Jobs Awaiting
September 19, 2010One nefarious up-tick of a shit-bad economy is an increase in cannon fodder. The New York Times reported in January 2009: “When the economy slackens and unemployment rises and jobs become more scarce in civilian…
Author Archives: Bruce Maulden
Lost in Translation
September 18, 2010Everybody everywhere always tries to put a little positive spin on nasty, unsettling or just plain dangerous shit, especially in connection with the two biggest influence-disasters facing mankind — peak oil and global warming (excuse…
Lawrence of Afghanistan: ‘Eating Soup with a Knife’
September 17, 2010In Vietnam, so many, many years ago, the US employed a “search and destroy” tactic, but it failed big time: As one marine captain explained: “You never knew who was the enemy and who was…
Dead Eye in the Sky
September 16, 2010Killing people from afar has always been the safest bet in any kind of murderous situation — the longbow ended the age of chivalrous knights, and the firearm put the archer out of work —…
Sunrise til Morning
September 15, 2010(Illustration found here). “Dawn“Â by Miss Emily Dickinson When night is almost done, And sunrise grows so near That we can touch the spaces, It ‘s time to smooth the hair And get the dimples…
News Views
September 14, 2010Although informative and hilarious, the TV news programs on Comedy Central present a stark, and sad reminder of just how bad journalism in general (or honest-to-goodness news gathering) has become in the last few years.…
The Day After
September 12, 2010What a complete, horrible mess the US nine years and some 24 hours following the attack on the World Trade Center, an event apparently which has become a turgid line drawn in the sands of…
Herculean Disappointment
September 6, 2010UPDATE BELOW If there’s going to be any kind of future history — or any kind of logical future history with all the shit hitting the earth’s fan right now — President Obama will be…
Canary In Ice
September 5, 2010One of those extremely-dramatic moments, though, executed in easy, slow steps: Scientists studying an Indonesian tropical glacier witnessed first hand life with climate change: The glacier was literally melting under their feet. From NPR (including…
Pessimistic Realist
September 4, 2010Ocean water all over is apparently getting warmer. Above the Bering Strait, in the Chukchi Sea, northwest of Alaska, the water there is nearly pool worthy as recorded in this captain’s blog: “The water temperature…