Usul Has Called a Big One

Sick

I am not feeling well. I'm still making it in to work but I'm useless by about 3 or 3:30 so I'm making it shorter days. Still, I'm able to get a few things done.

Bleh.

The Wedding

The wedding was awesome. I thought I did fine as MC. The Greek gave a top notch speech, although unfortunately Ladybug was forced to retire early. We missed her at the event. DiveBunny made it out for a bit (one stop on a whirlwind tour of the capital region).

The food was great, the DJ was great, we danced like there was no tomorrow and I drank a considerable amount of wine and Guinness. We ended up closing the place out a little after one: my lovely wife and I, Mr. and Mrs. The Rocket, TH's parents (The Mother TH is a Party Machine), and the best man.

Good times, man. Good times.

... which were paid for in due course on Sunday.

Sneaky Sneaks and the Sneaky Things They Do

I recently was able to aid and abet a friend with a secret plan by directing him to a convenient internet POD company. This, in turn, led me to an idea which I will capitalize upon fully for a future holiday season.

It's like there's a karmic rule about sneaky plans, or something.

OK, So It's Not the Invasion of Normandy, But It's a Plan

Lots of fun stuff coming up as we get into the holiday season. The Rocket and TH are getting a hot tub (!), and we have deferred plans regarding the womenfolk to catch up on as well. There's a Magic booster draft on Sunday. Various parties and get-togethers are brewing.

I like the winter season, to the extent that it is filled with good friends, good times, food and drink. Unfortunately, as the putting-up of my punching bag today has marked, summer is well and truly over and soon enough the bitter cold and snows of winter will grip our land. Which, quite frankly, sucks.

This summer was over way too fast. I don't believe I approved of this. No sir, I don't believe so.

Oh Shit

This is not good. This is the one predictable piece of fallout from the invasion of Iraq which fortunately has not yet come to pass. The Turks take the Kurdish situation very seriously. In the past they've demonstrated a noticeable lack of concern regarding international borders and international opinion when it comes to the use of force to keep the Kurds under control.

To the Turks, Kurdish independence is a clear and imminent threat to the very existence of their state. It is quite possible that the US might find itself caught between the Kurds, their only real ally in Iraq, and Turkey, the only notably secular Islamic state around and, let's not forget, a member of NATO. Whatever happens it is going to be ugly, and when things get ugly in Anatolia, the fallout always seems to land in Europe.