"There are two worlds: the world that we can measure with line and rule, and the world that we feel with our hearts and imagination."

Hello!

My name is Cătălin Preda and I am the author of this web-site.

As a persona I am thoughtful, thorough and methodical, open-minded and happy to embark upon action, enthusiastic about what is new, and thus unlikely to resist change.

Although I still have my youth It is not much fun to be young anymore...

“The age of anxiety is the label most likely to be adopted as the historians” description of the time I live in. That is a pity, for the most common anxieties suffered in this part of the world are the ones which, like the weather, are beyond self-control.

It is an ugly fact that the young, the new generation upon which I am constantly told the future depends, have been schooled in the art of worrying. In every family in Europe, there are children pre-occupied with all the green apprehensions they have been indoctrinated to feel.

They view (and I am sympathetic with this point of view) Planet Earth not as a rather confused though jolly kind of all place, but as a sensitive old maiden aunt on her death bed. In their eyes deserts are ruthlessly advancing, while at the same time low countries seem to be in imminent danger of being swallowed up by the sea.

Mine caring guide to the world sees nothing but disaster everywhere. Wales, seals and other such cuddly sea mammals are all about to be eliminated by cruel old mankind.

Carefully instructed in doom by my rigorous teachers and lobbyist, I remain convinced, usually on the basis of dubious statistics, that flowers, plants and other attractive bit of environment are on the brink of being wiped out.

Social pressure from the environmentalists, especially effective on me, has succeeded in destroying my innocent childhood. Gone are the days when I might pick and press wild flowers and plants to explore quietly the mysteries of life and examine the complex theories of the balance of nature.

All that kind of thing is now considered exceptionally wicked. Disturbing a bat or digging up a snowdrop bulb have come to be considered criminal acts, for which fines and even prison sentences can be inflicted.

Environmental angst is further buttressed by fears about what is absurdly called health. In the same way that war is politely called defense, sickness is now called health – which really means fear of dying, especially of something really nasty.

The dread words “recent survey shows”, followed by some horror warning about the danger of eating or not eating some kind of food, are enough to launch a tidal wave of anxiety, guilt and caution.

My recent surveys all provide conclusive evidence that life is not that bad, certainly in the part of the world where I have the good fortune to live. My recipe for enjoying it is never to assume that the worst is about to happen...