Ladies, here’s some information that probably won’t shock you. Most men don’t look at how much something costs if it’s something they really want. THEY BUY IT NO MATTER WHAT!

A few men might know the actual price, but it doesn’t factor into the equation or their decision as to whether they buy it or not. It’s a bottom line question — how bad do they want it?

Men are simple and selfish creatures and will not allow the price of something to decide if they purchase it. They will buy it, then ask for forgiveness later if their significant other handles the finances.

We, as men, do have a few considerations that might affect our decision. Will I be the only one of my friends that has one of these? Is this a product that will help me put more fish in the boat or more meat on the table to feed my family? Will this product help me win a bass tournament?

This also applies to men who grocery shop. While the rest of the nation is complaining about the high price of eggs and beef products, men are more concerned about making sure they get enough to feed everyone. If we’re having a hamburger cookout, we don’t look at how much ground beef is per pound. WE JUST BUY IT!

Even at the check-out counter, especially self-check-out, men don’t always pay attention to how much a product costs that we just scanned. We scan it, bag it and move on immediately. Whatever price is on the screen, that’s what we’ll pay. Very seldom do we stop and consider if that’s the right price or not.

I’m not saying we don’t care, because that’s not true. But we’re just not as conscious as we should be.

My wife brought this to my attention recently when she was checking out and had an issue with a tomato she was buying at the local grocery store. As she weighed it, the price came up way more than the tomato was supposed to be.

She contacted the clerk overseeing the self-check-out area and they made sure the right price was charged. But had that been me, I would have never looked at the price and would have walked out as if nothing was wrong … until my wife checked the receipt.

After watching several TV reports lately about how people are being overcharged at supermarkets and discount stores, there’s no telling how many times I have walked out of a store overcharged for whatever was in my buggy.

But with the economy still in distress and grocery prices unstable, the time has come to pay attention to what we are being charged. Some stores are in survival mode and are trying to stay in business.

While I don’t think a lot of this is intentional, it’s up to all of us to make sure we are not being taken advantage of as consumers and pay closer attention to what the register is showing.

So ladies, if you want to make sure your household budget stays intact, don’t ask your man to go shopping.

‘Til next time, to all the men out there, be aware of what you’re paying at the cash register and be more conscious of what things cost; our reputation is at stake.

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

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Welcome to the holiday season officially known as New Hallowsthanksmas!

I am not certain how official it is. I believe I named it sometime in the 1980s, and, as far as I know, I remain the only person using the designation. Still, every tradition has to begin somewhere. Usually, in my family, it begins with somebody saying, “Are you going to eat that?”

New Hallowsthanksmas stretches from Halloween through New Year’s Day. Calorie counting is suspended. Sound nutritional advice disappears beneath a layer of cream cheese. Family members suddenly rediscover the road to your house, especially if you have a guest bedroom and dependable Wi-Fi.

It is a wonderful opportunity to rediscover the people we love. Occasionally, it also reminds us why we usually love a few of them from a distance.

Somewhere along the way, however, we turned celebration into a competitive sport.

How many dishes are necessary for Thanksgiving dinner? At what point does a meal become an agricultural exposition? Must we serve sweet potatoes in three different forms? Apparently, a sweet potato cannot enter the kingdom of Thanksgiving unless it has been baptized in butter and covered with marshmallows.

Then comes Christmas. How tall should the stack of presents be? Should we still be able to see the tree? How many parties constitute a successful season? And who decided every organization we have ever joined needs to hold its Christmas gathering during the same eleven days?

By January, we are exhausted, overdrawn, and eating leftover cheese ball because nobody has the strength to find a vegetable.

Someone asks, “How were your holidays?”

“We survived.”

That ought to tell us something.

Survival is a reasonable goal for a shipwreck. Surely we can hope for more from the celebration of our Savior’s birth.

Perhaps this year we could begin with a different question: What would help us receive the gifts God is actually giving?

Thanksgiving invites gratitude. Gratitude requires enough attention to notice what we already have. That is difficult when we are busy making lists of everything we still need to buy.

Christmas announces that God has come near. Yet we can become so occupied preparing for Christmas that we have little time to pray, worship, or notice the person beside us.

The first Christmas ought to give us permission to simplify. God entered the world in the vulnerability of a child laid in a manger. We keep acting as though the occasion requires matching pajamas, six coordinated wreaths, and a dining room that qualifies for a magazine cover.

There is nothing wrong with decorations, presents, or a good casserole. I am a Methodist minister. I would never recklessly endanger the casserole.

But we ought to ask whether our celebrations leave room for the love Jesus teaches us to practice.

Could we prepare one fewer dish and spend a little longer at the table? Buy one fewer gift and help a neighbor keep the lights on? Decline an invitation and visit someone whose calendar is painfully empty?

Could we listen to a relative without preparing our rebuttal? Offer an apology before passing the rolls? Remember that the people in our homes need kindness more than they need a flawless centerpiece?

Make a little room now. Leave an evening open. Spend within your means. Worship with your church. Welcome someone who might otherwise be alone.

When New Year’s Day arrives, may we have something better to say than “We survived.”

May we be able to say, “We gave thanks. We made room for Jesus. We loved the people he placed before us.”

And if there are only two kinds of pie, I believe the family will recover.

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On Nov. 4, 1922, a discovery beneath the sands of Egypt’s Valley of the Kings set off one of the greatest archaeological stories in history, revealing a treasure-filled tomb, a long-forgotten pharaoh and a mysterious curse that would capture the world’s imagination.

British archaeologist Howard Carter and his excavation team uncovered a stone step buried beneath ancient debris. That single step led to a staircase and eventually the sealed tomb of Tutankhamun, the young Egyptian pharaoh who had been buried for more than 3,000 years.

Carter had spent years searching for the tomb, and financial support for his excavations was running thin. His discovery would become one of the most significant archaeological finds of the 20th century.

On Nov. 26, 1922, Carter and his financial backer, Lord Carnarvon, entered the tomb’s interior chambers.

Inside, they discovered an extraordinary collection of ancient Egyptian treasures, including furniture, jewelry, ceremonial objects and elaborate burial equipment. Among the most remarkable discoveries was a stone sarcophagus containing three nested coffins. The innermost coffin, made of solid gold, held the mummified remains of Tutankhamun.

The young pharaoh had died approximately 3,000 years earlier, at around 18 years old. Unlike many ancient Egyptian royal tombs that had been looted over the centuries, Tutankhamun’s burial chambers remained largely intact, providing an unprecedented look into the burial traditions of ancient Egypt.

The discovery soon became associated with one of history’s most famous supernatural legends: the curse of the pharaohs. In 1923, just months after the tomb was opened, Lord Carnarvon died following complications from an infected mosquito bite. His death helped fuel sensational newspaper stories suggesting that disturbing the resting place of an Egyptian pharaoh could bring deadly consequences.

The legend spread worldwide, with reports connecting other deaths and unusual events to the opening of the tomb. However, researchers have found no convincing scientific evidence that a supernatural curse was responsible. A study published in 2002 found no significant difference in survival among Western visitors exposed to the tomb compared with those who were not.

More than a century later, the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb remains one of archaeology’s most recognizable achievements. The treasures uncovered by Carter’s team provided historians and researchers with invaluable information about ancient Egyptian royalty, religious beliefs and burial practices.

What began with the discovery of a single buried step on Nov. 4, 1922, ultimately revealed a remarkable collection of ancient treasures and gave rise to a mystery that continues to fascinate generations.

And while the legendary curse remains a story of superstition rather than established fact, the discovery itself forever changed our understanding of ancient Egypt.

