The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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There were two major issues not resolved during the just completed regular legislative session. Gambling and prisons were left on the table and up in the air. It is foolish to not address a resolution to get some revenues for the state from gambling, which currently exists in Alabama. However, it is not imperative that the problem be solved. The prison problem is another question. It has to be addressed. The federal courts will take over Alabama’s prisons and tell the governor and legislature w...
If the 4th of July has a pre-game, it is June 15th. On that date in 1215, the Magna Carta was signed, beginning a gradual process of defined individual rights and limiting the power and authority of the British crown. The Declaration of Independence, which outlined the colonists’ desire for freedom from the edicts of King George, is a direct descendant of the Magna Carta. It would be foolish to argue that the Magna Carta anticipated all the rights and freedoms we enjoy today, but it certainly p...
According to a 19th century legend, the Truth and the Lie meet one day. The Lie says to the Truth: "It's a marvelous day today"! The Truth looks up to the skies and sighs, for the day was really beautiful. They spend a lot of time together, ultimately arriving beside a well. The Lie tells the Truth: "The water is very nice, let's take a bath together!" The Truth, once again suspicious, tests the water and discovers that it indeed is very nice. They undress and start bathing. Suddenly, the Lie...
Key was a lawyer and obviously had other talents as well. Key was born in 1779; his father was a lawyer and a judge. Though Frances considered becoming an Episcopal priest, he decided to go into law instead. He “read” law under his brother-in-law and Judge Jeremiah Townley Chase. He passed the Bar in 1801. He was considered a good lawyer, practicing in Frederick, Maryland and Washington, D.C. His law practice was successful and was involved in several important cases, appearing even before the...
Full disclosure mandates that I aver that I graduated from Sidney Lanier High School in Montgomery in 1968. Technically, the actions of a governing organization in the Capitol City regarding name changes for three high schools aren’t anybody’s business if he/she doesn’t live there. And my family now resides in a rural area of Elmore County. However, a lot of folks who now reside in the Lake Martin area attended Montgomery public schools when the integration of that school system was in its i...
Inveterate readers won’t be surprised I found it timely to revisit ongoing “Malice in Hubbardland” type corruption given the observed persistence here in Lee County… even while former House Speaker Hubbard serves his inconsistently reduced sentences in State corrections. In fact, ALDoC facilities he shepherded toward the current unconstitutional result while ‘serving’ in Montgomery. The spirit of Sponge Bob Riley, Yella Grubber, Bride of Felonstein, et al remains alive and thriving. Long time fe...
July is an important month in the American Republic. Long-standing traditions surrounding the 4th inspire many individuals to be thankful they are Americans. Holiday celebrations often include fireworks, flags, barbecues, and other activities. After the 1776 Declaration of Independence and a bloody war, the colonies successfully seceded from the British Empire. At the war’s conclusion, the 1783 Treaty of Paris, defined the parties to the agreement: Great Britain on one side and thirteen ...
The 12-month change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) exceeded 4 percent in April for the first time since 2008. Many economists have been predicting inflation following a 25 percent increase in the money supply in Spring 2020. Has inflation finally arrived? Inflation was a major issue in the 1970s and early 1980s. We experienced double-digit inflation between 1974 and 1981, hitting 14 percent in 1980. The U.S. has dramatically reduced inflation since then. Economists distinguish between...
Your silence is not only viewed as an endorsement, but adversarial notions will prevail with no visible opposition. A Change Agent has their finger in the dyke, while a Conformist runs for cover. The human body has been divinely created with adrenal glands, producing the natural chemical Adrenaline, which triggers the flight or fight reactions. America was born out of opposition to Great Britain’s overreach; America can be defeated without the first shot being fired. Nikita Khrushchev, former P...
What are PGMs, you ask? They are platinum group metals. There are six of them—ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, and platinum. They are noble metals—highly resistant to corrosion, acids, and decomposition. Like gold, they are also very rare—the rarest and least abundant stable metals in the Earth’s crust. Here they are listed in milligrams per kilogram (below right). Below, they are listed in parts per billion. Two sources show considerable disagreement on some of them. The discrep...
President Biden and the Democrats led by Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, self-avowed Socialist Bernie Sanders, have proposed an unbelievable $6 trillion budget for fiscal year 2022. This budget would have the federal government spend more as a share of the economy than at any other time since World War II when we were fighting for our survival as a country. According to the non-partisan Tax Foundation this level of spending would immediately slash economic growth while killing tens of...
Critical Race Theory at its face is racism and a violation of our Constitution. The United States started as a country with many different people and different cultures. Our history has dark elements, specifically slavery, something everyone should recognize and be willing to face. However, our history does not define our present. Instead, we should study history so we may avoid its pitfalls. Unfortunately, for many in our higher education institutions and government it is being ignored. Yet...
Hello Montgomery! I’ve been away for a while, and I’m so happy to back writing again. I’ve spent the spring and summer watching and taking notes as I enjoyed High School Softball. Now I have a confession, I have a granddaughter playing for LAMP. I went to many tournaments and various games. I got to talk to fans and coaches, umpires and sportscasters. I witnessed amazing athleticism that will surely carry some of the players to the college level. I was one of the scorekeepers for the regional to...
July, the most patriotic month of the year. Although this past year has had the lockdown, perhaps this July 4th will mark our “getting back to normal” time. I personally feel so patriotic I could bleed red, white and blue. I have a patriotic pot garden in my back yard with huge red geraniums, white vinca, white petunias, and blue salvia. So Happy Independence Day. Perhaps you have noticed that plants in the big box stores and nurseries are much more expensive than pre-pandemic. Of course we can...
Sergeant Major James Earl Jackson Sergeant Major (SGM) James Earl Jackson served 30 years in the United States Army, and this service included three deployment tours in Vietnam for 36 months, one in Korea, two in Germany and one in Guam. His family has four generations of members serving their country in the U.S. Army as his father, his two sons, a grandson and he have served. His decorations, medals, badges, citations and ribbons were: Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, 1st OLC, Army...
Currently, Chef Spooner is tending to family matters, so we are happy to include some previous favorites he submitted to the Gazette. With summer heating up and the recent July Fourth celebrations, consider a light, cool salad for a satisfying meal or, if a salad isn't enough, try Chef Spooner's suggestions below to add some substance to that crisp lettuce ... create one of his other tasty recipes found here! -------------------- From May 2018 Southern Cuisine and Chef Spooner: Salads do not f...
It is July. The hydrangeas are blooming. It has always struck me odd how it is that we can know something is coming up…we know it is on the way, and yet, we are still taken back a little by its arrival. I knew July was on the calendar. Knew it was next. But when I turned the page in my planner to the month of July…it didn’t seem possible. The clock seems to tick too quickly sometimes. It’s equal opportunity, but it waits for nobody. Turning the page to a new month feels like a fresh start....
In what seems like another life to me now, I worked in my family’s firework business. During the more than 30 years of selling fireworks, I often wondered why people were so draw them. And one day while pondering this thought, I saw a banner hanging outside with the word “Joy” in the middle. Indeed, fireworks are designed for joy. They are constructed with specific elements that radiate certain colors and patterns...barium chloride for green, copper compounds for blue, lithium carbonate for r...
Only four people ever successfully escaped to freedom from the federal prison on Alcatraz Island. The following story is an excerpt from my book, Free For All, which explores the different ways we can experience God’s amazing grace. It is only by God’s grace that we can be truly free! Alcatraz Island sits in the middle of San Francisco Bay, surrounded by almost two miles of turbulent and treacherous water. For nearly one hundred years, the island housed a prison, and the place earned the nic...
