Happy New Year

I'm usually not a fan of polls and popularity contests on the internet, that just isn't my thing, but in this case I am making an exception. The US Coast Guard is posting their top 10 videos from 2011, and is asking the community to vote on their favorite video. All of the videos are expected to be released by the end of the year, and voting on the videos will continue until mid-January. So far, the video of the airplane landing in the water is my favorite, but all of the videos are impressive.

The Navy can't do a top 10 video, but we all know if there was such a thing, a US Navy SEAL shooting Osama bin Laden in the face would almost certainly be number ONE. US Navy videos of live action represent - for the most part - documentation of political statements by other means. US Coast Guard videos on the other hand are acts of valor in the line of duty with no tie to politics, and watching the videos is a reminder why Coast Guard Alaska on the Weather Channel has been one of the most interesting television shows this year. The people in the US Coast Guard are INCREDIBLE.

You can follow the countdown of videos on the Coast Guard Compass blog.

I continue to be out of pocket, with my wife due to deliver our third child, our first boy... today, and likely to bust open any second. My tax return is screaming delivery before midnight Saturday night, but my karma is likely shouting otherwise. Either way, I intend to get a better feel for the new schedule before picking back up here, as time organization is very much a big part of the process for content on the blog. It isn't so much the writing that consumes time... it's all the reading!

I want to thank the authors of the blog for picking up the slack in my absence, and I send my best wishes to all the folks who have made Information Dissemination a part of their daily routine. It is our hope ID is an interesting way to follow maritime issues that impact our nation and the world at large.

To all the members of the maritime services, thank you for your service to our nation. I wish you and your families a happy, safe New Year.