I am writing to voice my disgust about the cover of an advertising supplement included with the Nov.10 edition of Highlands Today. The cover shows a beautiful, joyous, young lady frolicking with the American flag announcing this retailer's Veterans Day sale. The message being: celebrate yet another holiday by gleefully shopping. The advertising copy also goes on to say that this is all part of "the magic of..." this company. They can keep their magic in as much as I plan to never set foot in one of their stores. To use Veterans Day to promote a wonderful time to have a sale is tasteless and disrespectful. Of course, I am absolutely certain that no one from that retailer, the ad agency, the media that distributes the circular will step up to the plate and admit to it being in bad taste. I could suggest that every veteran and their families boycott companies that have a flagrant disregard for the meaning of Veterans Day by using it for commercial self-promotion, but, those companies could care less unless it hurts their public image on a national scale. ...more

November 16, 2009

City Manager Sarah Adelt scored an average of 71.7 percent on her evaluations by city council members. In evaluation standards that's "good." But several critical comments on her performance, by two council members, stood out. ...more

November 6, 2009

Disgraced evangelical leader Ted Haggard's former church disclosed Friday that the gay sex scandal that caused his downfall extends to a young male church volunteer who reported having a sexual relationship with Haggard — a revelation that comes as Haggard tries to repair his public image. ...more

January 23, 2009

Jimmie Johnson had been asked yet again to talk about his public image - about being polished, professional, bland. ...more

January 23, 2009

"John Lennon: The Life," by Philip Norman (Ecco, $35) ...more

January 11, 2009

Are the colorful characters involved in this latest series of media sideshows concerned about the fate of Sabrina Aisenberg, or are they simply interested in drumming up publicity for themselves? ...more

August 6, 2008

Are the colorful characters involved in this latest series of media sideshows concerned about the fate of Sabrina Aisenberg, or are they simply interested in drumming up publicity for themselves? ...more

August 6, 2008

According to a report this week in The Tampa Tribune, the layer of soil cement that helps stabilize the walls of Tampa Bay Water's C.W. Bill Young Reservoir, in eastern Hillsborough County, is only 3 inches thick in some places. The specifications of the 15-billion-gallon, $146 million reservoir say this layer of compacted sand and cement is supposed to be 12 inches thick. Executives of the Clearwater-based regional wholesale utility say this poses no safety threat to the people in the vicinity of the reservoir. Given the recent history of Tampa Bay Water, however, this situation and the way it has been handled is a source of concern. ...more

July 5, 2008

In the past several months, a confidential report has circulated within the headquarters of Wal-Mart Stores proposing sweeping changes to its employee health care plans. ...more

June 14, 2008

Plagued by turmoil at the top, the American Red Cross ousted its president, Mark Everson, on Tuesday for engaging in a "personal relationship" with one of his subordinates. He took the job six months ago. ...more

November 28, 2007