Gorgeous day again. Went to B.J.'s for supplies, then spent most of the day on domestic chores. Pat's brother Bill called to say hello and to tell us it was his birthday. I congratulated him and chatted, but Pat was still asleep. When he called him back later, the message machine was on, so he left his "happy returns of the day" on it.
Mary Ann Van O. called about 8:00 pm to to say she'd pick me up today. Pick me up? For what? She said we had arranged a lunch date with her and her friend, Lynn, whom I had met at the opera session two months ago. I remember meeting Lynn and suggesting lunch, but as I recall, we never set a date. Mary Ann thought we had and said she had arranged for Lynn to meet us at 1:00. Dunno, but okay, I'm always up for lunch--we decided on Panini Bay, where I just had lunch on Sunday. No prob and I'm looking forward to it.
Wider: From Anti-War.Com, an essay by Jeff Huber called "Brave New World Order":
--In his 1961 farewell address, President Dwight Eisenhower warned America to “guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence” by the “military-industrial complex” for the same reason Machiavelli cautioned heads of state of his day to beware of advisers who “in times of peace, desire war because they are unable to live without it.” In ‘61, Eisenhower admonished that the “economic, political, even spiritual” influence of America’s new war industry was “felt in every city, every statehouse, every office of the federal government.” A decade into the new American century, militarism has woven itself into the very fiber of our society. Political careers and regional economies are wholly dependent upon it. The defense industry has transformed America into a warfare-welfare state, and it doesn’t bother making a secret of it.--
Chilling because it's true. How did we ever, ever sink into this quagmire that seems impossible to escape?
Widest Possible: To me, it is absolutely stunning--picture a flowerpot landing on my head--to understand what the phrase "manifest destiny" actually means. And to realize, finally and at long last, that this country has been pursuing it almost since its founding.
To its detriment--and to the world's sorrow.