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February 09, 2010

Perhaps now is a good time to talk about global warming

On Saturday, my daughter and her family were at our home and we played a guessing game — guess how much snow just got dumped on us.



February 08, 2010

Dear diary: Notes on Anne Frank incident resemble a Mad Lib

January is never an easy time for Culpeper’s school officials, and this year was particularly harsh.



February 05, 2010

We were due for the big one, but just how big will it be?

How many of you good folks in Culpeper and surrounding areas are sick of snow?



February 04, 2010

The U.S. 29 tech corridor: A work in progress for Culpeper’s future

In the beginning, moving to Culpeper was a calculated escape from the Beltway, part of this man’s plan to improve my quality of life and enjoy the fruits of my newly discovered Camelot.



February 03, 2010

Three centuries later, tariffs remain a bad economic approach

Men dressed in animal hides and feathers throwing boxes into the water in the middle of the night may have more economic prowess than our policymakers in D.C.



February 02, 2010

Host, foster, adopt – whatever it takes to help Haiti’s orphans

Many, many families in the U.S. are willing to host, foster or adopt these children — whatever it will take — if they are just given the chance to do so.



February 01, 2010

Have you noticed any large, mysterious birds around town?

There’s an ominous presence on the west side of town these days.



January 31, 2010

Out-of-control federal debt threatens to ruin our great nation

Friday morning I opened my newspapers to see what the country and the world was about. I was particularly interested in reading about what the United States Congress did in its “debate” on the national debt limit.



January 29, 2010

Lose yourself in new `Lost’ season, or get lost

Just 18 episodes remain, after which the series, and a certain brand of national obsession, will be over.



January 28, 2010

My kid didn’t like ‘The Outsiders’?! Maybe it’s a generational thing

Movies are largely subjective, and said subjectivity was reinforced last week as my husband and I sat down to watch “The Outsiders” with our daughter.

America’s response should be told at Holocaust museum

Yesterday marked the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp by Soviet troops.



January 27, 2010

Walmart has initiated another bushwhacking in the Wilderness

I find it ironic and saddening — in light of recent struggles to preserve the Wilderness battlefield and honor heroes on both sides — that Walmart is progressing with plans to erect yet another superstore complex on the northern edge of this historically significant field 12 miles west of Fredericksburg.



January 26, 2010

Helping earthquake survivors in Haiti with a ‘Double Harvest’

Most of the images we see coming out of post-earthquake Haiti are of stick-wielding crowds fighting for supplies; corpses lying out in the open; injured people stuffed into unsanitary conditions;  and naked children with shell-shocked expressions wandering the rubbish-strewn streets.



January 25, 2010

Town of Culpeper should move to November elections

Before last November’s statewide office winners were even seated, we’d already moved on to the mayor’s race here in Culpeper.



January 23, 2010

Town should annex county land and ditch idea of water authority

I continue to be amazed at the Star-Exponent’s enthusiasm for the creation of any type of water authority while it continues to hide the true cost of such an endeavor from the town’s voters.

HOW I SEE IT: A better solution for water and sewer

The current proposals for a joint water and sewer agreement are cumbersome, confusing and ultimately unworkable.



January 21, 2010

School dances have changed since the ‘80s ... or have they?

As I drove our daughter to her first dance, I was overcome with a surreal feeling. I’d been here before, only I was in the passenger’s seat, and the “carriage” was my dad’s 1980 GMC pickup truck.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY UPDATE: Sen. Houck wants to hear from you

As I enter my 27th session in the state Senate, I am honored to serve as a member of the Senate Finance Committee and as one of five senators on the Budget Committee of Conference.

Back from literary retirement, a conversation with my Muse

Today, with this treatise, I begin to write for this community, to write for the welfare of the community, to make a difference in this community.



January 20, 2010

If history is any indication, China’s economic bubble will collapse

The 1989 Mitsubishi Group purchase of Rockefeller Center characterized the notion that America and even its landmarks were owned by the fast-growing exporting giant of Japan.



January 19, 2010

For a brief moment, prayer breakfast unites political adversaries

Each year, the opening day of Virginia’s legislative session begins with the state’s elected officials and political leaders breaking bread together at the Commonwealth Prayer Breakfast.



January 18, 2010

Irony overload as Virginians celebrate Martin Luther King Day

Not so long ago, Virginia was the subject of national parody as comedians poked fun at the commonwealth’s insistence on combining the day set aside to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with those of Civil War generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson.



January 17, 2010

Of transparency, stimulus, ‘global warming’ and good neighbors

I am sure some of you will recall a concern I expressed in this space last February. I asked the question, “Is there a fox in the hen house?” in my observation of the appointment of the secretary of the Treasury.



January 14, 2010

There’s no shame in shopping at Goodwill and the flea market

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

Distracted driving deserves more attention; here are some tips

As mentioned in my last column, getting in our car and driving wherever we please is perhaps the quintessential example of American freedom.



January 13, 2010

Recycling is a religious practice, not a scientific or economic one

What would you say if someone told you an employer or the government asking you to recycle something as simple as glass or paper was a violation of your First Amendment right regarding freedom of religion?



January 12, 2010

The ‘D’ next to a senator’s name means he could get ‘dis-elected’

The combination of Virginia’s 2009 GOP victories and the recent retirement announcements by Sens. Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Byron Dorgan of North Dakota are indicators — strong indicators — that the Republicans will pick up most if not all of those “toss-up” seats.



January 11, 2010

Sledd proposal sets dangerous precedent for low-bidding cabinet posts

If there’s one thing that can be said for Virginia Governor-elect Bob McDonnell, it’s that he’s not cliché.



January 10, 2010

A closer look at the stimulus and America’s declining world status

Since Congress authorized the expenditure of $787 billion as an economic stimulus package to inspire vigor in getting our economy back in high gear, I’ve been following its progress with some interest.

Around the world, religious liberty remains a growing problem

The first decade of the 21st century has been devastating for religious liberty in much of the world.

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