ENERGY

i labeled this posting ENERGY. As we wind down ths Summer with the dog days Mary and I could use some ENERGY. However the title does not refer to personal energy but is related to the notes on the book "The end of oil" wich I will include.
The computer lab is not active during the month of August--time to get some things caught up etc however. I have made a couple of power point presentations but need some improvement. I have used the library tech center's machne to transfer VHS tape to a DVD. I have transferred some old family movies and some family reunions which I will try to duplicate and then share with the family. I have more that I want to get done. Mary is reading "1776" by David McCullough and likes it very much. we are looking forward to the coming Theater and Symphony seansons.
It is impressive how the British have rounded up the terrorists and in a very short time. I think that their secret service is probably better than ours.
Trust that this finds you hale and hearty and COOL AF AKA HAPPY DOC
BOOK NOTES 12:46 PM 8/2/2005
"THE END OF OIL" by PAUL ROBERTS
Energy and power are inexorably intertwined and

since the industrial revolution energy translates

into hydrocarbons (oil, gas, coal). One of the

striking statistics in book is that for every one

gallon of gas used--5 pounds of carbon are

released!!! The carbon dioxide can not be

cleansed as fast as it is produced, so there is a

global warming and it can not continue especially

as the worlds' energy need will increase

dramatically as the "third" world progresses to

develop and thereby use more energy.
...the warming trend in less than a century has

shown 15 percent shrinking of the polar ice caps, a

ten inch rise in the sea level and widespread

retreat of glaciers, ...longer, more severe droughts,

warmer winters, more floods and hurricanes, the

spread of tropical diseases.
...climate change is not an equal opportunity

disaster....a half-degree change in temperature will

alter the monsoon patterns that now provide much

of Asia with critical rainfall and will reduce crop

yields and displace tens of millions. With even a

small temperture change, more than twenty six

million Bangladeshis would become refugees. As

many as twelve million people would flee Egypt,

while more than twenty million Indians would be

force to migate.
Given the anticipated growth in worldwide

population and economic acivity, most

climatologists believe that even 550 ppm carbon

dioxide is impossible ceiling to impose on an

energy economy that is still even partly reliant on

fossil fuels. If were to have any chance in

stabilizing at that level, it means divesting

ourselves of fossil fuel sometime during the next 4

decades....we must begin developing new energy

technologies and deploying them on a massive

scale in the next twenty years.
Gas being a cleaner source may be a stop-gap to

buy a little time while cleaner and renewable

forms can be developed, Wind -- hydrogen -- clean

nuclear, solar.
The other major factor will be for a change in

life style and conservation of energy use. This

may be a hard sell ("after they have seen Paree!")

but will be important. I listened to a BBC program

where they made an inventory of the energy use of

an English middle class family and compared with

an Indian probably upper class family and the

English one would have to reduce their energy

consumption by two thirds to equal the Indian

Family.

DOG DAYS

We are entering the DOG DAYS of summer. Cleo wonders why there are not CAT DAYS? However I guess that all of the other days ARE cat days. She tells us when to get up, when to feed her, when to get on her perch and look out the door, and when to be combed. The grass is brown, the daisies are gone, the chiggers are ready to attack in the grass, the light of the day has a different appearance and "feel". and of coarse the temperature is hot . Being spoiled Americans, however, we contribute to the imbalance of the planet resources and rate of utilization and somewhtat guiltily enjoy air-conditioning. I trust that we will lnot be as stupid as the EASTER Islanders. The book "COLLAPSE" is very interesting. I will append some notes to this blog. Currently I am reading "THE END OF OIL", recommended by my grand son , Zach. The book is very interesting.. Well, HARRY POTTER is alive and well and the main benefit for humankind is that he has inspired countless kids around the world to READ.. This is great. I noticed that it was released in about 50 languages and even in Braille! There are many areas of the world however that the kids do not have access or money to be able to enjoy a book. The "ROOM TO READ" program tries to do what it can to help . www.roomtoread.org -- establishing libraries, schools, publishing in native languages, scholarships for girls etc. "100 million school age children in developoing world are not enrolled in primary school"
My projedt for August is to convert some of the old VHS tapes to DVD. The new tech center of the library has the facility to do that and next week we will be having a meeting to learn more about it. This is a part of the effort to downsize, organize, and eliminate. and simplify!!! This is at least a year project that Mary and I are committed to.. Wish us luck!
I will append some notes from "COLLAPSE".

