Columnists

My editor says ninety is the new seventy. American author, abolitionist and social critic Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) wondered why somebody doesn’t wake up to the beauty of old women. -more-

Since April, when Hillary Clinton announced her candidacy, I’ve expected her to be the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee. Only recently, given the strong showing of Bernie Sanders, have I doubted she might prevail. Meanwhile, the fierce competition for the Democratic nomination has revealed five problems with Hillary’s campaign. -more-

What looked like a smooth path to electoral victory for the Irish government has suddenly turned rocky, and the Fine Gael-Labour coalition is scrambling to keep its majority in the 166-seat Dail. A series of missteps by Fine Gael’s Taoiseach [prime minister] Enda Kenney, and a sharply critical report of the 2008 Irish “bailout,” has introduced an element of volatility into the Feb. 26 vote that may end in a victory by an interesting, if fragile, coalition of leftists and independents. -more-

A relapse of psychosis can be precipitated by a traumatic or overwhelming event or series of events, can occur simply due to the nature of the illness, or can occur because of stopping medication either against medical advice or with the blessing of a well-intentioned but mistaken psychiatrist. -more-