What's Next?

Tavis Smiley came home to south Georgia this evening to share a message that gave me and, I hope, the rest of the audience a clearer picture of Martin Luther King, Jr. I am old enough to remember King, but it surprised me when Smiley reminded the packed house at Georgia Southern University's Performing Arts Center that King led the civil rights movement at 26, and received the Nobel Prize for Peace in his early 30s. He was shot dead at 39, and his death has been the force that kept the civil rights movement focused on the future. Smiley, an African-American radio and television personality who has captured the voice and feel of America, pointed out that Martin Luther King would have been 80 this year. "And he would still be seeking justice for all and holding all Americans, both black and white, accountable to advance the cause of justice." Noting that many Americans were delighted to be preparing for the inauguration of America's first African-American president, Smi...

My dream job is finally available. FBI, here I come! When I logged on to CNN today and found that the FBI is hiring, ( cnn.com/2009/CRIME/01/05/fbi.hiring.binge/index.html ) my heart tripped the tango. I've always wanted to follow in the steps of one of my literary heroes, Mrs. Pollifax, the delightful grandmotherly woman who gets assignments that take her all over the world as a courier and spy. Ooops. Wait, it's the CIA that sends people all over the world. The FBI handles problems in the U.S. Okay, I can still live with that. Apparently this is the largest job posting for FBI agents since 2001, and it includes openings for more than 2,000 support personnel as well. I wonder if the FBI is trying to hire some of the financial folks and automakers who got pink-slipped at the end of 2008? Or is bail-out money going to the FBI? When most employers--including state governments--are letting people go, where does the FBI get money for new hires? The lengthy list of openings includes...

There's an old saying that the year will go the way the stock market goes for the first week of January. I hope that's true, because today's market went above 9,000 for the first time since November. Any ray of sunshine helps! I was delighted to say goodbye to 2008, which was a tough year all the way around. While I dealt with the death of friends and family and a job change, many Americans faced mortgage foreclosures, job losses, and economic failure. I count myself lucky to be employed, and I am especially looking forward to my first grandchild in 2009. So other than a grandchild, what do I think 2009 will bring? Here are my predictions and educated guesses: 1. Barack Obama will show us that he has more good sense, common sense, and downright intelligence than any president since Franklin Roosevelt. He has already demonstrated this by choosing cabinet-level staff that are experienced and educated in their areas and willing to work together. With a "can do" staff...