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August 15, 2013

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August 15, 2013

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LAGNIAPPE MAGAZINE • AUGUST 15, 2013 • VOLUME 31 NUMBER 16

37 28 PERFECT PO-BOYS Photos and descriptions of the Lake Area's best po-boys will have your mouth-watering and your feet running toward your favorites. 37 McNEESE FOOTBALL PREVIEW With quarterback Cody Stroud hitting his stride, McNeese will be strong. But Sam Houston will likely be the conference team to beat. Rick Sarro reports on the 2013 Cowboys. 58 FALL FASHION & BEAUTY Topics include skin care innovations, tips for choosing the best sunglasses and much more. 68 MEN’S HEALTH REPORT Afraid you may have male menopause or irritable male syndrome? Brad Goins explains why you can put your mind at ease. 72 UNITED WAY Learn everything about the new campaign and the chairman heading it up. 77 VISION QUEST Cajun music legend Jo-El Sonnier says the area needs a place dedicated specifically to Cajun music and

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Publishers Bob Hartnett Greg Pavlovich Editor Brad Goins Associate Editor Karla Wall Assistant Laura Landry Layout & Design Mike Manis Advertising Sales Tanya Alsobrook Patty Hebert Chester Rogers Classified Manager Rose Sauls Distribution Manager Edward Frazer Contributing Writers Jeremy Alford Dr. Dale Archer Duane Bergeron Angie Kay Dilmore Todd Elliott Pierre Fontenot Rocke Fournet Arthur Hebert John Maginnis Rick Sarro Chuck Shepherd Vic Wukovits Office Phone (337) 433-8502 Office Fax (337) 433-8964 Mailing Address PO Box 3292 Lake Charles, LA 70602 Shipping Address 2906 Deaton Street Lake Charles, LA 70601 Editorial e-mail edit@thelanyap.com Advertising e-mail ads@thelanyap.com Classified e-mail class@thelanyap.com Lagniappe Magazine is published the first and third Thursday of each month. Manuscripts, photographs, comments and queries are invited. Return postage must accompany all materials submitted if return is requested. Publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Opinions presented by the columnists in this publication do not necessarily express the views ofLagniappe Magazine.

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August 15, 2013

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front Nobody Does It Better Somebody at the governor’s office has figured out how to work the email machine. On July 18, the first of a series of press releases came out of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s office. The big as all outdoors headline of the first email was “LOUISIANA REACHES ALL-TIME HIGH IN NATIONAL BUSINESS CLIMATE RANKING.” That sounds fantastic! I want to know all the details. Well, it seems that something called the Pollina Corporate Real Estate something-orother ranked Louisiana’s “business climate” No. 14 in the country. The press release said this was Louisiana’s “highest ranking ever in a national business climate study” — meaning, in a national business climate study conducted by the Pollina Corporate whatchamacallit. Golly gee. Why do think the Pollina thingamabob ranked Louisiana so high? I don’t know. But I think this guy named Ron Pollina might be able to give us some clues. Ron Pollina. Pollina. Why does that name seem so familiar to me? It’s like I’ve seen it before somewhere. Hey, wait a second! Pollina has the same name as the Corporate Real Estate group that ranked Louisiana No. 14. And Ron Pollina is the president of the Pollina Corporate etc. Well, what do you know about that? So here’s what Pollina had to say about Jindal: “The people of Louisiana should be very proud of Gov. Jindal and his administration’s phenomenal accomplishment.” “Phenomenal” huh? Wow! I guess president Pollina must really like Gov. Jindal. I mean, it’s not every day that an economist — that’s what Pollina is — calls a politician “phenomenal.” It may surprise you to learn that president Pollina had even more hyperbolic things to say about Jindal. “In the 10 years that we have conducted our Pollina Corporate Top 10 Pro-Business States study, no other state leader has shown the consistent improvement that Gov. Jindal has achieved in such a short time.” Now, notice Pollina didn’t just say “no other governor.” No, he said “no other state leader.” So of the hundreds of state leaders in the country, Jindal is the only one — the only one — who’s done it. That’s the economist Pollina’s opinion. You know, after reading Pollina’s comments, I think that maybe instead of calling Louisiana “The Economic Miracle,” we should call Gov. Jindal “The Economic Miracle,” or at least “The Economist’s Miracle.” Let’s consider it, huh?

confusing awards from every obscure group under the sun — including Site Selection Magazine. All we need at this point is someone to form some sort of business rating service to declare Louisiana No. 1 in everything forever. And I’m just the man to do it. I’ve got to call the service something, so I’m just going to use the first thing that pops into my head. I’ll call it The Pawpaw Dideau Business Ranking Service. I’ll also write the press release, which goes as follows: “The Pawpaw Dideau Business Ranking Service has announced that Louisiana now ranks No. 1 in all business categories as ranked by all ranking services in the world and will continue to hold these No. 1 rankings for the near future and for the long-term future and for all eternity, both in this world and in all other worlds that may or may not exist.” “Louisiana has more business and business opportunity than any state ever has had or ever will have,” says Pawpaw Dideau, a famed economist and mudbogger. “We anticipate that business investment in the state will double each year for as long as my grandchildren live and as long as their grandchildren live.” For information about advertising with The Pawpaw Dideau Business Ranking Service, visit our site at www.illswallowyoursoul.com, where you can use our convenient PayPal option to pay for your $10 login fee.

Guest Mass Emailing The press release above is designed for all media venues. But it’s especially suitable for The American Press, which, on July 24, printed an email on its Opinion page. The Press headlined this email as a “GUEST COMMENTARY.” Well, I guess you can call chicken bouillon gold bullion if you want to. What the Press called a “GUEST COMMENTARY” was nothing more than an email the Jindal office sent to the hundreds of media outlets throughout Louisiana, and probably to media outlets in other states. I deleted it as soon as I saw it in the inbox. And that was a grave mistake, because by deleting it, I missed whatever news was important enough to make the Press staff feel that the thing merited a GUEST COMMENTARY status. One thing I must concede: the title of the GUEST COMMENTARY — “New era dawns for La. health care” — is spot on. It couldn’t be more accurate. Jindal has fashioned the remnants of the former health care system into what Dr. Frankenstein might call an entirely new health care creation: one that’s unlike anything this state or any other state has ever seen. May God help us all to stay healthy.

