Tuesday, July 27, 2004

As I have said before and as Ron Reagan asked people to do tonight.  I am a single issue voter.  That issue is stem cell research.  Parkinsons and Type I diabetes impacts my family.  End of story.  10:15:24 PM    Comment_ Trackback []

Christopher Hitchens, earlier this year, hit on what is throwing off most analysts and historians about Iraq.  This guerrilla conflict doesn't follow older models.  However, he's wrong in concluding that because it doesn't, the conflict will fizzle.  There's a similar problem with al Qaeda and its affiliates.  It isn't a terrorist organization of the type we know and understand, and therefore the measures we are using will fail to unravel it.  People are spending lots of cycles chasing their tails on this.  Every cycle wasted means we are falling further behind. 8:18:26 PM    Comment_ Trackback []

Nigerian piracy most deadly in the world.  It's gaining steam. 3:53:07 PM    Comment_ Trackback []

Global guerrilla targeting works again.   Note:  the firm that withdrew has had problems with employees in Iraq before. 3:49:31 PM    Comment_ Trackback []

Jason does a good job with a wrap-up of the Halliburton overcharging/mismanagement hearings.  Frankly, the US is growing increasingly dependent on Halliburton in Iraq due to GG disruption.  I am surprised they aren't more upfront about their outrageous pricing.  Just put it out there and say take it or leave it. 9:50:45 AM    Comment_ Trackback []

Brits to form new deep black counter-terrorism unit (The Times).  A dedicated special forces unit is being assembled alongside the SAS and SBS to infiltrate and destroy Osama Bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network.  The unit, nicknamed the "X-men", has already begun recruiting and is expected eventually to comprise some 600 men and women from all three armed services and the intelligence agencies. Much of the core of the unit will be made up of undercover surveillance operators who have honed their skills fighting terrorists in Northern Ireland.  More than 150 members of the 14th Intelligence and Security Company, have already left Northern Ireland and are forming the nucleus of  the new unit.  Particular efforts will be made to recruit people of Arabic appearance in addition to members of ethnic minority communities and Muslims. The unit would be expected to operate around the world as well as to counter the terrorism threat in Britain itself. 8:30:11 AM    Comment_ Trackback []

Iran is working hard to improve it's exchange program for Caspian crude.  Currently its 120,000 barrels a day. 8:20:10 AM    Comment_ Trackback []

NS.  These fighter controlled drone swarms sound very cool (hornets?).  Most likely using a form of stigmergic learning as the basis for the software.  Instead of a "wall of Eagles" a "cloud of drones."  Problem is:  we don't have any conventional foe to use this against.  The development of new technology in conventional military systems is now akin to pushing on a string.   Regardless, we continue to spend tens of billions on it every year.  Sorry Tom Clancy. BTW, this is one of the only references I can find on Google to a "Wall of Eagles" 0730: The push. Eight of the world's finest air superiority fighters cross the line into enemy territory in a wall of Eagles that spans 20 miles from end to end. Like a giant broom, the Eagles sweep the skies, killing any red aircraft that could be a factor. 8:08:49 AM    Comment_ Trackback []

An example of what I am looking for in the previous post (hopefully doing a much better job than I could): Bloggers.  Input from national press/TV.  Big positive feedback loop from cross links and internal conversations.  Amplifies national press/TV.  Low negative feedback due to fatigue.  Talk/News Radio.  Input from national press/TV.  Minor positive feeback loop through internal referencing.  Major amplification of national press/TV with a high distortion quotient. Local TV and press.  Numerous syndicated sources of input.  Local input internally derived (can be syndicated outbound).  Wide diversity of selection criteria.  High negative feedback due to fatigue.  Not influenced much by major network (editorial control from CBS/NBC/ABC etc.) negative feedback.  BTW.  It would be a fairly interesting excercise to map this out as part of a computer model 7:25:36 AM    Comment_ Trackback []

Has anyone done any analysis of the new media landscape as a system?  Its diversity, decentralization, multiplexed conduits, lack of negative feedback, etc.  I am looking for something as insightful as Boorstin's "The Image" with some systems thinking.  6:47:10 AM    Comment_ Trackback []