Columnists

Yes, Santa Claus lives

Sallie Satterthwaite's picture

My children say I shouldn’t eavesdrop, but my response is that if talkers in public places didn’t want to be overheard, they’d lower the volume of their conversation.

From a restaurant booth in another galaxy:

Two women eased themselves into the booth behind ours in one of the nicer eateries in Peachtree City. They examined the menu briefly. Rearranged themselves for a moment. Gave their server their order.

“Now, you were saying…,’ one began. “No Santa Claus for a 7- and a 4-year-old? What’s that about?” Read More»

War Eagle!

David Epps's picture

I am an Auburn War Eagle ...at least for the next month.

It has been said that there are two dominant faith groups in the South: the Baptists and the Southeastern Conference and that it a good thing for the Baptists that the SEC plays its football games on Saturday. Read More»

Marriage's greatest trial

Rick Ryckeley's picture

A friend of mine just got married, and he was distressed that he and his wife already had a fight. Well, to be honest, she called it a fight; my buddy contends that it was just a disagreement. I guess you can say they’ve now had two fights ... I mean, disagreements.

As always when people move in together, there’s bound to be an adjustment period where both sides need to give in a little to make things work. He was upset that, after just two weeks, a disagreement had come between them in their wedded bliss. He asked me for my sage advice. Read More»

Don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t care

Cal Thomas's picture

People who take polls for a living will tell you that depending on the methodology, the sample, how a question is asked and the understanding of the ones being polled, the outcome can pretty much be predetermined.

If you are dependent on a superior for your job and that superior tells you he wants a certain conclusion reached about a policy he wishes to implement, that, too, can affect the outcome.

Such is the case with President Obama, who has told gay rights groups he intends to end the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and allow homosexuals to serve openly in the military. Read More»

ObamaCare drains Medicare

Ronald E. Bachman's picture

One of the most controversial parts of the new federal healthcare law is the redistribution of funding from Medicare to other programs. If Obamacare is left unchanged, it will take $500 billion from Medicare over the next 10 years.

Medicare beneficiaries will see higher premiums; doctors, nurses, hospitals and medical suppliers will get lower payments. The Medicare reductions will be used to subsidize expanded Medicaid to low-income recipients and to fund insurance for the uninsured. Read More»

A coat to break the chat ice

Ronda Rich's picture

When a friend and I were planning a winter time trip to London, we were discussing, as women tend to, what clothes we were packing.

Women can never go on a trip or to a special event, without having other women approve their wardrobe, especially those who will be in attendance.

Just in case you didn’t know that. Read More»

German American WWII Internment (part 2 of 2)

Sallie Satterthwaite's picture

Editor’s note: This is the second part of a two part column. The first part can be read at www.thecitizen.com

With disregard for station in life or in religious affiliation, scientists, educators, farmers, brewers, physicians, American police troops swept German American civilians through California and other coastal communities, on their way to internment camps during World War II. Read More»

Every window a stage

Rick Ryckeley's picture

It could’ve been entitled “A Snapshot of Small Town America: A Short Film Suitable for All Ages.” Admission was free — free for all who had taken the time to sit, sip, and simply watch the show.

Sipping a vanilla chai and enjoying the ambiance the small town coffee shop had to offer, I sat and pondered how seemingly simple yet complex the world outside the picture window was. Having nothing better to do, I decided to watch for awhile.

First on the world stage outside the window, a middle-aged lady wearing a skin-tight shirt sauntered by announcing “Bringing Sexy Back.”

She wasn’t. Read More»

Get ready

David Epps's picture

Several days ago, a 15-year-old young lady said that she hadn’t decided what to give up for Advent. After a brief discussion, we clarified the fact that she had confused Advent with Lent. However she wasn’t exactly wrong. Read More»

What we can learn from Maxwell-McCarty tiff

Claude Paquin's picture

Anyone who has ever taken a course on how to use a computer program of one kind or another knows how, during the presentation, unexpected problems can pop up. That might upset a lot of people, but I once had an instructor who viewed every glitch as a ULO, an “unscheduled learning opportunity.” We all ended up learning something we didn’t intend to, and nobody got upset. Read More»