Folks, Hopefully you’ve had a better week than the acting career of Simona Mangiante Papadopoulos. We’re heading into a weekend, followed by a Christmas holiday. In other words, this is the perfect place for important people to dump important stories significantly timed to avoid the scrutiny of a hysterical, polarized and lazy public. How important are... Continue Reading →
Weekly SITREP: George Costanza was Right about China, Guys with Guns Love Chicks with Russian Accents, and Nothing is Solved in Afghanistan Which is Why We Can’t Leave
Folks, Hopefully, you’ve had a better week than SOCOM, which has been getting publicly torched for a series of cover-ups, fuck-ups and character flaws. It’s not just the Marines anymore — all the services need a few good men. Actually, more than a few. Time Magazine has come out with its “Person of the Year:” murdered journalists. It’s not a... Continue Reading →
SITREP for the Week George H. W. Bush Died
Folks, Hope you all had a better week than the newly-minted Most Prolific Serial Killer in US history. George H.W. Bush had a spectacular life. Navy pilot, CIA director, Vice-President, President. Prolific humanitarian. A blue blood, he never needed to do what he did, but, like a true aristocrat, he embraced duty, honor, forgiveness and humility.... Continue Reading →
An Interview with @OskarGie
Oskar Gorzynski is a foreign affairs correspondent with Wirtualna Polska. He is also a contributor at The Daily Beast. He is based out of Warsaw, Poland and he’s more than worth following on Twitter @Oskargie. We had a great 45-minute talk that was all set to be a dynamite podcast, but I fucked up the audio. So... Continue Reading →
The Post-Tryptophan SITREP
Folks, Hope everyone had a better Thanksgiving than the British girls who wanted to spend the holidays helping out at a school in Zanzibar. Don’t mean to make that sound funny — it’s a good reminder that limited access to firearms can increase the brutality of the weapon. OK, on to the links: Top story of the week is... Continue Reading →
The Thanksgiving Week SITREP
Folks, OK, the top story of the week — are the Russians really about to take over Interpol? Crazy if true… And it’s not like Russia isn’t already hyperactive in Europe. There are some who wonder if WWIII will start in Ukraine. And we’re pretty sure Russia hasn’t stopped using CBRN weapons. In anticipation of heightened warfare, Russia is already... Continue Reading →
Under the Radar News from the Week of the Midterms
Folks, As predicted by myself to myself, the midterms aren’t really going to change a lot of things. Maybe the Russia investigation stuff will heighten, but my gut feeling is it probably won’t matter. Here, however, are some stories that will matter… How Donald Trump should deploy the CIA against Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, plenty of lobbyists... Continue Reading →
Under the Radar News…the Week of the Pre-Midterm Jitters
Folks, Why are people fleeing Central America? There is at least one cure, but you won’t like it. Trump’s use of an unsecured iPhone points to a larger problem. But then, isn’t that always the way with Trump? How operational is Iran in Denmark? As operational as they are on Facebook? Fortunately Israel remains on the case, especially in Syria. How... Continue Reading →
Kaepernick Has the Right to Kneel. That Doesn’t Mean He Should Exercise It.
It’s football season, so Colin Kaepernick is in the news again. This time, as the face of Nike’s 30th anniversary “Just Do It” campaign. Some facets of life I can do without; I’ve been doing without football since 2005 because, in the face of actual warfare, violence and crime I couldn’t sustain a passion for... Continue Reading →
Under the Radar News…Vladimir Putin, North Koreans and Far-Right Intrigue in Austria
Folks, If you want to take a good look at Russia’s actions over the past week or so, you’ll need to start in Austria. Austria, like much of Europe, is consumed with choosing the lesser of two evils between Islamism and Russian influence. For co-dependent (one might, uncharitably, say “emasculated”) EU countries like Austria, it... Continue Reading →