It always helps to start at the beginning — in this case America. It begins with that Robert Frost moment of "two roads diverged in the wood" — and the road our founders took "made all the difference" — "the one less traveled by..." ...more

March 22, 2009

THE FIREMAN: ELECTRIC ARGUMENTS (ATO) *** Maybe it's having an alias, but on "Electric Arguments," Paul McCartney sounds as if he's managed to shake off the ex-Beatles yoke for the first time since his earliest solo albums. ...more

January 9, 2009

Before the 1940s, Republicans in Florida were as rare as cold fronts in August. ...more

May 25, 2008

Editor's note: This is an excerpt from former Sebring resident Charles A. Martin's book "The Last Great Ace." The book is about Highlands County's most decorated soldier. Maj. Thomas B. McGuire, Jr. earned the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroics as a pilot fighting in the South Pacific. Here is the final of three parts from chapter 28 of the book. This chapter tells of some of his heroic feats that earned him numerous honors, and nearly killed him. If you're interested in purchasing the book and reading the entire history, visit: http://www.lastgreatace.com/ Part 3 The Zekes (Japanese fighter planes) had broken off, but his troubles were not over yet. McGuire pulled the yoke back to bring the P-38 out of a dive, but his controls were useless and he realized that the bullets passing through the cockpit had severed the control cables. He'd have to get out of the plane while it was still in a steep dive. He chopped both throttles and pulled the emergency hatch release. The canopy ripped away in the slipstream. He released his seat belt and shoulder harness, climbed into the seat and jumped. The thought of that great knife-like elevator at the back of the plane flashed through his mind as he went into the blasting air of the slip stream. ...more

February 8, 2008

The celebration of Labor Day is muted this year for most workers. Union membership is down, pay is flat and pensions are rare. ...more

September 3, 2007