Dateline: in the Shire, Indy, 27 October 2005

You remember the email I got from a retired military officer who said when he brought up my name with an old colleague now on the staff at National Defense University that the reply came back, "Oh, most of us here consider him a raving maniac."

Actually, roving maniac would be a better term, given my travel sked.

Anyway.

I got a nice thank-you letter from Mike Dunn, three-star (LGEN) head of NDU stating that "It is an honor to be able to tout a regular speaking engagement from such a distinguished and independent thinker."

Nice stuff and de rigeur, of course, but you know he put that line in himself (independent thinker, because he made several jokes to such effect as he spoke after my talk). Dunn's about as quick as they come, and he doesn't back down from any intellectual discussion, much less disagreement, which I like, frankly. He's very engaged in his role at NDU, pulling off new stuff right and left, reminding me a lot of Cebrowski but more academically practical (more bricks and mortar). I hope he continues to go places. Flexible minds wearing silver stars are worth their weight (and wait) in gold in this military.

Here's the daily catch:

■

Donor fatigue and donor fatheads

■ Some transitions from the Cold War military go well, others stuck in a time machine

■But has PACOM read my China piece in Esquire?

■ The China Causcus in the House: that's ALSO all about money

■ The transnational-patriotic gap in America

■ Media connectivity and content in the Middle East: the balance is tilting