Maybe If the Photos Were From Abu Ghraib

Well, no photos. The Transparent Presidency continues its opaqueness.

Cannot piss 'n moan about the operation, for sure, but it was the military doing what they were trained to do. Kill the combatants.

Still hard to digest though.

10 years. A lifetime. Thousands of lives, in fact.

I continue to marvel at the partisan zero-sum game being played out. "Osama gets bin Laden and Bush couldn't" bullshit. Obama and Bush both deserve credit. This is especially the case when you consider Obama has just continued so many of his predecessor's policies. He even ramped up a few of them. And he did make the smart and tough call. I give him a lot of credit for that. I hope it becomes a trend.

Tap once for "Yes." Tap twice to be sure.

Getting It Out Front

Crossing the Rubicon

The die has been cast. I am past 50. In fact, I am 52.

More scars. Fewer affairs of the heart.

More than anything, I have a clarity I never knew possible when I was a young man. I also know change is a constant companion. It waits for no one.

"The man who views the world at 50, the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life." - Muhammad Ali

That, I would not trade.

"Now, this is shit..."

How many times have we heard this one?

War is bad. Except this one. The intention is pure.

These are good people. I just know that they are. Doesn't matter thatI haven't a clue as to who they really are.

If we just throw more money at it, we can fix it. What's a few trillion amongst friends? How can I be out of money? I still have checks.

Politicians are all bad... except mine because he got me free cable.

***

Really?

A Gora Phobia

Yeah, well...
It is almost time. Hell, it has been for a long time now. It seems like every moment is fraught with obstacles and delay. Sounding familiar?

I am a bit phobic of a few things. I have a medical thingy coming up this week. I am facing economic plunder. The mad sell-off. There is the boxing up to do. There is the donate most of my excess to whichever charitable organization I deem worthy/find first. Last minute visits (long overdue).
Visa. Ticket.
Yeah. Phobia. Ummm. Plenty.
All the while - Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock...

But, as the economic theory goes, what are the "opportunity costs" to this plan of action?

Well, for starters, I am getting rid of a ton of stuff. Good stuff. expensive stuff. Stuff I would like to acquire whenever I settle. But, for now, it just sits in boxes anyway. So what real value does it have? On the other hand, it is like an anchor around my neck. I'm drowning in it all. It has prevented me from moving on.
It isn't like I'm moving a few towns over.
I also have to admit, I kinda dig the quasi-Jesuit lifestyle. It is ridiculously liberating.
Removing that anchor will also make it all very, very real. THAT alone makes me a little nervous.
Tick-Tock...
Well, I'm not joining the Foreign Legion, and it's not a big, freaking tattoo on my face I fear. It is just a newly added frayed nerve. A PTSD on top of my AO-OCD. Am I SOL? WTF?!?!
Tea. I'll make tea. Sikkim will be today's provider.
Everything is better after a cup of tea.

WTF Just Happened?

A year just flew by. An entire year.

Been a helluva year, too. The peaks and valleys have been extreme. Pick a category and there were X-Game chart-busters.

Gonna try and ease my way back into this. I know I said that last few times out as well. Like I said, a helluva year.

Don't mind me, I'm off to look for my snark.