December 29, 2005 As the year draws to a close, some sobering considerations:

  The CIA's World Factbook ranks the US 43rd in the world in infant mortality. The United Nations Development Program reports the infant mortality rate in America's capital is more than twice as high as in China's capital (in 2002, 11.5 deaths per 1000 births in Washington, D.C., versus 4.6 in Beijing), and that an African-American baby born in Washington has less chance of surviving its first year than does a baby born in the urban parts of the Indian state of Kerala.

At least Washington's newborns are merely suffering from neglect, and not the active attention of the government. During November the FBI settled a lawsuit by agreeing to pay $100,000 to Josh Connole, a 27-year-old ex-member of a Pomona, CA vegan commune who had been falsely arrested on suspicion of eco-terrorism, a suspect in the fire-bombing of SUV dealerships in the summer of '03. Connole was arrested at gunpoint on Sept 12, 2003, interrogated, held for four days, then released (at least he was not tortured). During their surveillance of the commune FBI agents discovered that the owner of the house and his father "have posted statements on websites opposing the use of fossil fuels," that the owner had ties to a local chapter of Food Not Bombs, an "anarcho-vegan food distribution group," and that the owner's father had once conducted a "one man daily protest" outside a Toyota office, had been interviewed for an article entitled, "Dude, Where's my Electric Car!?" and had posed info on a Web site announcing "Stop Norway Whaling!" (reported in Newsweek, November 21, 2005, p. 6)

The FBI's concern to protect the body politic from "whale-loving fossil-fuel-hating bomb-despising anarcho-vegans" brings to mind those halcyon days of the Nixon White House, when John N. Mitchell (U.S. attorney general, 1969 - 1972) observed, "The conservation movement is a breeding ground of Communists and other subversives. We intend to clean them out, even if it means rounding up every bird-watcher in the country." Or, presumably, drilling in every wildlife reserve.

It is probably a good thing for the country's bird-watchers that Guantanamo Bay was not available for their interrogations back then; and probably anarcho-vegan whale-and-bird-watchers should be quaking in their fins & feathers, given that the Vice-President of the United States remains determined that the CIA and its secret prisons to be exempted from conventional anti-torture rules. Senator John Mc Cain, who was tortured in North Vietnam while a prisoner of war there, comments:

"What I do mourn is what we lose when by official policy or official neglect we allow, confuse or encourage our soldiers to forget that best sense of ourselves, that which is our greatest strength--that we are different and better than our enemies, that we fight for an idea, not a tribe, not a land, not a king, not a twisted interpretation of an ancient religion, but for an idea that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights." (Newsweek, November 21, 2005, p.35)

Surely asserting a right to torture qualifies as a "twisted interpretation of an ancient religion" when we contemplate it during the Christmas season, a time which honors the birth of One Who laid down His own life for the benefit of His friends and devotees. It seems sad beyond measure that people who know not what they do can assert to being "Christian" in the same breath that they propose using torture and similar acts to "protect" themselves and our fellow countrymen, acts that indeed will be more likely to make us all less secure. May the Prince of Peace bless us that wiser counsels will prevail during 2006!

December 15, 2005 The fortnight began with a visit from a Vermonter. We took in the Vatican exhibition in downtown San Antonio (treasures from various popes, well worth viewing if it comes to your town) and SAMA (the San Antonio Art Museum), which hosts an excellent collection of Asian art, in particular a spectacular whistling yogini riding on an owl...

My mother & I then proceeded to Houston, where we accompanied Mr. John Coon to the Tallowood Baptist Church to hear the annual Christmas music program sung by my sister with the (majority of the) Tallowood adult choir. As always, the choir (under the able direction of Dr. Paul Magyar) provided a splendid program; a true pleasure, as always! My personal favorites: the Twelve Days of Christmas, each day done in a different musical idiom (plainsong, baroque, &c); and the lovely hymn "Night of Silence," whose final verse is sung by the sopranos and altos while the tenors and baritones (the sheet music has the baritones "singing out slightly so that the melody is heard") overlay "Night of Silence" with the first verse of "Silent Night."

During the next week Mr. Max Raby arrived in Houston from Florida, followed by Dr. Fred Smith from Iowa. These two worthies accompanied the rest of us on our epicurean progress through Houston, to eateries (chiefly Chinese vegetarian restaurants, of which Houston has at least four), movies (including the new Nile IMAX), and the Natural History Museum, with its permanent gem displays and a temporary exhibit of Egyptian mummies. All in all, a fine time had by all.

December 1, 2005 "Egad!" I exclaim as I notice that January is half done. Time having marched along, it is high time to close 2005's accounts, so this contribution has been composed in summary form. Sit back, and take a quick tour of

Costa Rica Collected at the airport by Jeff Gossett & Perrey Reeves & Fidel (the appropriately named faithful pooch), who drove me to the Tabacon Hot Springs Resort, where from the window of our room we enjoyed red lava cascade down the flank of the Arenal volcano, after a late night dip in the hot river.

Next morning Jeff fishes a dead snake out of said hot river, then after breakfast we drive (slowly through beautiful country over difficult roads) to the Monteverde Cloud Forest.

Monteverde: rather overbuilt, prices (relatively) high, but a beautiful area, with ample biodiversity, and extremely good guides. Well worth a visit. During our diurnal visit we saw in trees a quetzal, a green palm viper, and a sloth.

At night: an olingo, and a large tarantula.

Down from Monteverde to Puntarenas (passing on the way an excellent gold-crested iguana along the roadside), and the ferry to the Nicoya Peninsula, where a spectacled owl greeted us in afternoon sunlight perched in a tree on the Jeff & Perrey's property. On the property I spied:

Two pizotes (better known in English as coatis - the coatimundi being the solo mature male) - The large iguana that lives in a hole in a tree just outside the kitchen - An agouti - Multiple tiger herons (in blue, with gold) - Several packs of howler monkeys, and also white-faced capuchins - A herd (or some better collective noun - perhaps a "deliberation"?) of white ibises - Several blooming ylang-ylang trees - Two most unusual trees that produce large gourd and are facing one another And other marvels too numerous to mention.

Very cool (or, as some young ticos are fond of putting it, "tuanis, mae!")! Jeff & Perrey are working hard to turn their land into what will be a superlative retreat space. May they succeed without obstacles!

Link to News of the Past