Time to address Christmas cards

It's Christmas card time again.   Some people actually enjoy sending cards along with a letter recounting what the family has experienced the past year.

I knew a guy who had the Christmas card situation whipped.  He gave his secretary two lists, one business and another personal.  His secretary addressed the cards and signed the  business cards. All cards were addressed and signed in early November, ready to be mailed the Monday after Thanksgiving.

Anyway, I have begun the task of addressing the cards.

Price biography of General Middleton

While reviewing  the bibliography of Reilly's book "Killing Patton",  I read that one of the most helpful books was the "Biography of Troy Middleton" by Frank J. Price.  Was this the same Price who was my first journalism teacher at LSU?  Yes, it was. Price, who later became the school directer, wrote the book in 1974.

Among other duties Price was the adviser  for the school newspaper, the Reveille,  For a    period of time I was the paper's proof reader.  Price checked the first paper I proof read and could find no errors except a wrong size period.  He was impressed and joked, "Didn't a wrong font period just jump at you?"

General Middleton saw action in World War I and was called to active service again in 1942.  He is best known as the hero of Bastogne, which he refused to surrender and led to victory of the Battle of the Bulge. General Middleton became LSU president after the war and served there eleven years.

Remembering Sunday, December 7

I can remember where I was that Sunday morning that we heard over the radio that Japan had carried out an aerial attack on Hawaii.  Not many  of us who are still alive remember the unbelief, the shock we felt.  We didn't know that diplomacy had concluded with Japan refusing a peace offer from FDR.   It is unlikely that most of us  were even aware  of  the negotiations between the United States and Japan.

Some question why we observe anniversaries of our  greatest defeats.  We don't celebrate; we hope to learn from our mistakes.  Hopefully, we will never be so  unprepared again.

Louisiana eleventh worst run

Louisiana is the eleventh worst run state in the nation, according to 24/ Wall Street,  an opinion  organization, in an article released today.  I am not surprised at Louisiana's low rating. I admit I am disappointed in Gov. Jindal, who has accomplished little in seven years.  I had expected  him to eliminate corruption and run the state more efficiently.

Louisiana Voice mentions two failures --tax breaks for movie production and the cost of enterprise zones.  Both sounded good when proposed  but they have become wastes of  taxpayers money.

What state  is the best run?  North Dakota is first for the third year, followed by Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, and Minneapolis.  The five worse run --states in order of the worst leading are Illinois, No. 50, New Mexico, Mississippi,  Kentucky,  and Rhode Island.

Compare three cases of cop killing unarmed man

Cop kills unarmed teenager who attacked him; mob violence follows.

Man resisting arrest killed by cop; mob violence follows.

Cop kills unarmed teenager; no mob and no violence follow.

     Why the difference?  The first two cases involved a white cop killing a black man; the third case was of a black police officer killing a white teenager.

          

No such thing as a free lunch

A half century ago at the Homer Lions Club annual banquet  the speaker was a man who traveled the country giving the same speech over and over, "There's no such thing as a free lunch."

That saying means more and more to me today as the nation nears the tipping  point -- a time where productive citizens are  outnumbered by takers. Many people are recipients of welfare and other government programs through no fault of their own; government rules and unfair taxes have forced some companies out of operation and  we lost   the jobs they provided.  Of course, we will always have those who think they are entitled to a free lunch.

President Obama and the EPA want to eliminate the coal industry and handicap all fossil fuel production, taking away  from a source of millions of jobs.

Now, by executive action, Obama seeks to add five million illegals to the work force by executive order, favoring them over native Americans.

Obama loves illegals; hates American workers

In his continuing campaign against the economy, Obama through Obamacare gives three thousand dollar incentives to hire  illegals over native-born US citizens.  Under the amnesty  for five million illegals given by
aliens.Obama's executive order is the provision that will give employers  a saving of $3,000  if the hires are illegal aliens.

This action is just one more blow at our suffering economy.  More and more regulations are designed to put companies out of operation and cost jobs.