True.
But, the young are the future, we are the past.
The ongoing attempt to create a reasoning world reminds me of an ancient Russian saying, "Struggle is our brother."

Mars once had water and atmosphere. The rest is fantasy. But a fun one to contemplate.

It is enough to be you.

And Herb my friend, you and your wife, like myself just a week back, demonstrate that couples strolling along a beach - alive, heroic and reasoning - need not be young.

A Mars probe has revealed evidence of lakes and rivers of water on the red planet 2.5-3 billion years ago straddling the Hesperian period and the Amazonian period (when Olympus mon was formed) . Scientists believe it is highly likely that life was present then.

With evolution of microbial life developing to more advanced creatures and ultimately to a dominant species. Al Gore points to the proof of the destructive results of those Martian beings . Those ancient Martians who were building , producing , growing economies pursuing happiness. They destroyed the atmosphere of the planet and caused a volcano to soar 72000" Into the Martian sky and cover thousands of miles with lava.

Selfish Martians did it all to themselves.

I don't think any animal could make that stuff up.
Just thought of one the sheep that cried wolf.

shiver me timbers! . grog is good, matey!! -- j
.

as the first step toward being a producer is self-respect! -- j
.

I'm going to need a way to stretch time. Since I retired, there's not enough time in the day. I have an enormous book list, I want to listen to the music of Rodrigo, participate in the Gulch as well as personal e-mails and Facebook.I need a rest from my rest.

We can create A.I. robots, but creating the most primitive form of life eludes us.Dr. Z beat me up on my unbelief about animals which started me looking up about their human-like Emotions & attitudes.

While you're at it, better look into prairie dogs and dolphins. Researchers have discovered prairie dogs actually have a very sophisticated language, developed to identify dangerous and harmless creatures entering their colonies. The professor who did the research determined that the dogs could communicate the animal, the sex, and other distinguishing features, describing the clothing colors his students were wearing. He even determined that the accents and colloquialisms varied in different colonies.

The bottle nose dolphins self identify with names, and greet others by their names. There's tons more we're discovering about these small cetaceans, and if we can decipher their language, it will be a promising step that could enable us to one day decipher the language of alien species we might find on other planets.

There's a whole new world of discoveries for you, and don't limit yourself to the primate family.

Hi Herb,
I have watched video of a mother grizzly defend her cubs from a male grizzly 50% larger risking her own life. We can build a barn and the plows, tractors and combines but an animal not so much.
Regards,
DOB

I gotta say - anyone confusing a manatee with the traditional appearance of a mermaid either has a surrealistic imagination or was too deeply into the grog.

If we can allow ourselves.

OK, 'll defer to you until I have a chance to do a little research of my own. I have a friend who is studying Bonobos who might shed some light. As they say...I'll get back to you.

It's been a long time since I've been to the beach, but watching dolphins is amazing.

mermaids! -- j
.

incorrigible? . no, indefatigable! . we cannot be stopped.
we are the dominant species here and have taken over,
albeit spastically. . we are creative, persistent, devious,
energetic, ruthless at survival and also magical with
rearranging reality. . we can be good, and very bad.
we are often beautiful, and also awful. . but we are
here and we have the potential to continue for a
long time to come!!! -- j
.

I follow research efforts and news stories about some very unique animals. One well known story is about a mother cat who reentered a burning building several times to rescue her kittens. Though badly burned herself, she survived and was fought over by many would be adopters. Just recently there was a news story about a pet dog (looked like a Portuguese water spaniel from the pictures) who shielded the family's infant daughter from a house fire. The daughter survived under the body of the dog, who died from burns.

Crows, wolves, elephants, and other social animals have been observed conducting what appear to be funeral rituals for the bodies of their dead. I've personally witnessed a dog showing signs of grief over the loss of a companion animal several times in my life. I've witnessed animals bringing food to other animals that were injured or ill.

For a long time we thought we were the only users of tools, until we witnessed chimps using twigs to dig out termites. Then we said were the only ones who made tools, until we witnessed crows fabricating twigs, stripping them and twisting the ends into hooks to pull grubs out of holes.

I'm not so insecure that I must cling to the notion that we simply have to be supremely superior to other animals. Are we at the top of the food chain? Unquestionably. Are we so elevated a species as to be near deities compared to the lesser beings? Definitely not. Like I said, arrogance is our biggest flaw.

I have the remarkable good fortune to be able to see dolphins feed at a spot not far from my home. As you know, dolphins are actually small whales and watching their agility and beuty is a true wonder

I think I'd have to argue with you on certain points.
There may be a few self-aware species, but none that can go contrary to their instincts. No horse, for example, would run into a flaming barn to save its colt. Charity, regret, remorse? I find it difficult to attribute those to animals other than man. We are better at exhibiting those qualities because for the most part we're the only species that has them with the possible exception of certain apes and perhaps dolphins. But even those may just as easily be exhibiting instinct.

You have me New Age suddenly recalling that Star Trek movie in which space aliens came back to talk to whales that had gone extinct..
Or maybe it was an almighty space alien probe that started to destroy the ocean in its frustration to find those wonderfully bright whales.
The Enterprise had to go back in time to fetch a couple and to scare the hell out of whalers in the process. Me dino really like that scare the crap out of whalers with your big giant space ship scene.
Excuse me while I go converse cuisine with some upwind stegosauri.

With all of her sharp intellect and wit, she was still a romantic in every sense. I would have liked to spend a few days with her strolling around my favorite places while listening to her commentary. However, after absorbing all of what she's written, I think I can pretty much supply those thoughts myself.

My wife has inherited our new car with its 6 speakers. I, on the other hand have the 11 year old mini-van with its 4 speaker. But watching the scene, while listening to music is a great way to learn by relaxing. Some people even stop and chat.

The problem is with those who would enslave mankind and send us sliding backward into darkness. Our progress is only a glimpse of what can be possible in a truly free society.

All animals adapt to their environment except man, who adapts the environment to suit himself.