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Columns

  • Another taxing situation passes

    Lately, my favorite proclamation-day of the week is TGISGMTDBA15—Thank God I Somehow Got My Taxes Done Before April 15.

    It was no thanks to those free, do-it-yourself online tax preparation services, which got me in trouble one year for creating confusion in my head and causing me to answer a few questions wrong, according to the mighty Internal Revenue Service.

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  • Cold season ain't what it used to be

    The old cold and flu season used to mean a case of the sniffles, maybe a cold here or there, and every few years an unfortunate bout with bronchitis.

    After marriage, my husband quickly informed me that, during sickness, leaving any tissues lying around the house was not healthy for him and was quite unattractive to look at. So I adjusted, making sure I had trash cans close to wherever I happened to be convalescing.

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  • Responses now being taken at www.brunswickbeacon.com

    Each week the Beacon’s editorial pages are full of thoughtful, engaging letters from readers who care about what’s going on in Brunswick County. We enjoy these letters and hope the trend will continue. We’re always looking for your opinions on the issues we cover and feedback on the job we’re doing—both good and bad.

    While we’re not looking to change the way we handle letters to the editor, we’re now offering readers a new way to respond to stories that appear in the Beacon.

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  • Even adults need to be reminded to watch their Ps and Qs

    Everyone knows “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”

    And even though most of us learn this at a young age, it’s always a nice reminder this applies to everyone — not just children.

    In this issue of the Beacon, you’ll read how one set of parents met with several teachers and administrators of Jessie Mae Monroe Elementary School regarding a disciplinary issue with their son.

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  • Learn everything you can about candidates

    A few months ago it seemed as if North Carolina’s primaries were ages away, but now the big day appears to be closing in on us quickly.

    We still have two months before the May 6 primaries, but with such a loaded primary ticket, it’s more important than ever to soak in all of what the candidates have to say.

    But you won’t learn about any of the candidates that will shape the future of Brunswick County on CNN, Fox News or Saturday Night Live.

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  • Is this really what is in our best interests?

    Earlier this week George Bush said “thank you” to all the telecommunications companies that have been conducting warrantless wiretapping since Sept. 11, 2001.

    He used the usual scare tactics to frighten the American people and the members of the House, saying “The enemy is calling into America, we really need to know what they’re saying, and we need to know what they’re thinking, and we need to know who they’re talking to.”

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  • California here we bum

    California is a nice place to visit, but my son and I have elected not to live there because we can’t afford it.

    It isn’t just the fancy Beverly and Hollywood Hills mansions, fast-moving cars and highfalutin hotels we passed or that passed us by during our whirlwind trip last week.

    We already knew going in this is the world of ultra-riche movie stars and moviemakers, who had to don uncomfortable evening sequins and penguin suits and attend the boring Academy Awards.

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  • Trying to be healthy? Don't fall for pseudo-science

    Things are getting a bit strange in the fields of medicine and science these days, and I’m not talking about insurance premiums or co-payments.

    I’m talking about people who call themselves “doctors” and add to existing medical wisdom with their own made-up advice so they can keep making money.

    It’s not medical science. It’s marketing.

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  • Courtesy? Kindness? I'd take a little civility and be glad

    In this business, we’re accustomed to anonymous phone calls, letters and e-mails. They regularly come in as news tips, praise and criticism.

    While the information is appreciated, anonymous contacts can be frustrating. If they come in for a news tip and a name and number is not left, holes that might need to be filled in or questions that might need to be asked can’t be responded to.

    When calls come as praise, it’s nice to attach a name to the voice on the other end.

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  • It seems like anything's possible these days—or is it?

    When I was a little girl, I used to stand in my back yard and launch rocks at the sky, imagining they would reach outer space.

    I never imagined that 20 years later, it would be possible to launch something from Earth that would make it to space—but, that can happen

    Last week, a rogue spy satellite veered off course and began its descent toward Earth, the hydrazine gas tank posed a health concern for those in its path.

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