So what do birds think of Ikea's bird call system? As an experiment, we recorded the calls, and replayed them for some birds at the 1-2 Tweet bird store in Brandon, which sells some of the smartest birds in the world - parrots. ...more

September 19, 2009

Where the Internet has taken us in such a short time is astonishing, and where it might take us is unsettling to anyone concerned about protecting both personal privacy and intellectual creations. ...more

March 27, 2009

Suspected U.S. missiles slammed into a compound near the Afghan border Saturday, killing about 30 people, local officials said. Most of the dead were thought to be militants linked to the Taliban or al-Qaida. ...more

February 15, 2009

Recently, several readers sent me e-mails about birds and the winter garden, and I had a request from a reader asking me to send her a column on the subject that was published a few years ago. Here's that column, somewhat updated, with some thoughts about birds in winter. ...more

December 28, 2008

Timeline of the Steven Lorenzo/Scott Schweickert case ...more

October 11, 2008

There's nothing like fishing at night and reeling in a real live monster. ...more

May 3, 2008

TAMPA - There's nothing like fishing at night and reeling in a real live monster. That's what happened when David Humphress yanked a 10-foot-6-inch hammerhead shark out of the Gulf of Mexico. Other Side Charters boat Capt. Daniel Long measured the girth and estimated the weight of the beast at just over 500 pounds. ...more

May 2, 2008

Corporations were the first inspiration for Jerry Salvi's and Michael DenBlaker's online tracking technology. ...more

February 11, 2008

It was a sunny spring morning and I had the day off. What could be better? I clutched my coffee cup and looked out the kitchen window. Dew sparkled on the grass and dripped slowly from the eaves. Two cardinals perched on our backyard feeder — a male and a female. It was absolute serenity. "Mom, where are you?" My son bolted into the room, sounding peeved. "Mom you forgot to include the W-2 forms when you mailed our tax returns. Now what?" Serenity gone, instantly. I had screwed up, big time. My mistake would delay the refund we were counting on to pay Matt's tuition. Even worse, my husband would be disappointed. He had gone out of town, trusting me to figure and submit our tax return. And I had botched it, at least partially. ...more

February 10, 2008

TAMPA - A Lakeland man accused of luring a 13-year-old girl away from her home was arrested Friday and charged with three counts of lewd battery, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office. ...more

January 11, 2008