[April 30, 2014] It’s hard to believe I overlooked this tidbit about the on-going food figh” [pun intended] on the naming of cheese. The “European Union wants the United States to outright ban certain cheese names …”1,2 My Italian wife missed it too. Here’s the issue in a nutshell – the EU claims that certain foods have geographic… Read More »
[April 30, 2014] I remember the day began with an overcast and eerie stillness about it. This would be the first democratic election held in memory: Iraq, January 20, 2005. Our minds were full of anticipation; our plans prepared for combat, the unknowns frightening. It is now history that on that Sunday a successful election occurred – verifying… Read More »
[April 29 2014] Prior to Russia’s on-going effort to gobble up a free nation, the U.S. State Department, the White House, and political pundits predicted that Russia would not interfere with the country of Ukraine. I wrote about this here and said that “since the U.S. had no strategy, policy, or leadership on the Ukraine, that … we… Read More »
[April 29, 2014] The U.S. State Department is being ridiculed and mocked for using social media Twitter to draw support for the Ukraine and opposing Russian moves in that country. It’s being called “hashtag diplomacy.” Critics are pointing out it may do nothing other than embarrass the United States. Many are questioning, for example, whether the senior leadership… Read More »
[April 28, 2014] The story about colleges and universities giving their athletes unearned or worthless degrees is back in the news. Historically this has been around as an issue since at least the 1980s (maybe earlier) and re-surfaces now and again. Colleges have the mission of providing the best education possible to all who attend. Leadership demands it,… Read More »
[April 28, 2014] World War II veterans have been called the Greatest Generation; and they rightly deserve our admiration. Yet prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, this might not have been the case. Sadly, these veterans are passing away and few will survive the next decade – shutting the door on what we can learn directly from them.… Read More »
[April 27, 2014] As a young Army officer, I learned quickly that there is a direct relationship between keeping Army standards, success, and discipline. This lesson has carried me throughout my career and has been a simple guidepost to what I do in leading my units to accomplish whatever mission we have. I learned that one criteria of… Read More »
[April 26, 2014] There are early reports of a scandal developing in the Veterans Administration, at one facility, alleging improper maintenance of veteran treatment records. It is suspected that VA managers kept two sets of books to make it appear that vets were being treated in a timely manner on the one hand, while not treating some in… Read More »
[April 26, 2014] The lady behind me threw-up in her hat and another said she was happy that she had taken Dramamine1. Otherwise it was an uneventful, slightly turbulent flight. It’s no secret that I travel frequently and therefore experience the tribulations and rewards of doing so. I recently flew for the first time on a small airline… Read More »
[April 25, 2014] An exceptional book this week to review. Again, my travels have kept me limited in reading time but Rick Atkinson’s 628-page book was a great read for me and for students of World War II and Europe. Today, another book that I finished reading and find interesting and recommend: The Guns at Last Light: The… Read More »