Aging

I have a big birthday next Saturday, the 62nd. I start getting Social Security in January. It is a cliche but I really don't feel any older than I did 20 years ago. In fact I feel better than I did just 4-5 years ago. Three and a half years of retirement plus losing 75 pounds in the last year has left me feeling really good.

There was a photo in the Sunday paper of a 105 YO veteran of WWI who attended a Veteran's Day ceremony in Virginia. He is one of the only 13 known remaining WWI veterans and is quoted as saying maybe he'll attend next year too (the last time he went to one was 30 years ago). I think I'll shoot for 105. I'm enjoying life so why not?

Ethics?

I see in the news that a staffer for Republican Senate Lincoln Chaffee has been suspended without pay for using a Senate computer to send emails criticizing the senator's opponent. The news item notes that while not illegal, such use of a Senate computer violates ethical rules.

So what about the president devoting 8-10 days to running around the country campaigning for congressional candidates while being paid by taxpayers to run the country? What about the use of Air Force 1, numerous Secret Service personnel and presidential staffers? That is a vastly larger expense to the taxpayer than sending any number of campaign emails yet no one is suggesting it is unethical use of taxpayer money for partisan advantage. Perhaps we are not supposed to notice.