. . . for the next few weeks . . .
On D-Day and beyond
This week we remember and honor the soldiers who fought in
Normandy, landing in what will forever be known as D-Day, June 6, 1944. It’s
been called the Longest Day, and certainly if you were on the beach, had a
relative or friend there, or were responsible for someone who was, it was all
that and more.
D Day was a great victory, establishing an Allied presence
in northern France. Today as we look back, it may seem as if it were a preordained
victory, but in fact it was anything but. Nor, it should be pointed out, did the
successful landings and securing of the beachheads make ultimate victory a sure
thing. The original assault plan, with the British leading a spearhead east,
failed, and until the Cobra breakout weeks after the landings, the entire
enterprise surely must have seemed in doubt. Even after the breakout, the
original plan for kicking the Germans out of France was drastically revised –
which while it led to Patton’s charge across the country that summer, made for
some other difficulties along the way.
The point is, when we look back at historical moments, they
often seem to be not only triumphant but obvious. Real life is never that way.
Lost Airman
Very sorry to hear of the death of pilot Bill Gordon in a tragic crash of a Thunderbolt on the Hudson the other day.
Here are some stories that tell a little bit about who he was:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/29/nyregion/pilot-in-deadly-hudson-river-crash-is-remembered-as-a-careful-and-dedicated-flier.html
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/news/2016/05/28/former-chief-pilot-rhinebeck-aerodrome-dead-nyc-plane-crash/85083810/
Very sorry to hear of the death of pilot Bill Gordon in a tragic crash of a Thunderbolt on the Hudson the other day.
Here are some stories that tell a little bit about who he was:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/29/nyregion/pilot-in-deadly-hudson-river-crash-is-remembered-as-a-careful-and-dedicated-flier.html
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/news/2016/05/28/former-chief-pilot-rhinebeck-aerodrome-dead-nyc-plane-crash/85083810/
Addendum:
To the earlier post . . .
To the earlier post . . .
Someone in the bowels of the bureaucracy loses some paper
(not like that’s ever happened before) and someone else on an obscure website
wants to get some attention…. So I end up spending the day trying to be ultra-logical,
ridiculously polite, and absurdly fair in a world of shouters and cranks run
amok.
Believe what you want to believe, but we printed the truth,
and no amount of hate or other bs can diminish Chris’s achievements or
character.
Chris Kyle’s Medals
When we published American Sniper, we relied on a
variety of documents and other people’s memories as well as Chris’s.
The mention in the book of Chris’s awards, specifically two
silver stars and five bronze stars with valor, is based on Chris’s memory and
his DD214, the official, legal, and accepted document of his military service
prepared from the Navy’s own records. I have a copy of the original document;
it agrees with the one the Navy has made available and is public.
At some point soon after the book was published, a reporter
pointed out that there appeared to be a discrepancy between the military’s
centralized awards records and Chris’s personnel records regarding the number
of medals he had been awarded. This was the first I heard of it. Neither Chris
nor I could determine why there was a discrepancy. At this point, I don’t
recall any specifics, whether there were any classified actions, record-keeping
procedures, or anything else involved as a possible explanation. So much else
happened in that time period and since that quite candidly I’d forgotten all
about it until the recent report.
Had the discrepancy been pointed out to me prior to
publication, I certainly would have mentioned it in the book. I’m sure Chris –
who honestly could have cared less about the medals, as opposed to the lives
they represented – would have agreed.
I have not seen the Navy’s medal records and don’t know how
they are collected, so I can’t speak to any aspect regarding them. I do know
that falsifying the DD214 would be an extremely serious matter, would have involved
someone other than Chris, and would have been frankly pointless – I’m not sure
anyone would really care how many medals of what variety someone was awarded
beyond the first. While he was proud of his military service, Chris did not
consider his personal medal count historical or even particularly noteworthy, especially for a Navy SEAL involved
in the volume of action he saw. He never bragged about the medals in my
presence, or even brought it up.
In any event, I can honestly say that Chris certainly
believed what we put in the book matched his memory as well the documents. His
word would carry more weight with me than any piece of paper, whether it exists
or not.
-
Real Dialogue:
[Long, convoluted and wandering prologue, which has nothing to do with reality or anything that follows, but for reasons unknown takes us to the following non sequitur...]
[Long, convoluted and wandering prologue, which has nothing to do with reality or anything that follows, but for reasons unknown takes us to the following non sequitur...]
Doc: You know, Lyme disease is related to syphilis.
Me: This is why I don't go out drinking with guys who are doctors.
Our friends (cough-cough) . . .
. . . in Pakistan. Item:
Politco summary of story.
. . . in Pakistan. Item:
“Two months after Osama bin Laden was killed, the CIA’s top operative in Pakistan was pulled out of the country in an abrupt move vaguely attributed to health concerns and his strained relationship with Islamabad. In reality, the CIA station chief was so violently ill that he was often doubled over in pain, current and former U.S. officials said. Trips out of the country for treatment proved futile. And the cause of his ailment was so mysterious, the officials said, that both he and the agency began to suspect that he had been poisoned.
Politco summary of story.
The (very) versatile F-16 . . .
Fighter, bomber - and life-saving high-speed cargo plane?
Item:
Story.
Fighter, bomber - and life-saving high-speed cargo plane?
Item:
A Norwegian fighter jet saved a dying man’s life by whisking medical equipment 300 miles to the country’s remote central coast in just 25 minutes.
Story.
SBMs for North Korea?
Item:
Article.
Does someone have to be burned before we take the matches away from the psychopath? I guess so.
Item:
North Korea on Saturday fired what appeared to be a ballistic missile from a submarine off its northeast coast, South Korean defense officials said, Pyongyang's latest effort to expand its military might in the face of pressure by its neighbors and Washington.
Article.
Does someone have to be burned before we take the matches away from the psychopath? I guess so.
