September 2008 Monthly Message

Dear Family, Friends and Supporters,

Welcome to my monthly message for September 2008!

I can't believe September is here and almost gone but before I go on about anything else, I want to say I hope everyone watched the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics in Beijing China. Because if you didn't, you not only missed out on one of the most beautiful events in the world, but you missed out on watching history in the making. There's no way I can describe the dedication, commitment, precision and discipline of the Chinese people during the Olympics but it was quite impressive and will probably be unmatched for decades to come. I know China has its mis-givings and deceptions with the government, but overall I truly believe they honored all the athletes from around the world and tried to show who they really are as a people. Needless to say, I watched it everyday and can't wait for the winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada in 2010 (my favorite country).

On a different note, I want to send a special thanks to Liz, Pam, Barbara and Phil, and my Mom for coming to visit with me. I always enjoy your visits, and I know what a sacrifice it is for everyone to take time out of your busy lives. Please know, even though it's a simple visit in a prison visiting room; I cherish every minute. Believe it or not , the visits truly remind me that people do care and have not forgotten about me. It may not seem like much but it helps me get through the moments when I think about giving up. So once again, thank you for your thoughtfulness and sacrifice!

Okay, the next subject I'm going to share is just a fascination I have with science because to me it truly is one of the last unexplored frontiers left. Also, bear with me because I'm trying to explain something that is not my field of expertise. It has to do with the large Hadron Collider at Europe's Cern facility that was turned on this month. The Hadron Collider on the Swiss-French border is a machine that was built which will send a beam of atomic particles (mainly protons atoms) circling in opposite directions on a 17 mile wide loop 300 feet below the surface. When they line up two huge magnetic cores the atoms will collide at speeds close to the speed of light which in and of itself is unbelievable. But physicists hope the collisions reveal the particles responsible for the mass of all other particles. Basically, it's creating dark matter which already takes up 30% of the universe and we still don't fully know everything about dark matter, but ultimately we want to capture and control its energy. And I'm sure everyone can understand why. Also the miniature black holes that will spawn from these collisions are so small that they will dissipate in seconds and are too small to worry about according to Stephen Hawking.

Like I said earlier, I find science and space exploration along with the paranormal fascinating and look forward to the things we will learn from experiments such as the Hadron Collider. This probably explains my love for TV shows in the past like the K-Files and now the new show "Fringe" which seems to be pretty good so far when it comes to learning. My favorite is "Nova Science Now" on PBS.

Before I close, I know most of you reading this message pray for my release and that God's will be done in my life, and I appreciate that. Unfortunately, for some reason my body is breaking down. All of a sudden, I have damaged a tendon in my right foot, and I tore or damaged the tendon in my right elbow and now I have torn ligaments in my right knee. It's almost like Tom Brady, but I don't have the best sports doctors in the world nor, do I have a Victoria Secrets supermodel like Giselle to take care of me. So, could you all keep me in prayer for some Divine healing because I'll be honest, from my case, to my children, to my body falling apart I'm not sure how much more pain I can take.

No major movie recommendation this month unless you watch PBS. There is a movie called "Touching the Void" which is a true story about a man's survival after falling in the crevasse of a glacier in the mountains of Peru and having your hiking partner cut the rope and abandon you. Lets just say he learned who he really is and was given the ultimate test of forgiving someone. Sometimes I wonder If I will pass my test of forgiving a certain someone. Regardless, their weakness with indecision makes us stronger. I bet there are a list of you who have been tested with forgiving someone. How do you feel about your decision on whether or not to forgive?

My profound statement is: "To a scientist, uncertainty is a call of the wild." (Nova Science Now).

Until next month take care and remember; the key to mysteries of life hide in the pain of our most difficult experiences.

Love and light to all,

Michael