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[<eureka AT hctc.net>]

It's easy to get pessimistic about the future. I think 
there is a good and bad side to pessimism: The good side 
is that it can keep you on your toes and prepared; however 
it can also lead to severe depression if you don't have 
hope. I think the economic disasters we are seeing are 
largely the result of how Americans have been living, but 
eight years of King George have certainly brought about a 
quickened demise to life as we've known it. Maybe this is 
an opportunity in disguise.

I'm not pleased with our lame Democratic senate either, 
and whoever becomes the next President is going to be 
inheriting a mess that will take more than a couple terms 
to repair. The problems will have to be addressed and 
solved by an entire nation changing how they live and what 
they expect from life, a redefining of what is "enough" 
and what makes them happy. One of the reasons I am voting 
for Obama is I think he can instill hope and inspire 
people to change at a grassroots level.

I think we will personally get by OK. We are starting a 
local food co-op group as a community building effort to 
address the local concern over food. This gives us hope.

Has anyone read Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities 
and the Durable Future by Bill McKibben? My husband is 
reading it and says it's right-on, all about 
bio-regionalism. I'll read it next.

"A hopeful manifesto...an inspiring book that shows us not 
only the way we need to live, but also the way we should 
want to."--Boston Globe
"What makes McKibben's book stand out is the completeness 
of his arguments and his real-world approach to 
solutions." --USA Today
"McKibben's round-the-world reporting and thoughtful 
analysis give great weight to both his warnings and his 
prescriptions for change..."--Christian Science Monitor

--Sage