More on baseball science
Fivethirtyeight continues its excellent analysis of the new tools to analyze baseball -
Fivethirtyeight continues its excellent analysis of the new tools to analyze baseball -
Statcast’s new metrics have enormous potential to change our understanding of baseball, telling us not only what happened, but also howit happened. On the other hand, they’re largely unfamiliar to fans used to thinking in terms of old-school metrics. So today, I’m going to dive into two of Statcast’s new statistics — launch angle and exit velocity, both of which long existed only in the dreams of sabermetricians — and explore what they can tell us about hitters.The article.
Library shout-out
In honor of National Library Week, some applause for my local library, declared the best in the country:
Applause, too, for some military libraries that have aided me greatly in my work and supported me as an author by distributing my books and even hosting me as a speaker - West Point, Carlisle Military College, Barr Memorial Library at Fort Knox.
Thank you, all.
In honor of National Library Week, some applause for my local library, declared the best in the country:
Applause, too, for some military libraries that have aided me greatly in my work and supported me as an author by distributing my books and even hosting me as a speaker - West Point, Carlisle Military College, Barr Memorial Library at Fort Knox.
Thank you, all.
Libraries
When American Sniper was chosen as the "big read" a few weeks back, the publisher asked me to write something about what I did on my summer vacation. Instead, I wrote about libraries and what they mean to me.
Here's an excerpt:
When American Sniper was chosen as the "big read" a few weeks back, the publisher asked me to write something about what I did on my summer vacation. Instead, I wrote about libraries and what they mean to me.
Here's an excerpt:
The best-selling book in America for two out of four years,
translations into languages I didn’t even know existed, the basis for a
mega-selling, critically acclaimed movie starring one of the country’s hottest
and best actors – what has happened to American Sniper is something authors
don’t even dream about. Since its publication in January 2012, Sniper
has become an international phenomenon, cresting plateau after plateau. And
while I for one give all the credit to Chris Kyle, whose life and voice it
celebrates, I would be less than honest if I said that I didn’t relish its
success.
And yet, for all the best-seller lists, the media attention,
the fancy parties and celebratory bourbon, no honor can compare to what I feel
when I see the book on a library shelf. There is something both flattering and
deeply humbling in that moment, rivaled only by catching a glimpse of a patron
in a nearby chair reading it. It says that your work is important to the larger
community, something worth a person’s time, either as entertainment, education,
or a bit of both.
And it comes from an institution that changed my life. As a
child of a blue collar family, it was the library where I found the habit – and
joy - of reading, almost by osmosis. Many of my interests today can be traced
to the crowded stacks I wandered through on Saturday afternoons (ducking
confession at St. Mary’s church, but that’s another story). I still remember
the look on the town librarian’s face when I went to check out Operation Barbarossa, at the time a recently
acquired volume detailing Germany’s invasion of Russia in World War II: She
peered down at me from behind the circulation desk, frowned and said something
along the lines of “Really?”
I think she was referring to my age – I must have been in sixth
grade – but in the end I got the book and read it, and have been hooked on
history ever since. Today, I still find ideas and sparks roaming the stacks;
it’s like a vacation in an unfamiliar city, or a return to a place only vaguely
remembered. Each book is potentially a new adventure, a new way of looking at
the world, a new kick in the rear to get you working.
Libraries have played a role in practically every book I’ve
ever written, and Sniper was no exception. When I had to understand the course of
particular battles in the war and put Chris’s ground-eye view into perspective,
I turned to my local library for help. The miracle of inter-library loan
brought a flood of information, allowing me to reach far beyond its walls. Not
only books but archives opened for me, as they did many times in the past, and
since. And this was not because I was a “famous” author; rather, I wielded
something far more powerful than my reputation: a library card.
Actually, in my case it is a small piece of plastic with a
bar code on a keychain, but its power is overwhelming. It has taken me to some
of the best libraries in the world, as well as some of the smallest and
dustiest. Each time it has unlocked stashes of data and a treasure trove of
surprises. As valuable as the Internet and search engines are, they retrieve
the known; libraries bring the mysteries that make the known worth knowing.
Libraries have come very far since I first started wandering
through their stacks. While they have always been more than just a repository
of books, today they play a critical role as centers of our communities,
hosting activities for everyone from toddlers to octogenarians. My own
small-town library is model of this, having been recently named as the
best community library in America – thanks in no small part to the energy and
devotion of its director, staff, and board of trustees. Its collection is, as
libraries go, may be relatively small, but it is incredibly diverse, including
a wide variety of media, and backed by holdings in libraries across the
regional system and beyond. Its programs for children, for adults, for
teenagers, are even more expansive. It’s no mystery why the parking lot is
always full – and why there’s a long list of readers waiting for one of their
copies of American Sniper as well as many other books.
Given our times, I’m sure there are a variety of metrics to
measure the value of individual libraries and their effectiveness in general.
I’m not really a numbers guy, but for my money, the measure of a library’s
worth comes in the sublime excitement of a new idea, in the recognition that
someone else’s experience can inspire your own. It comes in the smiles of
children at story hour, in the knitted brow of a non-English speaker trying to
keep up with his literacy tutor, and in the encouraging look from the librarian
when a boy or girl checks out an unexpected book. You can’t put those things
into numbers, but you can feel their heat.
Thank you for putting American Sniper on your shelves;
thank you for encouraging people to read it. More importantly, thank you for
being such a vital part of my community, and of communities throughout the
country, from New York to Texas, from Florida to Washington state. I know I
speak for everyone who comes through your doors and electronic portals, when I
say that we appreciate what you do for us more than you know.
Playing ball . . .
. . . and measuring it as well.
I'm not a stat head by any means, but there's no denying that sabermetrics has enriched baseball over the past several decades.
Fivethirtyeight published a good overview of the way the science of baseball is continuing to change; the implications go far beyond the sport.
Here's an excerpt; if you're interested in baseball, or even human performance metrics or science, check out the entire article:
. . . and measuring it as well.
I'm not a stat head by any means, but there's no denying that sabermetrics has enriched baseball over the past several decades.
