Me, talking . . .
Headed to Haverstraw library in Haverstraw, N.Y. this evening to talk about . . . whatever anyone wants to talk about, I guess. Definitely American Sniper and American Wife.
Their website.
What is it you do for a living?
From Publishers Weekly:
Story.
From Publishers Weekly:
The survey also indicated that not only are many authors earning little, they are, since 2009, also earning less. Overall, the median writing-related income among respondents dropped from $10,500 in 2009 to $8,000 2014 in 2014, a decline of 24%. The decline came for both full-time and part-time authors with full-time authors reporting a 30% drop in income to $17,500 and part-time authors seeing a 38% decrease, to $4,500.
Story.
On CNN . . .
Appearing on New Day Saturday morning - assuming I get up in time.
The show's web site here: http://www.cnn.com/shows/new-day
Appearing on New Day Saturday morning - assuming I get up in time.
The show's web site here: http://www.cnn.com/shows/new-day
Is a lot too much?
Stephen King on writing a lot:
King's take.
One point he doesn't make - some writers are prolific because they need the money. (Writers, especially novelists, don't make as much as you think.)
Stephen King on writing a lot:
THERE are many unspoken postulates in literary criticism, one being that the more one writes, the less remarkable one’s work is apt to be.
King's take.
One point he doesn't make - some writers are prolific because they need the money. (Writers, especially novelists, don't make as much as you think.)
Disaster averted
Great piece on an RC-135 Rivert Joint fire this past spring. But the real scandal is the age of the plane - 55 years.
Maybe time for a complete upgrade, no?
From Omaha.com:
Read the rest here.
Great job by the pilot and air crew. Rivet Joints are RC-135s - military versions of the Boeing 707 - used for signal and electronic intelligence.
Great piece on an RC-135 Rivert Joint fire this past spring. But the real scandal is the age of the plane - 55 years.
Maybe time for a complete upgrade, no?
From Omaha.com:
The stench of stale urine lingered in the air as 27 airmen from Offutt Air Force Base’s 55th Wing climbed aboard the RC-135V Rivet Joint jet late in the afternoon of April 30, 2015.
Most of the crew sat at consoles in the rear of the aircraft — call sign “Snoop 71” — trying to ignore the odor.
Soon they would have bigger problems than a broken toilet.
As the plane began to accelerate down the runway, flames erupted like a blowtorch near the ceiling in the aft galley. Excited shouts of “Fire! Fire!” filled the crew’s headsets.
Read the rest here.
Great job by the pilot and air crew. Rivet Joints are RC-135s - military versions of the Boeing 707 - used for signal and electronic intelligence.
Terps in the U.S. . . .
... and some of the problems they face.
My friend Johnny is included in this story from the LA Times.
Couldn't find the right time . . .
. . . at least that was the excuse in 2012, according to Ehud Barak, when asked why Israel didn't attack Iran's nuclear program.
That's an excuse I wouldn't even try on my dentist when he asks why I haven't stopped by in a year.
There were different excuses, supposedly, in 2010 and 2011. The real reason seems to be the defense ministry's assessment that an attack would not be successful. But that begs the question - if the prime minister really wanted to launch an attack, why weren't real steps taken in 2010 to add that capability?
Story in NY Times.
. . . at least that was the excuse in 2012, according to Ehud Barak, when asked why Israel didn't attack Iran's nuclear program.
That's an excuse I wouldn't even try on my dentist when he asks why I haven't stopped by in a year.
There were different excuses, supposedly, in 2010 and 2011. The real reason seems to be the defense ministry's assessment that an attack would not be successful. But that begs the question - if the prime minister really wanted to launch an attack, why weren't real steps taken in 2010 to add that capability?
Story in NY Times.
Stairway to heaven . . .
. . . actually, an elevator to the stars. Item:
. . . actually, an elevator to the stars. Item:
Thoth Technology Inc. has been granted both US and UK patents for a space elevator designed to take astronauts up into the stratosphere, so they can then be propelled into space.
The company said the tower, named the ThothX Tower, will be an inflatable, freestanding structure complete with an electrical elevator and will reach 20km (12.5 miles) above the Earth.
Losing Mosul . . .
. . . will the current Iraqi government hold Maliki responsible?
Iraqis can only hope.
Item:
. . . will the current Iraqi government hold Maliki responsible?
Iraqis can only hope.
Item:
BAGHDAD — Iraq’s former prime minister may face criminal charges for his role in the fall of Mosul to Islamic State militants last summer after an investigation named him among officials responsible.Article.
What China is up to . . .
. . . in the distant Pacific.
From the NY Times:
the story has excellent satellite pictures, not to mention a map showing how outrageously far from the Chinese mainland - or any land - the islands are. The article is the best mainstream media show-and-tell on the issue I've seen. It's here.
I have to admit, I wish I'd thought of this for Red China Rising.
. . . in the distant Pacific.
