2009, the Pangloss Style Summary

That was the year that was: 2009

2009 had some ugly moments for those of us in Casa Stan, but perhaps it was all for the best. As our friend Doctor Pangloss pointed out to Candide, in order to have the good you must also have the bad.

For instance, our 11 year old cocker spaniel, Dusty, died. However, the first 6 months of 2009 were good months for him, following his 2008 ear ablation, until his cancer returned. And as a bonus, we now have our beautiful adopted calico cat, Cali.

Beate's brother Gary nearly died from sepsis - a condition he is vulerable to since his spleen was removed when he was a child. However, he is out of the hospital, recovering, and in farily good health now. And he is more aware of his danger from infection.

My own tumble from a bicycle, where I broke and dislocated my shoulder, was fairly catastrophic, but I am done with my physical therapy and mostly recovered. I have a new helmut now, and took a bike ride with Beate the other day. And tonight as I watched Dick Clark on his New Years Eve show, I was impressed with how far he's come in his re-hab from the devastating stroke he suffered. Last year I mocked him, but after my own rehab I'm a more sensitive guy.

Andrew dropped out of the culinary arts program at PTEC, and quit his job, but then enrolled in SPC, and although he dropped out again, now he's re-enrolled, and he found a new job! (Thanks Val!).

Mom and Dad were in a car crash that destroyed their car, and although they got a new car, I don't think that really offsets the disruption to thie lives.

However, there were a number of bonuses this year with no real down-side. Barack Obama became president, replacing the former occupant. Beate and I went to Hawaii again, and Andrew visited the Hulls and Gearys in San Francisco area, and had a really great time!

And we got an extra special bonus: Evelyn Geary was born!

So on the whole, it was a good year, despite it all.

Happy New Year to all!

I am through with Dan Brown

Book Report: "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown.

A crazy tatooed person stalks the USA's top Mason and his family, becoming a mason himself and seeking the Lost Word which will unlock secret knowledge of the ages.

This crazy involves Robert Langdon in his plot, and the CIA is involved too, somehow. There's a whole lot of frantic running around, broken up by discussions with dialog that feels like it was lifted right out of some old encyclopeadia. The words 'Science' and 'Scientific' are appear frequently, but almost never legitimately. One of the key ideas in the book it 'Noetic Science', which is not really science at all, but metaphisical mumbo-jumbo.

Although the tempo of this book kept me going until the end, the ending is pure drivel, and I resent the author for having subjected me to it.

I AM DONE WITH DAN BROWN. NO MORE!