Fivethirtyeight published a good overview of the way the science of baseball is continuing to change; the implications go far beyond the sport.
Here's an excerpt; if you're interested in baseball, or even human performance metrics or science, check out the entire article:
What many of these new data sources have in common is an emphasis on process. Outcomes — strikes, walks, home runs and so forth — are already well-tracked and have been scrutinized by sabermetricians for decades. But the new generation of data will allow analysts to understand how those outcomes are generated, perhaps even down to the level of a player’s brain activity. Some of this process-oriented data challenges cherished analytics theories like DIPS; some of it confirms the utility of sabermetric dogma like shifting. And some of it will probably advance our understanding of baseball in ways we can’t yet predict.
VR’s moment
VR – Virtual Reality – is having its “moment” right now,
thanks to the various launches of new hardware like Oculus Rift and similar
systems. The attention is well-deserved – VR experiences, even at this early
stage in its development, are mind-blowing.
Over the past year, I've been privileged to be given the opportunity to preview a
number of the systems, and while I agree with what many critics say about the
hardware not yet being perfected, the big breakthrough that will take VR
mainstream (and beyond) will come in software.
By software, I’m not talking about the coding, though
obviously that’s evolving. We don’t really know what the VR experience can be.
It’s an art form whose artists haven’t yet arrived. Think movies around the
time of Edison and the Great Train Robbery. Think Pong in the game world. The
dreamers are still learning to dream.
What’s available now, and what will be available over the
next year or so, will be mostly “ports” – in some cases literally – from two-dimensional
media, be it games, video, or news stories (the NY Times began experimenting
with the form late last year). Most of these are very cool, but they’re not really
using the medium yet. Technical limitations aside, playing a first-person
shooter is still basically the same as playing it on a screen.
I’m very excited about the medium; it has vast potential.
But I expect that in the near term the common reaction will be one akin to a
let-down as the hype wears off. The cost of gear will go down, the technology
will vastly improve, and then suddenly the first great VR experience will come
out of left field as some Matisse or maybe Edison manages to think about the
possibilities in a way no one else saw coming.
Addendum - On the attacks in Belgium:
At times like this, I think of a quote from Code Name:
Johnny Walker, at the point when Johnny decided he must become an American:
I didn’t always think this way. Maybe like most people – I hope most people think this way – I thought at one time that the world was basically good. I believed, and still believe, that we can all live together in peace, and by working together make our communities and the world a better place. I believe, I know, that it is better to make and to build than to tear down and destroy.
I thought all people around me believed that too.
Little by little, I saw this wasn’t true. Destroying is so much easier than building.
Like Johnny, we must
persevere.
Brussels
Beyond offering sympathy and condolences, it’s difficult to
comment on the Brussels attack without seeming unduly harsh and/or inappropriate.
We’ve seen this, and we’ll see it again. This is a long-term
fight that must be waged with great vigor and unceasing energy and, yes,
violence.
It’s also a fight that is beyond petty politics – a statement
that is both obvious and naïve at the same time.
Like all good men and women across the world, I stand today
with the citizens of Brussels and Belgium.
Fiction becomes reality
You may remember this:
Now there is this:
NY Times story.
You may remember this:
Now there is this:
After an extensive inquiry, American investigators concluded that the attack in Ukraine on Dec. 23 may well have been the first power blackout triggered by a cyberattack — a circumstance many have long predicted. Working remotely, the attackers conducted “extensive reconnaissance” of the power system’s networks, stole the credentials of system operators and learned how to switch off the breakers, plunging more than 225,000 Ukrainians into darkness.
NY Times story.
A Special Breed
Item:
Item:
WASHINGTON — A Navy SEAL who helped rescue an American hostage in Afghanistan received the nation’s highest military honor Monday, hailed by President Barack Obama as “a special breed of warrior who so often serves in the shadows.”Story.
Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Edward Byers Jr. is the first living, active duty member of the Navy to receive the Medal of Honor in four decades.
Meet the new boss . . .
. . . A lot like the old boss?
The Air Force unveiled a sketch of its new B-21 bomber today, and it looked a lot like the B-2:
Kind of like those mid-model refreshes the car companies do?
Whatever it ends up looking like, the real differences will undoubtedly be under the skin.
The AF press release.
. . . A lot like the old boss?
The Air Force unveiled a sketch of its new B-21 bomber today, and it looked a lot like the B-2:
Kind of like those mid-model refreshes the car companies do?
Whatever it ends up looking like, the real differences will undoubtedly be under the skin.
The AF press release.
Tired of telemarketers?
Have some fun with them, like "Jolly Roger" did:
Have some fun with them, like "Jolly Roger" did:
. . . I figured I’d try something. I was getting a lot of repeat calls from numbers. Obviously the same company’s predictive dialers were calling me at various times trying to find me home. I thought, what if I play a sound file that says “hello?… Hello?… Hello?…” a few times? Would it fool their predictive dialer into thinking it had reached a real person? So recorded some “hellos”, then “hang on a sec”, and then some silence. I created a “parrot” routine and sent these obvious telemarketers to this parrot.
And it worked like a champ! So then I thought “hmmmmm, how far can I take this parrot?”Very far, it turns out. Read the rest here. "Roger" is my nominee for man of the year.
Apple and the Constitution
While the right to privacy is at the heart of the FBI vs.Apple fight, possibly the more important legal issue is the power of the
government to coerce a private entity to do its bidding.
Many people have compared the FBI’s insistence that the
terrorist’s iPhone be unlocked to the government coming into your home. But
that’s not a correct analogy: for one thing, the government can come into your
home with a search warrant, which has been issued. But can the government go to
the carpenter who built the home and demand that he remove the back wall and build
a doorway in?
While congress approved rather far reaching – over-reaching
would be a better term – anti-privacy laws in the wake of 9/11, it did not
approve legislation that would have mandated so-called backdoors in smart
phones, et al. The FBI is creatively interpreting an older law to assert that
it has rights congress hasn’t granted.
