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Columnists

BOB BROWN: Lost and Found

All of us encounter loss. The meaning we attribute to loss influences our response to it. Our losses accumulate. They range from minor to unimaginable. Last week, two sets of...

FRED FIRST: Where You’re From

In the very early years of writing, I was exposed to a poem called “Where...

ROBERT L. MARONIC: I No Longer Watch Baltimore Orioles’ Baseball Games

I no longer watch Baltimore Orioles’ baseball games. I now only watch innings, and if I...

ANDY PITZER: “Look Mom! No iPhone!”

A very interesting visually recorded interview showed up on my feed the other night. In...

FRED FIRST: There And Back Again

RECAP: I would be able to visit southwest Virginia again–home for almost 40 years, and...

Elected Officials Across The Country “Leading” Municipalities to Bankruptcy

The headline on 5/10/13 edition of ‘The Roanoke Star.com’ trumpeted these words, “Council Raises Own Pay 28%.” Upon reading the article, it was surprising...

Too Much Stuff Before Its Time

It is a common theme today to talk about not “spoiling” our children with too many things.  While it may very well be true...

Richie Havens: Master of Freedom

OK, here's this morning's challenge. Imagine you are sitting quietly. Somebody walks in and tells you that there are a half-million people outside, waiting...

A Tax That’s Mean, Ornery, Daft, and the Wrong Way Round

What would you do if you received a bill from your local hospital after successful heart surgery, taxing you annually for your improved health? That’s...

The Sophistry of Central Planning

Central planning is a process of collecting data, massaging that information and converting the refined statistics into an action plan. Government workers collect the...

Retiring After 40 Plus Years in The ER

The phone rang. I answered. "Hello?"  I’m Dr. Crawford,” came the response. “I’m a paleontologist. Do you  know what that is?” “You study fossils.” “Correct!” He sounded...