POLITICS 2

Greetings All:
Politics is still the big thing and will continue until the election. The US is not the only place where there are changes being made. Pakistan has a new leader and Isreal also has a new Premier. The choice of Sarah Palin as the VP on the Republican ticket has created so much publicity that one would think that she is heading the ticket instead of McCain! The debates are coming upand the bail out of the debt will keep the pundits busy until the actual election in Nov. It is hard to conceive of the size of the debt we are talking about.

The following information rearding AIG is interesting.

The company's complex structure and aggressive approach reflects the determination of the man who built A.I.G., Maurice R. Greenberg, to create an global empire operating in complementary businesses. Not even the company’s annual reports to shareholders or its regulatory filings offer a chart of its complex corporate structure.

Though its name is American, the company is rooted in Asia. According to company lore, its founder, Cornelius Vander Starr, a World War I veteran, traveled to Asia with only 300 Japanese yen (less than $3 by today’s exchange rates) in his pocket and started the firm in Shanghai in 1919

Now they have increased the take to 700 Billion!! It will be some time before we have worked our way out of this. but at least I think that there will be some changes made and some improvement in the regulation and oversight of the financial sector so that the people running the banks etc get away without doing their job and then getting huge pay-outs when the company fails.
The first presidential debate is this Friday it should be interesting. I am surprised with Biden who I thought was a good choice for VP (and he probably is) but apparntly his mouth gets ahead of his feet at times and he has been making several gaffs,
I was pleased to see Bill Clinton on Larry King Live tonight and to learn about his "Clinton global initiative". apparantly a non gov. program to assist peoples and their problems--health etc--. His legagcy after out of office may be greater than what was when in office.
I made the jump and ordered a KINDLE e-book reader from Amazon. it may arrive tomorrow. So I will have a new toy!!
Mary and I are "hanging in there" here at Drury Place. I have had my 88 birthday this week so I guess that in itself is an accomplishment. We are pleased that our son Bill and wife Peggy will be here for a few days. Glad to get a visit once a year. They are living now in Fort Davis Tx. and have been busy getting their place set up.
(Sat. PM) I did not get this blog posted so will finish it and do so.
Bill, Peggy and the dogs arrived and they are camped at the KOA. They will leave Mon and go visit their kids in TX and LA. before returning to Fort Davis, TX. We are enjoying their visit here. We watched the Presidential debates last night. It seemed about a tie but neither really addressing the present finacial problems. We have been able to move a couple things along in the interest of thinning out stuff; In the process, I found the shoe-shine box which had been lost since we moved (2 years).
Bill and I have been playing with the Kindle. I got the Denver Post for 50 cents to try it out and have learned some other things about it. currently there are 170,000 books in the kindle format available.
I will get this posted. Thur. the VP candidates go at it--should be interesting.
Sending the best to all
HAF AKA SENIORGEEK

POLITICS

HI ALL
The democratic party will have their BIG party tonight in Denver. I think that Biden was a good choice for a running mate. Tomorrow we will know who McCain's VP choice will be. We have two weeks now of conventions and then 2 months of campaigning and will then have a new president selected! This is a very important time in the history of our country. Solving the energy problem is the crucial element for improvement of the whole situation. We need an APOLLO approach. There are so many areas of unrest around the world that I do not envy the next president. It would be good to know the major members of the cabinet before the election in Nov.
I have started to read another book by James Alexander Thom titled "Children of First Man". He writes in western/indian genre. His wife Dark Moon is of the Shawnee Indian tribe. I have been reading the Wagon West Series by Dana Fuller Ross. The library apparently does not have the last volume #24. I can get it used from Amazon for about 2 dollars, with about 3.50 for shipping. Costs more to ship than to buy--signs of the time.
Amazon has come out with an e-book reader which is enticing. It is called KINDLE and will hold about 600 books. The hang-up is the price at 350.00. It uses SPRINT wireless technology and a book can be downloaded in just a couple of minutes.
Last Sunday's Q andA with Brian Lamb was very interesting. Gregg Mortenson was the guest and he has established "Central Asian Institute" whose mission is to establish schools in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan. The interview is available through podcast and the web page for CSI is---www.ikat.org--He has written a book titled "Three Cups of Tea" which has been on the best seller list. The library has a copy but there is a 3 month waiting time. There is an emphasis to educate the girls which is so important for the future of the countries. An example of this is Mary's "sister" thru "Women for Women" is 20 years old and does not know how to read or write--We have no concept of the problems facing parts of the world.
Hope that all is well in your part of the world!

HAF AKA HAPPYDOC

LAST HALF

JULY
We have passed the Summer solstice so the last half of the year 2008 is on it's way! We are heading for the "dog days". There is nothing to complain about here in Kanas--mostly--compared with much of the country. The town of Chapman was hit with a tornado with coniderable damage but the wheat crop is now in the bin and the crop was not lost like the corn farmers of Iowa with the extensive flooding. We need to use other cellulose material to produce Ethanol rather than corn, now. Also develop other sources of energy than oil or gas. I am interested to find out what. T. Boone Picken's plan will be? It will be posted on TV and from the teaser ad showing wind farms and solar collector I assume that these are the areas which he wants to emphasize. We do really need an APPOLO effort. Solving the energy problem is more important than putting a man on the moon. We are in an interesting time. Honda is planning to market a hydrogen powered car the last of this year or in 2009. It is quite a car, with a range of 350 mile on one fill up. They are also developing home hydrogen generators which will help take care of the lack of adequate infrastructure. Perhaps we are entering the post-hydrocarbon era. Research should be made on how to manage the atomic power plants residual material. There must be a good safe use for it instead of just burying it in a mountain.
I have just finished reading "Sign Talker" by James Alexander Thom--it is a historical novel of the Lewis and Clark expedition. It is particularly about the contribution to the effort by Chas. Droulliard. He was a half breed Shawnee Indian hunter and interpreter who joined the expedition. The group would never have made it to the Pacific and back without his contribution. I had never heard of him--much is made of Sacajawea--but Drooulliard's contribution was more crucial.
We are still hanging in here at Drury Place. There is some turnover in the residents with new people coming in and some leaving because of change in health status, need of more care etc. It was a good time for us to make the move with less to take care of etc. We do no cooking and few dishes, still do personal laundry. We spend more time reading. Mary's stent is still working.
The Political races are coming around to the last turn and the conventions are on the horizon but are really of not much use except to spend money and to try to whip up enthusiasm. The most important thing is who else is going to be on the team. The president is only as good as the information and the advise that is filtered into him. I hope we have knowledge in this area before the election. Regardless, we have lived through depressions, wars, scarcities before.
Hope that all is well with all of you and sending wishes for happiness.

