"The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map to True Riches," by Jeff Yeager (Broadway Books, $12.95) ...more

March 8, 2009

I recently read a report by the executor of the estate of a man who died in 1872. It surprised me when I saw an entry for $28.13 paid in 1873 for "insurance on house." Why had I thought of home insurance as a modern-day thing? ...more

June 15, 2008

She told him he was a bad husband, and things only got worse from there. ...more

May 28, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY -- A 63-year-old man was arrested Monday evening, accused of running over his wife — twice. Benjamin Franklin Lee, of 9512 Gatun St., is being held without bail at the Land O' Lakes Jail on a charge of aggravated domestic battery. ...more

May 27, 2008

AVON PARK – One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning recently awarded a franchise to Spencer Whitmire, who converted his business into a franchise with the company. "I am very excited to see how much I can accomplish with a national brand name backing me up," Whitmire said. "This is just the beginning, and I am confident that with this new partnership, I can grow my business beyond my previous expectations. It's great to know that I am with a company that wants to see me succeed." Franchised under Clockwork Home Services Inc., One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning is a nationwide network of exceptional, time-conscious, courteous, highly competent HVAC professionals, Whitmire said. The businesses, like the one in Avon Park, are locally owned and operated and its technicians are experienced, trained and highly knowledgeable, Whitmire added. According to a press release from the company, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning ranks first as the nation's fastest-growing franchise according to Franchise Times magazine's "Fast 55" list (2007) and ranks fifth on Entrepreneur magazine's list of Top New Franchises (2008). ...more

May 10, 2008

Patrons of Centennial Park Library on Tuesday were visited by a facsimile of Benjamin Franklin, one the nation's Founding Fathers and the person responsible for the first public lending library. The portrayal of Franklin was courtesy of Rich Davis of Charleston, S.C. Promoting reading, Davis asked questions throughout his presentation and gave out bookmarks for correct answers. He will bring his presentation to the New River Library on Thursday at 4 p.m. Davis will talk about the life and times of Franklin and his achievements, and will re-enact a science experiment. ...more

January 23, 2008

The Patriot Act was not intended to circumvent basic civil rights. The purpose of the Patriot Act is to better assist U.S. law enforcement in fighting terrorism here in the United States and abroad. Remember Sept.11? The initial act was voted for by the Senate 98 to 1, one of the few decisions agreed upon by both Republicans and Democrats. The act breaks down the barrier between the CIA and FBI so they can share information about terrorists. Perhaps had that been done earlier, we would have avoided the Sept.11 attack and saved 3,000 innocent American lives. Many of the objections regarding the Patriot Act are actually allowed under previous and existing law, i.e., tools already used against drug dealers and other criminals. The act basically expanded them to cover terrorism and accordingly, made our nation safer. ...more

January 6, 2008

More than 200 years after they were written, huge portions of the papers of America's founding fathers are still decades away from being published, prompting a distinguished group of scholars and federal officials to pressure Congress to speed the process along. ...more

December 15, 2007

I survived another Thanksgiving with all the trimmings. The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage has outdone herself once again with our Thanksgiving dinner. I still do not know how she accomplishes this feat. Each year her dinner is more fabulous than the last. ...more

November 22, 2007