On the eve of new "dark ages?"

The Labor Department released the job-loss numbers for December today. The news is not good. The U.S. economy shed 85,000 jobs last month. After some modestly better numbers the month before, December's figures show what most ordinary folks already know -- things are not improving in the job market in any meaningful manner.

I saw an interesting documentary last night that predicted where human beings might be in 100 years. The scientists and educators on the show talked about global climate change, pandemics, population explosions and dwindling natural resources. Essentially, the experts who were interviewed laid out a scenario that we may be entering the beginning of the end for human beings unless we turn things around in the next decade or two. Extinction may not come from nuclear war. It might come from our common behaviors and failing to connect the dots.

At the end of the two-hour program, the narrator spoke of the growing unemployment problem and how it actually ties into larger global issues outlined during the show. For instance, it has been proven that women with lower or no income tend to have more children. That in turn leads to more poverty and a larger draw on resources. Humans must start thinking more about population control.

When economies collapse there is no investment made in science, conservation, infrastructure, medicine, etc., because there are no tax dollars to pay for it. Everything, including the planet as a whole, tends to deteriorate. Diseases form and spread. Species vital to the ecological balance become extinct. Crucial "greener" technologies are not developed. Education falls by the wayside. Crime and illegal immigration increases as people fight to survive. Systems get overloaded. Many experts believe the next big world war will be sparked by the need for clean water.

We have to be caretakers of our lands and oceans. We can't simply become greedy, starving nomads, taking more and more without thought or concern for the next generation. We need to be productive and not destructive. We need to be innovators of something other than iPods and 3D movies.

Part of being productive individuals involves employment. Whether being paid for researching a method to fight off the next deadly virus or cleaning our streets to keep them safe to navigate, we need to fully understand that employment is vital to everything and that every job has value.

Without tax dollars from me in this year of my unemployment, the state of Virginia is that much less equipped to pay a state college professor's salary or to hire a park ranger. That professor might have been the person who teaches a student who goes on to cure cancer one day. That park ranger might prevent poachers from creating havoc in a sensitive ecosystem that in turn harms humans in ways we can't even imagine.

The connection between unemployment and global disasters isn't an obvious one at first. We tend to think of unemployment as an individual or personal hardship. But as you begin to realize how closely the dominoes are aligned, you can clearly see why solving the unemployment problem is of the utmost importance in maintaining everything including our freedom as a nation.

There will always be terrorism, health care and other important issues to deal with. But Washington and business people need to understand that rising unemployment is far more dangerous and prevalent than young men with exploding underwear on airplanes. According to some experts, prolonged double-digit unemployment will lead to new "dark ages." At that point, air-travel safety won't be an issue.

In my own Sterling, Va., neighborhood, burglaries are on the rise. I don't think it's a coincidence. I recently heard of a man stealing meat from a nearby grocery store in a fairly affluent suburb. Another sign of troubling times. Job loss leads to desperation. Desperation leads to big problems for society and the planet. Joblessness robs us of hope, order, innovation and a maybe a future on Earth. Joblessness destroys the collective good of mankind and our ability to grow as a culture. When everyone is engaged and contributing, we and the planet are better off. Crime goes down. Ideas are born. A sense of awareness and learning are heightened.

Unemployment isn't just a financial hardship. There is more to life than work, but without employment governments fall and spirits die. Because we are at the crossroads with many other global issues, it's more important than ever to fix the economy and get people back to work so that we can address the other problems we face.

Not even Sharpton backed Arenas

It's been a newsy day in Washington sports. First the new head coach of the Redskins, Mike Shanahan, was rolled out for his introductory press conference. Then just hours later, NBA star guard, Gilbert Arenas, was suspended from the Wizards.

The Arenas situation involving gun play in the locker room was spiraling out of control in recent days. The NBA commissioner finally took action. Read about it here.

One of the most surprising things about the whole Arenas gun-totting mess came a couple days ago when the Rev. Al Sharpton actually said that "Agent 0" wasn't being dealt with harsh enough. Sharpton, who is known for defending folks based on race, actually took a stance against a fellow African-American. Amazing.

The civil rights spokesman's logic was a bit convoluted and still somewhat race-tinged, but I applaud Sharpton for finally using some sense of fairness and rationality in judging right from wrong. In brief, what Sharpton said was that by officials not coming down on Arenas, they were essentially sending a message that gun play is expected and even accepted when it comes to black athletes.

