Goose that laid -- what?
There's a chronic problem with telling a great story. At some point, somebody will say, "Aw, I don't believe that" -- which is your cue to either prove its truth or admit that you made it up.
Comics jar this reader
On that list of life's annoyances -- IRS audits, telemarketers, car troubles, condescending store clerks, cold sores, etc. -- I'll now add this item: socially relevant comic strips.
Middle ground erodes
If my theory is true -- that anyone's life can be boiled down to a gravestone inscription -- these words could well appear on Juan Williams' marker: "Here lies the man who introduced Clarence Thomas to the world."
Trick will be on us for cause
Local illusionist Jim Passe has two big tricks planned for the future. The first falls into the category of don't-believe-what-you-see. The second is one that I'll believe only when I see it.
This time, straight talk
I should have known better. I'm a professional, but last week I made an amateur's mistake: I trafficked in irony.
Liberal radio has its charm
I think I'm going to love Air America Radio, the liberal broadcast network that cranked up for business last week.
Why writers say yes
In 1998, Margot Lester -- divorced and in a professional rut -- left Chapel Hill and moved to Los Angeles for a fresh start in life. She returned several months ago with a new entry on her resume: "sex writer."
Fishel's fixation irks some
Spring is finally here, which means it'll be eight months or so before I have to listen again to Greg Fishel rhapsodize about the glories of snow.
Stories you can believe
I've always had a fondness for tales, especially those that are stretched to the boundary of believability. Give me a good story and as a courtesy I'll overlook the minor inconsistencies.
History, football tango
This Super Bowl is about something more than football. It's about two states that have somehow become locked in a weird tango of antagonism and similarity. Think about it for a moment: North Carolina's team, the Panthers, is playing Massachusetts' team, the Patriots, for the championship of professional football in Super Bowl XXXVIII. At the same time, a North Carolina senator is facing off against a Massachusetts senator to see who will become the Democratic nominee for president.
Protest and pay the price
Protesters acknowledged that they deliberately chose to interrupt a basketball game so TV cameras would capture the event.
Paranoia comes in handy
I like hanging around with paranoid people. That way, I get the benefit of their constant state of high alert.
How sex should be taught
I think sex education is best handled by the people most qualified to communicate with teenagers: other teenagers.
The other stories now in print
The word always gets out, one way or another. And starting Thursday, N&O readers will have a new place to learn about all those smart, funny, ironic, sharp-edged, knowing and ego-deflating stories that are shared at the water cooler or over lunch. "Unfiltered," a new column by G.D. Gearino, will appear on the front of the Life, etc. section every week. Read it and spread the word.
More Stories
From the Wire
Entertainment Wire
- Jermaine Dupri party helps kick of MTV VMA bashes
- Stand Up to Cancer telethon takes over network TV
- Stand Up to Cancer telethon takes over network TV
- Timberlake, Cyrus among the stars at Fashion Rocks
- French pop artist Alain Jacquet dies at 69
- New York Fashion Week starts with a message: Relax
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Travel Wire
- Continental to charge $15 for 1st checked bag
- FAA investigating 11 air carriers on safety issues
- Eco-honeymoons: Top green resorts
- Argentina's Senate approves airline takeover
- Island escape: Vancouver Island offers outdoor adventures for all
- Big island, small surprises: Little destinations offer visitors wonderful opportunities to explore and enjoy Vancouver Island
- More stories
Home & Garden Wire
- New home door locks can be controlled online
- EARTH EDUCATION: Suburban jungle
- Yard wars: One man's quest to grow native plants, neighbors say, pushes limits of green living
- FIX IT: Candles or cars may be causing sooty stain on carpet
- Be wary when gardening with non-native plants
- HOME STYLE: Permaflow, garden pests and freezing crystal
- More stories
Food & Wine Wire
- On the rocks: Fall drinks
- Campbell Soup tries to win over label-readers
- Ask a cook: What makes a recipe your own?
- The Chef's Table: Yams vs. sweet potatoes: Are they really the same veggie?
- Be deviled, a classic just keeps getting better and better
- Cook's Corner: Morrison's shrimp recipe a secret no more
- More stories
Family Wire
- A once-in-a-lifetime chance and a parenting conflict
- Know your text-messaging limits before being caught at school
- Kids in the public eye: Where does the line lie?
- Butterflies on the first day of school
- Genetic curse of locks and swirls
- How to ace the SAT, ACT and PSAT
- More stories
Seniors Wire
- Retirement account rules catch many by surprise
- Social Security Q&A
- JANE GLENN HAAS: Heartland unease in Las Vegas
- JANE GLENN HAAS: Site offers tips on dealing with grief, loss
- Laboring longer a growing trend for Americans
- How to love your retirement: Best thing about retirement
- More stories
Weird News Wire
- Man in wheelchair robs Texas 7-Eleven of condoms
- NJ cops kick in door over bird's cries for help
- Team dumps logo near buttocks after 70-0 loss
- Doctor fired for allegedly drinking on the job
- W.Va. man accused of drunk driving on a tractor
- Parrots wreak havoc at New Zealand bird sanctuary
- More stories
