For six little girls, it was a time to become princesses, get sprinkles of fairy dust and dance. For their moms, it was a time when the children began to learn etiquette. The children attended a tea party organized by Tea Parties and Glamour at Dance Magic, a school of dance in Odessa. ...more

February 11, 2009

Look a person in the eye. Address them by name. Say thank you. ...more

January 16, 2009

Look a person in the eye. Address them by name. Say thank you. These basic civilities serve as the foundation of an anti-bullying course introduced today in Florida for the first time. The course, called "R Time," was developed in England. Today, it was brought to Pinellas Central Elementary School by Bill Voors, director of Bully Safe Schools, based in Fort Wayne, Ind. ...more

January 15, 2009

It is perhaps unwittingly fitting that the massive Confederate flag fluttering in the breeze is situated at Interstates 4 and 75, a proper reflection of the combined IQs that came up with this hickville idea in the first place. ...more

October 16, 2008

Russia's invasion of Georgia has led to a more serious foreign policy discussion in the presidential campaign. As tensions rise in the Caucasus and violence once again erupts in Afghanistan, we should recall the lessons we learned from our response to earlier Russian adventurism. We must recognize now, as we learned years ago, that a strong military alone is not enough to ensure our long-term national security. ...more

August 31, 2008

Dear Abby: I work for a major lending company and have cleaned out foreclosed homes. Too many times, I find animals who have died from exposure or starved to death. ...more

August 10, 2008

It is only good manners, before delivering a collective atomic elbow to America's top female golfers, to acknowledge their playing field has drastically changed. Unlike years leading up to the mid 1990s, no longer is the LPGA a red, white and blue intramural league. More so than even its male counterpart, the women's pro tour has gone global. ...more

June 26, 2008

The Great American Teach-In was a few weeks ago and my "Theory of Knowledge" class was one of many other classes that went to our auditorium to listen to a guest speaker from Montevideo, Uruguay, talk about the relationship of art, architecture and music. ...more

December 27, 2007

The suicide of a Missouri teenager who was harassed online by a friend's mother makes you wonder what has become of good sense and good manners in this wired society. ...more

December 6, 2007