Maybe elites can make marriage cool again

It's hard to figure us Yanks out, my British friends say. We still go simply gaga over royal weddings like the upcoming nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Yet we historically rejected royalty -- and increasingly we're even rejecting marriage.

These things for which I'm thankful

During this holiday season, I'm thankful for: • The bright blue skies of autumn, with yellow maple leaves blowing in the breeze. • The way people are personalizing funerals these days, with friends and family members talking about the deceased -- non-mournful, true celebrations of life. • Fleece garments like Polartec (is that a brand name?) that keep us warm even on the chilliest South Carolina winter morning. • The ...

In no particular order ... Gaga, coffee, Brooks

Yeah, yeah, I know it doesn't take too much mental capacity to conjure up what you're thankful for and put it down on paper. But, frankly, I don't care if it's a cop-out column. Here's my 2010 Thank List, in no order at all:

A scan too far

NEW YORK -- In the accelerating debate about airport pat-downs that feel like a clumsy third date and body scans that border on Peeping Tom shows, it's hard to find a sane place to land.

Now more than ever ... shop locally

As the Christmas shopping season approaches, we should all be reminded of just how important shopping at home really is. Studies show that money spent at independently owned local businesses stays in a community, multiplying as it circulates.

The only sure cure for 'Obamacare'

Ask any 10 voters what motivated them to go to the polls, and you'll probably get 10 different answers. Taxes, unemployment, government spending -- Americans had a lot on their minds as they approached the ballot box.

Tough decisions

Now that the elections are over, the real work begins. The election season is generally a time when rhetoric trumps reality. Now, reality takes center stage. In a nutshell, here's the reality. The state budget has shrunk by over $2.5 billion over the past two years. State support for K-12 education has shrunk by almost $730 million during this period. (There are folks, bless their hearts, who have been using creative math to make ...

Time to decide what Congress is for

"Refudiate," a word Sarah Palin created by conflating "refute" and "repudiate" in a Twitter tweet, has entered the New Oxford American Dictionary. It could also serve as her party's new congressional battle cry.

Mill family sacrificed more than most in World War II

What is the worst ordeal a family can endure? What event could cause you the most anxiety, stress, or heartache? For one local family, the heartache was tripled in just a few days.

Academia calls

Ever wonder why college tuition is going up so rapidly while the economy is in the doldrums and inflation is non-existent?

In memoir, Bush spins fiscal fiction

It was, or so I thought, a dandy column idea: an imaginary, missing chapter of George W. Bush's "Decision Points," in which the former president would admit to having made the wrong call on taxes.

Slowing down and counting my blessings

As I sit down to write this column, I still can't believe that Thanksgiving is right around the corner. This year has flown by much faster than any other year I can remember.

Dude, ya think...

So here we are, a few weeks after one of the weirdest election cycles of all time. The optimist in me says, "Oh, look! The people are waking up and realizing they do have the power after all."

Fighting a legal mirage

I was happy to see President Barack Obama continue his outreach to the world's Muslims during his Asia trip. It's important for Muslims overseas to hear that Americans are waging war against terrorists, not Muslims, even though some Americans have a hard time telling the difference.

Loved ones

Most Sunday nights in high school, I made my way to the Sycamore Springs neighborhood in my hometown of Springboro, Ohio.

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.