• jkatzman: Beck: America is on the Verge of a Political 'Renaissance' (Newsmax, June 18/12). "Nobody wants to be around somebody who's always saying, 'It's their fault'.... Let's find out what we personally can do to change it. Be a part of groups that are for something, not against something. And, relax, because we win in the end." Wise words, includes a video.


• jkatzman: Inflation lobby is about to win the argument (WSJ Market Watch, June 27/12). Hedges against that reality should be one of the 1st steps in your personal Plan B.


• jkatzman: The Scam Wall Street Learned From the Mafia: How America's biggest banks took part in a nationwide bid-rigging conspiracy - until they were caught on tape (Rolling Stone, 2012-5-7). The recent LIBOR-fixing scandal in London is part of a larger industry behavior pattern.


• prosenberg: NSA: It Would Violate Your Privacy to Say if We Spied on You (WIRED Danger Room, June 18/12). The NSA (National Security Agency, a branch of the DoD, and notorious trashers of the 4th amendment) are spying on Americans... BUT they can't tell Senators how many Americans they spied upon last year, because telling would violate their privacy! It may take you a few seconds to wrap your mind around that self-condemning logic.


• prosenberg: Whistle-Blower Outs NSA Spy Room (WIRED, July 4/06). For extra credit, and to point out the truth about the NSA, check out this story.


• mrapp: Global warming: second thoughts of an environmentalist. By Fritz Vahrenholt (June 18/12). Another leading proponent of man-made climate change has "re-assessed" his position and now believes he was wrong. Jack Kelly has pointed out Vahrenholt's switch before.


• jkatzman: From Test Jet to Money-Maker: Lockheed's AML "Net Dragon" (Defense Industry Daily, June 27/12). Latest example in a fast-growing trend. Similar kinds of rented surveillance and sensor services will make civil inroads in some industries, and with some domestic government departments.


• jkatzman: Is China Becoming a Mafia State? (US China Institute, Feb 23/11). Jack linked to it recently, and it's interesting enough to deserve more emphasis. The presenter's question isn't figurative or metaphorical, it's about official ties with the Triads. 45 min. video.

Over The Hump: Good News Wednesday

• jkatzman: Is SpaceX changing the rocket equation? (Smithsonian Air & Space, Jan. 2012). Yes. Read it and recall the joy of the 1960s-70s space program, and its endless frontier. That joy may be returning to us, soon.

What's Next? Team B is Recruiting

Those of you who have been to TTP Rendezvous know how much knowledge and experience can be found within the TTP community. Team B has already reached out to several members as an initial core, and those of you who have been to Rendezvous events will recognize them.

Here's the thing, though: I don't have emails for everyone, and I do not claim to know the full depth of expertise within the TTP community.

I'd like to find out.

I'll start by saying that this is going to be a competitive selection process. If each contributor sends in just 1-2 links per week, by 10 contributors, we have 20 links. I can segment them by subject to break things up a bit, but going much higher than that risks reader overload.

So, we're looking for a small core of people with really deep expertise in specific areas, especially knowledge related to economics, key industry sectors, technologies shaping our world, geopolitics, etc.

Skye -- please join us!

I am a bit flexible about the areas covered, so if you have an area of deep expertise that you aren't sure would fit with Team B, I say "try me." I'm even considering Careers & Management and/ or Lifestyles link sets...

If you think this call-out describes you, and you'd be willing to send me a link or 2 each week of "all y'all really ought to read this" stuff from publicly-available web sites, email me to explain your desired focus area and background, and throw me an example link or 2 (joe at windsofchange dot net, subject "Team B application").

Having said all of that, TTP is a forum about freedom. We're going to live that way here, not just preach it.

So - if you're not an "official" contributor, but stumble on something insanely great, you can still email me (joe at windsofchange dot net, subject "Team B item"). No guarantees, but if it is insanely great, you'll end up in the week's links. And even if I decide not to include it, there's always an open avenue in the Forums to add it there.

I look forward to hearing from you, to working with and for you, and to delivering great TTPer food for thought each week. A TTP bonus cookie to anyone who can use this week's forum to explain both the "Team B" appellation, and the original "FTC" from which the feature's sign-off is derived.

Joe Katzman, Founding Editor, Defense Industry Daily