HAF***AKA***HAPPY DOC

ELECTION

We finally know who the cadidates for presidet will be. The democrats have at least created a lot of excitement and this will be an important course changing election in November—whichever way it turns out. I think that there will be a much larger turnout than usual to vote and that is a good thing. We will probably be tired of all of the “noise” before it is all settled. The early elections of the nation—the late 1700’s and early 1800’s—with Jefferson, Adams, Burr, Hamilton, Marshall, etc—between the republican and federalist parties of the day became rather rough and we survived. The important thing is to vote—you can not bitch if you do not vote!
SIGNS OF THE TIMES! One of the residents’ grandsons was visiting here and was driving one of the new SMART cars. It was interesting to see one of them. It is a very small 2 passenger car with good gas mileage. Richard said that he has seen a number of them on the road in Europe. We will probably be seeing more of them –or other developments –spurred by the high cost of gas. The Smart car has developed almost a cult following with discussions etc on the internet. Richard was here visiting for a few days and he took us for a drive toward Ellsworth to see the wind farm which has been developed in Ellsworth and Lincoln Counties. It really is interesting to see the wind electric generators. In a way we are going back to the 1930’s before the days of the REA and some farmers then had windmill generators with storage batteries for their own electical system. At least it was some better than a kerosene lamp. An article in the local paper today reports that a rural homeowner has a permit to set up his own wind generator and will reduce the amount of power he takes from the grid and if he has excess will be able to sell it back to the power company.
General Motors is betting all of their nickels on the new VOLT electric car.
As a plus, on our trip to see the wind-farm we drove through Ellsworth. Rich’s car has “On Star” navigation, so we told it to direct us to our old home—216 Colo. Ave—and it did! It is hard to envision the database to be able to bring up the address in ELLSWORTH, KANSAS. It was a pleasusre to see the old home place and it has been modernized and has a 2 car garage etc. The front porch has been improved to be a concrete slab but the swing (more modern) is still hanging in its old place ---memories!
We have had a very active spring storm season, with tornadoes, thunderstorms and hail. In Salina we have been very lucky; we did go to the basement one evening for a little while because of a tornado sighted just west of town. One wonders what the hurricane season has in store! Mother Nature seems to be restlesss!
I will close this posting and send the very best wishes to all of you.

HAF AKA HAPPY DOC

SPRING

Title: SPRING IS BUSTING OUT ALL OVER

I think that is the lyrics in “Oklahoma”, anyway the jonquils, tulips, forcythia and the bradford pear trees are all blooming. So, Mother Earth is awakening from the Winter “blahs”! I know that some people like the stark black and white but I prefer the color.

A Spring Haiku:

Spring blooms bursting forth,

Mother Earth decorates her hair—

The hearts of all soar!

How about the Election Run Up!! At least it has made some jokes and has been some different entertainment. We do not go into a deadly rampage as the islamists do with the publishing of a cartoon! Visiting with a friend in McAllen, TX this week; he stated that in Mexico they are designing a portable ladder that will enable people to climb over the border fence—probably the contract will go to China—isn’t free enterprise great!

The Spring break of the schools was an opportunity for us to have some visits from family. Lynn and grands Kirsten and Karl from Colorado and John and Gail from MN. paid us a short visit. It is great to have a visit in person rather than just the telephone’

A web address that you might enjoy abd get some laughs (the music of the soul).—

www.wackywits.com

One of the jokes

Passing by the primate area one day, a zoo attendant happens to notice a chimpanzee sitting on a rock with an open book in either hand, looking first at one and then at the other. Upon closer examination, he identifies the books: the Bible, and Darwin's "Origin of Species".

Curious, he asks the chimp, "What's with the books?"

The chimp replies, "I'm trying to decide whether I'm my brother's keeper, or my keeper's brother."

Mary’s bile duct stent stopped up—we knew that it was only good for about 3 months. It has been replaced with a bigger, better model and she is doing fairly well now—not jaundiced.

There have been no more postings from “baghdad burning” blog since Oct when the family escaped to
Syria. However Sainab Salbi who is the founder and ceo of Women for Women program has posted notes on her recent visit to Iraq which is very distressing as far as the day to day lives of the civilian population is concerned. You can read these notes at the following address.

http://wfwnotesfromthefield.wordpress.com/

My reading has been mostly fluff and “escapism”, which I guess balances the news reports and the political noise. I have been reading—slowly—“god is not great” byChristopheer hitchins and just checked out (because of the authors name)“Blue Grit” by LAURA FLANDERS. The sub-title is True democrats take back politics from politicians.

Hope that this finds all going well with all of you!

HAF AKA HAPPY DOC

and the winner is

AND THE WINNER IS……..

