June 12, 2012

Three Things to Read

Three interesting pieces on Yemen have hit the internet in the past couple of days, which people who follow Waq al-waq should definitely read.

The first, and most important, is this interview that Qasim al-Raymi – AQAP’s military commander – gave to a Yemeni journalist. (The interview was originally published by al-Quds al-Arabi, but the font on that website drives me crazy, so I’m linking to, for me, (Ar.) an easier to read version.)

The next two pieces are parts I and II of an interview that Christopher Swift gave to Carl Prine on a recent research trip he took to Yemen. I don’t agree with all of things that Swift says – and it is interesting to compare Raymi’s version of what is happening in Yemen with Swift’s version – but both piece are still well-worth your time.

Part I is here. And Part II is here.

I’m awaiting as well what Swift eventually writes for West Point.

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Thinking

The great free will debate featuring Michio Kaku and Steven Pinker

Who — or what — really controls your mind?

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The Past

The largest accidental explosion of all time

More than a century ago, Halifax suffered an accidental blast one-fifth the size of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

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The Well

Signs you’re burned out — and how to bounce back

If you don’t feel better after the weekend, the “burnout paradox” could explain why.

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7 min

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with

Laurie Santos

Starts With A Bang

The trick to instantly identifying JWST images

If you can identify a foreground star, the spike patterns are a dead giveaway as to whether it’s a JWST image or any other observatory.

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