Black South Carolina state Sen. Robert Ford (a Democrat), back in February 2007, warned against a 2008 Democratic ticket headed by Sen. Barack Obama.

We finally have conclusive evidence that the national TV networks are completely out of touch with reality. Let me share with you exactly how a series of events led to their inevitable conclusion that Barack Obama was a cinch to win the New Hampshire Democratic Primary, which he didn’t. Hillary Clinton won.

I was surfing the 'Net the other day and stumbled across a blog which caused me great concern. It was on Ancestry.com and was a place where customers and technicians could share information and opinions on different programs offered by Ancestry.com, probably the largest genealogy corporation in the world (The Generations Network, Inc.). I have been a member (subscribed to their services) since 2000, when they were in their infancy, and, for the most part, have been quite satisfied with their performance.

I was surfing the 'Net the other day and stumbled across a blog which caused me great concern. It was on Ancestry.com and was a place where customers and technicians could share information and opinions on different programs offered by Ancestry.com, probably the largest genealogy corporation in the world (The Generations Network, Inc.). I have been a member (subscribed to their services) since 2000, when they were in their infancy, and, for the most part, have been quite satisfied with their performance.

If you are in search of details on financial traffic moving about, paying for all the political ads we come across, plus high living for the traffic cops, go to your computer and try searching for “Federal Election Commission” on the Internet.

A few weeks ago, I asked a female college student, “Do you think women are insane?” Without hesitation she replied, “Oh, absolutely! But men are simple.”

Such is the state of modern society that the U.S. Supreme Court gets the job of deciding how much pain the victim of capital punishment feels — never mind what kind of pain the victim’s victims may have felt.

Some superheroes are born out of necessity; others have heroism thrust upon them. Captain Obvious didn’t arrive from a distant plant, spring forth from the molten core of the earth or cross over from a parallel universe. On New Year’s Eve he was born out of what seemed to be a benign statement made by yours truly: “Honey, you know tomorrow is New Year’s Day.”

This 40th anniversary of the turbulent year 1968 is already starting to spawn nostalgic accounts of that year. We can look for more during this year in articles, books, and TV specials, featuring aging 1960s radicals seeking to relive their youth.

The Lincoln Review, a Washington-based black think tank, published an article titled “What Does the Future Hold for Historically Black Colleges?” in its September/October 2007 edition. It recalled the experiences of Bill Maxwell, a St. Petersburg Times columnist and editorial board member, when in 2004 he took a huge pay cut to teach journalism at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

First off, this is not in response to not getting what I wanted from Santa Claus for Christmas. I understand that there is really no room in Santa’s sleigh for a vending machine full of Hostess’ Suzy-Qs and Drake’s Devil Dogs. Besides, it is important to be careful what you wish for. You wish for a mega-supply of delicious baked goods and you get something else, like a huge gut. Or worse.

Friends and family, knowing my passion for words, added several books to my lexicon library last year. And just in the knick of time, I’d say. Two new words – at least new to me, that is – popped up in the press over the holidays and sent me to browse the online reference section.

As the first-time father of a twelfth-grader, I remember getting an education on the economics of high school graduation. It all started in September with senior pictures.

BELFAST, Northern Ireland — Where there are large concentrations of Muslims in England, “no-go” zones are being established and, according to the Rt. Rev. Michael Nazir-Ali, the Church of England’s Bishop of Rochester, non-Muslims who “trespass” in such neighborhoods risk attack.

Manchester, N.H. — Les Biffle remains the most legendary American “pollster” whose name nobody knows. During the 1948 presidential campaign — when literally all the Wise Men of the press corps (there were among the press no acknowledged Wise Women in 1948) had, long before a single vote was cast, named Republican Thomas E. Dewey the winner over Democratic President Harry Truman — Democratic operative Biffle, disguising himself as a butter and egg salesman, traveled throughout the Midwest. Listening only to ordinary voters, he turned out to be the only semi-public figure to correctly predict the historic Truman upset victory.

If you met my cousin, Melissa, you’d like her immediately. You’d be captivated by her porcelain perfect complexion and straight, even teeth. She possesses an enviable lithe, slender body, which is standard loveliness on that side of my family but somehow chose to orphan me.

Our family loves to get together on Sunday evenings and watch the popular television show “Extreme Home Makeover.” There’s no greater thing than to see love in action and people’s lives being changed by kindness.

When the Mitchell Report came out — accusing more than 80 professional baseball players of using performance-enhancing substances — television commentators lectured viewers about “broken trust.” One commentator, in particular, somberly expressed his disappointment.

When I started both this column and our now nine-year-old polling and political electronic news firm, I swore off partisan politics. I don’t campaign for candidates and don’t really care who wins any particular race. I have to treat politicians like a proctologist treats, well, nevermind ...

Happy New Year 2008 and welcome to the start of our eighth year of "Finding Your Folks!" The very first column was published Jan. 12, 2001 and we've really covered a lot of ground (and a lot of families) in the past seven years.

Let’s have a show of hands by people who are fed up with the way politics is practiced in America. Activists, party operatives, media guest bookers interested in conflict, not resolution of problems and all fund-raisers, put your hands down. The rest of you pay attention.

If the pen is indeed mightier than the sword, then there should be no problem establishing a new writers’ group in Senoia; at least, that’s what I thought. Starting a writers’ group seems the next logical step on the road to becoming a published author. Who knew that road would be so arduous?

Humorous Mike Huckabee has become the sum of all fears for many members of the GOP establishment. Some of the attacks arise out of plain old Christophobia, and Huckabee can’t do much about that. But some come from concern that he’s a Christian-only candidate: On these matters he can take lessons from Samuel Adams and Patrick Henry.

“What’s with the difference in all the clergy, the different colored shirts they wear, the crosses, and the ‘plus’ signs?”

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you, uh, thank… please, save your appl…ap….

Please, ladies and gentlemen, friends… Please… It’s not what you think. Plea…

Answers to your questions about life, religion and the Bible

Pastors get some of the darnedest, most interesting questions from people in their churches and people they meet. Here are a few that I’ve gotten over the years of my ministry and via email since this column started.

A very long time ago when I was a not-so-young but new reporter for the “other” paper, Cal would challenge me each year to come up with a “Year in Review” story, hitting the highs, lows and main news stories of the past year. (Yes, Cal was my boss even back then.)

Thanksgiving is supposed to be about gratitude and Christmas about ... what? Getting more stuff we don’t really need, but sometimes selfishly want?

The U.S. housing market is hurting, as you undoubtedly know. Home foreclosures are the highest since record-keeping began 35 years ago. 1.69 percent of all outstanding mortgage loans have entered the foreclosure process. The median price of an American house in October 2007 has fallen more than $20,000 this year.

The world became a more dangerous place this week with the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

The country, a linchpin in the war on terrorism, is wracked with violence, endangering not just Pakistanis but all of us. If Islamic fundamentalists are able to exploit the current chaos and gain control of the government — an unspeakable but not inconceivable possibility — we will be faced with a nuclear-armed enemy rather than one that relies on suicide belts and roadside bombs.