I am by no means an expert on warfare. What little I know comes from books on the general principles of war and from playing a few war games. It is the latter which are giving me a sense of déjà vu.The war games I play are computerized versions of traditional board games where you move pieces around on a hex grid overlaid on a map. Unity of Command is a good example. These … [Read more...] about A familiar war in Iran
On the shooting of Renee Good
Everybody seems to have an opinion on the shooting of Renee Good, and I'm no exception, but I wanted to think about this a bit before posting. Also, I'm out of practice and don't write as fast as I used to.I'll start with three important points that shouldn't be controversialTo my way of thinking, shootings like this usually end up in one of three broad categories: … [Read more...] about On the shooting of Renee Good
Swift Descending
If you look in the right-hand column of this blog, you'll see a new widget titled "Swift Observatory." That's because of a speedy satellite that is in need of some speedy attention.The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory satellite was originally called the "Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Explorer" when NASA launched it in 2004. It has since been renamed to honor its longtime principle … [Read more...] about Swift Descending
GOA on Trump
So I got this email a while back from Gun Owners of America, one of the many gun rights groups that has been building a name for itself now that the National Rifle Association is faltering. Going out over the signature of Executive Vice President Erich Pratt, it's an amazing bit of fantasy:Mark - President Trump has made it crystal clear: he’s committed to restoring and … [Read more...] about GOA on Trump
Yes, It’s a Bribe
I've been taking a break from posting for the last few weeks. I'd like to get posting again, so I thought I'd start with an easy one.I spent several years working for a defense contractor, during which time I sometimes had to meet with our points-of-contact in the Department of Defense. We'd usually end up going out to lunch, and one thing I learned pretty quickly is that … [Read more...] about Yes, It’s a Bribe