The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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Heavily influenced by vaudeville, comic opera, and other performing arts, musicals as we know them emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Around this time, writers shifted from creating comedy and variety shows to stage dramas that integrated story, character, song, and dance while grappling with more mature subject matter. Shows like "Oklahoma!" and "Show Boat" epitomized these qualities. When "Show Boat" opened in the late 1920s, talking pictures were taking the nation by storm, mo...
We're all going to die someday. Still, how it happens—and when—can point to a historical moment defined by the scientific advancements and public health programs available at the time to contain disease and prevent accidents. In the early 1900s, America's efforts to improve sanitation, hygiene, and routine vaccinations were still in their infancy. Maternal and infant mortality rates were high, as were contagious diseases that spread between people and animals. Combined with the devastation of tw...
Older people across the U.S. say their health declined between 2021 and 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Americans 65 and older in 34 states reported higher rates of "fair" or "poor" health when interviewed as part of the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey, so Northwell Health partnered with Stacker to see which states have seen the biggest declines. The population of adults over age 65 in the U.S. has experienced extraordinary growth. They...
November 22, 2024 - MONTGOMERY, AL – Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall (R) filed a 24-state amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to review a lower court' ruling that the Constitution prohibits States from restricting girls' sports teams to biological females. The case arises out of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which held in September that Arizona's 2022 law likely violates the Equal Protection Clause by not allowing biological males, who falsely claim that they are women-to c...
How often do you buy something online? A couple of times a month? A couple of times a week? A couple of times a day? Everybody's answer will be different, but collectively, it's done a lot: Online retail accounted for over $1 trillion of purchases in the U.S. in 2022 and a record $277.6 billion in the second quarter of 2023 alone. Retailers ranging from titans like Amazon and Walmart, down to local small-town shops work very hard to land their share of that business. Sadly and inevitably—so d...
A recent study by the University of California, Los Angeles indicates that Americans are spending more time inside their homes and far less time outside. The LA Post provides details. Other studies—like a survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics—indicate that this could be a post-COVID-19 phenomenon. At the same time, there are studies that also suggest that Americans were spending more time alone even before the pandemic. A study published on Oct. 30 by Brian D. Taylor and Sam Spe...
November 22, 2024 - Andy Poss knows the Tennessee River's Pickwick Lake from top to bottom – literally. Fishing for both largemouths and the scrappy smallmouths, as well as crappie, is what he does now. For 15 years prior, he probed the lake from bottom to top to make a living. Poss was a commercial fisherman and mussel diver during those 15 years until, in his words, "I got tired of being wet all the time. And it's a lot of work to handle 2,000 hooks a day – baiting 1,000 hooks and then tak...
November 22, 2024 - Gore galore is the overriding aspect of "Gladiator II" which is now showing in movie theaters nationwide. A long-awaited sequel to Ridley Scott's "Gladiator" which was released twenty-four years ago, "Gladiator II" makes heavy use of themes typically featured in male-oriented movies such as revenge, filling the little-known late father's shoes, and honor through fighting. While those topics can sound interesting in and of themselves, in "Gladiator II" these themes are...
Trump won. By now, everybody knows about it but at the same time, many refuse to accept. It has been interesting to see the left and how they cannot deal with it. To be honest, back in 2020, many on the right lost their minds as well but the left’s approach from celebrities, colleges and universities, and all the way to the media has been beautiful. What has become plainly obvious is that our society has largely become a bunch of babies who when they do not get their way, they react through t...
Catastrophic inland flooding in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee has made headlines across the country in recent months. Severe flooding in areas not typically associated with flood problems may have Americans wondering if they should buy federal flood insurance. But National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) coverage may not be available to everyone who wants it, Insurify reports. Nationally, 2,279 communities don't participate in the voluntary program that provides insurance against...
With the notable exception of mortgages, consumer debts are declining in 2024. This reverses a trend of larger borrowing balances among American consumers that goes back to the Great Recession. Non-mortgage debt includes the total balance of a consumer's loans and lines of credit when their first and second mortgages are removed from consideration. That's obviously a large carve-out: Mortgage balances exceed $250,000 on average in 2024, and collectively make up about two-thirds of the overall co...
Northwest Alabama is a very special place. Nestled in the lowest foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, it is known for coal mining and includes so many beautiful wonders and remarkable people. I call it home, and I have for almost my entire life. I was born in Jasper and grew up in Cordova in south Walker County with my mother, Patsy, my father, Rufus, and my sister, Angie. My father worked for the power company, and my sister and I attended Walker County public schools. Upon graduation from...
November 22,2024 - The stage adaptation of Charles Dickens' Christmas classic, "A Christmas Carol" opens this weekend at The Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Based on the novella by Charles Dickens, who had a deep interest in Christmas, "A Christmas Carol" relates the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, who is a penny-pinching miser, yet becomes transformed into a benevolent and friendly man after being visiting by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet To come. Considered an allegory of Christian...