No. 1 In Everything

They’re Not Laughing With You

On July 23, I got another email from Jindal’s office about how magnificently the state’s economy was doing. This one bore the headline “Louisiana’s Business Climate Ranked No. 4 in the Nation.” Three days later, I got another; the headline: “SOUTHERN BUSINESS & DEVELOPMENT: LOUISIANA EARNS FOURTH STATE OF THE YEAR AWARD IN FIVE YEARS.” Gee, fellas, you shouldn’t send ‘em faster than I can read ‘em. Even though I can’t keep up with the emails, it’s pretty clear to me that Louisiana has become, as Andy Griffith would have said, “the best dang business state in the whole dang United States of America.” It’s occurred to me that since we now know (as a result of this recent onslaught of gubernatorial emails) that Louisiana is No. 1 in everything, we can dispense with all the

Just so you know the governor’s office isn’t the only branch of state government that’s been doing big things, I can tell you that the office of the Lt. Governor has published a 166page-long Official Louisiana Tour Guide. The pages are 7 inches by 10. All the paper is glossy, and all the pages are full-color. This baby must have cost something. Now, if you’re spending this much on a tourism guide, the one thing you want to make sure to do is make your message clear. Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne begins his message right under his big photo on page 1; it starts like this: “Pack your boogie shoes and come to Louisiana!” “Pack your boogie shoes.” When was the last time somebody said that to me? Let me see. When was that? … Oh, now I remember. Never. It’s been only 38 years since the band K.C. and the Sunshine Band recorded the song

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“Boogie Shoes.” As you may recall, the song skyrocketed to number 35 on the Billboard Charts. The phrase “put on your boogie shoes” immediately became part of the American vernacular, and remained standard usage in some parts of the country until as late as 1981. Some years ago, the phrase enjoyed a resurgence of popularity when baby boomers discovered Facebook. On to less important matters. On the front cover of the tourism guide in a bright red circle are these words: “HEY! Duck Dynasty fans: A chat with Willie Robertson.” So if there were any doubt in your mind that the state isn’t hick enough already, don’t fear: the state government is doing its level best to convince the world at large that Louisiana is pure cornpone. Advertisers are playing on the same string. A full page ad for the city of Houma features a big picture of two guys from Swamp People standing next to a big, dead alligator. Right under the gator’s head is a sign that reads HOUMA LOUISIANA. “At home you can watch it on TV. Down here you can experience it live” reads the tagline. Houma people: heads up. People watch the show because they think it’s funny. They watch the show to laugh at the people in it. They don’t want to come here and “experience” the freak show. They want to observe it from afar: from a place where they can laugh at it in comfort and safety. I realize, though, that marketing can be a tough thing to do. For instance, it was, apparently, pretty hard for the lt. gov.’s people to find good restaurants around here. As far as I can tell, the “Cajun Country” and “Lake Charles Area” sections of the guide mention only three Lake Charles restaurants by name: Steamboat Bill’s, Pujo St. Café and La Truffe Sauvage. Not one restaurant from Sulphur is listed. Not happy about that? You know which guy to call: Jay Dardenne.

Who’s Got The Casino? I guess you’ve read by now that Golden Nugget is the latest in the string of owners of the new casino that we’ve been hearing about for so long. I’m going to give you a little free advice. If, for any reason, you want to keep track of who has bought and sold this casino, you’d better start keeping a written record. Speaking for myself, I know I’ve lost track. I’m pretty sure the casino has now been sold at least two or three hundred times. As to who the buyers and sellers have been, I’m in a fog. It’s occurred to me that the list of sales could get so long and complicated that even the owners lose track of the fact that they are, officially anyway, the owners of the casino and that they have promised to open the casino at some date in the future. For this reason, I’ve prepared a list of hypothetical casino names and opening dates that any future owners are free to use if their proposed opening dates happen to coincide with the ones in the list: — Any Day Now Casino, opening in June, 2015 — Three Shakes of A Lamb’s Tail Casino, opening in September, 2017 — We’ll Be Opening As Soon As You Can Say “Jack Robinson” Just As Long As You Don’t Say It Too Fast Casino, opening in March, 2021 — It Won’t Be Long Now Casino, opening in April, 2028 — Ask Me No Questions Casino, opening in November, 2054 — The Total Recall Casino, opening in December, 2084 — The Futurama Casino, opening January 1, 3000 I just hope I don’t wake up one morning and read in the paper that I’ve bought this casino. I don’t need that kind of responsibility at my age.

The News Where do you go if you want really solid news? If you’ve ever posed that question, you’ve posed a real puzzler. There was a time when I would have said, “Well, how about the Associated Press?” But that time was probably before July 19, when I saw the AP post the following on twitter: “The Associated Press ?@AP 5m How’s your zombie knowledge? Test it on this quiz, part of @AP’s Comic-Con Live” “Comic-Con Live” — this from the news service that managed to get by without a “JFK Assassination Live,” “Moon Landing Live” or “Collapse Of The Soviet Union Live.”

Serving SWLA Since 1973 Philip and Donna Hale, owners of Cloverleaf Barber and Beauty Supply, have spent 40 years building a reputation and a loyal customer base in the Lake Area. That success and longevity, they say, is the result of careful attention to service, and treating their customers as they themselves would wish to be treated. Cloverleaf offers a full line of hair and beauty products including shampoos, hair sprays, curling irons, hair dryers, hair colors for men and women, flat irons, clippers and shears, tonics for men, Rolfler products, perms and fanciful rinses. Cloverleaf also sells and services clippers and sharpens blades and shears. Stop in to see their new line of flat irons and check out their new product lines: Diamond Shine and Kera Pro! Fantastic selection, service and prices ... open to the public! Stop in and let Philip and Donna show you why Cloverleaf’s customers have kept coming back for all these years. Cloverleaf is open Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm.

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To The Editor: It is no secret that “we the people” were born with a need for personal rights. We have a desire to make our own decisions, live our own lives, and create our own destinies. This is who we are as a people, and our nation’s founders understood and related to that notion; thereby, creating a law that could allow us to enjoy life, protect our liberty and pursue our happiness. With that law, Democracy was formed, a balance of power between the government, state and people fashioned by The Constitution and, later, The Bill of Rights. They established clear boundaries for the government, so precisely written that there were no stones left unturned. These documents were inspired and processed, revised and rewritten until just right. They are the foundation of The United States of America. They are the cry of our souls penned and pronounced for government and people to abide in and protect. Over the past few decades, many of our rights and liberties documented in The Bill of Rights have been threatened. To clarify, because of things like hate rallies and school shootings, the “Right to Free Speech” and the “Right to Bear Arms” have been in question in the Supreme Court. These are just a few examples of government questioning the right to revise our rights. It is true that tragedy has struck our nation in the form of violence, hate language, and misuse of the judicial system, but it is not the national government’s obligation to try and control these situations. In doing so, laws that are created with good intentions can eventually be misused and abused, causing more issues than are already present. The people must not become lethargic in dealing with these issues. We must not just hand them over to the national government and hope for the best. We must open our eyes to see that whether we are of any political party, of any age, of any race, of any religion, we have to stay educated. We have to look at the nations before and around us, and see what made them rise,

what made them fall, and what can make us grow and stand tall. There is a great veil of confusion covering the eyes of the people concerning these matters. Because of the need for the people to be educated in these issues, Mr. Hunter Lundy, a wellknown Lake Charles based attorney has made it his mission to “inform and educate” the people. Nominated for the Louisiana Super Lawyers list, as well as the Best Lawyers in America five separate times, Lundy’s reputation reaches across the nation. In order to inform the people, he has created The Unity Summit. The Unity Summit is just that. A summit to unite all people and all parties interested in understanding and protecting their inalienable rights as American citizens. From the Heart of Southwest Louisiana to the Heart of America, this insightful lawman is creating a place for us to gather together and be educated. On September 9-11, 2013 in Branson, Missouri, some of the country’s most profound people’s rights advocates will assemble in an effort to inform and educate those who have an ear to hear. Some of the speakers that will be in attendance are Burton LeBlanc, president of the American Association of Justice; Amanda Collins, Fox News featured assault survivor and 2nd Amendment Advocate; LT. Col (Ret.) Nathan Sassaman of the US Army; and Dr. Sam Kaunley, a renowned pastor in the Branson area. Politicians and pastors, advocates and advisors have united in a joint effort to enlighten people on the issues at hand. This Summit will discuss the 1st, 2nd and 7th Amendment. If you are interested in attending, you can register at theunitysummit.com. You do not want to miss this exciting and intriguing discussion of our “Right of Free Expression and Worship,” “Right to Own and Bear Arms” and “Right to Trial by Jury.” Paige Francis Lake Charles

