It's the end of the school year, but the last thing Brooker Elementary School Principal Julie Lacy wants is for students and parents to think learning is done for summer. ...more

May 24, 2008

I was sorely disappointed when reading that the Highlands County School Board had backed down after listening to a few speeches by people who were claiming that evolution is a proven scientific fact, and that any other theory had no right to a discussion in science classes! Correct me if I am wrong, but it is my understanding that a scientific "theory" is accepted on the basis of such criteria as the following: 1. It must be observable. 2. It must be reproducible. 3. It must be predictable. If evolution had those three characteristics, perhaps we could accept it as a viable explanation for what we see all around us; the astonishing complexity of life, the world and the universe. ...more

February 17, 2008

Jug wine has gathered some retro charm as a few winemakers tweak its down-market persona into something hipper and more contemporary. ...more

December 26, 2007

For some people, potty training is a breeze. I once met a mom who told me that her daughter just decided at 20 months that she wanted to go on the potty and that was it. I think I had a more typical experience. I had to hunker down for a full week until my eldest would go on the potty, and it took a couple more weeks to get her out of diapers during the day, followed by a month or two before she could wake up dry. For me, it was a lot of work. ...more

October 11, 2007

What is the difference between a blessing and a curse? ...more

September 19, 2007