RALEIGH — How healthy is our economy? If you’ve just returned from the grocery store or gas station, you may be inclined to rate it poorly. Although prices aren’t rising as fast as before, that phenomenon is properly called disinflation. It isn’t the same thing as deflation. The cost of livi…
DEAR ABBY: I am in a group of friends who are mainly from the same country. We bond pretty well and occasionally spend time together. We mostly communicate by text in a chat group. Once in a while I get messages from them — mostly greetings o…
If you maintain a diversified portfolio of politically active friends — and you really ought to, if you want to perceive the world as it is rather than as you imagine it to be — it’s essential to learn how to best to handle passionate disagre…
DEAR ABBY: I have been married to "Frank" for 2 1/2 years. We met and married quickly. Best decision ever. We each had raised two daughters as single parents with different parenting styles. Our girls now range in age from 30 to 33. They are …
RALEIGH — If current surveys are taken as predictive, the Democratic Party will nominate President Joe Biden for reelection next year, the Republican Party will nominate former President Donald Trump, and whoever wins will begin his term in 2…
DEAR ABBY: I have a lovely goddaughter I’m estranged from. Although I had promised her she would be maid of honor at my wedding in 2015 (my second marriage), I didn’t do it. My fiance was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease, so we decided ins…
If you maintain a diversified portfolio of politically active friends — and you really ought to, if you want to perceive the world as it is rather than as you imagine it to be — it’s essential to learn how to best to handle passionate disagre…
DEAR ABBY: I have had a wonderful relationship with my only grandson for nine years. Since I retired, he visits every other weekend, which makes me so happy. He has autism and didn’t speak for the first six years, but now he talks constantly. It’s wonderful. I’m very close to my son as well.
DEAR ABBY: Can people in this society please stop assuming that everyone has a smartphone? Not everyone is willing — or able — to spend $1,000-plus for one. Some of us carry older, less-expensive phones that receive calls and text messages and that’s it.
DEAR ABBY: My husband and I are in our 30s. I love him, and I’m worried because he has a “laissez-faire” attitude about everything — especially his health. He has had high cholesterol for five years and has done little to nothing about it. He found out only because I kept hounding him for a …
Bob Brinson is a City of New Bern Alderman and represents Ward 6. His views are his own and he does not speak for the Board of Aldermen or the City of New Bern. His email is brinson.robert@newbernnc.gov.
DEAR ABBY: My daughter is the youngest kid in the neighborhood, and a girl up the street treats her horribly. She calls her a baby, tells her she’s not a person and sends her home when everybody plays at her house.
RALEIGH- Requiring able-bodied people to work in exchange for government benefits is a popular idea. It’s a proven way to reduce dependency and break the cycle of poverty. And in the case of the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assista…
DEAR ABBY: My husband, “Randall,” was a widower when we met. His wife, “Sylvia,” had passed away in November 2010. We got married in October 2015. I recently was shocked to discover that Randall has kept Sylvia’s Facebook page open, supposedl…
RALEIGH — If the federal government had to operate under the same fiscal rule North Carolina has to follow — and it should — then its operating revenues would have to equal its operating expenses.
DEAR ABBY: Our daughter (age 21) has made a series of bad choices and failed relationships since she was 16. She went to college and quit (twice), joined the Air Force and hated it, but managed to get a “general discharge.” At age 19, she had…
RALEIGH-House Speaker Tim Moore told reporters last week that the North Carolina General Assembly is unlikely to craft and approve a state budget deal before Labor Day. That’s more than two months into the 2023-24 fiscal year that began July 1.
DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been married 10 years. When we tried to have kids for the first time, we discovered I have polycystic ovary syndrome. We quit trying when the doctor visits became more than we could afford. We tried again afte…
Real Estate column by Rowland and The Home Sales Team.
RALEIGH — The late Harry Markowitz, who won the 1990 Nobel prize in economics for his work on portfolio theory, reportedly said “diversification is the only free lunch” in investing. By distributing your savings across a broad base of stocks,…
DEAR ABBY: How do I deal with guests and friends who make unfortunate comments about personal belongings in my home? For example, I have a favorite print of a woman seated at a table. A friend commented, “Oh, we used to call her Mrs. Potato H…
DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend and I are in our late 20s and have been together six years. He’s a great boyfriend, and I’m happy in every way except one. Since we moved in together a year and a half ago, our sex life has dwindled down to practically…
Last month I joined dozens of other writers, scholars, activists, and leaders across the country to declare ourselves “Freedom Conservatives.” What do FreeCons stand for? You can read our statement of common principles at FreedomConservatism.org.
DEAR ABBY: My wife and I have been married for 38 years. We were both divorced prior to our marriage. Our marriage is great, and we have demonstrated this to everyone and especially to our boys. We decided early on to not say anything to our …