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LegisGator Brings Out Political Heavyweights Me an my stockbroker fran Max went to de annual LegisGator conference put on by de Chamber Southwest. Boy, talk about a who’z who uf Louisiana politics. Name em, an day wuz dar. An, uf course, de main topic uf discussion at de event wuz who iz an who izn’t gonna run for governor, an who might run against Sen. Mary Landrieu. Jindal haz already sed he ain’t runnin against Landrieu, an dat pretty much busted de Republican party’s bubble. Az for de governor’s race, de name heard mos often wuz dat uf Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne. We know he’z already pickin up money, an you can bet de Republican Party iz gonna make shore day ain’t gonna lose dat govenor’s seat because uf money. Lots uf udder names were mentioned, but still de name dat keeps poppin up iz dat uf Dardenne. He haz experience, havin served az state senator from de Baton Rouge area, an, more importantly, he haz statewide campaign experience, havin run for lt. governor when Mitch Landrieu resigned to run for mayor uf New Awlins. Now, both de governor’s race an de senate race are a long way away, but you know Louisiana — politics ain’t never outta season.

SEED Center Very Impressive Afta de LegisGator event, lots uf de folks in attendance dar headed ova to de new SEED center for it’s official grand openin. De center, on de McNeese campus, will help develop bidnesses for de area by providin resources for folks who wanna start an grow dar bidness idea. De Chamber Southwest haz also moved into de center, an de center is providin dem wit much-needed space. Now, folks, we always hear how gubment blows money on projects dat jus takes money from Louisiana taxpayers wit nuttin in return. Trust me, dis SEED Center iz not one uf dem projects. It will bring economic growth to Southwest Louisiana. Dat we can promise you.

More Good News For SWLA One ting dat folks have learned for shore in de las 20 or so years wit regards to Chennault air park is dat de kind uf contracts tenants will have will determine if day stay or go. Such wuz de case wit Aeroframe. It wuz pretty much a done deal dat day would be leavin Chennault when de school boad refused to extend dar $600,000 a year tax break. But not to worry, Chennault Executive Director Randy Robb had done hiz homework, an in cooperation wit de Louisiana Department uf Economic Development, he had a company in place to take over de Aeroframe space at once. Our new corporate neighbor is AAR from Illinois. Now, here’s de good part about de AAR addition: Day are one uf de top companies in de bidness — in both corporate and military contracts. For now, AAR will support a 750-job aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul operation. An if tings go well for dem here, who knows what dem numbers will grow to.

Sowela Tech Will Benefit From AAR Locatin Here At de time uf de announcement dat AAR wuz comin to our area, state officials announced dat Sowela wuz gonna be gettin $3.7 million to train AAR workers. Now, folks, dis is de kinda stuff companies look for when day look to locate in a certain city. Day want to make shore dat de community iz behind dem an dat day have workers who know what day iz doin. In dis case de state Department uf Economic Development made shore day had dar act togedder for AAR. Dis is yet anudder bit uf good news for Sowela. Add to dis de expansions dat are gonna come for de trainin uf Sasol employees, an de already completed nursing facilities an de Phillips processing buildin, an you can see how tings are boomin at Sowela Technical College and trewout Southwest Louisiana.

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An De Winner Iz ... Envelope, Please De big question around town dese las few weeks haz been who will replace Tommy McLelland az athletic director at McNeese. A fran uf mine who iz in de know about such tings and iz very seldom wrong sez Bruce Hemphill, formerly uf Sulphur, will get de nod. Az uf dis writin, nuttin had been made official yet. Hemphill has big-school athletic administration experience at de university uf North Carolina an de University uf Wyoming. It iz sed dat he is a pro at fundraising. Dat talent will be needed at McNeese. Me, I would have liked to have seen assistant athletic director Bridget Martin get the job, but it doesn’t look like dat will happen. In any case, as uf dis writin McNeese football season iz about to start, an we still don’t have an athletic director. A few words about Tommy McClelland. He did a great job at McNeese, an we know he will do great at Louisiana Tech. Now, dar are some real problems at Tech — problems dat wuzn’t handled very well by de previous athletic administration — but we know Tommy will take care uf tings and make Techsters proud uf dar school.

City Council Did De Right Thing De Lake Charles City Council recently saw a scene dat will without a doubt repeat quite a few times in de next year or so. We are talkin about folks comin before de council for approval to build an RV park. Two fellers from Leesville came before de council recently to get de okay for a 50unit RV park and campground on Broad St. near I-210. De request, by Hicks and Anders, uf Leesville, had been shot down by de Planning and Zoning Commission by a vote uf 3-1. But de council overturned dat decision. A feller who describes himself az a journeymen who hangs out at KD’s explained to me how dem construction guys work. Day are paid a certain amount for meals an housing by de construction company. So while day are on a job in an area day live in a motor home or travel trailer. An when de job iz over they just move on. You can see some uf dat happenin already on Hwy. 27 south uf Sulphur. Huge motor home parks have cropped up overnight. Now, folks, dem workers are very well paid an can help de retail bidness in our area a whole bunch. So lets be nice to dem. After all, “Journeymen Make Good Neighbors.”

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Iz It A Sign Uf De Times? Got into a discussion de udder day wit some fellers at de Cigar Club about de increase in crime in our area. One feller sed de crime wuz always dar — it’s jus dat now law enforcement iz doin a much better job uf catchin de outlaws. An I would agree wit dat, to some extent. But de fact remains dat we have a whole buncha folks, young and old, being picked up for meth labs and udder drug crimes. One feller in de group sed dat dis wuz a problem all over. Me, I sed dat doesn’t mean it haz to go on here. Law enforcement folks will tell you dat mos robberies and burglaries are by people dat are on drugs an need money to buy mo drugs. Now we all agreed dat sometin needs to be done. But jus how you stop it iz a very serious problem dat all de politicians need to have a sitdown about.

How Much? Will Rogers once sed dat banks will lend you money when you prove to dem dat you don’t need it. Looks like some insurance companies are dead set on sellin home insurance only to folks dat are so rich dat day don’t need it. We have heard uf increases az high az 5,000 percent. You gotta be kidding me! Now, de insurance folks are quick to point out dat day took a loss durin de hurricanes. Dat may be true, but how about all dem years dat day have been collectin premiums and not getting hit by hurricane claims. Looks like de poor folks uf Louisiana are gonna get boorayed again on dis one. Call your congressman and legislators an see if dat helps any. Everywhere you turn — increases in de amount uf Social Security taken outta de paycheck, higher gas prices, higher energy bill — how’s a family on fixed income gonna make it?

