troops, anyway.
Item:
A military source close to Gen. David Petraeus told Fox News that one of the first things the general will do when he takes over in Afghanistan is to modify the controversial rules of engagement to make it easier for U.S. troops to engage in combat with the enemy.(One version of the story here.)
Troops on the ground and some military commanders have said the strict rules -- aimed at preventing civilian casualties -- have effectively forced the troops to fight with one hand tied behind their backs.
Even if the order is mostly a clarification of McChrystal's intent, it's a step in the right direction - for the troops, anyway.
COIN
One thing that has been semi-lost in the McChrystal controversy is the validity of the so-called COIN strategy, which the general was closely identified with. Reporters and analysts seem to accept it as the latest and greatest thing.
Really, though, it's a rehash of old ideas that have never really worked the way advocates say they have. The U.S. tried a version of it in Vietnam, though no one ever - EVER - talks about that. And while Iraq is often cited as a validation of that strategy, that's a complete misread of what happened there.*
The problem is that these philosophies and strategies are advanced largely through politics - not Democratic-Republican politics, but the people politics everyone plays, whether they're in the military or government or vying for a talking head slot on FOX or MSNBC. They need a cause or something to talk about, a reason for to advance or to put down the next person.
Call me unreconstructed, but I think an army's job is to kill. You start doing other stuff, you get into trouble.
Yes, we don't want to have to use it too often. Killing sucks. It means you get killed, too. Sometimes. But if you're out to build sewers, you don't use tanks.
* Even if it weren't, there is a vast difference between Iraq and Afghanistan. Vast.
One thing that has been semi-lost in the McChrystal controversy is the validity of the so-called COIN strategy, which the general was closely identified with. Reporters and analysts seem to accept it as the latest and greatest thing.
Really, though, it's a rehash of old ideas that have never really worked the way advocates say they have. The U.S. tried a version of it in Vietnam, though no one ever - EVER - talks about that. And while Iraq is often cited as a validation of that strategy, that's a complete misread of what happened there.*
The problem is that these philosophies and strategies are advanced largely through politics - not Democratic-Republican politics, but the people politics everyone plays, whether they're in the military or government or vying for a talking head slot on FOX or MSNBC. They need a cause or something to talk about, a reason for to advance or to put down the next person.
Call me unreconstructed, but I think an army's job is to kill. You start doing other stuff, you get into trouble.
Yes, we don't want to have to use it too often. Killing sucks. It means you get killed, too. Sometimes. But if you're out to build sewers, you don't use tanks.
* Even if it weren't, there is a vast difference between Iraq and Afghanistan. Vast.
In-fighting . . .
My post yesterday surprised a few people who hadn't realized that there was so much controversy in the Allied command during the war.
Believe me, that just barely scratched the surface. If you think McChrystal's staff dissed people in the Rolling Stone article, you should read some of the diaries and even official communications from World War II.
And these guys were taking live ammo into meetings.
Of course, one key difference is that 99 percent of the controversy was kept out of the newspapers and radio reports at the time. Partly because of censorship, partly because of self-censorship*, but mostly because Blackberries and the internet hadn't been invented.
And Twitter. We can blame it on that.
They never teach you about that in high school. Which I guess is why everyone acts so surprised to find that different members of an administration - whether it's Bush's or Obama's - don't get along.
* For example: the slapping incident was well-known among war correspondents, who actually reported it to Eisenhower. They could easily have written about it once they returned to the U.S. But it wasn't reported until months later, and then by a columnist in the States.
My post yesterday surprised a few people who hadn't realized that there was so much controversy in the Allied command during the war.
Believe me, that just barely scratched the surface. If you think McChrystal's staff dissed people in the Rolling Stone article, you should read some of the diaries and even official communications from World War II.
And these guys were taking live ammo into meetings.
Of course, one key difference is that 99 percent of the controversy was kept out of the newspapers and radio reports at the time. Partly because of censorship, partly because of self-censorship*, but mostly because Blackberries and the internet hadn't been invented.
And Twitter. We can blame it on that.
They never teach you about that in high school. Which I guess is why everyone acts so surprised to find that different members of an administration - whether it's Bush's or Obama's - don't get along.
* For example: the slapping incident was well-known among war correspondents, who actually reported it to Eisenhower. They could easily have written about it once they returned to the U.S. But it wasn't reported until months later, and then by a columnist in the States.
No, Gary Faulkner is not Dis . . .
But thanks for asking.
( Story here. It's true that Dis - like others in Leopards Kill - is modeled on real people; it's just that Gary Faulkner isn't one of them.)
Patton and Bradley - Bradley is on the right.
General controversies . . .
