Ailing

His wealth had swelled to $3.2 billion.

This year, we celebrated ordinary citizens who unexpectedly found themselves confronted with desperate situaions and acted.

Moments before, a whoosh of air and a hail of rocks had brought a roar of black water cascading into the excavation tunnel...

Cyberbullying

The cowards who cloak themselves in digital anonymity to smear others are not only hurting their victims but also damaging the sense of trust important to us all, online and off.  The effects can range from mere embarrassment to lost jobs to emotional trauma.  Meanwhile, the creeps sitting at their keyboards are rarely held to account.

...and already there are a slew of trashy imitators, many targeting older adults.

Smear someone in a traditional media outlet, like a newspaper or a talk show, and you can end up in court.

Bamboo is incredibly versatile as well as very earth-friendly.  It can be used to make fishing poles, skateboards, buildings, furniture, floors and even clothing and bed linens (the fabric is as soft as silk).  An added bonus: Bamboo absorbs four times as much carbon dioxide as a stand of hardwood trees and releases 35 percent more oxygen.

I've faced lots of naysayers every step of the way.

We never get over our high school sweethearts.  Back then, passions were strong, attachments pure, and lives uncomplicated, and those earliest loves remain forever young.  Add a few years, a few disappointments, a few kids, and a few gray hairs, and those times seem almost unbearably sweet.

She's helped me all my life, through thick and thin.

One person's clutter can be another person's comfort.

Have your husband throw you under the bus by saying something like "My wife is so busy with work/family/whatever, we don't have time to socialize."

Age gives us a crust, like the film on refrigerated pudding.

Mistrust becomes our unfortunate catchword, and it's tougher to raise a band in greeting because that invites people in.  "The older we get, the more task-oriented we become."

Friendliness is s rare nowadays, it's disarming.

Pleasant environments generall evoke more reciprocal smiles and hellos than unpleasant ones.

Common courtesy isn't so common.

Can I make this grump open up?