Columns

Did someone say cataracts?

“Because I could not stop for cataracts, they kindly stopped for me.” Someday I hope to find time to luxuriate in the collected works of poets such as Emily Dickinson – on paper, not as an audiobook — so my ears perked up when my recent eye exam revealed the early stages of cataracts in both eyes.

Blazing well drew crowds, confused cows

They still happen occasionally, but gas well fires are not nearly as common as they were in earlier days in the oil field, and, it seems, not nearly so spectacular.

The debt deal: Unspoken truths

President Biden gave his first speech from the Oval Office on June 2nd in which he celebrated the debt deal as “we averted an economic crisis and an economic collapse as nothing would have been more catastrophic than defaulting on the country’s debt.” Sadly, this was all misinformation.

Good luck paying Uncle Sam’s debt

The national debt broke the $32 trillion barrier this week. It’s a number so huge it’s incomprehensible to the average citizen. We knew $32 trillion was coming.

In defense of dumb country lawyers!

I have a confession to make. And former President Trump is not going to like it. I’m a southern country lawyer. Darn proud of it. In the president’s words, I may be a “dumb southern country lawyer.

Father’s Day: Lucky to be my father’s son

Modern dads are portrayed as fools in television sitcoms and commercials. Lucky for me, they are the polar opposite of the loving, strong and decisive father who raised me.

Does TV industry budget-cutting worry you?

Maybe it’s a good thing that my teenage dream of becoming a TV programmer never materialized. Analysts have regarded the over-the-air free TV networks as dinosaurs for years, but now even the cable channels and streaming services are watching over their shoulders for asteroids.

Pirates plagued Gulf longer than you think

Jean Lafitte was the most notorious — and successful — of the pirates operating from Louisiana in the early 1800s, but he wasn’t the only one. A federal grand jury in New Orleans reported in July 1814: “Piracy and smuggling are ... long established and ...

Some words about words

As I was scrolling through my Facebook “memories,” a video popped up from seven years ago. I was in Harrisburg, speaking on the steps of the state capitol at a pro-life rally.

France and Louisiana. Good news!

My family and I are currently on an extended vacation to Paris and Provence in central France. Relations with our country never have seemed better. Our welcome was quite warm everywhere we traveled.