When the Gasparilla 15k wheelchair race started with the national anthem, perhaps they should have included "O, Canada" as well, because the top finishers for both the men and women hailed from the our neighbor to the north. ...more

February 10, 2008

The Super Bowl experience seemed to be greatly exaggerated for New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan and receiver Amani Toomer during the 2000 season when they advanced to play against Baltimore in Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa. ...more

February 3, 2008

Tom Petty didn't sing a single note. His Heartbreakers didn't strike a single chord. Not so much as a rim shot was heard Thursday from the band that will perform during the halftime show at this year's Super Bowl. ...more

February 1, 2008

Helicopters sent by Venezuela's president picked up two hostages freed by Colombian rebels in the jungle Thursday and flew the women across the border in a mission that could open a new path to freedom for dozens of captives. ...more

January 11, 2008

The roster of songs battling to represent Florida faces new competition, after a lawmaker from the Panhandle filed a bill Tuesday to designate a new tune as the official state anthem. ...more

January 9, 2008

In response to a letter written by Jim Gulledge, he falsely claimed, in referring to Senator Barack Obama, 'born a Muslim and still a Muslim, he could only bring disharmony to our country." Let us set the record straight since Mr. Gulledge certainly did not verify his assertions or he would have found that Barack Obama was born Aug. 14, 1951, in Honolulu, Hawaii to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. and Stanley Ann Dunham, a U.S. citizen who met and married Mr. Obama while they were students at the University of Hawaii, where Ann was studying anthropology and Barack Obama was studying economics. Shortly after his son's birth, Mr. Obama left his wife and child to continue his education in a Ph.D. program at Harvard. The Obama's were divorced when Barack was 2 years old. And he did not see his father again until he was ten years old. at which time Mr. Obama spent two months visiting in Hawaii. ...more

December 29, 2007

In Jim Gulledge's letter in the Dec. 27 Highlands Today, he makes statements that are not true. When Jim suggested that Oprah Winfrey endorsed Barack Obama because he is black says more about Jim than Oprah. Using that logic, Chuck Norris's endorsement of Mike Huckabee is because Mike is white. Someone took a picture of Barack Obama standing without his hand over his heart. This photo is one out of many hundreds (maybe thousands) of pictures taken of him on the campaign trail. When he was asked about it, he said he normally does salute the flag and he does not recall and is not sure why this one time he did not. Jim, with all events where the national anthem is played, that he has attended, and with all who hate Democrats out there, they only found one situation, give me a break. ...more

December 28, 2007

Without appearing to be sacrilegious to you women, I believe that Oprah Winfrey's credibility has taken a significant hit. She is all gung ho for Barack Obama, presumably because he is black. Certainly he has little in the way of experience or the qualities which we need to lead our country. Here is a man who refuses to salute our flag, nor honor our national anthem, yet he has the gall to ask us to elect him as our president. The sad truth is that many unthinking and misguided Americans would probably vote for him, given the chance. My question is, why? Born a Muslin and still a Muslim, he could only bring disharmony to our country, and we have had only too much of that already. ...more

December 22, 2007

A grim-faced President Pervez Musharraf bid farewell to his fellow generals Tuesday, a day before quitting as army chief in a move that could ease Pakistan's political crisis. ...more

November 28, 2007

A heart-to-heart team meeting prior to Friday's victory at Florida motivated Florida State to knock off the Gators. On Tuesday against Minnesota, proving their convincing win at Florida was no fluke inspired the Seminoles in a 75-61 victory. ...more

November 28, 2007