The Colonel's Forum

Or maybe I should say "I'd love to see Fred run." The two-term Tennessee Senator and accomplished actor pulled out of "Law & Order" today and recently announced he is exploring the possibility of a presidential run for 2008. This would be the best thing that happened to the GOP since Reagan, and in my mind the best thing that could happen to the 2008 race as a whole. Thompson has a strong conservative record. This is not to say I agree with everything he says, but rather AT LEAST YOU'LL KNOW WHERE HE STANDS ON THE ISSUES. What a refreshing change of pace that would be. My own theory is that, with a clear conservative in the running, it opens the window for a clear liberal to oppose him on the other end of the spectrum. Ideally, this would pull all the candidates away from the center, which is more crowded than a keg party in a college dorm room. Of course I'm probably being too optimistic here, but a guy can hope, right?

It's official. Well, it's as official as it's gonna get for the time being. I was interviewed last night by the Nougat magazine, Lexington's monthly arts magazine. They're getting ready to put out their June issue which will include coverage of the Gallery Hop . This is a function that the Lexington Arts Council puts on several times a year where art galleries stay open on a Friday evening and people can go around and visit them. I have to say it's nice to be in a town that supports the arts community so well. I was interviewed by the Nougat, because for the June gallery hop, I am an "exhibiting artist." After no small amount of poking ant prodding from my family and friends, I finally took my photography portfolio to an art gallery here in town and was invited to exhibit some of my photos. The fine folks at the Lexington Antique Gallery will be displaying 10-12 of my pictures throughout June and most of July, and the gallery is participating ...

Well yesterday was primary day here in the Commonwealth, and it's shaping up to be quite a race for the Governorship. Democrats held Kentucky for about 30 years before Ernie Fletcher showed up, but his scandals and general sneaky-ness have not gone unnoticed. It appears that a former Lieutenant Governor (Steve Beshear) stands a good chance of putting the Democrats back in office here. The only issues that really concern me in this race are those issues where Kentucky ranks poorly compared with other states. I left Louisiana (49th on most lists) for a state that is 45th or 46th on most lists. Specifically, Kentucky needs better healthcare, better education initiatives, and we need a business climate that welcomes innovation and new industries so we can move away from coal mining and manufacturing. We've got a tiny budget surplus now, but the other big issue is that we need some major "investment capital" to bring the hills and hollers into the 21st century. This b...

I'm happy to report the opening of a brand new Ace hardware store right across the street from our neighborhood. Aside from the convenience of its location, I'm excited to see that there is still a place for a neighborhood hardware store in these times of Lowe's and Home Depot. Ace stores are still small, so I don't have to walk 5 miles across the store just to move between departments. Plus they are locally owned and operated, and they provide better service. I walked in looking for a wrench, and I was literally greeted at the door by "the helpful hardware man." I was in and out in 4 minutes. At Lowe's I always have to go find help, and even on Saturday afternoons they only have two registers open. So I hope this new store does well.

We do know what it means to miss New Orleans. Especially my wife who has great difficulty getting through spring and summer in Kentucky where crawfish are hard to find (and rarely good). Thankfully, we were able to attend a wedding in New Orleans a few weeks back and, as you can see here, we made a pit stop at the Acme Oster house for half a dozen sliders and two pounds of crawfish. I had a shrimp po-boy with tabasco mayonnaise which couldn't be beat, and we washed it all down with some Abita Amber, one of America's finest beers. I won't bore you with the details of the rest of the trip, but we had a blast, the wedding was beautiful, and many parts of the city are (sadly) still in shambles.