My mother was very strong. Once she picked up a coconut and smashed it against my father's head. It taught me about women defending themselves and not collapsing in a heap.

Cause and effect the riddle of all history is a particular devil in financial history and never more so than today where entire classes of security are collapsing not on public exchanges and stock-tickers but because there are no markets to establish prices this side of nothing.

One thing I've been happy as peach pie about - because I'm all about the children and the happiness of a woman because that makes the happiness of the home - is that nannies day cares and babysitters are all collapsing which is forcing moms and dads to raise their children at home.

Time after time we're told corporations should have freedom from pesky job safety regulations environmental protections and labor standards - giving working people the freedom to be crushed in collapsing mines choke on filthy air and get paid too little to live on.

I was married to someone who wanted me to change. Become more adult more responsible. I began not to like myself not like what I do. I lost my identity. Everything began collapsing around me.