(2) the new intelligence report about how the Iraq war has made us less safe
Just suggestions, of course. Thank you ...
Posted by MaGlick (Member # 9648) on :
Jericho is for thumbsuckers. Really, really bad and disappointing.
Check out the new novel by Cormac McCarthy, The Road. You want after the nukes? He gives ya after the nukes.
Started reading that book at 10 pm, expecting to knock out a chapter before snoozing. Flipped the last page and then the lightswitch around 2:30 in the am.
Awesome. Heart-rending. Touching.
No Skeetch Ulrich, though.
Posted by MaGlick (Member # 9648) on :
And as for point 2:
Doncha know that intelligence analysts are just ivy-league posers trying to impress godless, politically-correct, granola-munching, psuedo-intellectual womyn with their short-sighted, culturally-corrosive agenda of appeasing cultural relitivists?
C'mon. Any administration whose intelligence apperatus (the good part, not the aforereferenced ninnies) calls in prominant young adult sf writers and consults w Lahaye on a consistent basis has gotta have their shtuff together.
If you flip to the editorial page for any reason other than checkin out the newest Mallard Fillmore, you are a termite noshing on grandma's nativity display, acid rain corroding the porte cochere outside Balley's (and mussin Dana Plato's hair), the Mayor from Jericho--Major Dad himself--spearing a woozy wild boar tied to a tree on a canned hunt. Cripes, did you ever see the footage of Major Dad killing that pig? Really happened. Really disgusting.
[ September 29, 2006, 10:40 AM: Message edited by: MaGlick ]
Posted by Libbie (Member # 9529) on :
Is Jericho bad? Bummer. I was so hoping for a good post-apocalyptic TV show.
Posted by Omega M. (Member # 7924) on :
Yeah, Jericho is taking way too long in revealing what's happening in the country at large. And I don't really care whether any individual townperson lives or dies, so the show's not that suspenseful. The people don't seem to talk realistically enough, either. Maybe the show would be better if it took place in a relatively unaffected suburban area close to a big city that was bombed, so people could get information more quickly.
Posted by Libbie (Member # 9529) on :
Wow, dang. That sounds pretty icky.
Posted by Nikisknight (Member # 8918) on :
Speaking of Good TV shows, anyone catch Sci-fi this summer? (sorry if I just missed the threads!) Eureka is a pretty good new drama/comedy series, and Who Wants to be a Super Hero was funny, in an over the top cheesey kind of way.
Posted by airmanfour (Member # 6111) on :
quote:Originally posted by MaGlick: And as for point 2:
Doncha know that intelligence analysts are just ivy-league posers trying to impress godless, politically-correct, granola-munching, psuedo-intellectual womyn with their short-sighted, culturally-corrosive agenda of appeasing cultural relitivists?
C'mon. Any administration whose intelligence apperatus (the good part, not the aforereferenced ninnies) calls in prominant young adult sf writers and consults w Lahaye on a consistent basis has gotta have their shtuff together.
Know many intelligence analysts do you?
I've said this before. There are a bunch of reports written all the time (sometimes contradicting one another) that aren't available for public consumption, and the only ones that you see are used politically. It's not the analysts that are screwing up, it's the people that receive the reports.
Posted by Libbie (Member # 9529) on :
quote:Originally posted by MaGlick: And as for point 2:
Doncha know that intelligence analysts are just ivy-league posers trying to impress godless, politically-correct, granola-munching, psuedo-intellectual womyn with their short-sighted, culturally-corrosive agenda of appeasing cultural relitivists?
Please tell me you were being facetious. My husband was an intelligence analyst for the NSA for five years. He was considered VERY GOOD at what he did. Your description is the polar opposite of him in absolutely every way. I admit that he only got into intelligence after being told he couldn't be a pilot due to his total crap vision, but he really came to be intrigued and energized by the nature of the work. He's modest about it, but I think he knows he did a very important job.
And he still takes it very seriously - he never has, and never will, hinted at so much as a shred of anything he learned. Except to tell me that nobody's as secure as we all think we are, and that he knows things about the world that would "turn your hair white to hear them."
He suffered a lot for working in intelligence, too. They worked him on the graveyard shift (best for analyzing international signals, of course), and five years of an unnatural sleep cycle plus all the things he had to know about have left him with severe sleep disorders (night terrors, regular sleep paralysis, etc.) Plus, he still can't get to bed before 6:00 am on weekends, which is annoying. He's been fighting depression since working in intelligence, too. It's a taxing, difficult job that only a very particular type of person can take on without cracking and going nuts.
That's why I know you were being facetious.
And they called in that SF author for *brainstorming,* not consultation, which Will tells me is something they OFTEN do. "What could POSSIBLY happen that we aren't thinking of? Give us every conceivable scenario, and even some totally ridiculously inconceivable ones." Guys who work overnight behind desks unscrambling signals from foreign countries about killing all Americans aren't exactly fit to be on the cutting edge of creativity, you know. It makes sense they'd want to bring in some fresh minds to light a few fires under their butts and get their wheels turning.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Libbie, how does one enter that line of work?
