Musings of a Madman

Author: Dan Brown
Date: 20 May 2004

While in Paris on business, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call. The elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum, a baffling cipher found near the body. As Langdon and gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, sort through the bizarre riddle, they are stunned to discover a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci – clues visible for all to see and yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.
The stakes are raised when Langdon uncovers a startling link: the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion – an actual secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci, among others. Langdon suspects they are on the hunt for a breathtaking historical secret, one that has proven through the centuries to be as enlightening as it is dangerous. In a frantic race through Paris, and beyond, Langdon and Neveu find themselves matching wits with a faceless powerbroker who appears to anticipate their every move. Unless they can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle, the Priory’s secret – and an explosive ancient truth -will be lost forever.

My Thoughts: Pretty interesting read. Got a bit unwieldly at times, but by and large good read.

Author: Henry Kissinger
Date: 20-May-04

In this timely, thoughtful, and important audiobook, America’s most famous diplomatist explains why we urgently need a new and coherent foreign policy and what our foreign policy goals should be in the post-Cold War era.
Dr. Kissinger focuses his attention on such hot spots as Vladimir Putin’s Russia, the new China, the globalized economy, and the demand for humanitarian intervention, and he challenges Americans to understand that our foreign policy must be built upon America’s permanent national interests.

Kissinger shares his deep insights into the foreign policy problems and opportunities that confront the United States today, including: the challenge to conventional diplomacy posed by globalization; the challenge of modernizing China; the impact of Russia’s precipitous decline from superpower status; the growing estrangement between the United States and Europe; the questions that arise from making “humanitarian intervention” a part of the “new diplomacy”; and the prospect that America’s transformation into the one remaining superpower and global leader may unite countries against presumed imperial ambitions.

Does America Need a Foreign Policy? provides a crystalline assessment of how the United States’ ascendancy as the world’s dominant presence in the 20th century may be effectively reconciled with the urgent need in the 21st century to achieve a bold new world order. Dr. Kissinger lays out a compelling and comprehensively drawn vision for American policy in the approaching decades.

My Thoughts: Really staggered through this book. Substance wise, I really wasn’t feeling it too much. Maybe a second read might help; but given the timeliness of the topic, I am not sure. Sort of recommended.

Author: Richard A. Clarke
Date: 17-May-04

The real war on terror has happened largely behind closed doors, run by the White House, drawing on secret intelligence and operations around the world. There is no man who knows more about it than Richard Clarke, the former Counterterrorism Czar for both George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, the man who has led our efforts against al Qaeda and all other terrorist enemies for years, serving under seven presidents and in the White House for George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush, until he resigned in March 2003. He has had a front-row seat at every major battle in this war, from the first World Trade Center bombing, to 9/11, to Afghanistan, to Iraq.
Clarke knows the secret stories of Bill Clinton’s great victories (shutting down anti-U.S. terrorism sponsored by Iran and Iraq) and his great frustrations (failing to kill Osama Bin Laden despite many attempts). When President Bush took office, Clarke was ready to present him with a master plan to roll back and destroy al Qaeda, yet the president did not grant a briefing for months. His aides had little interest in Osama Bin Laden, preferring to talk about Saddam Hussein at every turn. Clarke knows why we failed to shut down terrorist financing within our borders prior to 2001.

After ignoring existing plans to attack al Qaeda when he first took office, George Bush made disastrous decisions when he finally did pay attention. Thanks to the determined, even conspiratorial views of Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld, and Bush, we went after the wrong enemy.

The charges Clarke levels against the current administration must be taken seriously by every American, Democrat or Republican. Our security depends upon it.

My Thoughts: Great book from an insider. Really got a clear and candid look behind the scenes of the White house apparatus leading up to and after the events of 9-11-2001. A must read.

Today’s run – 4.8 km (3.0m)/24 min

Mood: Not a bad run got to get back to the treadmill tho. Runing outside here is not really fun.

————————–Statistics—————————–

Week 14: 4.2km [this week] – [Phase IV- 4.2 km / (All - 323.7km)]

Week 14: 2.4 km [Tranisiton Week2]
Week 13 : 8.2 km [Transition Week1]

Week 12: 27.2 km [Phase III - 105.9]
Week 11: 30.4 km
Week 10: 14.6 km
Week 09: 33.7 km
Week 08: 10.4 km [Phase II - 77.4]
Week 07: 22.4 km
Week 06: 27.4 km
Week 05: 17.2 km
Week 04: 35.6 km [Phase I - 123.4]
Week 03: 33.o km
Week 02: 28.9 km
Week 01: 26.1 km
—————————————-

Plugging away at work. Will get back to computing. Grid thought I missed her Mother’s Day; but really I didn’t ….well sort of . I remembered, but since am so far away, thought I could get away with a quick email note – nope…didn’t work. Ended up sending she and her mom on a spending spree. Now my purse string is gonna hurt. That’s cool tho.

Today’s run – 2.4 km (1.5m)/10.15min

Mood: Just a great run for the PRT today. Really could have lopped off another 30 secs or more if I had pushed, but I did not. At any rate I will keep getting in shape. Start lifting and toning my muscles in here in the second week of Phase IV. No bulk, just eat maintain 170-175 hard….no place for fat….no beer gut.

————————–Statistics—————————–

Week 14: 2.4km [Transition Week2]
Week 13 : 8.2 km [Transition Week1]
Week 12: 27.2 km [Phase III - 105.9]
Week 11: 30.4 km
Week 10: 14.6 km
Week 09: 33.7 km
Week 08: 10.4 km [Phase II - 77.4]
Week 07: 22.4 km
Week 06: 27.4 km
Week 05: 17.2 km
Week 04: 35.6 km [Phase I - 123.4]
Week 03: 33.o km
Week 02: 28.9 km
Week 01: 26.1 km
—————————————-

Got some dental work done today – putting in a bridge for a tooth that I lost a few years….actually quite a few years back. Will be doing it in 2 phases..that first part was today and the next phase is the 3rd week of June.