1000!

1000!

Grazie Mille!

This, our 1000th post, is a Major Milestone for PhilosFX. 

A thousand thanks!

or, as we might prefer to say,

Thanks a million!

May I offer an interesting commentary on the use of the letter "M" to represent the quantity of 1,000 as I have done for today's celebration? I am aware that this choice is not without controversy.

Most readers will be more familiar with the use of lower case "k" to mean 1,000. In this case, "k" is an abbreviation for "kilo" which in turn is derived from the Greek word χίλιοι (chilioi), meaning "thousand." Side note--a capital "K" is the abbreviation for Kelvin, a unit of heat, so don't sign up for a 10K run. You'll freeze! 10K is -441.7 deg F. Stick with the traditional 10k runs, as they are much more comfortable.

Meanwhile, the letter "M" is also used to represent the quantity of 1,000. This is distinct from the lower case "m" which means meters. In this case, "M" is an abbreviation for mille, the Roman word for 1,000. Investors and accountants will be familiar with "MM" which means a thousand thousands, or one million. The Italian expression, grazie mille does not transliterate to English well. We don't say, "Thanks a thousand." However, "a thousand thanks," seems too formal for the American tongue. Instead, we say, "Thanks a million."  May I suggest a twist? How about, "Thanks MM"?

My work here is (almost!) done. If you want symmetry (and really, who doesn't?), the Cyber Dictionary defines KK to mean okay, as in, message received. This expression may have originated from the use of KK in Morse Code (a communications system developed in the 1800s) to mean "End of message."

Now we know the differences between

KK, K, k, m, M, and MM

Or, do we? 

When you see $10M are you thinking 

$10,000

or

$10,000,000?

Minds blown. Mayhem prevails. Madness reigns.

Meanwhile, the folks at English Language & Usage are tossing up their hands on the k vs. M controversy. Dr. Peterson of the Math Forum has offered a rational solution that does not seem to satisfy all readers. Experts at Quora advise checking with local customs and traditions  That works for moi.

Moving along...

Metrics: The first of 1,000 (thousand? kilo? mille?) posts here on PhilosFX was published Saturday, August 7, 2010 (3,412 days ago). Since then, new posts have been published at the rate of one every third day, garnering an average of 416 views each (range is 0 to 62,829). PhilosFX get about 3,662 views per month (range is 300 to 11,589). Not bad for the mishaps and meanderings of a mercurial madman...

Motivation: I have 149 posts in various stages of pre-publication right now, and a seemingly endless supply of topics to write about. I only wish I had more time to explore the fascinating universe we share. Intelligent and curious people are always welcome here. Thanks for reading along and encouraging me with your comments and suggestions!

On to 2,000! 
aka 2k! aka 2M! 
Why not 2MM? 
KK!

Don't Worry, Be Happy--Right!?!

Today's Meme of the Day is inspired by the "Woman Yelling at a Cat" meme template that is all the rage today.



On December 5th, 2011, episode 14 "Malibu Beach Party From Hell" of season two of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills reality TV series premiered in the United States. In the episode, cast member Taylor Armstrong cries during an argument, with cast member Kyle Richards attempting to calm her down.

On June 19th, 2018, Tumblr user deadbefordeath posted a photograph of a white cat (later revealed to be named Smudge) with a confused expression sitting in a chair in front of a plate with vegetables in it, titling the post "he no like vegetals." The post gained over 50,300 likes and reblogs in one year.

On May 1st, 2019, Twitter user @MISSINGEGIRL made a post containing both images, writing "These photos together is making me lose it.“ The tweet gained over 78,900 retweets and 276,800 likes in two months.

https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/woman-yelling-at-a-cat

If you haven't seen this meme template yet, you will! 

Game Five lands on a Scherzday!

Forget about "best of 3" let alone best of 7. 

Don't worry about Games 6 or 7.

Game 5 is all that matters...

Let's go 1 and 0 tonight, Nats!