BOOK NOTES
COLLAPSE--How societies Choose to Fail or

Succeed--by Jared Diamond see other book notes

by same author "third Chimpansee"

This book is a study of the societies in the past

that have disappeared (Easter Island, Pitcairn,

Anasazi, Maya, Ancient Greece, Norse Greenland),

and of some that were able to adapt or change and

survive.
Societies failed because of one of more of 5

factors
1. damage to environment (usually by people)
2. climate change--temperature --drought
3. hostile neighbors
4. decrease in friendly or supporting neighbors
5 societies response to its problems

The full title of the book should be "Societal

collapse involving an environmental component ,

and in some cases also contributions of climate

change, hostile neighbors, and trade partners, plus

questions of societal responses."

The parallels between Easter Island and the whole

modern world is chillingly obvious. Thanks to

globalization, international trade, jet planes, and

the Internet, all countries on Earth today share

resources and affect each other, just as the

Easter's dozen clans. Polynesian Easter Island

was as isolated in the Pacific Ocean as the Earth

is today in space. When the Easter Islanders got

into difficulties, there was nowhere to which they

could flee, nor to which they could turn for help,

nor shall we modern Earthlings have no recourse

elsewhere if our troubles increase. Those are th

reasons why people see the collapse of Easter

Island society as a metaphor, a worse case

scenario, for what may lie ahead of us in our own

future.
In the study of modern societies the author refers

to Australia, China, Haiti/Dominican Republic.
....the world cannot sustain China and other Third

World countries and current First World countries

all operating at the First World levels. ...My best

case scenario for the future is that China will

recognize that its environmenetal problems pose

an even graver threat than did its probelm of

population growth. It may then conclude that

China'a interests require environmental policies as

bold, and as effectively carried out as its family

planning policies.
....these past and recent reappraisals of values

were achieved despite being agonizingly diffficult.

...They may inspire modern First World citizens

with the courage to make the most fundamental

reappraisal now facing us: How much of our

traditional consumer values and Fisrst world living

standard can we afford to retain?
...it won't be easier to reduce our impact, it won't

be impossible either....cause for hope is another

consequence of the globalized modern world's

interconnectedness. ...While the Easter Islanders

were busy deforesting the highlands of their over

populated island'''they had no way of knowing

that, thousands of miles to the east and west at

the same time, Greenland Norse society and the

Khmer Empire were simultaniously in terminal

decline, while the Anasazi had collapsed a few

centruries earlier, Maya society a few more

centuries before that, and the Mycenian Greece

2,000years before that. Today...we see, hear or

read about what hapened in Somalia or

Afghanistan a few hours earlier. Our television

documentaries and books show us in graphic

detail why the Easter Islanders, Maya and other

past societies collapsed. We have the oportunity

to learn from the mistakes of distant peoples and

past peoples. That's an opportunity that no past

society enjoyed.

Queen Cleopatra delivers a Royal Edict
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SUMMER