From the NY Times:
So far China has built port facilities, military buildings and an airstrip on the islands. The installations bolster China’s foothold in the Spratly Islands, a disputed scattering of reefs and islands in the South China Sea more than 500 miles from the Chinese mainland.
the story has excellent satellite pictures, not to mention a map showing how outrageously far from the Chinese mainland - or any land - the islands are. The article is the best mainstream media show-and-tell on the issue I've seen. It's here.
I have to admit, I wish I'd thought of this for Red China Rising.
The Doctor is different
A p.s. to yesterday's note on Watchman and Harper Lee:
Another beloved author had an old, unpublished book brought to the market this month: Dr. Seuss.
Random House has just brought out What Pet Should I Get?, which apparently was written in the late 1950s or early 1960s but never published. No outrage has greeted this work. On the contrary, even the NY Times, which has been generally critical of the Watchman publication, gave it what amounts to a rave over the weekend. (Review and some speculation on the book's back story, here.)
A p.s. to yesterday's note on Watchman and Harper Lee:
Another beloved author had an old, unpublished book brought to the market this month: Dr. Seuss.
Random House has just brought out What Pet Should I Get?, which apparently was written in the late 1950s or early 1960s but never published. No outrage has greeted this work. On the contrary, even the NY Times, which has been generally critical of the Watchman publication, gave it what amounts to a rave over the weekend. (Review and some speculation on the book's back story, here.)
To Kill . . . a Watchman?
As a writer, it’s been interesting to watch the controversy
over the publication of Go Set a Watchman, the novel Harper Lee wrote and then substantially
rewrote as To Kill A Mockingbird. Most notable have been the many cries of outrage that the novel
not be published, lest it somehow tarnish Ms. Lee’s reputation, or that of
Mockingbird’s.
I don’t quite understand the reasoning of the latter – books
stand on their own merit, no matter what else the writer has done or even the
sources that they come from. But the idea that other work might debase a writer’s
reputation is intriguing. It seems to come from a very Romantic (cap intended)
notion of author as artiste, the same
idea that would lead a poet of Coolidge’s era to burn all but a few select
poems.
I suppose none of us want to be known for what we produce on
our bad days. On the other hand, neither we nor our contemporaries are
necessarily in the best position to judge what posterity will think of any of
our work.
A subset of reactions give ample due to the editor who
worked with her on Mockingbird. But few of them – I’m sure there must be a few,
though I haven’t seen any – acknowledge that at least some of the editor’s
suggestions might have been questionable, or at least more in line with her own
perceptions than that of the author. Mockingbird is not only far more polished
than Watchman; it is also considerably more palatable to the era’s book buying
public. That’s a product of many choices, but most especially the decision to
use a very young heroine as the narrator and to make her father Atticus Finch
into a very, very uncomplicated hero. You have to wonder what a different
editor in a different time might advised.
I’d guess that a more polished version of Watchman wouldn’t
have been nearly so well received at the time. But now?
I will say one thing: it’s great to see an author and a book
generate so much interest and veneration. Maybe books and literacy aren’t dead
yet.
Sniper in Sweden
Just got this in:
American Sniper has now been translated into more languages than I knew existed.
Just kidding. Glad to see the book is still intriguing readers around the world. (I think it's now available in roughly thirty languages.) And the movie edition is still on the best-seller charts here.
Thank you!
Just got this in:
American Sniper has now been translated into more languages than I knew existed.
Just kidding. Glad to see the book is still intriguing readers around the world. (I think it's now available in roughly thirty languages.) And the movie edition is still on the best-seller charts here.
Thank you!
Turkey & the Kurds
Just to prove exactly how tangled the Middle East knots are, Turkey today bombed ISIS's most effective enemy - a day after effectively upping its own campaign against ISIS.
That would be the Kurds, btw.
Is this any way to run a war? Only if you're the Turkish leader, apparently.
The Turks don't want their own Kurds to break away from their southeastern border area. But they have much bigger problems, both internally and with ISIS.
Washington Post story.
Just to prove exactly how tangled the Middle East knots are, Turkey today bombed ISIS's most effective enemy - a day after effectively upping its own campaign against ISIS.
That would be the Kurds, btw.
Is this any way to run a war? Only if you're the Turkish leader, apparently.
The Turks don't want their own Kurds to break away from their southeastern border area. But they have much bigger problems, both internally and with ISIS.
Washington Post story.
F-35 4; Su-35 0
A few weeks ago, a report circulated detailing one pilot's impression that the F-35 is a lousy close-in dog fighter. One of the websites that quoted from that report, War is Boring, just published aretraction "further thoughts" article.
Basically, the author uses a computer simulation to defeat four advanced Russian fighters at long range - which actually is what the F-35 is designed to do (as opposed to getting into a dogfight where cannons would be used).
Story is here. I'm not a big F-35 booster, but this is much more even-handed than much of the earlier reporting.