The reppublicans have essentiially decided on their candidate for president and the democrats are in the battle to the finish. They may go to the convention and the super delegates. We may get tired of all the “blather” but aren’t we glad that we can do it!!. The new primary format does give the populace a chance to put in some input but the process should be changed so that it does not take so long and also some mechanism to be less expensive. Some of the money could be better spent. It appears that Obama has made great strides but the Clinton’s are very strong opponents. (I do not know where hilary gets her 35 years experience, unless she was co-president with Bill!) At least, we do not bomb and shoot our opponents as they did in Pakistan.

On c-span 2 today there was an interview with the writer who helped Benazir Bhutto write her book “reconciliation”, which has recently been published—in fact—just before she was killed. This was in the “afterwords” segment this week end on book tv. It is very interesting and is available on the internet as a podcast. The interviewer was Akbar Ahmed who is of pakistani desent and author of many articles and books on islam.

I have been negligent in posting to this blog and in fact had thought some of not continuing. We have been busy with health problems etc. mary was finally checked at the cyberknife facility in Wichita but she is not a candidate for that type of radiation.

I want to take this chance to wish all of you the very best wishes for 2008—and we will get through the elections!

HAF AKA HAPPY DOC

wonderland

WINTER WONDERLAND

It is almost winter but it does not seem to be like a “wonderland’! We have had an ice storm followed by a 9 inch snow. This has resulted in a devastation of many trees but most disrupting has been many people without power. There have been downed power lines and transformers knocked out for a week or more. The outages have been spotty and here at Drury Place we lost the use of the elevator, but all other electricity has been functioning. Everyone is helpful and supportive. Perhaps a “small” disaster once n a while is good to be reminded of the intrinsic goodness of people. However, wars and fanaticism with man’s inhumanity to man must be eliminated. It will happen in time. Education is the major key. One effort I that direction is the OLPC—One laptop per child program.

http://laptopgiving.org/en/index.php

One learning child. One connected child. One laptop at a time.

The mission of One Laptop per Child (OLPC) is to empower the children of developing countries to learn by providing one connected laptop to every school-age child. In order to accomplish our goal, we need people who believe in what we’re doing and want to help make education for the world’s children a priority, not a privilege.

Since November 12th, OLPC has been offering a limited-time Give One Get One program in the United States and Canada. During Give One Get One, you can donate the revolutionary XO laptop to a child in a developing nation, and also receive one for the child in your life in recognition of your contribution. Thanks to a growing interest in the program, we have extended Give One Get One through the end of the year. You may also donate laptops via our Simply Give and Give Many options. Through the increasing public interest in OLPC, we hope to give many more children the opportunity to grow, explore, learn and express themselves.

The XO laptop is designed to be indestructible.

The last couple of months have been somewhat hectic. I have had a cataract removed from my right eye. Mary has had a problem with jaundice due to restriction of her common bile duct by the pancreatic tumor. A plastic stent was inserted with endoscopic technique to remove the blockage, at least temporarily. We are looking into Cyberknife treatment.

In this Christmas Season, Cleo joins us in wishing all of you a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

BEGINNING FALL

I am finally getting around to writing another blog, there is no excuse for the delay except for my lack of motivation. I am motivated now to alert all of my correspondents that the lady who has been maintaining the “Baghdad Burning” blog for all of these years has now made a new posting in September!! See the link in my Sidebar. She and her family have emigrated to Syria. Even tho they are now “displaced persons” she notes that now there are no labels of Sunni, Shiite, Kurd and the associated fears for living in Baghdad and all of that is just short drive away. It is all hard to comprehend. I had feared that she may have been a victim of the continued violence in Iraq, as her previous posting had been back in April. General Petraeus has made his report to the Congress. I have just finished reading “The Glorious Cause—a novel of the American Revolution 1776 to1783” by Jeff Shaara. Establishing a new government was a

very difficult job and seems almost impossible in Iraq.

An interesting book was highlighted last Sunday in the afterwords segment of booktv on cspan2--After Words: Raymond Ibrahim, editor and translator of "The Al Qaeda Reader"

This is a translation of Ben Laden’s and his henchman’s writings. There is a podcast and it can be seen on www.booktv.org.

A new resident here in Drury place is an artist and she has been using colored pencils. I am very interested in the effects she has been able to get. We may be able to get a group together and learn something about using that medium. It willl be fun to try. It is simpler and does not require so much stuff, such as a mixing palette, water, etc. Also one can combine the pencil with watercolor.

The symphony season will start in October. We are looking forward to that.

Richard was here for a couple of days last week. He is getting together with some of his old buddies in Topeka and will have a good time and do a little sailing. The GE merger previously mentioned fell through.

Healthwise, we are still plugging along. I will have a cataract removed in Oct.

The presidential election’s drums are increasing in tempo and volume—we will have to get ear plugs before it is all over!!

I am trying to learn how to use a cell phone. We are on Philip’s family plan so are gradually moving into the 21 century. I am still trying to get some of the residents here at Drury to learn something about using the computer—so far, not very much success.

Well I will close for this posting and hope that it finds all well with all of you—

HAF; AKA HAPPY DOC

JULY

Title: INDEPENDENCE DAY

“Self-evident truths…all men are created equal---freedom…liberty and the pursuit of happiness…”. Noble sentimentsbut not existent in much of the world today. We think of dear Bich and her family who enriched our lives in 1975, but what a travail for them to leave their home and friends in Viet Nam. And we have compassion for the author ot “Baghdad Burning” blog whose last posting in April was of the trials and concern of finally deciding the need to leave their home in Baghdad for an uncertain future.—see the link in the side-bar—“Baghdad Burning”.

----and then there is DAFUR---!