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George Baldwin Selden was a brilliant New York patent attorney, but his passion was inventing. George only became an attorney at the insistence of his father, Henry Selden, a prominent attorney who defended Susan B. Anthony in her 1873 trial for voting as a woman. It was around that time that inventors began looking for a way to replace horses as transportation. Horses required constant care and horse manure was a constant sanitation problem. George designed a “gasoline and oil type” automobile and submitted his patent request on May 8, 1879. For George, a patent attorney, the process to attain a patent was almost second nature, but George intentionally delayed the finalizing of his patent. George’s strategy was to stall the patent process until interest in automobiles was peaking. After 16 years of intentional delays, on November 5, 1895, George was granted patent No. 549,160 for “a road vehicle, the motor being a liquid hydrocarbon gas engine of the compression type.”

George’s plan worked well. His patent granted him the exclusive right to manufacture, sell, and use gasoline powered automobiles for 17 years. It was considered “the pioneer invention” in the automobile industry. In 1899, George transferred rights to his patent to the Electric Vehicle Company in exchange for compensation which included future royalties. In another clever move, George made a huge profit and would continue earning royalties while the task of collecting royalties was done by the Electric Vehicle Company. In 1903, thirty-two members of the Manufacturer’s Mutual Association formed the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers (ALAM) and leased the right to manufacture and sell gasoline powered automobiles. Lessees eventually included manufacturers such as Buick, Cadillac, Hudson, Packard, Pierce Arrow, and Studebaker. Notice that Ford was not included in the list. Henry Ford had applied for a license through the ALAM, but his application was rejected. A large group of independent manufacturers refused to pay royalties on the Selden patent and Henry Ford joined them. At one point, Henry tried to lure the ALAM into court to have the patent thrown out because of its “monopolistic control and exploitation by the automobile trust.” In a bold move, Henry Ford offered the ALAM $1,000 if they would file suit against him. He got his wish in October 1903 when the ALAM filed suit against the Ford Motor Co. and C.A. Durer & Company for manufacturing automobiles, the O.J. Gude Company for advertising their cars, and John Wanamaker, an owner of a Ford car. The court case dragged on for years and the Selden patent was upheld until January 9, 1911, when the United States Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the decision of the lower court and concluded that Selden’s patent was limited to a particular type of engine, which Ford’s automobiles did not use. George and the ALAM said they would take the case all the way to the United States Supreme Court if they had to but ultimately decided against it because the exclusive rights provided by the patent were set to expire in September of the same year. George B. Selden’s plan was brilliant. His plan is even more impressive when you learn that at the time he received the patent which granted him control over the automobile industry, he had never built a single car.

Sources:

1. Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, November 12, 1900, p.12.

2. The Flint Journal, October 24, 1903, p.1.

3. The Union and Advertiser (Rochester, New York), September 16, 1909, p.9.

4. The Rochester Herald, January 10, 1911, p.1.

5. “Selden Automobile Patent Model, 1879,” National Museum of American History, accessed October 25, 2026, https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_1305689.

© 2026 Brad Dison. All rights reserved. Remember This? is distributed for licensed publication only.

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Last week we broke the sad news that co-anglers no longer have a place to call home since Major League Fishing decided to eliminate co-anglers all across their tournament circuits.

Today, I want to talk about a couple of co-anglers I drew out in both the BFL’s and the Toyota Series. Like anything else, you can get a good one or a bad one depending on the co-angler you draw.

I can honestly say that most of the co-anglers I drew over time were great people. Not always good anglers, but 90 percent were really good folks who I have become friends with.

Then there are co-anglers I wish had never gotten into my boat! Let’s focus on those. The first one that comes to mind was a gentleman who was paired up with me years ago on Sam Rayburn.

While I try not to judge people (until I see them) this was one angler who was not the picture of health and was not looking to be on the front cover of GQ magazine.

This guy weighed 350 pounds plus, if he weighed an ounce. He had all kinds of health issues and notified me that he had major lower back issues while we waited for take-off on Day 1 of the tournament. He told me he needed surgery and was just putting it off.

One hour into the tournament I needed to make a long run up the lake to a group of fish I had found in practice. The problem was that the wind was blowing out of the north at 20 miles per hour. If you know Sam Rayburn, that means a rough ride!

As I headed across the lake in three-foot rollers, my co-angler, through high-pitched moaning and groaning, decided he could not make that kind of run. I then shut down the boat and told him he had two choices, either suck it up and make the run or I could drop him off back at the boat ramp and he could go home.

Before you think I’m being a little insensitive, the problem with this situation is that there’s a tournament rule that states an angler cannot handicap another angler in the boat. He was penalizing me by not allowing me to run the lake like I needed to in order to compete.

After a short phone call to the tournament director, the decision was made for me to drop him off at the ramp. While I really hated this, because I never had to kick anyone out of my boat before, it was obvious that he was in no kind of physical shape to be fishing bass tournaments.

My next bad co-angler was a gentleman who I was paired with on Day 2 of the National Championship on Red River. The Red River has been very good to me over the years, and I was actually in position to win this event, sitting in the top 5 after Day 1.

The co-angler I drew was from Tennessee and had at least 15 cups of coffee before he got into my boat that morning. This guy was so wound up and excited to fish on Day 2 but had never done that well in tournaments before.

He literally walked so much on the back deck of my boat that I thought he was going to wear a hole in my carpet. It only got worse after we left the dock that morning. My first stop was on the main river in a spot where I had caught at least a three-pounder three days in a row.

Let me back up and explain a rule that existed in this event. The rule stated that at no time may a co-angler make a cast in front of the boat or past the pro/boater during the tournament without permission from the pro/boater.

So now that you know the rule, the rest of this will make total sense to you. As I fished my first spot and caught the three-pounder, my co-angler decided he would throw past the front of the boat into the exact spot!

As I was putting the fish in my live well, I noticed him set the hook and pull a four-pound bass off the spot I was fishing. The only way he could fish this spot was to throw past the front of the boat, which was a rules violation.

Being the nice guy that I am, while fuming, I reminded him of the rule and requested he not do that again. He apologized profusely and said he wouldn’t do it again. So, I forgave and forgot and moved on to my next spot just off the main river.

When we arrived, after making three casts, I caught another quality bass on a spinnerbait going down the backside of a rock jetty. While I was boating this fish, my co-angler decided to make a cast past the front of the boat — AGAIN! He caught another bass that was a keeper.

Trying to be nice, I once more reminded him of the rule. The problem was that he was working off a caffeine high and was totally out of control with his actions and his emotions.

Then it all came to a head about 15 minutes later when I hooked another good fish on a Texas rigged worm and as I was fighting this bass, I noticed him throw a bait past my head and in front of the boat! At this point, I’m done with this idiot who obviously could care less about the rules, so I took things into my own hands…literally!

While fighting my fish, I simply reached up, grabbed his fishing line, and bit it in half, which cost him his favorite crankbait! He exploded and could not believe that I actually did that. I looked at him while putting my fish in the live well and in a very calm voice I told him that he had two choices.

“You can keep throwing in front of the boat if you want, but understand this, I will not sign your weigh slip at the weigh-in which means you’ll be disqualified from the tournament. Or you can quit casting past the front of the boat the rest of the day. Your choice, Slick!”

Let’s just say the last four hours of this event were extremely quiet, and he did not speak five words the rest of the day. I guess some guys are just slow learners and have no regards for the rules. But I was more disappointed when I didn’t get a Christmas card from him.

Despite these two bad apples, I have overwhelmingly enjoyed the vast majority of my co-anglers. The old BFL format will be missed now that it’s a team trail and will leave a void in the sport especially for the weekend warrior.