The problem isn’t this specific case – the information on
the iPhone is undoubtedly of little value, especially given the fact that the perpetrators
are dead. And it’s not even the fact that once invented, the decrypt tool could
easily be used elsewhere. The real problem is the precedence – if the
government has the right in this case, undoubtedly deliberately chosen because
public opinion will side with it, where will its rights stop?
They won’t. They may not break your iPhone tomorrow; they
may not be in your house next week.
But legal precedents last for a long time.
I read a silly story today to the effect that tech companies
have “the upper hand” because they can always create something even harder to decrypt. One need only look at China or Russia to see how naïve that is. I’m
not an Apple fanboy, but I’m with them on this.
Reading the tobacco leaves . . .
...in the presidential race.
According to Cigar Aficionado, cigar smokers prefer the Donald and Hillary as their candidate, depending on their respective party.
I don't think either smokes (unlike, say, Cruz), which I guess proves that cigar smokers are not one-issue candidates.
(Story)
...in the presidential race.
According to Cigar Aficionado, cigar smokers prefer the Donald and Hillary as their candidate, depending on their respective party.
I don't think either smokes (unlike, say, Cruz), which I guess proves that cigar smokers are not one-issue candidates.
(Story)
First in our hearts . . .
There are many reasons George Washington should be celebrated today, but probably the most important: he refused to be king.
From the History.com website:
More than one politician would do well to contemplate that.
There are many reasons George Washington should be celebrated today, but probably the most important: he refused to be king.
From the History.com website:
On the morning of March 15, 1783, General George Washington makes a surprise appearance at an assembly of army officers at Newburgh, New York, to calm the growing frustration and distrust they had been openly expressing towards Congress in the previous few weeks. Angry with Congress for failing to honor its promise to pay them and for its failure to settle accounts for repayment of food and clothing, officers began circulating an anonymous letter condemning Congress and calling for a revolt.
When word of the letter and its call for an unsanctioned meeting of officers reached him, Washington issued a general order forbidding any unsanctioned meetings and called for a general assembly of officers for March 15. At the meeting, Washington began his speech to the officers by saying, “Gentlemen: By an anonymous summons, an attempt has been made to convene you together; how inconsistent with the rules of propriety! How unmilitary! And how subversive of all order and discipline…”Read the rest. (It's well worth it.)
More than one politician would do well to contemplate that.
Russia's propaganda war . . .
. . . and the bizarre twists of truth that would make George Orwell blush:
Reuters.
. . . and the bizarre twists of truth that would make George Orwell blush:
The truth doesn’t matter, because it’s already mission accomplished for the Kremlin. . . .[Russian Foreign Minister Sergei] Lavrov pulled off a common trick in Russia’s self-declared “information war” against its enemies: a government official picks up on a report in state media, leading to its legitimation and further dissemination. Fake news is essentially laundered and enters the public consciousness as fact.
Reuters.
The Boss's book . . .
I am truly bummed that I wasn't involved in this project:
I've been reading Peter Ames Carlin's biography, Bruce, for a project I'm working on. It's extremely sympathetic to Springstein's point of view; it will be interesting to see how much more in-depth the memoir is - or isn't.
I am truly bummed that I wasn't involved in this project:
Bruce Springsteen fans have reached the literary Promised Land. The New Jersey rocker will be releasing his autobiography later this year.
Springsteen privately started writing the book — appropriately named “Born to Run,” after his breakout song and album from the mid-1970s – seven years ago, shortly after he and the E Street Band played at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2009, according to publisher Simon & Schuster.
It will be released world-wide on Sept. 27. Simon & Schuster will publish it in hardcover, audio and ebook editions in the U.S., United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and India. Additionally, rights have been sold to publishers in nine countries, the publisher said.Story.
I've been reading Peter Ames Carlin's biography, Bruce, for a project I'm working on. It's extremely sympathetic to Springstein's point of view; it will be interesting to see how much more in-depth the memoir is - or isn't.
The Saudi-Iran yin and yang
Quote:
Karim Sadjadpour, in an interview with Slate magazine, available here. Among other things, he highlights the interplay of sectarian and geo-political conflicts in the Middle East.
Quote:
Saudi Arabia hates Iran more than it hates ISIS. The conventional wisdom is that ISIS is a radical Sunni group that is being funded by Sunnis in the gulf and opposed by Iran. But Iran is the arsonist and the fire brigade. Iran’s support for Assad and the [Nouri al-]Maliki government in Iraq led to many Sunnis supporting ISIS. It will have to be Sunnis who put out the ISIS fire.
Karim Sadjadpour, in an interview with Slate magazine, available here. Among other things, he highlights the interplay of sectarian and geo-political conflicts in the Middle East.
The year that was
Looking back over 2015, I’m amazed at all that’s
happened for me personally. It began with the wide release of the movie version
of American Sniper, which was a bigger hit than anyone could have wished for.
Code Name Johnny Walker came out in paperback in February; in May, Taya Kyle’s
dramatic telling of her story, American Wife, was released to wide acclaim. In
the fall, Afro Samurai II, a video game I’d worked on, debuted – far earlier
and much rockier than we’d wanted, but that’s the way things go.
Throughout the year, I had the privilege of meeting many
readers and fans; I’ll always be grateful for their support and well wishes. I’m
especially proud that I was able to help at a number of fund raisers this year,
for libraries and veterans’ groups, among others. I also had the honor of
speaking at the War College in Pennsylvania, and addressing a conference of
people who work in our nation’s intelligence communities. There were trips to
Texas, LA, and many points in between.
As the year comes to a close, I’m thinking of the many
projects that have not yet come to fruition. A few will become a reality in
2016 – a new series with Dale Brown, a memoir detailing the incredible story of
Ivan Castro, a blind Green Beret who triumphed over his disabilities by running
marathons and going to the South Pole. Many more books, movies, and even a
video game or two are in the wings.
I thank everyone for their help, encouragement, and
criticism. Thank you for making my journey special, and may yours be twice as
good.
On ISIS . . .
