The Secret Collaborators – Time gives an inside look at what Iraqi spies, working for the U.S. with CIA funding, accomplished before and during the war to take any muscle out of the Iraqi Army. It give you some confidence in the U.S. ability to wage a smart war. Now only if we put that much energy into the post-war effort.
Christian Clubbing: Thou Shalt Rock – The New Union (sort of) is featured in Time. Actually it’s the New Union’s downtown club, Club Three Degrees. I’m hoping to catch Five Iron Frenzy‘s farewell tour there next month.
A Boy’s Novel Fantasy (scroll down) – Have you heard of Eragon? It’s a fantasy novel written by 17-year-old Christopher Paolini. His parents self-published it, Knopf picked it up and paid Paolini six figures for his next two books. Eragon is now outselling four of the five Harry Potter books. What am I doing wrong?
So what is happening with the old new New Union (on Central Ave.)? As a displaced Minneapolitan, I’ve just gots to know. Can you give us an update on that?
It looks like they’re straight-up relocating, so I imagine the building is being sold. I haven’t heard anything about specific plans for the old building, but I’ll let everyone know if I find out.
There was a story about the Paolini family in the NY Times recently. It was a good read primarily because my first impulse on hearing of home-schooled kids from rural Montana…well the word “militia” comes to mind. Actually his mother is a Montessori-trained teacher and the family sounded pretty cool. Not that I rushed out to buy the novel.
I read the time article. They recruited militia type people to do intelligence stuff in the war in Iraq. Sounds much like what the US did for Osama bin Laden. The CIA funded him in Afghanistan when it was ruled by the communists. The end of the article is quite chilling to me. Was Osama bin Laden one of those dissatisfied CIA henchmen gone wrong?