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

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Some of us are exhausted because we are doing chores for a dead duck.

Stay with me. This is a spiritual problem, although a shovel might have helped initially.

Arron Chambers, in Remember Who You Are, retells a story from Richard Hoeffer’s Will Daylight Come? about a boy named Johnny who received his first slingshot while visiting his grandparents.

Johnny practiced in the woods without hitting anything. Trees were safe. Squirrels relaxed. The entire woodland community lowered its threat level. Then he returned to the backyard, spotted Grandma’s pet duck, and took an impulsive shot.

For the first time all day, his aim was perfect.

The duck died.

Johnny panicked and hid the evidence in the woodpile. Unfortunately, his sister Sally had witnessed everything. Sally said nothing. That should have worried him.

After lunch, Grandma asked Sally to help wash dishes. Sally announced that Johnny wanted to help instead. Then she whispered three words:

“Remember the duck.”

Johnny washed.

Later, Grandpa offered to take the children fishing, but Grandma needed Sally’s help with supper. Sally graciously volunteered Johnny.

“Remember the duck.”

Sally went fishing. Johnny stayed in the kitchen, discovering that one dead duck could generate a remarkable amount of housework. For several days, Sally enjoyed the benefits of having a brother with a secret. Johnny did his chores and hers.

Finally, he confessed.

Grandma hugged him. She explained that she had seen the whole thing from the window. She loved him and had already forgiven him. She had been wondering how long he would let Sally make a slave of him.

What’s your duck?

An ugly sentence you cannot unsay? A betrayal? A failure your mind replays at two in the morning with the dedication of a cable channel showing the same movie all weekend?

You have confessed it to God. You have asked forgiveness. Perhaps you have begun the difficult work of making things right. Then comes the whisper.

“Remember the duck.”

So you keep paying. You cannot accept a compliment. You distrust joy. You volunteer for everything because somewhere inside you believe exhaustion might qualify as restitution. Surely, if you wash enough dishes, God will finally love you again.

But grace interrupts that bargain.

God’s forgiveness comes to us through Jesus Christ, who knows the whole story and still calls us to come home.

Confession matters. Repentance matters. Repairing the harm we have done matters. But none of those things requires a lifetime sentence in the prison of self-contempt.

There is a difference between taking responsibility and letting shame take possession. The cross tells us that sin is serious. It also tells us how far God’s love will go to rescue sinners.

Perhaps today you need to bring your secret out of the woodpile. Tell God the truth. Seek the help you need. Take the next faithful step.

And when that old whisper returns, remember this:

Grandma had a window.

God has seen the whole thing.

You can quit hiding and come home.

There is grace enough for you—and you might even get to go fishing.

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On October 28, 1886, one of America’s most recognizable landmarks was officially unveiled in New York Harbor. Now, 140 years later, the Statue of Liberty remains an internationally recognized symbol of freedom, democracy and the relationship between the United States and France.

President Grover Cleveland formally dedicated the monument during a ceremony attended by American and French dignitaries. The event marked the completion of a project that had taken years of planning, fundraising, construction and international cooperation.

Originally named “Liberty Enlightening the World,” the statue was a gift from the people of France to the United States, commemorating the friendship established between the two nations during the American Revolution.

The idea for the monument originated with French political thinker and abolitionist Édouard de Laboulaye in 1865. French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi was selected to design the statue, while engineer Gustave Eiffel helped develop its internal supporting framework.

Construction began in France in 1875, with the statue completed in 1884. The monument was then disassembled and shipped across the Atlantic Ocean in 1885 before being reconstructed on Bedloe’s Island, now known as Liberty Island.

The statue itself stands approximately 151 feet tall. Including its pedestal, the monument rises more than 305 feet above the ground.

Its exterior consists of copper sheets supported by an internal framework. Although originally copper-colored, the statue gradually developed its familiar green appearance through the natural oxidation of the metal.

The October 28 dedication became a major public celebration despite unfavorable weather conditions.

According to the National Park Service, approximately one million people participated in festivities throughout New York City. A maritime parade featuring roughly 300 vessels traveled through the harbor despite fog and rain that significantly reduced visibility.

The celebration also included New York City’s first ticker-tape parade, establishing a tradition that would later become associated with major sporting victories, national celebrations and visits by prominent public figures.

During the dedication ceremony, Bartholdi unveiled the statue by releasing a French flag covering its face. President Cleveland formally accepted the monument on behalf of the American people.

The ceremony also reflected the social limitations of the period. The New York State Woman Suffrage Association chartered a boat to observe the festivities from the water after women attending without male companions were unable to obtain tickets to the official dedication.

Although the monument was initially intended to celebrate international friendship and liberty, its meaning expanded as millions of immigrants arrived in the United States.

Ellis Island opened as a federal immigration station in 1892, and the nearby Statue of Liberty became a familiar sight for people entering New York Harbor.

The monument’s connection to immigration was further strengthened in 1903 when a plaque featuring Emma Lazarus’ poem “The New Colossus” was installed inside its pedestal.

Over time, the statue became one of the country’s most recognizable cultural images, appearing in photographs, films, television programs, advertisements and countless artistic representations.

Its torch, crown and distinctive silhouette have made it an enduring visual symbol of New York City and the United States.

The monument also experienced several important anniversaries and preservation milestones.

In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge designated the Statue of Liberty a national monument. In 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt participated in ceremonies marking its 50th anniversary.

A major restoration project was completed in 1986, allowing the monument to celebrate its centennial with renewed structural and historical significance.

The statue was also recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, acknowledging its international cultural importance.

Today, the Statue of Liberty and neighboring Ellis Island remain destinations for visitors interested in American history, immigration and the development of the nation.

October 28 serves as the anniversary of the monument’s formal dedication and a reminder of the international collaboration responsible for its creation.

From its beginnings as a French gift to its place in American popular culture, the Statue of Liberty has remained a defining landmark for 140 years, representing ideals that continue to shape discussions about freedom, opportunity and national identity.

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On April 3, 1783, in the same week that New Yorkers learned of the Treaty of Paris which officially ended the American Revolutionary War, proud parents William and Sarah welcomed a new boy into the world. William was a prosperous merchant who envisioned his son eventually joining the family business. As the boy grew older, however, he became less interested in his schoolwork and more interested in tales of adventure. He was the type of student who got lost in his own imagination when he was supposed to be studying. He longed for an adventure of his own. In 1798, an outbreak of yellow fever provided the boy with an unexpected adventure. To escape the epidemic, his parents sent him and his siblings to Tarrytown, New York, a small rural port town about 25 miles north of Manhattan along the Hudson River. The city boy fell in love with the countryside, especially a nearby Dutch settlement known as Slapershaven. The boy, Geoffrey Crayon, later described the settlement: “Not far from this village, perhaps about two miles, there is a little valley or rather lap of land among high hills, which is one of the quietest places in the whole world. A small brook glides through it, with just murmur enough to lull one to repose; and the occasional whistle of a quail or tapping of a woodpecker is almost the only sound that ever breaks in upon the uniform tranquility.” To Geoffrey, it was paradise.

When the threat of yellow fever subsided, the children returned to Manhattan and resumed their studies. Geoffrey continued to daydream at the expense of his education. More interested in the arts than in business, he dreamed of becoming a writer. In 1802, he began publishing articles about the local social and theater scene in the New York Morning Chronicle, a newspaper edited by his brother. In 1806, he took and barely passed the bar exam, but his passion remained writing. In 1807, he helped create a moderately successful satirical magazine in which he referred to New York City as Gotham more than 130 years before the name became associated with Batman. The War of 1812 was disastrous for many New York merchants, including Geoffrey’s family. In 1815, he traveled to England in an unsuccessful attempt to save the family’s trading company. Rather than returning home, Geoffrey remained in England to pursue his writing career. Although he failed to save the family business, his writing career thrived. His books were well received.

