Thursday, February 02, 2006

Stand-down

Who uses it: Military leaders
What it means: Relaxing from a position of readiness, or suspending operations temporarily.
How you can use it: When it's time to regroup.

I don't think the Governor of West Virginia used this term when he asked the state's mine owners to close their mines until they'd completed a thorough safety check -- but it would have been appropriate. The President talked about weaning ourselves from foreign oil; using more coal is part of that, and these mining accidents are a sign that people are working fast and sloppy, and not paying enough attention.

The groundhog saw his shadow today, meaning six more weeks of winter. If six more weeks is all we get here in the Kennebec Valley, I'll be happy.

It's also the feast of Candlemas, marking the 40th day after Christmas. Sailors traditionally believed it was bad luck to start a voyage on Candlemas, but why would anyone think it was smart to set sail at the beginning of February?

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