A few weeks ago, a report circulated detailing one pilot's impression that the F-35 is a lousy close-in dog fighter. One of the websites that quoted from that report, War is Boring, just published a
Basically, the author uses a computer simulation to defeat four advanced Russian fighters at long range - which actually is what the F-35 is designed to do (as opposed to getting into a dogfight where cannons would be used).
Story is here. I'm not a big F-35 booster, but this is much more even-handed than much of the earlier reporting.
 |
| The F-35B, a Harrier replacement. |
Iran deal
Here are the key timelines I'm interested in:
1) Finalization of an effective "Star Wars" anti-missile technology that will prevent Iran (and anyone else) from launching a ballistic missile nuclear attack and
2) Development of a workable plan (and deep-penetrating warheads) to render Iran's underground nuclear facilities unusable forever.
Once 1 & 2 are met, you can sign any deal you want.
Here are the key timelines I'm interested in:
1) Finalization of an effective "Star Wars" anti-missile technology that will prevent Iran (and anyone else) from launching a ballistic missile nuclear attack and
2) Development of a workable plan (and deep-penetrating warheads) to render Iran's underground nuclear facilities unusable forever.
Once 1 & 2 are met, you can sign any deal you want.
A gift of time
Item:
What will you do with your extra second?
Item:
Time will stand still for one second this evening (June 30) as a "leap second" is added to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the time standard by which most clocks are regulated. The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS), which keeps track of time for the world, has decided that the extra second is needed to deal with Earth's irregular but gradually slowing rotation.Article.
What will you do with your extra second?
Long live the A-10
Item:
(And a plug: Hogs website with links to the series.)
Item:
The long-range plans of the Air Force and the Pentagon to retire the A-10 Thunderbolt took another hit Thursday from a non-partisan government report questioning Air Force projections on the savings from mothballing the fleet.
The Air Force estimate of $4.2 billion in savings over five years was unreliable and "may overstate or -understate the actual figure," the Government Accountability Office said in a preliminary report to Congress on the decision to retire the fleet.Story.
(And a plug: Hogs website with links to the series.)
What to do about Iran
Item in today's NY Times:
Story. Letter.
Gee, no kidding. Iran wants to build a nuclear bomb, and will build a nuclear bomb, no matter what. Any other conclusion is naive and ridiculous.
At this point, the best bad solution is to a) continue sanctions and b) destroy Iran's capability to deliver the weapons - in other words, destroy their missile projects, which is much easier than hitting the nuclear facilities, and their air force (ditto).
Make no mistake, the likely outcome of that is an accelerated program to develop the bomb. But that's going to happen anyway. And a ferocious enough attack might - emphasis on might - make Iran more willing to be serious in future negotiations.
Though I wouldn't bet on that.
An agreement that truly freezes the program would be better - you need time not so much for a regime change, but for improvements in anti-missile defenses - but that is not happening. And has never really been happening.
The next question will be what to do about Saudi Arabia's bomb, an even more difficult problem to address.
Item in today's NY Times:
Five former members of president Obama’s inner circle of Iran advisers have written an open letter expressing concern that a pending accord to stem Iran’s nuclear program may fall short of meeting the administration’s own standard of a ‘good’ agreement” and laying out a series of minimum requirements that Iran must agree to in coming days for them to support a final deal.
Story. Letter.
Gee, no kidding. Iran wants to build a nuclear bomb, and will build a nuclear bomb, no matter what. Any other conclusion is naive and ridiculous.
At this point, the best bad solution is to a) continue sanctions and b) destroy Iran's capability to deliver the weapons - in other words, destroy their missile projects, which is much easier than hitting the nuclear facilities, and their air force (ditto).
Make no mistake, the likely outcome of that is an accelerated program to develop the bomb. But that's going to happen anyway. And a ferocious enough attack might - emphasis on might - make Iran more willing to be serious in future negotiations.
Though I wouldn't bet on that.
An agreement that truly freezes the program would be better - you need time not so much for a regime change, but for improvements in anti-missile defenses - but that is not happening. And has never really been happening.
The next question will be what to do about Saudi Arabia's bomb, an even more difficult problem to address.
Less can be more
I spent last week with Ivan Castro, the Green Beret turned marathoner who, by the way, happens to be blind. In theory we were working on our new book - to be published next year by St. Martin's Press - but I think Ivan's real goal in having me come down was to kick my butt around the gym. He had me doing two-a-days, cardio and weights, and easily putting me to shame on both.
One thing I learned: If you ever get the opportunity to work on a Gravitron, remember that the weights are a counter-balance. In other words, twenty pounds is NOT the easy setting.
(It is a cool machine. Here's an instruction video here.)
I spent last week with Ivan Castro, the Green Beret turned marathoner who, by the way, happens to be blind. In theory we were working on our new book - to be published next year by St. Martin's Press - but I think Ivan's real goal in having me come down was to kick my butt around the gym. He had me doing two-a-days, cardio and weights, and easily putting me to shame on both.
One thing I learned: If you ever get the opportunity to work on a Gravitron, remember that the weights are a counter-balance. In other words, twenty pounds is NOT the easy setting.