In 1819, Geoffrey began publishing essays and short stories in a collection called The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His thoughts often returned to the little Dutch settlement he had visited as a boy. Slapershaven had made a lasting impression on him, and he used the peaceful community as the setting for one of his most famous stories. Geoffrey eventually returned to the United States and settled near the place that had captured his imagination as a boy. He remained there for the rest of his life. His tale became wildly popular and has never been out of print. It has been adapted for television, films, and other media. So popular was the story that the old Dutch community, originally known as Slapershaven, Dutch for Sleepers’ Harbor, eventually became known by the name in Geoffrey’s book. Geoffrey Crayon was not the name given to him by his parents, it was the pen name of Washington Irving, the author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Happy Halloween!

Sources:

1. Washington Irving, The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., 1820.
2. Chicago Tribune, November 30, 1859, p.1.
3. Washington Irving, Salmagundi, New York : R.F.Fenno, 1900, https://archive.org/details/salmagundi00irviiala/page/13/mode/2up.
4. Tarrytown Daily News, December 11, 1996, p.1.

© 2026 Brad Dison. All rights reserved. Remember This? is distributed for licensed publication only.

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Louisiana voters will consider 10 proposed amendments to the state constitution in the Nov. 3, 2026, election, addressing issues ranging from property taxes and gubernatorial term limits to the right to bail and property expropriation.

The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana (PAR), a nonpartisan educational and research organization, has released its Guide to the Fall 2026 Constitutional Amendments to help voters better understand the proposals before heading to the polls.

For five decades, PAR has provided detailed analysis of proposed constitutional amendments, outlining what each measure would change and presenting arguments from both supporters and opponents.

The guide does not endorse or oppose any of the amendments. Instead, it provides voters with information to help them make their own decisions.

The 10 amendments appearing on the November ballot were approved by lawmakers during the 2025 and 2026 regular legislative sessions. Each proposal received the required two-thirds vote in both the Louisiana House and Senate to advance to voters. A simple majority of votes cast on each amendment is required for its adoption.

The proposed changes address property taxes, the right to bail, gubernatorial term limits, retirement debt, water utility lines and property expropriation rules.

Seven of the 10 proposals would modify Article VII of the Louisiana Constitution, which governs state finances and taxation.

Since Louisiana voters ratified the current constitution in 1974, they have considered 330 proposed amendments, approving 221 of them. The 10 proposals on this fall’s ballot will bring the total number considered to 340.

PAR notes that a constitution is intended to establish the fundamental principles of government, including its structure, powers and citizens’ rights, while statutory laws generally address the details of government operations.

Louisiana’s constitution, however, has continued to expand as lawmakers propose additional provisions, including measures that could otherwise be addressed through state law.

The PAR Guide to the Fall 2026 Constitutional Amendments examines all 10 proposals in the order they will appear on the ballot, providing voters with an opportunity to review the potential changes before Election Day.

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BATON ROUGE, La. – With deer season underway across Louisiana, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is reminding hunters to review updated bag limits, season dates, and Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) regulations before heading into the field.

Louisiana is divided into 10 deer hunting areas, each with its own season dates and harvest limits. Hunters are encouraged to review the regulations specific to the area where they plan to hunt.

One of the primary regulation changes for the 2026-27 hunting season affects Deer Area 1, where hunters may now harvest no more than two antlered deer and no more than five antlerless deer.

The statewide season limit of six deer remains unchanged, although some deer areas have lower bag limits.

To accommodate the varying limits across Louisiana’s deer areas, hunters will receive six deer tags with their licenses. These include one antlered tag, two either-sex tags, and three antlerless tags.

Either-sex tags may be used for antlered or antlerless deer, provided the harvest remains within the limits established for the specific deer area.

Hunters can review season dates, deer area maps, and harvest regulations in the 2026-27 Louisiana Hunting and WMA Regulations.

LDWF is also reminding hunters to familiarize themselves with regulations governing Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zones.

For the current hunting season, baiting and supplemental feeding are permitted within CWD Management Zones through March 31.

However, whether baiting remains permitted in future seasons will depend on sampling results within each management zone.

Each zone must meet a CWD sampling goal of 145 deer while maintaining an apparent CWD prevalence below 2.5%.

If a management zone fails to meet its sampling goal or its apparent CWD prevalence exceeds 2.5%, baiting will be prohibited in that zone during the following hunting season.

LDWF emphasizes that every deer submitted for testing counts toward the sampling goal, making hunter participation an important factor in determining future baiting regulations.

Hunters harvesting deer within CWD Management Zones must also follow restrictions on transporting carcasses and carcass parts outside the designated zones.

Deer carcasses and carcass parts generally cannot be removed from a CWD Management Zone, with certain exceptions.

Permitted items include cut and wrapped or boned-out meat; quarters or other meat portions without any part of the spinal column or head attached; antlers; cleaned skull plates with antlers; cleaned skulls without tissue; capes; tanned hides; finished taxidermy mounts; and cleaned teeth.

Any permitted deer parts transported outside a management zone must be accompanied by a possession tag containing the hunter’s name, address, LDWF license number, parish of harvest, harvest date, and sex of the deer.

Hunters wishing to transport an uncleaned deer head to a Louisiana taxidermist may obtain a waiver from LDWF.

LDWF has also announced changes to CWD sample collection locations following adjustments to management zone boundaries.

Because CWD Management Zones are smaller this season, some previously designated sample drop-off coolers are no longer located within management zones.

Hunters are encouraged to verify current drop-off locations before submitting deer for testing.

Additional sample collection coolers are being installed at Lake Ophelia National Wildlife Refuge in Avoyelles Parish and D’Arbonne National Wildlife Refuge in Ouachita and Union parishes.

LDWF continues to encourage hunters to participate in CWD testing to help meet sampling goals and support ongoing disease management efforts.

Hunters can find CWD Management Zone maps, sampling locations, transportation restrictions, and additional regulations on the LDWF Chronic Wasting Disease webpage.

Complete hunting season dates, deer area maps, and regulations are available through the LDWF website.

For additional information regarding deer hunting regulations, hunters may contact LDWF Deer Program Manager Brad Kennon at rkennon@wlf.la.gov.

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With so many changes taking place with tournament organizations all across the country, the day of the co-angler has vanished. The days of getting in the boat with a touring pro and learning how to become a better angler are pretty much over.

Many of you are probably wondering, “What’s a co-angler?” A co-angler is usually someone who is in the early stages of learning how to bass fish or does not have the money or the time to dedicate to fishing against other anglers who want to fish the pro side. The co-angler entry fees are usually half of what the pros pay.

Most co-anglers just wanted to be able to get in the boat with what is known as a boater/pro and just go fishing. It was pretty much a cheap guided fishing trip as the boater/pro had total control over the boat and the trolling motor all day.

The co-angler, fishing from the back deck, was there mainly to monitor the boater/pro and make sure nothing was done during the tournament that might be considered dishonest.

In the Major League Fishing BFL and the Toyota Series format, co-anglers competed against other co-anglers and the pros competed against the other pros. It was basically two separate tournaments with two separate divisions.

It’s a sad state of affairs that MLF (Major League Fishing) has decided to eliminate co-anglers from the format they have stood by for over 30 years. They have totally blown up the BFL circuit, which was designed for the working man, by turning it into another team trail (like we needed another team trail).

