Archive By Section - Columns
Black hopes, white anxiety
Race relations have undergone a curious flip-flop. Polls show that blacks feel more optimistic about the nation's future than whites do, despite the Great Recession that's giving everybody the blues.
Oh, doctor, it hurts when I do this...
Hello, my name is Jim and I'm a hypochondriac. I can't help it; if there's some dread disease out there, I've probably had it. At least, I've stayed up nights convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt that I had it. Never mind that I refuse to see the doctor about it. I mean, why should I? She's only going to tell me what I already know: I'm doomed. Then she's going ...
A defense of flip-floppery
NEW YORK -- Here we go all over again. Read my lips and bring 'em on. It's the economy, stupid. Gotcha!
Huntsman may be hard-pressed to gain traction in S.C.
Potential presidential contender Jon Huntsman, known as a Harley Davidson enthusiast in his home state of Utah, may soon hit the road as an official candidate for the Republican Party, but he'll need more than a shiny motorcycle helmet and a leather jacket to electrify voters in South Carolina.
What John Edwards already has lost
Hard cases made bad law, an old legal saying goes. So, I suppose, do sad cases. The sad case of John Edwards could lead to sadder law.
Constitutional controversy
The General Assembly will be back at the Statehouse tomorrow to continue work on items that were included in the concurrent resolution extending the session. These items are the budget, gubernatorial vetoes, conference and free conference reports, redistricting, and appointments. This end-of-session resolution is called a Sine Die Resolution because it dictates how and when the General Assembly will conclude the session. To adjourn sine die means to adjourn for an indefinite period. So ...
DC Comics upends superhero universe
I haven't collected comic books since my late 20s. I was still working in radio at the time, not making much money, but spending most of it on a superhero habit I could no longer sustain.
Arness TV's greatest western hero
Matt Dillon's dead, and the bad guys in the hereafter had better be watching their backs.
Time has come for new rec center
For years, elected officials and residents have wished for an alternative to Rhame Arena, which has become a shell of what it once was. For years, we have envisioned an active, vibrant recreation center that can become a haven for our youth, an asset for our elderly and a shining light for our city. For years, we have heard much talk but seen little action.
Don't call me 'ma'am'
I'm getting old, which is a realization that hit me like a sack of bricks when my husband John and I went to the movies recently.
No excuses for reckless 'sexting'
An Australian demographer has found a malady that makes some middle-aged men think they are more attractive to women than they actually are.
The danger in 140 characters
MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell says that he'd own up if it were his. Jon Stewart says that he doesn't remember his old friend being quite all that!
Online to be 2012 campaign battlefield
Presidential candidates had it easy in the pre-Internet age. Campaigns considered in the increasingly distant past didn't have to worry about Internet fundraising, emailing supporters, or trying to stay up to date and compete with their opponents online. They didn't even have to create a website, a move that every candidate must now do in order to win an election -- unless you're Alvin Greene running for a nomination in ...
Race to the Bottom
The state superintendent of education, Mick Zais, and Gov. Nikki Haley will not apply to the U.S. Department of Education for up to $50 million in federal Race to the Top funds allocated for South Carolina's public school system.
The ramp
The C-130 was parked on the tarmac, her rear door open, yawning in the afternoon sun. The small, relatively quiet corner of the runway in which she was parked stood in contrast to the hustle and bustle of the surrounding airfield. The base, elsewhere, was alive with activity. This made perfect sense given that this was a warzone; schedules had to be kept, deadlines had to be met, missions had to be completed. Her ...
Articles by Section - Columns
New York, New York!
I'm planning my first trip to New York in June and I am so excited!
On press freedoms, Obama races Nixon to bottom
Despite what you may hear from some of his more fevered critics, President Barack Obama's recent scandal-quakes don't appear to fall anywhere near the level of Richard Nixon's Watergate disaster. But by another Nixonian yardstick, trying to put a muzzle on press freedoms, Team Obama appears to have surged into the lead.
Moment of Nature - May 24, 2013
In countries around the world, the oak tree is the symbol of strength, fortitude and endurance. In the U.S., the oak was designated in 2004 as our national tree. Despite this status as a stalwart of the forest and city alike, oaks in our native and urban ecosystems face tremendous challenges from diseases, insect pests and human-caused disorders.
Life and death with the eagles
Last year about this time, I talked with you about how technology is bringing the magic of nature -- specifically, the majesty of American's symbol, the bald eagle – into our living rooms.
A trifecta with little payout
WASHINGTON -- Folks, deep breath time. This is not the end of the Obama presidency. It's a bad stretch with an unfortunate confluence of unfortunate events. None of which will make the first paragraph -- not even the first page -- of the account of the Obama administration in the history books. Let's tick through the trifecta of scandals and what they tell ...
A short vocabulary lesson
This past weekend, I had the rare, but always enjoyable, visit from my grandparents. I don't know about you, but anytime I have the opportunity to spend time with them I learn something new; sometimes about myself, sometimes about life, but always it's something.
Landscape, architectural history professor visits Camden
Camden welcomed an extraordinary visitor and new friend last week: Nina Antonetti, an "urbanist." She's been teaching about cities at Smith College in Northampton, Mass., for the last 15 years.
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.
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