Weblog

A photo essay of the improvised weapons of the Libyan rebels (Alan Taylor, The Atlantic)
I give those guys credit. They are quite brave to be hammering, welding and otherwise monkeying around with live weapons and ammo salvaged from the battlefield. Some of their improvisations (e.g., an aircraft missile launcher mounted on a pick-up truck bed) are quite ingenious if insanely dangerous.

US bases in Afghanistan for decades? (T.P.M. Barnett, Battleland blog)
"We reached success when the Iraqis started demanding we leave. That is what success looks like - not pretty, not perfect, actually kind of awkward. The Afghans want us to stay - after a decade of trying. That is failure staring you in the face."

NATO: An alliance who's time has passed (Ted Galen Carpenter, Daily Caller)

"Washington needs to ask what the purpose is of having allies. This country should not be simply a security partner collector — acquiring allies for the sake of having allies. The NATO “partners” now seem to fit that description."

Review: McMillan DiamondBlade Knife (Dave Petzal, The Gun Nuts blog)
Petzal says it's the best knife he's ever seen. Costs around five hundred bucks not counting tax and shipping. For that price it had better be. Me, I just can't see it. An Opinel knife with a old school style carbon blade is a better value in my opinion. It costs less than fifty bucks (price includes tax, shipping and handling) although it'll rust if you don't take care of it. But if you happen to lose it out in the woods or it gets dropped into the river or whatever you can cheaply replace it.

weblog

Michigan school superintendent asks governor to make his school district a prison (Nathan Boortz, Gratiot County Herald)
See, Michigan prisons aren't getting as big of a budget cut as the schools are.

Surprise! “Free Trade Agreements” do in fact damage the American economy (A.M. Spence, Council on Foreign Relations)

AQ Operatives arrested in Kentucky (Wes Bruer, Long War Journal)
They are both caught on tape bragging about fighting against U.S. forces in Iraq.  Both immigrated to the US in 2009.

Opinel carbon steel folding knife 
Less than $50 shipped.