They have also just announced the end of co-anglers with the Toyota Series which takes away the ability to monitor the pros who will now be fishing solo, opening more opportunities for cheating. They claim they will have cameras or Go Pros in each boat to help monitor each angler all day, but we’ll see how that works out.

And there’s another factor to consider: the cost. For 2027, MLF has increased the Toyota Series pro entry fee from $1,700 to $2,000 per event. That’s a $300 increase per tournament, adding even more financial pressure for anglers trying to compete at that level.

For me, this co-angler issue hits close to home because I started my tournament fishing career as a co-angler back in 2003, competing on the FLW Tour. I’m certainly not alone. Many of today’s top professional anglers started out as co-anglers, including Bryan Thrift, Andy Montgomery and Randall Tharp.

Over time, they switched over to the pro side as they gained more confidence, experience and desire to compete with the best anglers in America.

I came up through that system, and I know firsthand the value of having the opportunity to compete, sharpen my skills, and prepare for the next step.

Back in the early 2000’s, the old FLW BFL’s and the Toyota Series were great training grounds for developing up-and-coming anglers. Now that’s no longer an option for anglers who are looking to learn and improve their skills before moving up to the pro level.

So, what does this mean for the future of tournament bass fishing? While it’s too early to tell, I think it’s obvious that a valuable pathway into the sport has been eliminated, one that allowed co-anglers to learn and get better, while also being affordable for the “working man.”

Now, a lot of co-anglers will be forced to jump over to the pro side or just find a team circuit to fish with a buddy. Either way, MLF (Major League Fishing) is bringing the co-angler era to an end, and the future of tournament bass fishing looks very different than it did just a few years ago.

That’s a tough pill to swallow for those of us who remember what these opportunities meant — and for the anglers who may never get the same chance we had.

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

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Beep. Beep. Beep.

Please pick the beep you like best. You will be hearing it again shortly.

A beep is a short, high-pitched sound intended as a signal, summons, or warning. It also replaces words unsuitable for a family digital publication. For example: “Oh, BEEP! I dropped the hot casserole after taking it out of the microwave when it BEEPED.”

Beep is an example of onomatopoeia. That is a large word describing a small noise that is slowly driving me crazy.

The microwave beeps when the food is ready. Mine continues beeping until I open the door or push stop. Apparently, it fears I will forget the sumptuous frozen dinner it has prepared. Nothing says fine dining like a plastic tray and an appliance demanding that you come get it.

The oven beeps when it reaches the selected temperature. It beeps when the cooking time is nearly over. It beeps when the cooking time is over. Then it beeps until I acknowledge its contribution to the meal. I have known preachers who needed less affirmation.

The house alarm beeps when I turn it on, when I turn it off, and when the power fails. When the power returns, it beeps to tell me the power failed. I know. I was here. The lights went out.

Every button beeps. Then the system beeps to announce that I have thirty seconds to leave the house. Suddenly, I am a contestant on a game show, gathering my keys and trying to escape before the horn announces that I have lost.

Seeking peace, I retreat to the BEEPING car.

My Toyota has a mystery beep. Sometimes I turn off the engine, open the door, and receive a beep of disapproval. I don’t know what I have done. Perhaps I have disappointed it. Perhaps it is saying goodbye. Perhaps somewhere in Japan an engineer is laughing.

The car beeps when I get too close to something, when something gets too close to me, and when I change lanes without signaling. It has become a backseat driver with factory authorization.

It beeps when the gas runs low. At the station, the pump beeps when it accepts my card and again when I select the fuel. I suspect the car and pump are talking about me.

This morning, the car beeped as I got out. The office alarm chimed as I entered. A chime is a beep that attended finishing school. Then my computer beeped about something Microsoft wanted.

Oh, BEEP.

Eventually, we stop listening. We have to. Every machine believes its announcement deserves our immediate attention.

But I wonder whether that habit follows us into our relationships.

Someone starts telling a story we have heard before. A lonely person calls at an inconvenient time. A worried friend needs more reassurance than we think necessary. We hear the first few words and mentally reach for the mute button.

I can confess to occasionally wanting people to come equipped with one.

Jesus heard a great deal of noise, too. Crowds pressed around him. People demanded answers, healing, attention. Yet when blind Bartimaeus cried out and others told him to be quiet, Jesus stopped and called for him.

The crowd heard an interruption. Jesus heard a man.

That gives me something to confess. I can become so occupied with doing the Lord’s work that I resent someone the Lord loves for interrupting it.

Christian love takes shape in these ordinary moments: listening to the story, answering the call, asking one more question—and staying long enough to hear the answer. The person before me bears God’s image and is someone for whom Christ died. That deserves my attention.

Lord, help me recognize the difference between a noise I can ignore and a neighbor I am called to love. Give me the patience to stop, the grace to listen, and a heart willing to be interrupted.

The microwave can wait.

Somebody may need to be heard.

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On October 21, 2015, flying cars were supposed to fill the skies, teenagers were supposed to ride hoverboards, and nobody was supposed to worry about tying their shoes.

At least, that’s what Hollywood told us.

The date became famous thanks to the 1989 movie Back to the Future Part II, when Marty McFly and Doc Brown traveled from 1985 to October 21, 2015, in a time-traveling DeLorean. The movie imagined a future filled with extraordinary technology, strange fashion choices and inventions that seemed almost impossible at the time.

Now, on October 21, 2026, we’re 11 years beyond the future Hollywood imagined. And while some predictions were surprisingly accurate, others missed the mark completely.

For starters, where are the flying cars?

In the movie, ordinary automobiles had been converted into flying machines, allowing drivers to soar above traffic instead of sitting in it. Anyone who has spent time waiting at a railroad crossing or sitting behind a slow-moving vehicle on a two-lane Louisiana highway can probably appreciate that particular invention. Unfortunately, flying cars haven’t become an everyday transportation option.

Then there were hoverboards.

Marty famously escaped a group of bullies on a floating skateboard that glided above the pavement without wheels. The real world eventually introduced devices marketed as hoverboards, but most were simply two-wheeled, self-balancing scooters. Engineers have demonstrated actual hovering prototypes, though nothing approaching the convenient transportation imagined in the movie.

Self-lacing shoes were another memorable prediction.

Nike eventually developed shoes with automatic lacing technology, proving that at least one of Hollywood’s stranger ideas could become reality. But the movie also predicted several technologies that now seem completely ordinary.

Video calling was a major feature of the fictional 2015. Today, people routinely use FaceTime, Zoom and other video communication services to talk with family, attend meetings and conduct business. Large, flat-screen televisions appeared throughout the movie, along with voice-controlled technology and fingerprint identification systems. All three have become familiar parts of modern life.

Perhaps the funniest prediction involved fax machines.

The filmmakers imagined a future where fax machines were everywhere, even delivering personal messages inside people’s homes. Instead, smartphones, email and internet messaging largely replaced the technology. And speaking of smartphones, the movie somehow overlooked what would become one of the most influential inventions of modern life.

Marty’s futuristic world had flying vehicles, holographic advertisements and automated clothing, but nobody was walking around staring at a tiny computer in their hand. The filmmakers also imagined a 2015 filled with unusual clothing, including jackets that automatically adjusted their size and dried themselves. That particular invention might still be useful during a humid Louisiana summer.

The movie’s predictions were never intended to be a serious scientific forecast. They were an entertaining interpretation of what life might look like three decades into the future. Yet the comparison raises an interesting question.

In 1989, the idea of carrying a device capable of instantly accessing nearly all the world’s information, taking photographs, navigating highways and communicating with someone across the planet might have sounded just as ridiculous as a flying DeLorean. Today, that device is probably sitting in your pocket.

