Published in Dean’s List·PinnedMember-onlyTime to Say Thank You to Donald TrumpThe defeated ex-president saved America from a red wave — The final results of the 2022 mid-term elections are not yet in, but we know enough to celebrate. The red wave some of us feared didn’t happen. Democrats won in places where history says they should have lost. A lot more people voted than pundits predicted. All that is good. …News4 min readNews4 min read
Published in Six Word Photo Story Challenge·2 days agoMember-onlyOur Very Patriotic NeighborSix Word Photo Story: Freestyle — Great neighbors make for great neighborhoods Moving into a new community can be a challenge. It is usually impossible to know who your new neighbors will be. If they turn out bad, much of the excitement of a new home can be lost. But if your neighbors are interesting, friendly, and helpful, you’ve hit the jackpot…Six Word Photo Story2 min readSix Word Photo Story2 min read
Published in Dean’s List·3 days agoMember-onlyI Just Spotted Another One!How many did Xi send? — Xi Jinping is at it again. I just spotted another one. This one has some sort of a huge lightbulb inside of it. It lit up the spy. The ruse is that the Chinese are trying to make it look like the moon. Pretty clever. My question is what militarily-useful…News1 min readNews1 min read
Published in Dean’s List·3 days agoMember-onlyBiden Popped Xi’s BalloonDon’t get too excited — As soon as I learned that the Air Force had shot down the Chinese balloon, I rushed to my computer to watch the video. The short clip of American fighter jets dispatching the balloon is satisfying, so satisfying that I have now watched it at least 17 times. I also…News4 min readNews4 min read
Published in Dean’s List·5 days agoMember-onlyHow to Respond to the Chinese Spy BalloonNot an easy question — I checked the skies this afternoon for the Chinese spy balloon, but it hasn’t made it to Florida yet. I’ll check again before dark, but would prefer that the U.S. …China3 min readChina3 min read
Published in Dean’s List·Feb 1Member-onlyTrump Groundhog DayThe drill is growing more tiresome — These days when you hear the words “Groundhog Day,” you think more about the Bill Murray movie than about how much longer winter will last. In the movie, a self-absorbed weatherman finds himself repeating Groundhog Day over and over again. With each repetition, he gets a bit wiser. …Political Humor3 min readPolitical Humor3 min read
Published in Dean’s List·Jan 30Member-onlyThe War in Ukraine is About to Get UglierWill the weapons escalation backfire? — So, the United States will now provide Ukraine with M1 Abrams tanks in addition to the Patriot missile system. What’s next, F-16s? B-2s? Nuclear aircraft carriers? The latter two are highly unlikely, but F-16 fighter jets are not. What has changed in the year since February 24, 2022, when Russia…Ukraine4 min readUkraine4 min read
Jan 28Member-onlyWhy Name an SUV After a Submarine?That is the question of the day. — In January 1954, Mamie christened the USS Nautilus, the world's first operational nuclear submarine. The ship served proudly until 1980. The sub is now a museum piece, on permanent exhibit in Connecticut at the Submarine Force Library and Museum. …Automotive2 min readAutomotive2 min read
Published in Dean’s List·Jan 28Member-onlyAge is Just a Number — Or Is It?Perspectives on a complicated issue — Last week my good friend, Spy columnist Maria Grant and I were enjoying lunch together when she told me she was thinking about a column on aging. The article would be about athletes that defy age by performing at a high level against teammates and competitors close to half their…Ageism5 min readAgeism5 min read
Published in Dean’s List·Jan 27Member-onlyIs ChatGPT About to Replace Us?Are our worst fears about AI coming true? — Did you hear that ChatGPT got a B on a Wharton Business School exam? That scared many of us, especially those of us in academia. Have detection-proof opportunities for cheating in college, and at all other levels of education, been created? And what about the potential of Chat GPT displacing…AI4 min readAI4 min read
