Opinion

“May you live in interesting times.” – a saying often misattributed as an ancient Chinese curse. Years ago, when I was in middle management, my subordinates and I were entitled to two 10-minute breaks daily.

About 1 million Texans over the age of 45 who receive health insurance coverage through the federal Affordable Care Act will likely face monthly premiums of more than $1,000, the Austin American- Statesman reported. That accounts for one-fourth of the state’s 4 million ACA enrollees.

“Oh, baby, I’m gonna love you forever/ Forever and ever, amen” – as sung by Randy Travis. When I was a second-grader, I was fascinated by the short-lived ABC sitcom “The Second Hundred Years.” In the far-fetched program, Monte Markham played a 33-year-old Alaskan “gold rush” prospector who was buried in a glacial avalanche and preserved in suspended animation for 67 years.

When the longest federal shutdown brought the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to a standstill, it exposed a truth we cannot afford to ignore: hunger doesn’t wait for politicians to settle their disagreements. And when government grinds to a halt, it’s hard-working families and the most vulnerable who feel the impact first and most painfully.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday blocked a lower court ruling that threw out the state’s new congressional map, allowing the new districts to stay in place, at least for now. A federal panel, by a 2-1 vote, said a few days earlier that the new map was racially gerrymandered.

Thanksgiving is a myth? According to Smithsonian Magazine, our beloved holiday actually has two histories: one real and one largely made up. Naturally, we celebrate the made-up version.

More than four-fifths of Texas public schools received an ‘A’ rating for their financial practices, according to the Texas Education Agency, which released the final financial accountability ratings for the latest school year last week.

Don’t hate me because I’m stationary. Yes, the Tyrees are anticipating another laid-back, close-to-home Thanksgiving.

Texas voters approved all 17 constitutional amendments on the ballot last week, the Houston Chronicle reported. Those included measures to raise the homestead exemption and reduce property taxes for businesses, and to provide $1 billion annually for a statewide water fund.

My morning routine: wonder, “How many business ventures has Elon Musk launched in the time it took me to microwave this sausage patty?” My evening routine: read Terri Libenson’s “The Pajama Diaries” comic strip, in which protagonist Jill Kaplan is often shamed by the well-intentioned SuperMom neighbor she has dubbed “Perfectville.” It can be a SuperMom, SuperDad, SuperSibling or Super-Colleague, but I imagine most of us endure a “Perfectville” in our lives. They are good people and handy to have around in a pinch; but their boundless optimism, energy, skill sets, luck (“I donated my PowerBall winnings to the Humane Society and could have donated even more if I had actually purchased a ticket”), free time and bankroll are aggravatingly intimidating.