Jul 3The NSA’s secret ECHELON surveillance network keeps Americans out of harm’s wayAre Senators Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) missing something in their recent complaint about the CIA’s mass surveillance program, which they say amounts to illegal spying on Americans? …National Security6 min read
Jun 29Russian disinformation spread by “Useful Idiots” inside the U.S.Russian disinformation spread by “Useful Idiots” inside the U.S. As the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) conducts its criminal probe of Giuliani, U.S. intelligence grows more concerned about how Russian disinformation is influencing other influential Americans, as well as the lay public. Personally, I believe that Giuliani is knowingly allowing…Disinformation4 min read
Jun 26CIA drone strikes degraded terrorist networksAs we all know, both the U.S. military and the CIA use drones as part of conventional fighting in war zones as well as to conduct targeted killings of individuals they say are suspected of terrorism. The CIA’s drone program remains largely a secret, and it has used drones to…Thriller Suspense2 min read
Jun 25Youth sports coaches and kids with low self-esteemYears ago, a single-parent mom was worried about her fatherless son, age 9, who had a rather low self-esteem. The game of baseball lifted his spirits, however, one of his summer baseball league coaches was “gung-ho” on winning and constantly criticized her boy and his teammates whenever an error was…Parenting2 min read
May 24How can we close the gender gap in reading?As a former school psychologist, I always wondered why girls outpaced boys in reading. It’s a global phenomenon that exists today, and not just in the U.S. — in 65 countries, girls have significantly higher reading scores than boys. I wondered if the language arts experiences in the schools merged…Children2 min read
Apr 14The CIA is recruiting everywhere; you may get a tap on the shoulder at your local pub- they’re desperate for foreign-language speakers.The CIA recruiters have come out of the shadows to recruit future operatives. They may tap you on the shoulder on college campuses, at professional conferences, in community partnerships, and yes, in a bar or local nightclub, and they know lots about you before the shoulder tap. If you are…Spying4 min read
Apr 11The Women Spies of the CIA and Other Intelligence AgenciesValerie Plame is my favorite female spy, well, the correct term is CIA “operative.” A spy is the person she recruits. Plame was fresh out of college, in her early 20’s, when she became the youngest recruit in the CIA’s 1985 class. …Women4 min read
Apr 9CIA operative’s deep-cover spy craft revealed in The Shadow War spy thrillerIn the new The Shadow War spy thriller, an evil man, a former Russian KGB spy known as the Invisible Killer, took over a dead person’s identity in order to blend into American society as a sleeper agent. …Spy Thriller3 min read
Apr 6You become what you think about- here’s why.Can we really think our way into feeling better about ourselves and to triumph over life’s difficulties? Just what is the power of thought? Researchers reveal that we all become what we think about and what we achieve or don’t achieve is directly related to our personal thoughts. They tell…Thoughts2 min read
Apr 5A CIA operative’s fake identity and cover story can be a matter of life and deathMost CIA operatives working overseas are under “official cover,” posing as U.S. government employees- the State Department allows hundreds of its positions in embassies around the world to be occupied by CIA officers representing themselves as diplomats. There’s an obvious advantage of having official cover- if the CIA case officer…Espionage4 min read
