Well, I've begun my new job as a civilian psychologist working for the US Army at Fort Hood, TX. It's good to be back affiliated with the Department of Defense. Looking back over the last 20 years, it seems I never was happy in the civilian world. Of course, I'm still a civilian, but I'm part of DoD and that feels right.

I'm not getting a lot of writing done at the moment, but that will probably change as I get adjusted. The interesting thing is that I'm once again interested in my (day) profession and am actually looking forward to learning things I can apply to this new job.

I didn't realize, until I started feeling better, just how chronically depressed I was. Not diagnosable as clinical depression, more of a dysthymic disorder, though I probably wasn't diagnosable as that either because of my writing. Still, I was very unhappy and it's better now.

Sometimes, the best therapy is making the changes in your life that you need to make. No matter how drastic and scary that might be.

Could someone explain to me just what terrorists hope to accomplish when they attack the World Trade Center or the hotels and other tourist places in Mumbai? What is the "terror" supposed to result in? How will it benefit the terrorists? I just don't understand.

I've sent an email to Mr. Obama, suggesting that when he keeps his promise to his kids and gives them a puppy, it should come from a rescue group.

There are hundreds of thousands of dogs, including puppies, who are in desperate need of loving, permanent homes. No, you're not likely to get a purebred dog through one of these groups. That doesn't mean, though,that you're getting a less than great dog. Both of my dogs came from a local rescue group and I couldn't ask for more wonderful companions. And yes, they both were puppies when I adopted them.

I'm asking all of you to contact the Obama organization and urge him to adopt a rescue puppy.

Was there any way McCain could have won this election, if he had done things differently?

I doubt it. The reaction against Bush and the policies of the Republicans over the past 8 years was likely to great a hurdle for anyone to have overcome, even with a perfectly run campaign.

Personally, I think McCain would have done better if he had chosen a different running mate. It seems like he chose Palin to keep the religious right in the fold, but this alienated socially moderate Republicans like me. A better choice? Do what Obama did: select a running mate who addressed the apparent weakness in McCain's experience base. Someone who had a lot of experience and expertise in economic issues.

The other thing McCain could have done would have been to distance himself even more than he did from the Republican decisions of the past 8 years. Address the moderates and independents. I think this became even more critical when the predominant issue of the race turned away from war and to the failing economy.

Would it have worked? Would these moves have given McCain the victory? Given the anti-Bush, anti-Republican sentiments of the country, it's doubtful. But maybe the Republican party needs to pay attention now.