Patrick Corbin Gets the Nod for WS 2019 Game 4

Aníbal Sánchez Game 3 starter...

Aníbal Sánchez will make his 3rd start of the Postseason in Game 3 of the World Series on Friday night in Nationals Park. Wear BLUE! Go 1-0 one more time! 

Merry Strasmas!

Scherzday

On the Strange Appeal of Sailing in Ships at Sea

Russel Crowe as Captain "Lucky" Jack Aubrey

I have had the great good fortune of sailing on many days and over many nautical miles this year. Adding to my past recreational and racing experience primarily on the Potomac, I have been able to crew for the Skipper of s/v Revolution in 6 races on the Chesapeake Bay. Additionally, I served as an able crewman aboard s/v Nelson's Wake for her circumnavigation of the Delmarva (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia) peninsula. I was honored to take the helm for the 8th and final day of that voyage--an experience I'll never forget.

Comparisons between myself and the likes of Captain Jack Aubrey aboard HMS Sophie, as told by Patrick O’Brian, are premature. War in the age of sail, particularly in the 18th and 19th centuries, produced some of the most dramatic leadership challenges in the history of humanity.

For my part, I just want to comment on the strange appeal of sailing in ships at sea. What compels people to get in a boat in the first place? How can one explain the thrill of harnessing the wind? How does it feel to be more than 12 miles from shore--that is, in international waters, out of sight of land, and at the mercy of wind and sea?

HMS Sophie

This passage from Master and Commander (O’Brian, p. 69) hits the nail on the head for me.

“Jack took the wheel, and as he did so a last gust from the island staggered the sloop, sending white water along her lee rail, plucking Jack’s hat from his head and streaming his bright yellow hair away to the south-south-west...

“Jack let her pay off until the flurry was over, and then, as he began to bring her back, his hands strong on the spokes, so he came into direct contact with the living essence of the sloop: the vibration beneath his palm, something between a sound and a flow, came straight up from her rudder, and it joined with the innumerable rhythms, the creak and humming of her hull and rigging. The keen clear wind swept in on his left cheek, and as he bore on the helm, so the Sophie answered, quicker and more nervous than he had expected. Closer and closer to the wind....”

O’Brian, P. (1970). Master and Commander. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. Courtesy of the Library of Robert L. Bateman, III, LTC (Ret), US Army, and Skipper of s/v Nelson's Wake.

Mariae lembi nostri duci et magistrae do dedico

Celebrating Nine Years of PhilosFX!

Ahoy! And, Happy PhilosFX Day!

At midnight GMT (8 pm Eastern) between 6 and 7 Aug, we ended 9 years of blogging and started year 10. Thanks for coming along for the ride! 

Here is a compilation of links to previous PhilosFX Day celebrations. Enjoy!

8. Happy 8th PhilosFX Day! https://philosfx.blogspot.com/2018/08/happy-philosfx-day.html

7. Happy 7th PhilosFX Day! https://philosfx.blogspot.com/2017/08/happy-philosfx-day.html

6. Happy 6th PhilosFX Day! https://philosfx.blogspot.com/2016/08/happy-6th-philosfx-day.html

5. The 2015 version: http://philosfx.blogspot.com/2015/08/happy-philosfx-day.html

4. Musings from the Batman: http://philosfx.blogspot.com/2014/08/happy-philosfx-day.html

3. Lots of stats: http://philosfx.blogspot.com/2013/08/happy-3d-birthday-philosfx.html

2. Basically, a one-liner: http://philosfx.blogspot.com/2012/08/happy-2d-birthday-philosfx.html

1. First-year in review: http://philosfx.blogspot.com/2011/08/happy-birthday-philosfx.html

0. Launch! http://philosfx.blogspot.com/2010/08/launch.html


Cheers!

DBD

Meme of the Day: No such thing as a long-sleeved T shirt!

