I am, in fact, living and writing

Friends,

I have in the past three weeks successfully completed 10 days of vacation with family and friends and a seven day retreat with my Dominican community.  I was able to spend time with the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, Illinois. It has been a very exciting, refreshing, and fast-paced month.  The new semester at Saint Louis University and Aquinas Institute of Theology (hereafter known as SLU and AI, respectively) began today.  I had a most riveting experience in my History of Medieval Philosophy class this morning.  My professor, an undeniably learned and confidant individual, did not attempt to pronounce my name...sticking to the safe British slang term "John Thomas".  It has become something of a hobby to see who does and who does not try out "Chrysostom".  I recommend going for it...there is little to lose.

On a completely unrelated, yet fascinating, note.  I recently read on Bro. James Dominic's blog that scientists from Japan, Russia, and the United States are currently attempting to extract DNA from a mammoth skeleton in order to clone a baby mammoth.  While the initial 'cool' and 'cute' factors are without doubt, the ensuing mania is likely to be a much hairier and less exciting version of Crichton's novel.  I, like many, initially thought of giant, furry, uncontrollable elephants toppling great oaks and small buildings, but my research suggests otherwise.  Apparently we are talking about something that is about 9 ft tall at the shoulder and weighing 8 tons on a good day.  This is comparable to a female African elephant.  While the 16 ft tusks are impressive, it seems that scientists are trying to create for us another zoo attraction instead of a potentially apocalyptic event.  How dull.

I do not know if returning Mammuthus primigenius to the environment is an all together positive move, but I am excited to see where this goes.  Next?  Raphus cucullatus?  Megantereon?  Acroreiidae?  The possibilities are endless!

I suggest meditation on this, and on a more serious note, the impact of our species on the countless others.

Yours, Jacques