Chaos Manor View, Tuesday, October 27, 2015
The Surface remains unusable, and I sort of need it; the consensus among my advisors is that I had a bad keyboard connection, and the endless blue-screen, diagnosis, repair, reset, blue screen has happened to others. The remedy is said to be start in safe mode, but to do that I need a keyboard it listens to, and it doesn’t do that until it has an operating system, and — We’ll try a USB keyboard next. There has to be some way to nuke it from orbit and install everything new, and we’ll get to that sometime this week. I like the Surface Pro a lot, but this is sure changing my mind about giving it a place among the machines I can rely on.
Tomorrow’s Wednesday and Niven and Barnes will be over, and the day pretty well devoted to fiction. It’s early on in the campaign season so there’s not much to be said.
The other night I hit 33 by mistake when I thought I was hitting fast forward, and found myself in CNN which I don’t watch; but there was Carly Fiorina in a town hall meeting, small audience, and she was taking questions. I listened for half an hour or longer. She took every question, gave thoughtful answers to each, some at length, and I don’t think I disagreed with her on any of the answers. It wasn’t always the policy I’d adopt, but none of what she’d do was anathema, either. I’d be happy with her for President. I don’t suppose she has the money to win the nomination, but it’s not impossible. Of course I expect that thousands, thousands, I tell you, heard her performance.
One thing she said was that the bureaucracy is killing us; reducing its size is complicated; but several hundred thousand retire every year, and she wouldn’t replace a single one of them. That alone would shrink the government over a few years, and she could do that as President…
And it’s back to fiction.
It’s still pledge week at KUSC and thus at Chaos Manor. This place operates on the public radio plan. It’s free, but if you don’t subscribe and renew, it will go away. We got a lot of renewals, and some new subscribers this week, so the trend is in the right direction. If you haven’t subscribed, do so now, it’s as good a time as any. If you haven’t renewed this year, this is a good time to do it. Go to http://www.jerrypournelle.com/paying.html and do it now. You’ll feel better. I’ll feel better…
“Finally, after months of beads being spitted uncontrollably from the tractor beam we had success. All my hard work has paid off, it’s brilliant.”
—————————————
Roland Dobbins
Darth Vader’s Death Star and Captain Kirk’s Starship Enterprise both had one.
Now the tractor beam, that science fiction favourite deployed to memorable
effect in numerous films and television series over the years, has finally arrived on Earth.
Not quite what we wanted, but this one works…
Now THIS…
…should be VERY interesting!
“The Interstellar Woman of Mystery”
http://www.Stephanie-Osborn.com
My Last Email on ISIS
Hopefully, this will be the last time I email you about ISIS; I’ve been hearing the word “Daesh” lately, But I didn’t look into it until
now:
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The term “Daesh” is strategically a better choice because it is still accurate in that it spells out the acronym of the group’s full Arabic name, al-Dawla al-Islamiya fi al-Iraq wa al-Sham. Yet, at the same time, “Daesh” can also be understood as a play on words — and an insult. Depending on how it is conjugated in Arabic, it can mean anything from “to trample down and crush” to “a bigot who imposes his view on others.” Already, the group has reportedly threatened to cut out the tongues of anyone who uses the term.
Why do they care so much? The same reason the United States should.
Language matters.
With some 30,000 to 50,000 fighters, Daesh is a relatively small group, and propaganda is central to its growth strategy. Whether hijacking popular Twitter hashtags or using little known distribution channels to post videos to YouTube, their leadership knows that the war of words online is just as key to increasing its power and influence as the actual gruesome acts they commit on the ground.
By using the militants’ preferred names, the US government implicitly gives them legitimacy. But referring to the group as Daesh doesn’t just withhold validity. It also might help the United States craft better policy.
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As always, the information war is important and ongoing. This article makes a clear, valid point.
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Most Respectfully,
Joshua Jordan, KSC
Percussa Resurgo
I prefer to call it The Caliphate, which expresses their goals perfectly.
Why ‘climate justice’ has India and the West at each other’s throats
The developing nations seem to have finally realized that Carbon emissions restrictions equal energy rationing which equals restrictions on economic growth.
http://theweek.com/articles/584216/why-climate-justice-india-west-each-others-throats
James Crawford=
Took ‘em long enough to figure it out. I pointed that out in A Step Farther Out a long time ago..