On Cruising Main in a Plymouth Satellite Blaring Styx, Kansas, and Foreigner

It's the 40th anniversary of our high school graduation. What are we going to do to celebrate? How will we mark this august occasion? Is there something we could do that would take us back to that time and place?

First of all, let’s not try to have any fun, because having fun is for kids. Look at us. 1979 was a long time ago. We aren’t kids anymore. We’re practically adults! 

Figure 1. 1970s MOPAR Muscle

But if we do attempt to enjoy ourselves, let’s not buy 12-packs of beer in pony (6 oz.) cans, because ponies are for amateurs.

But if we do buy ponies, let’s not consume the contents of these cans in the car as we cruise Main, because that might lead to gunning our engine, squealing our big fat stupid tires, attempting to arrive at the next intersection in less time than the car in the adjacent lane, or other inappropriate behavior.

But if, in the course of behaving as we might, we do in fact amass a pile of empty cans, let’s not use them as stackable blocks to build pyramids in the parking lots on either end of Main, because pyramid-building is for geeks, nerds, jocks, and future engineers. Ugh! 

But if we do create our own little design-and-build project, don't allow an officer of the peace to catch us because building pyramids from what might appear to be large quantities of empty cans could land us in a heap of trouble since 

“These cans didn’t drink themselves!” 

(Or words to that effect.)

But if we do get caught, let’s allow the most loquacious member of our party explain the engineering challenge of constructing twin pyramids on opposite ends of Main nearly simultaneously (!) while the rest of us quietly get anything that looks like a pony can out of the car and into the closest pyramid as swiftly and stealthily as possible, because this will be our only hope for ending the evening not in jail.

Figure 2. Lumber Yard

Figure 3. Hy-Vee

But if we do explain the finer points of our engineering project (and assuming both that the officer is distracted until the car is free of cans and that the other occupants comport themselves appropriately), the officer may very well be amused, and allow us to go upon our merry way.

But if the officer is not amused, there remains a non-zero probability that all will be forgiven if we simply offer to dismantle the pyramids in reverse order and if we further promise to recycle the "evidence."

But if all is not forgiven,

"You can just spend the night in jail, mister! 
And let that be a lesson to you!"

(Or words to that effect.)

Figure 4. "No cans but... it smells like a brewery in here!"

This is precisely why we adults must shake our heads and say, “Kids these days!” Mature adult persons would never dream that any kind of fun at all could be had by cruising Norfolk’s main drag in a 1972 Plymouth Satellite with big back tires and Pat Walsh’s old kickbox speakers on the red fuzzy-carpet-covered rear window ledge with a Pioneer 8-track tape deck blaring Styx, Kansas, and Foreigner 

(As if it were 1979 forever....) 

Grammar Lessons my Bartender Taught Me

Ahoy! 

What we have here is a clever twist on a standard joke set-up, "A man walks into a bar ..." As you read each line, a grammar lesson is illustrated in the form of a bar joke. For example, "A synonym strolls into a tavern ..." is funny because a synonym is a word that means the same thing as another word. Walked and strolled are synonyms. Bar and tavern are also synonyms. If you get the joke and enjoy it, read on! 

This is a fantastic review of grammar that language lovers and logicians will appreciate! 

If you find some of these jokes sail over your head, have a look at Linda's helpful explanations. 

I do love this clever form of humor. I wish I could find the author. Apparently this list of bar jokes has been floating around for awhile. In searching for the author I have uncovered several versions, all lacking attribution. 

Can you supply any new Grammar Lessons in the comments? Surely someone has created a pun-filled version. Can you post a link to one? Or how about a list composed entirely of Spoonerisms? For example, "Mardon me, padam, is this bar tool staken?" (I just made that up!)

Please add your own "bar jokes" in the comments! 

Enjoy! 

Unpacking the "Look Now" Deluxe 7-inch Box Set

Ahoy!

I am the proud holder of Box 816 of 1,000! Let's have a look at what's inside...