Deep Taughts While Watchin De Astros Drop Anudder One 10) No mo home grown tomatoes. How will I live til next June? 9) Will de Saints continue to improve wit each preseason game? 8) Why do both de Republicans an Democrats send me emails every day axin for money? 7) Iz McNeese gonna have standin room only for all its home games? 6) When is de NCAA gonna leave Johnny Football alone? 5) What mo can be done to slow motorists down in school zones now dat school iz in? 4) Will you wear your gold and blue every Friday to show support for McNeese? 3) Once shrimp season starts, how many uf dem promised pounds can I expect from T-Claude? 2) My birthday iz comin up. Will my wife Sedonia buy me dat revolver I been axin for? 1) How can my cable bill increase by $15 when I’m cancelin’ Cinemax an’ Starz?

Final Shot I axed Lefty if he wuz gonna come wit me to Houston to see de Astros play de Yankees for my birthday in September. He sed az long as Alex Rodriguez wuz playin he wouldn’t go. I axed Lefty if he ever took performance-enhancing drugs like steroids. He replied, “Talk to my attorney.” Me, I tink Lefty haz been watchin too much ESPN. Til next time, lache pas la patate. August 15, 2013

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OUT & ABOUT

arthur hebert

Botsky’s 104 W. Pujo St., Lake Charles • 337-274-7598 • Monday-Friday, 11am-8pm

This new restaurant is housed under the leaping jackalope on the short stretch of Pujo leading to the Civic Center. If you haven’t been, I’m sure you’ve at least heard of it. If you enjoy premium hot dogs and sausage, you need to check this place out. If you think a Lucky Dog is the epitome of dogs, then don’t bother. Unless you live or work in the downtown area and can walk to this place, it can be a problem to get to. There is no parking except for street parking, and very little of that. I’m told that Charleston Manor right across the street will tow if you park there. I found late afternoon to be the best for me unless I spot an opening while passing by. The natural casing basic dog with the free condiments is priced reasonably. However, the food here is not cheap because you are getting a quality product. The Kobe, game sausages and regular sausages are more expensive. Believe me, these are underpriced. I know the true cost of these products, and the owners of this place aren’t stiffing you; they’re giving you a break. Things can get expensive when you pile on the toppings such as chili, mac n’ cheese, red beans, fried eggs, and other special additions. Most of the other accompaniments are free or come at a minimal charge. I’ve seen some dogs come out with so much stuff piled on they are a knifeand-fork job. I generally keep my toppings to a minimum, as I like to eat a dog the way they were intended to be eaten. Some of my favorite toppings include pineapple relish, bacon, sweet pickle relish, yellow mustard, Cajun kraut, Asian slaw and Sriracha. The buns are excellent, also. They are shaped like the buns that are used for lobster rolls on the east coast. However, they are sweet sourdough buns, which are toasted to perfection on the flat top along with the dogs. While in line (and be aware that the lines can get long at lunch), check out the wall, as there are some menu suggestions for you. Then look at the chalkboard

straight ahead. Choose your dog or sausage, then think about toppings. If you can’t decide, don’t hesitate to ask the cashier for recommendations. I did that several times and came away quite happy. You can get regular fries or sweet potato fries, which cost extra, unfortunately. There are soft drinks on the menu, as well as eight beers on tap (not the lite

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If you enjoy premium hot dogs and sausage, you need to check this place out. This is not fast food, but fresh food cooked to order, and it’s delicious.

stuff). Your meat choice is called to the griddle guy, and it goes down along with your bun. This is not fast food, but fresh food cooked to order, and it’s delicious. After the meat and bun is done, it goes to the front guy, who adds everything else. Here is a listing of what I’ve eaten here. All were good. • natural casing dog with chili, cheddar cheese and onions (my standard for comparison) — excellent • Kobe dog with Cajun kraut, sweet pickle relish and Creole mustard • Bison/cranberry sausage with pineapple relish, feta cheese and avocado • natural casing dog with Asian slaw, onions and yellow mustard • alligator sausage with avocado, olive salad, bacon bites and Sriracha • natural casing dog with mac n’ cheese and bacon — my least favorite • slaw dog from the wall which was sausage with slaw and feta • chicken and apple sausage with Asian slaw, sweet pickle relish, pineapple relish, and Sriracha. As you can see, there’s quite a range of items, so you need to come in and decide for yourself.

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john maginnis Tuition Freedom Issue Gets Recharged While legislation granting university boards increased control over tuition increases failed to gain the momentum it needed in this year’s regular session, the issue is already picking up steam for a 2014 return. House Speaker Chuck Kleckley, RLake Charles, said that improvements to higher education should be the focus of the last two years of the current term. He supports tuition freedom. He feels that will enable schools to meet the Southern Regional Average without the required two-thirds vote of the House and Senate. That freedom, however, should only be granted if universities are willing to provide increased accomplishments in exchange, he said. “I have already reached out to the university presidents and board members and regents for them to come together and create a plan they can support,” the speaker said. “If they do that, I told them I’d be the point man on it next session.” It’s the same kind of policymaking model Kleckley used with some success this year on the health care financing front. Already, LSU’s new president and chancellor F. King Alexander seems to be warming. Alexander told a gathering in mid-July that he wanted to pursue a “balanced tuition” approach. “For something like this, we’re going to expect flagship results,” Kleckley said. House Education Chairman Steve Carter, R-Baton Rouge, said both of their positions could be the opening that supporters of higher tuition in exchange for improved outcomes have been waiting for since the session adjourned.

“We’re starting to fundamentally take on this issue again so we can discuss it next year,” Carter said. “But it’s all about improving performance and outcomes.”

New Laws Take Effect With the dawning of August, 227 new laws went into effect as a result of the work legislators did during this year’s regular session. But Aug. 1 isn’t the only effective date for laws passed during the session; another five will go on the books later this year; 18 are slated for 2014, not including eight constitutional amendments that will face voters; two are scheduled for 2015; and a handful are contingent on other mechanisms

For those who like their beer cold and crawfish hot, House Bill 147 by Rep. Mike Huval, R-Breaux Bridge, allows drivers to obtain specialty license plates carrying the message of either “I’m Cajun” or “I’m Creole” from the state for a small fee.

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that aren’t date-specific. Hundreds of others were enacted in the weeks following the session’s adjournment. Among the highest profile new laws are those involving school safety. In the wake of last year’s school shootings, Rep. Bob Hensgens, R-Abbeville, filed and passed House Bill 718 to require school boards and principals to develop new crisis management and response plans that include special kinds of drills, much like fire drills. Also taking effect Aug. 1 was House Bill 6 by Rep. John

jeremy alford

M. Schroder, R-Covington, which allows off-duty law enforcement officers to carry firearms on school property. Senate Bill 36 by Sen. David Heitmeier, D-New Orleans, requires all public post secondary education institutions to develop smoke-free policies for its campuses. Meanwhile, Senate Bill 153 by Sen. Edwin R. Murray, D-New Orleans, sets up the Equal Pay for Women Act. On the theme of guns, House Bill 8 by Rep. Jeff Thompson, R-Bossier City, exempts from public records law the names of individuals with concealed handgun permits. Editorial leaders from around the country have blasted the new law since it makes it criminal for reporters and editors to publish the names of concealed handgun permit holders and applicants. House Bill 265 by Rep. Barry Ivey, R-Central, creates the first ever lifetime concealed handgun permit. For those who like their beer cold and crawfish hot, House Bill 147 by Rep. Mike Huval, R-Breaux Bridge, allows drivers to obtain specialty license plates carrying the message of either “I’m Cajun” or “I’m Creole” from the state for a small fee. And Senate Bill 205 by Sen. Eric LaFleur, D-Ville Platte, establishes foreign language immersion programs in public school districts. To review all Louisiana’s new laws, visit www.legis.la.gov.

