23 JULY: A year ago on Ink Spots

This time last year, the whole Iranian election saga was still shaking itself out. Mystifyingly, Ahmadinejad still hasn't "defeat[ed] the global arrogance" [that's us! And by "us" I mean America, not Ink Spots].

We did our second edition of "what we're reading," highlighted how badly Russia sucks, and lamented the governorship of Rick Perry.

Alma told you all about the first Small Wars Journal Writing Competition. (And how about an update on the winners (question 1, question 2) with links to the pdf version of SWJ in which their essays were published?)

The there was the Army's temporary end-strength increase, the Pakistani military's anti-Mehsud (remember him?) campaign, and al-Shabaab causing problems for Kenya.

And finally: the military-industrial complex pimps itself to unsuspecting Metro riders, and Gunslinger reminded us that veterans can still be dumb about national defense (not through his own example, obviously, but Tammy Duckworth's!). Oh yeah, and I took a little swim through my purportedly legitimate area of expertise -- the land of pierogis and potatoes -- with a little piece on Ukraine's energy dispute(s) with Russia.