I spent a military career opposing the Soviet Union and, at
the end of my service, Russia. You know, the Cold War. This was a very clear
cut binary relationship - the USSR opposed whatever we did, and we countered. I
think most Americans today have lost sight of that conflict, and the ongoing
struggle between our nations, which I have not observed to decrease at all. It
took us to the brink of nuclear war, and has now brought us to the edge of
democracy having its throat cut.
The Russian government under Vladimir Putin is doing every
non-military thing it can to undermine democracy in the world - break up NATO,
destabilize Europe (Brexit), generate turmoil in the Mideast, remove democratic
leaders, and so much more. Now Putin appears to have a willing, eager acolyte
acting as a cheerleader, apologist, and sledgehammer for him – acting more like
a lovesick schoolboy than the world leader he should be.
If you want to know what kind of man Mr. Putin is, and the
world he came from, I can highly recommend a terrifying book - KGB: The Secret Work of Soviet Secret Agents (1974). Go to the library and check out
a copy. Look in your local used book store! Buy it on Amazon if
you must. I went to find my copy but I think I loaned it to someone years ago
and never got it back. I will get another.
I am certain only three things have substantially changed
since this amazing book was published - the USSR is now Russia, the KGB is now
the GRU (yep, you've heard of them in the news every day lately), and active cyber
warfare – hacking, and the use of social media manipulation – has been added to
their bag of tools. Russia has been the bad guy in the world my entire life, and I don't believe that has changed at all today.
Red Storm Rising is another amazing book that illustrates the
Soviet/Russian mindset. When this came out it was the most horrifyingly realistic
fiction I’d ever read, because the story from start to finish was so terribly
plausible. They made a lot of movies from Tom Clancy’s books, but they never
did this one – maybe it’s time to look again!Again, check your library, local bookstore, or Amazon for a copy.
Russia is the largest country on earth and dates back over
1500 years – they play a long, patient game. They hate us for their lost
stature, our freedoms, our diversity, our weather, our resources and so much
more. They will continue to do anything they can to destroy us, including
continued manipulation of our elections to keep their orange faced pet clown in
the U.S. presidency.
A little over half of the U.S. Congress has made it clear they have no interest in exercising the checks and balances required of them in the Constitution, so on November 6 we have the opportunity to vote for freedom, democracy, the rule of law, and the restoration of honor and integrity into our government, which has been stripped away by the current administration.
We must be aware, vigilant, and aggressive in defending
ourselves and our nation. Our "president" has made it clear he will not do so.
Russia is a relatively large nation with abundant natural resources,
but nothing like they commanded as the heart of the old Soviet Union
(empire would've been a better term). They lost the cold war, and much
of their power, prestige, and commanding place in the world, but many of
their leaders remember, and regret, what was lost.
Make no
mistake, Russia is taking aggressive, active steps to recover their
world influence. Not with tanks and planes, because they really cannot
compete with us militarily, but with something massively less expensive
but likely far more effective: cyber warfare. And not only by
successfully influencing elections throughout Europe and the US, which
has and is creating chaos and weakening nations and alliances (which is
their goal) but against hard targets that make our society possible.
Recent news stories by real journalists tell us there are some dangerous things going on. In this clip from the Rachel Maddow Show, Rachel interviews a NYT reporter on Russian hacks against US infrastructure, and US intelligence agencies warning companies about these hacks. If you doubt that Russia would do such a thing, one part of this report refers to a cyber attack last year in Saudi Arabia, where this intent was not to disrupt or disable - the goal was to cause an explosion. Click here to read "A Cyberattack in Saudi Arabia Had a Deadly Goal. Experts Fear Another Try."
If all this doesn't terrify you, it should. Our power grid is ancient,
crumbling, and it doesn't take much to push pieces of it into a failure
mode. (Google "squirrel power failure.") Push enough small sectors into
failure and soon you have a cascade failure across a wide area. Imagine
all the things in your daily life that you couldn't do without
electricity - and try to think beyond checking your email. Food. Water.
Health needs. Air conditioning. Business records. Banking records. And
so much more. Yes, you'd be fine for a day or two, but how about a week
or two? Months?
A widespread, systemic power failure would be
devastating to all aspects of our society, and we would start to crumble
almost immediately. The Russians have actively targeted our power
systems, among other major infrastructure systems. We can no longer live
without these things - our society is built around them. If Russia
triggers a major power outage at the right spot at the right time, they
could take out our nation, and we would die by the millions before the
damage could be repaired.