Posted by MrSquicky (Member # 1802) on :
I'm pretty sure MaGlick was doing satire of OSC's response of fictionalized ad-homs towards people who disagree with the Bush administration.
[ September 30, 2006, 03:40 PM: Message edited by: MrSquicky ]
Posted by MaGlick (Member # 9648) on :
I cannot stress enough how good "The Road" was. One sitting read. Beautiful ending.
Storm your libraries.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Actually, I couldn't tell if MaGlick was being satirical. At first I thought he was, but as I read more it seemed more likely to me that he was actually serious.
Posted by airmanfour (Member # 6111) on :
Libbie - Since you're in CA, and you put a finite number on his work I guess he's done. Where did they put him? And how recent was it? You tell him I'm in GA he'll probably make a face. Definately probably.
Posted by Libbie (Member # 9529) on :
quote:Originally posted by Icarus: Libbie, how does one enter that line of work?
Are you interested in getting into it?
In my husband's case, it was presented as an option after he entered the Air Force. Other people get into it by earning degrees in criminal psychology, law, and related fields of study. You have to apply (they have positions listed on their web site), and go through a very rigorous and LOOOONNNG screening process before they decide to give you clearance of any kind.
Posted by Libbie (Member # 9529) on :
quote:Originally posted by MrSquicky: I'm pretty sure MaGlick was doing satire of OSC's response of fictionalized ad-homs towards people who disagree with the Bush administration.
Okay, good. Because that scared me. Just a little bit.
HUGS ALL AROUND!
Posted by Libbie (Member # 9529) on :
quote:Originally posted by airmanfour: Libbie - Since you're in CA, and you put a finite number on his work I guess he's done. Where did they put him? And how recent was it? You tell him I'm in GA he'll probably make a face. Definately probably.
Hey, airman - we're heading out to karaoke, so I'll reply tomorrow!
Posted by Libbie (Member # 9529) on :
quote:Originally posted by airmanfour: Libbie - Since you're in CA, and you put a finite number on his work I guess he's done. Where did they put him? And how recent was it? You tell him I'm in GA he'll probably make a face. Definately probably.
That was a good night of karaoke.
I'm actually in Wachington State, but you were close.
He was at Ft. Meade, in Maryland. He worked for the NSA. He was there from 1999 - 2003.
He assures me that GA isn't as bad as Goodfellow AFB. Apparently nothing is as bad as Goodfellow.
Posted by tmservo (Member # 8552) on :
I live in Kansas. Spent my life in Kansas. Jericho is no Kansas I know of
OK, Jericho is pretty bad. But i'ts pretty bad because it takes itself so dang seriously. I think you could do a great post-apocolypse show if it had some humorous stories also. Jericho is so "stressed". I keep waiting for people to say "let's throw an orgy!" "Free racing down I70 with no tickets!" and so forth. You know, some Mad Max type elements. Because don't get me wrong, I'd love to believe that a small town mayor could unite a city and keep order after a nuclear holocaust, but somehow I think the human condidtion would dictate a certain percentage of people would go koo-koo and the hijinx would begin also.
I know, the holocaust isn't funny.. but it COULD be for the sake of the show. They need to get some more "Northern Exposure" kind of writing into it.
Posted by Libbie (Member # 9529) on :
"I know Kansas. I am good friends with Kansas. You, sir, are no Kansas."
Posted by lynn johnson (Member # 9620) on :
Have you all checked out Heros? I watched the first episode last week on NBC and was quite impressed with the characters and the writing. It is on tonight, 8:00 in flyover country.
I especially liked the Japanese character, a total nerd but heartwarming. The internet stripper with her flaws (long term planning is 15 minutes from now) and so on was quite good. In fact, I found myself caring about all the characters by the end of the episode, and loved the suprise ending.
You can apparently stream it on nbc.com, if you missed episode 1.
Did I mention I liked the show?
Posted by Omega M. (Member # 7924) on :
Well, no "Jericho" review in OSC's latest column. And, last night, again we learned almost nothing new about the nuclear attack. I hope this show doesn't get cancelled before it reaches some kind of ending.
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
On the intelligence report, I'm not sure if there is actually more radical Islamic fundamentalism. What I am sure of is America is now sharing the brunt of this hatred that has been directed at Israel for decades. And that is where the September 11 attack came from, anger at our policy of sustaining Israel. I think the military intelligence conglomerate that is linked to this report is concerned about the position this places America in, since they want America to have security. But I think leaving Israel to suffer its fortunes alone is too high a price.
Posted by Omega M. (Member # 7924) on :
OSC, I'm sure you've already considered this, but World Watch could really use another North Korea essay given recent events.
![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)
Please tell me you were being facetious. My husband was an intelligence analyst for the NSA for five years. He was considered VERY GOOD at what he did. Your description is the polar opposite of him in absolutely every way. ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
He's been fighting depression since working in intelligence, too. It's a taxing, difficult job that only a very particular type of person can take on without cracking and going nuts.![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)