Greetings once more, and thank you for your comments about that special project of mine, as well as the Christmas festivities last week. I did manage to get a new book looking into the international system that Britain and America have built in the last few centuries. I was as surprised as the author, Walter Russell Mead, was to realize that up to this point, historians and analysts had focused primarily on bits and pieces of the special relationship between these two countries, rather than their common history itself. One insight raised by Mead I found quite illuminating with regards to my own thought process in understanding modern politics: "In Anglo-American strategic thought, there is one world composed of many theaters." In other words, there are many areas of action to focus on, but the actions taken in those areas pursue a greater purpose. I should have more insights to share from Mead as I digest this book, a rather excellent choice, I think, to prepare my mind for the new year. How about you?