AUSTIN – Congratulations to the Supreme Court on its 6-3 decision in the Texas sodomy law case and to all those, including the gay rights groups and the American Civil Liberties Union, who have fought so long and hard to rid the legal system of this manifest injustice. Last weekend’s chat shows featured a number […]

Baldacci’s special recipe for success – accessibility, humor, compromise, perseverance, respect for others – has surprised and impressed the skeptics.By Christopher WilliamsStaff Writer AUGUSTA – More than a dozen Brownies dressed in T-shirts and shorts closed in around the desk where the man in the blue suit sat waiting.“So what questions do you have for […]

Eliminating racial gaps in K-12 education would advance the goal of a colorblind society. Affirmative-action opponents should redirect their energies now that the Supreme Court has upheld the limited use of race in admissions. Instead of continuing to fight to dismantle affirmative action, opponents should focus on improving public education.In the days since the court’s […]

NAJAF, Iraq – The biggest wild card facing U.S. troops in Iraq is the Shiite factor.So far, attacks on U.S. forces come mainly from diehard Saddam supporters in Sunni Muslim areas. But nearly 60 percent of Iraqis are Shiite Muslims, and many follow the lead of their religious establishment, or hawza, based in the Iraqi […]

Q I was reading a novel in which one of the characters used the word “foozle” to refer to a botched shot in golf. Can you tell me anything about the origin of “foozle”? Is it a very old word? – T. F., Shaker Heights, Ohio A: The word “foozle” only dates to the 19th […]

It started in the ’80s when words were removed from books lest they hurt someone’s feelings. Which of the following stories would be too biased for schools to allow on tests? (1) Overcoming daunting obstacles, a blind man climbs Mount McKinley; (2) dinosaurs roam the Earth in prehistoric times; (3) an Asian-American girl, whose mother […]

How humiliating, all those goats about and I was stuck with a Vega. So the other day I was waiting at a stoplight in my car, which is nice, but, like most cars today, boring. For example, when you turn the key, it starts. Every time! It has one of those modern, quiet, dependable engines. […]

Bettors, beano players, smokers, snowmobilers, law breakers, spammers and gubernatorial candidates take note: Health care, the budget and taxes weren’t the only issues of the 121st legislative session.By Bonnie WashukStaff Writer AUGUSTA – All bills signed into law will take effect on Sept. 13, unless they were emergency measures or had a specific startup date. […]

Q Since my first name is Fritz, I’ve always wondered where the expression “on the fritz” came from. Can you enlighten me? – F.N., Providence, R.I. A: Unfortunately, no one is really sure where “on the fritz” originated. Most of us know that it means “in a state of disorder or disrepair.” The first evidence […]

AUSTIN, Texas – You’ve got to hand it to those clever little problem-solvers at the White House. What a bunch of brainiacs. They have resolved the entire problem of global warming: They cut it out of the report!This is genius. Everybody else is maundering on about the oceans rising and the polar icecaps melting and […]