Last week I read a disturbing story in the News & Messenger about teenage prostitution in our area. Apparently two teenage girls, both 19, were arrested near Potomac Mills and were charged with prostitution.

I have been thinking recently about what works well in our culture. While there are some things that don’t work so well (make your own list here), there are many that do.

The economic situation in the country and the county creates something of a Catch-22 for local homeless shelters.

“Embracing holiday spirit in tough economic times” brought a bright ray of hope to my heart and great peace of mind.

If President-elect Obama is such an agent of change why isn’t he facilitating a summit with economic and business leaders, akin to his proposed meetings with Hugo Chavez and other leaders, to at least calm the faltering stock market and overall economy?

Gas prices continue to fall, fall, fall, and not a moment too soon.

I am responding to a letter that was published in the Nov. 23 edition, “A vote for change was the right vote,” written by Monica Wright.

I keep reading letters and opinion columns that suggest the GOP needs to become “moderate” or move to the “center.” These are most likely from people who see the political spectrum as being Republican on one end with Democrats on the other.

It’s heartening to know during the holiday season, when I need to knock out a column as quickly as possible to spend at least a little time with my dysfunctional family, that monkeys are still doing their part to make this world a better place.

These are some of the online reader reactions to a Nov. 24 letter by William H. Westhoff.
In the letter, Westhoff argued that the Republican Party must move back to the center in order to recover from its 2008 election loss.

In the wake of the presidential election, innumerable commentators have sought to plumb the meaning of Barack Obama’s historic win.

If you ask me for a solution to the immigration problem, I would say to give amnesty to those illegal immigrants that are willing to pay for it and do what has to be done to receive it.

Sometimes politics can be parsed too much. Yet there is no end to the complex, pseudo-intellectual explanations by the liberal media for President-elect Barack H. Obama’s victory.

Benjamin Franklin had one of the most brilliant minds of his day and was right about many things during the early years of this nation. He was right about war with Britain, the compromise that formed the Constitution and the need to abolish slavery. America always benefited when it listened to Franklin.

Thanksgiving is a time when we can reflect on what is good in our lives, rather than what is bad.

“Wee ordaine that the day of our ships arrival at the place assigned for plantacon in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually keept holy as a day of Thanksgiving to Almighty God.”
— Captain John Woodlief, Dec. 4, 1619

So many happenings and there is so little time.

At 81, it is appalling to me that our sitting president has spent the best part of his presidency being persecuted viciously by most of the media, the press and Hollywood.

We have been dependent on the goods made in China for every day life, with concerns of unsafe products, for how long now?

As our economy falters, many of us feel the need to tighten our purse strings and keep our money to ourselves. We are not sure when things are going to look brighter and we want to make sure we make it to that day.

Recently I read “Voters’ message to the BOCS,” by Denise Oppenhagen. As a member of the BOCS, it certainly caught my attention.

Much has been said about the impact of the credit crisis on U.S. automakers, and whether or not the government should assist the industry during this extraordinary financial turmoil.

It’s always fun to give people free advice, especially when they clearly don’t want it. But like some other things that are free, whether that advice is worth considering depends on its source and the ultimate wisdom of the person giving the advice.

Officials in the city of Manassas are scaling back their initial financial commitment to get city employees into houses in the city, but given the economic times we are in, they are making the right choice.

Elderly and disabled must prove legal presence.

An extensive study has discovered what your mom was trying to tell you for years — shutting off the TV is better for you and could even make you happier.

Those of us who voted for Barack Obama didn’t “snub” anyone. 

Bravo to the Prince William Board of County Supervisors. It was announced last week that the board is considering options on how to provide affordable home loans for entry level county employees.

Thanksgiving is coming up this week and we all know what that means: Christmas is just around the corner.

Sometimes I’m just not in the mood to talk about Batman and what kind of underwear he dons beneath his tights and cape. But my pint-sized inquisitor won’t let me off the hook.