Columns

1918 brought good news amid epidemic

At Thanksgiving 1918 the Spanish flu epidemic raging across the world still had south Louisiana in its grip.

Truth and reconciliation? Give me a break

A few days after the election last week, when things were still a bit murky, I made an offhand remark to some friends about what kind of hat I should crochet for the march that would be taking place the day after Joe Biden’s anticipated inauguration. Of course, we won’t be needing any hats.

COVID-19 obscures so many ways 2020’s best year ever

As challenging a year as 2020 has been, we still should be thankful that it has been the best year in human history to be alive. Consider: In 1920, according to the book “Enlightenment Now,” the average person spent 11.5 hours each week doing laundry.

‘Oldest inhabitants’ were weather observers

Until well into the 1800s, the oldest people in a town or area were the keepers of weather lore.

Thoughts post election day!

Winston Churchill once said the democracies and the election process are messy, sometimes chaotic, and inefficient. But, he also pointed out, that no one has devised a system that is any better.

Ready for Tyree to carve Thanksgiving trivia?

As your host, I have gathered a cornucopia of genuine Thanksgiving trivia, thanks to “Good Housekeeping” magazine and other sources. (Granted, “Good Housekeeping” reached its peak of relevance in the June Cleaver era.

U.S. must stand up for religious freedom

Philadelphia often makes national news for unfortunate reasons, like bombing its own neighborhoods, rioting in its streets, pelting Santa with snowballs, and threatening the Boy Scouts with eviction from the home it built for itself.

America 2020: A good time for a nice, long sleep

“It’s a miracle!” said the doctor. “You’ve just awakened from a coma after a terrible accident in October 2016, but you’re doing well, all things considered!” “I’ve been out for more than four years?” said the patient. “That’s right,” said the doctor. “You must have several questions?”

Joubert vision helped lead rebirth

Curtis Joubert couldn’t have been elected mayor of Eunice at a worse time. He took office in 1981, just as a crumbling oil industry began to drag south Louisiana into a financial pit worse even than the Great Depression.

Voting ends, emails continue

Those of us who assumed Election Day would mark a merciful end to the torrent of emails asking for money, obviously don’t understand the new normal in politics. On Nov. 5 the Trump campaign emailed: “Defend the Election. We need you to protect the election results!”