While Ramadi has been retaken in Iraq, in no sense has ISIS been fully defeated. That war will continue at least through 2016, and very likely beyond.
Why?
This story in the Atlantic ran back in March and is a bit dated, but what it says about the religious "thinking" behind ISIS remains relevant. Especially:
Some caveats about the article: They ARE psychopaths, and the territorial gains were only possible because of the specific political conditions in both Syria and Iraq. Nor should "mere" political power be underestimated as a motivator.
And contrary to the article's conclusion, direct, violent, consistent confrontation is the only way to deal with the movement. Unfortunately, it's likely that, once ISIS is defeated, other somewhat similar "movements" will spring up until Islam's civil war runs its course.
One of the biggest problems in understanding what's going on is our understanding of our own history. We've been taught to think of war in terms of the 20th century Western wares, World War II especially. Even Vietnam does not supply the kind of metaphors or framework that truly apply here. And thinking long term while fighting short term is not something most humans are good at.
While Ramadi has been retaken in Iraq, in no sense has ISIS been fully defeated. That war will continue at least through 2016, and very likely beyond.
Why?
This story in the Atlantic ran back in March and is a bit dated, but what it says about the religious "thinking" behind ISIS remains relevant. Especially:
. . .much of what the group does looks nonsensical except in light of a sincere, carefully considered commitment to returning civilization to a seventh-century legal environment, and ultimately to bringing about the apocalypse.That's a recipe not only for fanaticism, but persistence.
Some caveats about the article: They ARE psychopaths, and the territorial gains were only possible because of the specific political conditions in both Syria and Iraq. Nor should "mere" political power be underestimated as a motivator.
And contrary to the article's conclusion, direct, violent, consistent confrontation is the only way to deal with the movement. Unfortunately, it's likely that, once ISIS is defeated, other somewhat similar "movements" will spring up until Islam's civil war runs its course.
One of the biggest problems in understanding what's going on is our understanding of our own history. We've been taught to think of war in terms of the 20th century Western wares, World War II especially. Even Vietnam does not supply the kind of metaphors or framework that truly apply here. And thinking long term while fighting short term is not something most humans are good at.
One of 2015's best . . .
Audible loves the audio edition of American Wife, which not coincidentally, was read by Taya herself.
We're on this page with nonfiction . . .
Thank you, everyone!
Audible loves the audio edition of American Wife, which not coincidentally, was read by Taya herself.
We're on this page with nonfiction . . .
Thank you, everyone!
Check out Boone
I was on Tipping Point with Boone Cutler recently. Boone's radio and podcast is pretty unique; I can't think another that does so much for military members and their families, present and former.
You can check our interview out here.
I was on Tipping Point with Boone Cutler recently. Boone's radio and podcast is pretty unique; I can't think another that does so much for military members and their families, present and former.
You can check our interview out here.
Talking with Boone . . .
Had a fun time talking with Boone Cutler the other day; the interview is here:
http://tippingpointwithboonecutler.podomatic.com/entry/2015-12-13T00_26_20-08_00
Had a fun time talking with Boone Cutler the other day; the interview is here:
http://tippingpointwithboonecutler.podomatic.com/entry/2015-12-13T00_26_20-08_00
AI advances . . .
. . . Or seeing is believing.
Item:
Computer researchers reported artificial-intelligence advances on Thursday that surpassed human capabilities for a narrow set of vision-related tasks.
The improvements are noteworthy because so-called machine-vision systems are becoming commonplace in many aspects of life, including car-safety systems that detect pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as in video game controls, Internet search and factory robots.
The article in Science.
(Shameless plug: Robotics and artificial intelligence are the focus of the new fiction series "Puppetmaster" I'm doing with Dale Brown, due out next summer.)
On ISIS insanity
Apart from the terrible loss of life, the most distressing
thing about the San Bernardino murders has been the hyperbolic reaction around
the country. People have lost all perspective not simply about ISIS and
terrorism, but about our country and the values that have made it strong.
Every day seems to bring new outrages and idiocies. Half the
country wants to trash the second amendment; the other half wants to get rid of
the first. The fifth and the fourteenth are conveniently ignored. One Republican
candidate to be commander in chief talks about carpet bombing ISIS, profoundly
ignorant not only of ISIS but military science and capabilities. Donald Trump
remains in a category by himself.
It’s easy to blame this circus on the “media,” which is
always up for a good session of hyperventilation. But a lot of people who
really do know better are talking like crazies as well.
ISIS is not the world beater that it’s being made out to be.
It’s a collection of psychotic mass killers who are pretty good at PR as well
as murder, and have managed to convince a very small number of sick and
pathetic individuals that they too should give in to their psychosis and kill
innocent people.
They are one aspect of the civil war that is tearing much of
Islam apart. Like all terrorists, they must be dealt with viciously and relentlessly.
They are a cancer, but they are neither omnipresent, invincible, or even all
that powerful. They have thrived in an area of chaos and apocalyptic disaster;
without those conditions, and met with appropriate force, they will shrivel and
disappear.
The long term direction of Islam and its people is another
matter. Their internal war has many aspects, but one of the strongest is a
fight between values of modernity and an idealized (and demonstrably false)
past. As a Westerner, I believe it is futile to fight the future, but perhaps
that is hubris; in any event, even a lost cause can impose incredibly high
costs.
While I do not believe that the U.S. and the West have taken
a strong enough or effective enough strategy toward this war and its collateral
damage, I do have to admit that there is no course that is not without
difficulties or reverses. The U.S. has tried everything from direct
intervention (Iraq) to laissez faire sneaking around the edges (Libya, Africa)
with very mixed results; there are numerous pro and con arguments for any
approach you take. In any event, I don’t think that the people who urge caution
or disagree with me are un-American or in on some sort of plot to ruin America.
They’re mistaken, badly in some cases, but if I can’t convince them with reason
I am surely not going to win the day with name calling.
Name calling and hysteria is fun. It gets attention; it gets
clicks and hits and sells ads and maybe makes a few people rich. But it makes
it very difficult to keep things in perspective. And it makes it almost
impossible to get real work done.
