Morning Coffee (19)

Another warm day here in Dayton. A man could get used to this sort of weather; maybe there'll be a thunderstorm today too. If it stayed just like this all year 'round, I'd be happy. Well, maybe not happy, but it would be a step in that direction. I'd be happy with the weather, let's put it that way.

On to better things than the fleeting notion of "happiness." There's a lot of talk lately about "civil wars" (which surely aren't expressions of happiness), what defines a civil war, and if Iraq is in the throes of a civil war. This is taking place largely in the media where they constantly bicker amongst themselves about pointless things like whether or not they're going to use the word "terrorist" "homicide/suicide bomber" and "jihad." And our politicians (retired or otherwise) are keen on opining. I had really given it much thought, because it doesn't really matter what you call it, so long as you've correctly identified the problem and have a plan (what a novel concept) with which to solve it. Yesterday, a good friend of mine, a colleague if you will, emailed me with the link to an article and I got to actually thinking about the situation there, specifically the nomenclature of said situation. Since I'm about as motivated as a sloth today, I'm going to largely cut and paste my response to his email below. Here's my take:

Until the fighting is between long lines of men in blue and grey uniforms facing each other and firing repeatedly into the opposing line, I cannot in good conscience call it a civil war.

In all seriousness, I think the argument is sort of ridiculous. What we have here is not civil war, it's anarchy, which is defined as: political and social disorder due to the absence of governmental control. I'm not entirely convinced that all the parties concerned have power, and by that I mean the desire to form and control a government (call it "legitimate power") and thus the population, in mind. I think a lot of it's centered around, as the article says, "tit-for-tat" violence with no real goal other than eradicating the opposition. And if one of these groups, the radical types, were to ascend to power, there would be little in the way of reconciliation. The other groups would be persecuted OR hunted to extinction. Moderates might be willing to reconcile and such, but the Sadr militia and their ilk probably won't.

Furthermore, I believe that a lot of what we're seeing is simply random violence and crime. People develop a taste for that sort of thing over time - especially when retribution is called for (which it IS in Islam AND Arab tribal mindset). It's a lot like the gang wars of the early 20th century; but with RPGs and IEDs. The people that are in this particular category care nothing of legitimate power, they care only about making a buck or getting a car or a cell phone or worse, killing people. And I don't think it's possible to get an accurate depiction of what is being conducted by whom simply because of the level and scale of the anarchy there. Who knows what is done for criminal reasons, or in conjunction with a larger goal of insurgency or terrorism or freedom fighting.

Frankly, we can call it whatever we want except "mission accomplished."
What will probably happen, perhaps what should happen, is the destruction of Iraq as a nation, and the establishment of separate entities. Will that solve the problem? Who knows. But it would make some of it more manageable and certainly more quantifiable. But it's really not that simple either. Regional powers do NOT want Iraq partitioned like a proverbial hard drive, nor do they want the violence to spill into their borders. Turkey and Iran both have a "Kurd problem", which sounds more grotesque than threatening. Iran likely wants Iraq to remain Iraq because it does not give the Kurds legitimacy (and the Turks would agree), and if the Shia are in power, it gives them significant influence in the country - think Hizbollah but with a seat in the UN and a real, honest to goodness flag that flies over embassies. In terms of geopolitical goals, regionally, some countries do not want a strong, stable Iraq. They're content with it being weakened. But it cannot be fractured, because it would give the Kurds, who are really only one step above Israelis in the eyes of most Arabs, the chance to forge a nation (which the already have for the most part). It would also present the possibility of a "REAL" war, not civil or otherwise, and a REAL war threatens to drag other nations (Saudi Arabia, Jordan) into it overtly. It could be real bad for all parties. I could put forth my version of a worst case scenario, but perhaps I'll leave that for tomorrow.

I think the bottom line is this: the only way for these problems to be solved is for average Iraqis (Arabs, Christians, Kurds, Shia, Sunni…) to want it to be solved so badly that they're willing to risk their lives to do it. I think that only when we leave will we see a true civil war, and thus the end of anarchy, and the possibility of one side, good or bad, coming out on top and establishing order. As it sits right now, we're preventing Darwinism from occurring. We're fighting all sides. We're playing a game here: we're not only fighting all sides, but we're (trying to) playing all sides.

Look at our Civil War. The South arguably had no chance of winning after a certain point, but when they lost the possibility of foreign support, their end was brought about much more swiftly. The British and French sided with the North after Antietam; the South was doomed. Afghanistan was much the same. The Northern Alliance and the Taliban were battling it out right up until 11 Sep 01 (and had been for years); the conflict had reached a sort of stasis, but the killing would have gone on a lot longer. We picked a horse, and rode it to victory, and until recently, stability. Perhaps that's what we should do: pick a horse. Unfair? Perhaps. But this is real politik if it's anything, and real politik is not fair.

Just my opinion mingled amongst the thousands of other opinions. Of course, maybe I'm saying what no one else wants to say. Our "PC-ness" might doom us. Let me put forth this: the Roman and British Empires did not last as long as they did because they were politically correct. It's because they did what they needed to do. Are we an Empire? That's another story all together, and one that's really quite moot.

So there you have it.

Word of the Day: Heterodox (adjective): 1. contrary to or differing from some acknowledged standard, especially in church doctrine or dogma; unorthodox; 2. holding unorthodox opinions or doctrines. Perhaps a fitting word today considering I would be flogged if I put forth the above ideas.

On This Day in History: Battle of Sinop - Imperial Russian Navy destroys the Ottoman fleet at Sinop in northern Turkey (Crimean War) (1853). This war is seen as the first modern war and would change the way war (and the treatment of wounded soldiers - Florence Nightingale) would be executed. Cigarettes were even invented.

"Meat-eating orchids forgive no one just yet. Cut myself on angel's hair and baby's breath. Broken hymen of your highness, I'm left black. Throw down your umbilical noose so I can climb right back." - Nirvana, "Heart-Shaped Box".

And so no one thinks Rodney Adkins is a genius philosophe (maybe he's a philosophaster): "If you're going through hell, keep going." - Winston Churchill

Morning Coffee (18)

It's an absolutely beautiful day outside today. Perfect weather for me. Damp, cloudy, but pretty warm. It was 59 when I left my house this morning at 0550. Amazing. I like this global warming thing.

Other than that and having my window down most of the way, the drive in this morning was brutal. XM greatly failed me today; every song was like rubbing sea salt into an open wound. It's funny how that happens sometimes. I suppose I should have just plugged in my iPod. If I wanted stinging sea salt, I could have picked it myself.

