The Foreign Service Journal, January 2005

H appy New Year! In keeping with that theme, I am pleased to announce the launch of two new departments in the Journal . The first is Cyberbytes , which will appear, as the name suggests, in our Cybernotes sec- tion. We envision it as a forum to share brief (100 words or less) vignettes about Foreign Service life, either humorous or serious. Imitation being the sin- cerest form of flattery, one model for submissions might be the Sunday Washington Post ’s “Life as Haiku” column. Or you can think of these items as mini-Reflections (see below for guidance on what the full-fledged version entails). Either way, we hope those of you who are simply too busy to submit articles or letters will seize on this opportunity to dash off a quick e-mail reacting to something you read in our pages, or discussing a subject of interest to your colleagues. Our second new department is actually a revamp- ing of a current one. After an encouraging start three years ago, the stream of submissions for our FS Finances column has pretty much dried up, leaving us with a (very) occasional column. So, effective with this issue (see “When 24/7 Duty Isn’t: A Cautionary Tale,” p. 21), we have changed the department’s name to FS Know-How. We still want to offer financial information and guidance for Foreign Service personnel, but we also welcome contribu- tions on topics ranging from managing one’s career and cutting red tape to parlaying one’s professional skills in retirement. In other words, we’re looking for practical, “how to” advice for FS members, be they active-duty or retired. Let me also take this opportunity to remind you of ongoing opportunities to contribute to our pages. The Speaking Out department is your forum to advocate policy, regulatory or statutory changes to the Foreign Service. These columns (approximately 1,500 words long) can be based on personal experi- ence with an injustice or offer your insights into a foreign affairs-related issue. Each issue of the Journal features a focus section examining various facets of an issue related to the Foreign Service or international relations. We com- mission most of the articles for these sections from different sources, but warmly welcome contributions (2,000-3,000 words is the usual range, though short- er submissions are also accepted) from FS personnel who are familiar with these issues. As you can see, most of these themes relate 6 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 5 L ETTER F ROM THE E DITOR B Y S TEVEN A LAN H ONLEY Here is a list of the focus topics our Editorial Board has identified for the coming year (subject, of course, to revision): 2005 EDITORIAL CALENDAR for the FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL JANUARY: Foreign Service Memories FEBRUARY: The Powell Legacy/Transition to Secretary Rice MARCH “The Baghdad Effect” (2nd anniversary of Iraq War) APRIL 25th anniversary of Foreign Commercial Service MAY China JUNE Acquiring/utilizing FS expertise JULY/AUGUST FS Summer Fiction SEPTEMBER Security & Diplomacy (including Diplomatic Security Bureau) OCTOBER Dealing with “rogue” states (Iran, North Korea, Libya) NOVEMBER “In Their Own Write” (annual roundup of books by FS authors) DECEMBER “Wiring State” (Info technology & the Foreign Service)