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I know someone who has been in AA for thirty years and is proud of not having touched alcohol for as long. I used to think that this was admirable. I still think that it is admirable: for someone who is falling down drunk on a regular basis and destroying his/her life and the lives of others as s/he falls down drunk on a regular basis and becomes totally incapacitated. I had an outrageous thought recently, though, about this person who has thirty years of abstinence: "Have a drink." I came upon this thought, one that is surely less than professional, because C.

I watched an incredibly moving documentary on the life of Beethoven recently. He spoke of suicide several times in his life, before much of his greatest music was composed. Progressive deafness, poor health, financial problems, difficult personal relationships, particularly with women, all contributed to his life struggle. He was in his fifties when he died.

Last week I attended a day-long program entitled "Media, Money and the Quest for Democracy's Soul". The speakers and panelists had very impressive credentials, and though most were from the East Coast, at least one came from Brigham Young University in Salt Lake City. College Professors, NBC and CBS and Huffington Post and Politico were represented. The youngest panelist could claim that he managed the on-line campaign communications for both Perry and Gingrich. All were seasoned at what they do.

Just about the first thing a new neighbor did upon arriving at his recently acquired condo was to install bamboo, roll up blinds. The blinds are a necessity due to his west facing view and with a long afternoon of hot sun baking his terrace. My neighbor is a gracious host, so frequently friends and neighbors drop by after work and early evening at his invitation to sip a glass of sangria.

We are in full swing with the opposition party primaries in the dash for the White House in this fall’s election. A powerful, and sad, part of the rhetoric are statements regarding going to war against Syria and or Iran. This brave bravado is usually referred to as ‘Rattling Sabers’ and the folks making these flag waving, drum roll statements are people who have not served nor will ever serve in the military. And all call themselves Christians. This kind of talk is popular, unfortunately, and always crowd pleasing.

We are in full swing with the opposition party primaries in the dash for the White House in this fall’s election. A powerful, and sad, part of the rhetoric are statements regarding going to war against Syria and or Iran. This brave bravado is usually referred to as ‘Rattling Sabers’ and the folks making these flag waving, drum roll statements are people who have not served nor will ever serve in the military. And all call themselves Christians. This kind of talk is popular, unfortunately, and always crowd pleasing.

FORSYTHIA: You said, take a few dry* sticks, cut the ends slantwise* to let in water, stick them* in the old silver cup on the* dresser in the spare room and* wait for the touch of Easter.** But a cold wave protected the* snow, and the sap's pulse beat* so low underground I felt no* answer in myself except silence.* You said, winter breaks out in*

I have been reading (slowly) a book by Gene D. Cohen called THE MATURE MIND and sub-titled "The Positive Power of the Aging Brain". Cohen ia an M.D. and a Ph.D., but more than that he appears - at least based on the text of this book - to exemplify alot of what his research tells us about getting older. According to the book blurb, Dr. Cohen served as "first chief of the Center on Aging at the National Institute on Mental Health," and currently is at George Washington University in D.C. One piece of his work explains, in the language of brain research, that we mellow with age.

ConnectedWarriors is a relatively new program that offers free yoga classes to service members, veterans and their families. It receives a limited federal grant as it is listed as a 501(c)3 organization but is funded primarily by private donations. It is, so far, being taught at thirteen locations in Florida, two sites in Kentucky and one in Tennessee.