Columns

When my momma was alive, she was a walking repository of our family’s history, not only hers but my dad’s as well.  She could rattle off the names of great-aunts and not-so-great uncles, cousins, the good, the bad and the ugly.  There was the uncle who was in the Battle of the Marne in World War I, one of the bloodiest battles in history, the brother of a … [Read more...] about August 12, 2019: Be Careful What You Root Out of The Family Tree

Dear Georgia Public Schoolteachers: Unless I have miscalculated, I believe this is early August and you are already back at work.  School in August?   For a guy who never started school until Labor Day, that takes some getting used to. And wasn’t it just last year that a group of resorts, chambers of commerce and the Atlanta Braves goaded a bunch of politicians … [Read more...] about August 5, 2019: An Open Letter to Georgia Public Schoolteachers

I know he is a long-time reader of this space and should he be doing so this week, I want Sen. Johnny Isakson to know he is in our prayers (assuming mine gets past the ceiling.)  The senator is currently rehabbing after a fall at his residence in Washington, breaking four ribs.  In the current dysfunctional political environment where each side is trying to out-scream … [Read more...] about July 29, 2019: Some Random Thoughts on Politics and Other Trivialities

Gov. Brian Kemp has made some crackerjack appointments since taking office in January, but none better than naming Atlanta real estate executive Sam Holmes to the Board of Regents, which oversees the University System of Georgia. Holmes comes from good stock.  His dad, businessman Paul Holmes, is one of the most widely-respected and best-liked souls in the state.  … [Read more...] about July 21, 2019: Gov. Kemp Makes Long Overdue Changes to Board of Regents

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! “Folks, may I have your attention, please!  My name is Figby and I have been asked to convene a short meeting of members of the General Assembly this morning.” “Who the dickens are you, squirt?  Where is David Ralston, our beloved speaker?” “As I said, my name is Figby.  I am chief conciliator for the Yarbrough Worldwide Media and Pest … [Read more...] about July 14, 2019: General Assembly Plays by a Different Set of Rules