Happy New Year

And may 2009 be much better for you all.

Unfortunately, the news doesn't seem to have changed much. We'll see if there's anything I feel like commenting on.

Actually, thinking about my dad this morning -- he's 92 years old, goes swimming for a couple of hours every day, and is very alert and on top of things, although he also maintains a distressing fondness for really horrible jokes. I seem to have come by some of those characteristics, more or less honestly -- except for the horrible jokes, and I'm not much of a swimmer, I'm a dancer, but in broad terms, I like to keep active, and I get interested in things.

My mother used to tell a story of deciding, one day when I was around two, to follow me around for an afternoon and do everything I did. I'm not sure whether it was crawling behind the sofa or eating lint that finished her off, but after about an hour, she made me take a nap -- she was exhausted. I realize that two-year-olds are pretty active, but I don't seem to have stopped poking around in odd corners. I hope I never do.

Which leads to today's gem: if the time comes when I am not intrigued by new things, when I can no longer care, when I no longer feel passion, when I lose the ability to marvel at the wonderful universe I live in, then it's time to end this story.

One news note: I've read more than a couple of stories lately about how the congressional Republicans are setting themselves up to block any economic stimulus that might actually work, universal health care, and any other initiative that Obama or anyone else might come up with that might actually help people. It's very '60s of me, but this is my answer:



What have you gained when you have power and you only use it do prove that you're less than you could be?

Peace, for a day, until we have to start fighting again.