The controversy over the Rolling Stone story about General McChrystal happened to resonate with a bit from the book I've been working on about Omar Bradley.
Not about Bradley - it's hard to imagine a more discreet subject, military or otherwise - but Patton, whose career during the war intertwined with Bradley's.
In the months before D Day, Patton was brought into England to prepare to lead an army in Normandy under Bradley. (Until the invasion the chain of command had him under Eisenhower, not Bradley, which was probably a relief for Bradley.) Eisenhower had Patton on a fairly short leash, not just because of the infamous slapping incident, but because of an investigation into whether he had incited men to kill prisoners. (He hadn't.)
As part of his keep-up-the-morale-of-the-people-whose-homes-we're-overrunning duty, Patton accepted an invitation to speak at a small gathering of the British equivalent of a local USO. He gave a brief, off-the-cuff speech. For Patton, he was pretty dialed back, but dialed-back Patton is shock jock brash for everyone else. At some point, he joked that after the war the U.S. and UK would run the world. And Russia, too.
Patton thought he was talking mostly to housewives and at worst slightly scandalizing them. But it turned out there was a reporter in the audience, and within days the story that Patton was figuring on ruling the world was all over Great Britain, and the States.
General Marshall was not pleased. Eisenhower, who had stuck his neck out insisting that he get Patton for an army command, was even less enthused. He almost fired Patton. But Patton stayed.
Why? For one thing, he hadn't dissed the President, Vice President, or his boss.
And he had Eisenhower. Beyond their friendship - severely tested in the war - Eisenhower felt Patton would be extremely useful in the push across the continent. He also thought he could keep Patton on a short enough leash to avoid catastrophes large enough to negate his value. Bradley was critical in that arrangement, though that part of the story isn't ordinarily told.
Why not? Because the only one who could tell it was Bradley - and Bradley was the last person in the world who would.
Especially to a reporter.
Banned from the Stadium . . .*
You can have my seat anytime you want. No charge. No rules.
Especially no rules.
* Actually, it's just the locker room, and at certain times. But there are certain situations where you have to be a little shameless, and anything to do with Lady Gaga is pretty much the definition of shameless . . .
You can have my seat anytime you want. No charge. No rules.
Especially no rules.
* Actually, it's just the locker room, and at certain times. But there are certain situations where you have to be a little shameless, and anything to do with Lady Gaga is pretty much the definition of shameless . . .
Fear & fastballs . . .
Went to the game the other night with the Guru, which is always fun, and not just because he pays for the beer.
The setting always provokes baseball stories, and this time he told one about Yogi*:
Guy comes up to Berra complaining about something - life, I think - and the diatribe quickly moves on to the worst things that can happen to you, and what you're afraid of.
That's nothing, says Yogi when the complainer pauses. Try standing in against Bob Feller's fastball.
Yogi Berra, who landed on two beaches in Normandy, was more afraid of a fastball than German bullets.
* The Guru tells it much better - ask him next time you see him.
Went to the game the other night with the Guru, which is always fun, and not just because he pays for the beer.
The setting always provokes baseball stories, and this time he told one about Yogi*:
Guy comes up to Berra complaining about something - life, I think - and the diatribe quickly moves on to the worst things that can happen to you, and what you're afraid of.
That's nothing, says Yogi when the complainer pauses. Try standing in against Bob Feller's fastball.
Yogi Berra, who landed on two beaches in Normandy, was more afraid of a fastball than German bullets.
* The Guru tells it much better - ask him next time you see him.
Mine go best with mustard . . .
Item:
Police in Idaho think they might have solved a yearlong condiment crime spree. Authorities said a 74-year-old Boise woman arrested after pouring mayonnaise in the Ada County library's book drop box is a person of interest in at least 10 other condiment-related crimes.
Ernie
So today was mostly Ernie Pyle, who wrote the best thousand or so words on Omar Bradley that will ever be written.
It's not that there's anything profound in his descriptions, but that's what makes it so good. He picks up little things - the book on how to speak French in the general's trailer (this is in Sicily; Normandy's not for another year). And yet a few sentences later can talk about the reality of ordering men to their deaths without making it sound phony or overly philosophical. Pyle found the thing right in front of everyone's eyes and showed why it was important.
No one else to that point in the war had talked about Bradley as a math teacher, yet in many ways it was the key, or one of them, to his character. Know that about him, and know that he had been hunting since he was old enough to hold a rifle, and you know quite a bit about how he saw war. But no other news story at the time, at least to that point, ever mentioned his days as a math teacher. (Or the connection to his father, which is critical to understanding who was as a man.)
And his bit on Bradley's not even close to his best piece.
