Columns

Be color blind to the racial differences of dead bodies

Politics inevitably seeps into any discussion of crime and punishment, of justice, of anger at the system, and of desperation.

The merry return of Christmas cards

Christmas card trends are telling — they speak to the mood of the country — and this year’s trend offers some positive news.

The best Christmas gift is time

Our time is the best gift we can give to our friends and family this Christmas. Nobody knows how much time we have on Earth — nobody knows when our time will end. We all have friends and loved ones who were claimed way too early.

Are you ready for the war of the weddings?

Folks are tied up in knots over tying the knot. Just when we thought marriage was a dying institution, the Wall Street Journal cites statistics showing there is a huge pent-up demand for weddings. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, the backlog of ceremonies stretches well into 2024.

Davy Crockett sent coonskins soaring

Anyone of a certain vintage will probably remember this little ditty: Born on a mountaintop in Tennessee, Greenest state in the land of the free, Raised in the woods so he knew ev’ry tree. Kilt him a b’ar when he was only three. Davy, Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier!

This creepy little elf doesn’t celebrate my holiday

Lately, I’ve started seeing all the usual Christmas decorations, books, gift suggestions, articles, foods and complaints about all the usual Christmas decorations, books, gift suggestions, articles, and foods. Some say they’re too over the top, some say it’s too early, and some say it’s not enough.

A guy never forgets his first car

The other day, Otis, the used car dealer, pulled out a wad of bills and handed my son two crisp C-notes. That’s all Danny’s ’98 Pontiac Grand-Am was worth anymore, but the rite of passage it had provided was invaluable.

Is gambling Louisiana’s economic savior?

Football icon Drew Brees certainly deserves all the accolades he has received on the playing field. But now he’s become a huckster for a new gambling casino in Slidell on the Mississippi-Louisiana state line. Here’s an interesting thought.

How about a newspaper subscription for Christmas?

My access to news narrowed dramatically when I was 10 years old. My mother’s boss passed away, so I no longer got to peruse his morning paper.

Did Acadian exiles get last laugh?

In the dead of winter, when snow piles high in Moncton and Shediac and other places in old Acadie, I sometimes think that Governor Charles Lawrence, who plotted their exile, may have done the Acadians a backhanded favor by sending them to warmer climes.