Summer solstice minus 1 or 2 (I never can remember). The Swedes in Linsborg (little Sweden) will be celebrating. I almost made my deadline of posting every 2 weeks. The past two have gone by rapidly. Some of you know and some do not that Mary fell and broke a rib so we are operating with only one horse and a half. I have learned some new skills such as doing the laundry. Mary is healing but impatient and tired of hurting. I may not hear too well but I am faintly hearing the swish of the scythe of Father Time. We look at other living settings but are well situated where we are, we just havt to stay on our feet!
Presently, I am reading "COLLAPSE- how societies choose to fail or succeed" by Jared Diamond who also wrote "Guns, Germs and Steel" and "The Third Chimpanzee". He is a remarkaable mental giant . So far I have just got the story of the Easter Islanders, South Polynesian islands, Anasazi, Maya. I am sure that there will be some guidelines drawn for our own times. I will let you kknow in future posting. Grandson Zach commented to my last post on June 3 that he was reading "the end of oil" by Paul Roberts and he recommends it, highly. I suspect that it has to do with the hydrogen revolution, perhaps he will let us know more about it.
We are glad that the CLASS (Community Learning and Skills Sharing) program which was stopped because of funding problems is being taken over and sponsored by the library and will start up in September . They have hired a new director/coordinator. The new technology center at the library is top of the line with new computers fast internet, WiFi for portable, teaching area-with 10 work stations--design studio area to create DVD--copy VHS and slides etc.
Compuiterwise, I have been making a couple of POWEROINT presentations to use in our learning center program at the Senior Center.
Queen Cleopartra, the cat, has just made and edict from her throne (the chair which was supposed to have been mine) that you all must take care of yourselves and enjoy. We have a symbiotic relationship--she commands and I obey!
HAF AKA HAPPY DOC

TIME PASSES

Where does time go? If we stand still will it come around again? I think that once it passes it is gone. A friend sent us an email with som interesting information of conditions in 1905. In 1905 just 2 years after my mother and father's marriage there were only 800 miles of paved roads in the country.I will try to be more regular in posting to the blog in the future. However good intentions alone will not get it done. Taking care of the medical items first so more interesting things might come to mind. Mary has , with her new medical program from Mayo's has been having her blood pressure TOO LOW. After consulting with our Mayo contact the dosages have been reduced and she is better but further adjustments may still be needed. I decided that I would see what my pressure was doing and it got my attention because I did not have the divice positioned properly. However, even after doing it correctly my systolic pressure is higher tht they recommend so I have been keeping a record and have seen the Dr and some tests are in the works and I suppose that I will be put on som type of program. Saline received quite a bit of good publicity with the GLOBAL FLYER, now it is a location for casting call for the TV series SURVIVOR. I undertand tht they interview about 800 people to come up witn 16 for the show. It is possible that the next segment may have a Salinian or at least a Kansan. We will hve to watch to see. The main Tv that I watch is C-span on the week ends. Even the French open this year is not of as much interest as Americans have not been doing well and the names of the participants are all strange to us. The Rolling Hills Wild Life Adventure museum has opened and it is trly remarkable. All of the animals are in a natural habitat and there is no glass. There are also animated figures with audio. It should increas tourism and also attendance to the Zoo which is part of the same complex. The library has opened its new technology section and it is state of the art. It has a bank of computers with internet and hi speed connection, a training room with computers and projection for classes, computers for business software. There are also 4 computers for searching library information data bases. Also a digitaldesign center for scanning, converting VHS to DVD or CD, slides to cd etc. My reading has been varied, from Thomas Friedman's :The world is flat", Karen Armstrong's "The battle for God", Richard Miniter's "Shadow War" with some "fluff" such as "The Cat Who--". Have to keep up with Koko and Yum Yum. I am trying to learn about Power Point to make up some slide show for the Senior learning center. I have a lot to learn. With time it seems to go more slowly! I will try to be more regular in posting. I do want to let all know that it is possible to make comments and they will show up on my "Gmail" email in box. Just click on the "comments at the end of the blog and a dialog window open to make a comment and send it. For now will close this but will send a brief note that new has been added--saves writing as many letters and can be utilized in other ways as one gets on to how to do it all. you all take care A Flanders aka Happy Doc

