In the hustle and bustle of daily life, few people take the time to consider where they are going or where they have been—until some personal upheaval jolts their sphere of activities and forces them to focus, however briefly, on the purpose of it all.

Many do not pay much attention to where they are on the road of life until they approach “middle age.” Some face middle age with calm and aplomb. Others, seeing where they are, become anxious—and may even panic.

Gulnaz is a young Afghan woman who was sentenced to twelve years in prison for reporting that she had been raped by her cousin’s husband.  Assaulted two years ago, she hid the crime for fear of reprisal, until signs of pregnancy forced her to report the attack.  Thankfully, after two years of imprisonment and mounting international pressure on the Afghan government, she was released from incarceration.  Now, tragically, she faces pressure to marry the man who previously attacked her! What can she do? What can be done to help her?

EU Vice President Neelie Kroes invited Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg to Brussels “to advise on how to provide ongoing support to Internet users, bloggers and cyber-activists living under authoritarian regimes.”  He has been living in the U.S. for the last several months in a type of self-imposed exile, while working with a major political think tank.

The winter tide festivities continue on, with people moving almost mindlessly through them—looking neither left nor right, only onward to the end of them, full of parties, food, drink and maxed-out credit cards.

In just a few more days it will be the New Year and the glut of holiday celebrations will cease and we all can get back to normal—at least until Valentine's Day, Easter, Mardi Gras, etc.

The Dover Air Force Base mortuary near Dover, Delaware, handles the bodies of military personnel killed in overseas operations.  A recent investigation revealed that the Air Force dumped partially cremated remains of 274 personnel into a nearby landfill.  This apparently happened even after families had asked the Air Force to handle their dead loved ones with respect.