Countermeasures: The Achilles Heel of Missile Defenses

Lynn and I have an ongoing debate about building a missile shield (He's for, I'm against.) Here's some interesting technical info in the "against column".

Three-minute book review: 1984 by George Orwell

Genre: Classics

Recommended: yes

Synopsis: Famous "cautionary tale" about life in a complete totalitarian state.

This one wasn't really a page-turner for me, but if you stick with it (the book is not very long) it's really brilliant.

My favorite part was when Winston finds "The Book" that explains where Big Brother gets his power from. It's an interesting device that allows the author to explain in great detail how the sytem works -- very interesting. A point that I totally missed when analyzing the "greater meaning" in it all (which of course is the whole reason to read the book) was that The Book isn't necessarily true! That sort of blew my mind -- good catch, Lynn.

I know we're supposed to say that this is More Relevant Today Than Ever Before -- but I'm not one of those big anti-government types. Certainly the technology has arrived to make Big Brother a reality, but I just feel like it would take a LONG TIME for the West to get to where Oceania was.

Disclaimer: There was a lot of talk about sex, which I could have done without. So be warned.

One-minute Book Review: Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides

Genre: Military History

Recommended: maybe

Synopsis: The story of allied POWs in the Bataan Death March, and a group of U.S. Army Rangers who rescued them.

Opinion:This book was selected as one of "the year's best" on several 2001 year-end lists. I have to admit was well written, but I felt a little deceived with this one.

The book was billed as the "epic story of WWII's most dramatic mission", but half the book was actually just a re-telling of the Bataan death march and life in Japanese concentration camps. The stories about the mission itself were not nearly as in-depth and harrowing as predicted by the book jacket.

It would be a good one if you're looking for history about the POW camps.

Facing the Music On Iraq (washingtonpost.com)

We're being told by the President that Saddam Hussein is a priority all of the sudden. Hoagland agrees. Would someone explain to me what Saddam has done in the last decade that caused harm to the U.S.?

If he had something to do with the WTC attacks or embassy bombings, then I'm convinced. Otherwise, someone convince me.