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Columns

  • Is this the end of Jon and Kate?

    I wasn't the only one who watched as their once happy marriage seemed to crumble apart at the hinges.

    More than nine million people watched - albeit painfully - the premiere of the fifth season of "Jon & Kate Plus 8."

    Though I'm not usually one to read tabloids on checkout stands, I couldn't help but notice the headlines over the past few months that accuse both Jon and Kate Gosselin of having affairs. The thought made me sad.

    I was even more sad - for the couple's eight children really - after watching the show's season premiere episode.

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  • A protective order could save your life

    Dina did not know where to turn for help. Her husband of nine months who had been so kind to her had suddenly become abusive. For the past two weeks, he would slap her for no reason at all.

    One night he would not let her leave the house because he believed she was going to see another man. He would leave with his friends but order her to stay at home. She was afraid of what he might do.

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  • Teen Board was tops this year

    Responsibility. Competitiveness. Love. Graduation. Patriotism. Politics. Family. Social networking. Self-image. Religion.

    You name it, and this year's Teen Board has covered it.

    If you've taken the time to read the "Insight Page" published each month since last September, then you know there's some serious issues on the minds of Taylor County teens.

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  • The amazing power of hands

    I was watching a repeat of "Grey's Anatomy" recently, and it hit me.

    I had heard many eloquent words about the power of a person's hands at a blessing of the hands ceremony recently, but this episode was like a picture of what I heard that night.

    I remember sitting there in the front row, with my camera in hand, capturing the moment. I heard several speakers discuss what we do with our hands.

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  • The love of new shoes is in the genes

    My granddaughter Claire is a feisty child. She reminds me a lot of her mother at that age.

    She is 19 months old and starting to string words together. Sometimes I can understand her, sometimes not, but I always get a kick out of what she says. She gives an extra twist to the word umbrella-la-la.

    The other day I was talking to her on the phone and two words came out perfectly clear. She said new shoes.

    The child is a prodigy and a girl after my own heart.

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  • A little bit about my least favorite subject ... Me

    I get these e-mailed quizzes from time to time. I always hit the delete button without even looking at them. But not this time.

    The point of a column is to give our readers a little insight into how our minds work. What better way to do that than with a quiz? Allow me to apologize for some of my answers in advance.

    1. Were you named after anyone? My father, James, and my grandfather Ray.

    2. When was the last time you cried? Real men don't cry. So, probably five minutes ago.

    3. Do you like your handwriting? Yes, because only I can read it.

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  • Democracy or hypocrisy?

    Four years ago this month, as a staffer for Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, I sat at the back of the Senate Chamber and listened to Republicans denounce efforts to filibuster President Bush's judicial appointments. One after another, they sermonized about the body's Constitutional, even moral, obligation to give each nominee an "up or down vote."

    At the time, Sen. Mitch McConnell said, "regardless of party, any President's judicial nominees, after full debate, deserve a simple up-or-down vote."

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  • Want to share a favorite recipe?

    Do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share with others? If so, we've got just the book for you ... and you can help local students at the same time.

    The News-Journal's Newspapers In Education program is working on a community cookbook that will include all your favorite recipes - AND raise money that will help provide NIE subscriptions for students to use in their classrooms.

    In the past year, the Central Kentucky News-Journal delivered more than 800 newspapers to local classrooms each Monday and Thursday.

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  • Five ways to cut down on your healthcare costs

    The recession has hit our country hard. According to a recent survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation, it has motivated more than half of us to cut back on needed health care expenditures. The desire to rein in spending at a time like this is understandable. But skimping on medical care is a dangerous way to do it. Thankfully, there are some simple - and safe - strategies to save money on health care without sacrificing your health.

    Here are my Top 5.

     

    Know your health plan's fine print.

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  • Kentucky Office of Highway Safety issues tough reminder to public: Click it or ticket!

    For anyone who complains about getting a ticket for not buckling up when driving or riding in a motor vehicle, here's a crash course in reality:

    - 826 people were killed on Kentucky's roadways in 2008.

    - 55 percent of those killed were not wearing a seat belt.

    When worn correctly, seat belts are proven to reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat occupants by 45 percent and by 60 percent in pickup trucks, SUVs and minivans.

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