Home in Salina, KS

The trek home was by modern Plny express or stage coach route. John drove us to Bethany, Mo and the "Old folks" changed at the McDonalds "stage stop" and Phil drove and delivered us in Salina in time to see the youngest Grandchild and he friendds in their Junior-Senior Prom finery. I will not go into the "old days" when tuxes, limos etc were not part of the "scene". However it was fun to see the yong ladies and young men and of course there were doting parents and grandparents. The city and parents make quite a deal--all the high schools (3) have their parom on the same night and after their dinner they have a "lock in" at the mall with dancing, games, prizes etc. until morning hours--a safe and sane celebration! Finally, we are un-packed and the mail sorted and we are about ready to resume our life here; including mundane things like laundry, mowing, spraying dandelions etc. Our cat "Cleo" has had a lot to tell us and we agree with her but do not know what we are agreeing to. Mary has started on her new medicines and is soing ok. This is enough for this posting. More later Happy Doc aka SENIORGEEK aflanders_98@yahoo.com haflanders@gmail.com

Mayo Experience

The Mayo clinic covers a large part of the downtown of Rochester, Mn. The 2 major buildings are some 20 stories high and there are other smaller buildings and hospital which are all connected by subway corridors or by skyways so that people can move from on building to another. People come from all over to have their health p;roblems evaluated and for tretment.

This made me think of Hippocrates, the father of medicine, on the Greek island of Kos in the 400's BC. There, people came to be evaluated and treated. Much of the treatment then was only with simple measures and a certain amount of mysticism. The modern evaluations and treatment is p;erformed by doctors, nurses and technicians with the use of complicated machines using w-rays, ultra-sound waves and the "magic of 1's and 0'sof digitization. All the records and results of the tests are fed into the computer system. Every examining and consultation room has sits computer. The patient's record can be brought up and checked from any location.

"Pilgrim" Mary was checked by doctors, nurses and technicians and all of the mocern machins were used to evaluate her health. The end result is that she is doing ok except the high blood presssure needs to be brought under better control and to wear compression stockings for her varicose veins.

So, we are going home relieved and planning on enjoying and "keep on keeping on". We are returning home Saturday, Ap;ril 16.

For myself, I have had a relaxing time and able to do some interestsing reading and finding some new interesting books to follow up on. Also, I have been thinking about some special interests courses we could get together for the Senior Computer Lab.

Hope is all is well with all HAPPY DOC aka Alden

SPRING

Hi all
Spring is breaking out here in the North Country. The grass is getting green and the trees are budding. I have not seen any flowers blooming yet but undoughtably they will be very soon. We had jonquils blooming in Salina when we left so I suspect that more flowers and trees are blooming by now.
I am glad to get some responses from the SENIORGEEK blog. I am learning more about the process. Apparantly with this program you have to register and have ID and password to enter comments on the blog.
Mayo Clinic is really an amazing place. Thursday and Friday we were there all day. Between seeing a couple of doctors and getting all kinds of tests, both Mary and I were pooped and glad to have Sat and Sun to catch up. This coming week we are scheduled thru Thursday and of course there may be some additional changes that may come up. We should really have the answers when we get through. Mary got up to go to BR Wed night and fell and sprained her knee some so we are using a wheel chair to go from one place to another. Everyone is so very helpfull and it is amazing that they can keep everything organized and on schedule for the appointments etc. They really have a great system and it is all done with computers. We did cause the Nephrologist Dr to be concerned when Mary told him in the history that she had been at Mayos in 1996, he looked at her clinic number and said that her number did not jibe so he went the computer and punched some and found that she had been issued a new number because she was Mary Elizabeth in 1996 and Mary E. in 2005 but he said they should have caught that and it would be corrected. They are proud of their system.
John brought home Thomas Friedman's new book "The World is Flat". It is very interesting. He to be the guest on May 1 "In Depth" program on Cspan 2. I think that we have not seen anything yet as to what the technology changes will be made in the next few years.
Ezra sent me this Url address which I thought was good enought to pass along-- there is good music with it so turn on the speakers.
http://www.andiesisle.com/Flowers.html

