Ah, family

Two items in the Times today.

One, an article called "the bank of mom and dad" - all about the trend of parents to continue supporting their children after the children have completed their educations, have their own apartments, and jobs. Some parents continue to give their children allowances - others pay car insurance - others buy apartments and pay rent. Although the old folks instilled in me that once I was ready to be released, I would be on my own save for a dire emergency -- it appears that roughly 1/3 of all parents of young adult children in this country continue to pay for a portion if not all of their children's life styles. I was scoffing in my monkey scoff when I read that parents will often earmark their contributions for food or rent and expect the children to pay for their drinking or vacation habits. (I have always been of the mind set that you pay your rent and food first and then look at what you have left over to determine drinking or vacation habits.)

But, the real moment of "WTF?" came at the end of the article when a mother said that four years ago, her gainfully employed, independent son got a dog and she told him that he was gone too much for a dog -- so she ponies up $16 a day (A DAY!) for doggie day care. (Some quick calculations - that's roughly what locals pay for full time day care for their human children.)

Then, I read about the Granny Peace Brigade whose trial in Manhattan started yesterday. This group of women, all over 60 and at least one in her early 90s, were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. They went, in group, to an army recruiting office and tried to enlist. They feel that their life experience qualifies them for active duty in the war more than a young person just getting their bearings in life. For some reason, the army didn't seem interested. So, the Grannys staged a sit-in and were arrested. I swelled with pride and clapped to myself at their genius. They have a lifetime of observations and experience. If we can elect pasty old white men to run the country, then perhaps we ought to be listening to the old ladies who have been around so long too. They feel that it is their patriotic duty to participate in our political system. Their action was nothing short of the traditional American protest -- the type of protest that gave the finger to the king nearly over 200 years ago.

GO GRANNIES GO!!!