Drawing a "business model" is a frequently used and highly useful way to conceptualize how you're going to start and sustain a business for the purpose of "making money".

You don't have to be a denizen of the Washington "inner beltway" to know that the Pentagon is one of the very best places to do business and make gobs of money.

Model A: Put together a firm that recruits and trains people who are qualified to fight anywhere the US is involved "militarily". Iraq and Afghanistan are two good examples of this kind of "involvement". These are places  where we keep losing lives and lots of money. The excuse for entering Iraq was "weapons of mass destruction", which were never found. Mr. "SOB" (that is, "Son of a Bush") just wanted to make war. Mr. "BO" (Barack Obama) promised to get us out of there. It's now 2014, and we're still there. So, he's "cutting down the troop level" and replacing them with "contractors".

That's where you come in. Submit a properly worded proposal, hire a retired general, preferably someone who used to be the boss of the current Pentagon "decision makers".

For sure, there will be some competition, using the same business model and represented by other retired generals or admirals. But, no reason for concern. You will  garner some of the plentiful "Defense" money, and your competition will get some of it. And, we taxpayers get the benefit of "national defense" and "homeland security.

Next time I will describe Model B.

Dear One-Minute Pundit:

As a God-loving, God-fearing Christian, should I give up a man who totally and sincerely believes there is no God? He considers himself  a "humanist", not a Christian or follower of any "organized religion". His behavior is consistently more compassionate and more forgiving than any charitable Christian person I've ever known. If he can't say anything good about someone, he does not say anything at all. Like him, I don't believe in trying to change another person's religious beliefs. Neither does he. He'd like to marry me, and I'd like to marry him. I don't believe he'd object to raise our children as Christians. I'd appreciate your advice. Thank you.

Very truly yours, Estella Bonam

Dear Estella:

My answer to your request for advice will be short, but may not be sweet. This man looks too good to be true. I suggest  that you marry a kind, congenial, and humane Christian, much like you appear to be. In the long run, "Birds of a feather tend to fly together".

—The One-Minute Pundit

"Awesome" is most probably the most over-used and frequently undeserved descriptor in the English language. The invention described below is my nominee for a security innovation most deserving of the adjective, "awesome". See if you agree.

The Israelis are developing an airport security device that eliminates the privacy concerns that come with full-body scanners. It's an armored booth you step into that will not X-ray you, but will detonate any explosive device you may have on your person.

Israel sees this as a win-win situation for everyone, with none of this crap about racial profiling. It will also eliminate the costs of long and expensive trials.

You're in the airport terminal and you hear a muffled explosion. Shortly thereafter, an announcement: "Attention to all standby passengers, El Al is proud to announce a seat available on flight 789 to London. Airport Maintenance, please clean up at gate 2. Passengers, peace be with you."

"Celibacy" is a four-syllable word that encapsulates a complex and incendiary issue among Roman Catholics for a long time now. And now, in the middle of 2014, the Catholic world learns that Pope Francis believes that "celibacy is not a dogma of faith". Upon hearing these words, many Catholics are right away reminded that "in matters of faith," the Pope is supposed to be "infallible". But, of course, the Pope was speaking informally when he uttered those surprising words. Informal or not, those words appear to signal that the shut door of celibacy is now "open", at least, for discussion. And the stark realities of 2014, which include the shortage of priests that continues to force parishes to close and leaving one in five parishes without a resident priest. Priestly celibacy may not be a "dogma of faith". And, Pope Francis says it's an "open door". Given his tendency to depart from papal conventions, it appears that this pope is likely to open the door wide enough to recruit more helping hands, perhaps including married helping hands, in order to  minister to the spiritual needs of the neglected faithful.