Summertime is the time to see some of the family. Richard was here for a couple of days last month—his branch at Abbott is being purchased by General Electric. John and Gail were here for a couple of days. Bill and Peggy will be visiting sometime in September. Phil and Jane as always a big help. Lynn keeps in touch with regular phone calls.

The 2008 presidential election is heating up. We should have something like England and have only about 6 weeks of campaigning before the election instead of 18 or so months as we are having. I did hear a talk by a Rep. Hunter of san Diego and he sounded very good, but he wont get anywhere probably. The amount of mony that is spent is almost indecent. The money would be better spent to help out some of the troubled areas of the world.

The annual tennis highlight of the year –Wimbledon—is playing out this week and Venus Williams is back to her old form and won the ladies title for the third time. There are no American men in contention for the mens title.

We are doing fine here at Drury Place. Mary will have a repeat CAT scan the last of this month. I will have a cataract evaluation the last of Aug. We probably eat too much and do not get enough exercise.

I read an interesting book recently. “THE SECRETE HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE.—economic hit men, jackals, and the truth about global corruption.” By John Perkins. It is about the excessive power and control of the corporatocrasy. There is need to develop corporate accountability.

The unifying principle is to create a stable sustainable, and peaceful world for all people everywhere.

BIKER TALKS TO GOD! A little levity

A man riding his Harley was riding along a California beach when suddenly the sky clouded above his head and, in a booming voice, the Lord said, "Because you have tried to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant you one wish.

The biker pulled over and said, "Build a bridge to Hawaii so I can ride over anytime I want." The Lord said, "Your request is materialistic, think of the enormous challenges for that kind of undertaking; the supports required reaching the bottom of the Pacific and the concrete and steel it would take! It will nearly exhaust several natural resources. I can do it , but it is hard for me to justify your desire for worldly things. Take a little more time and think of something that could possibly help mankind."

The biker thought about it for a long time. Finally, he said, "Lord, I
wish that I and all men could understand women; I want to know how she feels inside, what she's thinking when she gives me the silent treatment, why she cries, what she means when she says nothing's wrong, and how I can
make a Woman truly happy.

The Lord replied, "You want two lanes or four on that bridge?

__________________________________

Hope that this finds everything going well with all of you.

HAF AKA HAPPY DOC

RAIN, RAIN, RAIN

RAIN, RAIN, RAIN!

May was the wettest month on record for this area and as of the first of June we are 11 inches above the normal! The wheat prod8cton appears to be hurt, first with a late freeze and then there have been some fields which have been drowned.

We are doing well. Mary saw the oncologist and he said that sometimes the best thing to do is to just stand still. So, we are standing still and will get a CAT scan in 3 months. The important thing is that we are still doing well—both of us. We are hoping to have some company this summer; visits from Rich, John and Gail and later Bill. Phil and Jane have been a great help. Lynn keeps in touch with the telephone.

The theaters last production of the season is this month, ANYTHING GOES with Cole Porter’s music. It should be fun. The symphony season has been really great this year.

As usual we enjoy the library. Currently I am getting a history lesson. The book is POWER, FAITH AND FANTASY; America in the Middle East from 1776 to the present. This is a 700 page book but is well written and enlightening. It is of interest that one of the major reasons for the founding fathers to call the constitution convention and establish a federal government is that the Barbary Muslim Pirates were capturing our ships, imprisoning and selling our people a slaves etc and demanding ransom etc. At one time 20% of the gross national product was paid to the powers of N. Africa. It was necessary to have a central government and to develop a Navy to protect the ships and commerce.

I thought that this was worth passing on.

Here SHE is, the USS New York

[]

USS New York

It was built with 24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center.

It is the fifth in a new class of warship - designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists. It will carry a crew of 360 sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered ashore by helicopers and assault craft.

Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry and Amite, LA , to cast the ship's bow section. When it was poured in the molds on Sept. 9, 2003, "those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence," recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who was there. "It was a spiritual moment for everybody there."

Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when the trade center steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand and the "hair on my neck stood up." It had a big meaning to it for all of us," he said. "They knocked us down. They can't keep us down. We're going to be back."

The ship's motto? "Never Forget"

Also, this URL which was sent to me as an attachment was worth sharing.

http://www.terrorismawareness.org/know-about-jihad/

I hope that this finds all of you in good health and happy.

HAF AKA HAPPY DOC

APRIL SHOWERS

Spring has come, in fact it may have almost gone! We are having some very warm temperatures this week.

In my March posting, I made note of the book by Newt Gingrich. This posting for April will be mostly about that book.

TITLE: WINNING THE FUTURE: a21st century contract with America. AUTHOR: Newt Gingrich. internet web page. www.newt.org

21st Century Contract with America

Gingrich Communications

Newt Gingrich

We are committed to a safe, healthy, prosperous, and free America. We believe our children and grandchildren deserve the opportunities our parents and grandparents gave us.

In a rapidly changing world with new threats and new competitors, we must implement policies that will ensure America’s leadership, safety, and prosperity. And we must reinvigorate the core values that have made an exceptional civilization.

We do not believe the traditional instruments of government will reform themselves fast enough and thoroughly enough for the twenty-first century.

The entrenched lobbyists and entrenched bureaucracies will do all they can to minimize the changes no matter how vital those changes are to America’s future. Self interest will dominate national interest if the normal political system operates with business as usual. The pressure of daily events will keep both the news media and most politicians focused on the immediate and the trivial rather than the long-term and the profoundly important.

Only a grassroots citizens’ movement can insist on the level of change that is needed for our children and grandchildren to have a successful future.

Such a citizens’ movement would have to be focused on goals rather than on interest groups. The goals define the America we want our children and grandchildren to have.

To achieve this future we will:

I.

