In a long, academic, but still intriguing piece for Foreign Affairs Stephen Biddle argues that policy discussion in the United States about the war in Iraq is mistaken in advocating that, “the United States must fight the Vietnam War again — but this time the right way.” Biddle points out that the war in Iraq is not a war of national liberation like Vietnam, and that training Iraqi troops to take on law enforcement responsibilities is probably the worst approach when such strong divisions still exist between groups within Iraqi society. Most interesting from my perspective, however, is how well Biddle illustrates that being able to predict the future is really about removing the blinders of the past to truly observe the present.
All posts by Jeremy Lyon
Malcolm Gladwell Has A Blog
Homebrew Rocket Science
There’s an article at Popular Science that I find absolutely captivating. It’s about Juan Lozano, a Mexican hobbyist who built his own jetpack from scratch. While the pack’s usefulness is limited by its fuel capacity, there’s a retropulp DIY feel to the story that makes the geek in me smile.
FeedTree: Peer-To-Peer Syndicaton
I can see why a system like FeedTree would be useful to web publishers who want to reduce the load on their servers, but I have a hard time buying that what users really need is faster RSS. This might be a P2P bridge too far.
THE JIMINY DEVICE by Lisa Mantchev
“The Jiminy Device” from Lisa Mantchev is a delightfully snarky satire of celebrity taken to its logical (and entourage-encrusted) extreme.
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The Jiminy Device
by Lisa Mantchev
“What do you mean you’re leaving?”
Shock and disbelief clouded London’s brow (despite the neurotoxin injections) as she stared at her lover. Marcel only shrugged. When one of his people scribbled a note and handed it to him, he read it cold.
“We’re drifting apart. It’s not you, it’s me.” He took the cigarette out of his mouth and glared at the hapless scriptwriter. She withered visibly behind her cheap haircut. “This is what I pay you for?” He shook his head and his stylist adjusted the tousled locks with a comb.
London sniffed, trying to muster some tears. Her special effects guy produced a squirt bottle of saline when she couldn’t quite manage it on her own. Her personal trainer (Tony… or was it Toby?) glared at Marcel. “You can’t leave me. I’m an heiress for god’s sake. I’m leaving you.”
Neil and Susanna, their respective PR generals, glowered at each other. Index fingers hovered over cell phones, ready to speed-dial the Associated Press. Continue reading THE JIMINY DEVICE by Lisa Mantchev