D.C. Ready to Acknowledge Its BlackBerry Addiction

By John Hudson/The Atlantic Wire (blogger's note:had this very conversation at this morning's staff meeting) The first step to recovery is acceptance and finally, official Washington is ready to come to grips with reality: It's addicted to the BlackBerry. It's no secret that the District of Columbia is America's last holdout for the cumbersome smartphones. …

USAF Tanker Chief Sees Wichita Move Complicating Program

Aerospace Daily & Defense Report April 3, 2012 Pg. 1 By Amy Butler Boeing’s decision to close down its Wichita facility, which was slated to handle military modifications for the KC-46A aerial refueler, has added some uncertainty and risk into the development effort, according to Maj. Gen. Christopher Bogdan, who oversees the U.S. Air Force …

Why Living In The American Empire Isn’t All That It’s Cracked Up To Be

Paul Craig Roberts for The Daily Reckoning Great empires, such as the Roman and British, were extractive. The empires succeeded, because the value of the resources and wealth extracted from conquered lands exceeded the value of conquest and governance. The reason Rome did not extend its empire east into Germany was not the military prowess …

US Scientists Create Blueprints For Nuclear-Powered Drones

The Guardian (UK) April 3, 2012 Pg. 2 Long flights sought with weapons or spy systems By Nick Fielding American scientists have drawn up plans for a new generation of nuclear-powered drones capable of flying over remote regions of the world for months on end without refuelling. Blueprints for the drones -- which have been …

Why Nations Fail

New York Times April 1, 2012 Pg. SR13 By Thomas L. Friedman I’M reading a fascinating new book called “Why Nations Fail.” The more you read it, the more you appreciate what a fool’s errand we’re on in Afghanistan and how much we need to totally revamp our whole foreign aid strategy. But most intriguing …

Darth Vader: Why I am running for President of the United States of America

By Deathstarpr People of Earth, Your current Presidential candidates have failed me for the last time. Newt Gingrich is promising you a Moon Base by 2020, rather than a moon-sized laser that can destroy planets. Mitt Romney has vowed not to “light his hair on fire” just to rally the conservative base, whilst I have actually been on fire. …