Update

Monday was Turkey Day here in Canada. Had a great time at my sister's. Ate, drank and talked. Some of my favorite things.

We had an election yesterday. The outcome wasn't a surprise. Thanks to gerrymandering, attack ads and a rather unethical use of taxpayer's money the neo-Marxists, sorry, Conservatives, improved their position. At least they've still got a minority.

The pliable party, I mean the Liberals, kinda took it in the balls. Not surprising. The guy leading them is a nice guy and very smart but a piss poor leader.

The silver spoon socialists, I mean the NDP, improved their standing. Unfortunately they don't represent the blue collar workers and farmers that they used to. In some ways it's not surprising as there's a lot less of those people in Canada than there used to be. But somebody has to be concerned about the lives of those folk that are involved with physical labor. Everybody else depends on them.

Ah well. C'est la vie.

On the positive side I've started a new writing project. I'm working with another author at one of my e-publishers on a historical vampire novel (we hope) set in 1788 London. I'm writing the hero's part and she's doing the heroine's. I was very flattered when she insisted that I be her co-author. She's a very good and prolific writer. I hope I'll be able to hold up my end of the bargain.

That's it. Have a good one.

A thought…

Generated by that horrible kerfuffle now taking place in Georgia.

When you do battle, even if you are winning, if you continue a long time it will dull your forces and blunt your edge; if you besiege a citadel, your strength will be exhausted. If you keep your armies out in the field a long time, your supplies will be insufficient.

When your forces are dulled, your edge is blunted, your strength is exhausted, and your supplies are gone, then others will take advantage of your debility and rise up. Then even if you have wise advisors you cannot make things turn out well in the end.

Therefore I have heard of military operations that were clumsy and swift, but I have never seen one that lasted a long time. It is never beneficial to a nation to have a military operation continue for a long time.

Therefore, those who are not thoroughly aware of the disadvantages of the use of arms cannot be thoroughly aware of the advantages of the use of arms.

Sun Tzu - The Art Of War, Chapter 2: Doing Battle

My opinion is that the West, especially the U.S., have been caught by just the circumstances Sun Tzu spoke of here. By wasting time and energy is a place unrelated to their true strategic interests, i.e. Iraq, they have exhausted themselves and made it very difficult to act in crises. Even one's as minor as this.

So sad. A general 2,400 years ago laid out all the basic principals of warfare. And we still do not use them.

My $0.02. Carry on.

In a somewhat cynical mood

So I'm going to rant a little.

Most people don't want freedom. They don't want justice. They don't want peace or happiness or wealth or love.

They want their own way.

That isn't the same thing.

I'm done. Carry on.