I'm looking forward to tonight's lunar eclipse, which should be starting in just a few hours.

It is at times such as this when I get just a bit philosophical about life.... When one looks around at all the bickering here on Earth, and then looks up at the heavens and considers the vastness of it all, and the finely tuned celestial mechanics that keep everything in motion, and the delicate balancing act between gravity and centrifugal force that keeps planets from plunging into one another, THAT'S when one begins to realize what is truly important in this vast universe of ours.

And what's important at the moment is NOT frikkin' Jupiter's orbital path, but repelling these stinking invading hordes seeking to shove freedom and democracy on an innocent nation that has never hurt anyone.... Recently.

Still, it's nice to take an occasional break from our valiant struggle to reimpose oppression on ourselves by gazing heavenward. And if you decide to do the same, be careful not to look at the moon directly during the eclipse or it will ruin your night vision. It is safest to view it through a smoked lens of some sort.

Or do what I do: Grab yourself an unarmed Shiite refugee and shove the barrel of your grenade launcher into the nape of his neck and have him describe the eclipse to you.

Works for me every time.