Four thousand posts. Why do I do this? It's just a cup of coffee in the morning. A way to get things going. I've met a lot of interesting ideas as well as a lot of tedious egos along the way but the best thing's the incredible strength I have developed in my fingers. My God they are huge. More like sausages than hot dogs. I'd take any of you on in a finger fight. Piece of cake.

• Update: should there be an election over the Afghan mission? I know I am at odds with my party of choice and have no home on the point when other policies or key player character is factored in. But isn't that true for everyone these days?
• When it comes to strategic alliances in a time of war, no two words give more confidence that "France" and "hinting".
• The problem with this study is it compares boomers to Gen Y's:

  According to new research, teens and young adults are no more narcissistic or self-aggrandizing today than they were three decades ago. Instead, all those overconfident, egotistical kids demanding instant jobs and fame may be a figment of aging imaginations.

  Two sides of the same coin if you ask me. But you wouldn't. Because I'm Gen X and you don't care. No one cares.
• Who knew wikipedia was a pack of cultist lies?

• Good for Mitt for quitting some time after it was clear he would never win - despite all the money. He did his cause one favour, crystallize one thought that sums up the lack of political tolerance and savvy that is marking this demise of conservatism in America:

  ...And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror...

  Because that is what Democrats want, right? A surrender to terror. They want to embrace their own terrorization and would feed the children of conservatives to the dogs. That is what Democrats want. You are warned.

  Nice to have that assurance, though, that he was in his heart utterly unfit for the job. That and his conservatism of convenience. Not that I am one but not that there is anything wrong with it either. If you know what I mean.

• Seeing as this is the 4,000th post, let me tell you some things you don't know about Gen X at 40:

  - I never post a post with an even number in the minute column. I have no idea why that is important but it is.
  - There are actually twelve people with authoring rights and I actually play more of an editorial role for all posts labeled "alan".
  - I don't own a shot put.
  - English is not the language I grew up with as I am really a Finn.
  - I played a small but important role in the development of hip-hop.
  - If it weren't for Hans, I would have packed this thing in years ago.

  These, of course, are the least of my secrets.