economics etc »
An Evening At The Mad Hot Ballroom
My wife, Cathy, and I recently attended the annual Mad Hot Ballroom competition as guests of our long-time friends Karen and Darrel Drewett. Cathy was a judge for the first competition in 2010 and
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The Fed’s Dilemma
Fighting Inflation While Maintaining Economic Growth In the second full week of June, the inflation rate hit 8.6 percent, the highest it has been in 40 years; the Federal Reserve announced its biggest interest
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Ukraine’s Struggle For Independence
To justify his recent invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin claimed “The Ukraine” is historically part of Russia and the Russian and Ukrainian people are one and the same. Most Ukrainians, however, would disagree with
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Climate Change: A Historical Perspective
The evidence is clear that over the last 150 years, the earth’s climate has become warmer. This has led environmentalists to demand governments take action to halt global warming and “save the planet.” But
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The Value Of Kittens And Worms
About a year ago, I wrote a column about two little kittens that Bandit, our 110-pound boxer, found in our backyard. They appeared to be about a month old, and someone had just dumped
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Federalism And The Federal Debt
Most discussion of our soaring federal debt (now more than $28 trillion) is focused on financial issues such as how much debt is too much for a country (it is now 110 percent of
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The Case For Proportional Representation
Our nation has become politically polarized. Despite President Biden’s promise to unify the country, millions of voters in the middle of the political spectrum are watching in dismay as extreme elements of both major
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Can We Bridge The Political Divide?
Last January, I wrote my column for Lagniappe about the polarization of politics in the United States. I was born in 1946, making me one of the first “baby-boomers.” As I was growing up,
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In Memory Of Vic And Terry Stelly
The day after Christmas, Cathy and I lost two good friends, and Southwest Louisiana lost great citizens, when Vic Stelly and his wife, Terry, passed away from COVID-19 within hours of each other. We
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Christmas 2020
Each December I write a tongue-in-cheek column about Christmas gifts I think fit the times but that you won’t find in any stores or even online. For example, one of my gifts last year
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