"Look Now" Deluxe 7-inch Box Set

BUNDLE INCLUDES:
- Ten 7” (twenty tracks), tri-color, deluxe numbered edition vinyl box set
- Numbered box (1000 units manufactured at Third Man Pressing in Detroit) houses TEN 7” vinyl.
- All 16 tracks from the Look Now double LP (on eight 7” records)
- FOUR new tracks (on TWO additional 7” records, also released as the EP "Purse")
- Tri-color vinyl edition: each 7” is opaque red, opaque violet, and opaque yellow
- Four postcards and a 16-page booklet of lyrics and artwork
- BONUS Look Now 7” adapter included with purchase



Not mentioned in the above advertising copy from elviscostello.com is the fact that the box includes the charming note from Elvis depicted in the photo below.

I was able to decipher all the handwriting with a little help from some friends. The text below is what we believe is a faithful transcript of Elvis Costello's message. (Corrections welcome.)

Dear Listener, 

     This box of tricks contains
daubs and songs to be heard
~ one at a time, in a different
order; perhaps a new story
at the flip of the disc
and the drop of the needle 

Yours thru' music    E.C.R.S.

Elvis Costello
      & Eamonn Singer

A couple of comments would be helpful in interpreting the underlined portions of the liner note:

The letters "E.C.R.S." refer to The Elvis Costello Record Shop

We presume Elvis signed his own name and the name of his alter ego, "Eamonn Singer." Though the second signature is scribbled in disguise, the first "E" is a giveaway.

The first word in the second line is "daubs." The context here is unusual, but there is a precedence for it. Here is a reference (tweet) confirming this use of the word, "daubs" in this context and also confirming the true identity of Eamonn Singer.

Another unheralded BONUS item is a set of six coasters made by Vinylux from recycled vinyl albums.

Enjoy! Cheers!

H/T to Connor R. and Andrew O.

Pi Day 2019: the International Visitors

Ahoy!

Pi Day at PhilosFX is always about numbers, especially our favorite irrational number.  

The focus for this year’s Pi Day story is on the International visitors to PhilosFX. If we rank unique visitors from all countries, the USA dominates with about 16 times the unique visitors from Canada and the United Kingdom. 

With 46,981 unique domestic visitors, we’re up 9% from last year and nearly double (96%) four years ago. Those might be impressive gains if we were talking about an investment portfolio. But the domestic gains pale in comparison to the steeper increase in unique visits from other countries.

With 71 unique visits, Bulgaria made the Flag Counter cut-off for the top 48 countries. This is up 45% from last year's cut-off, and 123% from this time 4 years ago. The USA leads in raw numbers but the rate of growth among the other nations is faster.

The total number of visits (including repeats)—383,766—is up 12% from last year and much more than double (126%) four years ago. While unique visitors are mostly coming from the US (64% to 36%), repeat visits — 81% overall—are mostly foreign (93% to 78%).

International visitors who discover and return to PhilosFX are notable on a percentage basis, and furthermore, the increase among international visitors is coming from many different countries. We show the top 48 in the Flag Counter display but there are 242 nations in the world. Currently, we have received at least one visitor from 91% (220) of all nations. This reflects an increase of 22 new country flags in the past year alone. Wow! 

Notice that we are only 17 posts away from the 1,000 post milestone, and 5 months away from concluding our 9th year.  I’d love to see your suggestions for future posts. Please leave your ideas in the comments!

I offer a heartfelt "Thank You" to readers from nearly every country on the planet! Your views and comments make Pi Day fun!

Cheers! 

