Reading (and writing) about war in the information age

Reading (and writing) about war in the information age

The way the details of war have been communicated has changed quite a bit in the last few hundred years, then again in the last hundred years, and finally again since the dawn of the internet. What was once a void of information has been filled, and sometimes oversaturated with reports, books and firsthand accounts […]

Fauda: Israeli Series in The War on Terror Is Gritty, Brutal, Must-Watch TV

Fauda: Israeli Series in The War on Terror Is Gritty, Brutal, Must-Watch TV

It isn’t often that I get surprised like this weekend when a very good friend of mine mentioned the Netflix series “Fauda” that is produced in Israel. He and his wife had been watching it and called me to recommend it. The exact words were, “if you like ‘Homeland’ then you’ll love Fauda” The story […]

Woman Dies in Britain After Being Exposed to Nerve Agent Novichok

A British woman from Amesbury died after she was exposed by the nerve agent Novichok on Sunday. That is the same nerve agent that was used in an assassination attempt on a former Russian spy in England only about 11 miles away from the latest poisoning. Dawn Sturgess, 44, died after she was exposed to […]

‘The Magnificent Seven’ (1960) — A tale of an honest cause

‘The Magnificent Seven’ (1960) — A tale of an honest cause

If you haven’t seen the movie, don’t spoil it here — watch it first, then come back. “The Magnificent Seven” by John Sturges is a reimagining of one of my favorite films, “Seven Samurai.” Instead of a tumultuous time in old Japan, “The Magnificent Seven” is set in the Old West, just across the border […]

How to stab someone with your rifle like a Marine

How to stab someone with your rifle like a Marine

The technique of using a bayonet is a somewhat lost art out of military circles, probably for the obvious reason that it’s a bit impractical for civilians. That being said, I’m going to teach you anyway because it’s cool and who knows? There could be some cross relevance to it in relation to close quarters […]

Top Five Must Watch Films for Independence Day

Top Five Must Watch Films for Independence Day

Happy 4th of July to all of our readers out there. In honor of our Independence Day and the fact the weather is calling for a continuation of the heat wave that is consuming the Northeast with temps in the mid-to-high 90s with the heat index of well over 100 degrees, I plan on being […]

Midlife cardio, depression and heart disease

Midlife cardio, depression and heart disease

It’s no secret that heart disease is the number one killer in the United States, by quite a significant margin. According to the CDC, Heart disease killed 633,842 people in 2015, and cancer came in second at 595,930 deaths. The next was a significant drop — 155,041 deaths due to chronic lower respiratory diseases. That’s […]

The proximity of history

The proximity of history

By the time you’re 25 years old, roughly one-third of the people who were alive when you were born are dead. By the time you’re 50, about two-thirds of everyone on the planet who were alive when you were born are dead. The earth’s turn-over rate is quite something. Things have always happened fast — […]

‘On the Waterfront’ — Pigeons, hawks and something more

‘On the Waterfront’ — Pigeons, hawks and something more

“You know this city’s full of hawks? That’s a fact. They hang around on the top of the big hotels. And they spot a pigeon in the park. Right down on him.” — Terry, from Elia Kazan’s “On the Waterfront.” If you haven’t seen the movie, don’t spoil it here — watch it first, then come […]

Movies about the world we can’t quite see

Movies about the world we can’t quite see

Escapism has always been popular in literature and fiction, but our society seems to have a particular fixation on two forms of it. The first is the “Other World” — where we live in the regular, boring world of day-to-day life, only to find that we are neighbors to a fantastical world, fraught with danger, […]

The most useful skill of all

The most useful skill of all

When you’re learning how to hold your own in combat, there are all sorts of things you need to know. The practical skills come to mind first — how to shoot, how to change magazines and reload, how to react to contact, how to operate various military vehicles, how to conduct effective first aid — […]

‘Once Upon a Time in the West’ — A far cry from civilization

‘Once Upon a Time in the West’ — A far cry from civilization

If you haven’t seen the movie, don’t spoil it here — watch it first, then come back. “Once Upon a Time in the West” is a classic film by Sergio Leone, made in 1968. It stars Claudia Cardinale, Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson and Jason Robards. The music is masterfully composed by Ennio Morricone, and the score […]