In the late 1800s, Karl Marx came up with "The Ten Planks of the Communist Manifesto." In the late 1930s, Sinclair Lewis wrote a book titled "It Can't Happen Here." Sorry Mr. Lewis, it is happening here and quickly, as evidenced by the House vote on socialized medicine and the relentless daily attacks on our personal freedom and capitalism. If "Obamacare" goes through, our beloved government will own or control 48 percent of the private industry. Next up, cap and trade. This bill is in response to the world's biggest hoax ever perpetuated, global warming. For instance, when we exhale we emit CO2. Plants need C02 to live and supply oxygen to all breathing creatures. If we eliminate the C02 there will be no plants for the animals to feed on and no air for us to breathe. What are we going to eat? Nothing, we all die! Politicians don't care, they just crave power. Big Brother will then have total control over us. But on the bright side, politicians will also die from lack of hot air to spew. ...more

November 11, 2009

One person who was among those stuck Saturday on a miles-wide slab of ice that floated away from the Ohio shoreline of Lake Erie has died, while 125 others were rescued, authorities said. ...more

February 7, 2009

I first came across Kapla planks about eight years ago, when my son received the wooden building blocks as a gift from his French cousins. The planks, made of pine harvested from renewable forests in France, were invented by Tom van der Bruggen. ...more

November 26, 2008

Exercise for anyone older than 50 should include work on core muscles and your back, says Mark Misner, owner and president of Tampa's Body By Design. As you age, back strength and stability become increasingly important, so it's essential any workout include a focus on those areas. ...more

May 9, 2008

The special legislative session ended Monday night with Gov. Charlie Crist embracing Senate President Ken Pruitt in celebration. In typical fashion, Crist had let the legislative process run its course, and it had rewarded him with the very planks of property tax reform on which he had campaigned. ...more

November 4, 2007

TALLAHASSEE - The special legislative session ended Monday night with Gov. Charlie Crist embracing Senate President Ken Pruitt in celebration. In typical fashion, Crist had let the legislative process run its course, and it had rewarded him with the very planks of property tax reform on which he had campaigned. ...more

November 3, 2007

SEBRING — In 2005, when Gilbert Santavenere moved to Sebring from Connecticut, the taxes on his house were $2,200 a year. Since the previous owner had a homestead exemption, Santavenere expected the taxes to go up to $2,800. "It ended up being $3,500 a year," Santavenere said. In a nutshell, that's the problem with Florida's property tax system, something the Florida Legislature tried to correct Monday when it passed a constitutional amendment that will lower ad valorem taxes an average of $240 per homeowner. Voters can grant final approval of the bill on Jan. 29, at the same time they cast ballots in the presidential primary. The measure includes variations of two planks in Gov. Charlie Crist's campaign platform last year: doubling the $25,000 exemption for homeowners and letting them take the 3 percent Save Our Homes cap when they move. ...more

October 31, 2007