Archive By Section - Columns
Surprise, surprise
My cousin recently found out he is going to be a father for the first time. When he told his family about the upcoming blessed event, three of his five siblings asked him if this was planned. He is three weeks older than I am. I will be 47 in August. Nonetheless, I say, congratulations, Doc! You will undoubtedly be a great dad. Better late than never, right? I, on ...
Meet Me at the Green a great success
I couldn't stop grinning.
Pandering to the Obamaphobes
When I was a kid way back in the previous century, my favorite attraction at the local county fair was a midway amusement that everyone called "dunk the dimwit" -- or words to that effect.
A voice from above
"That man could crawl through a barrel of fish hooks and not get a scratch on him.'' Troy Stevenson, who retained the wisdom of his mountain upbringing, once used that expression concerning a man we were discussing. The late Highway Patrolman Randy Sanders once described an individual as: "One who could be used to open a bottle of wine."
Why it matters when politicians 'play politics'
In 2006, Barack Obama, then a member of the U.S. Senate, voted against raising the "debt ceiling" -- the maximum amount of outstanding federal debt the US government can incur by law.
Patience doesn't mean you stop trying
I've heard it a million times -- patience is a virtue. And, unfortunately, it's a virtue that I have never possessed. The last six months of my senior years, in both high school and college, were pure torture. There's very few things that I've ever wanted badly enough to stand in a long line for. And even now, as I inch closer and closer to my 26th birthday (yikes!), I've ...
A bad connection
This started out to be a feel-good story, one of those you read and then say to yourself, "Well I'll be doggone. What about that?"
Medicare love chills Tea Party fever
Surprise, surprise! Faced with the prospect of Medicare cuts, even Tea Party folks find griping about "big government" to be a lot more fun than actually shrinking it.
Let's go shopping
Most women love to hear that phrase. I, on the other hand cringe inwardly. I really do dislike shopping. I am also the remote control freak at our house too. So, I guess I am not your typical female. Although, I must say, I have never met a "typical" female. I have always found us ladies to be a unique creation. Can I get an a-men here? Oh well, I ...
A complaint too far
NEW YORK -- It is almost clockwork: As a new presidential cycle winds around, the early primary state of South Carolina provides a defining issue for Americans and candidates to chew over.
The horror, the horror
Ah, holiday travel! During Easter weekend, it seemed I heard a lot about things like hope and glory, the renewal of life and the triumph of good over evil. Or something like that. Mostly what I got out of it was a mild euphoria associated with carbon monoxide poisoning from sitting in standstill traffic for several hours on the interstate. I can now do a variation on the old Henny Youngman joke: ...
How we still fight the Civil War
Fort Sumter surrendered to the rebels again last week with what one observer called "measured enthusiasm," compared to the Civil War centennial celebration 50 years earlier. For that, South Carolina, a grateful war-weary nation thanks you.
J. Hoke Murphree and FFA influences
With the creation of five new rural high schools in Kershaw County in 1923 came new learning experiences for these new high school students. Antioch, Blaney, Charlotte Thompson, Midway, and Mt. Pisgah not only offered the basic courses of English, Math, Science and Social Studies but soon offered such vocational subjects as Agriculture and Home Economics.
A well-deserved Pulitzer Prize
It's rare for a reporter from one newspaper to congratulate those from another, but that's exactly what I want to do.
Give William and Kate a chance
Seriously, who bets on a marriage? I'm sure I can't be the only person who thinks betting that the "Wedding/Marriage of the Millennium" will end in divorce is both tacky and mean-spirited. But apparently, that's what seems to be going on in a few British circles as the countdown to Prince William and Kate Middleton's multi-million-dollar wedding prepares to come to a grinding halt next Friday. Sure, some bets surrounding the ...
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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