Senate Outsider Tries For Traction U.S. Senate hopeful Rob Maness of Madisonville calls himself the “contrast candidate,” and with $25,000 in the bank it’s easy to see why. His small total compares to $3.2 million for Congressman Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, and $4.86 million for Sen. Mary Landrieu, the incumbent Democrat from New Orleans.

The three are expected to square off on the 2014 ballot. Maness’ campaign states its $43,000 raised “shows early momentum.” The Republican political newcomer, a retired Air Force colonel and self-styled “constitutional conservative,” will certainly need momentum, as he has just started building a staff. He now has a campaign manager, John Kerry of Thibodaux, and a communications director, James Hartman of Covington. Maness hopes to raise his profile by speaking at the RedState conference in New Orleans Aug. 3, after which he embarks on a statewide tour. He plans to make the ultimate campaign commitment by becoming a full-time candidate. Currently, he’s on a “long-term leave of absence” from his job at Entergy as director of safety and technical skills training. Even if he doesn’t yet threaten the two major candidates, at this point his significance is that he could pull rightwing support from Cassidy and force a December runoff, but only if the Republicans combined keep Landrieu under 50 percent.

Quote From The Quorum “You will not escape.” — Gov. Bobby Jindal, to criminals, on the new beefed-up State Police crime lab. “But let me tell you something — while I am here in New Orleans today, everyone understands there is no way I am leaving this city without a good meal. No way. Not happening.” —First Lady Michelle Obama to the National Council of La Raza’s gathering in New Orleans, about healthy eating habits for children, just prior to her visiting John Besh’s Lüke restaurant.

LEARN BRIDGE IN A DAY The Lake Charles Duplicate Bridge Club is sponsoring a seminar called “Learn Bridge in a Day,” which will be held at the club at 1600 W. McNeese Street, 10 am-4 pm on August 24, with registration beginning at 9:30 am. The cost is $25; it covers a student manual and lunch. If you like a challenge, want to make new friends, and are looking for a way to keep your brain sharp, you will enjoy duplicate bridge. The seminar is designed for players who have never played, players who want to refresh their skills, and social bridge players who want to see what duplicate is all about. Duplicate bridge is played with a partner. A hand is dealt, players bid for the hand, and the person who wins the bid then plays it, trying to take as many tricks as possible to make a “contract.” There are usually five or more tables of players, with each partnership trying to take more tricks than all the others in the room. Winning players earn points, accumulate them, and, over time, hope to reach the designation of “Life Master,” which simply means they’ve earned the points required for that rank. What makes duplicate bridge different from other card games is that every partnership in the room plays the same hands. The hands are carried in a container called a “board,” and the boards rotate around the room from table to table. This aspect makes the game competitive, and allows a player to measure his growth, skill and understanding of the game. Research clearly indicates that bridge is a game that can stall dementia. There’s a strong and positive relationship between playing bridge and mental agility. According to the English Bridge Union, “undertaking some form of activity that tests mental agility on a daily basis helps to protect our older population from dementia and Alzheimer’s.” For more info, download a flyer from

bridgewebs.com/lakecharles or call Judy Robertson, 477-1536, or Adrianne Hunt, 480-6853.

MSU THEATRE The annual McNeese State University Theatre Roundup will take place Thursday, Aug. 29, 5:30 pm, in the Shearman Fine Arts Annex. Guests will have the opportunity to meet the theatre program faculty, production directors and students and receive information about the season’s productions, auditions and technical work. Directors will give an overview of the upcoming theatre season and explain the audition procedure. Audition packets will be available. The season opens with a production of Antigone, by Jean Anouilh, which will be followed by a production of The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams. Auditions for these fall productions will be held Aug. 30, 6 pm, in the Shearman Fine Arts Theatre. Contact Charles McNeely at 475-5041 to sign up for an audition time. Callbacks for both shows will be Saturday, Aug. 31, 10 am. Spring productions will include McNeese Theatre’s first Devised Theatre production. It invites the use of different art forms and asks a group of diverse individuals to bring their talents, strengths and interests to create a unique theatrical production. Members of the company serve as playwrights, designers and, if they wish, performers. This will be the inaugural production in McNeese’s new Black Box Theatre. Show dates are Feb. 12-16. The season will conclude with The McNeese Theatre Musical Revue, which will celebrate the university’s diamond anniversary. Season subscriptions are $45 for adults, $30 for McNeese faculty and staff, senior citizens and youth (K-12). All season subscriptions support McNeese Theatre scholarships. For more information, call 475-5040.

August 15, 2013

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LA POLITICS

john maginnis

Dem Danger: Lack Of Candidates Low-key and soft-spoken U.S. Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-Quitman, who just announced he will not seek re-election, never stuck out in many ways, which contributed to his success in politics. Yet he gained a curious recognition in hyper-partisan Washington for having the most registered black voters in his district (33 percent) of any Republican in the House. In fact, he represents more African-Americans than he does Republicans (26 percent). As an added distinction, in the 2012 election, he received more votes from blacks (43 percent) than did any of the 234 House Republicans, according to an analysis by McClatchey Newspapers. Alexander says he doesn’t understand why party leaders, anxious to improve the single-digit black support of most of their candidates, haven’t asked him how he does it. If they did, he said, his advice would boil down to showing respect to minorities by not saying things to insult and infuriate them. That’s hardly a trade secret, as many decent and respectful Republican candidates who have reached out to black voters still have received few of their votes in return. It may have helped ol’ Rodney among Democrats that he had been one of them for

30 years while he was running for the police jury, the Legislature and Congress. He switched parties on the last day of qualifying in 2004, after filing to run as a Democrat two days earlier. But the main reason Alexander attracted the support of so many blacks in 2012 is

Alexander says he doesn’t understand why party leaders, anxious to improve the single-digit black support of their candidates, haven’t asked him how he does it.

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August 15, 2013

that there was no Democrat on the ballot for them to vote for. The same was true in the 4th Congressional District next door, where the absence of an opposing Democrat enabled U.S. Rep. John Fleming of Minden, among the most conservative of Republicans, to get 30 percent of the black vote, the second most in the House GOP Caucus. Both won easily over Libertarian and independent candidates. So its not the outreach of Republican congressmen thetas winning Republicans

black support in Louisiana. Rather, its that Democrats of late have largely given up competing in statewide and congressional elections. Outside of the majority-black 2nd Congressional District based in New Orleans and U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, who faces a tough reelection battle next year, the white Democrats who once ruled Louisiana are now verging on electoral extinction in higher office. Their prospects are getting bleaker at the legislative level. In 1981, there were 37 white Democrats and two black Democrats in the Senate. Today, there are five white Democrats and eight African-American ones. Two of the white Democrats, Sens. David Heitmeier of Algiers and Francis Thompson of Delhi, represent majorityblack districts. That leaves three white Democrats representing majority-white districts: Sens. Eric Lafleur of Ville Platte, Gary Smith of Norco and Ben Nevers of Bogalusa. The latest ex-Democrat in the Senate is Sen. Rick Ward III of Maringouin, who, a month after switching parties, filed papers as a candidate for the 6th Congressional District seat held by U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy, who is running against Landrieu. Before him, Sen. Elbert Guillory of Opelousas made national news by defecting from the Democrats to become Louisiana’s

