• "You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake." - Jeannette Rankin... Also from bioguide.congress.gov


• "There are two big forces at work, external and internal. We have very little control over external forces such as tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, disasters, illness and pain. What really matters is the internal force. How do I respond to those disasters? Over that I have complete control." - Leo Buscaglia


• "We learn geology the morning after the earthquake." - Ralph Waldo Emerson


• "There is no such thing as a life of passion any more than a continuous earthquake, or an eternal fever. Besides, who would ever shave themselves in such a state?" - Lord George Byron


• "God speaks to me not through the thunder and the earthquake, nor through the ocean and the stars, but through the Son of Man, and speaks in a language adapted to my imperfect sight and hearing." - William Lyon Phelps

Weather: Sunday o'cast and cool... Warm jacket wearing weather. Sunday evening and Monday's early morning much warmer than usual... as the expected rains approach... the full moon still ruling the heavens. Daytime Monday blessed with "Seattle Sunshine"... a light rain with the temperatures remaining moderate and winds low. Perhaps a window of opportunity to gather more manzanita.

Sabbath sacrament service talks and classes most inspired... a challenge to set forth realistic goals for the new year... another to honor one's marital partner as an equal... or better. Two short walks to and from my ride , again, in the brisk morning and afternoon. I was lent a handbook on the priesthood, by one of the brethren who was baptized shortly after I was in March, that I will peruse swiftly. The information in this handbook (B)? answering many questions in the how-to's and where-for's of priestly duties. A scheduled interview with our Prophet, and President, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Gordon B. Hinckley, by Larry King on CNN was preempted at 9p.m., and 12a.m. (PST) with coverage of the tragedy in the Indian Ocean area. (I evidently missed the 6p.m. PST showing).

Rock and Roll!!! BIG EARTHQUAKES... from the bigquake mailing list I subscribe to:

A magnitude 9.0 earthquake OFF THE W COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA has occurred at:
3.30N 95.78E Depth 10km Sun Dec 26 00:58:50 2004 UTC
Location with respect to nearby cities:

• 250 km (155 miles) SSE of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia


• 320 km (200 miles) W of Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia


• 1260 km (780 miles) SSW of BANGKOK, Thailand

• 130 km (80 miles) SSW of Misha, Nicobar Islands, India (pop N/A)


• 305 km (190 miles) WNW of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia


• 1125 km (690 miles) SW of BANGKOK, Thailand

• 145 km (90 miles) NW of Misha, Nicobar Islands, India (pop N/A)


• 310 km (195 miles) S of Port Blair, Andaman Islands, India


• 1035 km (640 miles) WSW of BANGKOK, Thailand

My entries... poetry.com: " Poetry in Motion "...
& Haiku daily contests:

Love Betimes Flees Endless sighs ne'er relent through silent tears Love betimes flees Hearts linger O'er ceaseless yearnings Love betimes flees :Bobby Nichols 12-26-2004 ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ Temptation Uncounted are the poisoned paths proffered of singular desire bade beneath :Bobby Nichols 12-27-2004

"Love Betimes Flees "... An edited form of what I submitted. I added a last 'Love betimes flees' to the end of the poem... I thought it added some balance to the piece. 'Betimes' defined.

"Temptation "... Use your agency wisely... temptations lurk everywhere. An interesting aside... regarding the "Lord's Prayer" and Latter Day Saints that I heretofore did not know. My apologies for the three "p" words in a row.

I pray all is well... Vakivelaanan !!!