Want a terrifying preview of how this
would look and what could happen? Read the book "One Second After" by
William R. Forstchen, about an attack that destroys our electrical
infrastructure. This fiction story is based on a real world threat that has been studied by the Pentagon for decades.
This is not a partisan issue. This is a genuine
threat to our national security and survival, and our leaders must take
immediate steps to defend us from this and protect us in the future,
something our current administration has been totally unwilling to
consider.
I haven’t posted anything here since November 2017, and a
lot has changed since then, so it’s time for an update and then something fun.
First the updates – I’m home and so glad to be here! Being
home is terrific after living in hotels in the Mideast for the past 5 years.
Yeah, it sounds glamorous and exciting to live and work in Abu Dhabi or Saudi
Arabia, and at times it can be, but it gets tedious and very lonely after a
short while. Skype is great, but nothing like the real thing!
My work was almost complete in the UAE, but I came home
because Dana needed me here. In May 2016 while visiting me, she slipped and fell,
and cracked her knees on the concrete floor of the parking garage below the
hotel. Over the next year and a half they deteriorated to the point she could
barely walk, and finally needed knee replacement, which happened for her left
knee at the end of November.
I’m happy to say that after struggling with months of
built-up inflammation, she has reached a point of walking with only her cane,
in a driving rain, from the parking lot into Bud Walton Arena to see the
Razorbacks play basketball, and back to the car! This is a major
accomplishment, folks, and I am very proud of her perseverance and
determination! The jury is still out on whether her right knee will also need
replacement – at one point that was a near certainty, but it is holding up well
so far. We’ll take good care of it and hope for the best.
While I was in Abu Dhabi I stayed in a hotel on a resort
island that was also home to a Formula 1 race track – the Yas Marina Circuit.
While there I often walked around it, and several times rode a bicycle around
it (a wonderful family-friendly option 3 nights a week), but for a fee you can
drive around it too!In March 2017 I
thought I was coming home for good, and wanted to try the driving option before
I left.I’ve always thought of myself as
a good driver, so this felt like a good chance to test that supposition!
Yas Marina Circuit – the track literally wraps around the
Marina and hotel!
There are several cars you can choose from for this driving
experience – from a Jaguar to an Aston Martin race car, to a Ferrari racer (US$1500).
I chose the Mercedes AMG GTS – just a simple, pretty little 500 HP 2-door sedan!All these cars are track-ready with safety
cages and roll bars, and the AMG was the one I was most likely to fit into.
Plus, I just love the look of it!
AMG GTS
When you arrive you get a safety briefing, and a quick
overview of track procedures and driving tips. Of course, you don’t get to
drive these things solo – an instructor rides along with you. You get 20
minutes on the track to have fun, go fast, or slow, or whatever suits you. My
goals were to finish safely, go faster each time around, and have fun!
As luck would have it, I accomplished all
three!I saw all the other drivers spin
out at some point (including the Ferrari right as I entered the track – you’ll
see me point at it; I took the first curve slowly so the Ferrari could get
straightened out and on his way), and one guy mowed down a long row of cones
marking the driving lane. I passed and got passed, but there was absolutely no
racing allowed. Just good clean motorway fun!
Thanks to a borrowed GoPro camera I was able to record my
drive – which is cool. Sadly, the only available place to mount the thing was
right next to my head, which limits the view, but you’ll get the idea. It took
me months to get these ready, because I had to learn about video editing, but I’ve
posted two videos to YouTube. One is an overview showing my only the first and
seventh laps.
This was a lot of work, but great fun! I wish I’d known the
car better, and that I learned a couple of lessons faster, but all in all I’m
very glad to have done this! If you find yourself in Abu Dhabi with an
afternoon free, I highly recommend it!
I’ve had several business meetings lately in Dubai, which still amazes
me every time I say that or write it down. Dubai is still, in my mind, a magical place of
legend and mystery.Of course, I’ve
worked in Abu Dhabi for the past year and a half, but I guess I’m more used to
it. The drive to Dubai most of the time
is sedate, but it can be wild.Yesterday
morning was lovely and quiet on the road, with very light traffic and very
clear air – both of these are rare around here.
Dubai is a massive city that has risen out of the desert in steel and
concrete and glass. It is awesome to see and a nighmare to drive through. The
main road into and through the city is 8 lanes, and every few kilometers is a
mass of exits and ramps and extra lanes and soaring loops overhead. It took me
20 minutes last week to get from one side of the main road to the other, and to
find the place I was looking for.