Speaking of iPods, the Bush administration has banned the US export of the device, along with a plethora of other items, to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), also known as North Korea. Other items include Hennessy cognac, Johnny Walker Scotch Whiskey, Harley Davidson motorcycles, Mercedes brand cars, and plasma screen TVs. At first you think, "Wow, what a stupid idea. North Korean citizens can't afford these items anyway." At least that's what I thought. Then I read the article. The aim here is to cut off Kim Jong-il's supply to these items. The idea is to aggravate him personally (which I love), and to attempt to eliminate his ability to control his party. He frequently gives out these luxuries to the most loyal of associates, and preventing this might erode their loyalty. Will it work? Who knows. It's doubtful since most of these items are readily available on the black market, but perhaps it will cramp Pimp Daddy Kim's lifestyle and that of his cronies a bit. It might take some time for the crunch to be felt though. And it does nothing to assist the average North Korean now. But I doubt they would know the difference anyway - they think they've got it great in comparison to the rest of the world. That's what complete control over a population's consumption of media and information will get you.

As a side note, I love the names of some of these countries. North Korea's name is great: it tells you that it's not only democratic, but it's the people's republic as well. That's a double whammy of goodness, right? How could it possibly be bad if they're democratic and the people's? I'd opine that it cannot.

Morning Coffee is "lite" today. Not really in the right mood; nevertheless I'm still negative and bitter so don't fret.

Word of the Day: Abrogate (transitive verb): 1. to annul or abolish by an authoritative act; 2. to put an end to; to do away with.

On This Day in History: The slave ship Zong dumps its cargo into the sea to collect insurance (1781). Largely an uninteresting day apparently.

"The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense." - Tom Clancy. Truer words have never been said.

Morning Coffee (17)

Doobri Dyen Tovarishchi;

Just practicing my Russian; might go there sometime... The weather is still quite nice, but I wouldn't get too used to it. It's supposed to turn for the worse Thursday. As it turns out, this might be a pretty good edition!

As much as I'd hate to feed the beast, I'm going to mention a terrorism "themed" bit today. Not too long ago, six imams were removed from a US Airways flight. At first, it seemed that maybe someone had gotten a little carried away and removed these men for no reason other than them being overtly Muslim. Today, however, a Washington Times article reports that there may be more to the incident than we were led to believe. The imams were praying loudly and shouting the word "Allah" while other passangers were boarding and then boarded the plane, sitting in a pattern associated with previous terrorist attacks (9/11) and later probes of security measures: two in the first row, front class; two in the middle of the plane (exit aisle); two in the rear of the cabin. The men also asked for seatbelt extenders, though were not oversized. They then put these extenders not on the seatbelts, but on the floor at their feet. Witnesses say that despite the imams claims, they were in fact speaking Arabic and English while criticizing the Iraq war and Pres. Bush, and spoke of al-Qaida and bin Ladin. Some of the men did not sit in their assigned seats. Each of these things individually does not warrant removal from a flight, despite public and personal fears we may have with the images of 9/11 indelibly etched into our minds. One pilot says that airlines DO in fact profile (can you believe that?). But what they profile is passenger behavior! However, when added together, I do believe, as do other pilots from other airlines, that the pilot made the correct move. It's better to be safe than sorry I think. Surely, these imams will sue, backed by the ACLU or some such group. They might even win. But the people on that plane can rest at ease - because they're still alive. And subsequent flights might also be safe because this effort, if it was a probe of security, was thwarted.

Enough with terrorism. Chicago has banned the new movie "The Nativity Story" from the local Christmas festival for fears that it might offend non-Christians. Before, when I was uneducated about such matters, I would have said that was stupid - it's a Christian holiday, thus Christian themes most definitely have a place. However, now I feel that it might indeed offend non-Christians. Namely the pagans from whom Christianity borrowed the holiday in an attempt at encouraging pagans to convert (and by encourage I mean forcibly converting). Twenty-five December wasn't officially added to the calendar as a feast day until 350 CE, although it was celebrated in Rome as early as 336 CE. Besides, anymore it's basically a holiday celebrating our new god: capitalism, not any old gods, pagan or otherwise. I suppose having the token Nativity scene in the public square makes everyone feel as though they're paying homage to their god, but we should be honest here. The whole season is merely a cash cow for industry - and the season gets longer and longer. Interestingly, Christmas has been brought up as a violation of the separation of church and state. The verdict for Ganulin v US (1999) stated that "Christmas Day as a legal public holiday does not violate…because it has a valid secular purpose." Agreed. That secular purpose it making money! Frankly, I have no problem with the whole Christian attachment to Christmas: Nativity scenes, the notion that Jesus was born on 25 December, whatever, so long as Christians acknowledge that they borrowed much of the idea and let the pagans have a little fun too (without risk of being burned at the stake - figuratively of course). Pagan cult religions Mithraism and the cult of Sol Invictus (The Unconquerable Sun) had 25 Dec as the birthdate of their gods before Christians did. Yule is a 12 day, pre-Christian winter festival celebrated by Scandinavians during which "yule logs" are lit to honor Thor. I think that it's sad that modern Christians, by and large, do not know that many of the institutions and rituals of their religion were influenced by or even borrowed directly from, many pagan rites and institutions (Vestal Virgins, the pontifex maximus). I will stop flogging this poor mule now.

Lastly, I was in error when I reported that I won all three rounds in Sunday's bar trivia. While I did technically win all three rounds, my good friend Harish may have beaten me in the last round. He was leading when he had to excuse himself during a break and failed to make it back in time to finish me off. We'll never know who would have won had it been a fair battle. But, I'll take a win however the enemy wants to give it to me.

Word of the Day: Perfidy (PUR-fuh-dee) (noun): The act of violating faith or allegience; violation of a promise or vow; faithlessness; treachery.

On This Day in History: Tehran Conference: FD Roosevelt, W Churchill and J Stalin meet in Tehran to discuss war strategy (1943). It is alleged that Stalin had such a force of personality, that Churchill actually had to consciously NOT stand up when Stalin walked into the room. This comes from the biography on Stalin by Edvard Radzynski, and I believe quotes Churchill's personal memoirs.

"When you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you." - Frederich Nietzsche. Indeed it does Fred.

Morning Coffee (16)

Greetings;

How about this weather. I didn't check the temperature this morning on my way out, but it was pretty warm. You won't hear any complaints from me; I despise the cold.

I trust everyone had a good holiday weekend; safe travels, all that. Mine could have been better, but it also could have been worse. I find that most days fall into this category anymore. I take what I can get at this point. But, I had pretty good company, and good food, and my son was there with me, so while I could want to ask for more, I'll not do so lest the gods further curse me.

Apparently, the hurricane season had no wind in its sails, to pun badly. If I recall, we were supposed to get hit hard like we did last season, but when the storm died down, there wasn't much to behold. I'm glad, because I really got tired of hearing about hurricanes. The problem now, however, will be all the arm-chair climatologists (and real ones even) who will saturate the air waves with their speculation and conjecture, opining like they actually understand how it all works. Since I think that modern weather forecasting is about as accurate as reading chicken livers and cows blood, or throwing bones, or the psychedelic rantings of the Oracle of Delphi, I think they're all full of it. They should admit that most of their analysis is guesswork; the system their analyzing is huge beyond most comprehension - they can't possibly be right even half the time. Which is why this global warming thing is so controversial. I equate it to arguing about religion. One side says it exist and is caused by man, the other side says it doesn't or at least isn't caused by man. Both sides throw out figures and facts that back up their arguments. Then no one agrees, and nothing gets done. What bothers me about this "science" is that the proponents of one theory or the other believe that THEY ALONE have the answers. I don't recall being taught that science was so. And I don't think you can prove man's involvement either way - the system is far too big, and unless you're name begins with a capital G and has three letters total, you can't understand it with 100% fidelity. Enough on that.