2009 a year of loss and false hope

I don't remember so many well-known folks dying in one year. Here's a partial list of deaths from 2009: Les Paul, Ted Kennedy, Robert Novak, Don Hewitt, Patrick Swayze, Mary Travers, Oral Roberts, Roy E. Disney, Chris Henry, George Michael, John Hughes, Walter Cronkite, Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, David Carradine, Dom DeLuise, Jack Kemp, Bea Arthur, Harry Kalas, Ron Silver, Paul Harvey and James Whitmore.

Of course, this was an unusual year in many ways.

Granted, some of these folks were old. But some died before their time for various reasons. I can't help think that all these deaths were just another small part of a rather dismal year -- a year in which even the most optimistic people were tested by the barrage of bad news and sense of loss. Death comes in many forms, and I think we've all gotten a clearer picture of that this year.

2009 was billed as a year of hope and renewal as President Obama took office. But hope, to a large degree, seemed to die along the way, like the many fallen celebrities listed above. While Obama grades his first year in office fairly well, millions of folks lost their jobs and homes due to the recession. Unemployment shot into double figures despite government bailouts. The health-care reform package has many folks worried as the deficit continues to spiral out of control. And we continue to fund wars that few truly believe in anymore.

All of the deaths we've witnessed this year underscore how short life is no matter if you're a famous actor or just an average citizen. It's difficult to go through hard times like we have this year when one realizes that every day, week and month is precious. Yet, there is no way around day-to-day worries in this climate of increasing financial hopelessness, conflict and global concerns. It's getting harder to smell the roses, harder to unearth new opportunities. There is plenty of evidence to indicate that the economy is not going to turn around anytime soon. And does anyone truly believe we're going to be done with Afghanistan in 18 months? The poor keep getting poorer and the rich get richer. Meanwhile, the middle withers away with each layoff, coffin at Dover and foreclosure notice.

For some folks, it's already too late to rebuild. Talk to someone who has lost a son or daughter in Iraq or has been foreclosed upon in their 60s or 70s. Where do those folks go from here? How does one remain optimistic in Fort Myers, Fla., where every other house is abandoned and there are no jobs as drug dealers and other criminals takeover a once vibrant vacation and retirement community. Talk to a young college student who had to drop out because loans weren't available or his or her parents lost their jobs and couldn't afford tuition. Minorities are being hit particularly hard by the recession as are older folks who have become unemployable despite years of valuable work experience and top-shelf work ethics.

I keep hearing hints of things getting better but see no hard evidence of it. Instead, I only see skewed numbers released by government officials with partisan interests. There seems to be an inordinate number of elected officials these days who not only dance around the truth, but claim victory and success when there is neither. Remember Nancy Pelosi trumpeting big wins for the Democrats during the elections in November, when in fact the biggest races were won by Republicans? How about some political types claiming the system worked when a Nigerian man tried to blow up a Delta jet over the weekend. That was nearly the ultimate failure of security measures and governmental policies. The only thing that saved that plane from being blown up was a faulty explosive device and some quick-thinking passengers who restrained the would-be bomber. It was quite obvious that this was a security breach only rivaled by uninvited guests strolling through the White House this year. But we now live in a society where truth is no longer acceptable if it means egg on an administration's collective face, whether it be in government or even at the top levels of corporate America. We've gone from top officials sticking their heads in the sand to their now saying whatever is obviously contrary to all evidence and reason. I guess if they say it enough they think we will believe it. But I digress...

Many of us have cut back...way back. But there reaches a point where you can only cut so much before life becomes too much of a burden and not enough of a joy. The inconvenient truth of our society is that money drives almost everything, including relationships and self esteem. One can only turn down so many invitations to go out because they have no money to buy a round of beers before life become rather lonely. That loneliness, if prolonged, can lead to many more problems that go well beyond being unemployed.

There are setbacks that not only hurt one's checkbook, but can destroy something within us that allows us to hope, wish and work hard to reach our dreams. When too much is lost through no fault of our own, and it happens time and time again over the course of a lifetime or bad economic drought, it's difficult to rebound or to see any light at the end of the tunnel. Yet, most human beings move on and fight to survive another day. Survive for what, I am not sure. But I guess it's just in all living things to cling to life regardless of circumstances. This recession may make it impossible for some to ever resume their previous lifestyles, but they try to endure, to cope and pray.

