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The Right Way to Enforce Freedom of Navigation in the South China Sea
U.S. Navy surveillance photo of what it says are Chinese dredging vessels fortifying a reef in the South China Sea in May, 2015. (US Navy via Reuters) Last night I offered a brief reading list about...
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ExIm Finally Comes to a House Vote, and Sails Through. Plus Bonus...
This is a closing-the-loop note. After the travails of the past few months, as recorded in the other items in this Thread, the re-authorization of the Export-Import Bank finally made its way to the...
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When Does a Reef Become an Island, and Other Mysteries of the South China Sea
For anyone following the action in the South China Sea, as laid out in the previous posts collected in this Thread, I highly recommend a post at the LawFareBlog on the fine points of the dispute. It’s...
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First Time I Have Seen This in an Uber
Back seat of an UberX car, October 28, 2015, in Washington D.C. The main appeal of Uber and Lyft is predictability. If I’m trying to find a regular taxi, I have no idea when or whether one might show...
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Ted Cruz Shows How He Became a Collegiate Debate Champ, and Other CNBC Results
Donald Trump after the debate. I do not mention him in the item below, but he is always interesting. Evan Semon / ReutersDay-after thoughts about the third Republican debate, on CNBC:1) Twenty seconds...
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Another Honor for Maine Maritime Academy, at an Important Time
Maine Maritime Academy, in Castine (MMA) In our American Futures dispatches from Down East Maine, John Tierney did several reports (collected here) about the Maine Maritime Academy, based in...
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You Know What Song This Will Be About
If you follow (or have heard of) the Brazilian experimental-percussion group Uakti, you probably are already aware that they have done their own interpretation of The World’s Greatest Song, Águas de...
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What Is It Like When Al Gore's Fund Invests in Your Company?
The leitmotif of the pieces you see collected in this Thread, based on my article in the current issue about the Generation Investment Management firm of London, is whether “sustainable” investing can...
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Wondering Why We Like Fresno?
For previous installments in the Fresno saga, please check here. Early last year, in our American Futures saga, we reported on Bitwise, a tech incubator, training school, entrepreneur center, and...
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Beer Glamour Photo of the Month: Canned-Beers Edition
It’s been a while since I’ve been on the beer beat, and the tips I’d like to pass along are mounting up. So henceforth a new feature: early each month, an homage to interesting beers.November 1, 2015,...
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Another Look at Maine Maritime: Who Is Providing Value, to Whom, and How?
MMA logoTwo days ago I mentioned the welcome news that the Maine Maritime Academy, which John Tierney had written about extensively as part of our ongoing American Futures coverage, had been recognized...
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A Triage Guide to Thinking About the Russian Airliner Crash Over Egypt
Marina Lystseva / ReutersThe Russian airliner that crashed in Egypt this weekend (Reuters) The Atlantic’s Krishnadev Calamur has a wrap-up of the latest news, rumors, statements, and so on about the...
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Why We Can't Think Straight About Public Spending: California High-Speed...
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of addressing Stewart Brand’s “Long Now” seminar in San Francisco, talking about the various sorts of infrastructure on which civilization depends. Paved roads;...
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China Launches the C919! Should Boeing and Airbus Look Out?
The first Chinese C919 airliner, making its debut in Shanghai on November 2, 2015. (China Daily / Reuters) Today the long-planned Chinese rival to Boeing and Airbus, the C919, made its debut in...
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Here's the Back Story on the 'Fresno Reborn' Video (With Eminem and Detroit...
Over the weekend I mentioned the new video by our friends at the Bitwise tech incubator in Fresno, California, which exemplified the gritty spirit — “You think we’re losers? Well just watch” — that...
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A Former Walmart CEO Comes Down Under a Parachute
Cirrus SR-22 aircraft descending under parachute onto a road in Fayettteville, Arkansas on November 3, 2015 Associated PressThis morning, in Arkansas, a plane piloted by a former CEO of Walmart came...
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Local-Level Democracy: Beginning a Chronicle
This was in Germany, but it could have been anywhere. (Reuters) Over the past two years, my wife Deb and I have been increasingly impressed by the importance, vitality, difficulty, and effectiveness of...
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The Two-Stroke Engine: A Remnant of Poor-Country Technology in Rich Countries
In response to the item immediately below, which kicked off this Thread, I’ve gotten reports from different corners of the country. My intention with the thread-organization here is to have a running...
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Civic Engagement Update: First Step With the Advisory Neighborhood Commission
This evening the local Advisory Neighborhood Commission for our part of D.C. voted 8-1 to endorse the proposals from our community group, as described in previous items in this thread, to move the...
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Wondering Why We Like Fresno?
For previous installments in the Fresno saga, please check here. Early last year, in our American Futures saga, we reported on Bitwise, a tech incubator, training school, entrepreneur center, and...
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