The Pope traveled to Turkey this past weekend. There he is, contributing to the holiday travel season and further clogging the arteries of the world with his gargantuan entourage. But in all seriousness, the Pope has his work cut out for him. I read an interesting article in Time online, which I'm too lazy to find again, that explained some of the aftermath of his comments regarding Islam, which fueled more peace and tolerance from some Muslims. Turkey is a dichotomy - a bastion of hope for liberal Europe, yet a growing conservative movement threatens to divide the country further. He's also traveling to "heal the 1,000 year divide" between Catholicism and Orthodox Christians. That's a lot of healing he's going to be doing - maybe this should be an episode of M*A*S*H* or Scrubs.

Played three rounds of bar trivia last night - and yes I won every round. I was a mere 200 points from scoring in the top ten one-round scores in my first round. 11,982 points. Not bad considering it was sports trivia, and they asked virtually no baseball questions. See how full my head is of useless knowledge?

Word of the Day: Dolorous (adjective): Marked by, causing, or expressing grief or sorrow.
On This Day in History: The French scuttles their navy at Toulon to keep it out of the hands of Nazi Germany (1942).

"My advice to you is get married: if you find a good wife you'll be happy; if not, you'll become a philosopher." - Socrates.

Until tomorrow.

Morning Coffee (15)

Morning Folks;

I trust that you all had a good Thanksgiving, with whomever and wherever you might have been. Mine was wholly uneventful. Coffee's been brewed and I'm ready to start the day…then start the weekend.

Where to start? How about saying that Iran's WMD program has been shut down by a powerful entity. Yeah, that's right, their soccer team has been banned from playing World Soccer by FIFA. You didn't think I was talking about their "peaceful" nuclear program did you? Nothing, not even the all-powerful UN can stop that. But it's peaceful. Trust me. How can you not believe a guy who ends every sentence with "Death to the Zionists?" This Ahmedinejad fellow is a lot like Cato the Elder, who at the end of every speech to the Roman Senate, whether it was about agriculture or aqueducts, "Ceterum conseo Carthaginem esse dalendam." Moreover, I advise that Carthage must be destroyed. Except Ahmadinejad says it in Farsi and substitutes Zionists for Carthage. Anyway, FIFA banned Iranian participation because of government interference in their soccer program.

The poisoned Russian "spy" apparently died yesterday. I was almost thinking that he was going to pull through it until he suffered heart failure the other day. But, he remained defiant till the end, uttering, "The bastards got me, but they won't get us all" in an interview just a few hours before he died. It may be that he was not poisoned by thallium. Perhaps they will never know what poisoned him.

Something to really think about: the College Republicans at Boston University went ahead and made a scholarship for people who are at least one-quarter white. I find that very interesting. Several on campus groups are very offended. Admittedly, the College Repubs did it with the intent to stir the pot and to get people to discuss racial preferences. The application for the scholarship even states "We believe that racial preferences in all their forms are perhaps the worst form of bigotry confronting America today." BU is not the first school to offer a scholarship like this: Roger Williams University offered a $250 whites-only scholarship a few years ago. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. I think it's an issue that needs to be discussed, but in a calm, rational way. Probably not though.

Word of the Day: Spoonerism (noun): Th transposition of usually initial sounds in a pair of words. This word comes from Rev William Archibald Spooner (1844-1930), who apparently did this a lot. How about some examples, people? Let's see if you're awake yet. Best example will be posted in Monday's edition.

On This Day in History: Charles Darwin publishes The Origin of Species (1859). And the world was never the same.
Also, if anyone cares, Mystery Science Theater 3000 debuts on a Minneapolis UHF channel (1988).

"And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him." - Revalations 6:8 And that's likely the last time I will have a biblical quote in the Morning Coffee. But Revalations chapter 6 is about the only thing of interest to me in the entire novel. Sometimes, I ride a pale horse.

Everyone have a good weekend. Enjoy your offtime, for those that have it. See you on Monday.

Morning Coffee (14)

Yeah, good morning, or something like that. Good is such a subjective term, isn't it? Or do we all agree on what constitutes a good morning? I'd venture a guess and say that in general, we do, but when it comes down to the brass tacks, our opinions on what a good morning consists of vary widely. I don't think I've had a genuinely good morning in quite some time. But I'm looking forward to having one again someday.

There seems to be nothing of interest in today's news, at least nothing intel related. Oh, wait, found something. Nigeria. If you are an employee of an oil company, do not go to Nigeria no matter what your employer says. Seven employees of the Italian oil company Eni were kidnapped today while working in offshore oil fields. This is nothing new, it happens all the time. Reuters reports that "dozens" of foreign oil workers have been kidnapped this year alone. Okay, that's really pretty weak. Today, I strive to not add any value to anything in the Morning Coffee, merely play a role as Katie Couric and report the news. As Fox News says, "we report, you decide." At least for today.

Jenna Bush got robbed while in Argentina. One of her Secret Service bodyguards got badly beaten. This here is a trend too, as the Bush daughters were involved in a similar altercation in Spain in 2004. Despite the increased risk of being robbed by Spanish speaking thugs in various parts of the world, it is my goal to one day date Jenna Bush. She's an ideal woman I think. Smart, attractive, radiant, family oriented - the kind of girl who really lights up the room when she comes in, probably has a dazzling smile I'd imagine. All important things for me, as you might know. Of course, she's also the daughter of the President, and her political views are probably on the far side of Right, and being more of a centrist myself, we might not agree on much. Namely religion, among other things. So, I guess she's out too.

There will be no Morning Coffee tomorrow, at least not of this sort. Have a cup of steaming Joe and reminisce and think fondly of the missing in action Java. But it will return Friday morning, bright and early (no, government employees don't get a four day weekend). I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving and that you all give thanks for everything you have, as is traditional at this time of year. I know that I have a couple of things to be thankful for…let's see…my health, having a job, my son. That pretty much covers it for me. I trust your list is longer!

Word of the Day: Mollify (transitive verb): 1. To pacify; to soothe or calm in temper or disposition; 2. To reduce in intensity; to temper; 3. To soften; to reduce the rigidity of.

Word of the Day Tomorrow: Gnomic (adjective): Uttering, containing, or characterized by maxims; wise and pithy.

On This Day in History: President John F Kennedy was assassinated (1963). Aldous Huxley, who had a quote in yesterday's edition, also died on this day in 1963.

"Women might be able to fake orgasms. But men can fake a whole relationship." - Sharon Stone. I wonder.

Until next time.

Morning Coffee (13)

Good Morning All;

I've been told my recent Morning Coffees have been laced with a little too much depressing melancholic sadness. Well, I apologize if my current brand of uber pessimism/cynicism rubs anyone the wrong way. I'm sure my demeanor will eventually improve and I'll return to being just a plain old pessimistic cynic.

