Archive By Section - Columns
Why liberals love the birthers
Donald Trump has joined the "birthers," the odd movement that questions President Barack Obama's Hawaii birth certificate. That's a good way for the celebrity billionaire to sound like he's making a serious run for the Republican presidential nomination, which he says he is considering. It also makes him sound like a secret agent for the Democrats.
Sharing pigskin memories
One spring evening 50 years ago, Buddy Small hit a baseball that his friends and teammates can vividly recall. This home run is a standalone legend. Against Columbia High, at the old Legion Field next to Zemp Stadium, Buddy turned a fast ball into a towering drive that either brushed or cleared the lights in left field. Anything traveling that high and fast should have a stewardess handing out peanuts and Cokes.
Filling in the blanks
WASHINGTON -- In his speech last Monday night to a public thoroughly, and understandably, befuddled about U.S. policy in Libya, President Obama began to fill in some important blanks. The White House would dispute this assessment, but Obama's remarks came unfortunately late. Rallying the public behind "kinetic military action," my favorite new phrase, requires explanations sooner rather than later. This is especially true when it is a kinetic action of choice, not necessity; in ...
Vanilla cities, chocolate suburbs
So you think we Americans know ourselves? New census numbers reveal that a lot of our 20th century racial and ethnic assumptions are overdue for an overhaul.
The path is different for everyone
If you would have asked me 10 years ago if I felt older or younger than I was at the time, I would have definitely said that I felt older. I mean, really, what 15-year-old doesn't think that she or he knows everything?
When it's dark enough you can see the stars
I could tell by my husband's face the news wasn't good. It was a scenario my doctor and I had not discussed. Prior to my surgery, I had only imagined a positive outcome. In fact, I wanted the procedure on my knee done as soon as possible. I thought, "Great. I'll be running again in about three weeks. That's good for me." Then, BAMM! (Funny how life can do that and so quickly!) It ...
Snakes to be released into Wateree
I've covered news for nearly four decades in Kershaw County yet I've never been as shocked as I was upon learning yesterday that the S.C. Department of Wildlife will release more than 10,000 deadly cotton-mouth moccasins into Lake Wateree later this summer.
Buckley's image of Torres up for auction
If you read Chronicle-Independent sports editor Tom Didato's report last week about the various events and fundraisers in Kershaw County for jockey Jorge Torres, it's clear there is widespread compassion and support for the young man whose fate remains hazy.
Snow-White and Rose-Red
NEW YORK -- It would be hard to find two more compelling, formidable women in American public life than South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and fellow South Carolinian and philanthropist Darla Moore.
A needle in a 60-year-old haystack
For many years on an almost daily basis I have visited the South Caroliniana Library to do research. A few months ago a library staff member inquired, "All right, Mr. Teal, what are you researching today?" I responded, "I'm looking for a 'needle in a haystack.'" That literally was true since I planned to scan four years of a newspaper to search for a single fact. Since that time the staff's ...
Two birthdays symbolic of life's mysteries
My birthday and my wife's happen to be only four days apart. Today is mine while hers was Thursday when I took the day off to celebrate by doing what all married couples with children do: run all over creation on errands and medical appointments. Oh, we did stop in at this great bagel place (yum) where we caught up with my mother and one of my sisters, but this ...
Obama's 'Goldilocks' doctrine
Americans can always be counted upon to do the right thing, Winston Churchill is said to have said, after exhausting all of the alternatives. In that spirit, President Obama intervened in Libya after taking his time in figuring out what the right thing is.
Hold the phone
I hate talking on the phone, probably much more than the average person. Sure, I don't mind making a phone call to interview someone while I'm at work. I'm a reporter, and talking on the telephone is a pretty important part of my job. Just don't expect me to call you to just chat after 5 p.m. during the work week or pretty much anytime during the weekend. Text me, email ...
ObamaCare: a grim prognosis
Ever heard a doctor talk about the value of "early detection" with certain medical conditions? The idea, of course, is to catch a disorder before it progresses too far, and serious symptoms start to show. That's when it's harder to cure.
Buckle up for safety, little lady
It's a different era when it comes to child rearing. When I was growing up -- back in the days, as we say -- kids knew what they'd get if they misbehaved, and most often it involved getting whacked on the rear end with a switch of some sort. Even schools allowed spanking back then, and the ultimate fear was being sent to the principal's office, where persistent rumor insisted there was ...
Articles by Section - Columns
Don’t shoot the messenger
I've always heard the phrase "don't shoot the messenger" throughout my life. I somewhat understood what it meant -- don't take your anger out on someone who is simply relaying unwanted information. It wasn't until I started my career as a reporter that I developed a deeper and more meaningful relationship with this quote. Being a journalist means that not only do I get to be the bearer of ...
Googling ourselves to death
WASHINGTON -- At a party a few years ago, a young reporter bounded over to my cluster of social nodders and, with the breathlessness of a born tweeter, chirped: "What's the new hot thing?!"
Statehouse ethics: just tell the truth
When I was a young boy growing up and my mother confronted me with something that I knew I had done wrong, I often stammered around, making excuses and trying to avoid fessing up. My mom's response was always the same: "Let's begin by just telling the truth."
Noted and passed
** A new Gallup poll indicates that Americans rank the performance of Congress at the lowest level since polling on the subject began. Only 10 percent of citizens say they have confidence in Congress, with no discernible difference among those who call themselves Democrats and those who say they're Republicans. Congress rates last on a list of 16 institutions, with the American military ranking first. The Gallup organization has been asking opinions of Congress ...
Crisis of faith in government
WASHINGTON -- It is reassuring that in the midst of so much government dysfunction, the IRS has resolved the question of when and whether to tax tanning beds under the Affordable Care Act. Do not be concerned about that giddiness you feel. You are not having a nervous breakdown but are suffering a symptom commonly associated with recognition that the absurd has become the accepted norm -- and that you are, in fact, alone. ...
KCSD has had a one terrific school year
The end of the school is a veritable kaleidoscope of activities and excitement, with happiness and even a little relief thrown in for good measure. For me, it's also a time to reflect on the school district's many accomplishments over the past year. To say the least, it's been one terrific year! This month, I wanted to review just a few of the many highlights of 2012-13:
Game of Thrones is good, but tough TV
Back in March 2012, I wrote about my newfound love of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy series. I mentioned -- almost as a side note -- the brilliant HBO television series based on the books (and named after the first novel) Game of Thrones.
Game of Thrones is good, but tough TV
Back in March 2012, I wrote about my newfound love of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy series. I mentioned -- almost as a side note -- the brilliant HBO television series based on the books (and named after the first novel) Game of Thrones.
Welcome to the good life
Were talking coffee and burgers today, folks.
Secrecy scandal? Not so much
When is a scandal not really a scandal? Many are shocked to hear that the government, in its pursuit of terrorists as relentlessly as Wile E. Coyote chases the Road Runner, is massively snooping into our phone records and popular social networks without search warrants.
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