A long day in plastic chairs:

Thought for the Day:
Promises that you make to yourself are often like the Japanese plum tree - they bear no fruit.
Francis Marion US army officer in American Revolution (1732 - 1795)

Spanking of the Week:

Goes to that man o’ God, the Reverend Pat Poberson:

I realize that this weeks spanking is a bit early, but after having about 50 conversations about the dumb-ass in the past 48 hours, I decided to break tradition.

From the August 22 broadcast of The 700 Club: “There was a popular coup that overthrew him [Chavez]. And what did the United States State Department do about it? Virtually nothing. And as a result, within about 48 hours that coup was broken; Chavez was back in power, but we had a chance to move in. He has destroyed the Venezuelan economy, and he's going to make that a launching pad for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism all over the continent.

You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it. It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war. And I don't think any oil shipments will stop. But this man is a terrific danger and the United ... This is in our sphere of influence, so we can't let this happen. We have the Monroe Doctrine; we have other doctrines that we have announced. And without question, this is a dangerous enemy to our south, controlling a huge pool of oil that could hurt us very badly. We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability. We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator. It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with.

When asked for a comment this morning, Sec. of Defense Donny-Boy Rumsfeld was quoted as saying “Our department doesn't do that kind of thing. It's against the law.” Also U.S. Senators Norm Coleman, Republican of Minnesota and Mel Martinez, Republican of Florida, said a call by U.S. televangelist Pat Robertson for the U.S. government to assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was "irresponsible" and "incredibly stupid."

The senators, visiting Brazil to meet with government and business leaders, spoke with reporters today in Rio de Janeiro.

"It was an incredibly stupid statement and has no reflection on reality," said Coleman, the chairman of the Senate's Foreign Relations subcommittee on the western hemisphere. "I met with President Chavez on my last visit a couple of months ago and he related that concern to me, about how the U.S. was out to assassinate him. I told him not to lose any sleep about it."

The day is upon us:
There nothing note worthy going out, just a normal hump-day in the life of a man how is charged with defending the things you hold dear. Today I have meetings and meeting and then a few meetings. These are the kind of meetings that you have to be at but that in advance you know that A) you know everything they will talk about and B) you nothing will come out of the meeting(s). Funny, how I am not looking forward to it.

IQ drop among the Elite:
One thing I have noticed is that this time of year people get stupid. I don’t know if it’s the weather changing or what. It has dropped about 15 to 20 degrees in the past week making for much better sleeping weather, perhaps that’s it, for once this summer this somewhat its comfortable.

I have a staff that I supervise, a bunch in independent self-starters who are very good at their jobs, (hey, I hired them & trained them so I know they are good, think the Special Forces a-team of the Human Services field) and so far each one of them as managed to step on their dicks. It’s like all of a sudden they didn’t know any better. Silly stuff, but enough that it is causing a few minor problems. Now I know that they can’t all be like me and give 110% everyday with a zero margin of error, but a man can dream can he not? On a plus side I know this is temporary, come fall they will be back into shape.

The Homefront:
In other news the petty and loving Mrs. JQP is being very sweet to me here lately. It is making me nervous. She started that damn Atkins diet again, last year she took off 20 pounds and has gained 10 of it back so of course she is fat or as she puts it “I am a big fat Heifer Cow”, now matter what I say, as a guy it’s a no win situation, also that makes me pretty much on the Akins diet to, which is ok because I like red-meat.

We have also been talking about moving, either to the lakes or out in the country. So, it’s the look at houses times, which is kind of, fun. Before we bought this house we looked at about 78 others (no kidding) and its cheaper than getting drunk at a bar. I don’t know I think it’s our gypsy roots showing, we have been here for 5 years and its time to make a change. We are also starting the “make-a-baby” thing again, so no restful evenings for me.

Today’s Bill:
SONNET 95
How sweet and lovely dost thou make the shame
Which, like a canker in the fragrant rose,
Doth spot the beauty of thy budding name!
O, in what sweets dost thou thy sins enclose!
That tongue that tells the story of thy days,
Making lascivious comments on thy sport,
Cannot dispraise but in a kind of praise;
Naming thy name blesses an ill report.
O, what a mansion have those vices got
Which for their habitation chose out thee,
Where beauty's veil doth cover every blot,
And all things turn to fair that eyes can see!
Take heed, dear heart, of this large privilege;
The hardest knife ill-used doth lose his edge.

Quote of the Day:
An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't.
Anatole France French novelist (1844 - 1924)

I remain, like a canker in the fragrant rose:

JQP esq.