Daily Dunklin Democrat: Columns: Brian Mitchell

'Read Along With Brian' (04/01/12)
Was going to inflict you guys with a barrage of partisan verbage about the recent final chapter in our now four-year national nightmare that is the president's plan to reform America's way of insuring and paying for our citizen's health care. I recall sitting up all night on a Saturday and into the next Sunday a couple years ago at my brother's home in Jackson, Mississppi, a lone pharmacist among 2 physicians and a speech therapist--interested parties all--as congress put an end to their final arguments and made it clear that President Obama would ultimately get what it was that he and his party had longed for all these decades.. ...

'Green This' (03/18/12)
So I made the annual call to my perennial buddy and confidante in matters urgent and of eternal import, Mr. John Gamble, the other day. You know the call. You're a guy. You've got a lawn that one hundred days ago looked, well, presentable in civilized company. ...

'Call mee Conspirator-i-al' (03/11/12)
You and I pay pretty close attention to national issues, so called, right? Gas prices, unemployment rate, Israel, Iran, Wall Street v Main Street, the deficit, China, health care. You know. The issues. The ones that, you and I like to think that the dolts that we elect might actually have some say in affecting. And even further, the ones that we may even have a sense of which way those same dolts would lean in doing so...

Be My Valentine Candy (02/12/12)
Remember those candy hearts? In Mrs. Lamb's second-grade class circa 1969 they were all the rage about this time of year. The pastel bits of hardened sugar, and the promise of "some sugar" in the future, were enough to make a boy, well, love candy. Back then, every student was required to give a Valentine's Day card to every other student--a practice that was wrought with peril; but one that kept us less-than-Cary Grant-like characters (or, Bobby Sherman) in the mix...

"Thoughts On The Upcoming" (02/05/12)
SB LXVI: For those of you who know me well, you are aware of my history of liking to wager on stuff. Which raindrop will fall the fastest on the window...Ants crawling across the deck out back...Elections (see below)...Even sports and things. So here we go in a feeble attempt at breaking down the Big Game (The N.F.L. mandates that we capitalize Big and Game)...

'That (Year)'s A Winner' (01/01/12)
What a year to be a sports fan in Missouri. Our Thanksgiving Horn O' Plenty runneth over and out, our lower Christmas tree branches had to be extracted in order to make room for all the presents. And our Auld Lang Syne old acquaintances will certainly not be forgot; but , for the most part, will be wished well. In other words, the Pro's heavily outweighed the Con's...

'Too Much Christmas' (12/25/11)
Gather round! Oh. You already have. It's Christmas. What's all the fuss? Why does Ed respond to a note asking him if he's heading up the Mizzou basketball game with a snippy, "Nope. Too much Christmas."? Why is this FedEx's hugest time of year, given that we're all 'gathering' and stuff? Where are all those giant blue and red jumbo jets headed? North Pole? Bethlehem? Bedford Falls?...

'Angels We Have Heard From...Paid The Mang' (12/11/11)
Here's how I found out: "miklaszbernie: Good deal for Pujols. Hard to turn that down. I don't blame Cardinals for declining to go that far." In this new Twitter world, we sometimes learn of breaking news by reading others' opinion of it and then we have to unwind that reel and get the details...

'Thanksgiving, Indeed' (11/27/11)
Andy Rooney died recently. During one of the numerous tributes to old loveable crank, Andy was quoted as having said that anyone could write a column. About any old thing. "In this world with so much in it, who couldn't write 600 words about this or that?"...

'The Guys In The White Hats' (11/20/11)
[This is a follow-up to last week's column, "Not Happy In Happy Valley."] When one fancies himself a writer, he reads with an eye for grist for his next project. And so it is with this current on-going horrible numerous-pronged investigation now underway in Pennsylvania (and Texas, and Ohio)...

'Not Happy in Happy Valley' (11/13/11)
So there's this guy. An important guy in his organization. Happens to be a sort-of famous football coach at a prestigious university's football program. Rumored to be the guy who's destined to take the reigns from its definitely famous current coach...

'Crazy Folks, Go Go' (10/29/11)
That did it. Kennett Indians Stadium. Circa 1972. Kennett Indians v. Insert Team Here. That night made me a fan of sports. Unscripted God-Bless-It drama. And all its pain and joy. Quarterback/punter David Tippen was on the field. Otherwise known as our next-door neighbor back then. (Ironically enough, his parents still are mine.)...

'September 11th, 2001' (09/11/11)
Was just typing in the date of this column when I realized I'd just typed in the title. It wasn't going to be the title or even the subject matter. Except one cannot possibly write today's date down on paper and not stop. And reflect. In fact, come to think of it, isn't it great that this day falls not on a weekday -- if for no other reason than most of us now won't have to constantly and repetitively date documents? Like checks? Or prescriptions? How small that would seem to make it. ...

'Tax Me Out To The Ballgame' (07/17/11)
Christian Lopez is a N.Y. Yankees fan. I thought David Felker was the only one; but apparently not. (Little joke there.) Last Saturday Christian had what us baseball fans call a good day. Better'n good, actually. And it was his birthday, too. Last Saturday, Christian's favorite player on his favorite team and Christian were in the same building...

'Not Guilty, Not Innocent' (07/10/11)
I did it. I watched. Every second. Yep, I'm guilty. Are you? The Casey Anthony Show. The miniseries. Broadcast on two networks simultaneously. For a month. 5 star entertainment. What writing! Except this was non-fiction. ...I think we've figured out what's going to cause the marching in the streets in America. Justice For Cayley...

'Team America' (07/03/11)
Yawn. Another patriotic paean to the Fab Founding Fathers. Rah rah rah. Cue the 76 trombones. (One can't ever have enough trombones, can one, Dr. Mobley?) In this still-great country, July 4 is about a great idea in the Declaration of Independence - its vision of liberty and freedom, equality and self-government. The Continental Congress gave Thomas Jefferson a difficult task: frame a vision of liberty and freedom that all could accept...