I disagree with Thomas P.M. Barnett on a couple of issues. Namely, the Persian Mullahs and the Super Sweet Missile Shoot 'em Down Shield. A lot of my disagreement probably has to do with where we are in the three stages of life: tactical, operational, strategic.
I'm defiantly moving through the operational phase, ready to nit pick the strategic. Different strokes.
So I got to tell you, he misses the mark by a country mile, here:
Hollywood's globalization proceeds apace
He's referencing the worldwide release of Pirate's of the Caribbean: End of the Investments. My wife's friend caught the movie in Eastern Europe. She, the friend, was bored. Her, the friend's, boyfriend fell asleep.
PoC was released worldwide, because it sucked. And it needed to suck in revenue before it died in the home market. Mission accomplished, I guess.
A Hollywood serious about globalization would leverage internet 2.0, get rid of the DVD "regional coding" and push a more optimistic world view. Oh, and not take cash from Hugh Chavez.
Just my two dracma.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
SniFi?
"Science Fiction in the National Interest."
If Pournelle and Niven collaborate, then it's bound to be good:
The writers make up a group called Sigma, which Andrews put together 15 years ago to advise government officials. The last time the group gathered was in the late 1990s, when members met with government scientists to discuss what a post-nuclear age might look like, says group member Greg Bear. He has written 30 sci-fi books, including the best seller Darwin's Radio.
And don't forget to check out Dan Simmon's latest: A Modest Proposal.....
If Pournelle and Niven collaborate, then it's bound to be good:
The writers make up a group called Sigma, which Andrews put together 15 years ago to advise government officials. The last time the group gathered was in the late 1990s, when members met with government scientists to discuss what a post-nuclear age might look like, says group member Greg Bear. He has written 30 sci-fi books, including the best seller Darwin's Radio.
And don't forget to check out Dan Simmon's latest: A Modest Proposal.....
Pretty Politics
Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin is sort of a cutie. And evidently, she's pretty popular.
No figuring for peoples taste. I mean, she's no looker like Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens. A man who has a thousand recipes for pork shoulder roast.
(Trust me to find odd linkages)
No figuring for peoples taste. I mean, she's no looker like Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens. A man who has a thousand recipes for pork shoulder roast.
(Trust me to find odd linkages)
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Blown away
I'm dedicated to the cult of mac. I keep a jar of arsenic laced kool aid by the bed stand, to ward off the random comet.
But even I have to admit this is neat:
Digitizing papyrus.
But even I have to admit this is neat:
Digitizing papyrus.
Good read
On good writing.
Especially the part on how the telegraph influenced American writing techniques.
I wonder if lolcats will do the same.
OKTHXBAI.
UPDATE: Booking a link to doubletongued.
UPDATE II: Oddly enough, the KC Star comes out with an article about Hemingway and the KC Star writing style, referenced by Leo, above. Let me say, KCMO is one of those little undiscovered gems. From Ward Parkway to the Plaza, and parts in between, a good place. Cute cheerleaders too.
Especially the part on how the telegraph influenced American writing techniques.
I wonder if lolcats will do the same.
OKTHXBAI.
UPDATE: Booking a link to doubletongued.
UPDATE II: Oddly enough, the KC Star comes out with an article about Hemingway and the KC Star writing style, referenced by Leo, above. Let me say, KCMO is one of those little undiscovered gems. From Ward Parkway to the Plaza, and parts in between, a good place. Cute cheerleaders too.
Aggressive diplomacy
Well, the Paris Hilton scion of religious families, Moqtada al-Sadr, is back from his sojourn in Iran.
Nothing to do with Guardian article about Iran's coming summer offensive, of course.
FOUR BANGER Petraeus discusses this in a recent Army Times article:
In an exclusive May 18 interview with Military Times, Petraeus said the involvement of the Iranians is “absolutely nefarious. It is hugely damaging to Iraq. It is fuelling the Shi’a militia side of things and causing enormous problems for Iraq.”
The “secret cells” are “Sadr special ops,” Petraeus said. “But they’re different from JAM,” he added, using the acronym for the Mahdi Army’s Arabic name, Jaysh al-Mahdi.
Further:
Petraeus said he is “mystified” that there is a debate in the U.S. over whether Khamenei knows about the Quds Force’s activities fomenting violence in Iraq.
“He can’t not know,” Petraeus said, noting that Brig. Gen. Qassem Suleimani, commander of the Quds Force, reports directly to Khamenei, not to Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad. “It’s a massive operation. ... There are all kinds of different elements of the Quds Force that are engaged in it. If he doesn’t know about it, it’s the most out-of-control operation in the world. And if he does know about it, of course, it’s horrific.”
Yesterday, we aggressively, decisively, engaged the Diplomatic Corp of Persian in a broad based meeting of minds. We got rolled.
In other news, President Bush announced, well, something about the murder of civilians in the Darfur region of Sudan. The usual suspects, just a day or so claiming that President Bush DO MORE TO END GENOCIDE AND STUFF (tm) are now arguing that it's either to much or too late. China intends that the spice flow, internationalist intend that the power flow.