Hopefully 2010 will bring a real turnaround for common folks and not just for fat Wall Street investors. We don't need anymore false hope from politicians or self-serving economists. We need to see real improvement such as small businesses hiring and banks lending money to those in a position to help rebuild the economy. We need a government that provides more than Band-Aid solutions. But first these politicians and other policy-makers need to acknowledge how bad things are and how much worse they will get if nothing is done. Bailouts aren't the answer. Fundamental changes to the core of how we conduct ourselves is where the true turnaround will start. When the greed stops, the healing will begin.

As I begin to curtail this blog and ponder the possibilities of the new year, I am rooting for President Obama but know he is just one man with limited powers. My eyes are wide open as I am still not sure Obama has the right stuff to restore America. He has an incredibly tough job ahead in a country that seems to be on the brink of becoming second rate. His next year doesn't appear it will be any easier than the first. And if Obama continues to lose public support, as polls have shown, he won't be able to get much done beyond what he's already initiated. I am hoping he, along with Congress and business leaders, can find ways to get people back to work -- not just in any old jobs -- but in careers similar in stature to the ones they had before this economic collapse. That will improve Obama's popularity and restore national confidence more than the passage of health-care reform or global-warming initiatives, which are good things to pursue, but not quite as relevant in people's everyday lives. If that means giving tax breaks to businesses that hire, so be it. If it means ending wars, then the "hawks" will just have to live with that. We need a strong military but we don't need to fight wars against an enemy we can't see or truly defeat in the manner we're going about it. We can't afford these types of wars anymore.

The time has come to rid ourselves of what is perceived as Republican or Democrat ideas. We must do whatever will work and put aside notions of political alliances and ideals. A sense of fairness and trust must be restored in individuals and collectively as a society. We must recognize how short life is and make the best use of our time for ourselves and for the future of the country. Life should not simply become a game of economic and emotional getting-by in a country that once stood tall and provided the one thing people treasured the most -- hope.

2010 has to be a year when we get down to the business of restoring faith in the economy, government and companies, and make some hard choices about where and how we spend taxpayer money. CEOs need to police themselves and stop creating class warfare and institutional mistrust by splurging on themselves one day, and laying off people the next.

This is an opportunity to get it right -- to make America a more fair and just place. We have to reject greed and reward fiscal responsibility in the private and public sectors. If we simply weather this storm with some flimsy fixes and return to our bad habits, 2009 will soon look like the good old days.

Another child taken

I am never sure why some child abductions and murders make the national news and others don't, but this is a picture of Sarah Haley Foxwell, 11, who was found dead near Salisbury, Md., on Christmas. It's been a story in the Washington area for a few days but doesn't appear to be making national headlines. A registered sex offender has been charged with kidnapping. It seems Sarah was taken from her Eastern Shore bedroom and later killed.

Unfortunately, it's a common story in America but one in which the national media seems to have no set criteria for covering. At times, the major networks will play up these stories almost too intensely, while other times cases like this barely make it into the briefs column on page 27 of a national magazine or newspaper. It's hard to figure how news judgment is so wildly random in these instances. What distinguishes one tragic kidnapping or death from another in the eyes of newsroom editors across the nation?

Regardless, there are simply too many cases of child abuse, abduction and murder in this country. It seems to me that serious sex offenders should never get a second chance at freedom and that parents or guardians who put their kids in danger should be held more accountable before tragedy strikes. Click to read the story.

George Michael dies at 70

George Michael died of cancer today. Nationally, he was known for hosting The George Michael Sports Machine on Sunday nights for many years. Locally, in Washington, D.C., he was the sports anchor at the NBC affiliate (WRC) and a well-known, high-energy media figure.

The thing I remember most about Michael is how he walked away from a new contract offer in 2006 in order to save the jobs of several of his staffers who were going to be laid off by NBC Universal.

"NBC made me an extremely, extremely beyond-my-wildest-dreams offer to stay and sign a new deal," Michael, then 67, said in 2006. "If I have to lay somebody off . . . I have to take the first bullet. It's that simple."

You don't see that sort of selfless integrity much anymore -- at least not in the workplace or when it involves a lot of money. The NBC 4 evening sportscast has never been the same since Michael left.

Keeping it simple escapes us

Healthcare reform has been a noble fight. But it also underscores why this country is so divided and increasingly dysfunctional. It illustrates why whenever you get a large group of people together (in this case Congress) to try to fix something that's broken, you often end up with an even worse result. I saw this same phenomenon while working for a large company.

The longer the fight and the more revisions to the various proposals are dragged out, the more we are moving away from true reform and the closer we are getting to actually creating new financial hardships for millions of people.

