4 days agoStarbucks Store №1, a coffee shop where CIA spies hang out.CIA HQ has an on-site Starbucks called Store №1 where spies don’t have their names written on cups, and where baristas don’t ask for names, and must undergo background checks and pass a security clearance and are trained in facial recognition so spies can get their latte without fear of…Starbucks3 min read
6 days agoCIA spies learn the art of magicIn the 1950s the CIA worked with American magician John Mulholland to develop a manual full of tricks that could be useful to CIA agents. They learned sleight of hand maneuvers, advice on dressing to blend in, and methods of passing secret messages unnoticed. Then came along two former CIA…Spy Thriller3 min read
Sep 27Are suitcase nuclear bombs out there, somewhere?Shortly after the September 11th attacks, the CIA was worried about top-secret intelligence revealing missing Russian nuclear devices, the creation of suitcase nuclear bombs, and that al Qaeda was trying to purchase or build nuclear weapons. Some technical expertise is needed to construct a suitcase nuke. The warhead consists of…Nuclear Weapons3 min read
Sep 26The movie ‘The Gray Man’ portrays the CIA’s real-life gray men and womenCIA Director William Colby called himself “the gray man,” the sort of man who couldn’t even catch a waiter’s eye in a restaurant. A CIA gray man is a man or woman operative who can blend into any environment or situation and move through a crowd overlooked, unnoticed, and forgotten. …The Gray Man3 min read
Sep 24Happiness and a positive mental attitude flow from the inside-out.I decided to write this COPING column episode about my mother, and how she attained happiness and a positive attitude throughout her entire life. I hope you get a few ideas to improve your optimistic outlook and happiness index from her. My mother passed away in 2004 at the Bethesda…Happiness5 min read
Sep 7“M” in James Bond spy thrillers is actually “C” in real lifeThe MI6 head in James Bond films uses the letter “M”, but he/she is known as “C” in real life- its first leader, Sir Mansfield Cumming, signed everything “C” and all subsequent heads continued using “C”. Today’s MI6 leaders sign every document with “C” in green ink. So, the current…James Bond2 min read
Aug 26CIA spies on Russian spies posing as U.N. diplomats in NYCThe CIA operated a secret station in NYC, ran by the CIA’s first female station chief, that recruited diplomats working at the United Nations and ran operations on the many Russian spies lurking around the UN- it was destroyed in the 9/11 attack, but a new location was chosen, which…CIA2 min read
Aug 23The CIA conduction domestic spying- a national security vs civil liberties dilemmaShould the CIA be allowed to conduct domestic spying inside the U.S.? I believe so. Yeah, I know, most Americans want the CIA to conduct foreign spying only, but I question the national security vs. civil liberties quandary which hangs deeply within the American psyche. I was at an AFIO…National Security3 min read
Aug 20Is there a spy mole lurking inside Mar-a-Lago?A mole at Mar-a-Lago could be just about anyone. The former White House chief of staff John Kelly tried to limit who had access to the place, but the effort fizzled when Trump refused to cooperate. Former Secret Service and intelligence officials say the resort is a security nightmare vulnerable…FBI2 min read
Aug 20Spy action and espionage at a rooftop bar in Seattle, WashingtonYou’ll enjoy visiting Seattle, the “Emerald City”, because of the famous, lush evergreen forests surrounding it. The nearby hiking trails through them will rekindle your spirit. The “93 Miles of Wonderland” trail around the base of Mt. …Seattle2 min read
