The relationship among media outlets is simple: competition. While the audience is potentially very large---there are more than 300 million of us---the number of Americans who routinely watch, listen and read the traditional media is much smaller.
Continue reading this entry ...
As the number of casualties from deadly bombings increases, the news from Pakistan seems pretty grim. A day doesn't go by without civilians being killed and maimed by Pakistani Taliban explosives.
Continue reading this entry ...
Before the excitement inevitably ebbs, it would be amusing and instructive to examine the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to President Obama, and of the granting of such recognition generally.
Continue reading this entry ...
At the risk of being more superficial than usual, with so much happening this week a brief review may be in order.
Continue reading this entry ...
Although it had its share of leaks, the last administration expended a lot of effort to keep its decision-making machinery operating quietly and, more or less, in secret.
Continue reading this entry ...
For some time, it has been clear that there has not been progress against the Taliban in Afghanistan, and there was widespread speculation that General Stanley McChrystal, who runs the operation, needs more troops than the 68,000 already allocated.
Continue reading this entry ...
If one were looking for examples that our elected officials' intellectual development is arrested, one would find one no better than Representative Addison Graves ("Joe") Wilson, Sr., (R-SC).
Continue reading this entry ...
By virtue of the First Amendment, the media is the only business protected by the Constitution, and of its provisions the First Amendment is the most important because it guarantees all the others.
Continue reading this entry ...
In The New York Times of Sunday, August 23, 2009, in the first section of the paper but inconspicuously buried below the fold on page 24, was a brief Associated Press story about William Calley.
Continue reading this entry ...
This week we witnessed a massive increase in violence in Iraq. In what appeared to be a coordinated series of bombings, more than 90 people were killed and hundreds maimed on Wednesday alone. What is the United Sates going to do about it? In a word: nothing.
Continue reading this entry ...
This week, after resting for nearly two decades in the western Iraqi desert, the remains of Navy Captain Scott Speicher were brought home to Jacksonville, Florida.
Continue reading this entry ...
There is an ancient axiom that stresses the wisdom of articulating the objective before committing the resources, and more recently Lewis Carroll succinctly captured the notion when he wrote, "If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there."
Continue reading this entry ...
Many people have been transfixed by the president's having beer with the protagonists in the Henry Louis Gates episode, and that spectacle nearly obscured the leak of a startling memo from Baghdad.
Continue reading this entry ...
With the Obama administration struggling to pass health care legislation, and with news outlets and elected officials talking about little else, the president has mounted the podium to exhort citizens on the subject.
Continue reading this entry ...
The battle has now been joined, one that will have more social and economic impact on this nation than any other issue in at least the last 75 years, and it may rank in importance and pervasiveness with the income tax and similar landmark legislation.
Continue reading this entry ...
Almost lost in the din of the Michael Jackson noise has been a number of developments of more than passing importance. --American casualties in Afghanistan have begun to increase.
Continue reading this entry ...
As American forces reduce their active involvement in Iraq, insurgents have begun to test the resolve of Iraqi troops. Violence is up and will probably rise, particularly in areas---like Mosul---that have been battlegrounds between Arabs and Kurds or between Arab sects.
Continue reading this entry ...
A week after the start of massive street theater, the type not seen in Teheran since the revolution of 1979, things are becoming deathly quiet in Iran.
Continue reading this entry ...
President George W. Bush was fond of saying that all people want democracy, and in a very general sense he was probably right. But his misadventures prove that wanting democracy isn't enough. People have to be willing to fight for it.
Continue reading this entry ...
In the last installment of the long-running Guantanamo Show, the Congress asserted its primacy by refusing to fund the closure of the American facility in Cuba, and President Obama announced that, to administer justice to detainees, he may use the Bush-era military tribunal trial …
Continue reading this entry ...
For the second time in three years, North Korea has tested a nuclear device, to the great consternation and teeth-gashing of just about everybody.
Continue reading this entry ...
The major theme of Barack Obama's campaign was change, a sharp diversion from the policies of the Bush administration. The electorate, Mr. Obama and his advisers were all confident that many changes, some of them sweeping, would be effected once the new president took office.