Defend America and our allies from those who would destroy us. To achieve security, we will develop the intelligence, diplomatic, information, defense, and homeland security systems and resources for success.

II.

Transform the Social Security system into personal savings accounts that will enable every worker to have higher retirement incomes from their own work and avoid the need for financial support from their children.

III.

Recenter on the Creator from Whom all our liberties come. We will insist on a judiciary that understands the centrality of God in American history and reasserts the legitimacy of recognizing the Creator in public life.

IV.

Establish patriotic education for our children and patriotic immigration for new Americans. To achieve this, we will renew our commitment to education about American citizenship based on American history and an understanding of the Founding Fathers and the core values of American civilization. We will insist that both our children and immigrants learn the key values and key facts of American history as the foundation of their growth as citizens.

V.

Meet the triple economic challenges of an explosion in scientific and technological knowledge, an increasingly competitive world market, and the rise of China and India by implementing:

1. A new system of civil justice to reduce the burden of lawsuits and to incentivize young people to go into professions other than the law.

2. A dramatically simplified tax code that favors savings, entrepreneurship, investment, and constant modernization of equipment and technology.

3. Math and science learning equal to any in the world and educating enough young Americans to both discover the science of the future and to compete successfully in national security and the economy with other well-educated societies.

4. Investing in the scientific revolutions that are going to transform our world—particularly in energy, space, and the environment.

5. Transforming health care into a 21st Century Intelligent Health System that improves our health while lowering costs dramatically. In the process, American health care will become our highest value export and foreign exchange earning sector.

VI.

Work to include every American in a system of patriotic stewardship so every person has a real opportunity to pursue happiness as their Creator endowed. Prepare for the aging of the baby boomers and their children so we can have active healthy aging with the best quality of life, the longest period of independent living, and the greatest prosperity. We will:

1. Develop a system in which those who wish to stay economically active are encouraged and incentivized to do so because active people live longer and healthier, have a greater opportunity to pursue happiness, and are less of a burden on their fellow citizens;

2. Develop a system of independent living and assisted living that increases the years in which people can be on their own and in most cases enables people to live their entire lives with freedom and dignity;

3. Develop a new model of quality long-term care in which both the care and the quality of life are compatible with a twenty-first century American expectation of progress and innovation;

4. Use the new technologies and new scientific knowledge to turn disabilities into capabilities and change government regulations and programs to help every American achieve the fullest possible ability to pursue happiness.

VII.

Change the mindset of big government in Washington by replacing bureaucratic public administration with Entrepreneurial Public Management so government can operate with the speed, effectiveness, and efficiency of the information age.

VIII.

Balance the federal budget and insist on a lean government, low tax, low interest rate economy to maximize growth in a competitive world.

IX.

Insist on congressional reform to make the legislative branch responsive to the needs of the 21st century.

X.

Ensure an election process that is honest, accountable, accurate, and free from the threat of illegal votes or subsequent litigation.

If we insist on these goals and insist on electing leaders at all levels dedicated to these goals, we will be able to leave our children and grandchildren an America of safety, health, prosperity, and freedom that would make our parents and grandparents proud. We too will have done our duty to our country and our achievements as citizens will be worthy of the America we inherited.

The run-up to election will be interesting. I am sure that we all will be tired of it before it is over.

We are doing fairly well here. We still have not determined the course of action, if any, regards the tumor found on Mary's pancreas. The recent CAT scan did not show it! We will see an oncologist May 9th.

This isenough for this posting. Wishing all the very best

HAF AKA HAPPY DOC

VERNAL EQUINOX

The vernal equinox has come and the flowering

trees are busting into bloom and the jonquels are

blooming, so I think that we can definitely say that

Spring has sprung.
Cleo has almost become a lap cat now. The first

thing in the morning she gets up on the arm of the

love seat, next to my chair, and says "comb my fur".

Then she crawls onto my lap and gets her "hair"

dressed for the day. Afterall, a lady can not start

the day all frousy!
We enjoyed the youth symphony performance this

month. There are two orchestras- the junior high

and the highschool- when they played combined

peformance the stage was really full with over a

100 musicians. Both groups really performed very

well. It is good to see the young folks becoming

involved with something other than "rap" .
____________________
The last "Atlantic" magazine had an interesting

article regarding global warming. The web page:

www.theatlantic.com has also an interview with

the author.


Global Warming: Who Loses—and Who Wins?
Climate change in the next century (and beyond)

could be enormously disruptive, spreading disease

and sparking wars. It could also be a windfall for

some people, businesses, and nations. A guide to

how we all might get along in a warming world
by Gregg Easterbrook

INTERVIEWS As the World Warms
Gregg Easterbrook talks about his cover story,

"Global Warming: Who Loses—and Who Wins?," and

the unexpected by-products of climate change.
by Timothy Lavin [Web only]
_________________________
I have read a really great book.

TITLE: NOW THEY CALL ME INFIDEL, Why I renounced jihad for America, Israel and the war on terror. Author: Nonie Darwish-A muslim Shahdid's daughter.
library #- 962.054 DARWISH
The book is an autobiography of an Egyptian lady who spent the first 30 years living in a restrictive muslim society and then came to America and was totally amazed at the freedom, especially for the women and many things that we take for granted. Her father was a high military person in the Gaza. He was assasinated when the author was 8 yr old. He was declared a martyr or a Shahdid. She draws a good picture of the muslim life especially for the family and women. Being upper middle class she did get a good education but she questioned many of the Islam doctrines.

