For many years, my Thanksgiving column told of the members of my small family, and was the only totally personal column of the year.
Monday, December 17, 2018
Sunday, December 16, 2018
Consider this my Christmas gift to you.
Friday, December 14, 2018
Thursday, December 13, 2018
A language story from Pauline ("Madame Ewing" to her students):
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
The closing of Hymel's Seafood Restaurant in Convent brought many tales about the landmark eatery, treasured by lovers of fried seafood and frosty fishbowls of beer.
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
I always enjoy hearing about true characters — larger-than-life folks, and such originals that when you describe them it sounds fictional. Here's a tale of one such character:
Monday, December 10, 2018
Seasonal stories of kids and Nativity scenes:
Sunday, December 09, 2018
Mike Staid has this observation after viewing funeral services for President George H.W. Bush:
Friday, December 07, 2018
Dear Smiley: Eighty years ago, New Orleans hosted the first NFL regular-season game in the southern United States.
Thursday, December 06, 2018
Bill Bankhead, of Baton Rouge, says Advocate stories about how the late President George H.W. Bush was respected by members of both political parties reminded him of 1987, when Bill was executive director of the International Special Olympics Game…
Wednesday, December 05, 2018
Ginger Williamson contributes to our series on language:
Tuesday, December 04, 2018
A "language misunderstanding" story from Tim Palmer, of Lafayette:
Monday, December 03, 2018
In these days of decreased personal contact between business and consumer (when's the last time your call to a company was answered by an actual human?), this story from Joel d'Aquin Thibodeaux, of Baton Rouge, brought a smile to my face:
Sunday, December 02, 2018
Our stories of culture shock resulting from language misunderstanding usually involve foreign tongues, but in some cases it's accents in our own country that cause problems.
Friday, November 30, 2018
Dear Smiley: A few minutes ago, I was on the phone with a young woman who was helping Annette and me with some details of our new Medicare drug prescription plan.
Thursday, November 29, 2018
Gerald Wray, of Pride, says when wife Kathy asked if he was going to Mass with her the Sunday after the LSU-A&M game, "I told her that after watching the five-hour, seven overtimes game, I felt I had gone through a deeply religious experience.
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Ralph Melancon, of Kenner, has some noteworthy "small world" stories:
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
I've been hearing some stories lately that remind me of the old gag about the guy who was dating a girl so young she thought Wings was Paul McCartney's first band.
Sunday, November 18, 2018
Lillian Miller, our unpaid holiday poet, sums up Thanksgiving:
Friday, November 16, 2018
Thursday, November 15, 2018
"Letters from readers about Sears reminded me of an experience I had in the 1950s," says John Carver.
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Sheryl Sherlock, of Baton Rouge, offers another "language barriers" story:
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Monday, November 12, 2018
Frank Fronczek, of Baton Rouge, comments on our Friday story about the 1982 LSU-Alabama game, the last one coached by Bear Bryant, won 20-10 by the Tigers:
Sunday, November 11, 2018
Don Garland’s Friday story about a Volkswagen "stuffing" contest causing a back seat fire reminded "Nathan from Prairieville" of this near-tragedy:
Friday, November 09, 2018
Dear Smiley: Many years ago I accompanied my good friend and boat builder, Tony Dugas, on a second trip to Guatemala to assist in a contract negotiation with its navy.
Thursday, November 08, 2018
After Russ Wise told of the "stuffing" craze of years past, when youngsters would see how many could fit in a phone booth (remember those?) or a Volkswagen, Don Garland had this memory:
Wednesday, November 07, 2018
Perry Snyder, of Baton Rouge, says, "Two years ago on election day, my wife, Cindy, was on grandmother duty.
Tuesday, November 06, 2018
Mention of hearing problems brought this from A. Braud, of Gonzales:
Monday, November 05, 2018
Ernie Gremillion, our unpaid sports analyst, explains the Saturday night debacle:
Sunday, November 04, 2018
Larry Greenblatt, of Lafayette, says my desire to have a tank to deal with rude drivers reminds him of his experience in Saudi Arabia in 1999-2000.
Friday, November 02, 2018
Thursday, November 01, 2018
I sometimes offer advice to visitors and newcomers called "How to Avoid Looking Like a Tourist in New Orleans."
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Regular readers of this column (I hope there are some) know I love to run stories about small acts of kindness. And, happily, I never run out of them.
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Mary Ann Sternberg, of Baton Rouge, offers this example of life imitating art (along with a plug for her newest book).
Monday, October 29, 2018
It appears an upcoming athletic contest between the young men of LSU and the University of Alabama has caught the attention of many of my readers.
Friday, October 26, 2018
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Courtland Chaney says while teaching at U.S. military bases in Europe, he lived in the French-speaking part of Belgium and worked in Germany and The Netherlands.
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
Continuing our series on creative business practices, Terry Palmer, of Lafayette, says, "After reading Chuck Falcon’s story about his grandfather billing all the farmers for a saddle when he couldn’t remember whom he sold it to, I remembered one I…
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
James Carville's letter to the editor in the Monday Advocate is the talk of the town — actually, the talk of Louisiana.
Monday, October 22, 2018
Here's a challenge for Amazon:
Sunday, October 21, 2018
Retailers can learn to deal with adversity from the experience of Lawrence Falcon, grandfather of Chuck Falcon, of Donaldsonville.
Friday, October 19, 2018
Thursday, October 18, 2018
There's such an uproar over LSU being fined $100,000 by the NCAA for the fans' field-storming after the Georgia game that a congressman wants all of us to chip in to pay the fine.
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
I finally heard from T-Bob Taylor, this column's Panama City Beach, Florida, correspondent, about his experiences during Hurricane Michael, which ravaged his area.
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Alex Crochet, of Abbeville, says, "A few days ago our family was gathered at our camp on Bayou Magzille.
Monday, October 15, 2018
It finally appears cooler weather is here, but some lament that it's been too long getting to us:
Sunday, October 14, 2018
Our mention of attempts to master languages, including our own, led Courtland Chaney to share these two experiences from his travels abroad:
Friday, October 12, 2018
Dear Smiley: At my water aerobics class one morning, my friend Mary told me that several years ago, her husband told her, "You say 'What?' all the time. Go get your hearing checked."