Lagniappe - It's been a while since I posted; but I have a legitimate excuse. I have been joyously distracted from all but the essentials by the arrival of my new daughter, Ella Rose, to this world. She was born on Sep. 10, a healthy 7 lbs., 13.7 ounces, and has been the central focus of attention for the past weeks. I haven't forgotten about my blog, but I just put it on hold for a while. The birth of Ella, plus the start of the academic year at the University, has been just about all that I can manage. But I'm back, spurred to the blogosphere by some recent events in Latin America, which I'll pick up in my next post. Hopefully, I'll be able to give some attention to the blog from now on out.