Attitude, the alligator, gets amorous whenever her friend, the garbage truck, rumbles by. Or she gets angry, thinking an intrusive reptile is lurking in her territory. ...more

February 18, 2009

Attitude, the alligator, gets amorous whenever her friend, the garbage truck, rumbles by. Or she gets angry, thinking an intrusive reptile is lurking in her territory. Either way, the 25-year-old American alligator - the queen mum at Sarasota Jungle Gardens - acts weird. Twice a week, a city garbage truck growls nearby and hoists garbage bins into its cavernous maw, Attitude, who's been at the park for about 10 years, jerks her head up, hoists her tail and lets out a bellow for the ages. ...more

February 17, 2009

For those of us who didn't live through The Great Depression, these days are as scary as they come when it comes to our country's economic situation. It seems as if every day there's a new angle to our woes, and most folks feel helpless to do anything about it. ...more

November 21, 2008

The elderly woman sits in a chair, head forward, eyes closed. Decked out in Halloween gear, greyhound Meghan comes up to her and sits quietly. ...more

November 1, 2008

Novelist Christopher Buckley, son of the late William F. Buckley, recently endorsed Barack Obama on the Web site the Daily Beast. It resulted in his resignation from the National Review, the conservative magazine his father founded. Excerpts from his endorsement follow: ...more

October 19, 2008

It's sometimes difficult to prepare for a phone interview with a member of a band I don't like. That part of me I need to repress for obvious reasons wants to ask: ...more

August 8, 2008

Carmen Figueroa recently found negitives can be turned into positives. ...more

January 2, 2008

The holidays, the end of the year, the eggnog and all those general nice feelings in the air, they call for one of the grand traditions of American culture: top 10 lists. ...more

December 27, 2007