Iwas weeding through my closet, as I need to do much more often than I do. I bring my used clothing to my parent’s house, up north, because they have a very nice thrift store that employs developmentally disabled people. It appears my old clothes find new owners quickly, so I don’t feel as bad about dumping my ill-considered clothing choices.
The government shutdown lasted 40 days before Senate Democrats abandoned the filibuster that closed offices, left workers without paychecks, threatened supplemental food benefits for millions, saw the beginning of a gradual shutdown of the commercial aviation system, and much more. The question is: Why did those Democrats hold out for so long? Why did they stubbornly play a losing hand even as millions of Americans suffered?
DEAR HARRIETTE: My boyfriend recently moved in with me, and ever since then, my cat’s behavior has completely changed. She’s been acting out: scratching furniture, hiding for hours and even refusing to eat sometimes. She used to be calm and affectionate, but now she seems anxious and territorial. My partner is trying to be patient, but I can tell he’s getting frustrated, especially since the cat hisses at him whenever he walks by or tries to sit near me.
When George W. Bush ran for president in 2000, he faced a widespread public perception that he was callow and inexperienced, even though he was 54 years old and the governor of Texas. That’s not an unheard-of situation in presidential politics; the solution is for the less-experienced candidate to pick an older and more experienced running mate to give the ticket some gravitas. That is what Bush did.









