For some reason, on that sparkling afternoon last week, I actually saw the coal that was passing by and it set me to thinking how important coal was to our everyday lives when I was a little boy.

Whatever its other limitations, the Big Apple and those who live there make room for their dogs and cats, take good care of them and abide by the rules made necessary by a huge population.

What the F.D.I.C. does is to put the full faith and credit of the United States government behind every savings account in the nation, up to a limit that has changed over the years and stands now at $100,000.

It is statesmanlike for the administration and Congress to look to our nation's welfare beyond their terms in office.

Conventional wisdom holds that setting a timetable for getting American troops out of Iraq would be a mistake.

Respect and affection for animals, particularly those who share our homes, recognize no geographic borders.

It is impossible to exaggerate the wide, and widening, gulf between the American attitude on the Iraq war and the view from our friends across the Atlantic.