Columns

The dangers of medical marijuana

Is medical marijuana the next Louisiana boondoggle? The current Louisiana legislature seems bent on pushing through extended legislation that enlarges the number of medical conditions marijuana is supposed to treat.

Trump Haters carpet bomb foes

The Trump Haters in Washington are desperate. They can’t find a way to bring down the president, so they’re carpet bombing everyone around him. Their latest victim is Ronny Jackson — the White House doctor the president chose to become the new secretary of Veterans Affairs. Dr.

The growing art of American cursing

Get this: the average American can’t get through the day without cursing. So is the finding of a recent 9Round Kickbox Fitness survey, as reported in the New York Post. Why are Americans cursing so much? One reason is stress.

Can you Survive without reading these 21 books?

Not everyone appreciates being told to “chill out” about unmet goals. According to USA TODAY, “GQ” magazine has ignited a firestorm on social media by publishing an article titled “21 Books You Don’t Have To Read.” Yes, Ernest Hemingway’s “A Farewell To Arms,” J.R.R.

Facebook knows what about me?

A chat window opened on my computer screen. A Facebook “friend” I didn’t know began communicating with me. “Happy birthday, Tom!” wrote the woman. “Who told you it was my birthday?” I wrote back. “You did, Tom. You provided that information when you joined Facebook.” “I did?” “Sure, Tom.

Uber and Lyft bill is 'snake" slithering through Legislature

State Capitol denizens have a code name for bills that are truly awful. They call them “snakes.” It’s an apt moniker because such bills tend to slither quietly through the legislative process without the press and public taking notice … until it’s too late.

Tom Purcell

From the moment Mark Zuckerberg began to read his opening statement, you knew he wasn’t going to change Facebook.

Advice, consolation to taxpayers

The tax season is upon us. I’m no CPA, but let me offer advice and consolation to my fellow taxpayers. Q. Dear Tom: My CPA told me that a tax bracket is a heavy, metal object that the government uses to hit you over the head every time you succeed in pushing your income up. Can you elaborate?

Hurricane season forecast blows hot, cold

In our world of polarized government and polarized media, where everything is just a matter of somebody’s opinion, we can at least count on the annual hurricane forecasts, can’t we? Maybe not. The predictions are blowing hot and cold.

To opioid hell and back​

I’m feeling human again, thanks. After three weeks of living in opioid hell - of constantly being sick to my stomach, of throwing up, of having the shakes and feeling depressed and crying - my body and brain are back to normal. I’m no longer high and messed up on pain killers.