Many of my friends have been using every spare moment for the last several weeks, trying to fill their buck tag. Some are holding out for a certain deer, while others are not as picky. But no matter which type of hunter they are, there is one thing certain. Both are growing tired. The early mornings are becoming less exciting, and the cold weather makes even the preparation much more difficult. Some will lay their weapon down and wait until next year. For myself, I am also lingering a little lon...
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (NOV. 22, 2024) – The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has announced The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) has been awarded a $600,000 grant to join the Gulf Scholars Program (GPS). The initiative is part of a five-year, $12.7 million pilot program aimed at preparing undergraduate students to address environmental, health, energy and infrastructure challenges in the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf Scholars Program netw...
The only sport that Alabamians enjoy more than Alabama politics is college football. We especially love the Alabama vs. Auburn football game – one of the fiercest of college football rivalries. It is the game of the year. It is a state civil war that divides friends and families. It is bragging rights for the entire year. The loser must live with his boasting next-door neighbor for 364 days. You must choose a side even if you despise college football and could not care less who wins. N...
November 14, 2024 – the UAB football team went on the road and lost 18 to 53. No they were not playing a top tier SEC or Big 10 team. They were blown out by Memphis – an American Athletic Conference opponent. Memphis improved to 9 and 2 overall and 5-2 in the AAC; while UAB fell to a woeful 2 and 8 overall and 1 and 5 in AAC play. UAB head Coach Trent Dilfer has taken heavy fire from the fans and the sports media alike. The decision to move from Conference USA to the American Athletic Con...
November 14, 2024 – Both Alabama and Auburn paid woefully outmatched out of conference opponents to come to their stadiums to take a beat down. Both teams won their tune up games as they prepare for the homestretch of the SEC schedule. LSU continued its plummet into the abyss with another loss while Tennessee lost a game it needed to win to control its own destiny in getting a berth in the 12 team college football playoff. The SEC games of the week of November 14 were: Texas at Arkansas – Tex...
November 23, 2024 – there are just two weeks left in the college football regular season and six SEC teams are in contention for the SEC championship game and one of the twelves playoff berths. Someone's playoff dreams will likely be ended today. Auburn must win today to keep its bowl dreams alive. The stakes this week could not be higher. Alabama must win today in order to have a realistic chance of going to the SEC Championship game and the playoffs. The SEC Games of the week are: Ole Miss a...
Matt Gaetz did the honorable thing by withdrawing his name from consideration for Attorney General, recognizing that his presence could be a distraction to the entire confirmation process; By stepping aside, Gaetz has shown true leadership, clearing the way for someone who is perfectly suited for the job-Pam Bondi. His decision underscores the gravity of the challenges facing the Department of Justice and the necessity of having a person in place to tackle them head-on. President Trump has made...
Nearly half of the continental United States is currently experiencing moderate to exceptional drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Storms during this past winter brought heavy (in some areas, record-setting) rainfall and flooding to California, offering the state an expected two-year reprieve from widespread droughts that covered nearly 100% of the state from 2020 to 2022. But in other parts of the country, especially dry conditions continue. Six states currently have the most...
WASHINGTON, D.C., November 22, 2024 – U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) voted in support of U.S. Senator Rand Paul's (R-Kentucky) joint resolution of disapproval to block the Biden-Harris Administration's attempt to redistribute Ukraine's debt onto the American people. The Administration is attempting to unilaterally forgive $4.65 billion of debt owed by Ukraine, effectively forcing American taxpayers to foot the bill. "President Biden's irresponsible, lame-duck scheme to redistribute Ukraine...
November 21, 2024 – WASHINGTON D.C. – President-elect Donald J. Trump (R) nominated former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi (R) to be the next U.S. Attorney General. The announcement came after Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz Donald Trump's previous pick for attorney general, withdrew from consideration. Bondi is a former attorney general of Florida. "Pam Bondi is a brilliant attorney with a long career of fighting for the Constitution," said U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville. "She will do a gre...
I met him while visiting our daughter’s church lately, and we had a brief conversation. I asked about his lifework, and he said he was an attorney, but he’d considered Christian ministry as a young man. My response, conditioned on recent research I’ve seen, was, “You could do both!” He indicated he’d thought about this, but our conversation was interrupted before we could delve into details. Most denominations report a shortage of pastors, including a shortage of bi-vocational pastors--th...
Annabelle is a one-year-old female Shepherd/Border Collie looking mix, about 50 lbs. She loves attention and being close, also loves to talk to you. Knows how to play fetch, likes squeaky toys. She is good with dogs her size or larger, but a big NO to cats. The adoption fees are $100 for dogs & $50 for cats under one-year-old; cats over one-year-old can be adopted by approved adopters for a fee of their choosing. This adoption fee completely covers the mandatory spay or neuter, basic immunizatio...
