The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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I have not been writing as consistently as I used to. Entirely by choice. Meaning, there are not any problems between myself and any of the newspapers or outlets I write for. It is entirely me. First, I have been writing for over 30 years now and I guess I am stepping back to see what I think of it all. I take it that is normal. The world of media has changed. There was a shift that came along with Covid. I do not feel I have the same freedom of speech I once had. I feel this way because I have...
In an age when Disney Princesses ranging from the classics such as "Snow White" and "Cinderella" to newer ones such as "Tiana" to "Merida" are incredibly popular and idolized by millions; in "The Princess Bellaheld" by Julie Sutter we are introduced to the true story of a real life princess who turns seventeen in AD 703. The daughter of Irish missionaries of the Culdean Church to the German principality of Thuringia, Bellaheld is nevertheless of noble stock on her father's side. But, she is...
A multi-year work of art, Leonard Da Vinci, worked on painting "The Last Supper" from 1494 to 1497. Commissioned by the Duke of Milan, a great patron of writers and painters - Ludovico il Moro, it is not a work on canvas that the duke would frame and then hang on his wall. Rather, it is a mural painted on a wall in the refectory of the Cathedral's adjoining Dominican convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan . And as such, the mural began deteriorating quickly after its completion. So much...
Tickets are now on sale via Ticketmaster for "Christmas With C.S. Lewis", a play set in 1962 as C.S. Lewis is hosting a group of Americans who are spending Christmas in the university city of Oxford. With all of the heat indexes spelling caution in making sure that one stays well hydrated during the summer heat, it may feel early to start thinking about Christmas. But, when this play was produced in Birmingham, Alabama last year the demand for tickets was so high, that a second performance date...
Southern women especially I think know how to talk cookery. Take the pound cake. Three times in the past week I have been involved in conversations about pound cakes. And that's not to ignore the chats about tomatoes fresh from the vine, or about new potatoes, or about running beans in early summer. There is hardly a shortage of recipes for pound cake. Church cookbooks and community cookbooks always offer several. The variety stemming perhaps from women using ingredients they had on hand. The...
The memoir by J. D. Vance, now President Trump's Vice-Presidential nominee, stands at 264 pages long but it is an easy and comfortable read. It centers around Vance's early years growing up in a fractured Appalachian family that lived in Ohio but had roots in the hills of rural Kentucky. At times it is spiced with "F" bombs that seem to be included in a nonchalant fashion. With the driving force behind the memoir being the internal conflict, J.D. Vance feels as he navigates entering the...
"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Fifty-five years ago those words were first entered into the annals of history by Neil Armstrong as he became the first man to step on the moon. And while Hollywood didn't commemorate the occasion with a dramatic biopic of the moon landing, Hollywood has provided us with a delightful romantic comedy centered around the Apollo 11 mission with "Fly Me To The Moon". A surprise treat of the summer movie season, "Fly Me To The Moon"...
To make a three-hours long movie captivating in spite of a plot that lacks both cohesiveness and clarity is quite a feat. Yet, it is just such a feat that Kevin Costner accomplishes with his first installment in the “Horizon” movie series. Of an age when many Hollywood actors begin to see their careers wane, Costner came to the forefront of the acting world once again with his portrayal of John Dutton, the family patriarch in the Western television series, “Yellowstone”. And to the surprise of m...
On June 6, 1944, the shores of Normandy bore witness to an unparalleled display of courage and sacrifice. The Greatest Generation, forged in the crucible of the Great Depression and steeled by the fires of World War II, embarked on an endeavor that would alter the course of history. These brave souls, hailing from towns and cities across the globe, stormed the beaches of D-Day with unwavering resolve and a fierce determination to defend the ideals of freedom and democracy. In the face of...
An important seat is at stake in Alabama’s newly redrawn Congressional District 2, and the future of our community and country hinges on voter turnout. The pressing issue of how much folks have left in their pocketbooks after payday affects every Alabamian, transcending party lines. To all residents of Congressional District 2, the choice is clear: vote for Caroleene Dobson in November. A vote for Dobson is a vote for a stronger Alabama economy and a revitalized national economy, promising a b...
Every year on 14 June, Americans come together to honor a symbol that embodies the spirit and resilience of a nation — the Stars and Stripes. Flag Day is a time for reflection, pride, and unity as citizens across our country celebrate the adoption of the United States flag. Flag Day commemorates the adoption of the first American flag by the Second Continental Congress on 14 June 1777. This resolution marked the beginning of a new identity for a burgeoning nation, struggling for independence fro...
The new book, “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness,” has started a conversation about what age kids should be given a cell phone. The author, Jonathan Haidt, is a social psychologist, and he suggests that teens should only be given flip phones for communication and have little to no access to social media until they are 16. Parents like what he has to say, though kids maybe not so much. Mental health collapsed in America and cou...
