I keep getting asked if I’m getting ready for my trip to Panama which will extend from Dec. 23^rd until Jan 1^st .  But what’s to get ready?  I’m taking my laptop so I know I’ll need to clone (backup) the entire drive before leaving.  I also want to encrypt some info on it so that if it’s lost or stolen, I have less to worry about.  Actually, encrypting that info is something I should have done long before—among the ‘sensitive’ material: pics of many xanga beauties who’ve sent me their exposures as ‘your eyes only’ .  What else?  You know, the ususal fare of Caribbean bank account codes, locations of weapons caches, records of various nefarious drug transactions, and lists of all my hundred blogs and their passwords.  Shit—this stuff is soooo incriminating.

Let’s see, what else do I need to prepare?  Hrm…need to get a copy of the State Department’s most recent report on regional/local Panamanian trouble spots—I need to know where to go should things get boring and I’m looking for some action.  I also need to look into anti-malarial pills, killer bee evasion techniques, and avoiding risks from vampire bats.  I should get a refresher book, too, on venomous tropical snakes so I know which ones I can handle and which ones I should merely stare at.  And I need to remember to carry enough cash to bribe the local cops should/when I get stopped.

Damn, the more I think about it, the more fun this all begins to sound.

Time is of the essence, but what’s the essence of?