On a quiet road in Dover, in the middle of 21/2 acres with a lake out back, 54-year-old Merle McAlpin puts the finishing touches on another batch of elegant walking canes. It is a pastoral scene. ...more

March 11, 2009

It's well past Valentine's Day and none of the leading presidential candidates have come around with a heart-shaped box of candy seeking my endorsement. (Ron Paul did show up, but he was delivering a pizza.) ...more

February 17, 2008

The signs were manifest. The literal ones: "Florida (heart) Straight Talk." "Tampa Loves McCain." "Florida Stands With McCain." "Veterans For McCain." "Supporting The Mac: Martinez, Crist, Stallone." (Take that, Chuck Norris.) And, interestingly enough, "McCain Protecting Your Pocketbook" and "McCain = Prosperity." ...more

February 6, 2008

The signs were manifest. The literal ones: "Florida (heart) Straight Talk." "Tampa Loves McCain." "Florida Stands With McCain." "Veterans For McCain." "Supporting The Mac: Martinez, Crist, Stallone." (Take that, Chuck Norris.) And, interestingly enough, "McCain Protecting Your Pocketbook" and "McCain = Prosperity." ...more

February 6, 2008

Ahem, at the risk of acknowledging a very clothes-challenged emperor in the room, it has been pouted about in some quarters that Hillsborough County school apparatchiks extended special treatment, favoritism and some downright gaga hero worship in approving a special assignment to Plant High School for community living deity Tony Dungy. ...more

January 22, 2008

A buoyant Sen. Barack Obama, anticipating a victory in today's New Hampshire primary, told voters Monday that he is "riding a wave, and you're the wave," as presidential candidates started to look toward extended nomination fights through next month. ...more

January 8, 2008

Questionable Strategy Regarding "Next President Should Pledge Better Way To Field Candidates" (Our Opinion, Jan. 3): ...more

January 4, 2008

In Jim Gulledge's letter in the Dec. 27 Highlands Today, he makes statements that are not true. When Jim suggested that Oprah Winfrey endorsed Barack Obama because he is black says more about Jim than Oprah. Using that logic, Chuck Norris's endorsement of Mike Huckabee is because Mike is white. Someone took a picture of Barack Obama standing without his hand over his heart. This photo is one out of many hundreds (maybe thousands) of pictures taken of him on the campaign trail. When he was asked about it, he said he normally does salute the flag and he does not recall and is not sure why this one time he did not. Jim, with all events where the national anthem is played, that he has attended, and with all who hate Democrats out there, they only found one situation, give me a break. ...more

December 28, 2007