(It is a cool machine. Here's an instruction video here.)
Between God & Bill O'Reilly
... on the Bookscan best-seller list:
There's a message in there somewhere.
... on the Bookscan best-seller list:
Rank
|
LW Rank
|
Title
|
Author
|
Publisher
|
Price
|
1
|
1
|
THE LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC OF TID
|
KONDO MARIE
|
RANDOM
|
16.99
|
2
|
2
|
THE WRIGHT BROTHERS
|
MCCULLOUGH DAVID
|
SIMON
|
30.00
|
3
|
3
|
BILL O'REILLY'S LEGENDS AND LI
|
O'REILLY BILL
|
MACMIL
|
32.00
|
4
|
4
|
AND THE GOOD NEWS IS...: LESSO
|
PERINO DANA
|
HACHET
|
26.00
|
5
|
6
|
AMERICAN WIFE: A MEMOIR OF LOV
|
KYLE TAYA
|
HARPER
|
27.99
|
6
|
8
|
THE ROAD TO CHARACTER
|
BROOKS DAVID
|
RANDOM
|
28.00
|
7
|
5
|
STRENGTHS FINDER 2.0: A NEW AN
|
RATH TOM
|
PGW
|
27.95
|
8
|
10
|
THE WHOLE30: THE 30-DAY GUIDE
|
HARTWIG DALLAS
|
HOUGHT
|
30.00
|
9
|
JJ VIRGIN'S SUGAR IMPACT DIET
|
VIRGIN J. J.
|
HACHET
|
28.00
| |
10
|
7
|
JESUS CALLING: ENJOYING PEACE
|
YOUNG SARAH
|
HC CHR
|
15.99
|
World turned upside down
I don't think you could find a more powerful statement about decline than this:
Or to put it another way, you get what you pay for, On the other hand, what did Khrushchev say about the rope they'd hang themselves with?
I don't think you could find a more powerful statement about decline than this:
After Russia annexed Crimea last year, Congress passed legislation that forced the Pentagon to stop buying Russian rocket engines that have been used since 2000 to help launch American military and intelligence satellites into space.Story.
Now, that simple act of punishment is proving difficult to keep in place.
Only five months after the ban became law, the Pentagon is pressing Congress to ease it. It says that additional Russian engines will be needed for at least a few more years in order to assure access to space for the country’s most delicate defense and intelligence technology.
Or to put it another way, you get what you pay for, On the other hand, what did Khrushchev say about the rope they'd hang themselves with?
Millbrook Book Festival
Heading to beautiful Millbrook, NY today to take part in the Millbrook Literary Festival, where I'll sign books and talk about some of my recent efforts, including Taya Kyle's heroic story in American Wife as well as American Sniper and the latest Dreamland. But most of all I'll be there to support my favorite independent bookseller, Scott Myer, who has boosted my career and that of many, many authors, from day one.
More information on the day here.
Heading to beautiful Millbrook, NY today to take part in the Millbrook Literary Festival, where I'll sign books and talk about some of my recent efforts, including Taya Kyle's heroic story in American Wife as well as American Sniper and the latest Dreamland. But most of all I'll be there to support my favorite independent bookseller, Scott Myer, who has boosted my career and that of many, many authors, from day one.
More information on the day here.
Finally, the truth . . .
. . . on ISIS and Iraq. Item:
When has the Iraqi army shown the will to fight? Not under Saddam in both Gulf Wars, not with a lot of American help during the occupation, and not now.
There have been and are exceptions, but for the most part, calling the army an army is like calling salamanders fearsome reptiles. (And yes, I know they're amphibians.)
So now that the truth is out - and recognized at the highest levels of American government - what happens next?
. . . on ISIS and Iraq. Item:
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter said Sunday that Iraqi forces had demonstrated “no will to fight” against the Islamic State, blaming them for a retreat that led to the terrorist group’s victory in capturing the Iraqi city of Ramadi.Story.
When has the Iraqi army shown the will to fight? Not under Saddam in both Gulf Wars, not with a lot of American help during the occupation, and not now.
There have been and are exceptions, but for the most part, calling the army an army is like calling salamanders fearsome reptiles. (And yes, I know they're amphibians.)
So now that the truth is out - and recognized at the highest levels of American government - what happens next?
Pac nostalgia
It's funny the things that become cultural landmarks - Pac Man turns 35 today.
I still remember "discovering" the game at a dumpy diner near Newburgh, N.Y. a millennium ago. It was an absurdly effective if entertaining way to waste time.
More recently, I had the privilege of working with Namco-Bandai (currently Bandai Namco), Pac Man's parent. That work often took me to their Santa Clara studios, where between sessions on Ace Combat we discovered a vintage Pac Man game tucked into a corner of the building. The machine became almost a member of the team; I wouldn't be surprised if it's included in the credits.
To this day, I have nightmares about being chased by angry blobs of eyeball-blinking mush men.