In the world of design, simple is often considered best. If designed well, it's more elegant and functional to keep things clean rather than to create clutter. Some mental-health therapists advise folks with anxiety issues to reduce the clutter in their lives. Yet, in most large organizations, including the federal government, simple is never an option. Just look at the tax laws to see a prime example of what happens when the concept of simplicity is abandoned.

At the same time, there is a group of folks in America who would like to do nothing about reforming healthcare. They believe in every man, woman and child for themselves. If people fall through the cracks, so be it. And these hardliners call that liberty. They are usually the same folks who think people should be allowed to smoke in public places and drive at whatever speed they want.

With these opposing forces constantly clashing, it is difficult to create or revise laws to improve our country. Too little government intervention leads to corporate corruption and epic levels of greed. Too much poking around by the feds infringes on the constitution and the reason why this country was formed.

So what's the answer?

I honestly don't know anymore.

Redskins a reflection of owner

John Riggins recently said that Washington Redskins owner, Daniel Snyder, isn't a good guy. Monday night's beat down by the New York Giants is proof of what Riggo was talking about. You see, the Redskins had some momentum late in the season. They were improving. Then last week, after a rare victory in Oakland, and with three games left for players and coaches to make a case for themselves and their jobs for 2010, Snyder brought in a new general manager. And with that odd timing, the end of the coach Jim Zorn-era was all but signed and sealed. Therefore, the team had less motivation to play for Zorn on Monday night. The team lost its incentive, its edge. The distractions created by the front office became too heavy to overcome. And Zorn, a genuinely nice guy, got caught in the Snyder web.

Don't get me wrong -- the previous GM, Vinny Cerrato, needed to be replaced -- but the timing of it appears suspiciously manipulative. It seems feasible that Snyder didn't want Zorn to succeed in these final weeks. A few late wins could drum up public support for keeping Zorn, which Snyder doesn't want to do. So he more than likely had his boy Vinny resign to create a new layer of uncertainty for the head coach and players. It's textbook corporate-like nonsense by another rich guy who thinks messing with people's lives and professions is a birthright. Why didn't Snyder just fire Zorn? Read on.

It's been apparent that Snyder wants Zorn out so he can bring in yet another big-name coach, even though few top-rated coaches would work for Snyder, which should be further evidence of all not being right in the owner's box. But Zorn is a smart cookie and isn't going to leave money owed to him on the table by resigning. Snyder should do the right thing and put Zorn out of his misery. And he should pay Zorn for his remaining contract year.

So when Riggins, the Hall of Fame running back, said disparaging things about Snyder, he was indicating that this is the way some people in power go about their business. They try to embarrass subordinates into quitting so they don't have to pay out contracts. They hide behind lies and deceit. They create an unfair playing field for those who fall out of favor and have an uncanny ability to create a climate of fear and mistrust. And ultimately, the product suffers from all these smoke-and-mirror tactics that have become all too common in businesses of all kinds. In a larger sense, this is why big business in America is failing. Too many top dogs have forgotten how to be human beings first and CEOs second.

The egos of some owners are large enough to believe they can repair the damage they create (see Jerry Jones of the Cowboys). Well, it hasn't happened for this team under this owner as coaches come and go like the seasons. Thousands of fans sat in FedEx Field in freezing temperatures Monday night to watch a team that has been directly or indirectly undermined by its own owner for years. It's not that Snyder wants to have losing seasons or drive away support for the team, it's just that he is pretty much what Riggins said he is. The Redskins are a toy for Snyder who doesn't seem to have that intuitive touch needed to be successful in sports. Being smug doesn't work in sports. It might work on Wall Street or in corporate board rooms for a while, but sports rely more on honesty, hard work and sincerity to motivate employees to physically perform. You have to know that the boss (owner, GM or coach) has your back in order to put your body at risk. Money generally doesn't buy championships in sports that require bravery and heart. "The Dan" confuses desire with heart. He might be a fan of the team, but he's not a good leader of men. His team is a reflection of himself -- profitable and well marketed, but without substance. It doesn't matter who the coach or general manager are as the years under Snyder have proven.

There was no fight in the 'Skins Monday night. They embarrassed themselves on a national stage. A large part of that is on the players. This was not a professional effort. If at least half these players aren't replaced next year, expect a similar record under new GM, Bruce Allen.

By the way, it seems rather obvious that the hiring of Allen was yet another public relations stunt. Allen's father, George, was a beloved Redskins coach, and his brother is a popular Virginia politician. I don't believe Allen's NFL track record is as stellar as Snyder claims. But Snyder knew few would question the hiring. Like many folks in power, Snyder appears to have some sort of need to be liked more than respected. Some folks might even applaud Snyder because of the ties Allen has to the Redskins and Ashburn, Va., where the Redskins train. But is Allen really the answer?

