2008

[sarah at graphic-fusion.com]

Amen, Ric!

A belated Happy Kwanzannukahmas and a Joyous Jan '09 to all of you too! (It
will be for me, at least. ;-)

Peace,
Sarah

PS Miss y'all! :-)


Original Message:
-----------------
From: Richard Brekne ricb at pianostemmer.no
Date: Sun, 30 Dec 2007 22:12:55 +0100
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: 2008


Hi Alan

    I would like to wish everyone a happy, healthy, hale and hardy New Year.

The same back to you !

    I dread the upcoming avalanche of political BS, nastiness, and hard
    feelings that we in America are about to experience. Let us resolve
    to not partake of any negativity among our pianotech community,
    friends and colleagues, regardless.

Why are you expecting more political BS then usual prey tell ?

    We are still at war and things just took a very nasty turn with the
    murder of Benazir Bhutto. As I see it, this war, of which Iraq is
    only one skirmish, will likely last for many long years; and that
    will be regardless of who is elected next November. Let us resolve
    to remember that what we share as free people in free nations is
    bigger than our political or religious disagreements and that
    freedom, itself, is more fragile than we can imagine.

Hmm... Hard to avoid debate here when disagreements go deep into the 
whole basis for why the US is <<at war>>.  As for the fragile freedom... 
last I checked it looked rather shattered already.... barely hanging 
together as it were. My own personal take on all this is that Orwell was 
far more foresighted then we even now give him credit for... and that 
the golden heyday of great western democratic adventure of the past 300 
or so years is hastening to its end.  The US's power is spent and 
overextended, regardless of the reasoning behind the various sorties of 
the recent past.  Its % of the GWP is dwindling and on a probable 
irreversible downwards spiral whilst China now nearly equals it and is 
on a very steep upwards curve.... conveniently they also have a 
non-intervention policy which basically holds their international 
engagements budget to zip diddly. The EU is slowly consolidating... but 
probably will be to late to assume leadership in the world.  Our 
grandchildren at the latest will see a world in which Asia calls the 
shots... what will become of the Americas is anyones guess. An ominous 
uncertain future is in front of us to be sure. Democracy in any real 
sense of the word is already being shoed out the back door. Nasty shame 
if you ask me. Anyone ever seen a painting of the city of Rome anno 
circa 1000 A.D. ?  Scary thought. But then I suppose in the end it is 
inevitable. Grin... I wonder how long it will be when someone will 
seriously try to interpret the right to bear arms to include your 
average backpack sized nuke....

    Other than those two somber thoughts, I have resolved, absolutely,
    to make no New Year's Resolutions whatsoever; so far I have been
    completely successful in that resolve.

On these more then somber words I'd remind you all of a Christian 
precept...  one that I tend to see as more then reasonable despite not 
being particularly religious myself... at least in the usual sense of 
the word.  Mankind... despite all his/hers good intentions and efforts 
are doomed to fail... and have been since the proverbial original sin or 
beginning if you prefer.  In the end our inability to get along with 
ourselves and our environment will be our undoing.  Indeed... thats the 
main justification for the need of salvation.  I'm not all that sure 
about the salvation bit... but that we in the end don't quite <<make 
it>> isn't hard to see.  In fact I find it more then a little difficult 
to shut out enough of that vision for my daily dose of sanity. 

Still... we have ourselves.. and those we can influence... and there is 
more then a little comfort in that thought.  We CAN choose to be part of 
that which stands against the tide... to resist the prevalence of evil.  
That <<fight>> doesn't start with any far away war or distant woe.  It 
starts in each of our own hearts.... with the will to reach out in 
friendship instead of fiendishness. The willpower to not lash out in 
scorn or criticism or worse.  Or... as another one of my favorite folks 
so many claim faith in said it... to love even ones enemies.... to turn 
the other cheek when struck.  We CAN as individuals choose which life we 
ourselves will live.

    Best wishes to all and Happy New Year! Stay tuned ...

Best wishes to you to Alan.... and don't worry about staying tuned... 
not much of a choice really.  Besides... whatever the future may bring I 
doubt seriously it will be boring.

Cheers
RicB


    Alan Barnard
    Salem, MO



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