.....Advertisement.....
.....Advertisement.....

Today's Opinions

  • Naps: The best alternative to sleep

    One of my favorite photographs of my parents was snapped on an early summer afternoon. They had no idea that I had come out of my room only to return for my camera and capture them for all eternity in a rather endearing picture.

    They were curled up at opposite ends of the sofa napping.

    You see, both my parents always denied they napped.

    "Just resting my eyes," my father would say.

    "Oh, I wasn't asleep," my mother protested. "I just closed my eyes for a minute."

    Click here to read more...
  • Anabolic steroids are not the rage

    Anabolic steroids become a public issue of greater importance each year. Baseball, football, and most of our beloved professional sports have all fallen victim to some degree of illegal steroid activity.

    The continued rise of Internet advertising as well as the proliferation of dietary supplements has also given "performance enhancement" more prominence. This has created a relatively new market for steroid products. Not only athletes, but more average guys are now using or considering anabolic substances.

    Click here to read more...
  • Being heart smart

    February may have come and gone, but the facts remain: every month should be Heart Month-especially if you're a woman.

    Television commercials, print ads and even soap operas got in on the month-long message that women need to be more aware of their hearts.

    And that's not the figurative heart that we give away on Valentine's Day.

    Heart disease is now the leading cause of death among women in this country.

    The reason? It's unclear.

    Click here to read more...
  • Starstruck? But of course

    When I sent out the call for celebrity sightings, someone asked what I was looking for.

    My response: I'm not sure, but we'll see what defines celebrity to people.

    I was right.

    Most of the names you submitted I was aware of. Some were a little more obscure and I had to do my own Internet research to educate myself on names like Brenda Fraizer and Anthony Green.

    Click here to read more...
  • You'll hear me coming

    It wasn't until the nurse practioner pointed it out last week that it dawned on me.

    I've become Phyllis Vining.

    I worked with Phyllis a very brief time around 1995. She was hired to sell ads at the paper I worked for and from the time she walked in the door, I knew she was different.

    I thought she was elderly back then-now I realize she was probably mid-50s but in her mind Phyllis was no more than 25-only the lines around her eyes gave away her secret.

    Click here to read more...
  • Television

    My name is Jeff and I am a television addict." I can picture my first visit to the televisionaholics anonymous meeting. Well, I am not quite so bad that I must join TA. Of course, all of us "aholics" say we are not so addicted to those things to which we are addicted.

    We can all give up "x," or "y" or "z" any time we want.

    For instance, I might say, "Just let me watch The Simpsons, Family Guy and King of the Hill and I'll let American Dad go by the wayside this week, just to prove how I can handle this habit."

    Click here to read more...
  • Overlooking the imperfections a must

    My car suffers from a bad case of dutch elm disease. Or oak blight.

    I guess whatever ailment it has comes from parking under the trees at my house.

    Being vertically challenged, I don't see the roof of the car.

    Perhaps that's why I didn't know the car was ailing from some alien rash.

    Sunday afternoon brought it all home.

    I washed-yes, hand-washed-my car. That in itself is an accomplishment.

    I am not a car washer.

    It's a bone of contention between Tom and me.

    Click here to read more...
  • No Fair

    No Fair

    Life is not fair.

    Saturday at about 7:30 a.m., my wife Sharon and I left to go to the Florida State Fair in Tampa.

    I had plans to take photos of award-winning cattle and to have lots of fun.

    I drove our Jeep on Alt. 27 to catch I-75 at Ocala, but it was very foggy.

    I decided to go down U.S. Highway 19 instead, because the traffic would be slower and lighter than on the Interstate.

    Shortly after going through Chiefland on 19, we smelled smoke.

    Click here to read more...