Economists and politicians can debate whether extending unemployment benefits is a needed crutch in hard times or whether doing so discourages too many people from searching wholeheartedly for work. Society, though, might gain from a different approach. It is an approach that I believe the author of the words, “with malice toward none; with...
Well. You certainly had a lot to say! When I wrote about 16 year old Abby Sunderland’s solo boat trip, I didn’t realize how passionately many of you felt on the subject – and how your opinions would fall on both sides of the issue. Assuming that Abby’s parents were loving and conscientious, I...
An air of confusion hangs over Alvin Greene’s victory in the South Carolina Democratic primary. The candidate for the U.S. Senate seemingly came out of nowhere to receive 59% of the vote. Allegations of dirty tricks have been made, but so far none have been substantiated. Anecdotal evidence suggests that many did indeed...
Reading an article in Saturday’s Wall Street Journal entitled, “The Case for More Kids,” gave me the impression its real headline should have been, “Having Kids Isn’t as Bad as You Might Think, but It’s Still Pretty Bad.” A sunny, optimistic view of family it was not. Maybe I am overly sensitive but phrases...
. “…it seems everybody is eager to pounce on my story now that something bad has happened.” We spent a fair amount of time in the car last week, which included listening to more radio news than usual. At the time, newscasters were fixated on Abby Sunderland, the 16 year old sailor...
Have you ever seen the TV show, Gossip Girl? Well, I haven’t, which means that I went out on a limb a bit by mentioning it in the title of a presentation I am giving in a few weeks, “Building a Little House on the Prairie Home in a Gossip Girl World.” I thought...
Modest: Observing conventional proprieties in behavior, speech and dress So says my Webster dictionary. But what in the world does it mean? In today’s world exactly what are the conventional proprieties? I believe a hat is necessary if you are a lady invited to join Queen Elizabeth for a garden party at Buckingham...
Two women were having a loud conversation, one which everyone in the vicinity overheard. Their voices were passionate; their convictions firm. The political candidate under discussion was an arrogant, self-serving liar. How could anyone possibly support him? There was only one glitch. Both women were so eager to express their opinion that they hadn’t listened...
I didn’t recognize any of the people working at my community’s library today. I still get surprised when that happens. Despite being aware of the policy changes that were instituted a while back, I just cannot get accustomed to not knowing the staff. Over the years, our library system has announced a number...
On Sunday, I had the car radio on and heard a report of Hillary Clinton’s upcoming appearance on 60 Minutes, including a direct quote. Are you as amazed and incredulous as I was at her words? I came home and wrote the following. Imagine this scenario. On your way to bed, you notice...
