On Sunday May 17, 2009 Sean Wain, age 34 of a Pittsburgh suburb, was suffering from cancer. At 5:30 a.m. Mr. Wain shot and killed his 33 year old wife on the front lawn of their home with shotgun blasts to her hip and to her head. He then shot and killed himself. Three of their four children, ranging in age from 10 to 14, looked out of the windows at the bodies of their parents for three hours. A newspaper delivery person saw the bodies about 8:30 a.m. and …

Syrian dictator  Bashar al-Assad, along with his regime of corrupt government bureaucrats and  paid assassins,  have done everything possible to end the two-month  long revolt against him by the Syrian people.   Much like Qaddafi of Libya, and Mubarak of Egypt,  al-Assad built his lifetime claim to power based on the age-old concept that  “might is right”.  During his eleven years as President of Syria, al-Assad ensured that no democratic opposition to him could survive, and that no criticism of his policies would be tolerated.   Even the slightest challenges to his …

Almost two years ago the call came. My father, then 91, was in an assisted living home. He was dying. His lady friend of almost 25 years was there at his side, as were two of my children. My son spoke. I listened. “He wants to see you, Mom. He doesn’t have long. He said he wants to tell you he loves you.”  With barely a pause and without affect I said, “No. I won’t be coming. Thanks for calling. Glad you are there.” A deep breath. No tears. Stuffed …

I guess that sometimes wishes really do come true;  Sarah Palin is positioning herself to declare  her candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination.  Up until now, with Palin sitting on the sidelines, making speeches , writing more books  and making lots of dough, the Republican Party has  only supplied  a limited number  of  truly out-of-touch candidates to tickle America’s sense of humor.  Of course, the most outrageous one yet has been Donald Trump; best known for his “birther” stand,  his plan to tack a thirty percent tax on Americans buying …

Steeler Nation celebrates the win of Hines Ward on this season’s Dancing With The Stars! He was masculine grace. He was ultimate sex appeal. He toughed it out and had all the right moves. Pittsburgh has adored Hines Ward for years as the Steeler with the most winning smile and as a player who has helped lead the Steelers to NFL Championships. Now his star power shines even brighter. Most of all, Hines just has a great heart and glows with good character, as well as athletic prowess. One smaller …

The  announcement by Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels on Sunday that he will not seek the Republican nomination for president is not much of a surprise, especially considering the penchant of the Tea Party movement to insist on absolute “conservative political purity”.   Daniels, who lacks  much of a national reputation, was considered by many Republican operatives to be a good compromise candidate.  In other words, he represented the best possible mix of ideological acceptability and general election viability.  Although Daniels might have stacked up well against Barack Obama in the general …

It’s been less than one week since former House Speaker Newt Gingrich announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination.  This has proven to be  about the right amount of time needed for Newt’s campaign to come unglued.  In a monumental act of political courage, Gingrich wasted no time in lambasting the Republican’s ill-conceived plan to do away with the government-run Medicare Program.   After he referred to the so-called Ryan Plan as “right-wing social engineering”, the party leadership, along with most of the conservative media,  repudiated Newt’s comments in no …

I know the planet needs rain. I get that. I also know that I have waited months for sunshine and warmth and the ability to sit on the patio in the morning to drink that first cup of jump-start coffee. But it is still raining and forecasts are that it will continue through June. Given the fact that there are many being direly impacted by all this rain, I have no right to complain.
The choice had to be made. Flood those outside of large and densely populated areas such as …

Prompted by former House Speaker  Newt Gingrich’s  announcement of his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee said he did not have sufficient “fire in the belly” to join the fray of primary fights and perpetual fund-raising that would be required.  Huckabee  took himself out of the running, saying he preferred  to continue his lucrative career on television and radio.   This could prove to be a very wise political move, considering the state of confusion and disarray within the Republican ranks. Unfortunately for the Republican Party, …

This Sunday May 15, 2011 is the International Day of Compassion for Dr. Patch Adams. I wanted to share with you my audio interview with Patch so that you can hear his voice, feel his heart and gain appreciation for this man who travels the globe 300 days a year in order to help those who need healing. He has visited over 70 countries and and takes his clown Patrols “to nightmares” such as Kabul, Afghanistan. Patch wants to build the hospital of his dreams, but his model fills a …

It should come as no surprise that the perennial sweetheart of the Republican Party, Newt Gingrich, has decided to once again “throw his hat in the ring” for his party’s presidential nomination.  According to Gingrich spokesman, Rick Tyler, the former Georgia Congressman will announce his candidacy on Facebook and Twitter at around 5:00 PM today.   Ironically,  this would make Gingrich among the first of the presumptive , Republican presidential hopefuls to publicly announce his/her  candidacy.   The remaining eight or nine other Republicans  who have expressed some interest in pursuing the …