The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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Just east of I-65 South at the Hope Hull exit lies not only a beautiful parcel of land, but also an incredible non-profit of which too few in the River Region are even aware. It’s a non-profit that is daily changing lives by utilizing the innate abilities of one of God’s most loyal creatures – dogs. But these dogs aren’t your typical family pets, and while you may believe your four-legged best friend is the absolute smartest in the world, a visit to the facility to witness the life-ch...
When Senator Richard Shelby announced he would not run for reelection to a sixth six-year term in 2022, speculation immediately began as to who would run for our iconic senior senator’s seat. Numerous names were floated as to who might lineup for the coveted seat. It is expected to be a fairly large field. The winner of next year’s May Republican primary and ultimately the summer GOP runoff will be our next junior senator. Winning the GOP Primary is tantamount to election in the Heart of Dix...
Always the catch-all political crime, an accusation of treason is used to punish rivals and remove them from civic engagement. Autocrats use the insinuation of treason with brutal efficiency to banish, if not execute, a political problem or inconvenient idea. While treason is bandied about to characterize someone with whose political beliefs we disagree, our founders made treason a particularly difficult crime to prove. As with so much of the Constitution, the terms were specifically written to...
Well, here I go with yet another installment of Bits and Pieces. To be honest, there is so much foolishness to write about in our country today. Luckily, I am very good at just shaking my head and not letting the insanity of the world bother me too much. Just for the purposes of full disclosure, I was brought up to believe in the American ideal with the realization that our ideal still has to be administered by people. Throughout our history, many of those people have proven to be bad human bein...
Occupational licensing involves government-imposed requirements for practitioners in different professions, or what critics call government permission slips to work. Despite a lack of evidence of benefits to consumers, licensing has been proliferating across Alabama and America, with the percentage of workers covered rising from 5 to over 20 percent. A new report from the Alabama Policy Institute and the Archbridge Institute offers some potential reforms. “Not-So Sweet Home Alabama: How Licensin...
Rather than answer your question directly I want to discuss a recent Alabama Supreme Court case that will make you think about how these agreements are structured. The structuring could mean that in the event of your death within the seven-year period your estate could either continue to receive money promised under the contract(s) or not receive it. This can be a substantial financial benefit to your heirs if your attorney advises you correctly. The recent case was John Boyd and Batey &...
For well over a century, America has always remained the most powerful nation on the planet. In that context, it is a good thing; no other nation would lay a hand on us unless it wanted to be annihilated. However, this power also has a dark side—opportunities for warmongers and profiteers to generate huge fortunes from unspeakable destruction around the world and the mass murders of millions. From the 20th century onward, we have been at almost continuous war. World War I was claimed to be ...
US Constitution: Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17 “To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful B...
“The rivers are full of crocodile nasties, and He who made kittens put snakes in the grass.” Ian Anderson I attended and briefly spoke to House State Government committees in Montgomery in support of House Bill 242 and in opposition to House Bill 43. It was quite an experience observing how the political machine functions in the State of Alabama. The assault on Alabama’s Southern and/or Confederate history was eye-opening, especially discovering who was for and against some of these bills. A noticeable degree of animosity also seeped throu...
Editor’s Note: On Wednesday, May 12, 2021, Republicans quickly voted to oust Cheney from her position. Stefanik was voted as her successor the following Friday. In February I authored a Resolution that was adopted by the Alabama State Republican Executive Committee calling for the removal of Never Trumper Liz Cheney from her position as Chair of the Republican Conference. Unfortunately, she is still in her position of power. With each passing day it is becoming more and more apparent that Liz...
Can you name the person that Life magazine named the number one man of the past millennium? He had over 1,000 inventions and held more patents than any other person in the world – at least one every year for 65 consecutive years. Are any lights coming on? You guessed it – his name is Thomas Edison. We should give thanks for his genius every time we turn on a light or listen to recorded music! Thomas Edison also said some remarkable things: “Genius,” he declared, “is 99% perspiration and 1% in...
June is the month that most people are in earnest about their gardens. If you do not believe me, just go to nurseries and garden centers on these warm sunny days. Women and men are filling shopping carts full with an array of summer annuals, perennials, bulbs and tropicals. The congestion can get frantic and the lines long, so I suggest going during the weekdays and avoid the weekends. Also early in the mornings the gardening trade would be lighter. If you are starting from scratch or have large...
Colonel Hugh David McCracken, Jr.: Age: 85 Col Hugh David McCracken, Jr. served 26 years in the United States Air Force. He was born October 27, 1935, at West Hartford, CT, to his parents, Hugh David McCracken, Sr. and Grace, and he graduated from Wethersfield High School at Wethersfield, CT, in 1953. He received a B.S. Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies of Mathematics and Physics in 1957 from Trinity College at Hartford, CT. Having participated in the Air Force ROTC while in college, he...
Finally! It seems that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it is not an oncoming train. The mandatory restrictions concerning masks has faded. Restaurants are trying to re-open even with the limited pool of workers to fill the jobs. Prices for food have started to increase in the grocery stores. The health news might be getting better but the general cost of living is increasing. Now is the time to bring your household expenses under control. Did you know that the third largest househo...
Summer means different things to different people. To some it probably means nothing more than long days and hot nights. Unless you are a fan of the two…which I happen to be. I’m not sure anymore if I like summer because of the season itself, or if it has more to do with the state of mind. Or maybe it’s just the memories. In Alabama, summer is not defined so tightly by the calendar and temperature as it is activities. School being out adds more freedom for some – for teachers, and student...
Do you have a favorite recipe? Perhaps it’s a family recipe and the ingredients are a well-kept secret. The first time you prepared the dish, you examined the recipe like a map to a hidden treasure, precisely measuring the amounts of each item. You knew the combination of the ingredients would result in something delicious. In some ways, our lives are like a recipe. The difference is that there are no secret ingredients. It begins with a faith in Jesus Christ. Peter, a follower of Jesus and o...