“You said I deserve just what I got. Well, if that’s how you feel, honey, thanks a lot.” – written by Eddie Miller and Don Sessions and performed by Ernest Tubb This week marks my one-year anniversary writing a weekly column for the Leader. For me the time has flown by. If you subjected yourself… Read more

“Now I got mortgages on homes. I got stiffness in my bones. Ain’t no beauty queens in this locality.” – Brian May Brian May is the lead guitarist for legendary rock band Queen, and he grew up in Hampton, England, a London suburb. If you did not know the first thing about May, one thing… Read more

“We’ve only just begun …” – Paul Williams, Roger Nichols, and Karen and Richard Carpenter There are 435 members in the U.S. House of Representatives. If you happen to be a math whiz or have your cell phone calculator within reach, you can quickly determine you need 218 people out of the 435 to reach… Read more

“But, Mousie, thou art no thy-lane (not alone) in proving foresight may be vain.” – Robert Burns from his poem “To a Mouse” What a wild year 2024 was when it came to government and politics. The presidential election itself was one that will be remembered for several generations to come. While we expected the… Read more

“But the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be on your own front door.” – Meredith Willson My mother loved to see lights pop up all around the county before Christmas every year. Like most everyone else, she enjoyed the pleasant contrast of the bright Christmas lights against the dark of the… Read more

“You know the old saying: you win some, you lose some, and then there’s that little-known third category.” – Al Gore at the 2004 Democratic National Convention We had an election on Tuesday, a rather consequential one in my estimation. I think I am on solid ground saying that since the person who leads the… Read more

“Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.” – Abraham Lincoln It is always an exciting time whenever you have a transition from one president to another after an election. The most often it happens is every… Read more

“Ch-Ch-Changes. Turn and face the strange.” – David Bowie I do not know what the statute of limitations are on potential trespassing charges are, but I will admit I was among the throng of navy-clad football fans who ended up on Pat Dye’s well-manicured field after Auburn football’s harrowing four-overtime victory over Texas A&M a… Read more

“Anything less would be uncivilized.” – Charles Barkley from 1990s-era deodorant commercials We are now three weeks removed from the election, and it is my understanding discussing politics around Thanksgiving dinner can be considered uncouth in many circles. But before we totally put the previous election to bed, I am going to try to slip… Read more

“Everything counts in large amounts.” – Martin Gore It looks like we finally know Republicans will maintain a razor-thin majority in the U.S. House of Representatives for the next two years. Yet, early this week there were still a few House races without a winner declared which naturally leads to questions as to why it… Read more