Thomas FieldsThomas “Tuffy” Fields is an author and regular contributor to The Gazette. He can be reached by email at thelouisianaexplorer@yahoo.com. For those of you that have not noticed, Christmas is in full marketing coverage and has been since the Halloween decorations and costumes hit the sales isle the day after that holiday. As a child, there was a ritualistic …

Thomas FieldsThomas “Tuffy” Fields is an author and regular contributor to The Gazette. He can be reached by email at thelouisianaexplorer@yahoo.com. I am writing this on November 2, 2024 while sitting in my hotel room in Austin, Texas and attending the Explorer’s Club meeting. Election day is three days away and there is no clear front runner. By the time …

Thomas FieldsThomas “Tuffy” Fields is an author and regular contributor to The Gazette. He can be reached by email at thelouisianaexplorer@yahoo.com. By the time this is read America will be in the last couple of days before our national election. For us in North Central Louisiana a mayorship, a congressional seat that could determine the speaker of the house of …

Thomas FieldsThomas “Tuffy” Fields is an author and regular contributor to The Gazette. He can be reached by email at thelouisianaexplorer@yahoo.com. There was a time when it was said that a man’s handshake is his honor. Two men could make a deal shake hands on the agreement and it was every bit as binding as if a contract had been …

Thomas FieldsThomas “Tuffy” Fields is an author and regular contributor to The Gazette. He can be reached by email at thelouisianaexplorer@yahoo.com. Last night I saw the flagship university of Louisiana, LSU, pull out a dynamic win over Ole Miss in overtime. One of the storied rivalries of college football has been revived. What a way to celebrate the 100th anniversary …

Thomas FieldsThomas “Tuffy” Fields is an author and regular contributor to The Gazette. He can be reached by email at thelouisianaexplorer@yahoo.com. I have had the good fortune to have seen the world and visited some of the largest and grandest cities in this world. It is awe inspiring to view the mega-structures, large parks and toddle through museums that capture …

Thomas FieldsThomas “Tuffy” Fields is an author and regular contributor to The Gazette. He can be reached by email at thelouisianaexplorer@yahoo.com. How is the best way to reinforce our belief in America?  How is the best way to show that America is truly a part of a unique experiment called democracy?  How is the best way to declare that you …

Thomas FieldsThomas “Tuffy” Fields is an author and regular contributor to The Gazette. He can be reached by email at thelouisianaexplorer@yahoo.com. What a mess has been witnessed. The economy is not in good shape despite what some politicians tell us. Out of control government spending coupled with poorly selected projects followed by wage and price inflation is a cocktail for …

Thomas FieldsThomas “Tuffy” Fields is an author and regular contributor to The Gazette. He can be reached by email at thelouisianaexplorer@yahoo.com. The world took a big hit when it shut down for COVID. The United States took a bigger hit when it remained shut down for so long. Government mandated long-duration closures followed by Government subsidized living had the adverse …

Thomas FieldsThomas “Tuffy” Fields is an author and regular contributor to The Gazette. He can be reached by email at thelouisianaexplorer@yahoo.com. America is losing a certain edge that has made it such a unique place to live, such a wonderful example for other countries to aspire to be.In the 1770s America was made up of 13 colonies; 13 colonies that …