So, as October 21 rolls around again, it’s worth remembering that the future rarely looks exactly the way we imagine. We may not have flying cars or real hoverboards parked in our garages, but we have technology that would have seemed extraordinary just a few decades ago. And somehow, despite all that progress, we still haven’t figured out how to avoid getting stuck behind a tractor on a country road.

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For nearly a century and a half, Quaker Oats has been a breakfast staple. I remember being excited to eat oatmeal because we would eventually work our way down to the prize inside the cylindrical cardboard container, which was usually a plastic cup or tumbler. It was a clever bit of advertising.  In the 1960s, the Quaker Oats Company was looking to expand into the candy market. Quaker habitually spent millions of dollars advertising its products in newspapers, magazines, and television commercials, but the advertising team knew they had to come up with a unique way to showcase their new product line in addition to their normal advertising campaigns. It had to be big, but what? Numerous ideas were discussed and discarded. They eventually settled on an idea they kept coming back to. They decided to fund the production of a film in which their candy would be the focus. The name of the candy line would even be in the title of the film.

But there was one huge problem. The ad men had set into motion an advertising campaign before they had a product. As newspapers announced the upcoming film and candy line, the research and development team struggled to create a candy that they thought had the perfect combination of texture and taste to beat its rivals. Once they settled on the recipe, the company had to build the machinery to produce the candy in large quantities. It was a race to the finish. Quaker wanted its candy to be on grocery store shelves when the film came out to maximize sales, but it was not to be. When the film debuted on June 30, 1971, Quaker had only a fraction of the candy it had hoped to produce, and what little was available went to specialty shops rather than grocery stores.

Quaker spent an estimated $3 million on the film, and it was a moderate box office success. Quaker expected the film to eventually fade into oblivion, but it is now revered as a classic. It has spawned two feature films, an animated version, stage musicals, theatrical adaptations, and theme park rides. It has become a profitable franchise.  However, the candy the film was made to showcase fared far worse. Quaker Oats president Robert D. Stuart, Jr. announced that the “costs of introducing the [candy] line have had an adverse effect on Quaker’s profits.” The candy sold well, but not well enough. In December 1972, Quaker sold the candy line it had spent millions of dollars to create. A series of companies bought and sold the candy line because, like Quaker, they were unable to make it profitable, or at least profitable enough. Last month, the candy line’s current owner, Ferrero, announced that it was reviving the recently acquired candy line in a limited edition. Ferrero announced, “we’re inviting the young at heart to experience the imagination and unexpected delights that have made the brand so beloved, reimagined through a collection of delicious new treats. And who knows? You might be the next Golden Ticket winner.”  The film the Quaker Oats Company funded to advertise its failed candy line, the Willy Wonka candy line, was called Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

Sources:

1.     The Los Angeles Times, April 18, 1971, p.610.

2.     The Cleveland Press, July 21, 1971, p.61.

3.     The Journal Times (Racine, Wisconsin), December 29, 1972, p.20.

4.     “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” IMDb.com, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067992/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_willy%20wonka.

5.     “The Wait is Over: A New Chapter of the Wonderful World of Wonka Arrives,” September 22, 2026, Ferrero, https://www.ferrero.com/us/en/news-stories/news/a-new-chapter-of-the-wonderful-world-of-wonka-arrives.

© 2026 Brad Dison. All rights reserved. Remember This? is distributed for licensed publication only.

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The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 changed our world in so many ways, especially Aviation – and 25 years later, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is still adapting airport security to keep us safe.

Last week, Alexandria International Airport announced that it is testing location for Gateside by TSA PreCheck, a new program that allows TSA PreCheck® members and people with Known Traveler Numbers (KTNs) to enter participating airports’ post-security areas without a departing flight. This free authorization is available at select U.S. airports, including Alexandria International Airport (AEX), with additional locations planned in the coming months.

Before 9-11, you could walk beyond the security checkpoint to say goodbye to your loved one – or be there to welcome someone as they exited the airplane tunnel. Gateside by TSA PreCheck expands upon traditional airline gate pass access, which is limited to special circumstances like accompanying a minor, a person with a disability, or a military service member.

With an approved Gateside pass, eligible non-travelers can meet arriving passengers at the gate, accompany departing travelers, or enjoy airport amenities beyond security like restaurants or shopping opportunities. Passes are valid for just one calendar day, with same-day re-entry allowed.

Gateside by TSA PreCheck Eligibility and Instructions 

1. To participate, applicants must be TSA PreCheck members or have a KTN. 

2. Eligible participants must apply for Gateside by TSA PreCheck online at tsa.gov/gateside one to three days in advance of their visit to the airport. Applicants will need to log in with or create a free Login.gov account to access the application portal. Children may be entered on their parent’s or guardian’s reservation. 

3. Upon their arrival at the airport, approved non-travelers will still undergo TSA security screening using an acceptable form of identification. 

Visitors should verify their approval status in the portal before arriving and be prepared to show their live portal dashboard via mobile device if requested by a TSA officer. Screenshots or paper printouts of approval status will not be accepted. Learn more about Gateside by TSA PreCheck at tsa.gov/gateside.

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Growing up as a kid who fished stock ponds his whole life, I could not wait for the day that I got my first bass boat. Every angler who loves bass fishing looks forward to the day they pull out of a boat dealer towing their first bass boat. 

As a new boat owner there are so many things that you must learn on your own. Not many dealers take you out and show you how to launch your boat or go over maintenance tips you need to do yourself. 

So much about a bass boat is learned through experience. You learn through trial and error, but hopefully the errors you make don’t cost you a ton of money to fix.

But there was one thing I learned the very first time I took out my new Pro Gator bass boat back in 1992. When you arrive at the dock after fishing, make sure you tie the boat to the dock properly. 

It was on Chicot Lake,  just north of Ville Platte, where I took it out for the very first time. I was so excited to go fishing in my new boat while learning all the ends and outs about it. 

There was one thing that got my attention as I idled away from the boat dock. I noticed on my left, there were several gators sitting on the bank sunning themselves. A couple of these gators were over 10 feet long and looked at me as if I would be their next meal. More on that in just a minute.

After catching a few bass that evening, I decided to stay on the lake until after it got dark, as the bass were really biting just after the sun went down. It was around 9:30 that I headed back to the ramp. 

Upon arriving at the boat dock, I tied off my boat (or so I thought). I then headed to my truck so I could back my trailer down the ramp and load my boat.  After getting the trailer into the water, I hopped out of the truck and walked down the dock towards my boat. But as I got to the end of the dock, my boat was gone!

Now remember, there’s no one around for help and it’s pitch dark except for the light on the dock itself. So, as I scanned the bay and saw my boat floating about 50 yards out in the bay with its running lights on, panic set in on how I was going to get to it. At the same time, reality also set in and I knew there was only one way to retrieve the boat. 

That’s right, I was going to have to swim alligator-infested waters to retrieve my brand-new bass boat. So, I did what any crazy man would do. I stripped down to my underwear and made a running sprint down that long boat dock and dove headfirst into the lake. 

Let’s just say that had this been an Olympic swim meet, I would have set a new world record for the 50-meter freestyle. Arriving at the boat and having the fear of a gator pulling me under as I grabbed the side of my boat, I hopped in it quicker than a rabbit jumping over a briar patch. 

The moral of the story: always make sure you properly tie your boat to the dock, so you don’t have to make an unnecessary swim. Good luck, good fishing and remember, every time you go fishing, it’s a great trip whether you catch fish or not. 

