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The victims of victimhood

Editorials and columns

The left's compassion has inflicted a terrible price on America's poor. In 1964, former President Lyndon B. Johnson declared an "unconditional war on poverty." He warned it "will not be a short or easy struggle," but that "the richest Nation on earth can afford to win it." He was right that it wouldn't be a short or easy struggle. Johnson and Congress created a host of new federal programs, including the Job Corps, Head Start and the Office of Economic Opportunity. His "Great Society" programs included Medicare and Medicaid. In 1965, he signed a housing bill that included rent ...

We lost one of the great grumps this week

Editorials and columns

In every school, work or personal gathering, you need at least one grump for the group to thrive. Grumps do the work that no one else will. When everyone else is being mercilessly upbeat, they swim against the tide and complain. The grump may follow your inane rules -- but grudgingly, oh, boy, will it be grudgingly -- but they never let them pass unremarked upon. Where other folks try to fit in, the grumps stand out, not because they want to, but because they must. Even in a children's show like "Sesame Street," you need an Oscar the Grouch to balance out what otherwise could be ...

Political game is all about relationships

Editorials and columns

At the end of the day, successfully playing the political game comes down to the "R" word. It's all about relationships. Office seekers need to have one with the citizens to get elected. Nothing gets done in the legislature until and unless there are relationships and hopefully across ...

Engaging with the arts

Editorials and columns

What is “happy” art? Is it art that makes the artist happy? The audience? Throughout my years displaying and reading pieces, I’ve learned that a lot of people have very strong feelings about this, and they’re not afraid to voice it. When developing the ideas for artwork and poems ...

Michael Jackson biopic charts the pop star's rise to fame

Editorials and columns

I vividly remember when Michael Jackson's signature "Thriller" album exploded in 1983 with the release of Billboard No. 1 hits "Billie Jean" and "Beat It," as well as Top 10 singles like "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" and "Human Nature." These songs were the soundtrack of my eighth- and ninth-grade years, and almost every talent show I attended featured a boy moonwalking or donning a red leather jacket, sporting black slacks and penny loafers highlighted with white socks. Everyone was trying to emulate the King of Pop. I was still a bit too young to understand some of the mature themes ...

“I’m too Fat to do Yoga”

Editorials and columns

I met with a new client the other day who told me she had never tried yoga because she thought she was incapable, only because of her size. It broke my heart in half. She had fallen victim to the stereotype of a yogi: slender, beautiful, poised, and able to bend in ways that would make your ...