So what should we do?
1) Preserve the Second Amendment. There’s simply no evidence
that strict guns law in America would have any impact on this threat.
2) Preserve the First Amendment – freedom of speech and
religion. And keep due process (the 5th and 14th) as well. (People inciting
violence, let alone committing it, are NOT protected by the First Amendment.)
3) Use military force proportional to the threat. That means
ground forces where necessary – and admittedly, that does mean there will be
casualties.
4) As for Iraq specifically, in an ideal world I would split
the country in three, and help the Sunnis in the west defeat ISIS. That’s what
should have been done after the invasion, or at worst during the so-called
Surge. It’s unlikely to happen now, which means we’re probably stuck with more
of the present muddle. Assuming that is the case, continued attacks against
ISIS and support of the Shia-dominated Iraqi forces are the best of crappy
options.
5) In Syria, the dictator has to go. The problem for us
there isn’t so much ISIS, which everyone hates, but the other rebel groups,
which are certainly better but not exactly friends of the West, let alone
forward thinkers. While it’s tempting to let Russia and Hamas/Iran continue to
get battered in the process – a real politics solution the Israelis seem to
favor – the mass exodus from the war shows just how connected the world is. The
best of the crappy solutions there is to concentrate on ISIS, then join
whatever rump peace process results from the dictator’s eventual defeat. Syria
shows that we can’t let future situations devolve into such chaos. Of course,
it’s one thing to say that, and quite another to actually have a strategy to
prevent it. What started as a democratic awakening in the Middle East has devolved
into this. A fully engaged and foreign policy aimed at discouraging nutjobs
from taking over the governments would be a start, though.
6) ISIS may be a top priority for us, but for much of the
Middle East, the real conflict is between Iran and the Sunni nations. Saudi
Arabia and the Gulf States are currently fighting what they perceive as a proxy
war with Iran in Yemen. Their citizens are also funding or otherwise supporting
groups including ISIS that don’t particularly like us – at best. Keeping both
sides in check – and avoiding more nuclear proliferation – has to be largely
accomplished by diplomacy. The Iran nuclear deal – such as it is – has to be
vigorously enforced. Reading between the lines of the most recent commission
reports, Iran seems to have hit a roadblock in its very real nuke development program,
and it was that as much as the sanctions that made it willing to deal. It’s
foolish to think that that it will completely renounce its intentions, and the
most extreme pressure has to continue to be applied – if only to prevent the
rest of the Middle East from arming as well.
None of this fits in a quick sound bite or even the sort of
climax scene you’d expect from the author of Dreamland, et al. But the real
world is more complicated than thriller fiction.
It’s also not as dangerous, not really. This isn’t a threat
to lose your head over, let alone your freedoms.
Let me say one thing more: I know a lot of Muslims. They are
all good Americans. A few of them are heroes. They and their families mean a
great deal to this country and its future. They belong here. They hate the terrorists
even worse than you do. For these Muslim Americans, America is still that
shining light on the hill; talking to them, reminds me why I’m proud to be here,
why I choke up even at a ballgame when the Star Spangled Banner is played.
If they’re going on a list, I’m signing onto that list with
them.
Karma . . .
. . . and bad karma at that. Item:
Story.
. . . and bad karma at that. Item:
PALM BAY, Fla. -- Authorities say a man who may have hidden as officers investigated reports of recent burglaries in a Florida community was killed by an 11-foot alligator.
Story.
It's about time . . .
Item:
Story.
Item:
Just hours after military action was approved, four British Tornado jets took off from their base in Cyprus to attack Islamic State targets in Syria. The first bombs were dropped on the Omar oil refineries in the east, that it’s believed were used to fund the terror group.
Story.
San Bernardino
It goes without say how all of us feel for the victims.
As I watched the tragedy and its aftermath unfold on the web via news reports and social media, I wasn't surprised that it was immediately seized on for political purposes. That's just where we're at these days. But I was struck by how many filters were at play, how so many people seemed to want to put it into a simple box of meaning - terrorist shooting, workplace shooting, deranged madman shooting - as if that might make it easier to cope with.
Reality is always more complicated than we wish.
It goes without say how all of us feel for the victims.
As I watched the tragedy and its aftermath unfold on the web via news reports and social media, I wasn't surprised that it was immediately seized on for political purposes. That's just where we're at these days. But I was struck by how many filters were at play, how so many people seemed to want to put it into a simple box of meaning - terrorist shooting, workplace shooting, deranged madman shooting - as if that might make it easier to cope with.
Reality is always more complicated than we wish.
More on the Turks & Russia
Just to follow up in a more serious vein on things that aren't being explained very well in most media reports - the Russian aircraft was flying in area dominated not by ISIS, which is much further south and east, but in areas where the rebel groups are supported by Turkey. And if the radar plot published by the Turks is correct (it shows an orbit back after what I'm presuming was its bombing mission), the actions were either deliberately provocative, related to some sort of unexplained mishap, or inexplicably dumb.
The Syrian Turkmen rebels in that area of Syria aren't OUR friends, but they're also not ISIS, and continuing to call them that simply makes it harder for people to understand what's going on . . . which is hard to understand even when you know the players. The Turks want to get rid of Asad, and see these rebels as the best avenue. The Russians want to keep Asad, and see these rebels as the biggest threat. In this specific part of the situation, the countries are direct enemies. (And in fact, we're the ones who make fighting ISIS the top priority, not Turkey and certainly not Russia, despite its rhetoric and its claim that all rebels are ISIS.)
There are statements to the effect that the Russians are going to move anti-air missiles into the area. One wonders what they'll do when the Turks take those out -- which they are perfectly capable of doing. The problem with bluster is that eventually someone's going to call your bluff.
For the Turks, protecting their sovereignty - and the rebels they support - is critical to any attempt to project power in that region. They see not only Russia but Iran challenging that; their response is bound to be fairly aggressive. And it helps Erdogan at home as well ... assuming it goes well.