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

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BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Office of State Parks has launched the Louisiana State Parks Passport, a free program created to encourage families and travelers to visit public lands and historic landmarks across the state.

The passport booklet serves as a travel keepsake for outdoor enthusiasts. Visitors can collect a commemorative stamp at each location they explore. Travelers who visit all 32 state parks and historic sites can submit their completed passports to receive prizes ranging from official state park gear to a free overnight cabin or campsite stay.

“Whether hiking scenic trails, camping under the stars, paddling peaceful waterways, fishing, enjoying family recreation or exploring Louisiana’s historic treasures, this passport makes every stop along the way special. Each passport stamp represents a new destination and a new adventure,” Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser said. “The Louisiana State Parks Passport is a fun way to get explore new places and discover everything our state parks and historic sites have to offer. Grab a passport, get outdoors, and see if you can hit all 32 destinations”

Standard day-use entry fees apply at all participating locations. Passports are free and can be requested online by visiting the Louisiana State Parks Passport webpage.

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“Use it or lose it.”

Football coaches said that in the weight room, usually while we were trying to explain why we needed to sit down. Language professors warned us to use our Greek, Hebrew, Latin, and German daily. My piano teacher said something similar about muscle memory. Apparently, muscles have memories. Mine remember how much they dislike exercise.

I haven’t used it, and I have almost lost it.

I am talking about my handwriting.

I often write notes to members of the congregation. Some are invitations to church events. Others offer encouragement during rocky times. Then there is my special category: “I know where you sit, and I haven’t seen you sitting there for a couple of Sundays.”

If you want your preacher to have trouble tracking your attendance, move around the sanctuary. Of course, convincing a Methodist to change pews may require a greater miracle than anything I am prepared to perform.

I was writing a pile of those notes this week. For every successful note, I threw away two because of mistakes. By the time I finished, I had encouraged six church members and exhausted a small forest.

My handwriting is on the fritz. I know what I intend to write, but somewhere between my brain and my fingers, the message gets translated into a prescription.

When I was growing up, we learned cursive in the third grade. It was a rite of passage. Adults could no longer hide information in that mysterious, looping script. The Christmas gift list was finally readable. Unfortunately, so were the chores.

We spent hours forming those majestic letters. Our teachers expected proper slants, graceful loops, and consistent spacing. My handwriting now looks like a committee reached an agreement on none of those things.

These days, I do most of my writing on a keyboard. The computer straightens my lines, corrects my spelling, and occasionally changes a perfectly good word into something that could end my ministry.

I have neglected a skill I once used every day. Now my fingers need a refresher course.

Where has “use it or lose it” proven true in your life?

Some things grow rusty when we neglect them. That includes the ways we love one another. Patience needs practice, especially with people who give us plenty of opportunities. Compassion grows when we pay attention. Forgiveness takes more exercise than holding a grudge, although a grudge can certainly wear you out.

Jesus calls us to put love into practice: love our neighbors, pray for our enemies, forgive one another, and care for those who are easily overlooked. Those teachings become part of our lives as we follow him in ordinary, sometimes inconvenient moments.

We do not practice our way into earning his love. His love comes first. Then, by his grace, we learn to love as he loves.

So find a church on Sunday. We will be practicing following Jesus together. Then comes Monday, when we discover whether we learned anything. You are welcome to sit beside me. Just don’t ask me to take notes.

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On Oct. 13, 1972, a plane carrying 45 people crashed into the snow-covered Andes Mountains in South America. What followed became one of the most remarkable and disturbing survival stories in aviation history.

For 72 days, a group of young men endured freezing temperatures, starvation, an avalanche, and the devastating realization that rescuers had stopped searching for them. When help finally arrived in December, only 16 people remained alive.

The tragedy, now widely known as the Miracle of the Andes, began when Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 was traveling from Uruguay to Chile. Among those aboard were members of the Old Christians Rugby Club, along with friends, relatives, and crew members. The aircraft was approaching Santiago, Chile, when a navigational error led the pilots to begin descending before clearing the surrounding mountains. The plane struck a mountain, losing both wings and its tail section before the remaining fuselage slid across the snow and came to rest in a remote valley high in the Andes.

Twelve people died in the initial crash, while others succumbed to injuries in the days that followed.

Those who survived found themselves stranded thousands of feet above sea level, surrounded by towering mountains, with little food, inadequate clothing, and no reliable means of communicating with the outside world.

The wrecked aircraft became their shelter.

Passengers used luggage, seat cushions, and pieces of the fuselage to block openings and protect themselves from the bitter cold. With almost no medical supplies, they treated injuries as best they could. Meanwhile, search aircraft flew over the region, but the white wreckage was nearly impossible to distinguish from the surrounding snow. After several days of unsuccessful searching, authorities suspended rescue operations.

The survivors eventually learned through a small radio that the official search had ended.

They were on their own.

As their limited food supplies disappeared, the group faced a decision that would become the most controversial aspect of their survival. With no vegetation or animals available and no other source of nourishment, the survivors eventually resorted to consuming the bodies of those who had died. The decision was not made lightly. Many of the passengers were deeply religious, and the dead included their friends and family members.

Survivors later described the emotional struggle surrounding the decision, explaining that it became a matter of survival rather than choice.

But their ordeal was far from over.

On Oct. 29, an avalanche struck the wreckage while the survivors were sleeping inside, burying the fuselage in snow and killing eight more people. Those who remained alive continued to endure the harsh mountain conditions as the weeks passed. Eventually, they concluded that waiting for rescue was no longer an option.

In December, three survivors — Nando Parrado, Roberto Canessa, and Antonio Vizintín — set out across the mountains in search of help. Equipped with makeshift clothing and a sleeping bag constructed from materials salvaged from the aircraft, the men began an exhausting journey through deep snow and rugged terrain. After several days, Vizintín returned to the crash site so the remaining two could conserve their limited food supplies.

Parrado and Canessa continued, climbing and descending through the mountains until they finally encountered a Chilean herdsman named Sergio Catalán. Their encounter set a rescue operation in motion. On Dec. 22 and 23, helicopters reached the crash site and evacuated the remaining survivors.

After 72 days in one of the world’s most unforgiving environments, 16 people returned home alive. Twenty-nine others had died.

The extraordinary events captured international attention and eventually inspired books, documentaries, and films, including the 1993 movie Alive and the 2023 Spanish-language film Society of the Snow. The latter introduced the tragedy to a new generation, emphasizing the relationships, sacrifices, and impossible decisions faced by those stranded in the mountains.

More than half a century later, the events of Oct. 13, 1972, remain a powerful example of human endurance. What began as a routine flight to a rugby match became a 72-day struggle against starvation, isolation, and death — and a survival story that continues to challenge conventional ideas about the limits of human resilience.

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Dr. Kathryn “Kathy” Sullivan wanted to take a walk, but this was no walk around the block.  She wanted to take a 140-mile walk.  Let me explain.  Kathy’s brother Grant had heard about the planned walk, had applied to be a participant, and encouraged Kathy to apply as well.  She was uninterested at first because she wanted to take a seven-mile swim in the Pacific Ocean instead.  Kathy disregarded Grant’s suggestion until she saw an advertisement for the upcoming walk in a scientific magazine.  Shortly after she applied for the walk, William Ryan of Columbia University offered Kathy the chance to take the seven-mile swim that she had been dreaming of for years.  William and Kathy discussed the walk and the swim, and they concluded that Kathy should wait to hear if her application to take the walk was accepted.  Williams reassured Kathy that she would have another opportunity to take the swim but the opportunity to take the walk would probably never happen again.  Kathy’s wait was worth it.  She was invited for a week of interviews, psychological examinations, and physical examinations.  Of the large group who were chosen, Kathy was one of six females selected.  Grant, Kathy’s brother who had encouraged her to apply, was not selected.                    