Here are links to all 6 previous Pi Day posts. Enjoy!

https://philosfx.blogspot.com/2018/03/pi-day-2018.html

https://philosfx.blogspot.com/2015/03/a-pi-day-for-ages.html

http://philosfx.blogspot.com/2014/03/pi-day-2014.html

http://philosfx.blogspot.com/2013/03/pi-day-treat.html

http://philosfx.blogspot.com/2012/03/pi-day.html

http://philosfx.blogspot.com/2011/03/happy-pi-day-314.html

PSA for Readers of PhilosFX re: Changes to Google+ and Blogger Coming in March 2019

An update on Google+ and Blogger

January 30, 2019

Following the announcement of Google+ API deprecation scheduled for March 2019, a number of changes will be made to Blogger’s Google+ integration on 4 February 2019.

Google+ widgets: Support for the “+1 Button”, “Google+ Followers” and “Google+ Badge” widgets in Layout will no longer be available. All instances of these widgets will be removed from all blogs. 

+1 buttons: The +1/G+ buttons and Google+ share links below blog posts and in the navigation bar will be removed.

Please note that if you have a custom template that includes Google+ features, you may need to update your template. Please contact your template supplier for advice.

Google+ Comments: Support for Google+ Comments will be turned down, and all blogs using Google+ Comments will be reverted back to using Blogger comments on 4 February 2019. Unfortunately, comments posted as Google+ comments cannot be migrated to Blogger and will no longer appear on your blog.

Google+ Profile: In March 2019, Blogger will revert to only having Blogger profiles. Users that have selected a G+ profile in the past will appear as unknown authors until they next login to Blogger and supply a new display name and avatar.

We are sorry for the inconvenience these changes may cause, but we look forward to delivering fresh functionality to Blogger in the coming year. Thanks for your continued loyalty.

If you have questions about any of these changes or need help navigating them, please visit our Blogger Help Forum.

The ENTP – Tony Stark / Iron Man

Have you ever wondered which Superhero has your Myers-Briggs® Personality Type? I have!

My favorite Superhero is Bruce Wayne / Batman. According to Personality Growth's post on the subject,  

"Bruce Wayne is introverted and extremely intellectual. He is a billionaire, playboy and philanthropist. He has a strong goal to seek vengeance for his parents death, and bring justice to criminals of Gotham. He trains himself physically, and crafts his own persona solely on his intelligence. Batman is capable of becoming a superhero without any superpowers, because of his powerful intellect."

Personality Growth assesses Batman aka Bruce Wayne as an INTJ. Even though I feel an affinity to the Batman, I do not share the Introversion or Judging aspects of his personality type. I suppose the appeal comes in through the shared NT or "Promethean" aspect. 

Prometheus was a Greek Titan who stole fire from the Gods and gave it to mortals. According to Typology Central, NTs have a "Promethean" temperament because NTs want to make people more like Gods through their inventions. 

I can relate! 

But not everyone agrees that Batman is INTJ. To me more specific, there are those who would distinguish the Batman of comics from the Dark Knight of the Nolan film trilogy. According to this source, the Dark Knight is more of an ISTJ.  

If Batman and I do not share the same MBTI profile, then with which Superhero am I most aligned? An answer--one that I can really get behind--comes from our friend and fellow Nebraskan, Susan Storm at Psychology Junkie.

Check this out!  

ENTP – Tony Stark / Iron Man

The ENTP – An ingenious troubleshooter who is skilled at connecting-the-dots and finding creative solutions to problems. The ENTP is guided by a hunger for logic and a thirst for stretching the boundaries of what’s possible.

So far, so good...

Tony Stark’s mind is always buzzing with possibilities and ideas that can improve the future. Like all ENTPs, his rapid-fire verbal sparring can get him in trouble, but it’s his ingenious inventions that set him apart. Even in the bleakest scenarios, Tony Stark is able to envision a way out – in fact, sometimes the feeling of being trapped enables him to think more creatively than he would otherwise. This is typical for ENTPs who often find that they get their best ideas under pressure!

I can dig it! 