Addendum to the addendum: The NY Times today has published an article that does give a more comprehensive explanation of what's going on than we've seen to this point. (Usual NYT paywall.) At the very end of the article, a comment explains why it's very possible for this to escalate - Russia will most likely attack the Turkmen rebels in Syria in retaliation, not the Turks themselves, as the Russian aim is to prove that they remain a superpower - an image greatly damaged by the shootdown.
Just to follow up in a more serious vein on things that aren't being explained very well in most media reports - the Russian aircraft was flying in area dominated not by ISIS, which is much further south and east, but in areas where the rebel groups are supported by Turkey. And if the radar plot published by the Turks is correct (it shows an orbit back after what I'm presuming was its bombing mission), the actions were either deliberately provocative, related to some sort of unexplained mishap, or inexplicably dumb.
The Syrian Turkmen rebels in that area of Syria aren't OUR friends, but they're also not ISIS, and continuing to call them that simply makes it harder for people to understand what's going on . . . which is hard to understand even when you know the players. The Turks want to get rid of Asad, and see these rebels as the best avenue. The Russians want to keep Asad, and see these rebels as the biggest threat. In this specific part of the situation, the countries are direct enemies. (And in fact, we're the ones who make fighting ISIS the top priority, not Turkey and certainly not Russia, despite its rhetoric and its claim that all rebels are ISIS.)
There are statements to the effect that the Russians are going to move anti-air missiles into the area. One wonders what they'll do when the Turks take those out -- which they are perfectly capable of doing. The problem with bluster is that eventually someone's going to call your bluff.
For the Turks, protecting their sovereignty - and the rebels they support - is critical to any attempt to project power in that region. They see not only Russia but Iran challenging that; their response is bound to be fairly aggressive. And it helps Erdogan at home as well ... assuming it goes well.
Addendum to the addendum: The NY Times today has published an article that does give a more comprehensive explanation of what's going on than we've seen to this point. (Usual NYT paywall.) At the very end of the article, a comment explains why it's very possible for this to escalate - Russia will most likely attack the Turkmen rebels in Syria in retaliation, not the Turks themselves, as the Russian aim is to prove that they remain a superpower - an image greatly damaged by the shootdown.
Cooperating against terrorism . . .
. . . actually requires cooperation. Otherwise this happens:
Story.
One wonders how much of this incident may be due to the countries not cooperating, and how much to the ineptness of the Russian Air Force. They have not been covering themselves with glory over Syria, despite what their press says.
This seems like the Turks just said, enough's enough, jack-holes. . .
. . . actually requires cooperation. Otherwise this happens:
The Turkish military says it shot down an unidentified warplane Tuesday near the Turkish-Syrian border, contending it repeatedly violated Turkish airspace and ignored repeated warnings. Turkey's semi-official Anadolu news agency cites Turkish Presidential sources in reporting that a Russian SU-24 was "hit within the framework of engagement rules" in Syria's Bayirbucak area near the Turkish border.
Story.
One wonders how much of this incident may be due to the countries not cooperating, and how much to the ineptness of the Russian Air Force. They have not been covering themselves with glory over Syria, despite what their press says.
This seems like the Turks just said, enough's enough, jack-holes. . .
We could be number one . . .
At Goodreads - please vote if you can. Here's the page link:
http://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-memoir-autobiography-books-2015
And thanks for all the votes that got us to the finals.
At Goodreads - please vote if you can. Here's the page link:
http://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-memoir-autobiography-books-2015
And thanks for all the votes that got us to the finals.
Veterans Day
As we prepare for tomorrow's observances, I am reminded of something Omar Bradley said during his brief but critical* stint as head of the Veterans Administration:
Happy Veterans Day to all veterans and their families, and thank you for keeping my family safe.
* The VA was quite a mess even then. Bradley presided over a sweeping overhaul. (Much of the credit for improvement should go to the civilians under him.) He wasn't known as a particularly brilliant speaker, but he was eloquent when speaking of the men who served under him in Europe and Africa, and he was a tireless advocate on their behalf.
As we prepare for tomorrow's observances, I am reminded of something Omar Bradley said during his brief but critical* stint as head of the Veterans Administration:
Too frequently I have heard it said that the veteran expects too much. We might ask these critics this: Does the fault lie with the veteran who wants too much? Or with the civilians who offer too little? Is it too much to want a job that will pay enough to live? Is it too much to want a decent home in which to raise a family? Is it too much to want a chance for better income or career through education and training?
Happy Veterans Day to all veterans and their families, and thank you for keeping my family safe.
* The VA was quite a mess even then. Bradley presided over a sweeping overhaul. (Much of the credit for improvement should go to the civilians under him.) He wasn't known as a particularly brilliant speaker, but he was eloquent when speaking of the men who served under him in Europe and Africa, and he was a tireless advocate on their behalf.
Go Hogs . . .
Story:
Link
Story:
A-10C Thunderbolt II attack aircraft operating out of Incirlik airbase in Turkey provided "devastating" close air support for U.S.-backed Syrian-Arab fighters in taking a town in northwestern Syria from the Islamic State, a U.S. military spokesman said Wednesday.
Link
Rogue on the phone . . .
... and on the bookshelf.
If you already have copies of Rogue Warrior, you can get the ebook too for $2.99 from Shelfie and Tor/Forge, our publishers.
... and on the bookshelf.
If you already have copies of Rogue Warrior, you can get the ebook too for $2.99 from Shelfie and Tor/Forge, our publishers.
Shelfie is a free smartphone app (shelfie.com) that gives readers a special deal on ebooks when they own the book in print. Shelfie is social media for books - members connect with new reads by exploring what the app calls "shelfies" — photos of real bookshelves.
It works on iPhones and Androids, and you can get the app on the Apple App Store, Google Play or at shelfie.com.
It works on iPhones and Androids, and you can get the app on the Apple App Store, Google Play or at shelfie.com.
Just in time for Veterans Day
A national disgrace:
Story.
