Political Nutrition

So we all sit here on December 31st thinking similar thoughts. Or not so much. Some are depressed, thinking they haven't accomplished much. Some hopeful, thinking of all they will. Some just trying to figure out who the designated driver is. Me? All of the above except the driving part. Not going out. At first, that seemed depressing. But then I figure my family and friends will stop by, we'll have our usual boring New Year's Eve, enjoyable only for the company we keep, but still not the most exciting event in town. But this year, no one is stopping by. No one is coming over to wish us a Happy New Year or help pass the time while we wait for the ball to drop somewhere in the world so we can have an excuse to go to sleep. And it's really okay. Recent events have once again delivered unto me one of life's most valuable lessons, for the umpteenth time. I need not recount them here. Some have made the news. Other's more personal. I will wager though that every...

So the Aspire may now rest in peace, after it's daily grind for several years. And I do mean that literally. Morning to night that beast never shut up. Anti-virus constantly scanning, 20 minutes to log in and out. Programs crashing left and right. And my husband pulling his hair out. He claims it's genetic but I think that bald spot has PC written all over it. So for Christmas, which like all good agnostic, atheistic, Jewish Unitarians we celebrate, we gave the poor suffering patriarch of the Miller clan a Chromebook. And let me tell you, he is one happy man. The instructions for getting started fit on the back of a small booklet. 1. Plug it in. 2. Open the lid. 3. You're done. I kid you not. And the only set up required was for him to enter his gmail user name and password. In roughly 15 seconds, his entire library of music and photos and docs and email and everything he'd done on his PC through google in the last year was right there. Poof. Magic. No whirri...

I am writing this simply to convey my sense of utter helplessness and complete wonderment at the strength and courage of my cousin Robin. He celebrated a birthday this week with his wife of almost 23 years, and then in an awful twist of fate, began mourning her loss as she suffered a massive stroke. He has shown a grace and dignity through this that I find remarkable. A man who epitomizes the moniker Devout Christian, he has shown us all what that truly means. Today, by fulfilling his wife's wish to donate her organs. And as he lives his life, through his teaching, his mentoring, his writing, and his role as a wonderful father of two and champion of those in need. Whether it is anti-bullying or health-care reform, he has and I fervently hope continues to be the champion of those in need of a voice. I have never had the opportunity to meet him in person, nor his wonderful wife and children. But through his friendship I know that real compassion does exist. Real courage does exis...

I love the holidays. Truly I do. But I'm also known to be quite the nag this time of year. I want to know where you shop, how you shop, why you shop, and whether you truly have the giving spirit or are a closet shop-a-holic looking for a reason to spend. So. Where'd ya shop? Did you venture out on Thanksgiving night to wait in the cold for Wally World to let you in and enter the mayhem known as Black Friday? My daughter went in one store for several minutes. Got caught in a crossfire of crazy shoppers ramming carts. Left without buying anything. So proud of my girl. Times are tough. So many people out there shopping for bargains aren't doing so because they're irresponsible. They do it because it is the only time they believe they can afford to do it. Not true, really, but thanks to the mass media, they are bombarded with messages that convince them otherwise. 75% off. Really? Off what. It's not ignorance. It's not gullibility. It's just pure human insti...