At least I think that's because of the game; it could be an old landlord my subconscious is fixated on.
Wired story:
(Search Pac Man on Google for a playable version of the game.)
It's funny the things that become cultural landmarks - Pac Man turns 35 today.
I still remember "discovering" the game at a dumpy diner near Newburgh, N.Y. a millennium ago. It was an absurdly effective if entertaining way to waste time.
More recently, I had the privilege of working with Namco-Bandai (currently Bandai Namco), Pac Man's parent. That work often took me to their Santa Clara studios, where between sessions on Ace Combat we discovered a vintage Pac Man game tucked into a corner of the building. The machine became almost a member of the team; I wouldn't be surprised if it's included in the credits.
To this day, I have nightmares about being chased by angry blobs of eyeball-blinking mush men.
At least I think that's because of the game; it could be an old landlord my subconscious is fixated on.
Wired story:
Pac-Man, the biggest arcade game of all time, turns 35 today. Here’s a look back at the era when Pac-Manfever ruled the world.
Released by the Japanese company Namco on May 22, 1980, Pac-Man was like nothing else at the time. At a time when Space Invaders and Asteroids and other games with abstracted, monochrome graphics ruled the arcade, Pac-Man offered a colorful cartoonish design with an appealing central character. It revolved around eating, not shooting; and it was designed to appeal to young women and couples, not dudes in sketchy bowling-alley bars (although they all played it too).Rest of the story here.
(Search Pac Man on Google for a playable version of the game.)
Reality follows fiction . . .
Item:
Sounds a lot like the plot of Red Dragon Rising, though I have to admit I hadn't thought of filling in atolls with concrete to create islands . . . maybe if we do more.
Item:
BEIJING — The Chinese navy repeatedly warned a U.S. surveillance plane to leave airspace around disputed islands in the South China Sea, a sign that Beijing may seek to create a military exclusion zone in a move that could heighten regional tensions.
The warnings, delivered eight times to a P-8A Poseidon over the Spratly Islands on Wednesday, were reported by a CNN team aboard the plane.Story.
Sounds a lot like the plot of Red Dragon Rising, though I have to admit I hadn't thought of filling in atolls with concrete to create islands . . . maybe if we do more.
Ramadi
The capture of Ramadi in Iraq by ISIS not only demonstrated
the utter incompetence of the Iraqi government and its laughable army, but is a
sad and tragic footnote to the story promulgated during the American occupation
about the great peaceful awakening of the local Iraqi tribes.
The story, featured in books and new articles, claimed that
peace had come to Ramadi mostly because of the cooperation of local tribes, who
got together and kicked the bad guys out of town. Nearly all of those stories emphasized
the supposed actions of local Iraqis, seeing their “cooperation” as signs of a
new way for Iraq.
That was bullshit. Most of them were as inept then as they
are now.
Peace came to the city because U.S. forces killed so many of
the insurgents that they were too decimated to mount effective attacks; that
was far, far more important than anything the local tribal leaders did. The
corruption and general ineptness that had existed before America’s actions in
Ramadi remained, just as they remain to this day.
When the war started, many people suggested that Iraq would
be best off as three separate countries, one dominated by Shia in the south and
east, one by Sunni in the west, and one by Kurds in the north. The U.S.
insisted on keeping the country together as one. That hasn’t worked, and we now
have the worst version of the separation: an Iranian-dominated Shia province, a
terrorist-dominated Sunni west, and an uneasy and besieged Kurdish north.
The ineptness of the Iraqi government and its so-called Army
make ISIS look as if it’s a powerhouse. It’s not. But in the calculus of Iraq –
and the Middle East – brute force and violence is a lot more important than
sharing tea around a campfire. Not admitting that makes you cannon fodder, and
worse.
The nuclear Middle East
Saudi Arabia today declared that they will match Iran's nuclear capability - whatever that may be.
It's not exactly a surprise, especially in the context of both Iran's clear intentions to dominate the region and what amounts to an ongoing civil war between the major branches of Islam.
(A NY Times story on the latest developments here.)
The immediate practical effects of the declaration are highly debatable, given the difficulties involved in ramping up a program and the fact that Saudi Arabia is widely believed to already have a deal with Pakistan to "borrow" some of its nukes in the time of a crisis. But it's not a good day for anyone who opposes nuclear proliferation.
Logically, the possibility of a nuclear-armed Saudi Arabia might be the best incentive Iran would have to forgo its own weapons development. But logic rarely seems to prevail in the world, least of all in the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia today declared that they will match Iran's nuclear capability - whatever that may be.
It's not exactly a surprise, especially in the context of both Iran's clear intentions to dominate the region and what amounts to an ongoing civil war between the major branches of Islam.
(A NY Times story on the latest developments here.)
The immediate practical effects of the declaration are highly debatable, given the difficulties involved in ramping up a program and the fact that Saudi Arabia is widely believed to already have a deal with Pakistan to "borrow" some of its nukes in the time of a crisis. But it's not a good day for anyone who opposes nuclear proliferation.