EXCERPTS FROM “NOW THEY CALL ME INFIDEL”
The author lectures at universities now in the US regarding the dangers of Islam. She warns that the young people are being indoctrinated by the mosques into the fundamental beliefs.
“My life has been a journey from hatred to love, from a culture that stifled joy and creativity to a life of freedom and endless possibilities. Because I love my adopted country, I have a duty to alert my fellow Americans to a real and present danger.
“Radical Islam has declared war on America and on the West and the majority of Muslims either support or make excuses for the terrorism”
…….not all Muslims are terrorist, but the fear, defensiveness and silence of the majority is “heard” loud and clear as agreement by the radicals…….religion is the game the radical leadership plays as a camouflage to greed..
“Most moderate Muslims choose to blend with American society and do not want to be associated with radical clerics or mosques imported from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and paid for by a wealthy Saudi government. But they cannot simply look the other way and ignore what is happening to radical mosques across this country. It is time to reject the politicization of Islam, the subverting of the call to prayer into calls for jihad, and changing American’s Constitution to the Koran. Having thrived financially in the United States for decades, American Muslims can well afford to pay the salaries of their religious leaders and maintain their own mosques. They need to choose preachers who are more in tune to the value system of the society they have chosen to call home, values such as compassion and tolerance and responsible freedom of speech. We owe it to America to return back its generosity and kindness.”
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Newt Gingrich has a new book out but it was checked out. I have my name on the reerve list so I should be able to have read it by the time of my next posting next month. The name of the book is "Winning the Future".
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I have my new hearing aids --Mary likes them as now I do not have the TV volume turned up so loud!! I do think that they will be ok but it will take some getting used to them.
I send best wishes to all and I hope that you enjoy the blog. It is a way to keep in contact.
HAF AKA HAPPYDOC

TRANSITION TO SPRING

BLOG FEB.

Title Transition to spring

February is the month for transition to spring. Mother Nature however does not make the change sedately. She rustles her skits and stomps her heels. We had a long spell of cold and snow, but now we are having some spring like days with warmer temperatures and the snow has melted. We were very fortunate however in that we did not get the brunt of storms like they did in the north-east part of the country. Here, we have seen a few robins and the early bulbs are poking some green shoots out of the ground.

The political climate is also heating up. It would be nice if Washington politicos could concentrate on some important issues rather that re-election. It will be a long nearly two years. In a way it will be interesting, but the people will get tired of it before it is over.

The Iraq situation does not seem to get any better. The report from inside by the author of the “BAGHDAD BURNING” blog (see link in the side-bar) is totally discouraged. Many of the people who could be the backbone for rebuilding are fleeing (and they can not be blamed). The current government does not prosecute rapists, women are second class citizens. And then, there is Iran, Israel/Palestine, Sudan, Somalia etc. The last ATLANTIC magazine had an article giving the details of the trials of the Burnhams who were kidnapped and held for over a year in the Philippines. It almost makes one

feel guilty to complain about the weather—but we will!

We are enjoying the Symphony season and it is the highlight of each month. In March the Youth symphony will perform and that is always very interesting. In Feb we had the Classical 3B’s—Beethoven, Bach and Brahms. The guest soloist was a virtuoso violinist from Dallas.

February is the month of love and valentines and Mary and I were honored to be chosen Valentine king and queen at the valentine party here at Drury Place. It was fun. The main card game that they play here is Pitch, which we have never played. So, we have taken our first lesson and will learn how and perhaps enter into the game on card night. They seem to have a lot of fun and pitch is not very taxing mentally, which may or not be good. Relaxing fun however is good. That is like reading “fluff” books which we do part of the time. I have read a couple of Danielle Steel’s books this month. I have the book “BLINK” checked out but have not progressed very far. The concept of “adaptive unconscious” is interesting.

The mainstream media publishes a lot about the gangs and the problems of the youth of this country but the good things that they do get little attention. The project of the Overlake school in Redmond Wash. deserves publishing.

PAILIN, Cambodia, Feb. 1, 2007 — In an extremely poor town in Cambodia, children are being robbed of their childhood by poverty, illiteracy, sex trafficking and AIDS.

Yet, down one dirt road, lines of neatly dressed children are now marching into a school with new chalk boards, books, computers and a connection to the Internet.

The Overlake School students raised $15,000 through bake sales, talent shows and raffles to build the Cambodian school. Once the school was built, they kept raising funds for teachers, books and the computers.

Kun Sokkea, 13, said she's in school for the first time and can finally dream of a better future.

She lives in a one-room shack and her mother is dying of AIDS, but she is now e-mailing her American friends to update them on her studies and progress as she learns English.

"What I want to take away is the knowledge that one person, a high school student, can make this huge difference in someone's life," said 11th grader Nathan Cocanour.

And in a remote corner of Cambodia, the students of the Overlake School have certainly done just that.

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This school was built through "American assistance for Cambodia", which is the organization that we established the "Pearl and Mary Flanders " school in Cambodia.

www.camnet.com.kh/cambodiaschools/schools_map/school_139.

I will close with best wishes for a happy Spring.

