The mockingbird is Mississippi’s official statebird; I looked it up. After spending several days inour neighboring state a few years ago, I’m of theopinion that whoever chose the mocker picked thewrong bird. The right choice, in my opinion, wasright there all along, soaring, dipping anddiving over the Mississippi terrain, the ictiniamississippiensis.If the Latin name fails to yank yourchain, try Mississippi …

It seems that the costs of living have been increasingfor some time. This phenomenon is not new, and theseincreases seem to be a norm within our culture. Yearafter year regulations enter our lives. They may be smallsubtle changes and occasionally something is implementedthat rocks the way that we live. Thenwe stop, take a big breath, look back and askhow did …

I’ve spent much of my life thinking of punctuation asone of the great gifts of modern-day written language. Imean, if you study most of the classic languages, punctuationas we know it barely existed – and I’ve often wonderedhow tricky that must have been.That kind of wondering? I guess I came byit honest. After all, I taught journalism for 34years, including …