The magazine advertisement I mentioned earlier said women could apply, but many scientists believed that women would be unable to complete such a walk because they were inferior to men.  Scientists believed women would require more specialized equipment than men to complete such a walk.  Of course, those scientists were mostly men.  Kathy was fitted with a special pressurized suit which provided oxygen and blocked out the Sun’s rays.  Kathy spent years training for the 140-mile walk which would last just a few hours.  On October 11, 1984, 33-year-old Kathy dressed carefully in her specialized clothing which weighed more than she did.  Then, she stepped out of the vehicle and began her walk.  There were no trees, no sidewalks, nor automobiles on her route.  Despite the initial doubts of scientists, she completed the walk without any trouble at all.  Kathy made history. 

Kathy still wanted to take that seven-mile swim, but it took longer than she had imagined.  36 years after Kathy completed her walk, she finally got the opportunity to take that swim in the Pacific Ocean.  Just as she had for her walk, Kathy prepared well and used specialized equipment.  On June 8, 2020, sixty-eight-year-old Kathy finally fulfilled her dream and completed the swim that she had dreamed of for decades.                   

Kathy does not consider herself an adrenaline junkie, but a scientist and explorer.  You see, the 140 miles I mentioned was not the distance she traveled on her walk, but the height above the Earth she was when she took her walk.  On October 11, 1984, Kathryn Sullivan became the first American woman to take a walk…a spacewalk 140 miles up in space.  On June 8, 2020, she became the first woman to swim, well… descend, in a submersible to Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, the deepest known point in Earth’s oceans.  Kathy is the only woman known to have both walked in space and visited Challenger Deep.

 Sources:

1.     Colin Dwyer, “1st U.S. Woman To Walk In Space Dives To Deepest Point In The Ocean,” NPR, June 9, 2020, accessed September 27, 2026, https://www.npr.org/2020/06/09/873194201/first-u-s-woman-to-walk-in-space-dives-to-deepest-point-in-the-ocean.

2.     Mark Kahn, “Kathryn D. Sullivan: From Outer Space to Under the Sea,” September 17, 2022, accessed September 27, 2026, https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/kathryn-sullivan-outer-space-under-sea.

3.      “The New Space Age with Kathryn Sullivan,” University of Alaska Anchorage, accessed September 27, 2026, https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/academics/college-of-arts-and-sciences/cas-community-lecture-series/sullivan.cshtml.

 © 2026 Brad Dison. All rights reserved. Remember This? is distributed for licensed publication only.

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Northwestern State University student Ella Reitzell is putting her education coursework into practice in the community where she grew up through student teaching at South Grant Elementary School.

Reitzell, a senior elementary education major from Grant Parish who attended school in the parish, is completing her student teaching in a first-grade classroom under cooperating teacher Stacy Slayton.

“This experience has taught me a lot, and it has made me really fall in love with teaching and being in the classroom every single day,” Reitzell said.

Reitzell said she has wanted to become a teacher since childhood.

“I’ve wanted to be a teacher since I was a little girl. I used to play school in my room, and I was always the teacher,” Reitzell said. “I always viewed teachers as basically like celebrities when I was young, and so I couldn’t wait until I grew up and could be a teacher.”

NSU teacher candidates gain experience in P–12 classrooms throughout their education coursework, progressing from early field experiences to residency and student teaching. During student teaching, candidates work with a cooperating teacher and university supervisor who provide guidance and evaluation.

Reitzell said her coursework at NSU gave her the foundation she needed before stepping into the classroom.

“Before you can really go into a classroom, you have to have all the background knowledge of how to teach a lesson, how to prepare a lesson, basic classroom expectations, rules and procedures, and NSU has prepared me for every bit of that,” Reitzell said.

Working directly with first-grade students has given Reitzell an opportunity to apply that preparation while learning how to respond to individual students and their needs.

“Being in here versus in the college classroom has taught me how to deal with students, how to connect with them and help them grow on their own levels,” she said.

The experience has also helped Reitzell build confidence as she prepares to transition from student teaching to leading a classroom of her own.

“It has made me feel successful and confident in myself to be able to graduate and actually go into my classroom next year and be by myself,” Reitzell said.

Reitzell will graduate from NSU in December 2026 and plans to teach fifth grade at Pollock Elementary School.

For information about NSU’s School of Education, visit nsula.edu/academics/colleges-and-schools/gallaspy-college-of-education-human-development/soe/.

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Bass fishing is expensive in more ways than one. But one thing is inevitable: you’re going to lose something of value at some point while fishing in a bass boat. It’s like if you’re a motorcycle rider, it’s not if you’re going to have a wreck, but when. 

Over my many years of being on the water, I’ve lost several items that I wish I could get back. Today, we all have cell phones as one of our prized possessions. So, it won’t surprise anyone that I have lost one over the side of the boat. 

While fishing on Red River early one morning, I had a phone call. Scrambling to get my flip phone out of my pocket, I literally flipped it over the side of the boat and into 15 feet of water. 

At first, panic ran through my brain and major anxiety set in as to “what am I going to do now?” After looking at my depth finder and watching my phone fall to the bottom of the river, I knew there was no retrieving this device. 

Phoneless and totally out of touch with the rest of the world temporarily, as the day went on it was kind of refreshing and nice to not have a phone, to not be at someone’s beck and call at a moment’s notice. After I accepted the fact that my phone was gone, I actually enjoyed my entire day of fishing with no interruptions! 

Another item that every bass fisherman has lost at some point is one of his good rods and reels. Once again, it’s not if you’ll lose a rod and reel, but when. I’ve lost at least three rod and reel combos over the years — two in one day while fishing as a co-angler on Lake Sam Rayburn. 

The boater/pro I drew-out, back in 2004, had no rod tie downs on his boat for me to secure my rods. Sam Rayburn is known for high winds, which produce rough rides, and if you don’t have your gear tied down, something will end up in the lake. 

That day I had two brand new Bass Pro Shop’s Johnny Morris combos that probably cost $250 each. After making a long rough run across the lake late that day, we stopped to fish. I started counting my rods and realized two were missing. A total of $500 worth of rods and reels were now sitting on the bottom of Sam Rayburn, all because the boat I was in had no rod tie downs!

This past year on Lake of the Pines in East Texas, I was fishing in 5-6 feet of water flipping a boat dock. As I got a bite, I set the hook on a solid four-pound bass. Well, all due to my fault, I had a couple of rods hanging out over the water, and while I was fighting this fish to get him into the boat, my line caught the end of one of my really nice Daiwa combos,valued at $500, and jerked it off the deck and into the lake. 

As I was landing the four-pound bass, I made a mental note of where I thought the rod went over. Once the fish was weighed and placed in the live well, I began the search for the Daiwa combo by fan casting the area with a crankbait hoping to snag it. But after wasting 30 minutes of my tournament day, I just gave up on trying to find it. 

One other thing that is inevitable while fishing is losing your favorite hat! I can’t even count how many hats I have lost while running across the lake or up the river. Towels are another item that seem to disappear along the way. Some anglers have what they call their “lucky hat” or even their “lucky towel,” and losing either one can cause a full-blown emotional breakdown! 

So, as you can see, bass fishing can be an adventure. On top of possible damage to your boat every time you go fishing, there are all these other things that can make your trip expensive. Hopefully, none of this will ever happen to you! 

Oh, there is one more thing you can also count on if you’re a bass fisherman; it’s not a matter of if you’ll fall in the lake, but when.

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com 

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