If you're looking for a good book on the war, dig out Brave Men from the dusty confines of the local library. You'll be glad you did.
So today was mostly Ernie Pyle, who wrote the best thousand or so words on Omar Bradley that will ever be written.
It's not that there's anything profound in his descriptions, but that's what makes it so good. He picks up little things - the book on how to speak French in the general's trailer (this is in Sicily; Normandy's not for another year). And yet a few sentences later can talk about the reality of ordering men to their deaths without making it sound phony or overly philosophical. Pyle found the thing right in front of everyone's eyes and showed why it was important.
To me, General Bradley looked like a schoolteacher rather than a soldier. When I told him that, he said I wasn't so far wrong, because his father was a country schoolteacher and he himself had taught at West Point and other places. His specialty was mathematics.
No one else to that point in the war had talked about Bradley as a math teacher, yet in many ways it was the key, or one of them, to his character. Know that about him, and know that he had been hunting since he was old enough to hold a rifle, and you know quite a bit about how he saw war. But no other news story at the time, at least to that point, ever mentioned his days as a math teacher. (Or the connection to his father, which is critical to understanding who was as a man.)
And his bit on Bradley's not even close to his best piece.
If you're looking for a good book on the war, dig out Brave Men from the dusty confines of the local library. You'll be glad you did.
What not to wear to a zoo . . .
From the Wall Street Journal:
Full story.
From the Wall Street Journal:
To wine and dine Sasha, a 450-pound Siberian tiger at the Bronx Zoo, try serving beef and rabbit. To lure him for a snack, whip out the frozen treats his zookeepers call "bloodcicles." But to really get his olfactory engines running, you need the secret weapon: Calvin Klein's Obsession for Men.
Full story.
It's always the colonists' fault . . .
Item in the FT UK edition:
Item in the FT UK edition:
Boris Johnson, the Conservative mayor of London, launched an attack on Thursday on what he called the “anti-British rhetoric that seems to be permeating from America”. His statement typified the growing British backlash against the perceived scapegoating of BP by Barack Obama.
The tone of British resentment against the US president’s outspoken criticism of BP and Tony Hayward, the oil company’s chief executive, was set by the headline in Thursday’s Daily Telegraph. “Obama’s boot on the throat of British pensioners”, the rightwing paper declared, as it highlighted the impact of the fall in BP’s share price on the wider London stock market.
Mr Johnson was among a host of politicians taking up the same theme, albeit in a more nuanced manner.The London mayor called for an end to the “buck passing and name calling”, saying the anti-British rhetoric from the US might damage UK interests. “It starts to become a matter of national concern if a great British company is being continually beaten up on the international airwaves,” Mr Johnson told the BBC.
Praying, or something on his knees
So today, working on my biography of Bradley, I tried to untangle (again) the replacement of 1st Infantry Division general Terry Allen in the middle of the battle for Troina.
The question isn't so much the replacement itself, since the events can be laid out in a logically illogical manner. (There seems to have been an administrative screwup that sent the orders out prematurely, at least according to Carlo Este's source. And it's pretty clear that Bradley wanted to get rid of Allen at some point, and that Patton agreed.) No, the real question is why Bradley lied about it in his memoirs.
There doesn't really seem to be a good answer. Which naturally makes it all the more intriguing, if frustrating. Of course, it's also the sort of thing that ultimately is of more interest to experts than a "general reader," and my book is aimed at the latter. Or should be.
Writing Bradley is in some ways an exercise in examining how different historians have made use of the same source material, and how other historians have made assumptions based on that. But sometimes choice completely baffle me.
Kind of a side note to the Allen affair is a report filed by newsman Quenten Reynolds during the Sicily campaign. According to Reynolds, Terry Allen excused himself from a session with his officers and disappeared for a while. Supposedly, Reynolds went in search of him a while later and found him praying in the middle of a field.
Hmmm.
I don't know - call me suspicious, but I'm saying he was doing something other than praying. Attitudes at the time were a lot different, but even so there were plenty of rumors that Allen drank to excess. So maybe it was a call to the bottle. Or maybe a call of nature. anyway, I'm thinking no general is going to interrupt himself to go say a few Hail Marys.
That's especially possible given the overall tenor of Reynolds reporting. He definitely had a certain spin to his dispatches.
Even so, the story is repeated verbatim, with nary a raised eyebrow. It supposedly illustrates Allen's devotion to God.
After all, even historians know there are no atheists in foxholes.
So today, working on my biography of Bradley, I tried to untangle (again) the replacement of 1st Infantry Division general Terry Allen in the middle of the battle for Troina.