first African-American Republican state senator since Reconstruction. Guillory’s move was more of a homecoming, as he’d switched from Republican to Democrat before first running for the Legislature. His YouTube video explaining his latest switch went viral, prompting calls for him to run for the U.S. Senate, even president. Guillory’s stated ambitions are more modest, as he’s thinking about running for lieutenant governor in 2015. The competition could be stiff for the state senator because, though no white Democrats are being mentioned as potential candidates for the No. 2 office, a growing number of Republicans and several black Democrats are. Democrats do have one declared candidate for governor in 2015, Rep. John Bel Edwards of Amite. Other Democrats are holding out hope that New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, assuming he is re-elected early next year, will set his sights on the Governor’s Mansion. Yet, for Sen. Landrieu and whichever Democrat runs for governor, the top of the ballot is a shakier perch without other Democrats vying for lower offices, for Congress in 2014 or the Legislature in 2015, and helping to generate turnout. Just as parties build from the ground up, they deteriorate that way too.

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The first phase could be finished by November or December.

SWLA Co. Allowed To Export LNG To Non-FTA Countries

LOCAL NEWS STORIES OF THE PAST TWO WEEKS CPPJ Receives Magnolia LNG Project Update A Magnolia LNG official recently updated Calcasieu Parish police jurors on the company’s proposed project. Ernie Megginson, Magnolia’s vice president of project management, said the liquefied natural gas facility will sit on 110 acres along the industrial canal. He said the project is expected to create 1,000 construction jobs and 45 permanent jobs on completion. UT is also expected to generate 175 indirect jobs. Megginson said Magnolia LNG is in the middle of a two-year Federal Energy Regulatory Commission pre-filing period. That should end around mid-2015, after which construction will begin. Work should wrap up by late 2017 or early 2018, he said.

Entergy To Lay Off 800 Entergy recently announced that it would cut 800 jobs — approximately five percent of its workforce. The cuts are due to a 55-percent drop in income in the second quarter of this year, as well as higher expenses and an unfavorable tax ruling last year.

The job cuts are part of a reorganization plan aimed at saving $200-250 million by 2016. Entergy earned $163.7 million, or 92 cents per share, for the three months ended June 30. That compares with $365 million, or $2.06 per share, a year earlier.

New Miller Ave. Bridge Opens The completely replaced Miller Avenue Bridge in Westlake recently opened after being closed for more than eight months. Alexandria-based Cecil D. Gassiott completed the work. Motorists were forced to use Sampson Street as a detour while the bridge was closed.

Parish Sewer Expansion Plan Outlined A nearly $150 million proposed sewer expansion plan was recently outlined to the Calcasieu Police Jury, which voted to enter into an agreement with the municipalities involved to create a ninemember commission that will consider

the plan. The plan includes 10 projects throughout the parish, in areas such as South Lake Charles, Carlyss, Moss Bluff, Westlake, North Sulphur, DeQuincy, Vinton and Iowa. Plans also include a pump-out of individual sewer systems at the time of inspections.

South LC Water Line Expansion Project Underway Work has begun on a project to expand water lines in South Lake Charles. The project, which will be completed in up to three phases, will provide service to nearly 1,000 customers within Waterworks District 12 of Ward 3. The first phase involves the installation of water lines along Big Lake Rd. north to Lincoln Rd., east on Lincoln Rd. to Elliott Rd., and north on Elliott Rd. to Gauthier Rd. Water lines will also be installed along several roads off Elliott Rd., including Agnes, Saucier and Richard Roads.

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The Energy Department has granted Lake Charles Exports conditional approval to export liquefied natural gas to countries that do not have a Free Trade Agreement with the United States. The conditional authorization is for the export of LNG at a rate of up to 2 billion cubic feet per day for 20 years. Lake Charles Exports, a joint venture involving BG Group and a subsidiary of Southern Union Company, already had the authority to export domestic natural gas from its Lake Charles terminal to countries with which the U.S. has free trade agreements for gas. The agreement is subject to environmental review and final approval.

LC Named A Top 5 Spot For Chemical Engineers Lake Charles ranked No. five in the nation on a list for the best cities for chemical engineers, according to a data and analysis firm. Baton Rouge also made the list, coming in at No. 3 — right behind Houston and Beaumont, Texas, but ahead of Wilmington, Del. According to the firm, Lake Charles has 190 chemical engineering jobs, and “it benefits from relatively high demand, an above average annual salary of $100,350, and a cost of living that is significantly lower than the U.S. average.”

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August 15, 2013

TECH BYTES

vic wukovits

Great Streaming Entertainment Chances are that the television you share your home with is often used as a monitor, with various devices pushing content through it. Game systems, cable or satellite DVRs, Blu-Ray players, and media boxes like Apple TV or Roku are what really control the content we view. The capabilities of said devices are becoming more marvelous each year, and streaming content is available on nearly every platform. The Internet brings content to your home entertainment center thanks to your home network, and most often thanks to the magic of Wi-Fi technology. The prices keep dropping on these magical devices. Most recently, a device hit the market that’s more affordable than any other offering as of yet.

I imagine phone users that are running Android might see more functionality from Chromecast, as the Google Play store is the backbone for any content on those devices. You can also send content to Chromecast from a computer; using the Google Chrome browser and the free Google Cast extension allows you to share content to your TV through the device. Of course, any device you’ll be using needs to belong to the same Wi-Fi network that

Chromecast is on. I would reckon that sketchy Wi-Fi connections or poor Internet speeds would greatly affect your experience. After a couple of days of playing, I was greatly impressed by this $35 device. The Google Chromecast is a very good product, and at that price point, it can’t be beat. It isn’t meant to replace an Apple TV or a Roku, but given some time, Chromecast, or something similar, could

very well do just that. Most exciting, in my opinion, is the potential it brings for content delivery and integration between our home theaters, our phones and our computers. If you have $35, a Wi-Fi network, and want to watch Internet content, go get a Chromecast; I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what it can do.

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If you have $35, a Wi-Fi network, and want to watch Internet content, go get a Chromecast.

At the end of July, Google announced and released the Chromecast. It was an instant success, with units flying out the door. Initially, three months of free Netflix was offered with the $35 device, but those quickly ran out; with a subscription costing $7.99 per month, the actual price for Chromecast is around $11. The Chromecast is unlike any device you’ve seen as part of your home theater. It’s best described as a “dongle” for your TV; you plug it into an HDMI port. Power is supplied via a micro-USB, and cables are provided for a USB connection or with connection with a wall outlet. The device measures less than three inches long. Content is streamed to the device via a Wi-Fi connection. Chromecast currently supports content from YouTube, Netflix, and Google Play, though additional content providers such as Hulu, Pandora, and HBO Go have been announced. I connected my Chromecast to my 47inch TV and supplied power with one of the USB ports on the TV itself. The supplied USB cable is pretty long in case you want to connect it to the wall adapter for power. An HDMI extension is also provided if you need a little more room. Setup is a breeze, with the instructions displayed on the screen. Chromecast prompts you to visit a website to begin the setup process. The total setup took me less than 5 minutes, and I was then able to watch content from YouTube and Netflix from my iPhone with no issues. I’ve heard rumblings about some folks with issues when streaming from iOS devices, but neither Netflix nor YouTube gave me any issues; the streaming content was smooth and exhibited no stuttering, buffering, or pixelization on the variety of videos I watched. August 15, 2013

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WEIRD NEWS

chuck shepherd • illustrations by felix falgoust

Wash Your Vegetables Carole Longhorn, 66, struck a metal object in her garden in Norfolk, England. Though it looked like a projectile bomb, she decided to take it inside and wash it off in the sink before she called police. They later detonated the World War II-era munition in a controlled explosion. Her husband commented, “You can imagine what I said to her.”

