Guido the plumber and Michelangelo obtained their marble from the same quarry, but what each saw in the marble made the difference between a nobleman's sink and a brilliant sculpture.

The early days of the end of the Clintonian control of the Democratic Party will be times when there are many opportunities for people and organizations to jump into the openings in the power hierarchy that is forming.

My hope is that Barack Obama will make a serious long term commitment to bringing many more women, minorities and young people into leadership positions within the Democratic Party. That's the way to plan for the future. The US faces some incredibly rough challenging times ahead.

We encounter the grinding wheels that sharpen our mental blades many places in life. Adversity, school, parents, spiritual guides, books, experience are all sharpening teachers. As we grow older, to stay sharp we must find new grindstones to whet and sharpen our potential and keep us at our brightest, most penetrating best.

The heart holds answers the brain refuses to see.