My take away from these twin events? Aggressive diplomacy kills. Unless you're wearing a pinstripe suit.
Nothing to do with Guardian article about Iran's coming summer offensive, of course.
FOUR BANGER Petraeus discusses this in a recent Army Times article:
In an exclusive May 18 interview with Military Times, Petraeus said the involvement of the Iranians is “absolutely nefarious. It is hugely damaging to Iraq. It is fuelling the Shi’a militia side of things and causing enormous problems for Iraq.”
The “secret cells” are “Sadr special ops,” Petraeus said. “But they’re different from JAM,” he added, using the acronym for the Mahdi Army’s Arabic name, Jaysh al-Mahdi.
Further:
Petraeus said he is “mystified” that there is a debate in the U.S. over whether Khamenei knows about the Quds Force’s activities fomenting violence in Iraq.
“He can’t not know,” Petraeus said, noting that Brig. Gen. Qassem Suleimani, commander of the Quds Force, reports directly to Khamenei, not to Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad. “It’s a massive operation. ... There are all kinds of different elements of the Quds Force that are engaged in it. If he doesn’t know about it, it’s the most out-of-control operation in the world. And if he does know about it, of course, it’s horrific.”
Yesterday, we aggressively, decisively, engaged the Diplomatic Corp of Persian in a broad based meeting of minds. We got rolled.
In other news, President Bush announced, well, something about the murder of civilians in the Darfur region of Sudan. The usual suspects, just a day or so claiming that President Bush DO MORE TO END GENOCIDE AND STUFF (tm) are now arguing that it's either to much or too late. China intends that the spice flow, internationalist intend that the power flow.
My take away from these twin events? Aggressive diplomacy kills. Unless you're wearing a pinstripe suit.
Monday, May 28, 2007
NEPMAN and Wiki
Wow. Caught this post on LGF:
LONDON (Reuters) - Coping with the ravages of global warming will cost $50 billion a year, and the rich nations who caused most of the pollution must pay most of the bill, aid agency Oxfam said on Tuesday.
That immediately made me think about the NEPMEN. In "Soviet Times," right after the revolution, the policies of confiscation, elimination of property rights and restrictions on general freedoms led to mild starvation and light cannibalism. So Lenin came up with the bright idea to restore some of the freedoms, in order to make things like food. He called this the New Economic Program. NEP. People who participated in this were called NEPMEN. They were denied the "vote," in Soviet Russian. I read this in a "book."
Produce, but don't participate, it seems.
I was going to comment on the LGF post above, and give you a tasty, well sourced (soylent green free) wiki on NEPMAN. Instead, I came across this:
A nepman was a fish person who invaded the young USSR using spearguns, tridents, magical tridents that could shoot magical beams, pufferfish, sword fish spines, guns powered by electric eels and shark-tooth swords. They were later pushed back into the sea by the Communist regime after the 1934 invasion.
Urban dictionary is not much better:
NEP-man. A capitalist pig, slacker, and over all scoundrel. This term was used to describe the entrepreneurs who profited from the new economic policy (NEP) that was introduced after the Russian civil war. Since the NEP was seen as contrary to the revolution, being called a nepman (or woman) was a grievous insult in Bolshevik Russia.
Apologist.
Free shi* sucks.
LONDON (Reuters) - Coping with the ravages of global warming will cost $50 billion a year, and the rich nations who caused most of the pollution must pay most of the bill, aid agency Oxfam said on Tuesday.
That immediately made me think about the NEPMEN. In "Soviet Times," right after the revolution, the policies of confiscation, elimination of property rights and restrictions on general freedoms led to mild starvation and light cannibalism. So Lenin came up with the bright idea to restore some of the freedoms, in order to make things like food. He called this the New Economic Program. NEP. People who participated in this were called NEPMEN. They were denied the "vote," in Soviet Russian. I read this in a "book."
Produce, but don't participate, it seems.
I was going to comment on the LGF post above, and give you a tasty, well sourced (soylent green free) wiki on NEPMAN. Instead, I came across this:
A nepman was a fish person who invaded the young USSR using spearguns, tridents, magical tridents that could shoot magical beams, pufferfish, sword fish spines, guns powered by electric eels and shark-tooth swords. They were later pushed back into the sea by the Communist regime after the 1934 invasion.
Urban dictionary is not much better:
NEP-man. A capitalist pig, slacker, and over all scoundrel. This term was used to describe the entrepreneurs who profited from the new economic policy (NEP) that was introduced after the Russian civil war. Since the NEP was seen as contrary to the revolution, being called a nepman (or woman) was a grievous insult in Bolshevik Russia.
Apologist.
Free shi* sucks.
Beats a Burqa
I'm not a fan of slavery in general, or Jabba the Hut in particular. But you have to admit, jolly old Jabba had a certain flair, superior to our run of the mill terrestrial tyrants:
Happy Birfday, you Star Wars freeks!!
(Affectionately, from a Star Trek geek)
Happy Birfday, you Star Wars freeks!!
(Affectionately, from a Star Trek geek)
Blog pulse
- Michelle, from ASV, is slowly putting a toe in the water.
- The only way I have to track the illustrious Steven Den Beste.
