Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader has very little for you now. Nothing in fact. He thinks that his own laziness, family, the weather, and Medieval 2 Total War have been consipiring to keep him from blogging. Your Maximum Leader has been lazy (at least in regards to blogging) because he’s found it more entertaining to plop down on a sofa and read a Flashman book or watch TV than blog. He’s had a lot of familial engagements to attend to as well. School ending for the Villainettes. Getting various birthday and Father’s Day celebrations under control. Planning (packing for) trips to grandparent’s house for Villainettes. When you Maximum Leader has found himself in the mood to blog… He’s be thwarted by thunderstorms. They seem to pop up at the most inopportune times for blogging. (But they do give a good excuse to just sit and read.) And, finally, your Maximum Leader has been engaged in the most engrossing game of Medieval 2 Total War. (Playing the Danes and really digging the “Norse War Cleric” units. Priests wearing chainmail, on warhorses, with big ole maces just bashing your enemies. Somehow your Maximum Leader doubts that Benedict XVI would condone such activities nowadays. But if he did, your Maximum Leader would personally try and outfit a brigade of War Clerics.)

Excursus: Did you know that on July 14th, 1789 that Louis XVI’s diary contained a one word entry? Rien. (As in “nothing of interest happened today.”) In all fairness to Louis, he was not in Paris that day and word of the storming of the Bastille might not have reached him in Versailles.

Just because your Maximum Leader hasn’t been writing doesn’t mean he hasn’t been reading. Indeed, he’s been reading many blogs. Here are some more linky-related thoughts…

There are many bloggers your Maximum Leader is just going to have to make the time to visit and meet. Many…

For example… Your Maximum Leader wants to meet Eric, perhaps go the YMCA with him and work out some, and then go and sit on his porch and sip fine Scotch Whisky.

Your Maximum Leader would also like to meet Christina and her Mom. Your Maximum Leader feels like he already knows Christina’s mom somehow. Perhaps he’s known people like her and is projecting their traits on her. But every time Christina writes about and encounter with her mom your Maximum Leader feels like he knows exactly what is going on. It is a strange knowing feeling. Regardless, your Maximum Leader would like to meet both of these fine ladies.

Your Maximum Leader would also like to meet (specifically go out dining with) Bobgirl. Fallow deer wrapped in pork. Yumma.

Your Maximum Leader has been reading Steve’s site now for a long time. And recently he’s found that Steve’s posts on growing tomatos and peppers to be completely engrossing. Your Maximum Leader isn’t sure what it is about South Florida that makes smart people with a keen sense of observation such good writers. But soemthing must. Sure your Maximum Leader knows that South Florida is filled with vapid party-goers and cubans too; but Steve seems to be coming out of an environment that has produced a number of great writers.

Did you know that a few days ago the Dictionary.com word of the day was eructation? Your Maximum Leader had never heard the word before. (Sadly, he knows most of the words of the day.) Let him say he likes the word eructation.

Oh… One more thing… Two more actually…

Patton at the Ministry of Minor Perfidy wrote a piece that was very similar to one that your Maximum Leader was thinking of. Here is Patton’s post on Brendlin v California While reading the accounts of the ruling in the Washington Post, your Maximum Leader found that the mention of Mr Brendlin’s race to be somewhat gratuitous. Having said that, your Maximum Leader was gratified by the outcome of the case. A small victory for individual rights…

Also, if you are a DC area blogger… And a war/board game geek… You might want to see about playing Axis and Allies at Casa de Buckethead on Bastille Day…

That is about it for now… If the mood alights on your Maximum Leader, he might write more…

Carry on.