this time in Maine, hardly a conservative stronghold - have voted down same-sex marriage. Leaving what she thought would be a victory party after last week's balloting, an emotional Cecelia Burnett said, "I don't understand what the fear is, why people are so afraid of this change." ...more

November 13, 2009

Bolivian President Evo Morales and thousands of supporters celebrated Bolivia's new constitution as it took effect Saturday, saying the new document will enshrine indigenous rights and end centuries of oppression. ...more

February 8, 2009

Summoned to remove a fish bone agonizingly stuck in a rich man's throat, British surgeon Joseph Lister did so. When the grateful patient asked the charge for this service, Lister replied: "Suppose we settle for half of what you would be willing to give me if the bone were still lodged in your throat." The point - that the price one will pay depends on the urgency of the purchase - is pertinent to the president's "stimulus" proposal. ...more

January 30, 2009

The Oscars are at a crossroads and Batman is standing right in the middle of the road. Like the Scarecrow says in "The Wizard of Oz" (not "the Scarecrow" in "Batman Begins"), the Oscars can go this way, or they can go that way. ...more

January 19, 2009

Now that our country has elected a 21st century president, we should reconsider our 18th century electoral system. ...more

December 14, 2008

We are a different country now. When millions of Americans went to the polls Nov. 4, we didn't know whether a black man could be elected president of the United States. Pundits and pollsters said Barack Obama was almost certain to win, but history and experience told us we couldn't be sure until it really happened. ...more

December 7, 2008

taking 52 percent of the popular vote to John McCain's 46 percent. ...more

November 9, 2008

His storied election behind him and weighty problems in his face, Barack Obama turned Wednesday to the task of building an administration in times of crisis as Americans and the world absorbed his history-shattering achievement as the first black leader ascending to the presidency. ...more

November 5, 2008

As the kids go, so goes the nation. Well, almost. In the past five presidential elections, the young fans of the Nickelodeon network have only missed the mark once. ...more

October 22, 2008

The business relationship between National Recreational Properties Inc. and Sun 'n Lake of Sebring Improvement District continues to unravel. ...more

October 16, 2008