Here is a fascinating Iowa
blog: Open Source Naval Intelligence, by Michael D’Alessandra,
M.D., who is a pediatric radiologist at the University of Iowa.
Just scan the entries once in a awhile, to reverse your sense of
figure/ground–or rather, water/ground–in world affairs. This
entry thanks to GlobeofBlogs listing for Iowa.
From the FAQ pages,
NOSI (Naval Open Source Intelligence) is a digital library of world
naval operational news curated from open source intelligence. Links to
naval operational news stories are posted daily after scanning over 100
international news sources.
The patron saint of NOSI is Fred T. Jane, who legitimized and
popularized the concept of open source intelligence in 1898 with his
publication of the first edition of Janes’ Fighting Ships. Jane
discovered early on that enlisted men and lower ranking officers were
his best sources of information; that they, and not technology were the
true heart of any Navy; and he subsequently became a champion for
issues affecting their quality-of-life at sea and ashore. Jane felt
that a country’s citizens needed to appreciate that a strong Navy was
key to a country’s well-being and survival, and the way to develop such
an appreciation was through their continuing education on naval
matters. Janes’ beliefs are as true today as they were over 100 years
ago, and NOSI is therefore dedicated to arming citizens with naval
knowledge so they can make intelligent decisions as to what role a navy
should play in their society. Jane also believed that military
professionals needed to be as well educated as possible, and NOSI is
therefore also intended to serve as a source of continuing education on
naval and military affairs for military professionals.
