Columns

By Stephen Waguespack

August 29, 2015 marks the 10-year anniversary of New Orleans’ direct hitfrom the now in famous Category 5 mega storm, Hurricane Katrina. The power of the massive, 127 mph hurricane compromised the below sea-level city’s levee system, causing levee breeches that led to wide spread flooding in over 80 percent of the city. Hurricane Katrina was a disaster of un paralleled proportion in Louisiana. Over 1,000 people lost their lives in the storm, and hundreds of thousands of residents lost their homes and liveli hoods. People who had evacuated from New Orleans returned to a city that, for a time, see med to be without hope.

Let me tell you about “Mike the Magnificent”, an English setter which knew more about bird (quail) hunting than most hunters and liked nobody, but would hunt with anyone because that was what he was bornto do. He had a little swagger about him and his hard head. He was a gift from our dear friend and long time and long ago friend, the late FredNielsen of Winnsboro in Franklin Parish.

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These are the dog days of August, most certainly. Farm boys of the Great Depression recall them quite vividly in the days of picking cotton in the burning sun, feeling the heat on yourback and making it to the end of the row to get a pull on the water keg  which gave only “wet”, not cool, but near boiling point liquid. The keg had no shade, neither did the pickers. Life was simple then. No ice water, but a big chunk from the icehouse on Sunday for ice tea. Sleeping under a mosquito bar was no fun since it cut off any breeze, which might come through an open window in your bedroom. Being hot or fighting the humming insects? There was no window fan since there was no electricity. However, we went to war and kicked the hell out of the Japs and Germans and later, some 70 years later, we were called the Greatest Generation. We are getting out of the way of brilliant boys and girls, which we claim. Thanks, we trust you because we all want to remain free.  

tests so many similar candidates this early in a race is nothing more than a name ID poll. Name ID is one thing Trump has mastered better than anyone else,  thanks in large part to reality TV.Whether a true candidate for the long haul or a flash in the pan that will soon be voted off the island, it is astonishing that he is credibly convincing some to hire him as president only a few years removed from milking every dollar of profit from the phrase “You’re fired” on “The Apprentice.” Speaking of astonishing, the Democrats have their own reality show going on right now and you would be hard pressed to  ake characters like this up. 

By Stephen Waguespack

The legislative session that adjourned in June left many folks frustrated. While everyone was satisfied that the budgets for health care and higher education were stabilized, the exclusive dependence on new taxes to accomplish this objective has led to quite a bit of concern. Employers, both small and large, expressed frustration due to the fact that the lion’s share of these new taxes fell on their backs. Legislators seemed frustrated with the contentiousness of the session and the awkward and confusing guardrails set up by the administration. Individual taxpayers felt frustrated because a comprehensive approach to smart budgeting seems to still be an illusive goal.

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Teen love (infatuation) is powerful, unbelievable, upsetting, life changing and long “remembering”. Most of us are victims. She was scarcely five in height, had big brown eyes which could melt stone. She would be eligible for the heavenly body class. The party was Friday night (like tonight) and this 10th grader must ask the ninth grader before she caught the bus to her home on the plantation four miles away. Getting up all the bravery in me I dashed to catch her on the stairs before the bus left. Barely. I timidly asked if she would like to attend the party with me. She said that she “would be delighted”. And we melted. (She knew I’d ask her). Our friend who had a car and a girl friend in the same area brought me to her house. Timidly, I knocked and the answer was coarse and loud coming from her dad. Upon entering, Daddy asked what I wanted as he kept cleaning a double-barrel shotgun. More sweat. I asked for Susan (not her name) as we left I heard “better be back by 11”.