With freedom comes great sacrifice. On Memorial Day, we pause to reflect on the immense sacrifices made by the brave men and women who have served in our armed forces. It is a day to honor and remember those who gave their all, laying down their lives so that we may enjoy the freedoms and liberties we hold dear. Our hearts swell with gratitude as we think of the countless heroes who faced the ultimate test of courage and duty. Their selflessness and dedication to our country are the foundations...
The lessons of baseball and life begin in spring – play by the rules, try your best, and the sun will still come up again if you lose. Farmers keep pace with the changing seasons. The American food grower knows to bend with these changes, but they are sustained by the promises of spring. If there is another spring, there will be another chance. Not bound by the set dates on the calendar, the remnants of winter are sometimes slow to go, but soon the sun’s warmth will grow stronger every day. Fres...
Granddaughter Lauren recently competed for the title of Future Miss Abbeville Christian at Abbeville Christian Academy where she is enrolled in the Pre-K program. Her mother is a teacher. She was wearing a lovely dress, sporting her pageant smile, and walking the walk she had practiced walking. Earlier in the afternoon she’d had her had done by a woman in town. Everybody told her she was pretty. She stood confident before an auditorium of parents and obligated grandparents and when asked what s...
Based entirely upon my casual observation, women seem to be more susceptible than men, and children ag it on, but for some reason many people who have never so much as grew a turnip patch suddenly will get the urge to raise chickens as soon as January is behind us. All that has to happen for someone to catch chicken fever is to visit a farm supply store. A woman can go in there, maybe just shopping for a new pair of bib overalls, and then, innocently enough, she will see the cute little biddies...
Have you ever been approached to help at a school event or with an organization’s fundraising affair? It seems many people are willing to help organizations or community projects to be a success by giving their time freely which helps the company. One dictionary defines this meaning for volunteers, “A volunteer is a person who voluntarily offers to perform a service or other undertaking.” When you have gone to a fun outing do you notice how many people are wearing name tags asking if they can help you? They are volunteers! After talking to a...
Before I launch into my topic this [month], I want to acknowledge what happened in Wilcox County yesterday. A long time, much-loved, retired deputy with the Wilcox County Sheriff’s Department, Deputy Madison “Skip” Nicholson, was killed by a gunman while responding to a domestic-violence call in the Yellow Bluff community. Chief Deputy Trenton Gulley was also injured, but is expected to recover. The whole county is shrouded today in sadness. This will spill into tomorrow and into the upcom...
There is a quiet calm that falls over Alabama at Christmas time. Stars seem to be more brightly scattered over a broader more open sky. The type of sky with such depth it can make you believe in miracles and wishes coming true. In destiny, and in fate...if you believe in such things of course. There is a wreath or ribbon on most every door by now and twinkling lights blinking in colors. There are candles in windows, and decorated trees peeking through open drapes. It is the season of peace and h...
I drove by Fannie’s old house last week. I don’t know what even made me take the long way home that way from Thomasville, but I did. I haven’t driven that direction in years, and for years…it used to be my way home. Granny lived on Clayhill Road, and I guess it is her absence that has kept me away so long. But time has a way of distancing us from sadness enough to remember the joy. The hillside where she lived was central to my life when I was young. It is where my mother grew up. It is where s...
Did you see the report – “Parenting priorities: international attitudes towards raising children” – conducted by King’s College London that found American parents are the least likely to think good manners matter for children? The survey included participants from 24 countries asking them to choose five qualities they thought were essential for children to learn at home. Those choices were good manners, tolerance, independent, hard work, and respect for others. In Egypt, parents evidently...
I don’t see myself finding the time to watch either, but I have heard reports about the Barbie movie and also the latest version of Snow White and what both have in common – other than being fairytales – is that apparently they are about promoting leadership. Is that not hilarious? They must be doubling as comedies too. Barbie is into leadership these days and Ken was just an accessory from the start. Snow White will no longer be being kissed by a prince. There will be no more of that nonse...
Nobody looks forward to getting a summons for jury duty. Nobody. And don’t take me wrong. It is also a privilege. I get that. It is both a right, and a duty. In a sense…it is something we owe our own selves as a community. Justice won’t truly be served if we as citizens do not surrender ourselves for jury duty. I did not get chosen for the jury, but this is not about any of that. That is all solemn and private and worthy of respect. This is about the Wilcox County main courtroom itself. A room...
It all started with a simple question. I asked her what kind of toys she had played with when she was a kid growing up in Wilcox County. At least it seemed a simple question. The only reason it was on my mind at all was because…well, I am having a bit of the empty nest thing going on and in redoing bedrooms, one of them is decorated with vintage toys. I had shown her the room and some of the things I have recently added – a Gunsmoke puzzle, a Little Lulu tea set, and a Whitman version of Old...
My friend Shirley was telling me about her first car the other day. She is in the market for a new car is what had the subject on her mind. I assure you cars are not our usual topic of conversation. Typically, we gossip. She said she paid $200 for her first car – a blue and white, two-door Thunderbird. It ran, it had a radio, and it had plenty of ashtrays, but it was missing a window. This did not hamper her or kill her enthusiasm in any way though. She said she designed a replacement window u...
