One week ago one of my oldest and best friends died. I internalize my grief as stress; as I have a heart condition, this is unfortunate. My heart literally hurts with the loss of my friend. I have observed a curious phenomenon: he is more present to me now in his absence. 

Admonition

So, after all the posturing, gaffes, mudslinging, distractions, lies, character assassination, punditry, ad nauseam...we vote Tuesday (that is, those of us who haven't already). Seldom has an election been of such consequence. Do we change horses or do we just change saddles? I would advise voters to get out of their comfort zones and actually research and investigate; of course, I doubt they will. After all, more people vote for American Idol than vote for president. Now, don't get me wrong; I've never approved of universal suffrage. I wouldn't deny the vote to women or blacks or any other voting bloc; I would deny the vote to the damn fools who vote for somebody because they'd like to have a beer with them. We're not voting for a sidekick; we're voting for the commander-in-chief and the leader of the free world. Get a grip, people!