Jim Rahenkamp is worried about the economy as are many of us. The situation looks really dire if you subscribe to his definitions and live life according to various popular buzz phrases. ...more

June 17, 2009

Variety is the key to success when it comes to working out, and the Tampa Bay area offers an amazing mix of fitness trainers and exercise programs. ...more

March 19, 2009

Track coaches, if not all high school coaches, like to try to motivate their athletes with phrases like "never give up" and "work harder." While the phrases are well-meaning, they are so overused they begin to sound empty. ...more

March 18, 2009

The public lexicon is changing as the economic downturn lingers. Phrases such as "stimulus package," "bankruptcy cram-down" and "mortgage modification" weren't in vogue a year ago. Now there's another newly familiar phrase: "forced furlough." ...more

March 14, 2009

The majority of the Tampa Bay area plows through boxes and boxes of tissues to battle the effects of that great green powder we call pollen. It's time vent your frustrations in the best way possible: haiku. Use the comments area bellow to come up with the funniest, most clever or most poetic haiku of the day. ...more

March 11, 2009

Have you noticed how many extinct words are working their way back into everyday conversations? Words like economize, budget, save and no, as well as brief phrases such as "just one" or "a small one please." ...more

March 6, 2009

Every year lexicographers publish their annual list of of popular words or phrases they would like to see expunged from our lexicon. I have to admit "connect the dots" is getting a little wearisome for me. ...more

December 13, 2008

We haven't heard the first notes of "Silent Night" or "Jingle Bells." The halls are not yet decked with boughs of holly. The Thanksgiving turkeys are still frozen, but phrases such as "Tree Lighting Ceremony," "Freedom Carolers" and "auditorium ornaments" are creeping into conversations. Residents are thinking about familiar holiday routines and certain objects that have become a part of the communal life at Freedom Plaza: their traditions. ...more

November 19, 2008

My wife and I are residents of Highlands County five months every year. I spent 40 years in law enforcement and public service and worked at every level from patrolman to chief of police, and finally a town manager. I currently teach Spanish for law enforcement in North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. ...more

October 9, 2008

U2 3D *** After all those hits and all those decades of playing together, U2 is still a tremendous live act - which makes the idea of a three-dimensional concert film seem sort of redundant. They're so vibrant and theatrical in their performances and they sound so powerful, it's as if they're already reaching out and grabbing you. ...more

January 24, 2008