I must say, XM Radio is the sweetest invention since, well, radio. Or maybe the phonograph. I feel bad for all of you terrestrial radio listeners. I recently discovered a channel on XM called "Lucy." It's like I'm back in my bedroom at 14 listening to all that music. Every song is a song that played from my cheap radio during that time. It's pretty cool. Songs I haven't heard in years flow from my Rodeo's speakers. I haven't heard a song on that station that I don't like. The songs from my youth…

I will share with you something that I find incredulous. I was watching "Lost Worlds" on the History Channel last night, and it was about Hitler's super-city Germania, which was never created as you know. His plan was to basically level Berlin and build a great city with great works of architecture - typical of dictators. The Chancellory and the Berlin Stadium were the first two buildings of this city. Hitler personally designed this one massive domed building, inspired by the Pantheon in Rome. And when I say massive, I mean it. The dome was nearly 1,000 feet high, you could put a Saturn rocket in it apparently. It sat 180,000 people. So many that they feared that the breath of these people would condense on the inside of the dome and then fall as rain. The entire structure was to be made from granite - the dome alone would have weighed 200,000 tons. So they have this engineer/architect guy describing the building and he states that they ran the design through a computer to see if it was even feasible, which he didn't think it would be. Guess what: Turns out Hitler's design would actually work. As soon as they found that out, they immediately began to diminish the design. This is where I got sort of annoyed. Here's a guy with no engineering or architectural training that happened to design the plans for what would have been (and still would be) the largest domed structure in the world. That would have been a pretty neat accomplishment if it were someone else, say Roosevelt for instance. But the narrator started saying things like "while it was technically feasible, the cost would have been immense and impractical." Perhaps, but you could have said the same thing about the Colossus of Rhodes. Then the architect guy belittled the design as ugly and ungainly, a "mockery of the neat lines of the Pantheon." The commoners of Rome might have said the same thing about the Pantheon for all we know. It's that sort of subjective? Hey, I may not be an architect, and I may be a man with little taste, but I thought the thing was pretty impressive, especially designed by someone with no training in engineering. So Hitler designed it, so what? By giving the guy credit for a pretty impressive feat of design, you're not dismissing the Holocaust or World War II. And that's what these people don't understand. They're so afraid of being labeled anti-Semites or Hitler lovers that they cannot even suggest that the man did anything NOT evil. I think it's pretty well known what the man did - he was sort of nuts, yeah? So why not be objective a little and tell the good with the bad. It's not like the good will swing him into fame - his fate will always be in the realm of infamy, big dome design or no.

Well, that's all I got. I got ambushed by a co-worker and ended up BS'ing about unimportant things for 40 minutes. Wanted to get some more in here, but that's all I've time for.

Word of the Day: Uxorious (adjective): Excessively fond of or submissive to a wife.
On This Day in History: Thomas Edison announces the invention of the phonograph (1877). What a coincidence! Also, in keeping with the professional aspect of this publication, Jonathan Pollard (a Navy intel analyst) is arrested for spying for Israel (1985).

"Maybe this world is another planet's Hell." - Aldous Huxley. Huxley might be right.
"The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds, and the pessimist fears this is true." - James Branch Cabell. Told you.

Until tomorrow. Because it will surely come.

Morning Coffee (12)

Good Morning All;

Hope everyone had a good weekend. Mine was relatively restful, but it sucked all in all. We needn't say any more about that. Unlike some people, I want to scream every single day, not just some days. I didn't want to get out of the couch today, but when do I? Actually, I sometimes wish I'd just go into a coma or something. I'll bet the dreams would be interesting - ask around, escaping reality can be fun.

I hit a bit o'black ice this morning. That was immeasurably fun. I know you are all concerned about my safety, some more than others, others less, but I'm fine. I successfully avoided slamming head on into the car on the opposite side of the road. It barely even raised my pulse, but that could be because I'm dead inside. I've been accused of that more than once, but this time, it came in handy.

What's in the news today? Well, not much of any pertinence to The Profession (and I’m not talking about prostitution). One interesting tid bit, however, is that in some cities in Europe, they are getting rid of traffic signs all together. They're removing all lines in the road and even blurring the lines between pedestrians and vehicles. The goal here is a psychological one: the many signs (648 valid traffic symbols in Germany) and rules creates rebellion in drivers and they then drive LESS safe. Not to mention the clutter of the millions of signs (20 million in Germany) all about, 70% of which are ignored by drivers. They thinking is that if the rules are ambiguous, drivers are more apt to be safer and more considerate. Those in charge of this grand project also feel that we humans are losing our consideration for others, and we will then be connected to our fellow man through the use of hand signs, eye contact, and other gestures in place of the missing road signs. And apparently, this whole scheme is working to some degree. In one city, traffic accidents and violations are down significantly. Officials from the US have visited some of these cities. Perhaps we'll see this sort of thing here. I sort of like the idea of traffic circles; they're somewhat pleasing to the eye. However, I doubt that US cities will be adorned with cobblestone as are the European cities conducting this experiment. So, what do you all think? Discuss amongst yourselves, or, the gods forbid, actually reply.

Other than that, it's good to see Russia doing what it does best: killing political opponents. All is right in the world when that happens. You know that the world isn't a screwed up as it seems, and it really makes you feel good about life. To know that the FSB, the successor organization to the KGB can, as the mob says, "whack" a political dissident, is to know that the universe is in harmony.

Well, not quite. It seems that the fellow isn't dead yet. The man, targeted at a London sushi restaurant, was in serious but stable condition. Thallium, the poison of choice for rat exterminators and those wishing to kill political opponents and defectors, was somehow slipped in the man's food or drink while dinning. In my opinion, it's not a good time to be a Russian political activist or someone viewed as a threat to the current powers; they're dropping like flies.

Word of the Day: Chthonic (adjective): Dwelling in or under the earth; also, pertaining to the underworld. This must be the coolest word of the day in it's short history. I will be hard pressed to top this one.

On This Day in History: Nuremburg Trials begin (1945).

"It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both." - Niccolo Machiavelli "The Prince." Wise words from a wise man.

That is all for today.

Morning Coffee (11)

Morning. Nothing good about it today, just "morning." I slept well last night though, with a little help from Tylenol "Sleepy Time" and some Nyquil.

Weather's a bit colder today, but still dark and sort of rainy. I hope it rains.

Israel is apparently developing some nifty weapons using nanotechnology. One weapon is a "bionic hornet" that can track down, photograph, and even kill those dirty terrorist types. Another is a glove that gives it's wearer "bionic strength." Pretty interesting stuff; they plan on having prototypes available in three years. That's just around the corner. Personally, I'll be very interested to see how this sort of thing works out. Hizbollah pretty much fought Israel to a standstill, so I can see why the Israelis are looking for alternative methods. They expended huge amounts of ordnance, and while they did a great deal of damage to Hizbollah's infrastructure, they didn't defeat them in any sense of the word. Even if we call the 34-day war a draw (which is a fair assessment), Hizbollah has gained a huge amount of credibility. They're the only Arab "power" (they're not really a nation) to have really bloodied the nose of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). Interesting stuff here.