Hopefully, Zorn will soon get back to his native West Coast, either California or Seattle. Two years in D.C. has aged him. The lines on his face have become more obvious. Some bosses and jobs aren't worth that sort of stress, especially as one begins to get older. Zorn is still a hero in Seattle where he is remembered as the best quarterback in Seahawk history. He's still a straight shooter despite two years in Washington -- a place where spin and backstabbing are epidemic. Zorn might not be head-coaching material, but under Snyder, who is? The main reason the inexperienced Zorn got the job two years ago was because no one else wanted it. For the elite, seasoned coaches, there isn't enough money in the world to work for a dysfunctional organization under an owner who has failed to deliver a serious run at a championship or even a decent game-day experience for fans.

Mother Nature exposes our softness

I don't think we have the right stuff anymore. We don't know how to cope with inconveniences or how to tough it out when things don't go according to plan. Take this weekend's snowstorm. Washington has never been a city that reacts well to bad weather. Rain sends people into a frenzy here. You would think Washingtonians would be accustomed to foul weather, but they aren't. I lived in this area in 1979 for one year and it was the same deal then as it is now. No one can drive in anything other than perfect conditions in Northern Virginia, the district or Maryland. Schools close even if there is a forecast of a few inches of snow. And federal offices...well, forget about it. Biggest wimps in the country.

I wonder what it is about Washington that causes panic whenever it snows? Is it because metro-D.C. is a region with people from all over the globe, many of whom might not have ever seen snow? Or is it just a town with too much entitlement?

As I traveled about today, traffic was thick, restaurants and stores were full, and parking lots had very few empty spaces. It appears all those people who couldn't get to school or work found a way to get to other more fun places. It was particularly noteworthy to me because over the three decades of my working life, which ended abruptly last year, I didn't miss work because of bad weather. I drove through snowstorms at all hours of the night and took my responsibilities seriously. I didn't feel better or more special than anyone else. I just felt I was paid to show up at the office and not take the day off to stroll around the mall. It was on me as to how I got to work in bad weather. Just part of being an adult and earning a paycheck. Not everyone I worked with subscribed to my values and saw snow in much the same way a fourth-grader would -- as an opportunity.

I am guessing that people in Albany or Buffalo deal with snow that is far worse than what the mid-Atlantic saw this weekend. And they deal with it several times a year. They go to work. They go to school. They don't whine nonstop on around-the-clock television news reports. I am thinking that folks in Killington, Vt., somehow find their way to their jobs at the ski lodge offices, restaurants, shops and hotels there. And our friends farther north in Canada probably think Americans are totally lame when it comes to coping with bad weather.

We've gotten soft. We panic about everything. We worry about more 9/11's every time a plane soars a little too low. We get sick over the idea of the cable TV going out during Survivor.

Our sense of entitlement and unfounded fear has no bounds. Americans fall apart if the fireworks are rained out on the Fourth of July or a sale item is sold out the day before Christmas. People in the media turn every death from H1N1 into a sensationalized national catastrophe, as if things like "The Plague" never existed. One beheading in the Middle East or a kidnapping in North Korea equals the entire media coverage of World War I.

What are we going to do if a real emergency occurs? Can we handle it? What if an asteroid hits Kansas City and kills 1,000 times more people than 9/11? When the "big one" finally slices through California, will our entire country fall apart? How about if we have to go to war against a real nation with a real military and not just a cult? Could we man up against China? I doubt it.

We better get comfortable with the idea of hardships and toughen up a bit. I see troubling days ahead. If we stop sticking our heads in the sand we might be able to avoid some problems, but not all. Many experts agree that we will get hit by a nuke one day. A lot of people feel the deficit is going to lead to class warfare or worse. Some think factory farming is going to sprout viruses that wipe out millions.

It's a shame that in order to regain perspective and backbone we're going to have to face something much more challenging than a foot or two of snow.

A Larry King-like post

Larry King of CNN wrote weekly columns for USA Today at one point during his career. The columns consisted mostly of a string of unrelated, brief statements and opinions. The columns were mocked by various folks for being shallow. Running the risk of being equally shallow, here are some random thoughts of my own.

