Who says escapes don't cure an ailing spirit?

A friend boarded a plane on November 3rd and flew to Hawaii. Today she really rubbed it in with this message:

Aloha Nina,

Maybe you could use some distance from the political bog to gain some perspective. Here on Hawai'i, we don't even receive the NY Times until a day later. By then, the news is old -- so who cares? Who needs to see photos of the smarmy smirk on Bush's face? We are busy contemplating which umbrella drink to order and which beach chair to choose. Mandate? Our only mandate is to notice the gorgeous view from the hotel room lanai: