Combining slapstick humor at the expense of lazy cops; international intrigue and espionage at the highest levels of government; and a dose of serious political commentary, the moral of Leif Persson's novel is simple. As Pogo said, "We have met the enemy and he is us."

As a storyteller who uses photography and text, I seek to discover masterful creators with similar visions. Shaun Tan is an Australian artist whose work combines excellent draftmanship, keen observation, and emotion.

Farming, music, and a dream: what a great combination for life. Albert Appel is a musician and farmer. His life, an example of nurturing growth, is celebrated with a glowing portrait and a lucid, sensitive biography by Lorelei Sontag. http://i.imgur.com/rsVln.jpg

As I read the last page, I was overtaken by a sense of loss and of homesickness for the people and the place.

My grown children amaze and delight me. I learn from them all the time. I am proud, though their achievements and wisdom are their own. I share with you an essay by my daughter, Elana; somehow each of her blog posts touches me. Perhaps you will also find inspiration from her.

Elana's thoughts on 9/11: "On a day like this" http://elanahalberstadt.wordpress.com/2012/09/11/on-a-day-like-today-re…

This is a collection of references that deal with bullying of and by senior citizens: what it is, how it emerges, how to control and extinguish it, and how to create a better environment.

To create a virtual peer-to-peer support network to combat bullying of seniors

• To provide meaningful peer support for seniors living with bullying in subsidized housing for the elderly and disabled. Including practical ways to empower seniors to protect themselves and to advocate for themselves: we will seek to provide support, information and education, and to share tested ideas.

A petition for legislation, administrative rules, and oversight to correct the abuse

Introduction

Elders living in subsidized residences frequently are subject to abuse, harassment, and bullying by other residents and/or by staff. Residents in these out-of-control buildings are constantly under siege from bullying, causing them to suffer from stress and related conditions such as depression, high-blood pressure, stroke, and possibly suicide, and have nowhere to turn for relief. This is a petition seeking legislative and administrative remedies. Please join and help make a difference.

Mytown, a typical small city north of Boston, MA, faces an energy challenge. We now depend largely on carbon-based sources of energy, and these pose major challenges: they are expensive and costs are uncertain, supplies are vulnerable, and the use of fossil fuels threatens society as well as all forms of life through greehnouse gases and global warming. The opportunity is to transition to renewable sources of energy that can save money while reducing harm to the environment.

Guns that belong in a war zone, movies that glorify violence, and a deranged mind. Result: heartbreak http://tinyurl.com/c4kp99z (image of heartbreak)