A national disgrace:
Despite billions of extra dollars poured into the agency in the last year and numerous reforms intended to improve veterans' access to care, whistleblowers and internal documents obtained by CNN reveal some VA facilities continue to grapple with appointment wait times of months or more.
Story.
Drink Beck's?
You've been played.
It hasn't been a German import since 2012, but you were charged as if it were. They played games with the label to make you think it was still coming from the country that gave us Okoberfest.
Not that they would admit it:
"We reached a compromise in the Beck's labeling case," said Jorn Socquet, Anheuser-Busch vice president for marketing. "We believe our labeling, packaging and marketing of Beck's has always been truthful, transparent and in compliance with all legal requirements."
Right. And beer makes you smarter, richer, and better with the girls.
This article explains how to get a (partial) refund. Good luck finding your receipts.
There's only one reason . . .
. . . to have ballistic missiles. And it's not to hunt deer.
Story.
So, here's a violation, where's the penalty?
I suggest removing the testing facility, which is a lot easier to blow up than the nuclear plants. I think the flight time would be between ten minutes and just over an hour, depending on your weapon of choice.
If there is no penalty, then surely there will be other violations, until the end result is all-out war.
. . . to have ballistic missiles. And it's not to hunt deer.
Iran's test of a ballistic missile earlier this week was a clear violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution and sends "a worrying message", French Foreign Ministry spokesman Romain Nadal said on Thursday.
Story.
So, here's a violation, where's the penalty?
I suggest removing the testing facility, which is a lot easier to blow up than the nuclear plants. I think the flight time would be between ten minutes and just over an hour, depending on your weapon of choice.
If there is no penalty, then surely there will be other violations, until the end result is all-out war.
Coming Home . . .
... Veterans, not me. At least not yet: I'm heading to LA this weekend to attend Politicon, which has been described as a Comicon for political junkies, except with the cos-play.
Which does take some of the fun out of it.
Among other things, I'll be on a panel talking about veterans readjusting to the civilian workforce once they come home - a problem since at least World War I. (Yes, my job is the historical angle.)
Omar Bradley - America's last five star general - didn't like to make speeches, but he did stump across country immediately after World War II encouraging employers to hire veterans. He made a convincing pitch: if these guys could fight their way across Europe, they could surely handle anything civilian life would throw at them.
There seem to be more programs if not more jobs these days, but it's still not an easy transition. I'm looking forward to hear about what's being done, and perhaps getting involved in things that should be done.
More on Politicon here.
... Veterans, not me. At least not yet: I'm heading to LA this weekend to attend Politicon, which has been described as a Comicon for political junkies, except with the cos-play.
Which does take some of the fun out of it.
Among other things, I'll be on a panel talking about veterans readjusting to the civilian workforce once they come home - a problem since at least World War I. (Yes, my job is the historical angle.)
Omar Bradley - America's last five star general - didn't like to make speeches, but he did stump across country immediately after World War II encouraging employers to hire veterans. He made a convincing pitch: if these guys could fight their way across Europe, they could surely handle anything civilian life would throw at them.
There seem to be more programs if not more jobs these days, but it's still not an easy transition. I'm looking forward to hear about what's being done, and perhaps getting involved in things that should be done.
More on Politicon here.
Russia and Syria . . .
As absurd as Russia’s decision to send troops and weapons
into Syria is, at least it shows pretty definitively how antiquated their
weapons really are. It doesn’t make a huge difference in this fight, but their
capabilities look to be about where the U.S. was during the Gulf War – the first
Gulf War in 1990.
I watched one video that was supposed to show a pinpoint
strike – and couldn’t help but notice the bomb craters from maybe a dozen other
attacks, all of which had missed their mark.
Aside from saving Asad for a few more months, it’s hard to
see what the Russian intervention will achieve in material terms. An alliance with Iran that will last until both countries realize they have no goals in common, except pissing off the U.S.? A base at the eastern Med suicide bombers can target?
Actually, they have that already. But they are
getting press in the West at the moment; maybe Trump will pick Putin as his
defense secretary.
Veterans and jobs . . .
I'm going to Politcon in LA next weekend to appear on a couple of panels. One is dealing with veterans and jobs. (It's actually entitled, "Never at East: Veterans Returning to Civilian Careers" and we have some very exciting panelists lined up.
My specific "area" is historical - Omar Bradley, WWII, and all that - but I'd love to give a shoutout to organizations that are helping men and women in the present. Anyone with a good story, please share or contact me to do so. You can put a comment in below, or send an email to author(at)jimdefelice.com
Heck, send me a smoke signal if you want. Just get in touch so I can help get the word out.
More on politicon here.
I'm going to Politcon in LA next weekend to appear on a couple of panels. One is dealing with veterans and jobs. (It's actually entitled, "Never at East: Veterans Returning to Civilian Careers" and we have some very exciting panelists lined up.
My specific "area" is historical - Omar Bradley, WWII, and all that - but I'd love to give a shoutout to organizations that are helping men and women in the present. Anyone with a good story, please share or contact me to do so. You can put a comment in below, or send an email to author(at)jimdefelice.com
Heck, send me a smoke signal if you want. Just get in touch so I can help get the word out.
More on politicon here.
They forgot baseball games . . .
. . . which is where all our important business meetings are. Except for the ones during hockey season.
Explanations, as if any were really needed.
. . . which is where all our important business meetings are. Except for the ones during hockey season.
Explanations, as if any were really needed.
Defining evil
This is what success means to a nihilistic, psychopathic terrorist: you kill people who teach others to farm:
Story.
This is what success means to a nihilistic, psychopathic terrorist: you kill people who teach others to farm:
DHAKA, Bangladesh — The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for gunning down an Italian aid worker in the diplomatic quarter of Bangladesh's capital . . .A veterinarian in his early 50s, Tavella had spent extended periods of time traveling the world and giving instruction on how to raise animals, according to Italian media reports. He left for Bangladesh in late August and had a daughter.
Story.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
