We in the hoi polloi may resent the 1 percent, but we have no problem with their occupying prime time. Soapy dramas featuring plump-pocketed characters are rocking the ratings and multiplying fast. Not since the 1980s, when Dallas and Dynasty ruled the a

EDITOR'S NOTE: This classic Rooney column was originally published March 11, 1988. I'm only talking to overweight people today. The rest of you can move on to something else in the paper. Haven't you often felt it was unfair that you see skinny people ea

You do not need the ghost of Andy Rooney to remind you that, if traveling by automobile is a big chocolate cake of frustration, then the tolls that may be collected from you are the frosting. These tolls are such an annoyance (if not an outright burden)

In this digital and mobile age, the idea of carrying around a weekly or monthly magazine in anticipation of flipping through its ink-stained pages is about as antique a concept as the word “periodical.” So I feel like Andy Rooney going on about how I pre

At a conference in Philadelphia last October, a Wharton professor noted that one of the country's biggest economic problems is a tsunami of misinformation. You can't have a rational debate when facts are so easily supplanted by overreaching statements, b

Keith Fitz-Gerald writes: I have several friends who think the Facebook IPO is the next Microsoft. I think it's more likely the next Research in Motion. Or perhaps the next Sony, Kodak, or Eastern Airlines--all of which were once world-class brands that

Etsy represents the best and worst of the world’s creativity, or lack thereof (old doesn’t equal kitschy). With the magic of the internet, you can buy original handmade crafts and vintage treasures from all over the world. It’s a beautiful thing, but we

As New York Giants fans crowded into lower Manhattan for this morning’s ticker tape parade celebrating the Super Bowl champions — covered live on all of the local TV stations — one of their most loyal fans was watching from above. Here’s a “60 Minutes” f

Woody Harrelson plays with social media fire, gets burned Well, my friends, we have another addition to the growing list of social media marketing disasters. This one stars Woody Harrelson! To promote his new movie Rampart — about “the most corrupt cop y

If I had a hammer ... I’d probably slam it into my thumb, because when it comes to using tools, I’m a bit of a klutz. One of the sayings of the journalism world is that sports writers are frustrated athletes. In that context, then, I guess that as a hous

If you missed the blackout of thousands of sites across the Internet on January 18th, including Wikipedia and a black bar over the Google logo…well what the hell are you doing reading this, grandma?! I told you not to Google my name. SOPA and PIPA are tw

*I use the T. Rowe Price Retirement 2025 Fund (TRRHX). Of course, any number of options exist. It's also sensible to go with something sector-specific if you believe that, over the long haul, it's a healthy space to grow your money in. Again, the individ

Blitzer before a GOP debate in Jacksonville, Fla. , on Jan. 26, 2012. (CNN) Wolf Blitzer, anchor of CNN's political coverage and host of "The Situation Room," is sitting in the network's Election Center in Atlanta, awaiting results of Tuesday's Florida Re

The late Andy Rooney was among many Stars and Stripes alumni Stars and Stripes covers the U.S. military like a blanket and is funded, in part, by the U.S. military. Yep, that’s a built-in conflict of interest. Over the years, the paper has done numerous

Why do people troll? Can we prevent trolling or limit the damage trolls do? Here are some thoughts on trollology derived from academic studies and web research. Trolls divert online discussions into non-productive, off-topic venues. They pose as part of

I’ve been in touch with the late Andy Rooney recently. It may surprise you to know that I speak with many dead people—Jess Jackson, Robert Mondavi, Robert Parker, Ron Paul, Gabe Kaplan, Richard Dawson… There is a wisdom in dead people that I find compell

Mitt Romney softened his position on the Dream Act during Monday night's debate, saying he would support legislation to provide legal status to some undocumented immigrants who want to join the military. It's a statement he's made before, but was previou

With President Obama delivering his third State of the Union address on Tuesday night, House Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) office wants to remind everyone that it's also 1,000 days since the Senate approved its last budget on April 29, 2009. In a mock

Former Penn State coach Joe Paterno's death at 85 -- a mere two months after he was fired -- marks another example of a legendary figure passing shortly after leaving his job. Paterno was officially fired on Nov. 9th for his role in the Jerry Sandusky sc