We have received some interesting end of the year messages and the newspapers and TV are filled with them. It is good to go back and see where you were with hints on how you got here.
One of several reports on the same subject tell us that if you have a choice between believing in religion or not it probably will be better if you have some beliefs. One benefit is living longer and being more at peace with yourself. It does not solve the problem of believing in the supernatural. Verifiable proof would be a help in believing something like the world, as Bishop Usher concluded, started in 4,004 B.C. - because he added up all the years the Biblical personages lived.
Old age seems to be receding so that the older you get you are much younger than your ancestors. One problem is the "rest home" or "extended care" facilities into which some of us retreat and give up control over our lives. One report says that if you stay at home and have care come there, eventually in three 8 hour shifts, you will be happier but must have a huge bankroll in order to afford it.
It looks like we will eventually set up housekeeping first on the Moon and eventually on Mars. Problem is that we are in the middle of a shut down on spending for necessary things to live on in this world and there is nothing left except planning for the future if this slipping into a real nasty Depression continues.
It continually amazes me that some are angry at Israel for being at war with terrorists who shoot rockets at them. They want to know why Israel provoked those attacks in the first place. Such individuals do not know history but they do know how to be anti-Semitic. The continuing unrest and uncertainty as to how to end hostilities and initiate peaceful relations between neighbors is one more example of how we manage to muck up opportunities over and over again. It is much like Abba Eban once said; that the Arabs never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. But, that is just my personal take on the matter. Over there, innocent people are being killed time and again because of fanaticism. Who started it is not important.
Speaking of fanaticism, we should remember that some elected and unelected leaders placed us in an untenable situation by going to war with a country that was led badly (of course) but did NOT have weapons of Mass Destruction. There is a time for war and that should be over by - just about now - if we were intelligent enough to make it so. It is a time for peace and we should give support to our new President, Barack Obama and his new team and new deal for America.
2009 has as much promise as 2008 did a year ago. I wish 2009 good luck.