I grew up with Batman, and my affinity goes way back to childhood action figures and role-playing with my younger brother, Robin--er, Todd. I really only know Tony Stark and Iron Man from parts of a couple of movies I watched on TCM late at night. But now, thanks to Susan, I have a new-found interest in learning more about what makes Tony Stark tick. What motivates him? How does he deal with challenges and setbacks? How might I consider changing my life in order to be more like a character that seems to have a similar profile  

Are you interested in learning which superhero matches your Myers-Briggs® personality type? Read more at these sites:

Myers Briggs (MBTI) Marvel Superhero Characters by Personality Growth | Sep 16, 2015
Myers Briggs DC Superhero Character Types by Personality Growth | Sep 17, 2015
Find Out Which Superhero Has Your Myers-Briggs® Personality Type by Psychology Junkie | Feb 15, 2019

H/T: SS@PJ

Feynman Explains Fire

Richard Phillips Feynman (May 11, 1918 – February 15, 1988)

What is fire? 

Fire is the heat and light

of oxygen reuniting with carbon.

Fire is the jiggling energy of a miniature Sun.

Fire is stored sunshine, 

released from the log. 

Read more and watch a video of Feynman explaining fire. Hat tip: Dew at 0 degrees Celsius 

Principality of Liechtenstein

Ahoy!

Today we welcome the Principality of Liechtenstein to the Parade of Nations. Liechtenstein is the 217th country to provide at least one unique visitor to PhilosFX.

When I was a lad, I read the Cold War satirical novel, The Mouse That Roared. At about the same time (the early '70s), I remember obtaining my first Liechtenstein postage stamps. As they do, the stamps piqued my curiosity. In my imagination, the tiny Principality of Liechtenstein was the basis of the fictitious Duchy of Grand Fenwick: small, isolated, exporting wool and wine and eschewing technology. Years later, while stationed in Germany with the US Army, I had the privilege to visit Liechtenstein. I quickly learned that the resemblance ended at "small." Liechtenstein is wealthy, sophisticated, and technologically advanced.

According to the CIA's World Factbook, "The Principality of Liechtenstein was established within the Holy Roman Empire in 1719. Occupied by both French and Russian troops during the Napoleonic Wars, it became a sovereign state in 1806 and joined the Germanic Confederation in 1815. Liechtenstein became fully independent in 1866 when the Confederation dissolved."

Principality of Liechtenstein

From Google we learn that, "Liechtenstein is a German-speaking, 25km (15.5 mi) long principality between Austria and Switzerland. It’s known for its medieval castles, alpine landscapes, and villages linked by a network of trails. The capital, Vaduz, a cultural and financial center, is home to Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, with galleries of modern and contemporary art. The Postmuseum displays Liechtenstein’s postage stamps."

Wikipedia states that, with Uzbekistan, "Liechtenstein is one of only two doubly landlocked nations in the world."

Note: A country is doubly landlocked when it is surrounded entirely by one or more landlocked countries, requiring the crossing of at least two national borders to reach a coastline.

Wiki continues: "There were no doubly landlocked countries from the unification of Germany in 1871 until the end of World War I. Liechtenstein bordered the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which had an Adriatic coastline, and Uzbekistan was then part of the Russian Empire, which had both ocean and sea access."


An updated Flag Counter and Table of Missing Countries is available here.

Cheers!

The Kingdom of Bhutan

Ahoy!

On Jan 3, 2019, The Kingdom of Bhutan tripped the Flag Counter to become the 216th country to visit PhilosFX.

Flag Counter cites CIA's The World Factbook for some interesting details about Bhutan

The beautiful flag of Bhutan

Bhutan is a landlocked country in the Himalaya mountains

The Kingdom of Bhutan has made at least one earlier appearance here on PhilosFX.

The recent flurry of traffic seems to be tied to an interest in our recent post about Marcus Aurelius. An updated Flag Counter and Table of Missing Countries is available here.

Cheers! 

Christmas Island, Vatican City, and North Korea

Ahoy!

On Dec 31, 2018, Christmas Island, Vatican City, and North Korea have tripped the Flag Counter to become the 213th, 214th, and 215th countries, respectively, to visit PhilosFX

I'd like to encourage readers to follow the posted links to CIA's The World Factbook to explore these countries.