I am tired of television news reporters, with zero authority, telling me to stay off the road when it snows or to remain indoors on hot, humid days... If every study imaginable has proven that talking on a cellphone impairs drivers much the way being intoxicated does, it seems beyond obnoxious that so many people continue to do yack away behind the wheel... Bruce Allen, the new GM for the Redskins, has nothing on his resume that tells me he's a winner, despite what team owner, "The Dan," was selling us last week about his new hire... Air conditioning and light bulbs remain the best inventions ever...

Ninety-five percent of what is on television is unwatchable... There is only one "LT" in pro football and that is/was Lawrence Taylor... Former NFL coach, Jon Gruden, praises everyone, which makes him a terribly boring color commentator on Monday Night Football broadcasts... Our country hasn't learned a thing from this recession... Americans and the media place way too much importance on the office of president and don't pay enough attention to the people who really call the shots... I recall my favorite beer being whatever was on sale... Key West was very cool before it became trendy and filled with condos and cruise ships...

Glenn Beck isn't the answer... The best food and comedians come from New York... I hope Tiger Woods stays out of the limelight for the rest of my life... Radio is better than TV... If we really wanted to win the war in Afghanistan, we could do it in about a week... It's difficult for me to pray when I have no idea if anyone is listening... Chocolate ice cream sodas from Carvel are a great childhood memory... I don't get people who say they have no regrets... Seafood should be eaten near the water... Of the 10 neighbors who live closest to me, only four consider English their first language... Ray Romano should be getting better parts in movies...

1992-93 was the worst time in my life; 2008-09 is now officially second... I am in awe of how big and complex the universe is... If it has eyes and cares for its young, we probably shouldn't be eating it... See the movie Idiocracy because, as silly as it might seem, I believe it's a window into the future... Grown men wearing backpacks to work looks silly, particularly in white-collar office environments... Consensus doesn't always yield the best results... Grocery stores are getting too big and take up too much of my time... Something about Madonna's "Tell Me" video still appeals to me, though not much else grabs me about the pop star... The Shining is the best horror film ever made and includes Jack Nicholson's finest performance...

Sean Hannity plays the same tune over and over, yet people continue to listen/watch... The two-party political system doesn't work for us anymore... Anything that gets too big and successful inevitably fails... My pre-season Super Bowl picks (Giants vs. Ravens) aren't looking so good but aren't dead yet... Everyone agrees that the movie Office Space accurately depicts the absurdity of the workplace, yet we continue to accept all the occupational lunacy and cliches in real life...

Seems criminal that trans fat should still exist in any food product... I confess that I am rooting for Brett Favre simply because he's old... Sadly, friendships feel more like rentals than keepsakes... I miss real diners... I discover more clues about the nature of life and death as I get older, yet also have many more questions... Regardless of one's hands-on skills, education level or title, not everyone is suited to manage or lead others... Howard Cosell was right about many things, including the decline of broadcast journalism...

I am drawn to the lights and colors of Christmas but not the materialism... Charlie Brown and Looney Tunes cartoons still hold up very well today... There are too many flavors of almost everything from cheese cake to ice cream, and not enough quality in anything... Smarter phones will put the nail in the coffin of face-to-face, meaningful communications... The only sequel that was equal to if not better than the first movie was Godfather II... An inordinate number of parents these days call their young sons, "buddy"... Why hasn't there been a million-man march on Washington related to unemployment...?

Greed is the root cause of almost every societal problem, yet we continue to focus on the symptoms rather than the cause... Listening to a single song can change my outlook on things, at least for the moment, unlike anything else... I can't get through a week without hearing something about Sarah Palin and marvel at how someone so intellectually vacant might become president... There are some very smart people in the world who claim cures for most cancers would have been discovered by now if not for the misappropriation of funds for research...

I recall a time when it was common knowledge that the left lane was for passing... I kind of like Sen. Joe Lieberman's unwillingness to follow the herd... If money were no object, I'd probably live in Santa Barbara or the Florida Keys... Listening to Frank Sinatra while having a nice dinner in either Baltimore or New York's "Little Italy" is a good way for me to reconnect to certain parts of past... Coffee shops should ban notebook computers, phones and children, and promote reading, conversation and the arts... Sunday Night Football on NBC is a solid broadcast from start to finish...

No more houses should be built until the ones for sale are sold... Let's give a tax break to businesses that hire folks... According to a recent study, Florida is the third happiest state; Virginia and Maryland weren't even in the top 20... Hard to believe that much of the Washington-area will be closed this week as a result of the weekend snowstorm... Would Jimi Hendrix still be playing if he were alive today, or would he have taken the Grace Slick route and bowed out before he got too old...?