Three bits of economic news may lift the veil of gloom a bit, especially for some in the Tampa area. Based on that and other data in recent weeks, analysts and the stock market have responded positively, with the Dow Jones industrial average up 120 points Wednesday. ...more

August 13, 2009

Friday the 13th certainly seems to be an appropriate date to share scary stories about the downtrodden economy. Yet local business leaders hope the Pasco Economic Summit, slated for Friday, March 13, will begin to dispel some of the financial gloom with ideas to spur a recovery here. ...more

March 11, 2009

Whittled to its essence, three messages emerged from Friday's annual summit of Pasco's state legislative delegation, where lawmakers entertained the concerns of local elected officials and agency chiefs. ...more

January 25, 2009

Wayne Coyne talked about "Christmas on Mars" for so long that some fans wondered whether it would ever exist anywhere besides in his head. But here it is, on DVD with 5.1 surround sound no less, handily packaged with a CD of the score. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and he's from Oklahoma City. ...more

December 19, 2008

Things not going well? Cheer up. It could be worse. You could be a member of the Pinellas County School Board. ...more

December 6, 2008

Given the economic problems dominating the headlines these days, it would not be surprising if people are feeling glum. At such moments of seeming gloom we should recall that the first Thanksgiving was held during the Civil War. ...more

November 26, 2008

Given the economic problems dominating the headlines these days, it would not be surprising if people are feeling glum. Housing sales continue to fall, thwarting hopes for a turnaround for a key component of the local, state and national economies. The "Big Three" U.S. automakers are jetting, hats in hand, to Congress and asking for money to help them stave off bankruptcy. Banks and other financial institutions need help from the Treasury clearing bad loans and other dubious investments from their books. With all this and more going on, retailers are worrying that the black in the traditional post-Thanksgiving Black Friday start to the holiday shopping season will refer to more than just the mood of shoppers battling large crowds and overflowing parking lots. ...more

November 26, 2008

The new Cure album is here, finally, after originally being slated as a double-disc, not to mention causing the band to postpone a tour. That it arrives as a 13-track single CD suggests Robert Smith and Co. reined in their ambitions in order to produce a concise album that can stand with The Cure's best. ...more

November 6, 2008

A Refreshing Change Thank you for a very deserving article on the James A. Haley VA facility by Lindsay Peterson ("Trauma And Teamwork: VA Hospital Leads Way In Treatment," Oct. 25). ...more

November 1, 2008

This financial crisis has really redefined the notion of "talking heads." On business news channel CNBC, at any one time, 10 of them can be crowding the screen, to the point that it looks like a school picture come to life. ...more

October 26, 2008