MY APOLOGIES, OR MORE EXCUSES, A CONTINUING MELODRAMA: Okay, folks, I realize that I gave an absolute guarantee that there would be a new piece here by last Monday. The fact that you are reading yet another mea culpa for it not being here is not through any lack of willingness on my part, but rather said lack is the unfortunate byproduct of the large scale viral invasion of my upper respiratory tract this past week. It was a wonderful invasion, as invasions go; I got to play the part of Wake Island as my immune system and the viruses fought it out for control of my destiny. I am hear to announce that, unlike the Marines at Wake Island, the immune system has beaten back the invasion and that I am now well on my way to full recovery. It still hurts when I cough, but this is a vast improvement over laying on my back and looking up at my ceiling (which is peeling, by the way; I will have to get around that shortly) and wishing that I were dead. So, let me reassure you, the readers, on a couple of points: first, there is a new piece (and no, this is not it) completely written out and about halfway typed up, and second, that this piece shall be posted to this site no later than Monday of this coming week. I absolutely guarantee this, barring a relapse or some other act of God. Then you can blame God; that's His job, apparently.