Not really profession related, but this immigration debate is getting out of hand. I don't understand why it's so difficult. If you have the word "illegal" in front of your status, as in "illegal immigrant" then it makes it pretty clear to me. Doing something illegal makes you a criminal, right? If you're a criminal, you typically lose rights, not gain them. I understand that we need these people to do jobs than none of us elitists will do, but if they want rights, then they should have to do things according to the law. How am I supposed to want you here if you cannot respect my country's laws? Some podunk town in Nevada passed a law that makes it illegal to fly any foreign flag by itself or above the US flag when flied together - the latter is a violation of the US Flag Code anyway, but not enforceable anyway. This law will be beaten down by the 1st Amendment, but I see their point. When you have 11 million illegal immigrants flying the Mexican flag during rallies, it sort of gives you the impression that they really aren't interested in attaining a legal status. You could almost argue that this illegal immigrant thing is a form of colonization. I see nothing wrong with granting visas, and granting citizenship to people who want it and meet the qualifications. But letting people break the law, doing nothing to stop them, and saying that we should allow them to do so AND give them rights commensurate with a citizen, is ludicrous. This nation is/was a nation of immigrants. I've never heard it referred to as a nation of illegal immigrants. Opine if you wish.

Word of the Day: Dotage (noun): Feebleness of mind due to old age; senility.
On This Day in History: Elizabethan era begins in England as Elizabeth I succeeds Mary I as Queen (1558). She would rule until her death in 1603. Vespasian, one of the great Roman emperors, was born (9CE).

"Yes, testosterone-sodden young men too unattractive to get a woman in this world might be desperate enough to go for 72 private virgins in the next." - Richard Dawkins in "Religion's Misguided Missiles"

Everyone have a safe and good weekend. If you need me, you know where I'll be: home doing nothing. See you Monday.

Morning Coffee (10)

Good Morning;

Today, I shall infect you with more of my rubbish. You don't mind do you? Because if you did, I know you wouldn't wait two weeks into receiving said rubbish to say anything, right?

I just read an article that says that those Fox News reporters that were kidnapped this past summer were released after receiving $2 million, which was then used by their kidnappers to purchase weapons for their fight against "the Zionists." Look, if it were me or my family, I would want someone to pay anything for our release. And I'm glad that Steve Centanni's family gets to see him every day (unless he decides to go back to that area). But the message that was sent was that you can kidnap Americans and you might get paid for it. Literally, securing the freedom of Steve and Olaf allowed bad people to get more weapons with which to kill more people. It's quite the ethical dilemma. What must an Israeli feel, who's family was just killed by an advanced anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system that was purchased with the bounty from Steve's kidnapping? Is he glad that Steve is free, hugging his wife and kids, while his family is in a smoldering crater that was once his house? I wonder about that.

I have a suggestion to prevent the kidnapping of Americans problem: Don't go over there! Yeah, I know, it sucks. But it prevents you from getting kidnapped, and thus prevents some philanthropist from sending al-Aqsa a crap load of cash and maybe prevents said extremists from killing more Israelis or Americans (or at least not as easily). The "leader" of the group that snatched Steve and Olaf already said that if hostilities resumed, they would continue to kidnap Americans. Just stay out unless you're a member of the Diplomatic Corps or in the Military. What do you need to go there for? We have beaches here.

Pretty weak Morning Coffee today, huh? Perhaps I didn't add enough grounds.

Word of the Day: Inexorable (adjective): Not to be persuaded or moved by entreaty or prayer; firm; determined; unyielding; unchangeable; inflexible; relentless. Good word.

On This Day in History: Soviet submarine K-19 collides with USS Gato in the Barents Sea (1969). Maybe a Chinese sub will soon share K-19's fate - are they perhaps the new Soviets?

"The power of accurate observation is frequently called cynicism by those who don't have it." George Bernard Shaw. See? I'm not bad.

The answer to yesterday's bit o'trivia, is the Bhagavad-Gita, a sacred Hindu text dated from 500-50 BCE. No one got it without looking it up. However, Harish, Corey J, and Joe S submitted answers. Joe didn't cheat though. Good job Joe! I'm congratulating you for failure because you didn't cheat!

Until tomorrow.

Morning Coffee (09)

Good Morning;

Had a tough time getting up this morning, but I guess Sleepy Time by Tylenol will do that to you sometimes. But here I am, like a machine. I will say, however, that this morning's coffee is good. One could argue that it cannot get much better than this, but I propose that it can.

Ho hum, another news day. Iranian President Ahmadinejad says (for the millionth time) that Israel's destruction is near. And some people think this man is all talk for the sake of rhetoric and that his country should have nuclear weapons, er…I mean a peaceful nuclear power program. I won't name who…but I know. I put forth that it matters not if it's mere rhetoric. You cannot be sure, thus you cannot allow this guy to have nuclear weapons. Do YOU want to be responsible for Tel Aviv becoming a smoking crater, all because you really thought that Ahmadinejad was saber-rattling? It doesn't matter. The risk is too great. Some pose that throwing money at these people is the best way to befriend them. Capitalism and money does not always cure everything. In fact, it rarely cures anything. Religious devotion, truly believing what you believe, can be dangerous. The short life that this guy leads in the material means little when eternal salvation is at stake. Others pose that he hasn't the means to deliver a weapon to the US, or that he wouldn't because it could be traced back to Iran. Well, those points are moot. Delivery systems needn't be in the form of ICBMs, and does it really matter if it can be traced? I think no.

That was a little longer of a rant than it was supposed to be. In other news, did you read about the Chinese sub that was shadowing the carrier USS Kitty Hawk? It supposedly stalked the ship and her escorts and came within firing distance without being detected, then surfaced to reveal herself. Brilliant, eh? And some people think that China is not a threat. I won't name him, but he might be an Admiral named Fallon. Then this person goes ahead and says we need better military to military relations so this doesn't happen again. Well, it's a brilliant idea given that we've had military exchanges with China before. They've been so successful that we've allowed the Chinese access to some of our most sensitive sites, and they've reciprocated. Wait…no, no they haven't. We've been given access to virtually nothing. They only want to be our friends, right? There's some serious optimism going on in our gov't sometimes. I will say it when no one else will: China is a threat. They want to be a threat. They want to challenge our hegemony. Period. Deal with it. This incident is an embarrassment, but necessary to wake people up. Hopefully they do.

Today's Morning Coffee sure does have a negatively sarcastic bent to it.

Word of the Day: Gauche (adjective): Lacking social polish; tactless; awkward; clumsy.
On This Day in History: Northern Alliance fighters take control of Kabul, Afghanistan from the Taliban (with a lot of US airpower assistance) (2001).

"I am become death, shatterer of worlds." - Robert Oppenheimer, after witnessing the world's first nuclear explosion, which he had a hand in creating. Can someone tell me from where this quote originates? No Google searching either you cheating bastards. Winner gets a by name mention in tomorrow's MC. I know my little contests are so popular - turnout is less than US election days.

