Opinion

As a child dinosaurs came into vogue. Toy dinosaursets were sold from the Sears and Roebuck Christmascatalogues. The Peabody Museum, a part of HarvardUniversity, produced a set of drawings depicting lifeduring the Jurassic period and earlier. One could lookat the realistic paintings and visualize what itwould be like to live millions of years beforeman’s dirty little footprints trod the planet.Books …

It was the middle of winter and I was working on anoil rig. A huge storm hit. It was wet and freezing and Icaught pneumonia.“This isn’t what I want to do for the rest of my life,” Ithought to myself.I quit. I had worked making pizzas for Johnny’sPizza House during high school and stillhad some good relationships with managers. Ithought …

Just as most Americans remember where they wereon 9/11, those of us living on the Gulf Coast rememberthe fear and concern that enveloped our region twentyyears ago on August 29th. A lady named Katrina changedmany of our lives. In looking back, many Louisianansfelt that maybe New Orleans really was acity that care forgot, and the whole Gulf Coastwas thrown in …

As of Aug. 11, the dog days of summer are officially behindus – at least, according to the calendar. But somebodymight want to tell Louisiana.The “dog days” – that slow-cooked stretch ofheat and humidity – are often misunderstood.Many folks assume the phrase refers to anypoint in summer when it’s so hot the dogs (andpeople) are too worn out to move …

By the second week of the air war it was non-stopbombing from the coalition forces and regardless ofwhat the military had told us the SCUDS had made itas far south as Dhahran. Fortunately the Patriot Misslesdid their jobs and with one exception the SCUDS wereneutralized.I drove north from Dhahran for a hundredmiles to get to Safaniyah and the water treatmentplant …

The initial thrust of the coalition forces was noth-ing less than amazing; however, there were indicators that the war was going to happen. We were told thatthe SEALS would not be coming for the weekly softballgame. A lady on the compound received a call from hernephew who worked at the Pentagon and wastold that he would not be there for …

You have just completed a major work project beforethe deadline. Having worked diligently and spendingyour own time, you’re proud of the results and can’t waitto impress your boss. You show him the project and heimmediately begins to criticize it and you. Thecriticism is completely unwarranted. What doyou say to yourself? “I’ve failed again” or “He must be having a bad …

The build up of military forces in Saudi Arabia was code named Desert Shield. This build up was remarkable as troops from countries that had previously been sworn enemies teamed up to throw the Iraqi army out of Kuwait. The Dhahran airport had been packed with people trying to leave Arabia and Aramco did not want the expat labor force …

When I read the obituary for Hulk Hogan recently, I didn’t expect to be struck by the writing. But there it was – one of those rare, unforgettable descriptions that I would have clipped out and carried with me to my classroom.  From People magazine: “A perennially tanned and oiled-up Florida boy with peroxide hair and a matching handlebar mustache, …

The morning of the invasion of Kuwait was surreal inSaudi Arabia. I drove into the Arab town of Abqaiq andit was business as usual. It was the Muslim Saturdayand the town was sleepy with very little activity. Therewas no expanded security at the gate as I returned tocamp and I started to question if I had reallyheard that there had …