Brew Nation Pro-nationalism English Defense League activists seemed to be itching for a street brawl to break up a scheduled antinationalist demonstration in downtown Birmingham, England, on July 18. The city mobilized more than 1,000 police. Then officials arrived at a solution. Police shepherded hundreds of rowdy EDL operatives into the popular Bar Risa pub at 11 am, confining them

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August 15, 2013

for three hours, until the anti-EDL rally had dissipated. Many EDLers decided to enjoy their confinement with a brew. Police reported only sporadic street scuffling. Bar Risa, perturbed by police pressure to host people they consider fascists, donated all of its profits to the Midlands Air Ambulance service.

Cultural Diversity — For “beach season” in Qingdao, China, middle-aged ladies return to the shore of the Yellow Sea sporting their bathing suits but wearing cloth hoods with tiny holes for the eyes, nose and mouth. For many in China, dark skin still signals laborers and fair skin the indoor “leisure class,” according to a report on the business website Quartz. — In Shenzhen, China, one of the country’s richest cities, there are advertisements by “wet nurses” who supply adults with breast milk, either directly

from the source or after pumping. The milk is bought by the infirm or rich people who are too concerned with nourishment. Milk suppliers can earn at least four times the average personal income; healthy, attractive women earning more than that, according to a July Agence France-Presse dispatch. Comments on China’s social media ranged from “It’s just a business” to “People become perverts when they are too rich and tire of other forms of entertainment.” — In Zimbabwe, bribery is common and makes the news only when criminals go above and beyond. The anti-poverty organization Transparency International reported in July that one hospital in Harare had recently been imposing a $5 charge on mothers each time they screamed during childbirth. Also, it’s long been rumored that hospitals in Zimbabwe (and other especially oppressive countries) detain mothers and their children at the hospital if

they cannot pay the fees. Transparency International eventually lifted the perscream charge.

Latest Religious Messages — Satan was thrust into the recent Texas legislature debate with pro-choicers shouting, “Hail, Satan!” at the right-to-life faction. However, whom Satan had endorsed was not clear. A British organization called UK Church of Satan appeared to criticize the prochoicers (according to Twitter comments), while the New York-based Church of Satan (founded in 1966 by Anton LaVey) insists on a woman’s right to choose, said the church’s high priest Peter Gilmore. He acknowledged that shouting “Hail, Satan” to anti-abortion activists was “ludicrous and meaningless.” — Megachurch bishop Ira V. Hilliard told his Sugarland, Texas, con-

gregation (New Light Christian Center) that one of his two private aircraft — a helicopter valued at about $1 million — needs new blades. Rather than pay for them himself, he asked parishioners to “find it in their hearts” to send him $52 “favor seeds” for the blades. His ministry also owns a $2 million Hawker jet and a $3 million hangar. To sweeten the deal, he promised that a donor’s gift would be met by a “breakthrough favor” from God in the form of a car repair or the gift giver’s “dream car” either 52 days or 52 weeks later.

Questionable Judgments — Sharon Jobson thought her grieving for her son was over two years after he had been killed when he drove into a CN Rail train at a crossing that needed safety features. John Jobson, 22, was speeding and failed to stop, perhaps because of a partially obscured warning sign and a nonstandard train horn. The government subsequently ordered upgrades, and Sharon Jobson decided not to sue. However, CN Rail had no such reluctance. In July, it filed for $500,000 against John Jobson’s estate to cover damage to its tracks and the subsequent customer slowdown. At press time, Sharon was re-evaluating litigation. — In May, a 24-year-old man accidentally shot a teenage boy in the leg with a high-caliber gun at a home in Santa Fe, Texas. The shooting took place in front of the teenager’s mother, whose first reaction was to look up “gunshot” on WebMD. She decided not to take her son to Mainland Medical Center until seven hours later. Deborah Tagle was charged, along with the shooter, for injury to a child.

that a bolt was missing in the chicken coop in his yard.

A News Of The Weird Classic In April, 2009, the district attorney in Vilas County, Wis., announced that he was seeking volunteers to take a forensic test to help strengthen his case against Douglas Plude, 42, who was scheduled to stand trial for the second time in the death of his wife. The volunteers had to be female, stand about 5 feet 8 inches tall and weigh 140 pounds. They had to stick their heads into a toilet bowl and flush. Plude was charged with drowning his wife in a commode. His version (which the prosecutor tried

to show was improbable) was that his wife committed suicide by flushing herself.

The Weirdo-American Community Ronald Rock, 31, was arrested in Malone, N.Y., after surveillance video convinced police he was the man at a Sears store who told a female stranger he loved her shoes and wanted to buy a pair for his mother. He asked if she would take one off shoe to show him. Rock then stuffed the shoe down his pants. Malone is within 25 miles of the small town of Massena, which was the site of the man caught on video stuffing a Hannaford’s pepperoni down his pants.

News That Sounds Like a Joke — In May, before Edward Snowden began releasing his previously classified document cache, the American Civil Liberties Union released reports of its attempts to learn some of the same information from the FBI under the Freedom of Information Act. Two of the documents, that amounted to 69 pages, were completely “redacted” — that is, solid black boxes covering the entirety of every page except for the page numbers and document title. — A June performance-art street demonstration in Glastonbury, England, got out of hand when a spectator took offense at one of the characters, who was dressed as a giant penis. The performer was promoting a show by the troupe Nomadic Academy of Fools. The bystander grabbed the penis costume. The performer’s colleague, Joanne Tremarco, who was dressed as a giant vagina, went to his defense, trying to calm the bystander until police arrived.