Until tomorrow.

Morning Coffee (08)

Good Late Morning;

I got a late jump on the day today, so forgive me. I know that some of you wait with baited breath for the wonderous insight I bring and simply cannot function without your Morning Coffee. Who can?

We're beginning to see the "new face" of Washington already. Several Democratic leaders in Congress have said that they are going to "press for troop reductions in Iraq" within months. It's going to be a "phased redeployment" for all you who are interested in politiko-ese. Carl Levin (D-MI) says, "The point of this is to signal to the Iraqis that the open-ended commitment is over and that they are going to have to solve their own problems." (Emphasis added by me.) Meanwhile, John McCain (R-AZ) stated that there aren't enough troops in Iraq. Of course, the Democrats' desire to get our troops out at all costs is a good one, right?

Well, it is unless you remember this place, what's it called…yeah, Afghanistan. That's it. It took me a minute. For about ten years, we gave a lot of money, equipment, and training to the mujihedeen there because we wanted to see the Soviets' nose bloodied. Well, we got what we wanted, and then we told the Afghans, "you're going to have to solve your own problems." Well, the problem with that, is that their problems became OUR problems. Instead of helping Afghanistan overcome its problems and helping to establish a stable government, we found ourselves in the mountains of the Hindu Kush trying to find a tall gangly Saudi Arabian citizen with an alleged kidney problem. The place turned into a haven for all sorts of bad guys - well, bad to us anyway. (Bad is very subjective.)

Iraq is not Afghanistan. But one shouldn't discount the possibility of it becoming the next Afghanistan, only with the ability to make the ruling nut jobs a lot more wealthy - which in turn allows them to make/procure nastier weapons. What I'm saying here is that if we don't do the job right, then we may be fighting a stronger enemy in the streets of Falluja in another ten years. Do you want to see that happen? I sure as heck don’t want my son fighting for the same streets that my brothers have. I haven't the answers; they don't pay me enough for that sort of thing. But I know a wrong answer when I see it, and putting a timetable on troop withdrawals is absurd for a multitude of reasons.

An apt quote, and one of my favorites of all time: "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." - George Orwell. Just reading this quote gives me goosebumps - Hail to those rough men.

Word of the Day: Abovo (adverb): From the beginning.
On This Day in History: The World Wide Web first began (1990). And the world was never the same - but is it ever?

Hope you all enjoyed your long weekend and thanked several veterans for their service as "rough men."

Morning Coffee (07)

Nothing much time to report today; really busy. Hate to let you all down, considering how much you look forward to the Morning Coffee and all.

Lots of news though. Rumsfeld steps down as SECDEF. We could speculate all day long as to whether or not it is a good thing. I leave that to you to discuss today.

Word of the Day: Congeries (noun): a collection; an aggregation.
On This Day in History: We're doing tomorrow early: 10 Nov 1775 - The Continental Congress passed a resolution creating two battalions of Continental Marines; the birth of my beloved United States Marine Corps. Two-hundred thirty-one years - that's a lot of history, and a lot to live up to for contemporary Marines. And they are up to the challenge and do so every day. No birthday ball for me this year, which sucked, but I was there in spirit. Semper Fi.

Will be out of town tomorrow through Sunday - we will resume our charade then.

Have a safe weekend and thank a vet and wish a Marine happy birthday.

Morning Coffee (06)

Today's Morning Coffee is brought to you by the Democrats. If, despite what you see and hear, you smell a dirty rat, you've been had by a Democrat. I say this in jest.

Congratulations 'Merica, your voice has been heard. Another relatively successful election (just think the Athenians did this voting thing with far less problems 2,600 years ago…using pottery pieces). Let us now hope that the mob has not doomed us; it will likely hamstring the President and, if you can imagine it, even LESS will get done in our government than normal. This is not a condemnation of any specific party, but is endemic of the system. In any event, I hope that all of you voted and did so in an informed, intelligent manner. Unfortunately, I was not able to vote in this election for whatever reason. Yes, I'm now registered here, and also a resident, but apparently I registered just after the deadline for registration. Thus, my vote was not cast. This pains me some as it was such an important election.

Honestly, the worst part of this election outcome is the fact that Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will now be the Speaker of the House. Yes, she will be the first female speaker, but she is so utterly annoying that I find her hard to bear. That and she looks perpetually shocked, like a skunk had just sprayed her in the face. Perhaps this is her normal look, but you almost want to suspect a heavy dose of botox is responsible for her mug.

So what will this election mean? Who knows. None of these yahoos actually commit to their campaign promises, so it's really a crap-shoot. Personally, I can't wait. The ineptitude is so striking, ambivalence is really the only appropriate emotion at this time of year. Oh, the Terminator won in California however. In a landslide.

Considering this election business will dominate today's (and tomorrow's) news cycle, it is pointless to consider mentioning much else today. That and my unclass computer is still down. Say what you will about the Air Force and how much money they have, but the IT sometimes leaves a little to be desired.

Almost forgot, I did want to mention a Washington Post article "How Not to Recruit a Military" by Maj. Joseph Escandon. I was wondering if anyone would respond in this manner to calls to fill the military ranks by offering citizenship to foreign nationals. The good Major is kind enough to bring up the fact that the Romans face a similar dilemma 1,700 or so years ago; filling the army's ranks with foreigners in exchange for citizenship proved to be a poor idea in the end. An efficient killing machine soon lost its ability to wage war because discipline standards were grossly relaxed, and the resulting tactical evolution, such as the inefficient but preferred use of long swords by barbarians, proved to be decidedly inferior to the tactics of Julius Caesar or even Scipio Africanus (who defeated Hannibal at Zama by the way). History has a way of repeating itself. Let's hope we think the better of it, eh? Foreign soldiers, serving for the benefits of citizenship, is by no means a replacement for good old fashioned American boys and girls with zeal for their country. This isn't to say that white middle class kids are the only suitable candidates. But the military should be stocked with citizens for the most part. Not non-citizens looking for their golden ticket. Just my two cents.

Word of the Day: Agrestic (adjective): Pertaining to fields or the country; rural; rustic. Also, lubricious (adjective): 1. lustful; lewd. 2. stimulating or appealing to sexual desire or imagination. 3. having a slippery or smooth quality. I will try to use this word in a sentence sometimes soon.

On this Day in History: Hernan Cortes enters Tenochtitlan; Moctezuma welcomes him. (1519). Bad move on Moctezuma's part. Also, new Russian leader Lenin calls for an armistice with Germany (1917). Today's two for the price of one day, mostly because agrestic sucks as a word.

"Shine on forever, shine on benevolent sun. Shine down upon the broken, shine until two become one. Shine on forever, shine on benevolent sun. Shine on upon the severed, shine until two become one." Who would say such a thing?

Morning Coffee (05)

Today's Morning Coffee is brought to you by nothing, because that's exactly what I've got right now (in a metaphysical sense). We might be short today, as my computer's down. I'm using someone elses at the moment.

