I have bad news and good news for you. The bad news is that you will die. The good news is that if you are reading this you still have time to get your affairs in order.

I am sure you’ve all seen the signs at gas stations here in Prince William County that say:  Gas $3.60 per gallon or $3.45, cash only. 

Allen says choose McCain for real change.

Tim Kaine shows why Barack Obama is the reform candidate.

Normally, I pay little attention to who wins the Nobel Prize in Literature. With my English major days far behind me, I rarely seek out any book that “uncovers the precipice of everyday prattle in the quest for the melancholic soul of the female experience,” a description constructed entirely from the one-sentence blurbs about the last three winners at nobelprize.org. 

The Democrats are succeeding where the “Socialist Party USA” and “Communist Party USA” have failed. 

One of the key political facts of life that separate the House from the Senate in Congress are the brief two-year terms in the larger chamber.

With the economy in turmoil, partly because of practices at companies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, it is as important as ever to ensure companies do business ethically. Rules and regulations are not enough — with bad leaders, businesses will break rules and subvert regulations. 

Rep. Tom Davis, R-11th District, voted in favor of the $700 billion Wall Street bailout package on Monday.

In spite of the anti-Hispanic policies that local elected officials have pushed during the past year, our community remains diverse and, for the most part, a desirable place to live. Contrary to the desires of the politicians, businesses, government offices and private individuals throughout Prince William County have made worthwhile efforts to ensure that everyone is welcome.

What began in January with Mike Huckabee’s “Christian Leader” ads in Iowa and subterranean attacks on Mitt Romney’s Mormon faith has further degenerated into false rumors about Barack Obama’s faith and ugly stories about a “witch-hunting” pastor who once blessed Sarah Palin. 

As a lipstick sunset painted the hills of the Piedmont, Joyce Tyree sold tickets to the junior varsity football game at Eastern View High School. 

I was waiting in line at the truck stop along with every other knucklehead swept up in the panic of the Great Southeastern Gas Shortage of Early Fall 2008 when my mind wandered, as it often does, and I flashed forward 30 or 40 years. 

We truly have a crisis in this country now. To be more exact, in regards to the mortgage industry failure, what we are experiencing is a crisis of responsibility.

If it’s true the distance between Northern Virginia and Richmond is “about 100 years,” then it’s also probably true that both presidential campaigns have been forced to adopt a sort of two-state mentality as each side tries to carve out enough votes to put Virginia in their column by election night on Nov. 4.

I haven’t missed voting in a presidential election since turning 18 in 1986. My first presidential election was Bush vs. Dukakis two years later. 

On Sept. 13, two 19-year-old thugs from Woodbridge decided they needed some pocket money and the best way to get it would be to abduct a defenseless woman who in all likelihood would have an ATM card. 

The conventions are over, the candidates have been chosen, the campaigning has intensified, and we have about two months to go after one of the longest campaigns for president in our history.

The problem wasn’t that John McCain said “The fundamentals of the economy are strong” as Wall Street was imploding last week.

The old saying goes, “where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” Well, Prince William County is seeing a lot of smoke this year and we need to put the fire out now.

I’ve talked about this election off and on for several columns. Now, with a little more than six weeks, I would say we’re into the homestretch.

Like millions of baby boomers, AARP turned 50 this year. Earlier this month the association launched its anniversary commemoration, “Life at 50,” on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to the plaudits of Buzz Aldrin, Richard Petty and Sally Field. 

A warning to readers who are contemplating getting naked and unruly: You could be Tasered.

Tuesday night, House Democrats passed what Reuters called a “bill allowing offshore drilling.” Don’t be fooled by the headlines. This bill is a last-ditch attempt to stop offshore drilling, while pretending to support drilling to insulate members of the Democratic caucus from the outrage of the American people.

Two weeks ago, I had just finished watching the last episodes of the final season of “Northern Exposure.” It was a worthy task that took more than a year of regular Netflix rentals to see all six seasons, and the closing credits of the final episode brought an end to “living” in a small town in Alaska.

Is it racist to question Sen. Barack Obama’s thin résumé?
Of course not.

This election is dead even, but the track ahead hides many potholes and pitfalls. One misstep or outside event — a factor that’s not even visible or predictable now — could determine the winner two months from now.

I can remember when flying was fun. I have always been enthusiastic about airplanes, and taking a trip on one was a big adventure.

Sex education in an Alaskan high school

Normally I don’t use my column for any partisan viewpoints so I won’t start now. I do apologize in advance if somehow my comments are misinterpreted as partisan because they are not meant to be.