Got this from Rob Quayle today in an email:

Violent piracy hits new waters.

This might be a common enemy that could get the US Navy & the Chinese Navy together.
In 1825, just 12 years after the War if 1812, the US and the Brits were cooperating extremely
well against Cuban pirates (See The Pirate Wars, Peter Earle (a Brit), 2003).

Interesting observation.

Just penned my second Sunday column for the Knoxville News Sentinel today. Decided to go with a China overview similar to my November piece in Esquire, just one that makes different arguments.

I have to admit: I really like penning these little 720-word vignettes. When you're not forced to do one on contract, which is how I've done most op-eds (the editors tell you what they'd like you to write about, so you're always working their angle instead), and can just dream up what you'd like to talk about, it's really pretty fun. I can tell already I'd have no problem going at a much higher frequency. Globalization alone gives you tons of topics.