Opinion

Led Zeppelin’s 45-year-old song “Stairway to Heaven” has been in the news lately. The estate of a former member of the band Spirit is suing Zeppelin, claiming that the legendary British rockers plagiarized the opening notes of the song from Spirit’s song “Taurus.”
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Laura and some of her garden club friends were at the office making red and purple bows to benefit fire chief Steve Andrews in his fight against pancreatic cancer. Red is for firefighters and purple is for pancreatic cancer.

Hedy Cauthen started the bow tradition here years ago when her son, late firefighter Britton Cauthen, was fighting the same dreaded diagnosis.
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By Mike Ruffin

The Braves played in Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium from 1966-1996.

That’s 31 years. This will be their 20th and final season playing at Turner Field. Next year, they’ll move into a brand new state-of-the-art park up in Cobb County. I expect the one after that to be built on the shores of beautiful Lake Lanier. When you look at a map that shows where their season ticket holders live, the move makes sense. There are other advantages to the new location. If they need to call up a player from the AAA Gwinnett Braves, he’ll be just an Uber drive away, for one. But as someone who lives south of Atlanta, I’m sorry they’re doing it. It’s going to make it much more complicated to get to the old ball park. Make that the new ball park. [Full Story »] 

I guess I have many views that would align me with the Libertarian Party. As I have written in this space before, I don’t much care what your lifestyle is as long as you don’t shove it in my face and demand that I accept it as normal.

That said, if you have male genitalia, you should use the men’s room even if you look in the mirror and see Lady Gaga. The ladies room is for those equipped as a female even if they look like The Incredible Hulk. [Full Story »] 

By Mike Ruffin

On the March 21 edition of the CBS Evening News, Jim Axelrod presented a story that made me realize (again) that you can never know the ongoing impact an action might have. Henry Colebourn was a veterinarian in Winnipeg, Canada. He was on his way to join the forces fighting in Europe during World War I.

When he got off the train in a small Canadian town, he encountered a hunter who had killed a bear and was selling her cubs for $20 each. He bought a female cub and named her after his hometown. [Full Story »] 

By Walter Geiger

There are a lot of things I would, in a perfect world, like to have.

Some exist. Some are waiting for a clever inventor to come along.

I would like to see someone come up with a granola bar or yogurt that tastes like a sausage biscuit slathered in mustard. I can see that being a big hit where Sharia law is strictly enforced. [Full Story »] 

By Mike Ruffin

Half a century or so ago, my father and I were in the car listening to a program on the Mighty 1090. It was a church program, and a lady was testifying.

“The Lord done cured me of my sugar,” she said. “In fact, he done cured me of my sugar twice!” [Full Story »] 

By Walter Geiger

With the publication of each and every issue of the newspaper you hold in your hand, judgement is required as to which stories and photos are used and how much space and emphasis they are given.

Each story is different and weighed on its own merit but there are some overall basic tenets we adhere to.
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By Mike Ruffin

My good wife and I have attended a lot of concerts over the almost four decades of our marriage.

We got off to a rough start, though. In early 1979, about half-way through our first year of marriage, the band Boston was scheduled to play at the Macon Coliseum. [Full Story »] 

By Walter Geiger

It’s decision day again.

If you have not already done so, today is your last chance to help winnow the field of presidential candidates by voting in Georgia’s Presidential Preference Primary. I will cast my ballot and I hope you will, too.

Voting is a right and a privilege – one that we could lose if enough of us fail to exercise it.

This has been the most interesting presidential campaign I can remember for a lot of reasons. The main reason is Donald Trump. [Full Story »] 

By Mike Ruffin

I had a really neat­and that’s not a term I use very often - experience a few Sundays ago. I’ve been the fill-in preacher at The Rock Baptist Church for a few months.

Prior to my engagement there, my only connection to the town of The Rock (let me add, for my young readers, that the town is not named for former world champion professional wrestler and future Academy Award-winning actor Dwayne Johnson) had been the carpet that my parents bought there, back when I was a kid and The Rock had a carpet store. [Full Story »] 

By Mike Ruffin

I’ve been thinking about what makes for a good life. Specifically, I’ve been thinking about what constitutes a good life in this vast, diverse, and fascinating world in which we live. I’m well into the sixth decade of my life. I don’t presume that I’ll have another thirty years to live after I hit sixty, Lord willing, in 2018. I do, though, find myself thinking of my life falling into three sets of 30 years. [Full Story »] 

By Walter Geiger

Thirty years ago last month this gorgeous girl came in and applied for a job at The Herald Gazette at our old office on Market Street. She was recommended by her husband, a man I hold in high regard and who worked just down the street. I took a long look at her. Then I took another long look at her. Then I thought to myself well there is no way in the world Laura is going to hire her. [Full Story »]