nerdgirl

Concur. That's why public sector salaries are public, whereas many private sector ones aren't. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

I thought the reason for the season had to do with the tilt of the earth's axis and rotation around the sun. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

What Sandi wrote. It's to your benefit, if you have the time, to individualize each for each school (really department at the grad level), if the dept is known for something (method, area, approach/theoretical framework). Good luck! /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Clever! For the right guy (or gurl) that would make a really cool Christmas present. I'd love one that looks like a piece of an old M-55 GB rocket. That might be more of a vase than a mug tho.' /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

If that really is him. /Marg ... I can't believe I'm posting in this thread. Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

If they were, confirmation would only come through multi-layer encryption on JWICs. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

At least one woman voted “small” over a “battery operated boyfriend.” Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Yes. Got the H1N1 vaccine and the seasonal flu shot last week. Pulling the band-aids off was the only discomfort. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

"It" being Obama's strategy so I don't necessarily see that as blaming Bush as much as I see it as an attempted low blow at Obama. Different interpretation than I first made. You might be right. I remember that too. It’s a good question, imo. I don’t think it had anything to do with the process underlying the most recent decision to authorize more deployments tho. One can look at it in at least a couple ways. GEN McKiernan, believed an Iraq-style surge such wouldn’t work in Afghanistan was replaced by GEN McChrystal. It was through listening to and consideration of his new Afghanistan commander’s advice that President Obama came to the conclusions that underly the decision to authorize additional troops deployments. Gen McKiernan said “what is required is a ‘sustained commitment’ to a counterinsurgency effort that could last many years and would ultimately require a political, not military, solution.” I still agree with that assessment. And that doesn’t really sound that different than what GEN McChrystal wrote in the leaked COMISAF Initial Assessment: “Additional resources are required, but focusing on force or resource requirements misses the point entirely. The key take away from this assessment is the urgent need for a significant change to our strategy and the way that we think and operate. “This is a different kind of fight. We must conduct classic counterinsurgency operations in an environment that is uniquely complex. Three regional insurgencies have intersected with a dynamic blend of local power struggles in a country damaged by 30 years of conflict. This makes for a situation that defies simple solutions or quick fixes. Success demands a comprehensive counterinsurgency (COIN) campaign." And in that, along with other parts of the assessment and other comments, is the place where I see the problem. It’s not just the complaints about a deadline because it supposedly signals something to the Taliban. Successful counterinsurgencies take, on average, 12-15 years. Does the American public -all of it- have the stomach or does the American treasury have the credit for 12 to 15 years? And do we have the political will to do what they keep saying we need to do, which has very little to do with military force structure? More importantly, im-ever-ho, focusing on deh surge or the tentative deadline, still does not address the critical need for a civilian side and reconstruction, or as GEN Petraeus noted, back in April: “a whole of government approach is required, one that integrates all tools available international and interagency partners.” That’s what I found so noteworthy (or was it prescient? … ) SecDef Gates during his Senate testimony on Thursday invoking Charlie Wilson and the “mistake” (from the days when Gates was CIA) of only supplying guns but not pursuing reconstruction efforts. Too much of the discussion here, in Congress, and in the media (including the blog-o-sphere) is still being framed in terms of ‘boots-on-ground’ as the single variable of importance, imo. To again cite GEN McChystal “new resources are not the crux …. Our strategy cannot be focused on seizing terrain or destroying insurgent troops; our objective must be the population.” One can readily understand why ‘boots-on-the-ground’ gets the focus. We do traditional military operations well. It’s the common point of reference for many here. “Reconstruction” sounds too much like foreign aid. SecDef Gates has been speaking publically since at least fall 2007 (the Kansas talk) about the need for increased civilian capacity, i.e., the |R| of SSTR. He continues to speak about the critical need. One of the biggest faults -- & this reflects my priorities – that I have had thus far with President Obama is the delay in nominating a director of USAID. Finally got a nominee in November, and while he’s clearly a smart and capable individual with some private sector experience (in the Gates Foundation, ironically enough ), I don’t see anything in his record to suggest that he can spell COIN. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Hmmm … I’ve accessed the site successfully from three different computers. Anyone else able to access the site yesterday? Cause now I’m curious. I’ve got a couple speculations … but would like to add a couple more data points. Attached pdf versions of the statements. I think the banners, which don’t show up in the pdf versions (had to size for dz.com limits) are interesting too, imo. The English language version of the Voices of Jihad site incorporates only a version of the traditional seal of Afghanistan. The other language versions (Pashto, Urdu, Farsi/Dari, and Arabic) use the white Taliban flag with the Shahada Islamic creed, i.e., “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God” in Arabic on a blue background. They are specifically altering internet-based propaganda to the (anticipated) audience. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

The pages are loading for me. So not sure whether it's my coimputer/connection or something else? /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

So it's my fault you can't keep up? /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Only if you had sex. Metrosexual is really just the subway equivalent of the mile-hi club It's only 5 minutes btw Pentagon Station and National Airport stops. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Go check SC - I replied to one of your posts over there already today. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

I'm really a large brown/black dog, but knew no one would take me seriously, Zak? Everyone takes him very seriously. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

No, I'm an iconoclast - don't stick to the program well. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Cool. My real identity is Diana Prince. And I’m sticking to that story. … I like it.

