NEW YEAR

TITLE: NEW YEAR & NEW TIMES

A new year has started. A new congress has begun with the democrats in the driver’s seat and with the associated responsibility. The leaders wanting to be president are beating the drums for 2008. A new approach is in progress in Iraq with a new commander and with hopes that the Iraqis will be able to control the violence and the internecine killing.

2007 may be a watershed year not only politically, but also personally. I am back to where I was as far as any evidence of heart failure, Mary still has some unresolved issues, but we are doing well. We are glad that we are living in Drury Place, especially with the cold weather and the snow that we have had. We are also glad that we did not have the snow that Denver had!

The weather is conducive to spending time reading. Books that I have read – The end of Faith, by Sam Harris; The truth about Mohammad, by Robert Spencer; The Creation, by Edward O Wilson; a couple of “cat who” books by Lillian Jackson Braun, and I have started another book by Edward Wilson—The diversity of life.

Wilson is a biologist at Harvard University. Following is my notes on the book “The Creation”.

THE CREATION:An appeal to save life on earth

Author: Edward O. Wilson Library 331.951 WILSON

The author is a biologist at Harvard U. He has written several books he is an entomologist.

"More respect is due the little things that run the world" (insects)

"the more biologists learn about the biosphere in its full richness, the more rewarding the image. Similarly, the more psychologists learn of the development of the human mind the more they understand the gravitational pull of the natural world on our spirit, and on our souls"

we have a long way to go to make peace with this planet and with each other.

"Life on this planet can stand no more plundering. Quite apart from obedience to the universal moral imperative of saving the Creation, based upon religion and science alike, conserving biodiversity is the best economic deal humanity has had placed before it since the invention of agriculture. the time to act is now."

The earth has had 5 cataclysmic destruction of life, due to cosmic actions. The sixth is now beginning but due to human activity. Causes: habitat loss, invasive species, pollution, over population, and over harvesting, gathering.

Next week our grandson, Zach is going to Europe to spend a semester in Germany. He has set up a blog in which he will post some of his experiences. For those of you interested, the address is.

www.zachflanders.blogspot.com

It will be interesting to see how the blogosphere and the internet will be used in the political climate the next two years. It is getting pretty hot already and it is just beginning. An example is the false report the Obama attended a Madrassa school as a child. So we can expect spurious information. The next question is what is Iran going to do in the next 2 years. At least we can joke and laugh at our leaders and not worry about being shot or throats cut! I think that I should set up a blog or page for Cleo. She would probably have some interesting things to say.

I hope that all of you have a great 2007.

HAF AKA HAPPY DOC