Continue reading this entry ...
For those who follow the war, the news was startling: after less than a year on the job, LTG David McKiernan, the commander of America's effort in Afghanistan, was resigning from the post.
Continue reading this entry ...
Predictably, the tactical situations in Pakistan and Afghanistan are getting messier.
Continue reading this entry ...
When Franklin Roosevelt died, the fact that we had been developing nuclear weapons came as a big surprise to Harry Truman, his successor. You would expect that a person of such stature as the vice-president would be involved in something as important as the Ma …
Continue reading this entry ...
The relationship among media outlets is simple: competition. While the audience is potentially very large---there are more than 300 million of us---the number of Americans who routinely watch, listen and read the traditional media is much smaller.
As the number of casualties from deadly bombings increases, the news from Pakistan seems pretty grim. A day doesn't go by without civilians being killed and maimed by Pakistani Taliban explosives.
Before the excitement inevitably ebbs, it would be amusing and instructive to examine the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to President Obama, and of the granting of such recognition generally.
At the risk of being more superficial than usual, with so much happening this week a brief review may be in order.
Although it had its share of leaks, the last administration expended a lot of effort to keep its decision-making machinery operating quietly and, more or less, in secret.
![]()
Jack...
Thought I'd drop you a line and see if you recall our short time as friends in Fords.
We used to bus together and would watch American Bandstand; also enjoyed some trips upstate on summer trips to Frontier Town, etc. Sorry, to see you have to suffer every year as Navy trounces Army, but I know you can handle it!! :)
Bernie
![]()
COL. JACOBS:
IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU ON THE AIR. YOUR EXPERTISE IS MUCH APPRECIATED.I TOO WAS IN SERVICE (USN) DURING VIETNAM AND DESPITE IT'S POLITICAL
MESSINESS, I WAS PROUD TO SERVE THE COUNTRY.I WROTE TO ANDY ROONEY AFTER READING HIS BOOK,"MY WAR", AND HIS RETURN NOTE TO ME RE: BRAVERY WAS "THE GUYS IN THE 8TH AF WERE SCARED BUT THEY KEPT AT IT BECAUSE THE GUY IN THE NEXT BUNK WAS DOING IT AS WELL". I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT.
I AM GLAD TO HAVE SHARED THIS TIME IN HISTORY WITH YOU.
BEST OF LUCK AND GOOD HEALTH,
RICK BLUMENTHAL
LOS ANGELES
![]()
Your courage is evident in your willingness to engage on Newsvine as well as in your military career. I applaud you for being one of the very few who are brave enough to wander through the Vine with bold strides. Thanks for being here.
— oldfogey
![]()
COL Jacobs:
I am writing on behalf of a wounded Navy reservist buddy of mine. He was injured in Kuwait while on deployment with OIF, but cannot draw his retirement pay until he reaches 60 - despite being retired from the Navy due to his injuries. He has a 100% disability rating from the VA, and 80% from the Navy. Bottom line, he is a proud veteran who gave his best for his country, but now needs financial assistance as he cannot do much work due to disabilities.My friend saw you on the news, and admired the work you are doing on behalf of the wounded veterans returning from Iraq. He seeks your guidance. He will make an entry to this site, separately. Meanwhile, I would appreciate learning how he can contact you directly.
Thanks ever so much, for your service, and for your sincerity. V/r, - S. Davis
![]()
Dear Colonel Jacobs:
On behalf of my family and myself, we would like to thank you for your heroic service to our great country. You are a great inspiration to the youth of our country who wish to have the privilege to serve in the armed forces of the United States. Furthermore, I have recently completed reading your latest book and must say that I was unable to put the book down. My tears were beginning to obscure the print. Colonel, as a former U.S. Marine along with seven cousins who have served in the Corps., we would all have wished we could've had the honor to have served under you, regardless of the fact that we are in different services. In your book, you mention how you had spent your early youth. This is somewhat ironic that in my early youth we were raised in the poorest section of Chicago and could not wait to join the service. As a former juvenile delinquent, high school drop out - if it had not been for the inspiration that the officers I served under, I would've not been able to complete my education and obtain a master degree. In addition, I have had the good fortune to meet a former Marine who was awarded the same medal that you were awarded, that was Major General Joe Foss. As a former enlisted man, I would have never believed that I would write a letter to a Colonel! I hope that you find the time to look over the literature I have included which explains the organization that I am involved with - "Operation legacy" I truly believe that at age 67 i would relish the opportunity to serve once again.