If somebody enjoys going downtown while going downtown on a train; does that make them a metro sexual? I rode on the Metro today ... does that count? (Probably not.) /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

One of the neat … or annoying (depending on your perspective) … things about Speakers Corner is that there are a lot of folks who know a lot about things that one wouldn’t necessarily expect. It’s one of things that I like about SC. Helps keep me honest.

Thanks for the link. Logistics … the not-so-sexy but oh-so-critical side of military operations. Remember the issue with Manas AB in Kyrgyzstan? As of mid-November, it’s still unresolved … & Russia has been/is playing international politics. (I think they Kyrgyz President failed to sign the bill … so back to Parliament … I think.) NATO forces from France and Belgium were forced off Manas AB and are using a base in Tajikistan, iirc. On the topic of President Obama’s announcement & whose war something is or isn't (but not related to logistics): “Statement of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan [i.e., the ‘official’ name of the Taliban - nerdgirl] Regarding Obama’s New Strategy.” Interesting & quick read, imo, but no major surprises. They deny having bases in Pakistan, claim they’re not the bad guys (the “deceit”[ful] US/west is), and blame President Bush too: “it [OEF/NATO ISAF] has been formulated under the pressure of (army) generals of Pentagon, the American Neo-conservatives and the wealthiest fews [sic] of America and for the protection of their interests.” The Taliban statment is largely formulated for the domestic Afghan-Pashtun audience and parts of the US domestic audience, imo. There’s a brand new entry on the site on “Who Are [sic] Responsible for the Anarchy in Afghanistan?” too. (Short answer: it’s our fault.) In addition to posting an English language version, the Taliban also translate also into Urdu, “Persian” (Farsi), and Arabic. Strategic communications redux, eh? “It is just plain embarrassing that al-Qaeda is better at communicating its message on the internet than America”? USCENTCOM has Farsi and Arabic versions too. The Taliban (& other Islamists/jihadists sites) started posting translations well before we did. NATO ISAF is in English only. By a skein of logic (that may only be apparent to me sitting here at DCA -[at myself]), you’ve got me thinking about what President Obama & his DoD is doing w/r/t strategic communications – thanks!

The most insightful, meaningful, and non-partisan, imo, challenges w/r/t the Afghan strategy came earlier this morning from Sen Dick Lugar (R-IN) during the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) testimony on Afghanistan: The Road Ahead. Sen Lugar’s opening statement. Foxnews.com article “Afghanistan Plan ‘Incomplete’ Without Pakistan Push, Lugar Says,” which catches only about a quarter of what Sen Lugar emphasized, again im-ever--ho. E.g., misses emphasis, at the start, that Sen Lugar made on civil-military coordination, nuclear Pakistan, and recognition of the value of not making quick decisions just because that might be politically popular: “the advocacy of the President and his national security team must be as broad-minded and thorough as his policy review appeared to be.” As I type SecDef Gates is testifying (pop-up link from the SFRC site, probably available via C-SPAN too) and talking about Charlie Wilson and the “mistake” (from the days when he was CIA) of only supplying guns but not pursuing reconstruction efforts. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

A few: Clive Owen’s character, Dr. Nick Callahan, in _Beyond Borders_ James Bond as played by Sean Connery Jeff Goldblum’s character, David Levinson, in _Independence Day_ Daniel Day-Lewis as Hawkeye in _Last of the Mohicans_ Han Solo COL Tom Devoe in _The Peacemaker_ /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

I had to take 2 years (8 quarters) of gym in high school. The only quarter in which I didn’t get an “A” was the quarter in which (what I considered to be a ridiculously large) part of one’s grade was based on shooting free throws. Standing free throws, i.e., not moving. The gym teacher was a big basketball fan. Short white girl can’t shoot free throws ... still. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Excellent post overall, imo! Curious - how do you (or anyone else) differentiate the relatively harmless 'nut jobs' from the not-so-harmless ones? /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Fabulous! And some fabulous comments. (Who said SC isn't funny? ... humorous that is not weird.) And I concur w/r/t the Bantha slips. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying