British Business Leaders Write a Letter to the Editor

Dear sir ...

A Letter From 1944

Extraordinary letter to Mom and Dad from a son shipping out to war.  Here's a piece of it: "Do not pray only that I shall return, but that I will have the power to do my duty."

Letters From Cold Harbor

Grant and Lee correspond with each other on the battlefield.

"Profoundly Dysfunctional": A Federal Bureaucrat Quits

Here's a piece of the letter of February 25:

I’m offended as an American taxpayer that the federal bureaucracy—at least the part I’ve labored in—is so profoundly dysfunctional.  I’m hardly the first person to have made that discovery, but I’m saddened by the fact that there is so little discussion, much less outrage, regarding the problem.  To promote healthy and productive discussion, I intend to publish a version of the daily log I’ve kept as ORI Director in order to share my experience and observations with my colleagues in government and with members of the regulated research community.

Read the whole thing.

Analyzing the Middle East

A letter sent to the Financial Times:

Cease and Desist ... But Not From Laughing At Your Nastygram

This reply is a thing of beauty.

Quote of the Day: An Old Marine On Naval Priorities

A member of the U.S. Naval Academy's Class of 1958 has some unvarnished (read: "politically incorrect but refreshingly honest") thoughts about the present state of things.  Here's a piece of his letter to the current academy superintendent:

"The cult of diversity has undermined the proper focus on mission accomplishment. Most of us who have actually fought 'in the trenches' in wartime don’t really care what race, creed or color our comrades-in-arms are. When we call for support in a 'danger close' situation we simply want the best qualified decision-makers in place to be dropping the bombs, firing the missiles or lobbing artillery our way. I don’t see how relaxed admissions and retention standards for minorities (or anyone else) at the premier officer training university in the country does anything to foster confidence that we will have that first team in place when faced with life and death situations. 

... The naval service is not about looking sharp, shuffling papers or making people feel good. It is primarily about accomplishing the mission and winning wars. If we don’t get our national priorities straight and our military doesn’t get re-focused, our armed forces may score high in political correctness, but will continue to get their butts kicked in far off places."

Of course, the hateful response to this from the usual circles will be boringly predictable.

Letters From the Pacific Theater

As we observe Memorial Day, here's a bit of fascinating history in the form of beautiful correspondence sent by Corporal Jack Fogarty from the Army's 98th Evacuation Hospital in World War II.  More here.

Stationery for the Elegant Villain

Well can I imagine the more genteel supervillain using these cards.

Best Cover Letter Ever For a Wall Street Internship?

Take a look.  I like the no-BS approach!  Kudos, kid.

Love and Loss in 16th-Century Korea

The excavation of a Korean tomb from 1586 yields a remarkable (and remarkably moving) find.

A Dad's Advice on Marriage

Read this letter!  The P.S. is absolutely delightful.

A Letter to a Senator

Pithy and to the point.

Dear Security Council ...

Here is a fascinating (and grim) look at the multiple letters sent to the Security Council by Israel's ambassador to the UN. Dating from February 27 to November 12 of this year, these missives detail the increasing rocket attacks from Gaza (as well as the Security Council's silence). Yep, nobody cares about people firing rockets into Israel, but heaven forfend the Israelis get sick of it and fight back, so cue now massive scurryings and utterings at the same UN.

Movie Critique: "Mission: Impossible-Verdana Font"

I really liked "Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol."  So did a typographer named Matthew Butterick, who wrote a letter to director Brad Bird to lodge a complaint not about the plot but about the font.  That's a guy passionate about his fonts!

Awesome: Southwest Airlines and a Damaged Suitcase

Three cheers for a customer and a company that both have a sense of humor!  See first the customer's letter about a damaged suitcase, and then see Southwest Airlines' response.  Public relations and customer service?  You're doing it right!  (United Airlines, take note!)