Until the next time, enjoy and smell the roses HAPPYDOC aka Alden

M minus 2

Hi
I have just finished the book "American Soldier: General Tommy Franks". So, I have taken on some of the military lingo. M minus 2--2 days until Mary checks into the Mayo Clinic and perhaps we start to get some answers to some questions. In the meantime we have a relaxing and non-stressful time.
I mentioned the book reviews on CSpan "The end of Poverty" by Jeffery Sachs. I thought I would include some of the review which was in the Barnes and Noble Page.
Taking issue with international-development economists concerned mostly with capital and credit formation, Sachs urges an account of poverty that takes a multifaceted view of the kinds of capital the poor lack (health, nutrition, infrastructure, biodiversity, an impartial judiciary, access to knowledge, and so forth). While agreeing with those economists that private initiatives are generally more effective than state programs, Sachs also proposes amany-pronged, needs-based attack on the worst extremes of poverty that requires, yes, the rich to help the poor, but that is eminently practical and minimally pipe-dreamy-and that, he notes in passing, would help restore the reputation of the US and the usefulness of the UN in the world. A solid, reasonable argument in which the dismal science offers a brightening
prospect for the world's poor.
He maintains it is possible and we should have the goal of a world without war.

Another book which I want to read is "Collapse:how some societies choose to fail or succeed" by Jared Diamond

This past week-end the "indepth" session on C-Span was with Robert Kaplan He is a reporter and has traveled widely in parts of the world where there are troubles and has written 10 books--it was very good.
Until next time, probably next week, the best to all Happy doc HAF

SNOW

Greetings from Minnesota
Last Friday we arrived in Rochester without any problems. The week before they had had one of the biggest single snow-falls; 20 inches. So, we were greeted with snow on the ground and cooler weather than we were used to.
We had a nice Easter. Nick and Sean came home from Mankato State University for the week-end. They are doing well and adapting to college life. It was good to see them and to visit with them.
Mary does not see the Dr for her first evaluation until April 7. In the meantime we are having a relaxing time with visiting, reading, TVing. John and Gail have ESPN etc which we do not subscribe to in Salina, so we have been able to catch up on some of the current tennis as the NASDEC 100 tournament is on this week. Most of the names have changed since we used to follow the tennis world. However Andre Agessi is still going and winning. He is a great example of "keep on keeping on" as at one point he had to start over with entering the qualifying rounds. We always enjoy the Cspan program on the week-ends as they have interviews and authors etc. One gets a lot of information about books to look into or at least to know about. 2 such this past weekend was "Mr. China ,a memoir" by Tim Clissold and "The End of Poverty, economic possibilities for our time" by Jeffery Sachs. Currently, I am reading "American Soldier, generan Tommy Franks".
It is great to have some email responses to my blog posting. I am learning more about blogs. We may try to have a special interest session on blogging in the Senior Computer program when we get back to Salina. Keeping all posted --- happy doc

Times of Change

These are times of change; globally--seeds of representive governance sprouting,climatically--winter passing and jonquils blooming, and perhaps change in life-style and activity. Friday of this week, son JOhn is coming to Salina and taking the "old folks" back to Rochester, MN. for a visit. Originally this was planned to be just an Easter visit, but as my best friend has been having some health issues which have not been completely explained it is thought to be a good time to be checked at the Mayo Clinic. Especially concerning the significance of the patent foramen ovale and her cardiac dynamics and the "little strokes". There are also some other problems to be checked out. Our return and our activity in Salina is in limbo at present. I plan to communicate with the blog. A. Geek

GLOBAL FLYER

Steve Fossett left Salina in the Global flyer aircraft Tues evening and returned to the Salina Airport Thursday at about 1:30. He had traveled around the world solo and without refueling for22,867 Miles and he had 1500 pounds of fuel left. It was an amazing effort and Salina was anxiously holding its collective breath until he landed. He was helped by a strong wind current, especially from Japan to Hawaii. see the Guardian reporters Blog.

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/news/archives/cat_globalflyer.html

great link

exceptional link

http://www.thomaspmbarnett.com/weblog/archives2/001518.html Also, check his article on the new rule set availabel on the home page of www.thomaspmbarnett.com Thomas Barnett is an orginal thinker and his book "The Pentagons New Map" is very worthwhile.

HAPPY DOC AND BRIDE
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seniorgeek

Feb 17, 05 First posting . Spring is coming to Kansas, the crocus is blooming! Sure signs of Spring!