Islam, 1,400 years of Murder
This is an interesting video and I believe it is worth your time. If you would humor me and take 10 minutes of time to check it out, I’d like your opinion.
I knew the German barbarians weren’t as stupid as they tell us in school, but I didn’t know Islam seems to be responsible for the Dark Ages, the corruption of Christianity into what passes as the same in 2015, and more…
It’s hard to disagree with him…. But, I’m not a historian…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONhVB9kIzKI
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Most Respectfully,
Joshua Jordan, KSC
Percussa Resurgo
Islam, historically, engages in economic warfare whenever it can.
That video I sent you today discussed how — before Islam invaded Northern Africa — couriers from Italy to France would use the Mediterranean Sea. After Islam, there was no freedom on the sea and they went through the Alps to avoid pirates — much like the pirates in Somalia today. Back then, you would also be enslaved once your boat and cargo were stolen. This decimated the European economies and Spain fell to Islam.
Bin Laden spoke of the U.S. economy and his criticisms were apt. He said their strategy was to undermine faith in the United States since the US economy was 76% service at the time and he posited the value of a service is only worth what someone will pay for it. Without faith, that price would be lower or something like that. Apparently, he thought attacking financial centers — like the World Trade Center — would wipe out a swathe of our economy. I don’t know where the text of that speech is; I found it on some aggregate news website– maybe Drudge — and read it out of curiosity.
Then consider the latest Al Qaeda threat:
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A notorious al Qaeda magazine is encouraging lone-wolf terrorist attacks on U.S. economic leaders, including Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg and Warren Buffett.
The list in Inspire magazine also included industrialist brothers Charles and David Koch, internet entrepreneur Larry Ellison, and casino magnate Sheldon Adelson. A prominent economist was also on the list but asked that his name be withheld. Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke was named, though not Janet Yellen, who succeeded him.
Also pictured was Jim Walton, one of the heirs to the Wal-Mart fortune, although he was misidentified in the caption as his late father, Sam Walton. Several other names on the list were misspelled.
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Again, we note economic warfare or at least a desire to undertake such warfare. It remains to be seen how effective measures and countermeasure will prove in this latest piece of terrorist theater.
However there is another idea that’s been floating around for a few days at Chaos Manor. James Crawford wrote of the refugee flood and its application as shock troops. He also pointed out — what R.D.
Kaplan referred to — as the disenfranchised warrior class of young men. They have no jobs and are at risk for becoming terrorists. And, how kind of the House of Saud to offer to build a mosque for every 100 refugees in Germany. No doubt they’ll also finance the vitriol laced Friday prayers that are sure to occur in at least a few of these
mosques:
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Saudi Arabia has reportedly responded to the growing number of people fleeing the Middle East for western Europe – by offering to build 200 mosques in Germany.
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And China told it’s people we have a responsibility to care for Syrian refugees and we should take more but they won’t take any. Well, it’s happening on their continent. We have an ocean between us and Syria; how is this our responsibility? But, notice all our enemies are agreed.
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Most Respectfully,
Joshua Jordan, KSC
Percussa Resurgo
Tactics, strategy, and politics
This article is worth most people’s time. While I presume you have a keen grasp of the subject matter contained herein, a past contributor
— whose name escapes me at the moment — mentioned the difference between doctrine and weapons systems. If I were at my PC I run a Google search on your site and name the contributor because the point was apt. However, I’m on my mobile phone and lack the time to do it so I respectfully request allowances in this matter.
Having said that, this article touches upon that point in more detail and applies that point not only in the military sense but also stretches into its implication for the body politic. the article mentions essays and statements by other people commented on the matter and you may find it interesting even if you’re already abreast with the substance of the discussion.
@WarOnTheRocks: If one cannot tell the difference between task and purpose, how can one become a strategist? http://ow.ly/T1xI9
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Most Respectfully,
Joshua Jordan, KSC
Percussa Resurgo
Freedom is not free. Free men are not equal. Equal men are not free.