HAF AKA HAPPYDOC

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

THE MONTH THAT WAS

About Nov 3 Alden began to have symptoms of an Upper Respiratory infection. It was elected to treat with symptomatic medication as anti-biotics are not effective against virus infection. By Nov 15 there was shortness of breath and some swelling of the feet and ankles. There proved to be fluid in the chest and there was an elevated sed rate and decreased ventricular ejection fraction so the diagnosis of viral myocarditis with congestive heart failure was made.
With lasix and rest and restricted activities there has been continued improvement.
On Nov. 23—thanksgiving day—Mary had abdominal pain and some chest pain. With home treatment there was improvement but there was noted also weakness and she fell several times in the next days. She was able to see the Dr on Wednesday and found that she was very anemic and was admitted to the hospital. Blood tests indicated the diagnosis of pancreatitis. Scan of the abdomen found a mass in the head of the pancreas and a needle biopsy performed on Friday which was reported out on Tues was a diagnosis of a neuro-endocrine tumor or a carcinoid which is the same category of tumor that she had removed at Mayo’s 10 years ago which had been in her anterior mediastinum. Mary was really sick and anemic and her protime was way out of bounds so after 4 units of blood and 2 of plasma and IV feeding she improved and the blood enzymes and liver function parameters turned toward normal and she got on solid food and came home Sat AM—Dec 9. At present, we are in the recuperating mode and also waiting to decide regarding the tumor in the pancreas. Enough for the medical organ recital. Future blogs will include our progress.
The elections are over and there will be a shake up in the government and the future progress of the conflict in the middle-east. It is easier to “wage war” than it is to “wage peace”. Thomas P M Barnett’s blog of Dec. 9 is worth reading. [click the link in the side-bar of my blog and then to his Dec 9 blog—title “despite failures in Iraq, nation-building on our plate—the Scripps Howard site has the complete column.]
One paragraph: The problem is that bad guys get smarter, shifting their efforts from a "first half" (war) they cannot win against our world-class forces to a "second half" (postwar) where they can prevail against our rather mediocre nation-builders. Simply put, insurgents avoid our Leviathan force during war, waiting until the follow-on peace can be sabotaged by terrorism and the battered populace co-opted by their superior forms of tribe-building.

I just purchased the book, “”the Truth about Muhammad” by Robert Spencer. It is a documented biography which is not flattering. Were I Spencer, I think that I would wear a bullet-proof vest. In 1988, Salman Rushdie wrote “Satanic Verses” and a fatwah was issued against his life. The bounty eventually reached into the millions and he had to go into hiding for several years. Book stores were bombed, translators were assassinated and even possession of the book carried a fine --how can such fanaticism exist? Today the president of Iran states that the holocaust in Germany did not happen!
Best wishes are sent to you and yours for a happy Christmas and for a new year which makes significant steps toward peace for all.

HAF AKA HAPPY DOC

NOVEMBER BLOG

TITLE: OPEN LOVE LETTER/THANKS/PRESCRIPTION

One of the statements on the foil wrapper of the Dove Chocolates is to “write a love letter today”. This is today so this is a letter to my bride of 63 years. Dear Heart, Mary did you think that on the pleasant evening on the Missouri river on a riverboat moseying on that starlit night, that all of the events that would follow from that blind date—yes, children there is love at first sight! The love glow from you face these 63 plus years later, lights the infinite love in my heart. How could we be so lucky, and to have such a wonderful family to continue the legacy? Now, at this stage of life’s continuum, the eyes want more light, the ears miss things and aids do not always help, neuromuscular controls make a walker feel comfortable, however love does not diminish and like the universe, expands.

My love Always Alden

We have received notice that we will be getting a new “sister” thru the women for Women program, as Rasma in Afghanistan will be completing her year of training. A little help and love can do a lot and so it behooves one to do what one can do. At this time of year it makes us be so very thankful to be Americans, regardless what the rest of the world is thinking. We are all citizens of the world and have a role to play not only for the peoples of the world but also for the care of the planet, our home. The recent growth of interest of NGO—non government organizations are encouraging as the government frequently gets things messed up. Sudan for example.

The guest on Brian Lamb’s program last Sunday, Q and A, was the Saudi ambassador to the US. He was asked what he thought of Bin Laden—his terse and categorical answer was “He wants to rule the world.” This took me back to the time when another evil (the little corporal) had the same ambition. Now the president of Iran states the holocaust did not happen and that Israel should be blasted from the planet. Evil is Evil wherever it is found, changing the color does not make it a rose. To combat evil may take sacrifices and in fact the battle needs to be felt. Remember: gas coupons, food coupons, office of price control, victory gardens, gold star mothers, no nylons! Rosie the riveter built airplanes, steel workers built ships, young boys left the pasture and in a few months were flying multi engine planes! A friend in Hays who was a member of the famed Flying Tigers has just died.

American Volunteer Group, a fighter unit that trained in Burma and China, during the year prior to the United States entry into World War II, to fight against Japanese forces. The AVG's first fight against the Japanese was December 20, 1941 (approximately three weeks after Pearl Harbor). The Flying Tigers had great success against the forces of Japan during the lowest period of the war for American forces, and gave hope to Americans that they would eventually succeed against the Japanese. The Flying Tigers were credited for destroying almost 300 aircraft with a loss of only twelve of their own in combat.

The world trade center location should not be smoothed over and planted to grass. The stark black steel reaching into the sky should be there to enable all to feel and not forget. There is time for the planting of grass after the war is won!

HAF SENIORGEEK AKA:HAPPYDOC

DLST

DLST

This coming Sunday at 2 AM we will fall back for daylight saving time. All, except for the more sensible folks in Arizona, who will continue on the normal time. According to Wikipedia; DST has been tried in various forms for some time, but was installed in US in 1942 during the war years to save energy. It is questionable if it accomplishes that. The farmers always operated on sun time. We will adapt!

The trees are definitely changing color and before long will be losing their leaves. This year we will not have to be concerned about raking the leaves, or I might add, shoveling snow a little later. This is another advantage of living in Drury Place apartment.

I have been putting together a collection of games to put on the community machines. I have put together everything from jacks to chess. I hope that games will be a good way to get the residents introduced to the computer and also they are good for hand-eye coordination, entertainment and mental stimulation. We will see what happens. Next month I will be putting on some demonstrations and instruction.

I enrolled in 3 courses thru Virtual University. www.vu.org You can enroll in 4 classes for the 20 dollar fee. But I can not keep up with one let alone 4. But, one does get some good information and can either print it out or copy to a disk. I enrolled in 35 days to better writing

The truth about Islam

Liberate your inbox with

Thunderbird

I think that I am a “drop out”. I have not done any of the homework for the writing class and I have not been able to get Thunderbird installed on my computer. The Islam class will be interesting. It is put out by 2 practicing Muslims. I had put together information, and led a class on Islam, about 3 years ago. I am curious what this class will bring out about their beliefs.

