Well today is a great day and a bad day for me.   My best friend’s wife has just delivered a bouncing bundle of joy.   A boy that weighed 6 lbs. 1 ounce and 18 in. long.   I am so happy for them, I may not agree with him on politics all the time, but we always have fun playing music, or going to see bands or just hanging out.    We have been friends for a long time and had out good and bad moments, but this brings me so much joy and I wish him luck in bringing a baby in this crazy world we live in.

And on the bad side, one of my favorite authors as died.  Micheal Chrichton has written some of my favorite books of all time.   ”Easters of the Dead, Congo, Sphere (even if it is really strange), And the Great Train Robbery”.  And probably his best “State of Fear”.   He is also a man of great intellect and wrote some great articles and had some good press conferences.  He always made you think and was always probing the minds of the American public.   He has made me think before following a heard, to always question what people are telling you.

‘Jurassic Park’ Author Michael Crichton Dies at 66

By HILLEL ITALIE

The Associated Press
Wednesday, November 5, 2008; 6:03 PM

– Michael Crichton, the million-selling author who made scientific research terrifying and irresistible in such thrillers as “Jurassic Park,” “Timeline” and “The Andromeda Strain,” has died of cancer, his family said. Crichton died Tuesday in Los Angeles at age 66 after privately battling cancer.

“Through his books, Michael Crichton served as an inspiration to students of all ages, challenged scientists in many fields, and illuminated the mysteries of the world in a way we could all understand,” his family said in a statement.

“While the world knew him as a great storyteller that challenged our preconceived notions about the world around us _ and entertained us all while doing so _ his wife Sherri, daughter Taylor, family and friends knew Michael Crichton as a devoted husband, loving father and generous friend who inspired each of us to strive to see the wonders of our world through new eyes.”

He was an experimenter and popularizer known for his stories of disaster and systematic breakdown, such as the rampant microbe of “The Andromeda Strain” or the dinosaurs running madly in “Jurassic Park.” Many of his books became major Hollywood movies, including “Jurassic Park,” “Rising Sun” and “Disclosure.” Crichton himself directed and wrote “The Great Train Robbery” and he co-wrote the script for the blockbuster “Twister.”—Wapo