The question isn't so much the replacement itself, since the events can be laid out in a logically illogical manner. (There seems to have been an administrative screwup that sent the orders out prematurely, at least according to Carlo Este's source. And it's pretty clear that Bradley wanted to get rid of Allen at some point, and that Patton agreed.) No, the real question is why Bradley lied about it in his memoirs.
There doesn't really seem to be a good answer. Which naturally makes it all the more intriguing, if frustrating. Of course, it's also the sort of thing that ultimately is of more interest to experts than a "general reader," and my book is aimed at the latter. Or should be.
Writing Bradley is in some ways an exercise in examining how different historians have made use of the same source material, and how other historians have made assumptions based on that. But sometimes choice completely baffle me.
Kind of a side note to the Allen affair is a report filed by newsman Quenten Reynolds during the Sicily campaign. According to Reynolds, Terry Allen excused himself from a session with his officers and disappeared for a while. Supposedly, Reynolds went in search of him a while later and found him praying in the middle of a field.
Hmmm.
I don't know - call me suspicious, but I'm saying he was doing something other than praying. Attitudes at the time were a lot different, but even so there were plenty of rumors that Allen drank to excess. So maybe it was a call to the bottle. Or maybe a call of nature. anyway, I'm thinking no general is going to interrupt himself to go say a few Hail Marys.
That's especially possible given the overall tenor of Reynolds reporting. He definitely had a certain spin to his dispatches.
Even so, the story is repeated verbatim, with nary a raised eyebrow. It supposedly illustrates Allen's devotion to God.
After all, even historians know there are no atheists in foxholes.
Maybe I should explain . . .
The scientist in the video, Shahram Amiri, was the subject of a story out of Iran today claiming that Shahram Amiri was kidnapped by the CIA. They released a video where he said he had been kidnapped and tortured. Of course, they didn't explain why the CIA would be stupid enough to make such a video and then give it to Iran. . . .
But at least the production values are better than the phony photo of the missile launch they released last year.
I'm shocked, shocked . . .*
Item:
Story here.
One more reason sanctions will never work.
* Apologies to Curitz, Epstein, Epstein & Koch. And Bogart, of course.
Item:
Web of Shell Companies Veils Trade by Iran's Ships
Story here.
One more reason sanctions will never work.
* Apologies to Curitz, Epstein, Epstein & Koch. And Bogart, of course.
Tunisia
The video caption says it's the last tank battle in Tunisia, though I'm not sure how accurate that is; 1st Armored Command B cut the road between Tunis and Bizerte May 8, coming up against some Tigers; by my estimate that would be the last tank battle (or at least in the running), but the terrain didn't look like this.
I think.
Anyway, it looks cool. And that's where I'm at... Tunisia, with Bradley.
The video caption says it's the last tank battle in Tunisia, though I'm not sure how accurate that is; 1st Armored Command B cut the road between Tunis and Bizerte May 8, coming up against some Tigers; by my estimate that would be the last tank battle (or at least in the running), but the terrain didn't look like this.
I think.
Anyway, it looks cool. And that's where I'm at... Tunisia, with Bradley.
Why baseball is baseball . . .
Item: Armando Galarraga robbed of perfect game by bad call at the end of the game.
This will undoubtedly become Exhibit 1 for bringing (more) instant replay to baseball.
But in a funny way, I think its Exhibit 1 for what is so interesting and essential about baseball: With all our technological and cultural changes, it remains a human game.
Forget replay, forget over-ruling umpires - that play and that game are destined to be talked about more than any other perfect game ever, aside from Larsen's.
Item: Armando Galarraga robbed of perfect game by bad call at the end of the game.
This will undoubtedly become Exhibit 1 for bringing (more) instant replay to baseball.
But in a funny way, I think its Exhibit 1 for what is so interesting and essential about baseball: With all our technological and cultural changes, it remains a human game.
Forget replay, forget over-ruling umpires - that play and that game are destined to be talked about more than any other perfect game ever, aside from Larsen's.
Watergate (or not) . . .
I realize it's a tempest in a political teapot, but I was amused about the dustup over the White House's offer (or not) of a job to a senate candidate in Colorado in an effort to avoid a primary there.
Some people believe that just such a job offer - by Republicans - led to Watergate. Believe it or not, it took place in Poughkeepsie . . .
At the time, there were two good candidates for the congressional seat there. One was an assistant DA, the other the son of a famous congressman. In that case, there was a primary; the son won, but the prosecutor was on the conservative line and might have caused the son to lose. Long story short, a deal was worked out where the assistant DA ended up going to work in Washington.
So did the son: Hamilton Fish Jr., who turned out to be an excellent congressman, by the way.
The assistant DA?
That would be Gordon Liddy, famous locally for firing a loaded pistol during a courtroom summation.
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