Weather report: Rainy, fairly warm - says it's 48 right now. I don't mind this weather one bit. Makes me want to sit on my porch wrapped in a warm blanket with my girl and a nice hot cup of apple cider.

Some of you might know that Veteran's Day is coming up. It will be celebrated Friday, but it's actually Saturday. It is an important day for me; one of the three major holidays in my book (eclipsed only by my anniversary, which my wife would never belief). Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, and the Marine Corps Birthday. These days are sacred to me. They celebrate the "band of brothers" of which I am a part. On Veteran's Day, you should take a minute to think about Veterans, and what they mean to our way of life. Our present situation makes it doubly important to consider this. A lot of people only think of old men as vets; this is not true. You'll see today, 21 or 22 year old veterans. Anyone who has served honorably is a veteran - something that you may not know.

So take some time to consider our veterans. If you see or talk to one, thank them for their service. Buy one a beer. Shake his or her hand. I will tell you from personal experience, very little makes you feel as good as a complete stranger coming up to you, shaking your hand, and thanking you for your service to your country.

Here is a pretty good article on Veteran's Day, written by Michelle Cuthrell of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Take a gander. http://newsminer.com/2006/11/03/3044/

That's all I got for now, but it is oh so much. Hopefully the computer will be fixed tomorrow.

A fitting quote, from a great American General: "If a man does his best, what else is there?" George S Patton.

Word of the Day: Obfuscate (transitive verb): 1. to darken or render indistinct or dim; 2. to make obscure or difficult to understand or make sense of; 3. to confuse or bewilder. (Also sort of fitting)

On this Day in History: The London Gazette, the oldest surviving journal, was first published (1665). (Editor's Note: That is old. However, it seems that the great movers and shakers took 07 Nov off throughout history. Pretty slim pickens.)

Morning Coffee (04)

Today's Morning Coffee is brought to you by Apathy. When you just don't care, apathy is there.

Weather's pretty nice here as we sit at about 43 degrees; supposed to get into the mid-50s. Most of the week is forecasted in the mid-60s. At least it hasn't snowed yet. Oh, how Erie sucks; though I guess not everyone thinks so considering the number of people that live there.

I hope everyone's weekend was okay. No, not good or great, just okay. Mine was just okay. I did however, find a neat little park about five minutes from my big $1,000 a month rental house. It's actually a preserve; there are waterfalls, gnarly cliffs, and a cave to go along with a ton of trails. I didn't get a chance to check out the "thorny badlands" but I will get to that soon.

On to more important things. Saddam has been sentenced to death. So what will this mean? I don't know, probably not much considering that he must still stand trial for a number of other crimes. It could literally be years before the man is hung (and he has requested that he be executed by firing squad, you know, a death befitting of a "military man."). It's good to see Iraq on par with the US in one area. Nothing like spending countless dollars on a condemned man's food and housing. You'd think that the rest of the charges would be moot. Imagine being sentenced to death on day, and then six months later, you are fined $25,000 for some minor felony. Then, six months later, you're sentenced to a year in prison for some other crime. It seems to me that the climax has already been reached, you should just roll in all the other stuff. Of course I say this in jest. Who knows, the punishment for his next charge might be NOT being hung by the neck until he be dead, dead, dead. That would be an emotional rollercoaster.

There is not much else worth mentioning today; the Morning Coffee will be a little bit light. Consider it black today, without the fattening cream and sugar of days past. Maybe it's a bit more healthy.

You'll be saddened to know that the contest has no winner. You people call yourselves analysts? You don't get to know the answer now, but I welcome your continued attempts. And by that I mean, AN attempt.

Henry Louis Mencken, a great journalist of the early-mid 20th Century said, "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." I concur, Henry, but I might add one thing: It takes a great man to know when those times are upon him. Mencken also wrought one of my favorite quotes: "Puritanism - The haunting fear that someone, somewhere may be happy."

Word of the Day: Copse (noun): A thicket or grove of small trees.
On this Day in History: Roman Emperor Constantius II elevates his cousin Julian to the rank of Ceasar (355 CE).

Morning Coffee (03)

Today's Morning Coffee is brought to you by Boredom. When you've got nothing to do, boredom is there for you.

It's cold out today here in Dayton; weather.com reports that it is currently 23F. For those of you in Erie, it is currently 35F, and for anyone in the Southern California area, it happens to be right around 62F.

I just read a Reuters article that states that the British fear George Bush more than Kim Jong-Il. Yes, you read that right. More. Bush makes the world a more dangerous place, according to British, Canadians, Mexicans, and Israelis. The only person more dangerous: Osama bin Laden. 87% of Britons felt that the Laden-meister was a great or moderate danger to peace, whereas 75% thought the same of G-dub. The Kim-ster tallied a 69% (go Kim), Ahmadine, ahmadeni, amadena-not-gonna-work-here-any-more (the Iranian guy), clocked in at a measly 62%. I guess the Brits don't read the snot that Ahmadinejad spews on a daily basis - Israel should be whipped off the face of the earth, die Zionist pigs, etc. The guy actually scored "better" than Kim. In my humble opinion, Ahmadinejad might just be the person who is the MOST dangerous to world peace. Consider the potential to start a major conflict in a volatile region: A fanatical leader, missiles with the range to strike Tel-Aviv, rapidly growing "peaceful" nuclear program, the ability to control the Straits of Hormuz (through which a gargantuan amount of oil flows), control over a violent and fairly effective group that technically fought the vaunted Israeli army to a stand-still, and immense influence over Iraq's Shia "militias" (insurgents, jihadists, whatever you want to call them this week). If you believe in that Bible book everyone reads so much, Armageddon starts in the Levant...

Let's compare to Kim: Potential nuclear weapons (of unknown reliability and capability - who knows if they would even work), missiles with the potential to reach the western US (I say potential because they might not make it off the launch pad). And these two things are the PLUSES! Consider an economy that is worth about as much as all of my belongings (not much folks), a population that is malnourished and scarred by a lifetime of propaganda, greatly inferior military weapons systems, utter dependence on the goodwill of its arch-rival (South Korea) and its benefactor, China (which is pretty angry at the People's Democratic Republic…I love saying that). I'm not to sure Kim's all that dangerous. Yes, he could start a war. Yes, it could be ugly. And yes, he's the bane of young girls and Japanese movie stars everywhere. But he simply doesn't have the ability to influence world events like Ahmadinejad.

Now, examine bin Ladin: Has no country. Has limited resources. The worlds most hunted man. Constantly on the run. Hated and despised the world over. Hasn't made a significant move in five years. Might be dead. Might not be dead. Is frankly in the top spot because of his reputation: he is the scariest of the bunch because of his aura and mystique. Yeah, he hates us, yeah, he's got a cadre of pretty dedicated men. But he's living on his rep, and this rep, while duly earned, simply shouldn't be enough to a rational human being to include. Honestly, since he ISN'T the leader of a foreign nation, and he IS shrouded in mystery, he's basically the boogie-man. And that scares people. Because people are scared sheep. It's the fear of the unknown that gets us.