- The Cold War thaw, between Instapundit and Boing Boing is chilling, yet again. The only blogger on BB who deigns to link to IP, the lovely Xeni, backtracks in the face of Chavez Apologists, and provides "another point of view" on censorship and tanks (actually Armored Personnel Carriers) rolling through Caracas. "Dear Leaders" have short curriculum vitaes. They always begin with "killed X number of people" and end with "died violently at the hands of..." Chavez will be no different.
More of those strange holes
Book my earlier post about those strange holes in Russia with this latest from neatorama:
What is that black spot on Mars? Turns out its an entrance to a really, really deep cave on the planet.
Where's H.G. Wells when you need him?
What is that black spot on Mars? Turns out its an entrance to a really, really deep cave on the planet.
Where's H.G. Wells when you need him?
Adaptation
The "counter rocket, artillery, mortar" systems, the C-RAMs, continue to fascinate me. An enemy tactic, reduced to a solvable physics equation. The C-RAMs shoot down incoming fire, with a sort of "brrrrrrrpppp" rapid fire.
Whodda thunk, when the CWIS was originally designed to shoot down incoming Bear and Badger missile swarms that these puppies would be in the sand protecting ground bases? Nice.
Of course, they'll do until something better comes along:
Whodda thunk, when the CWIS was originally designed to shoot down incoming Bear and Badger missile swarms that these puppies would be in the sand protecting ground bases? Nice.
Of course, they'll do until something better comes along:
Memorial Day
This day in history, 1863:
On May 28, 1863, the new regiment marched onto a steamer and set sail for Port Royal, South Carolina. The unit saw action right away, taking part in a raid into Georgia and withstanding a Confederate attack near Charleston. On July 18, 1863, Shaw led a bold but doomed attack against Fort Wagner in which Shaw was killed and the 54th suffered heavy casualties.
The 54th was memorialized in the movie "Glory." By the Statehouse, in Boston, you'll find their bas relief memorial:
The 54th fought under less than ideal conditions, in pursuit of a perfect idea.
Memorial day.
This is for all you new people: I only have one rule. Everyone fights. No one quits. You don't do your job, I'll shoot you myself. You get me?
Rasczak
On May 28, 1863, the new regiment marched onto a steamer and set sail for Port Royal, South Carolina. The unit saw action right away, taking part in a raid into Georgia and withstanding a Confederate attack near Charleston. On July 18, 1863, Shaw led a bold but doomed attack against Fort Wagner in which Shaw was killed and the 54th suffered heavy casualties.
The 54th was memorialized in the movie "Glory." By the Statehouse, in Boston, you'll find their bas relief memorial:
The 54th fought under less than ideal conditions, in pursuit of a perfect idea.
Memorial day.
This is for all you new people: I only have one rule. Everyone fights. No one quits. You don't do your job, I'll shoot you myself. You get me?
Rasczak
Sunday, May 27, 2007
When I was a phrap....
I thought I had a clever thing going.
Every time, in middle school, I got a grade that was less than par, I had to take it home to show my dad. Kept the parental unit in tune with my progress. Smarte guy that I was, I stuffed the bad test/paper into the seat on the bus. Buses at that time had those little break away seats that went forward. Plenty of room to hide the evidence.
Well, eventually, the bus driver told me I had to take all those papers out, and take them home. Seems he wasn't cleaning them out, as my nefarious plan required. He let them accrete. So, on that day, I gathered up all the papers, and dumped them in a trash can, near my bus stop. Pleased with my cleverness, I went home.
I had dinner, watched some t.v., and took my bath to get ready for bed. It was then my dad said, "let's go for a walk." I put some clothes over my p.j.'s and followed my dad outside. My little mind was confused. It wasn't until we rounded the corner to the bust stop, that my little mush of a mind gelled.
Busted.
My dad made me take all my papers out of the trash can, smooth them out, and bring them home.
Lesson learned. Parents need be involved. A point/counterpoint to "free" edumacashion.
As a sidebar to my little anecdote, Stophomework movements are total bunk.
By design.
Every time, in middle school, I got a grade that was less than par, I had to take it home to show my dad. Kept the parental unit in tune with my progress. Smarte guy that I was, I stuffed the bad test/paper into the seat on the bus. Buses at that time had those little break away seats that went forward. Plenty of room to hide the evidence.
Well, eventually, the bus driver told me I had to take all those papers out, and take them home. Seems he wasn't cleaning them out, as my nefarious plan required. He let them accrete. So, on that day, I gathered up all the papers, and dumped them in a trash can, near my bus stop. Pleased with my cleverness, I went home.
I had dinner, watched some t.v., and took my bath to get ready for bed. It was then my dad said, "let's go for a walk." I put some clothes over my p.j.'s and followed my dad outside. My little mind was confused. It wasn't until we rounded the corner to the bust stop, that my little mush of a mind gelled.
Busted.
My dad made me take all my papers out of the trash can, smooth them out, and bring them home.
Lesson learned. Parents need be involved. A point/counterpoint to "free" edumacashion.
As a sidebar to my little anecdote, Stophomework movements are total bunk.
By design.
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