With the recent tragic event at Fort Hood, I wonder if anyone will stop and consider the operational tempo our men and women in today's military are faced with. I am retired from the USAF. I have a son in the USAF who just returned from a six-month deployment to Afghanistan. Many of the young men and women at places like Fort Hood have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan four and five times for six to 18 months at a time, facing conditions and dangers that most of us can't even imagine. I hear lots of political rhetoric about how great they are and what a wonderful job they are doing. We now debate a plus-up of the number of troops we have in place. ...more

November 9, 2009

Remember as children when we didn't get our way, we would defy authority and do whatever we wanted to do. When children act like children, generally there isn't much harm done - and what damage does occur usually happens to the children alone. ...more

December 3, 2008

Tim Crouch's "An Oak Tree" is a strange exercise that seriously messes with your mind. It's more of an intense acting class/therapy session than a play. But the fascinating discussion it generates between audience and actors makes up for any confusion. ...more

September 9, 2008

SEBRING — The City Pier Beach remains closed today following the drowning Saturday afternoon of a 23-year-old man. Bobby Clark swam beyond the marked swimming area at the park and experienced a cramp before going under, police said. His body was recovered around 3 p.m. by emergency personnel divers. "It was a tragic event that happened this weekend," City Administrator Bob Hoffman said Monday. "We are still learning more about it and our hearts and prayers go out for the victim and the victim's family." ...more

June 9, 2008

Kiteboarding is catching on along Florida's west coast, where the wind always blows. Even if it's not that strong, the wind can tug kiteboarders aloft from Egmont Key to Dunedin. Boarders plunk down an average $2,000 for the board, rigging and kites that look like small parasails and use the free breeze to pull them through the surf and a couple of feet into the air over the waves. ...more

October 2, 2007

If Hillsborough County public school officials want parents to trust them with their children, they need to be responsive and honest. But in Temple Terrace, where many parents are worried about the safety of the area's high school, straight answers are hard to come by. ...more

September 30, 2007