Aurora, Colorado police have taken a 24 year-old, male suspect, into custody.

Sympathies to all of those directly affected.

A sad moment in our history.

The Colorado massacre was the first news I heard after returning from a week in Bolivia. In my opinion, the Batman movies are evil. They are evil because they portray deranged villains as heroes. Batman himself is an impotent non-entity. It would not surprise me if in the darkest corners of the subconscious minds of the purveyors of the Batman films there is a perverse glee at seeing their art imitated by life. America is on a strange course. After decades of pointless wars, the abortion of 50 million babies, an obsession with spectator sports, an endless parade of 200 million dollar movies, drugs, and mind-numbing music from Satanic groups like Marilyn Manson and AC/DC, America's historical middle class is under serious siege. America is, in fact, being colonized by Hispanics, Muslims, and Orientals. And no one seems to care. Except Pat Buchanan and David Duke, and they are being dismissed as "racist." Fresh from the astronomy party in Bolivia, I heard two politicians speak on radio about the Batman massacre. The female Democrat said guns were to blame. The male Republican said it was not guns but the work of one twisted individual. We could have scripted their responses before hearing them. One thing both politicians have in common is that they are sucking money from people while trying to tell them how to think and what to do. We are at a place where decent, working people are being harassed by both sides of "the law." I was harassed by airport security coming back from my trip. I was pulled out of the line in Lima, Peru. I took my shoes off, and the girl began inspecting them, putting my shoes to her face and pinching them. I know these people have jobs and it can be tough to fill up an 8-hour shift. But, at 66, do I really look like a terrorist? In Miami, I was humiliated again. A woman went through my belongings. (They love badges, don't they?) Then, I was taken into a room, where I was stood at attention and patted down. I kept quiet and did what I was told to do. One of our group had his telescope confiscated in La Paz. He had to get an attorney and spend an entire day to get it back. I had a 13-hour layover in Lima and a 6-hour layover in Miami. I was exhausted when I got to Nashville. The Miami airport is the worst I have ever seen. It looks like a Third World scene from the next Batman movie. I must say, however, I enjoyed the astronomy. I saw stars and constellations I will never see again and met some highly intelligent and wonderful people.

Afterthought:
It sickens to see pictures of Joker Holmes' 12 victims. Young people going in to watch a movie without the slightest notion they would never see daylight again. It adds to my present view of life as a random and tenuous experience.

Hey Jim-

I wish your experiences were mostly like the ones you had looking at the Universe.

Somewhere in that vast Universe are answers. Loooooong ago, man knew to look at the stars, moon, sun, and planet alignments for answers.

I'll bet taking a break just to relax in the darkness, lying on your back, in the great outdoors, looking at the open sky would inspire you to find answers and positive solutions to what we are facing. I'll bet it would soften the exterior you have had to create to keep you going strong.

I look forward to the day you share those answers with us, as I can see you have real passion and commitment to your position.

If everyone were loved without condition, we'd be a lot closer to peace.

Every human is capable of hate. It is part of our make-up. It must be controlled if we are to have world peace. That nations have nuclear weapons makes it mandatory that we learn to control ourselves. I have many interests. I am a songwriter in Nashville with a catalog of 400 songs. I am an amateur astronomer. I look forward to a total solar eclipse in Indonesia on March 9, 2016. That will put 5 continents under my belt. I would like to call myself a world traveler, but there are people who have been in most of the 196 countries. I cannot compete with them.

Jim-

Sounds like you have so much to be grateful for.

No need to compete, just enjoy your track, forget what anyone else is doing.

On hate, I just wrote an article, Hate, Fear, and Intentions "Hate, Fear, and Intentions". I agree, everyone is capable of hate and we must learn to control it. In my opinion, it simply has no place in any society.

Have an amazing weekend Jim.