Columns

Columns

Don’t take art education out of our schools
It is often the messiest room in the school. It is a room filled with bright colors and, sometimes, strange smells. It is a room where young minds are encouraged to imagine, dream and create. It is the art room, and it’s under attack.

May 22, 2012
OK core services are far from ‘fine’
In a partisan political age, a fundamental, ideological disagreement often dictates the terms of our debates. That disagreement concerns the proper size and scope of government – what it should do and what it should not.

May 22, 2012
Willful ignorance, or just how we are?
A friend of mine sent me a link on Facebook from health.com, which featured one of those “superlative” lists designed to catch your eye with a promise of revelation that never materializes. They bear breathlessly bold titles like “Ten Movie Stars Who Look Great Naked,” or “Best Cities That Still Allow You to Smoke in Restaurants,” or “Top 10 Places to Retire in the U.S.” Cherokee County has capitalized big-time on that last one, and we’ll keep beating that horse after it’s desiccated into a small strip of hide.

May 21, 2012
Sights, sounds of Big Easy sometimes come in pairs
I’m probably too old for outdoor music concerts, especially those spanning several days. But sometimes I can’t help myself. And judging from the crowd at the New Orleans Jazz Festival last weekend, I’m not alone. There are still plenty of other Half-Century Club members willing to suffer setbacks on their aches, pains and pocketbooks to have a good time. Even if physical recovery takes a week or so, and financial recovery even longer.

May 14, 2012
The left and the right, and news vs. opinion
We have a handful of readers who grouse every time we publish a political column they deem “liberal.” We also get complaints (truthfully, not as many, and not aired with as much hostility) from those offended by columns they think are too “conservative.”

April 30, 2012
He stretched his arm, and grabbed the brass ring
A few weeks ago, while waiting for the NSU pool to open, I overheard a group of people speculating on who, among the university’s long roster of graduates, had achieved the most. When I walked away, they seemed about to conclude the distinction belonged to Carrie Underwood.
With all due respect, I disagree. My pick is Ron Tarver.

April 21, 2012
The Easter bunny is not good for the waistline
Easter’s over, and I’m relieved.
I’m referring to society’s secular celebration of a sacred Christian holiday that has its roots in pagan practices. But what most people think of as Easter Sunday is actually the First Sunday of a 50-day season that culminates in Pentecost.

April 16, 2012
Ruminations on ruminants will get your goat
Marty Tinsley loves her goats. The way I’ve heard my husband tell it, she’d just as soon live in the pasture with her goats as live inside the house with her husband, Chrys.

April 9, 2012
Ruminant ruminations will get your goat
Marty Tinsley loves her goats. The way I’ve heard my husband tell it, she’d just as soon live in the pasture with her goats as live inside the house with her husband, Chrys.

April 6, 2012
On exercise, husbands and the ‘resistance movement’
This is not the first time I’ve tried to lock in a permanent daily exercise program, nor is it the first time I’ve tried to get my husband on the bandwagon.

March 26, 2012
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