So, who's the most dangerous person to world peace? Who knows. It's not like some scientific scale can be applied to this, where points are given for certain behaviors and capabilities. But I will say that, despite Bush's clear believe, faith, what-have-you, he's tempered by a thing called checks and balances. Despite what some may believe, he cannot wage war with whomever he wants. Not to mention, our conventional military's stretched a wee bit thin. You decide. I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts.

A quote for my writer wife: "I can write better than anybody who can write faster, and I can write faster than anybody who can write better." - AJ Liebling (1904-1963)

Word of the Day: Fillip (noun) (pronounced like FILL-up): 1. a snap of the finger forced suddenly from the thumb; a smart blow. 2. something serving to rouse or excite; a stimulus. 3. a trivial addition; an embellishment. Also a transitive verb.

On this Day in History: Income tax first introduced in the US (1913).

Currently in my head: Tool, Taylor Swift "Tim McGraw", Snow Patrol "Chasing Cars" (that WAS kind of strange huh, Jen?).

I will see you all Monday. Have a good day today and a great weekend.

Morning Coffee (02)

Today's Morning Coffee is brought to you by Tim Horton's. The best thing to come out of Canada since the cold front. Okay, okay, the young Pam Anderson then. No, I'm not drinking Tim Horton's coffee. I'm drinking some super gourmet stuff - raspberry chocolate or something. It makes an excellent brew.

You will all be happy to know that I now have a vehicle, albeit a loner from a co-worker. It is a Chevy Silverado. I must say in full disclosure that I am in love. Jen seems to think that she always knew that I was a pick-up man; not sure how she knew that since I've never given any indication of that - women's intuition maybe. But I had been thinking about a pick-up for a little while now, I like the vehicle quite a bit.

Ideologues. I have a bust of V.I. Lenin sitting on my desk. It comes courtesy of Mark - who failed to secure a bust of the 'best' dictator, Josef Stalin (or Dzugashvili if you will). People sometimes ask why I have such a thing; they are offended that I would have on my desk such a villainous individual and not some great man like Abraham Lincoln or Jesus. I need no such inspiration. Instead, Lenin (and Stalin) symbolize to me why I do what I do. This bust motivates me. Not in an "ooh rah" way, but in a way that drives me to work even when I don't really want to. Because people like Lenin (and Saddam, and bin Laden…the list goes on) tirelessly work to oppose everything for which our nation stands. They are driven to succeed by their devotion to an ideology, be it religion or Marxism. Our "ideology" (democracy, capitalism, or as GW Bush says, 'Merica, et al.) does not typically encourage slavish devotion or martyrdom. It stresses individuality. So what drives us? Well, as the word individuality would indicate, each person has to come up with his own motivator. Nationalism (aka patriotism when it suits us), greed, hunger for power, or just plain respect for the threat that other ideologies might pose to our way of life if we allow them to grow unchecked - these, among others, are things that drive us as Americans. This is not to say that these other ideologies need to be annihilated, just checked; their ability to influence our way of life (violently or otherwise) mitigated. That is what Lenin represents - my desire to preserve our way of life. It is the best way of life…for us. It may not work for everyone, but for us, there is no better way. Thank you "Bust O'Lenin," for without you, we would probably not realize and appreciate what we have (but isn't that how appreciation works?). At least the bust works in this way for me. For others, it just makes them mad!

For those who wish to opine: questions, (pithy) comments, critiques, fan mail, letters of adoration, love letters, money, gifts, account numbers, etc, can be directed to this email address and/or (preferably and) to my gmail account which can be found in the CC line of these emails.

A quote to consider: "Every action done in company, ought to be with some sign of respect to those that are present." - George Washington

Word of the Day: Acclimate*: (transitive and intransitive verb): to accustom or become accustomed to a new climate, environment, or situation.

On this Day in History: Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose, flies for the first (and only) time (1947).

*Bonus: If anyone can tell me how this word is connected to my life, I will send you something in the mail. Say, $10. It's a prize. Answers must be submitted to this and my gmail account along with your address. I will post the real answer in a day or so. It's NOT going to be easy.

Morning Coffee (01)

I'm thinking of doing maybe a daily (perhaps weekly) morning update. Sort of a "what I'm thinking about" while I drink my coffee. It's not that I'm arrogant enough to think that what goes on in my head is so important that everyone should know. It's merely a couple of thoughts or ideas to get the mind going. Topics will stay within the professional realm for the most part.

First things first: Jen, I miss your coffee. In fact, this whole thing is named in honor of your coffee. You rarely ever make a bad pot, and that can be blamed on our fickle coffee maker. But sometimes you make this coffee that is so "spot on" that it must be the nectar of the gods. Well, the intel gods anyway. Trust me folks, I know my way around a coffee maker, but this woman is in another class.

11 Sep 2001. I was just thinking about it this morning. Some guy in the office mentioned that movie United 93 or whatever; guess that's why. The first thing I thought about was the flags. All the flags on virtually every vehicle on the road in the weeks after that day. Flags hanging from over-passes, shop windows, trees, you name it and it likely had a flag on it. You remember that? Well, after that I remembered the day, during which I was at Naval Air Station Fallon, NV. I recounted the events of that day in my head: the wake-up call from my Lieutenant, the call to my wife, watching the television with her on the other end of the phone, seeing those towers collapse. Then it gets embarrassing. Yeah, I cried a little. It was the first time (of maybe three of four times) you saw/heard me cry Jen. But beyond that emotion of saddness, I felt "the rush." I felt the rush of current, crisis intelligence. It is, to me, the best drug out there. It is similar to the hot flush of passion, but with less edge and more focus - in that you can still think (i.e. you're not acting on mostly instinct), if that makes any sense. The only thing that was better was the whole birthing process with Jen and my son (I mean 09-10 Aug 2004). Some of you in the "to" line know what I'm talking about. Some of you have yet to feel the euphoria, and imminent withdrawal pains of this rush. You will know it when you feel it though.

I felt that rush a lot over the next few weeks. Afghanistan kicked off. Then the work-ups to Iraq (which in the end, I was denied a part in). I have yet to feel that rush here. Perhaps in time.

Election Day is next Tuesday. Don't forget to vote. I know that you're all diligent Americans who know the importance of this responsibility, but I'm going to remind you anyway. I don't care who you vote for, so long as you vote for who you think will do the best job. Let your conscience and intellect (not your party) be your guide.

Finally, I hope everyone had a Happy (and safe) Halloween. It was my semi-anniversary, and all in all, a pretty good night (thanks Jen!). I demand that everyone have a good day, or at least as good as humanly possible. If you want to be taken off the Morning Coffee distro list, let me know. If you think of someone who might need an add, let me know that too (since I cannot access my private email, I have no one's address). And by the way, this is the First Edition, so save it. Might be worth something (when I become either famous or infamous).

Word of the Day: Prevaricate (intransitive verb): to depart from or evade the truth; to speak with equivocation.

On this Day in History: US tests first hydrogen bomb (1952).