It is January 1, 2005!!! 2005, and it is so strange to think that we are in a calendar that has been going for more than 2005 years. Thanks to all the gurus that puts out lunar calendars and astrological data, observations, and so forth. However, even with all this data, they could not predict the latest magnatude of the Asian earthquake. Mother nature, as has been said, "...the rocks and hills will cry out", "...there will be earthquakes, wars, and rumors of wars". all of these saying have been analyzed, but new things seem to keep happening, but, for how long will new things keep happening?! Last night, or which seems like tonight, or a little while ago, it felt strange to be a New Years's Eve, the U.S.A. is occupying a country causing/defending a war on terrorism [depending on a person's view of the war!], and 6 of us guys are playing the game, "Risk"; the board game of battling for countries, that is laid out with an early historic mapping detail. One person won all the countries, all the countinents, in about 3.5 hours tonight. Scarry, and too scary to forget about, that if larger peaceful countries do not defeat oppresive and dictatorial cultures, then peaceful cultures and nations will not exist due to the extreme selfishness and evil, and hatred, that a few of these hateful pricks who receive leadership positions and are able to convince an army to follow their lead. well, another year is past, another birthday has come and gone, and I am challenged to face the future, although sometimes hesitantly because of not knowing which way the wind of life is going to blow. Another year has come and gone, and I don't have a full-time lover and partner. Those winds of love and partnering apparently do not blow my way! I did hear an older person say, just today, who is now age 80, that he did not get married until he was 68! It is so hard to beleive that someone who would stay single for a whole lifetime, would then get married, and has even remainded married for a whole 12 years. That has to be a whole lot of working at making two independent individuals, into a committed working oneness. I pray that America will be more united in freedoms and thinking that there is not just one way to live, but a diverse and peaceful way to live in harmony and acceptance for different lifestyles, that have different views, but some commonalities in human lives and thinking. I pray that it does not take a whole lifetime to convince non-democratic nations, that being democratic and peaceful is freedom. Freedom, not from taxes and high prices, unfortunately, all too frequently, but hopefully freedom to live where people are not hurt, or hungry, due to evil and hateful groups of people, or politics. I pray that peacveful nations and cultures, families, and religions continue to be successful, healthy, and whole.