The WHPW Cipher

The WHPW Cipher is a list of terms (many metonyms) used throughout this blog that, for the unseasoned reader, may not make immediate sense. We will add terms as events and ideas warrant (ok, it is not technically a real "cipher" ... just go along with our madness):

When we use "across the pond," we mean the Potomac River and not the Atlantic (i.e., to refer to the United Kingdom). We are usually dicussing interactions between the State Department (Foggy Bottom, DC) and the Department of Defense (Pentagon, Virginia).

A WHPW original (i.e., look at our Fair Use Policy and source it accordingly if you use it), the Bearded One from Havana is Cuban Tyrant Fidel Castro. We try not to honor this fellow on WHPW postings by refraining using his name.

Satan's Caribbean Vacation Spot is used occasionaly to refer to the "cursed" nation of Haiti. Those who know of Haitian folklore know why we use this term. It is also the reason why we advocate a total rebuilding of Haiti, without the UN. Those people really need U.S. assistance and we can do better by them by getting the UN out of Haiti and, more importantly, out of the Western Hemisphere.

The overused, mainly Hollywood term "the Company" (to refer to the CIA), on WHPW is replaced on WHPW with The Watchers (in honor of the newly reorganized IC and the NDI)(here again, source it if you use it).

Foggy Bottom is a metonym for the U.S. Department of State (ironically, that area used to be swamp land).

"HMJ" is an acronym/pseudonym for our principal founder, editor and contributor.

The Little Man from Caracas is Venezuelan Dictator Hugo Chavez. As with the Bearded One, we try not to honor this fellow on WHPW postings by refraining using his name (did we say already source it if you use it?).

WHPW's News Roundup is a summary of news in and about the Western Hemisphere compiled from many sources. We select stories based on direct or indirect impact on U.S. policy goals in the Americas (of course, as we see it).

The Ol'Swamp is used, loosely, to collectively refer to the seat of our federal government, although we usually mean just the U.S. Congress and the people at 1600 Penn.

While we'd like to take ownership of this one, we cannot: Under the Dome refers to Congress, what is taking place in the bowels in the most venerated democratic institution known to the world, ever).

While 1600 Penn, well, The White House.