Christmas Island

Vatican City

North Korea

The recent flurry of International traffic seems to be tied to an interest in our post about Marcus Aurelius. An updated Flag Counter and Table of Missing Countries is available here.

Cheers!

One Final "Mattis Sends" Memo

Outgoing SecDef Mattis and his replacement, former DepSecDef Shanahan.
Photo: Democracy Now

On the last day of 2018, Secretary of Defense, GEN (Ret) James Mattis turned over the mantle of leadership to his former Deputy, HON Patrick Shanahan. Shanahan is most well-known as a Boeing executive with no military service. However, I know him from his monthly update memos. I enjoy reading these concise summaries of Department priorities and action plans. I always feel informed and inspired after reading the view from his perch. I am sorry to see Mattis depart, and I wish Shanahan well. We live in tumultuous times. I have a nephew in Afghanistan, and a friend preparing for his 9th (count them--NINE!) deployment since the wars began in 2001. I want a capable leader in the office of SecDef.

On December 20, the day after President Trump announced plans to remove U.S. military personnel from Syria, despite the contrary recommendations of his military advisers, Secretary of Defense James Mattis tendered his resignation, to be effective at the end of February 2019--the culmination of 2 years of service in the position. Mattis' resignation letter has been widely disseminated.

Themes in the concise letter echoed themes that are also found in Mattis' December 19 Christmas letter to the troops, and in his final transition note: holding the line, serving the Nation, defending the Constitution, and keeping the American people safe at home.  

President Trump accepted the resignation, agreeing that their values were not aligned, and selected DepSecDef Shanahan to be the interim SecDef. Subsequently, Trump moved up the transition date to December 31. This move signals that Shanahan will likely be confirmed by the Senate to permanently fill the position. It also deprives Mattis of the opportunity to attend the NATO ministerial meetings and to testify before Congress in the posture hearings.

Below, printed in its entirety, appears Mattis' transition message as it was transmitted through official channels across the U.S. Department of Defense. You may have seen edited versions on the major news media outlets. I wanted to share the ALLCAPS version that we see in official distribution. Note: ALDODACT means All Department of Defense Activities.  

FM SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
TO ALDODACT
INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//SECDEF COMMS// BT UNCLAS 

SUBJ/FAREWELL MESSAGE ALDODACT 28/18

ADDRESSEES PASS TO ALL SUBORDINATE COMMANDS

1. ON FEBRUARY 1, 1865, PRESIDENT LINCOLN SENT TO GENERAL ULYSSES S. GRANT A ONE SENTENCE TELEGRAM. IT READ: "LET NOTHING WHICH IS TRANSPIRING, CHANGE, HINDER, OR DELAY YOUR MILITARY MOVEMENTS, OR PLANS."

2. OUR DEPARTMENT'S LEADERSHIP, CIVILIAN AND MILITARY, REMAINS IN THE BEST POSSIBLE HANDS. I AM CONFIDENT THAT EACH OF US REMAINS UNDISTRACTED FROM OUR SWORN MISSION TO SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION WHILE PROTECTING OUR WAY OF LIFE. OUR DEPARTMENT IS PROVEN TO BE AT ITS BEST WHEN THE TIMES ARE MOST DIFFICULT. SO KEEP THE FAITH IN OUR COUNTRY AND HOLD FAST, ALONGSIDE OUR ALLIES, ALIGNED AGAINST OUR FOES.

3. IT HAS BEEN MY HIGH HONOR TO SERVE AT YOUR SIDE. MAY GOD HOLD YOU SAFE IN THE AIR, ON LAND, AND AT SEA. 

MATTIS SENDS.

Without distracting fanfare, the era of the Warrior Monk has ended. Nothing more needs to be said. After 40 years of service, call-sign Chaos has signed off of the net.