J. Davy Crockett III

As members of Congress congratulate themselves over a compromise “stalemate” agreement to end a protracted budget crisis—an agreement that raises the federal debt ceiling and ends the so-called “shutdown” of the United States government—many citizens and pundits are wondering: What was really achieved?

I admit it! I'm a weather junkie. I follow reports on the weather carefully and check the Weather Channel often to see what is going on in different parts of the country and the world. For many years, I was in a business directly impacted by the weather. As you can imagine, it wasn't a random activity for me to want to know what tomorrow's weather would bring—and old habits are hard to break.

There is a persistent legend that holds a fascination for many people, especially those of a religious bent. Since the Middle Ages, some have sought a mysterious object, often resulting in armed conflicts with loss of life and property. This “quest” has been the subject of theatrical plays, adventure novels, and even comedy routines.

The headlines scream of the carnage unfolding in Syria, with new allegations of the use of poison gas by the Bashar al-Assad regime. While the United Nations makes empty pronouncements and the major powers hurl meaningless threats of intervention, people on both sides of the conflict die in increasing numbers.

When my youngest son was about six years old, he said to me, “Dad, I need a word!” Puzzled, I asked, “What kind of word?” “Well,” he said, “something I can say when things go wrong on the playground or when I get mad.” Amused, I asked, “What do you have in mind?”  To my surprise, he said with feeling, “I don’t care, as long as it sounds like…” then he finished his sentence with a vulgar expletive.