A few days ago, I re-watched one of my all-time favorite movies, "Pretty Woman." Though I've seen it umpteen times it still makes me laugh and cry and feel good all over. For me, it is the ultimate chick-flick. But "Pretty Woman" isn't just another love story. Yes, Julia Roberts and Richard Gere are magic together, and the story is laugh-out-loud funny, but there's much more to it than that. This movie has stayed popular for more than a decade because it's a story of how love transforms the people who share it. Vivian, a streetwalker with no future, meets Edward, a lonely, heartless business tycoon. To keep from getting hurt, both of them have closed their hearts to the people around them. When they fall in love, they learn that love is worth it, even if you get hurt. Vivian finds that in being loved, and returning that love, she feels validated as a person. She's suddenly aware that she is worthy of respect, including self-respect. ...more

December 9, 2007

It's painful to see Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney having to defend his religion. It's also sad that some Americans just can't get past the "religion thing" with candidates, and make their decisions based solely on their religion, or their supposed lack thereof. That said, what Romney needs to defend is his frequently changing stance on important issues. That's where his campaign is falling down. By every standard, Romney is a good American and has been extremely successful as a businessman and as a politician. He's a Mormon, too, and for a fairly large number of evangelical Christians, that's enough to not vote for him for president. ...more

December 7, 2007

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is scheduled to make "the religion speech" Thursday, but don't count on him giving a soliloquy on Mormon beliefs and practices. ...more

December 5, 2007

Stuart L. Sternberg is not the first businessman to come to St. Petersburg and see the potential of the city's gorgeous waterfront, but he may just be the most ambitious. ...more

December 2, 2007

A man accused of being a "sleeper agent" sent to spy on Saddam Hussein's enemies in the United States was sentenced Tuesday to four years in federal prison for lying about his ties to the former regime. ...more

November 28, 2007

In the eyes of many New Jersey state workers, the governor is the Grinch who stole the day after Thanksgiving. ...more

November 18, 2007

At least 15,000 families are expected to register for the annual holiday food and toy distribution that begins Thursday at Metropolitan Ministries. ...more

November 12, 2007

At least 15,000 families are expected to register for the annual holiday food and toy distribution that begins Thursday at Metropolitan Ministries. ...more

November 10, 2007

A local veteran remembers when he was part of the liberating forces in Europe toward the end of World War II. ...more

November 10, 2007

At least 15,000 families are expected to register for the annual holiday food and toy distribution that begins Thursday at Metropolitan Ministries. ...more

November 10, 2007