Robert Spencer who maintains “Jihad watch” on the internet, recently authored the book “The Truth about Mohammad”. This is his blog

My Invitation From al-Qaeda

By Robert Spencer

FrontPageMagazine.com | September 6, 2006

In American al-Qaeda operative Adam Gadahn’s convert-to-Islam-or-die message to America released last Saturday, he extends a special invitation to the President, as well as to Daniel Pipes, Michael Scheuer, Steve Emerson – and me:

If the Zionist crusader missionaries of hate and counter-Islam consultants like Daniel Pipes, Robert Spencer, Michael Scheuer, Steven Emerson, and yes, even the crusader-in-chief George W. Bush were to abandon their unbelief and repent and enter into the light of Islam and turn their swords against the enemies of God, it would be accepted of them and they would be our brothers in Islam. And we send a special invitation to all of you fighting Bush’s crusader pipe dream in Afghanistan, Iraq, and wherever else W. has sent you to die.

Gadahn also praises Western leftist sycophants and apologists for the global jihad, and invites them to become Muslims as well:

Why not surrender to the truth? Escape from the unbelieving army and join the winning side. As for those who have expressed their respect and admiration for Islam, and acknowledged that it is the truth and

It is important to note that Gadahn’s “invitation” to Islam is coupled with a threat of violence: “To Americans and the rest of Christendom we say, either repent (your) misguided ways and enter into the light of truth or keep your poison to yourself and suffer the consequences in this world and the next….” In this, Gadahn is following the example of the Muslim prophet Muhammad, who told his followers:

“When you meet your enemies who are polytheists, invite them to three courses of action…Invite them to (accept) Islam; if they respond to you, accept it from them and desist from fighting against them…If they refuse to accept Islam, demand from them the Jizya [the tax on non-Muslims specified in Qur’an 9:29]. If they agree to pay, accept it from them and hold off your hands. If they refuse to pay the tax, seek Allah’s help and fight them” (Sahih Muslim 4294).

Muhammad’s directions here to extend an invitation to Islam and follow it with a threat were also followed recently by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. For his part, Gadahn calls the Islamic prophet Muhammad “the chief and master of Adam’s children, and the embodiment of high morals and good character.”

The thuggishness of Gadahn and the supremacist creed for which he has become a salesman was evident in other parts of his message. “Islam,” he explained, “is the only religion acceptable to God and came with the revealed book, the Koran, which abrogates all previous revelations, like the Torah and Evangel [Gospel]... God recognizes no separation between religion and state.” In this he makes an expression of the Islamic supremacism that delegitimizes the religious traditions of Jews and Christians. In line with the Qur’an (3:67), Gadahn says, “Abraham was neither a Jew or a Christian, but was a Muslim hanif.” (A “hanif” is a pre-Islamic monotheist.) In other words, Judaism and Christianity as practiced today have no legitimacy, but are merely renegade corruptions of the true religion, Islam.

Maybe Adam Gadahn is angry with me for describing him a couple of years ago as he appears in an old photo: as a “pudgy, long-haired American kid who appears to be locked in a desperate, losing struggle to grow a beard.” Adam, I see from more recent photos that you have won that struggle, for which I congratulate you. In your larger struggles, however, you will not prevail. Thank you for your invitation to me to become a Muslim and wield my sword against the enemies of Allah. But I’m afraid I must decline. While I appreciate the fact that becoming your “brother in Islam” might afford me a measure of personal security that I do not enjoy today, some things are more important than that. I cannot and will not give in to violent intimidation, come what may, and I do not want to live in a society that bows to such intimidation.

I believe that societies that respect the equality of rights before the law of all people, including women and religious minorities, as well as the freedom of conscience, are superior to those that do not. I hope that such societies will be able to summon the will to resist you and your “invitation” in all its implications before it is too late.

Meanwhile, Adam, I have an invitation of my own for you: I invite you to accept the Bill of Rights, and enter into the brotherhood of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. My invitation does not focus on my religion, although I invite you to that also, but rather on a framework within which people of differing faiths can live in peace, harmony, and mutual respect – provided that none of the groups involved cherishes supremacist ambitions to subjugate the others.

I hope you will consider my invitation carefully.

A recent time magazine article “The disappeared”, relates the experience of an Iraqi who was kidnapped and held hostage for 5 weeks. The family finally had to pay 40000 dollars to get his release. The kidnapping is big business.

And this from Australia.

Imam justifies rape of unveiled women

Australian cleric compares victims to 'uncovered meat' that attracts cats

Posted: October 26, 2006

1:40 p.m. Eastern

© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

Australia's top Muslim cleric rationalized a series of gang rapes by Arab men, blaming women who "sway suggestively," wear make-up and don't cover themselves in the tradition of Islam.

Sheik Taj el-Dene Elhilaly's comments in a Ramadan sermon in a Sydney mosque have stirred a furor in the country with even Prime Minister John Howard weighing in with condemnation.

The cleric also said the judge in the case, who sentenced the rapists, had "no mercy."

"But the problem, but the problem all began with who?" he said, referring to the women victims – whom he said were "weapons used by Satan."

One bit of good news, in a way, the young lady in Baghdad who has been able to be our eyes of life there, has made a posting to her blog-BAGHDAD BURNING-, so she is still alive though very discouraged, which was the reason she had not posted since Aug.

We will very soon have an election—what will the future bring? Be sure to vote, it is a privilege!

Always, HAF AKA HAPPY DOC