Thoughts of the day
The Cathedral and the Bazaar (source: chicagboyz) is by a software programmer about his experience with open source development. "Cathedral" is the metaphor for traditional development by a small group of experts. "Bazaar" is the open source development by a community, where form takes shape sort of like the chaos theory of Jurassic Park. How can open source be applied elsewhere?
War World Vol. 1 The Burning Eye is the 1st book of a "future history" science fiction series created by Jerry Pournelle. I recommend the book; I should look up the other volumes in the series. Two of the stories in the book, "The Deserter" (p 54) by Poul Anderson and "Necessity" (p 227) by S.M. Stirling, stand out. "The Deserter" is about a legendary officer in a military of a crumbling interplanetary empire at war. He has been stationed in a garrison on his home planet, but when he realizes his unit and the empire are leaving his planet for good, he deserts in order to protect his home in the chaotic post-imperial period. When the duty to home and family in troubled circumstances at home contradicts with soldierly duty to a troubled nation, especially in a forward-deployed imperial military, what is an honorable man to do? Perhaps Anderson had in mind the southern USMA cadets and Army officers who defected to the Confederacy in the Civil War. Today, the US is not an empire, but a wounded hegemon of a besieged world order. At what point will our honorable soldiers find their greater duty is at home? In "Necessity", Stirling thoughtfully describes the military heritage of the fictional Jarnsveld Jaegers the way I think our military should be. When I think what can be accomplished with Columbia ROTC, Stirling's vision comes to mind.
Another depressing post from Roissy that hits closer to home than usual. I would have rejected his kind of thinking once upon a time. It still upsets me today. But I'm resigned to the growing undeniable proof he's right. Not all of it, maybe, I still stubbornly hold onto some hope, but enough. At least I know the way I favor is wrong. Oh, and another one is married with children. The sun is setting, like in one of my childhood favorite computer games, Lords of the Rising Sun (youtube clip).
Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey advertises on the PATH train for women to have children using other women's eggs. Their ads ask for egg donors between ages 21 and 30.
Too bad the Celtics lost the NBA finals. I liked what they were about. Pierce, Rondo, Garnett, Davis, Perkins . . . an intense, gritty, skilled, veteran, and champion-proven team. They got up 3-2, took the Lakers to 7 games, and played Game 7 their way in LA, up 15 points in the 3rd quarter, but just didn't have enough in the end - too old, Perkins hurt, Allen's offensive game disappeared. It was a special play-off run for the Celtics; I don't think this Celtics group has another run to the finals.
Mets are 10 games over .500, leading the wildcard standings, and 1.5 games behind the Braves. The Braves aren't giving up the division lead. Both teams have been hot at the same time and beating top AL teams. The Phillies are keeping up with them by beating top AL teams, too. [27June10 update: Mets win and Braves lose, so Mets are .5 games behind the Braves again.]
Boondocks is a very sharp show. Comparison and high praise: it's in the South Park class. Kudos to Aaron McGruder. I don't agree with all his politics (eg, he buys into the wilfully ignorant OIF anti-war narrative), but I appreciate his activism and like that he is critical with insight. The show's opening theme song by Asheru stirs with activism: "I'm a remain a soldier until the war is won."
Chivalry, Bushido, RoE, MPRC. Legal is not right and right is not legal. When the choice is either follow the rules to defeat or do what it takes to win, what do we do? See Dan Simmons' Hyperion story about Colonel Fedmahn Kassad's abandonment of the New Bushido in order to turn around a losing war against the Ousters, thus earning the label Butcher of Bressia.
Saw it on the PATH: MacLaren makes a heck of a baby stroller.
Guilty funny: The Tard Blog.
A GOP volunteer on the street informed that a Michael Chan is running for Congress. I can't find anything about him on-line, though.
Eric
War World Vol. 1 The Burning Eye is the 1st book of a "future history" science fiction series created by Jerry Pournelle. I recommend the book; I should look up the other volumes in the series. Two of the stories in the book, "The Deserter" (p 54) by Poul Anderson and "Necessity" (p 227) by S.M. Stirling, stand out. "The Deserter" is about a legendary officer in a military of a crumbling interplanetary empire at war. He has been stationed in a garrison on his home planet, but when he realizes his unit and the empire are leaving his planet for good, he deserts in order to protect his home in the chaotic post-imperial period. When the duty to home and family in troubled circumstances at home contradicts with soldierly duty to a troubled nation, especially in a forward-deployed imperial military, what is an honorable man to do? Perhaps Anderson had in mind the southern USMA cadets and Army officers who defected to the Confederacy in the Civil War. Today, the US is not an empire, but a wounded hegemon of a besieged world order. At what point will our honorable soldiers find their greater duty is at home? In "Necessity", Stirling thoughtfully describes the military heritage of the fictional Jarnsveld Jaegers the way I think our military should be. When I think what can be accomplished with Columbia ROTC, Stirling's vision comes to mind.
Another depressing post from Roissy that hits closer to home than usual. I would have rejected his kind of thinking once upon a time. It still upsets me today. But I'm resigned to the growing undeniable proof he's right. Not all of it, maybe, I still stubbornly hold onto some hope, but enough. At least I know the way I favor is wrong. Oh, and another one is married with children. The sun is setting, like in one of my childhood favorite computer games, Lords of the Rising Sun (youtube clip).
Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey advertises on the PATH train for women to have children using other women's eggs. Their ads ask for egg donors between ages 21 and 30.
Too bad the Celtics lost the NBA finals. I liked what they were about. Pierce, Rondo, Garnett, Davis, Perkins . . . an intense, gritty, skilled, veteran, and champion-proven team. They got up 3-2, took the Lakers to 7 games, and played Game 7 their way in LA, up 15 points in the 3rd quarter, but just didn't have enough in the end - too old, Perkins hurt, Allen's offensive game disappeared. It was a special play-off run for the Celtics; I don't think this Celtics group has another run to the finals.
Mets are 10 games over .500, leading the wildcard standings, and 1.5 games behind the Braves. The Braves aren't giving up the division lead. Both teams have been hot at the same time and beating top AL teams. The Phillies are keeping up with them by beating top AL teams, too. [27June10 update: Mets win and Braves lose, so Mets are .5 games behind the Braves again.]
Boondocks is a very sharp show. Comparison and high praise: it's in the South Park class. Kudos to Aaron McGruder. I don't agree with all his politics (eg, he buys into the wilfully ignorant OIF anti-war narrative), but I appreciate his activism and like that he is critical with insight. The show's opening theme song by Asheru stirs with activism: "I'm a remain a soldier until the war is won."
Chivalry, Bushido, RoE, MPRC. Legal is not right and right is not legal. When the choice is either follow the rules to defeat or do what it takes to win, what do we do? See Dan Simmons' Hyperion story about Colonel Fedmahn Kassad's abandonment of the New Bushido in order to turn around a losing war against the Ousters, thus earning the label Butcher of Bressia.
Saw it on the PATH: MacLaren makes a heck of a baby stroller.
Guilty funny: The Tard Blog.
A GOP volunteer on the street informed that a Michael Chan is running for Congress. I can't find anything about him on-line, though.
Eric
Labels: rotc, thoughts of the day, veteran
posted by Eric at 6/26/2010 08:20:00 PM
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