At the risk of boring you to tears, I am entering another chapter of this fair life of mine into the table of contents of my blog.
I really have nothing to write about. If I wax on about work, eyes may glaze over as I regurgitate the same old story in a different form. If I gurgle about my life in general, emergency relief may be required. There is nothing happening in the world remotely interesting to my senses giving me the passion to jot down a few ill-informed comments so I, and by association you, who may be reading this blog today, are in a bit of a bind.
That reminds me of a story I once read about President John F Kennedy.
At the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis with the President under unimaginable pressure, the US military attempted to muscle Kennedy into launching an attack on Cuba. “Go in with all guns blazing. Sort those Commie bastards out well and good and show ’em who’s boss in this part of the world.” At least that seemed to be the thinking of the US military.
Of course it is now known with the benefit of hindsight that to resort to such action would have been a misstep of gargantuan proportions, the Soviet commanders on Cuba having the power to launch the tactical nuclear weapons at their disposal at any invasion force without consulting Moscow. The US would have had no recourse but to launch it’s own nuclear retaliation and it would have been “good night nurse”, from there.
The US military was under the mistaken impression, reinforced by perception after the debacle at the Bay of Pigs, that Kennedy was a lightweight not deserving the respect they were by duty bound to show the President of the United States. They were wrong.
Kennedy had no intention of potentially destroying the world over a dispute with the Soviets about Cuba and was prepared to bend a long way to avoid this “ultimate failure”, as he described it. Of course military men don’t understand or care much for diplomacy. They are merely used as an instrument of foreign policy by other means. They wanted to fight.
At a particularly intense time during the crisis a top military adviser was giving the President a briefing and was obviously displeased with Kennedy’s response and actions in regard to his advisement’s and remarked, somewhat disrespectfully as his Commander-in-Chief turned away that the President had gotten himself into “a bit of a fix”.
Kennedy, perturbed by this lack of respect for the office he held turned on the General who had quickly realised he was out of order and remarked to the military man that, “It looks like you are in it with me!”.
Afterwards Kennedy remarked to his aides about the effrontery of the particular General involved in the exchange and noted that if he took the General’s advice and it was wrong then those concerned would never have to answer for it. The world as it was would have been destroyed.
And as it is today you who are reading this are “in it with me”, just as President Kennedy advised his General all those years ago.
It’s a dull day in Canberra. Overcast, showers forecast. 29 degrees is our predicted top temperature. In all likelihood a very survivable Friday.
I was planning to be out on my bike at this instant but the” best laid plans of mice and men gang aft-a-gley”, to quote Robbie Burns and I find myself here typing instead of peddling.
As some may be aware I bought a mountain bike several months ago and since the end of magpie mating season I have been attempting get out on it semi-regularly to improve my fitness with a view to eventually reconstituting myself as a cyclist and do some relatively long rides on my road bike once I am fitter than I am now.
My father, when doing some routine maintenance for me on the bike noticed the cones on the hubs were tight and offered to loosen them for me. I took the wheel around to him yesterday but then stupidly left it behind. I ventured over this morning to pick it up but he had taken the whole thing apart and found it not to be up to his personal standard as a piece of machinery and being a perfectionist he had decided to purchase new equipment rather than return the old stuff. He is off doing that now I presume.
I was going to mention that it was merely a $400 mountain bike and as such I didn’t expect it to be tip-top product but realising I may have been better off talking to myself over such a matter left it in his capable hands. I think he is enjoying doing something with the bike which will hold his attention. Retirement isn’t all it is cracked up to be for a man who has been active all his life.
So I found myself at home and after a trip to the local shopping mall to drop Megan off to work I have found myself at a loose end.
We have yet another sleepover happening. Monique, despite my recent protestations has had friends over and as they have taken over the lounge room and are currently watching what appears to be a Korean language movie I have removed myself to my room, locked the door, hunkered down to watch the Test cricket and wait out the hours until my departure to “Desolation Island” for another round of monotony.
To be honest, it’s not a bad way to spend the morning.
So as you are probably thinking that you have wasted two minutes of your life reading this, two minutes which could have been better spent perusing something of value on the internet, I will take my leave and think about doing something more productive. Like wrapping Linda’s Christmas present.
And, as Friday rolls along and we approach the weekend with glee in our hearts, looking forward to the freedom which comes with Saturday and Sunday, I will bid you adieu and all the best for a pleasant couple of days away from the glare of employers and the gossip and stress provided by workmates.
