I just realized that I hadn’t wished a Happy New Year to some of my best and oldest friends. (“Just who are you calling old?” – thought I should beat anyone to that line.) So, all the best for a good year. I hope you all keep improving…and enjoy clear (clearer) skies. I rang in the new year by watching much of “Mars Rising” on the Discovery Channel – I think. For anyone who hasn’t seen the program, I thought it was very well done. And you get to listen to William Shatner not being cheeky for a change. I hope that we get there in my life time. We should begin a pool for the landing date. If we start now and bank the money, it could be worth quite a bit by the time we launch. Anyway, the program suggested that a Mars mission might be 30 years out. I’m thinking much longer, in part because a 30-year occupation of Iraq now seems much more likely than a mission to Mars. Oops, there I go getting political. Sorry. So, does anyone have thoughts on a Mars mission, such as technology, timing, should Patrick volunteer, etc.? Kim Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.15.31/1128 - Release Date: 11/13/2007 11:09 AM