Last week, the Obama Justice Department declined to press charges against former Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner -- even though there was overwhelming evidence that she had targeted conservative groups and may have been complicit in destroying her emails.

She also waived her Fifth Amendment privilege by proclaiming her innocence before a congressional committee and then refused to answer questions.

It is possible that for some unknown reason Ms. Lerner's case should have been dropped, but to many it appeared that once again President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder were applying the rule of law selectively.

The rule of law breaks down when those charged with enforcing the law are, in fact, violators of it. Politicians have increasingly exempted and declined to prosecute themselves and other government employees for violations of the law that apply to the rest of us.

How do we get them to obey their own laws? Here are two ways.

For some, happiness is a word that conjures up visions of selfish people concerned only with their own pleasure; but this sort of hedonistic approach to happiness is a recipe for serial bursts of pleasure at the expense of long-term happiness.

As you know, when I speak of happiness, I am describing a much richer concept; more akin to what the ancient Greeks called eudaimonia or "success at being human."

One of the central elements for living well is how you relate to other people. In this regard, happiness is literally the opposite of self-centeredness or self-absorption. In fact, contrary to many Las Vegas advertisements or Hollywood-lifestyle fantasies, self-absorption is a key ingredient for depression, and single-minded focus on personal pleasure is a recipe for long-term misery.

So here's the single most effective thing you can do to get an immediate and significant boost to your genuine happiness - and to set the stage for a deeper, long-term happiness as well. It's simple. It's not mysterious. But it is substantial:

We'll get to what you can do in a moment, but first we're going to talk about bear fat.

From time immemorial, the Apache Indians in what is now Arizona have had a fool-proof way of determining if the coming winter would be cold or mild.  Sometime around October or so, they go into the mountains and shoot a bear.  They stopped using arrows to do this a long time ago.

Skinning out the bear, they examine its fat layer under the skin.  If it's thin and less viscous, the winter will be mild;  the thicker and more viscous, the colder the winter will be.  The Apaches on bear hunts over the past few weeks report the latter.

Ask ranchers out West, and they'll tell you that the coats of coyotes, ground squirrels, horses, cows, and any other critter with fur or a hide that lives outdoors are thicker this fall.

You'd be wise to pay attention to the Apaches and the ranchers, to the bears and coyotes, in preparing for this winter, rather than Algore and the glowarmers, or you are going to freeze your tush off. 

The Jade Steps

Chapter Twenty-Five:  Prisoner In His Palace 

As they were returning to their quarters in the Palace of Axayacatl, Cortez announced, "If we cannot yet say Mass and have a chapel upon that temple, then at least for now we must be able to do so where we are housed.  Doña Marina, please send a request to Montezuma asking that we be allowed to build this chapel in his father's palace."

When word came quickly back that the request was granted, Cortez assigned his best carpenter, Alonso Yañez, to the task.  Early the next morning, Yañez, escorted by Juan Velasquez de Leon and Francisco de Lugo, interrupted the morning meal of Cortez and Malinali.  "Captain, we have found something you should see," he said.

Yañez brought them into a small room.  "We thought that this room would be appropriate for our chapel," he explained.  He walked over to one of the room's walls.  "Then I noticed something strange.  You can see that there is fresh plaster and paint here, most likely covering up a door.  A door to what we think is a hidden room."

Without hesitation, Cortez responded, "Señor Yañez, you are to be congratulated for your sharp eyes.  Let us open this hidden door."

Cortez called for torches.  Bernal appeared with lit torches for all just as Yañez and his assistant broke through the plastered doorway.  Cortez was the first to step into the black entrance of the sealed room, followed by de Leon, de Lugo, Malinali, Yañez, and Bernal.