he famed British astrophysicist and best-selling author, Stephen Hawking, recently turned to a new feature titled "Yahoo Answers" where anyone can pose a question for fellow users of the internet to try and answer. Professor Hawking's question was simple and powerful and pertinent: "In a world that is in chaos politically, socially and environmentally, how can the human race sustain another hundred years?" He posed the question and left the answer to many thousands who responded - I should like to have heard his answer to his question.
I had the good fortune to meet the man about four years ago. He was driving himself around the famed Getty Museum in his motorized wheelchair, attached to which was a device which spoke the words that he printed. I introduced myself saying that I had the good fortune to record his brilliant and complicated work, A Brief History of Time. He was most flattering with a sharp sense of humor. One of his lines, "Michael, thank you for letting me know how British I sound."

Currently in the House of Representatives there are 231 Republican members, 201 Democrats, one independent and 2 vacant seats. The task of taking back the House, which has been in Republican control since the 1994 election, is formidable, but possible. Despite the GOP having done an amazing job of gerrymandering the congressional map, the Democrats have responded by recruiting several excellent candidates. It could happen. There is actually a broad, emerging consensus about that it is that ails the Democratic party and what needs to occur for a political rejuvenation. Some of the recently published books addressing the topic look back at recent defeats, and most of them look forward to a very different future - near future!
Recommended reading includes "Foxes in the Henhouse" (How the Republicans stole the South and the Heartland and What the Democrats must do to Run 'em out) and "Get this Party Started".

Is there any conflict in this world that appears to be as hopelessly endless as the Arab-Israeli conflict. It has been on going in much the same way for approaching 60 years. Back when it all began, when the United Nations voted to solve the complex Palestinian challenge in the land then ruled by Britain, it was resolved that there should be, side by side, a Palestinian and a Jewish state. The Jews accepted the compromise and the Palestinians rejected it and grouped together with five countries in a war to destroy the Jewish state and commandeer all the territory for themselves. They failed, and thank God, Israel survived. The same peoples are as determined as ever to bring to an end the state of Israel. Take the current situation in Gaza. Gaza is free of occupation and has been for a year. But Hammas wages war because they are still determined, following many wars, to erase Israel from the map. In one of the many conversations I was privileged to have with the late Gen.Moisha Dyan he pointed out that Israel must win every war. To lose one is to lose everything.