Columns

Dear Henry, Noah and Samuel Knox Wansley: It looks like it is your turn to receive some unsolicited advice from an old man who has been dispensing it since your daddy and his cousins were about your age.  That has been a long time.  I’m not sure how much of it they found helpful but I hope some of it stuck. Much of what I have to say to you comes from my own life experiences … [Read more...] about January 11, 2026: Some Observations To Share With Three Great-Grandsons

What a way to start my new year.  A phone call from Skeeter Skates. As you no doubt are aware, Skeeter Skates is the owner and operator of the eponymic Skeeter Skates Tree Stump Removal and Plow Repair, located in Ryo, Georgia, although I would suggest you never use words like eponymic around the man.  Skeeter thinks words over two syllables are the product of a bunch of … [Read more...] about January 4, 2026: An Invitation For Donald Trump To Address The Captains Of Industry In Ryo, Georgia

As we end one year and begin a new one, that means it is time for the annual report required of all card-carrying members of the National Association of Modest-Yet-Much-Beloved Columnists.  Our motto: Sometimes in error, never in doubt. The report is required.  Otherwise, I might lose my credentials and have to get a real job.  The very thought of that keeps me awake at … [Read more...] about December 28, 2025: Reporting On Where Those 39,000 Words Went This Year

These words are dedicated to the memory of my late friend, Otis Brumby, Jr., publisher of the Marietta Daily Journal.  He encouraged me to run this column each Christmas season. It is also dedicated to those who believe.   I wish I had been there. In Bethlehem. I wish I had witnessed the birth of the baby Jesus in that humble setting in a lowly manger. Was it really as … [Read more...] about December 21, 2025: I Wish I Had Been There. In Bethlehem

I sat down recently with Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr to talk about his decision to run for governor.  Carr will face off against current Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and a couple of no names in next May’s Republican primary seeking to succeed current Gov. Brian Kemp, who is term-limited and cannot seek a third term.  The winner will face … [Read more...] about December 14, 2025: Attorney General Chris Carr Talks About Running For Governor