Remember George W. Bush? Given all the excitement generated by heated contests for both the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations, it's easy to forget that the current resident of the White House will not be moving out for nearly a year. Then again, maybe you know precisely when that particular change occurs, since the date - Jan. 20, 2009 - has found its way onto a variety of buttons, bumper stickers, T-shirts and even golf balls and hot sauce. In fact, the rendering of that date as 01.20.09 was trademarked by a small company that sold more than $1 million worth of "Bush's Last Day" merchandise in 2007. ...more

February 15, 2008

Thanks to every Romney supporter for a job well done against huge odds. We are winning. The Rasmussen poll has Mitt 29 percent to McCain 27 percent! I personally chose Mitt Romney because I share his values and beliefs and believe that he is a man of character with superb leadership abilities. Washington does not understand what is involved in running a business, meeting payroll, balancing the checkbook and realizing that in a successful business there are no such things as deficits. ...more

February 5, 2008

For more than a year, the debate about whether to build a landfill in northeast Pasco County has been filled with familiar campaign tools: bumper stickers, petitions, residents speaking up at government meetings. ...more

February 2, 2008

For some residents, it's the image of Stowers Funeral Home on Brandon Boulevard, built in 1876 by James Brandon, the son of the community's founder, John Brandon. ...more

January 2, 2008

Mel's Hot Dogs is hard to miss, with its red awnings and wiener mobile, a converted Volkswagen Beetle, parked out front. ...more

December 29, 2007

Believe it or not, they wanted to franchise this. Enterprising fans of Skipper's Smokehouse have made the pitch more than once. What a great idea, they proposed, to open a place just like this in Miami. Fort Myers. Palm Beach. ...more

December 27, 2007

Vincent Natale, local magician, entertainer and author, wrote the unthinkable scenario in the original musical "Saving Christmas" - in November, Santa cancels Christmas, and it is up to Vinnie the Elf to set things right. ...more

December 5, 2007

Looking for gift ideas? Prefer to look from the comfort of your home? We can help. Check out these 10 sites. ...more

November 19, 2007

The glittery ghouls and plastic pumpkins are barely back in their boxes, and already retailers are in full-blown winter-wonderland mode. Although it all might seem a little premature, retailers know what they're doing — and you should, too. Here are some tips to help you prepare a spending strategy that won't leave you wandering through a mall waving your credit card at any kiosk worker selling scented candles. ...more

November 5, 2007

When Wayne Curtiss dreamed up a T-shirt earlier this year that advertised the inevitability of a Heisman Trophy for University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, the owner of Tampa-based Smack Apparel assumed sales wouldn't take off until Tebow became an actual Heisman candidate later in his career. ...more

October 23, 2007