and must be talked to, Tom Ricks reports in his new Foreign Policy blog. This is an Iraq war lesson. Imagine trying to destroy the Sunni militias... And Obama can't open his mouth.

My Take in Brief: I really enjoyed listening to this one, and plan to continue with the series. The characters make the story (as Shinn herself says in the opening intro), and the narrator made the audiobook. But I’m not feeling inspired to say much of anything about it. So I’m going to talk a bit about other reviews of it. Series?: Yes, this is the first book in the Twelve Houses series. Click on the book cover above for more info. Audiobook note: Jennifer Van Dyck’s narration is fantastic

This is a little more unorthodox than my usual PROMPTuesdays, only because I recently saw a list of 101 Things For A Mom Blogger to Write About, and the starter “The Best Book I Ever Read Was…” jumped out at me. Now I know it’s not a fresh topic, nor bawdy nor random, but I love this subject and I could really stand to add another domino to my teetering bedside table book collection. Also, I thought this topic — open to non-mom bloggers too; come to think of it — open to everyone, even non-blo

With the sneaker scene getting a bit monotonous, it’s great to see Converse Skateboarding re-sparking the skate and sneaker culture. The ‘net blew up over the Cons Black & Gold Pack, now we have a never-before-seen gray colorway of the the Pro Leather model. As of now, this sneaker is just a sample, but from the popularity of the black and white colorways of the Pro Leather that released in the fall, it won’t be a surprise if this shoe becomes a reality. View more photos below. Info: Con

Just under three years ago, I started a new blog. I’d been writing here at foldedspace for five years, and had great fun interacting with my friends and family (and the small community that had grown up around our interactions). We argued about politics, about religion, about comics, about Truth. I started my money blog on little more than a whim. I thought I could help other people while also helping myself. Surprisingly, it worked. That site attracted a following, and at the same time it be