Logically, the possibility of a nuclear-armed Saudi Arabia might be the best incentive Iran would have to forgo its own weapons development. But logic rarely seems to prevail in the world, least of all in the Middle East.
You snooze, you lose . . .
. . . your life, in North Korea.
Item:
Admit it, though - how many times have you wished you could do this yourself? Especially when it was the person who called the meeting who's snoring?
. . . your life, in North Korea.
Item:
TOKYO — North Korea’s equivalent of a defense minister has been executed by antiaircraft gun for insubordination and treason — including for sleeping during a meeting in which Kim Jong Un was speaking, South Korea’s intelligence agency said Wednesday.Story.
Admit it, though - how many times have you wished you could do this yourself? Especially when it was the person who called the meeting who's snoring?
Dentistry
Me: I need an appointment. I chipped a tooth. [Two, actually.]
Receptionist: Does it just need to be filed down, or filled?
Me: If I knew that, I could probably do it myself, no?
Receptionist: Well . . .
Me: I do have some sandpaper here. Which grit should I use?
Receptionist: Let me get you an appointment.
Me: I need an appointment. I chipped a tooth. [Two, actually.]
Receptionist: Does it just need to be filed down, or filled?
Me: If I knew that, I could probably do it myself, no?
Receptionist: Well . . .
Me: I do have some sandpaper here. Which grit should I use?
Receptionist: Let me get you an appointment.
A great launch
The response to American Wife, which "launched" last week, has been overwhelming. It's an emotional story, one of tragedy but also hope. It's amazing how many people are connecting with the book, and with Taya.
For me, the most telling moment came last Monday while I was backstage at the View, standing with Whoopie Goldberg as Taya was interviewed on camera. Tears were streaming from Ms. Goldberg's eyes. You can't get a better endorsement than that.
The response to American Wife, which "launched" last week, has been overwhelming. It's an emotional story, one of tragedy but also hope. It's amazing how many people are connecting with the book, and with Taya.
For me, the most telling moment came last Monday while I was backstage at the View, standing with Whoopie Goldberg as Taya was interviewed on camera. Tears were streaming from Ms. Goldberg's eyes. You can't get a better endorsement than that.
RIP, Chris Farlekas
I’ve struggled all day to come up with the right words to sum up the life of our friend, Chris Farlekas, who passed away this morning at the age of 86.
I can’t.
I met Chris when he was a reporter on the local newspaper. This was many years ago, but he was already a legend. He seemed to know just about everyone in the three counties the newspaper covered. More importantly, he knew every organization and every event that was being held to raise money or help someone, be it a veteran or a kid in need of a scholarship to attend college. He wrote about them all, always in the most positive way. To say that Chris was deeply involved in the community is like saying the heart pumps blood. Literally thousands of people had their lives enriched by him. People were important to him, and he made sure they knew it.
What made him that way? His small-town roots? His service in the Army? His time as a combat medic? His reporting in Vietnam? His years as a journalist, first in hard news and then, much longer, as a feature reporter?
I’m sure it was all of those, and much more. I do believe that he was born with a great heart, and went on from there.
There won’t be a monument to him, or a movie, and while I wouldn’t be surprised if his name is memorialized in a field or a hospital wing somewhere, it will never really be familiar to the masses. But it will live on in every life he touched. He was not a wealthy man by any means, but he lived such a rich life that it’s impossible to be sad when I think about him. I can only smile, even as it hurts to think of him gone.
(Here is a link to a story on him, in the paper he worked at for over forty years.)
I’ve struggled all day to come up with the right words to sum up the life of our friend, Chris Farlekas, who passed away this morning at the age of 86.
I can’t.
I met Chris when he was a reporter on the local newspaper. This was many years ago, but he was already a legend. He seemed to know just about everyone in the three counties the newspaper covered. More importantly, he knew every organization and every event that was being held to raise money or help someone, be it a veteran or a kid in need of a scholarship to attend college. He wrote about them all, always in the most positive way. To say that Chris was deeply involved in the community is like saying the heart pumps blood. Literally thousands of people had their lives enriched by him. People were important to him, and he made sure they knew it.
What made him that way? His small-town roots? His service in the Army? His time as a combat medic? His reporting in Vietnam? His years as a journalist, first in hard news and then, much longer, as a feature reporter?
I’m sure it was all of those, and much more. I do believe that he was born with a great heart, and went on from there.
There won’t be a monument to him, or a movie, and while I wouldn’t be surprised if his name is memorialized in a field or a hospital wing somewhere, it will never really be familiar to the masses. But it will live on in every life he touched. He was not a wealthy man by any means, but he lived such a rich life that it’s impossible to be sad when I think about him. I can only smile, even as it hurts to think of him gone.
(Here is a link to a story on him, in the paper he worked at for over forty years.)
Jersey boy . . .
