The Poppy Red

I recently learned of another attribute of being the middle child -- family historian. How wonderful, I thought; I've been looking for more to do in my day. Besides, I'm the sibling in the middle; you know, the pleaser, the inventive one. I suppose this could be fun, maybe rather interesting, I announced with the slightest of sarcasm. So I accepted the 15-plus boxes with a smile.

Why libraries are still important

When discussing whether libraries will weather shifts in technology, librarians who have been on the scene longer (OK, only slightly longer) than I have like to mention how everyone was predicting our demise when the Internet came along in the '90s Instead, libraries added free access to the Internet to their missions, and in the process have helped millions bridge the digital divide. Anyone who's been in a library recently will likely attest that they ...

Bringing back the lash

When Peter Moskos' new book landed on my desk, I wasn't sure if it was going to be a treatise on crime and punishment or some sort of kinky sex manual.

Entitled to be a cad

WASHINGTON -- I write often about the problem of entitlement spending. Today's topic is the problem of entitlement behavior.

Flushing New York

NEW YORK -- In a slender essay titled "Here Is New York," E.B. White wrote about the implausibility of the great city, mentioning among other things the millions of gallons of water needed each day just so people could brush their teeth.

Don't count Federer out

No athlete can outrun the aging process as even the greatest of stars succumb to worn-out knees or a broken-down back or any of the other ailments that can sideline a player.

Make college worth the cost

It's hard to say which is more remarkable about Kayla Heard, that she is graduating this spring from Washington State University at age 16 or that she earned her degree without ever entering a classroom.

Back to the real world...

Well, we made it back. My Beloved and I and our two four-legged children just got back from several days in the North Carolina mountains, right in the heart of the Yadkin Valley wine country, and within easy striking distance of everything from the Blue Ridge Parkway to the town of Mayberry -- or rather, its inspiration. In case you were wondering, there really is a Floyd's Barbershop -- two chairs, no ...

Squeaky gets the blues

Yea, Squeaky's got 'em all right; any red-blooded American knows "The Blues" denote rhyme, rhythm, lyrics and notes picked, strummed, sung or whined, and in a minor key if possible. Squeaky, alias William H. VanDeaver the IV, Yankee panhandler come lately to Edisto Beach, saved from hunger and heat stroke by a single mom, waitress Cindy who was working at Whalen's restaurant and bar. If you read the local papers, you may remember Squeaky ...

'Health care reform'

Welcome to "Health Care Reform" at our community level. Recently announced changes in how KershawHealth will be doing business in the future stems from the perfect storm of a depressed state economy, proposed federal Medicare payment rules, and a disconnected community/government to local health care resources. The State of South Carolina cannot afford the Medicaid budget so they've cut it. If KershawHealth has annual net patient revenue of $100 million and suffers ...

Taking 'bullying' to an extreme

This teenage girl, you see, was thinking of having her oversized ears pinned back against her head in a surgical procedure.

Lessons from a failed doom

Harold Camping, the religious broadcaster who said Judgment Day would come last weekend, now says he doesn't want to talk about that anymore. I'm sure he doesn't. But I don't believe he has received enough ridicule.

Eat, drink and watch out

NEW YORK -- Once upon a time, Ma would say: "Sit up and eat your vegetables." Pa said: "Don't talk with your mouth full."

NBA draft: the known vs. the unproven

Every year around the time of the NBA Draft, the top sports outlets like Sports Illustrated and ESPN try to predict which players in high school, college and overseas will be the next stars of the NBA.

Republicans vs. invisibility

Donald Trump departed from the 2012 presidential race, which he never actually entered, in typical Trump style, supremely confident that he would have won if only he actually had run.

Not such strange bedfellows

WASHINGTON -- Breaking news: Conservative organizations suddenly have found common cause with one of their favorite objects of contempt -- the benighted Mainstream Media.

Seniors reflect

I meet with a lot of groups and committees over the course of the year, and I think it's important for me to do so. One of my favorite groups is Student Cabinet, which is comprised of student government leaders from each of our high schools. We meet four times a year over lunch. What I love and value about students is that they don't hesitate to tell you what's ...

A matter of conscience:

In 1929, my family moved from Chesterfield County to a farm adjoining the farm of Donald Holland's parents in the Cassatt community. I was a year old at the time but before many years passed, Donald and I established a friendship lasting until Donald's passing in 2003.

When DOJ targets press, we all lose

To say I was stunned was putting it mildly. I was shocked to learn about the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) decision to seize phone records belonging to the Associated Press (AP). The C-I does not belong to the AP; I have never written for the service. That doesn't negate my outrage at DOJ's actions.

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?