Every now and then the craving for Publix fried fish is so overwhelming that it can't be ignored, and this week it hit and I couldn't. While waiting at the deli counter, I noticed the boxes of chicken waiting to be purchased and the writing on the stick-on labels. There is a cooked time and a sell-by time, so naturally I wondered what happens to the chicken if it is not sold by that time. I know Kroger marks theirs down, but after that I have no clue; therefore, I had to ask at Publix. If the sell-by time passes, leaving the chicken there, they throw it away. They don't mark it down; they don't donate it to charity; they just throw it away. What a colossal waste of food and money, especially when some hungry person or persons could use it. It's their policy, or so I was told, and it makes no sense to throw away good food. If any of you watched Undercover Boss on the Sunday that the CEO of 7-Eleven was on, you know even 7-Eleven donates leftover food items to a food bank, and you would think that Publix, being owned by its workers, would want to do the same.

It's amazing how dependent we become on things. Thursday night, as many know, the power went out in one grid for over an hour. Just as the "Final Jeopardy" question was to be revealed, all went dark. SCE&G is usually so fast making repairs, I expected no more than 30 minutes of dark. Therefore, I lit my two candles and maneuvered about with the only working flashlight until it became obvious it was going to be longer than that. There was not enough light to read by, could not wash dishes or clothes, could not log-in to check e-mails and, of course, having the triple play, could not use the phone to commiserate with others. After close to an hour, I took myself out to my car, started it, clicked on the overhead light, turned on the heat and read Stephen King in the blackness of my neighborhood; yes, I locked the car doors after a few chapters. Isn't it astounding how spoiled we all are?

Here we go again. Our government has promised financial aid to Chile. Once again I ask the question; what possible reason, other than humanitarian, could there be for this? Once again I must point out the wastelands on the Gulf of Mexico that still exist and the number of people in this country who are losing everything due to the economy and unemployment rate. When is the help for our own going to happen?