Visiting Ridgewood in New Jersey with Taya Kyle Monday. We'll be at the Y in Ridgewood at 7 p.m. - more info here. (You almost certainly will need advance tickets; the number to call is 201-445-0726.)
Visiting Ridgewood in New Jersey with Taya Kyle Monday. We'll be at the Y in Ridgewood at 7 p.m. - more info here. (You almost certainly will need advance tickets; the number to call is 201-445-0726.)
American Wife
Publishers Weekly had some questions:
Interview.
Publishers Weekly had some questions:
Did you learn anything in cowriting this new book that shed light on American Sniper?Taya had been such an integral part of American Sniper that this book really just felt like an extension of that. Of course, I was there for some of what we write about. But what has always amazed me was the depth of love that Chris and Taya felt toward each other, and how they both fought so hard to keep that love alive. I still remember the first time they talked with me about their marriage, tears rolling down their eyes. And I remember watching them walk out of the airport the first time they landed in New York, before they spotted me – you could see the unconscious understanding between them, comfort and assurance in each stride.
Interview.
Not for Russia . . .
. . . but how about Japan?
Story.
. . . but how about Japan?
France is set to pay Russia $1.2 billion to settle the lingering dispute over two amphibious warships in a deal that went sour over the ongoing conflict in the Ukraine, according to French and Russian media reports.
Story.
Fiction or prediction?
Item:
Story.
Shades of:
Actually, our plot was better thought-out . . .
Item:
Italian security forces were rounding up 18 Islamic extremists Friday who prosecutors said were behind a failed 2010 plot to attack the Vatican as well as a bombing at a Pakistan market that killed more than 100 a year earlier.
Story.
Shades of:
Actually, our plot was better thought-out . . .
Flying hazards
Item:
I can totally symapthize. I've wrestled with many a killer cup of caffeine myself.
Item:
WARSAW — the nearly disastrous plunge of the Serbian president’s plane Friday was the fault of the co-pilot, who spilled coffee in the cockpit and accidentally activated an emergency switch, the Serbian Civil Aviation Directorate said in a report published Tuesday.Story.
Initially, Serbian officials said that the aircraft, carrying President Tomislave Nikolic and nine others to a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican, had been sent into a plunge over the Adriatic Sea after one of its three engines failed at an altitude of about 33,000 feet.
But an investigation by the Civil Aviation Directorate found that the dive occurred after the co-pilot, Bojan Zoric, “spilled coffee on the instrument panel” and “accidentally activated the emergency slot extension” as he was trying to clean it up.
I can totally symapthize. I've wrestled with many a killer cup of caffeine myself.
The Bulge
Had a great time yesterday with veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, who treated me to lunch. They thought I was coming to talk to them, but the reality was that I was there to hear them.
Among the many things I learned: Never volunteer to ride a motorcycle off a landing craft.
Quite a few Omar Bradley fans in the group, which was heartening. I remain in awe of their courage and humility.
Had a great time yesterday with veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, who treated me to lunch. They thought I was coming to talk to them, but the reality was that I was there to hear them.
Among the many things I learned: Never volunteer to ride a motorcycle off a landing craft.
Quite a few Omar Bradley fans in the group, which was heartening. I remain in awe of their courage and humility.
Helping literacy
What I'm doing today:
More information here: http://eveningpostevents.com/book-and-author/
What I'm doing today:
The Post and Courier Book & Author Luncheon is the largest and most prominent Book & Author event in the Southeastern United States, providing literary entertainment. Each year the luncheons are highly anticipated and guaranteed sell-outs. Join us for lunch, inspiration and literary delight at the 2015 Spring Book & Author luncheon.
More information here: http://eveningpostevents.com/book-and-author/
(The paper did a generous piece on me a few days ago.)
Chinese sand castles . . .
. . . islands, actually - China's latest strategy in the South China Sea involves creating islands where once there were reefs, then claiming them as her own.
Those aren't blurs in the photo on the right; it's what a reef looks like from outer space when it's being filled in.
NY Times story.
. . . islands, actually - China's latest strategy in the South China Sea involves creating islands where once there were reefs, then claiming them as her own.
Those aren't blurs in the photo on the right; it's what a reef looks like from outer space when it's being filled in.
NY Times story.
Ignorance is glib
Ever since American Sniper was first published, people have come out of the woodwork to use it to push their own agendas and garner their own fifteen seconds of fame. The latest are a tiny group of University of Michigan students who protested the movie's showing on campus, claiming all manner of things that don't happen in the movie. (One story on the controversy is here.)
But why should we expect college students to act any differently than others out to promote themselves rather than truly understand the world?
It's more productive to reason with a two-year-old throwing a tantrum in the supermarket candy aisle than reason with most of the people who see Sniper as their ticket to imagined power or at least publicity. I would, however, suggest that people who want to protest war actually take the time to study what they are protesting. If they want to change minds, they have to make arguments that cannot be easily dismissed or scoffed at.
