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BEVERLY HILLS - God bless America, and how's everybody?
New Year means time to dream
The year 2012 was not my most eventful year ever but it definitely made the top ten list. I have to say, the events were mostly all life-affirming. They represented finally reaching the light at the end of a tunnel. I finished phase one of a college experience, married a wonderful man, travelled outside the United States for the first time ever, found a new and better job and moved to my new home. Of all that I left behind, the things I miss most are some very good neighbors and friends, and a really wonderful garden.
2013 Precap
Should auld acquaintance be forgot? How 'bout the presidential campaign, the 112th Congress and Newsweek magazine? Journalists usually favor year-end recaps of news but as a public service I'm going to focus instead on the glorious months ahead, in this handy precap of 2013:
The Best, Worst and Most of 2012
Here's my annual list looking at 2012:
The cliff is fast approaching
HOLLYWOOD - God bless America, and how's everybody?
Hair Today
Sure, Paul McCartney can still sing at age 70, but have you taken a good look at his hair? During the concert to benefit victims of Sandy, and a few nights later on "Saturday Night Live," McCartney's locks were positively mesmerizing.
If Ever We Needed Christ in Christmas, It Is Now
This year, the politically correct gestures of seasonal salutation (Happy Holidays, Season's Greetings, etc.), which for too long have served as substitutes for the real thing, have become vacuous, stale and boring. This year, somehow, they seem especially inadequate to express the sentiment we so desperately need to hear at this moment in time.
Gun Control Won’t Prevent Tragedy
It's not tougher gun control, stupid.
Guns, Guns and Guns
It's only human nature to want to take action after such a harrowing traumatic event. To do something. Anything, to protect our kids. And make sure that Newtown never ever happens again. Here. There. Anywhere.
Merry Mayan apocalypse day
HOLLYWOOD - Merry Christmas, everybody, and God bless America.
Are Shooting Victims Collateral Damage Sacrifices to the Gun Worship God?
Journalists often exaggerate by using the phrase "shattered lives."
Time for a new calendar
HOLLYWOOD - God bless America, and how's everybody?
How to Support the Troops over the Holidays
Ah, the holiday season is upon us. What better time to show our support for our men and women in uniform?
Time to carve the roast beast
We here at the Tribune have observed what has been dubbed "Christmas Spirit Week" this week. There have been days dedicated to wearing Christmas attire, Christmas bling and Christmas colors. Of course, all week, the table in the break room has loaded with Christmas cookies and assorted Christmas snacks.
Making the Rich Flee
Sheesh! Successful people in France are getting a lot of grief lately.
Articles by Section - Columnists
Can Rand Paul Really Get the 2016 GOP Nomination?
He's the GOP's emerging conservative "rock star" who sets the base on fire. But can he go the distance? Is it realistic to think that Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul can really get the 2016 Republican Presidential nomination and usher in a new GOP era in more ways than one? Or does he have too much political hubris -- some of it from his father?
Springtime in Washington
Ah, springtime has finally arrived in Washington, D.C.
Attacking Cancer Patients Doesn’t Fix Obamacare
In a blockbuster Associated Press story your local paper may have skipped, Kelli Kennedy reports that patients with cancer and other serious diseases all over the country are being hammered by the same problem: the one-size-fits-all structure of Obamacare plans imposes outrageously high out-of-pocket costs for their specialty drugs.
Obama Confesses
"Pope Francis, I have never been to Catholic confession before, but I have a few things I have to get off my chest."
Obamacare Haters Can’t Handle the Truth
If there's one thing Republicans hate even more than health insurance for a growing number of Americans, it's empirical evidence that Obamacare is insuring a growing number of Americans.
Lobbyists Always Find a Way
It's funny how loopholes are always just big enough to accommodate a lobbyist. In Texas, the legislature recently banned lobbyists for testing companies from serving on education accountability advisory boards, but Bill Hammond, a lobbyist representing Pearson's interests, is serving on an accountability panel. It may sadden you to know that Texas is messing with ethics, but fear not: It appears no one is listening to Hammond anyway.
Foul Balls
Over in the sports section they greet each baseball season with rankings, predictions and detailed summaries of off-season roster moves. Here on the opinion page we usually prefer to wax about emerald green grass, the crack of the bat and the vernal reawakening of our Great American Pastime.
What Will Unionized Athletes Mean for Colleges?
The National Labor Relations Board says college football players are not "students." Many would agree. It took the NLRB to declare them "employees."
Sawbucked to Death
These days, the only thing harder than making money is hanging onto it. It's easier to protect dandelion fuzz in a tornado. Everywhere you go, everyone wants a taste. Their only job is to get a grip on your money. And some of these folks are pretty darn good at their jobs.
