One of the biggest challenges to ending the foreclosure crisis is this: A surprising number of homeowners who get their monthly payments reduced fall behind again within a year. ...more

December 22, 2009

A Tampa mother watched the Nov. 6 massacre at Fort Hood unfold with a particular horror. Her daughter was stationed at the base. Today, the soldier, 26-year-old Dianeya Nodarse, surprised her mother with a homecoming at Tampa International Airport. ...more

December 21, 2009

I was pleased with your recent editorial praising President Obama but dismayed that it was sandwiched between two dogmatic writings by columnists. First, it was heartbreaking to see brilliant young Suzannah Beiner apparently being totally brainwashed by the far right wing. It appears that she has used her remarkable talents to gain a total command of rarely used English words, that very few of her readers will understand but has totally missed learning basic science. ...more

December 20, 2009

James Cameron's 3-D "Avatar" has all the smack of a Film Not To Miss, but it nevertheless feels unsatisfying. ...more

December 18, 2009

We meltdown or wind down at 2009's end. We've hit speed bumps that annoy, even jolt, but lead to needed slowdowns and lifesaving stops in our personal and national lives. Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid said: "Instead of joining us on the right side of history, all the Republicans can come up with is, 'slow down, stop everything, let's start over.'" Reid intended to denounce, but let's ponder his unintended wisdom. ...more

December 17, 2009

President Obama and the Democrats plan to let the Bush tax cuts expire in 2010. Obama said he wants us to pay our "fair share," and Vice President Joe Biden considers it a "moral obligation" to pay taxes. ...more

December 17, 2009

It is symbolic of the Senate's health care bill that the section titled "No lifetime or annual limits" would allow insurance companies to impose annual dollar limits on medical care, meaning that patients in need of expensive cancer treatment, for example, could still be bankrupted. ...more

December 17, 2009

I got the below quote from my brother, Dan, in Miramar, who has about as much respect for Obama's health care plan as most everyone does except for those of this administration who are mostly pushing for its very liberal approval. The following conservative thoughts from an unidentified health care professional pretty well sum up my feelings. And with now passing the age of being eligible for their revised Medicare Plan, this really hits home: ...more

December 16, 2009

Green used to be just a color. Occasionally, it was used as an expression to mean inexperienced. But now the connotations that power this word run on solar panels. To admit to not recycling, to retain apathetic feelings toward polar bears, and to accuse the scientific community of fear-mongering is equated to blasphemy. ...more

December 16, 2009

Rally round the pyre, boys. Pin the rascal's picture on a voodoo doll and burn it in effigy. ...more

December 16, 2009