Dr. Ben Carson, new right-wing hero

Whenever somebody says something like, "Now, I know this isn't PC, but...," watch out. It probably means they're about to say something rude.

Narrowing down the movie list

Recently, I've come to notice that I have difficulty in choosing just one "favorite thing." For example, when asked what my favorite TV show is I could list off about five or six shows that I watch religiously. The same goes for musical artists, books, animals, etc. Basically, I have a hard time choosing just one thing to "love the most." I've come to terms with the fact that ...

Dissecting Hillary

WASHINGTON -- No matter what Barack Obama does, he cannot escape the shadow of his former political opponent.

The rape of decency

NEW YORK -- The recent rape conviction of two teenagers, one of whom also distributed a photo and sent cruel text messages about their victim, has captured the "bystander effect" in graphic and nauseating detail.

Covering tragedies are no fun

I won an award Saturday: first place for Spot News (breaking news in layman's terms) for a story about the recovery of two North Carolina teenage boys' bodies from a creek-fed pond near the Wateree River.

‘Gideon’s’ promise still unfulfilled

"Make me wanna holler, way they do my life." -- Marvin Gaye, "Inner City Blues"

You’ll like ‘Code of the Forest’

What do lawyers, a community newspaper, Ocean Drive Beach, a corrupt South Carolina state senator and Jerry Lee Lewis have in common?

Asthma, allergies and tree sex: what’s the link?

Welcome to spring! For many people this is their favorite time of year, for many others it is a miserable time of year. According to the Center for Disease Control, approximately 27 million Americans, both adults (18.9 million) and children (7.1 million), have been diagnosed with asthma. Of those, more than half also suffer from allergies. Asthma and allergies are triggered by many factors such as cigarette and wood smoke, dust mites, pets, ...

A rebate a day keeps the doctor away?

What would it take for you to eat healthy all the time? I used to say I wanted a personal chef, but now I find that cooking is quire enjoyable (sometimes). It can be time consuming, depending on what you make, but it's definitely better for your overall health and your waistline than eating out all of the time. Knowing how to prepare a healthy meal that doesn't taste like cardboard could ...

GOP reboot: A ‘Grand Open Party?’

Will Republican leaders listen to a bruising new internal report that calls for more minority outreach? First, they have to convince their party's right-wingers to avoid making younger and non-white voters feel about as welcome as a cheeseburger at a vegan buffet.

Why the sequester was so important

The recent experience with the "sequester" in Washington, D.C., revealed in many ways what is wrong with Washington. But it also contains a silver lining that I hope bodes well for the future.

Does drinking coffee make you a grownup?

Recently, I've had to go through some big adjustments due to the fact that I now have a "grown up job." I was kind of under the impression that once I landed one of those I would start to feel, you know, like an actual adult. And I mean I guess I do in the sense that I have deadlines and more responsibilities and a paycheck but other ...

Silent on rape no more

WASHINGTON -- Mariska Hargitay, better known as "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" Detective Olivia Benson, is the human intersection of life and art.

Media myopia in Rome

WASHINGTON -- All things considered, I'd rather be in Rome. Isn't everyone?

Thirty years of personal computing

Technically speaking, the personal computer -- usually referred to as a desktop computer -- was born as a programmable calculator in 1965, the year of my birth. During the 1970s, Hewlett Packard introduced a BASIC computer that could fit on a desk. It included a keyboard, small one-line display and a printer. The Xerox Alto, that (according to Wikipedia) inspired the Apple Macintosh, came along in 1973. IBM had a small CRT ...

Fredericksburg Township explored

Our grand city of Camden is a beautifully preserved town laid out in an 18th century plan devised by Joseph Kershaw. We are proud of our historic homes and buildings, carefully placed public parks, wide streets, and beautiful trees. So it is easy to forget that this was not the original plan for the "town" that was to develop in this area of South Carolina. The original plan was a part of the "Township ...

What was the IRS thinking?

Well, this is a fine mess.

Are we willing to pay for increased public safety?

Kershaw County public safety is at a crossroads. The sheriff's office is greatly understaffed and deputies are compensated for their mandatory overtime work by an antiquated and grossly unfair payment system. The solicitor's office is working with half the staff it needs to properly prosecute the cases it receives every month and the jail is barely able to keep sufficient staff to meet state standards. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: ...

Benghazi redacted

Gatsby? What Gatsby?

Another view of Plan B

In "Getting it wrong about Plan B," Ruth Marcus ends her column by stating that the debate over the proposed Plan B policy "isn't about the government coming between parents and children or society condoning teen sex. It's about preventing teen pregnancy."

Are you (fill in the blank) enough?

WASHINGTON -- Enough with this "enough" business.

Reflecting on 100 years of success

KershawHealth recently completed a week of celebration commemorating the opening of the Camden Hospital in 1913 and a century of outstanding care. One of the things that struck me during those activities was the incredible amount of community support the hospital has always enjoyed, and the amazing things that strategic thinking and teamwork can accomplish.

What Sanford win says about S.C.

Somehow, the man who walked the Appalachian Trail all the way to Argentina to see his mistress got elected to Congress last Tuesday in a voting outcome that almost defies belief.