Until next time.
I really have nothing to write about. If I wax on about work, eyes may glaze over as I regurgitate the same old story in a different form. If I gurgle about my life in general, emergency relief may be required. There is nothing happening in the world remotely interesting to my senses giving me the passion to jot down a few ill-informed comments so I, and by association you, who may be reading this blog today, are in a bit of a bind.
That reminds me of a story I once read about President John F Kennedy.
At the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis with the President under unimaginable pressure, the US military attempted to muscle Kennedy into launching an attack on Cuba. “Go in with all guns blazing. Sort those Commie bastards out well and good and show ’em who’s boss in this part of the world.” At least that seemed to be the thinking of the US military.
Of course it is now known with the benefit of hindsight that to resort to such action would have been a misstep of gargantuan proportions, the Soviet commanders on Cuba having the power to launch the tactical nuclear weapons at their disposal at any invasion force without consulting Moscow. The US would have had no recourse but to launch it’s own nuclear retaliation and it would have been “good night nurse”, from there.
The US military was under the mistaken impression, reinforced by perception after the debacle at the Bay of Pigs, that Kennedy was a lightweight not deserving the respect they were by duty bound to show the President of the United States. They were wrong.
Kennedy had no intention of potentially destroying the world over a dispute with the Soviets about Cuba and was prepared to bend a long way to avoid this “ultimate failure”, as he described it. Of course military men don’t understand or care much for diplomacy. They are merely used as an instrument of foreign policy by other means. They wanted to fight.
At a particularly intense time during the crisis a top military adviser was giving the President a briefing and was obviously displeased with Kennedy’s response and actions in regard to his advisement’s and remarked, somewhat disrespectfully as his Commander-in-Chief turned away that the President had gotten himself into “a bit of a fix”.
Kennedy, perturbed by this lack of respect for the office he held turned on the General who had quickly realised he was out of order and remarked to the military man that, “It looks like you are in it with me!”.
Afterwards Kennedy remarked to his aides about the effrontery of the particular General involved in the exchange and noted that if he took the General’s advice and it was wrong then those concerned would never have to answer for it. The world as it was would have been destroyed.
And as it is today you who are reading this are “in it with me”, just as President Kennedy advised his General all those years ago.
It’s a dull day in Canberra. Overcast, showers forecast. 29 degrees is our predicted top temperature. In all likelihood a very survivable Friday.
I was planning to be out on my bike at this instant but the” best laid plans of mice and men gang aft-a-gley”, to quote Robbie Burns and I find myself here typing instead of peddling.
As some may be aware I bought a mountain bike several months ago and since the end of magpie mating season I have been attempting get out on it semi-regularly to improve my fitness with a view to eventually reconstituting myself as a cyclist and do some relatively long rides on my road bike once I am fitter than I am now.
My father, when doing some routine maintenance for me on the bike noticed the cones on the hubs were tight and offered to loosen them for me. I took the wheel around to him yesterday but then stupidly left it behind. I ventured over this morning to pick it up but he had taken the whole thing apart and found it not to be up to his personal standard as a piece of machinery and being a perfectionist he had decided to purchase new equipment rather than return the old stuff. He is off doing that now I presume.
I was going to mention that it was merely a $400 mountain bike and as such I didn’t expect it to be tip-top product but realising I may have been better off talking to myself over such a matter left it in his capable hands. I think he is enjoying doing something with the bike which will hold his attention. Retirement isn’t all it is cracked up to be for a man who has been active all his life.
So I found myself at home and after a trip to the local shopping mall to drop Megan off to work I have found myself at a loose end.
We have yet another sleepover happening. Monique, despite my recent protestations has had friends over and as they have taken over the lounge room and are currently watching what appears to be a Korean language movie I have removed myself to my room, locked the door, hunkered down to watch the Test cricket and wait out the hours until my departure to “Desolation Island” for another round of monotony.
To be honest, it’s not a bad way to spend the morning.
So as you are probably thinking that you have wasted two minutes of your life reading this, two minutes which could have been better spent perusing something of value on the internet, I will take my leave and think about doing something more productive. Like wrapping Linda’s Christmas present.
And, as Friday rolls along and we approach the weekend with glee in our hearts, looking forward to the freedom which comes with Saturday and Sunday, I will bid you adieu and all the best for a pleasant couple of days away from the glare of employers and the gossip and stress provided by workmates.
Until next time.
Strange Notations From a Laborious Life 