But then again, that assumes they are genuinely interested in the issue, as opposed to their own self-aggrandizement.
.JPG)
Yankee fans . . .
. . . are all over the map. Literally, as illustrated by Facebook's annual portrait of who roots where.
All you really need to know:
. . . are all over the map. Literally, as illustrated by Facebook's annual portrait of who roots where.
All you really need to know:
- [the] Yankees are the most-liked team by county overall, and have a plurality of fans in at least one county in 24 states.
Facebook article and map.
The word is murder . . .
. . . not suicide.
Item:
Story.
The spin toward sympathy is astounding. Face it, the guy was a mass murderer. Evil is the only word that truly describes him.
. . . not suicide.
Item:
A woman identifying herself as the ex-girlfriend of the man accused of crashing Germanwings Flight 9525 into the French Alps told Germany's leading tabloid that he said one day he would "do something" and then "everyone will know my name."
Story.
The spin toward sympathy is astounding. Face it, the guy was a mass murderer. Evil is the only word that truly describes him.
Man the shields, Scotty
Here's a story that's getting a lot of play in certain quarters - and generating the requisite Star Wars headlines:
Story.
Force fields, lasers, rail guns . . . it gets harder and harder to make this stuff up.
Here's a story that's getting a lot of play in certain quarters - and generating the requisite Star Wars headlines:
Boeing just patented a force field. Technically, the patent is for a “method and system for shockwave attenuation via electromagnetic arc,” but that’s just a long way of writing out something unbelievably futuristic: protective force fields . . . The device as patented only protects against the shockwave of an explosion, but most of the vehicles it’d be mounted on are already armored enough to protect people inside from the shrapnel that comes with a bomb blast.
The concept uses a sensor to detect an explosion in water or air--say, an IED on the side of the road--then estimates the time and location of the explosion. Next, the signal from the sensor triggers a laser (or a blast of electricity or microwave energy) that heats up a section of air or water, creating a plasma shield in between the explosion and the vehicle. The plasma's temperature and density help deflect and absorb the shockwaves from the explosion.
Story.
Force fields, lasers, rail guns . . . it gets harder and harder to make this stuff up.
Unsung heroes
I had the honor last week of addressing a group of
professionals who work for the American intelligence community at an awards
ceremony. Over a dozen agencies were represented, including a few even I'd never heard of.
It was an interesting experience – their work is so secret I had to
leave before the awards were given out, and my tour of the “not quite so secret”
areas of the facility consisted of a walk down two hallways.
They were fascinating hallways.
Too often these days, government employees are mindlessly
criticized for any number of bogus issues. I was glad to have even a tiny role
in thanking them for the job they do for all of us, especially in this case, as
their work helps keep me and my family safe.
And yours as well.
Fact follows fiction . . .
. . . and vice versa.
From the NY Times:
The true story is chilling . . . and not a little reminiscent of the story I wrote in Deep Black: Jihad several years ago.
Scary.
. . . and vice versa.
From the NY Times:
MINNEAPOLIS — Reading back over Abdi Nur’s Twitter feed, his
chilling progression from the basketball courts of South Minneapolis to the
battlefields of Syria is clear.
Early
last year, he began posting stern religious pronouncements and snippets of
scripture. By April 2, a day after turning 20, he hailed Islamic fighters: “If
the sky would be proud of the existence of the stars, the land should be proud
of the existence of the Mujahideen.”
Story.The true story is chilling . . . and not a little reminiscent of the story I wrote in Deep Black: Jihad several years ago.
Scary.
Programming problems . . .
. . . become narrative solutions. AKA, video games are a collaborative art.
. . . become narrative solutions. AKA, video games are a collaborative art.
Here’s a story-telling problem you only encounter in games –
Producer: We need to move this episode earlier.
Me: Why?
Producer: We need three and a half minutes to load [the next
level segment] and this shuffle is the only way to do it.
Me: Sounds like a programming problem.
Producer: Not any more.
Understanding PTS
Item:
A physical link to PTS would be an immense breakthrough, though not a guarantee of a cure. Story.
Item:
"By comparing US Marines who develop PTSD symptoms to those who do not, we can measure differences in genes, but also take into consideration the dynamic relationships between and among them, their connectivity," said senior author Michael S. Breen, of the University of Southampton in the UK.
"Because PTSD is thought to be such a complex disorder," he added, "measuring these dynamic relationships is crucial to better understanding the PTSD pathology."
In their analysis, researchers identified both innate immune system and interferon signaling gene groups before and following the development of PTSD in the participants, causing them to question what triggers interferon signaling prior to PTSD.
"The answer could be any number of factors," said principal investigator Dr. Dewleen G. Baker, of the Veteran Affairs San Diego Healthcare System and the University of California-San Diego, "ranging from a simple explanation of increased anticipatory stress prior to deployment or more complex scenarios where individuals may have a higher viral load. It's a question for future studies."
A physical link to PTS would be an immense breakthrough, though not a guarantee of a cure. Story.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
