If it's Monday, that must mean...

...that work had me so swamped that I don't have a lot to share today.

That's fine by me. After my mammoth essay yesterday, I'm happy doing only hit-and-run stuff. Just logged in after watching a Rick Steves episode on Paris. *grumble* I want to go right now. The streets, the culture, the art, the history, the mysteriousness of the French way-of-life. It is absolutely what a tired American needs after sweltering in a backwards nation like this one.

Next month, I'm restarting my French lessons with vigor. I'm retaking a basic French class to be followed by a "getting-around-in-Paris, please-don't-piss-off-the-French-as-an-ugly-American" class. The trouble is certain elements in the U.S. (which I promised not to rant about) have already embarrassed America on the global stage. Next year, I feel I shall be traveling to Great Britain, Scotland and France as part of a "global apology" tour. Shit.

History lesson

Some things never change. Roughly 38 years ago, give or take a couple days, the U.S. sought an excuse to wage war on a foreign power and got its wish with the Gulf of Tonkin resolution. Today, another White House is trying to find the proper combination which will allow it to unleash the dogs of war on another far-away nation.

Perhaps now might be a good time not only for a history lesson, but a lesson in being careful what you wish for.

Meanwhile, the U.S. shut down its embassy in Karachi, Pakistan, due to security threats. Another win for the war on terror.

Will someone show this man some love

Hey, kids. It's Tyler Durden's cranky uncle, yelling at kids to get off his lawn and letting us know that everything today sucks. Actually, this is the same author that, about 18 months ago, decided it would be a funny gag to declare a death edict on Chelsea Clinton. Oh, stop it. My sides are still splitting from when that wacky Ayatollah Khomeini pulled a funny wanting Salman Rushdie's head.

Save a tree, play with applets

Here's a cool waste of time in the form of a Java program. Well, at least it saves me from ruining a whole lot of paper. I’m quite good at making origami boulders.

Whips, chains, and mutual funds

Found a blog that talks about economics, business trends and the global markets from a bondage/discipline point-of-view.

French Word of the Day

Revenant (ruh vuh nah): one who returns from a long exile; one who returns from the dead; a ghost; an apparition.

Alpha-Release Fiction Snip of the Day

She slid behind him, curved her neck so her round lips hovered near his closest ear, "I know you're in love with me."

He shuddered and fought to regain composure before any of the guests, including his wife, a mere arm's length away, homed in on his state of shock.

"What?" he whispered. Eyes straight head. No signs of alarm allowed.

"You forgave me for that stupid thing I did with your birthday gift. Only a person in love would let that pass."

She eased away from him and turned to face him in the eye; her cherry red lips cresting into a gleeful, naughty grin...the grin only afforded to those who carried a sinful secret and relished what came next. It was control of a hidden truth, and the delightful bondage between forces who wanted the secret to remain hidden and those who wanted to pry it into the light.

Oh, that face. That alabaster, cherub of a face.