Tonight I attended the first public meeting of the Metro Independent Business Alliance. It's an interesting concept: supporting locally owned independent business as opposed to the huge chain stores. I signed up, even though it meant consorting with evil profit-motivated small business owners. :-0!!!! At least I managed to convince the organizers to halve the membership fee for nonprofits and co-ops. Whoopie!

Today, Terry Schaivo finally passed over after 15 years in a vegetative state. The media circus surrounding this situation has been outrageous. This poor woman's parents have turned what should be a personal, private situation into a dog and pony show to support their political agenda. For the life of me, I will never understand those people who support a set of parents who have stated, for the record, that they have absolutely no obligation or concern about their daughter's personal opinions.

My understanding of parenthood is that it is a duty, not a property right. My beautiful grown-up daughters are not my private property to do with as I see fit. They are individuals with rights and responsibilities like all other citizens. My privilege of directing their personal decisions ended when they became responsible, intelligent adults. I may not agree with their choices, but that isn't their problem; it's mine. Those people who would turn TS's vegetative body over to a set of parents who see nothing wrong with parading their personal family struggles in front of the national media day in and day out, have got to be friggin' morons.