Isn't that a great question to think about at the beginning of the Brave New Year? What's your answer?

Who says we have no royalty in America? I've waited to weigh in on Caroline Kennedy's come-lately bid for political office because I'm fascinated by the competing arguments. I almost don't want them to end in the decision about who'll fill Hillary Clinton's seat as the junior senator from New York, once she's confirmed as secretary of state. But decide Governor David Paterson must.

This is a story to warm your heart this holiday season. It's a story of a sister who cared enough to combat injustice publicly. It's a lesson in how to answer the question "So what are we going to do about it?" by giving those responsible for the injustice some serious heartburn. It's a tale of hanging in there long enough to be effective in fomenting the change that's needed to bring about fairness and justice.

They always disappoint you, these politicians. I tend to be a bit of a Pollyanna or at least a cockeyed optimist even after all these years of political involvement. And though Obama's appointments have sometimes been thrilling, sometimes worrying; I figured we needed to cut the guy some slack; he's got a mighty hard job in front of him after all, and it is critically important that he be successful.

That Warren Buffett's bio is called The Snowball inadvertently has application also to the gathering speed of women's intention to share the nation's economic pie. We already know that the economy's downturn disproportionately affects women. But a number of