Colonel, may god bless both you and your family with good health and good fortune. Respectfully, Jay Adelman
![]()
Col. Jacobs,
I've been trying to get someone at nbc news to answer a question for me. Was a clip done on the death of Col. James Elms Swett? He passed on 1-18-09.
Medal Of Honor WWII. I've tried to find something and can't and maybe I missed it on the Nightly News. I don't think I need to explain to you why his story and all MOH recipients need to be told.
![]()
Dear Col. Jacobs:
I am not sure you will remember me, or my family, Nathan and Thelma Davidson. We lived on Jonquil Circle in Fords, and perhaps your first instincts as a leader came from herding us, younger school children to P.S. 14. Your sister Elissa often babysat for my brother and me, and occasionally so did you. Your parents doted on us because my brother and I were-Dave and Marsha. Barry and I were classmates. I can recall holidays at your home on Marie Road-so different because of the Greek influence. I recall your Mom's distress when you announced you were heading for the Army, but she contacted my Mom when you won the Congressional Medal of Honor and we were all very excited. We are now reading your memoir and enjoying it. It has brought back a lot of memories. My family stopped by to visit your parents several years ago when we drove up to Fords, but they were not home, so they called and I had a chance to talk to them; and again two years ago, I spoke with your Dad when my Mom died. We wish all the best for you and the family.
Marsha Davidson-Goldstein
![]()
There is a large group that is wanted this election done correctly, Oboma should show the real birth certificate, which will you will find that he will be registered as a white male, that isthe way it is done , they always use the mothers race on it, he himself said his mother was white.
also we need to know where he was born, you see he has come this far with so many falsehoods,, we all need to know the truth...
and with all here we can not find it in our hearts to call him president until we know the truth, we are sending these letters to to all of the news medias, and our TV and radio stations..
Thank you & God Bless.
![]()
I am a disabled vet. Two years ago I had a bi-level spinal fusion at the Mpls VA. When I awoke from surgery, I had a new pain in my right leg. For ten days I tried to convince the residents that something was wrong and I was told to deal with the pain. After the ten days they were going to discharge me, I started to cry hysterically and spoke to the social worker. The residents came into my room and said, "Fine we'll do an MRI to show you nothing's wrong." After the MRI was done it was found that I had a ruptured disc at the surgery site. Four days later I was back in surgery where they only removed a part of the ruptured disc. Since then I have had to start walking with a cane for short distances and a wheelchair for long ones. I have filed a Tort claim for negligence and was denied because an independent contractor (which is paid by the VA) was there at the time of the surgeries. It is a disgrace for the VA to find a loophole to not take responsibilities for injuring the vets. I am in much more pain now than I was before surgery. I was given my pre-op by the residents, I was seen by the residents before surgery, and I was only seen by the residents in the 17 days in the hospital. What was supposed to be a 3-5 day stay ended up being 17. I did not see this "independent contractor" until my three week follow up surgery. Also at the follow up I was seen by the VA' chief of staff and the head of the department and was apologized to by them for the horrible treatment I received. They said they received many reports from my nurses on the care I was given (which have now magically disappeared.) I am sure I will be denied again by the VA for the same reason because they pass the liability on to anyone else but them. I want to change something so this can no longer happen to any other vets further injured by the VA. I will not be compensated by the VA because they have found a way to get out of it. Can anybody help me help other vets?
— ajklebs
Col. Jack Jacobs is a member of the following groups:
Col. Jack Jacobs has not published any private articles or seeds that you have access to.
Latest Comments
The Prize
A Busy Week
A Busy Week
A Busy Week
A Busy Week
How Not To Make Policy
Foaming At The Mouth
Foaming At The Mouth
Foaming At The Mouth
The Associated Press Loses Its Way