When I get a chance to stop somewhere, I figure I should take a few
pictures. My meetings have been at an office in the Marina District, which is about
25 km (15 miles) south of the main city. Here are a few shots from the yesterday and
last Friday.
One of three buildings in a group where I met
The building where I met, 33 stories tall
The view through dusty windows on the 33d floor – the tops of more tall buildings!
A video look at the Marina district from my meeting place
A broader image of the Marina district; note the round object on
the left side
The Dubai Eye – under construction since before I arrived here,
this will be the
world’s biggest “eye” type wheel attraction.
Dubai Eye video
Part 2. Ibn Battuta Mall
After the meeting ended at 1 pm I was hungry and thought I’d pop into
the mall just down the street a ways. The Ibn Battuta Mall is quite a place, with 7 big courts with displays documenting the travels of
Ibn Battuta:
“In June 1335, a
young man of just 21 years set out to explore the world. His journey spanned 24
years and six different lands - Tunisia, Egypt, Persia, India, China and
Andalusia. Along the way, he survived storms and pirates, served as a judge and
scholar, dined with nobles and commoners.
This extraordinary
adventurer was Ibn Battuta. His life and travels are an inspiration to us. It
has influenced our mall in design and spirit. You’ll see it in the interior
themes and names of our courts.It has
influenced our mall in design and spirit. You’ll see it in the interior themes
and names of our courts.”
This place could be a museum and I could spend a week in here to read and
study all the displays! And it’s all life size, in massive spaces! Of course,
it is also jammed with every imaginable kind of shop. Each court depicts a
place Ibn Buttata visited and documented, and his record is still referenced
today. The outside design of the mall
also reflects the interior courts, but I don’t have pictures of that because
driving here keeps me plenty busy just staying on the right road!
This place is a fascinating, remarkable effort to honor this man and
his journey. Remember, it is outrageously, continually BLAZING HOT here for 9
months out of the year, and malls are much more than just a place to go to find
new socks. They are gathering places, activity centers, and contain the grocery
stores and restaurants in your area. So here are a few images to give you some
idea what I’m talking about.
China Court, with a life-size junk in one corner!
Chinese junk
India Court
Life-size elephant and men statue
Persia Court
Ibn Battuta
Egypt Court
Above and Below. From a
display poster: “One of the most effective instruments developed to record and
display the movement of the heavenly bodies was the armillary sphere.The sphere was ingeniously devided to make
allowance for the daily and seasonal rotations of the earth on its own axis,
and around the sun. It has the ability to plot and measure the position of any
observed heavenly body on a centralized three-dimensional celestial coordinate
system.”
Part 3. Walk, cool old cars
This evening I needed to stretch my legs and went out for a short walk.
As often happens I heard engines at the Formula 1 track across the street and
walked over to see what was going on. There were 6 Porsche Carreras driving
around the course. It often happens that a car maker will hire the track and
send a team of cars, mechanics and drivers to test or train, but tonight I
think it was a local car group just out for fun.
I came across a young German family trying to take a selfie, and
offered to help. I took them to a spot with better light and a better view and
took a couple of very good shots for them. It’s always pleasant to do something
nice for someone else, and they were very pleased with their images.
There were a couple of cool cars on display, so I caught a few shots of
them, described below. While doing so I met a very friendly Arabic gentleman
and enjoyed a chat for a few minutes. He wanted to know where I was from, how I
liked it here, and anxious to ensure that everyone was helpful and welcoming – this
is pretty normal behavior for most Muslims.
Bentleys on display at the Viceroy Hotel
He told me a story of going to the Four
Seasons Hotel in New York, and trying to get on an elevator but the man inside
it was frantically pushing the button to close the door. He laughed and said he
waited for the door to close, then waited a few seconds for the elevator to
have left, then pushed the Up button again. The same door opened, and the same
fearful man seemed to dive into his tiny reservoir of courage and stepped aside
to allow this fellow to enter. He said by the time they reached their floors
they were talking like friends.
Excalibur – a custom car built in the 70s and based on a
Corvette chassis and engine.
It's sad that Americans have become so fearful of other people. There’s
no need for it. Despite what many political leaders are trying to sell us, we
cannot reject an entire region or race or religion based on the actions of a
few extreme people. These people have
much more reason to be fearful of coming to America, but they still try very
hard to do so. Maybe we should relax and open up a bit and try to be welcoming
to them.