The Redneck Chronicles — Police in York, Pa., arrested Karen Harrelson, 48, and Gregory Stambaugh, 57, because they couldn’t figure out which one started a knife fight. The fight was about which contestant (Candice or Kree) deserved to win this year’s American Idol. The two had stabbed each other with the same knife. — Dewayne Eddy, 54, was charged in Yuba County, Calif., with beating his adult daughter with folding lawn chairs and a can of beans after he discovered August 15, 2013

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TAKING CHARGE

dale archer, MD

Too Scared Too Succeed? Dr. Archer, I’m a young lady in the media industry. As far as my career is concerned, I feel like I’m not making progress. I write articles for a weekly newspaper, and I’m often told I’m a good writer. The thing is, I don’t have the drive to wake up in the morning and do something productive. I don’t feel excited about life or motivated to do something great. I feel like a loser compared to my peers. I feel they’ve accomplished more, while I have very little to show for my seven years in journalism. I’m always criticizing myself for not being driven when it comes to my career. How do I get motivated? I feel passive and inactive all the time. I’ve tried motivational books, but I get motivated just for a little while before falling back into the same cycle. How do other people my age do so well and stay so confident? I know people don’t get promoted overnight and must work their way up. But the thought of that scares me. As a result, any workplace scares me. I’ve never heard of anyone else with this specific fear. People look at me in a weird way when I tell them about my phobia. It makes me think I’m weird or lack the intelligence to

have a successful career. They can’t relate when I tell them I have a fear of failing to deliver at work. The thing is, this fear doesn’t help me perform better. Just the opposite! It reduces my concentration and makes me feel useless. I end up being afraid to take on new responsibilities that have to do with my growth. I recently went to a job interview at a reputable newspaper in my area. They seemed satisfied with me, as I appeared confident and knew what I was talking about. They said they’d call me in the coming weeks. Now, I keep getting the familiar feeling that I’ll fail to perform and disappoint them. I want this job so badly, but I’m afraid I won’t meet their expectations due to my passive and slow nature. I don’t know if I’m making any sense, but I’d like your advice on how to get rid of this phobia and become confident in my work. I’m confident in interactions with other people socially, just not in my career, and I don’t know why. Jane

sonality is that you’re a person who always sees the glass as half empty. You are clearly a bright and educated woman with at least some success in your chosen field. But rather than recognizing that, you compare yourself to others who appear to be more successful. I believe we’re taught early in life to either believe in ourselves or doubt ourselves. This is difficult programming to overcome.

{

Dear Jane, My initial impression of your per-

I don’t think you have a phobia, but you may have a fear of success. Stop comparing yourself to others and start practicing positive self-statements.

Your fears have evolved into what I call “catastrophizing.” You see life and career opportunities as events that reaffirm your negative beliefs, and as a result you sabotage yourself. Because of this, I don’t think you have a phobia, but you may have a fear of success. Success can be just as challenging as a loss. Stop comparing yourself to others and start practicing positive self- statements. Norman Vincent Peale said it well: “Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers, you cannot be successful or happy.” You will continue to have successes and disappointments as long as you live. Celebrate your successes, and learn from your mistakes. Good luck. Dear Dr. Archer, A few months ago, I moved with my friend into a two-bedroom apartment. I used to live alone, but she convinced me to move in with her so that we could share rent. We thought it would be fun living together. She informed me we would be staying with her younger sister, who didn’t have a job — meaning we’d feed her. She

would be studying. I didn’t have a problem with it at first, since we agreed to buy groceries together to cut costs. However, it’s starting to bother me because her sister is like a parasite. She’s at home all the time while we work, so she consumes more food than the two of us combined. I’ve noticed this because there was a time when she was away for a month. The food in the house lasted much longer. Even my friend had to admit it. I was very disappointed when she returned, but tried to be nice to her. When we shop for groceries, my friend and I split the bill 50/50. I consider this unfair. I feel she should pay a bit more because she has one extra mouth to feed in the house. I haven’t spoken to her about it because I’m afraid she might think I’m being selfish. Am I? I don’t want to ruin our friendship because she’s generally a very sweet person. To make matters worse, her sister sometimes gives me the silent treatment, making me feel isolated. She chooses to chat with her older sister, although we used to get along very well. Sometimes I stay in my room while they’re chatting and laughing. I feel left out, and neither check up on me to see if I’m OK. I feel awkward or unwelcome when I walk in on their conversations. Sometimes they continue chatting as if I don’t even exist. I don’t think my friend notices she’s isolating me, but I get a strong feeling her sister is aware of the awkwardness I feel. When it comes to paying for satellite TV, my friend and I, again, split the amount between us. Her sister, however, spends more time in front of the television than the two of us. Sometimes I can’t watch my shows because she’s watching hers. Most days, when we get home from work there are breakfast and lunch dishes in the sink. My friend’s sister is relaxed all day. Since her sister doesn’t complain, I don’t feel it’s

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August 15, 2013

2917 Ryan St. • Lake Charles (337) 433-8504 • Fax (337) 433-3196

my place to scold her. It’s gotten to the point I don’t look forward to going home anymore. I told my boyfriend about this, but he feels I’m so used to living alone that sometimes I over-exaggerate things and scolds me for being selfish. He comes from a big family. He says if I can’t cope with two people, how am I going to fit into his big family? I thought it was very insensitive of him. I don’t have a problem with my friend’s sister; I just don’t enjoy being made to feel isolated. I don’t think it’s fair to be treated this way by someone I’m trying hard to be patient with. I don’t complain about it, but choose to suffer in silence. I know I agreed to this when my friend asked me, and I’m partly to blame. But I didn’t know it would be like this. Am I really being selfish or am I being reasonable? Camille Dear Camille, No, you are not being selfish. It may have been your friend’s sister’s apartment, but she needed her sister to move in to pay the rent, and your friend needed you to help her. True, you knew this was the arrangement, and you agreed to it, but, as you said, you choose to suffer in silence. If you’re bothered by what’s going on, it’s time to speak up. It’s typically easier to live with one roommate than two. This prevents some of the triangulated roommate relationship problems that are going on here. The feeling of two against one can leave you feeling angry and frustrated. This

problem is much more prevalent with women than men. Talk to your friend soon. Let her know exactly how you feel. She’s either going to agree or she’s going to side with her sister. If she goes along with you, then you need to make a list of chores her sister should do while you’re gone, such as vacuuming, washing the dishes, taking out the trash, etc. She’s getting a free ride, and that’s not fair — period. If she doesn’t, then give her a notice that you’ll be moving out, and find your own place. Too bad your boyfriend didn’t support you through this. But this isn’t his issue, it’s yours. Hopefully, your friend will not only understand, but back you up. As Seneca said, “One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood.” Of course, there are no guarantees. Living with roommates is much more than just rent and groceries. Everyone must chip in and do their part or there will be hard feelings. Talk to your friend soon, and hopefully a compromise can be reached. If not, it’s time to go. Good luck!

Dr. Dale Archer is a board certified psychiatrist who founded the Institute for Neuropsychiatry in Southwest Louisiana. He is a frequent guest on Fox News, CNN Headline News and other national TV programs, and the author of the New York Times bestselling book Better than Normal. Visit DrDaleArcher.com.

August 15, 2013

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FILE 13

brad goins

On Haters And Hipsters I actually don’t read anything, because I feel like the haters really like to hate out loud and that people who love sometimes love quietly. So I don’t really listen or look at anything. — Ke$ha I’m often annoyed by the ways in which common language changes. For the last couple of years, I’ve been greatly annoyed by the tendency of most people to say “this past year” when they could so much more easily say “last year.” What was the linguistic need that was met by this change? Who came up with such a tortured construction as “this past”? And who came up with the bright idea of saying “often times” instead of “often”? I was aggravated a few years ago when people started talking about “growing a business,” as if a business were a Japanese cedar tree. A term and usage that’s irked me recently is “hater.” When I first noticed that “hater” was being used by gansta rappers, I wasn’t concerned. I figured that if someone felt enough animosity toward another rapper to shoot him dead, it was fair enough to say that person was a “hater.” It wasn’t a stretch. A few years later, when the likes of Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber began to call the people who disliked their sappy music and sloppy lifestyles

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August 15, 2013

“haters,” I felt the annoyance begin. Why shouldn’t people dislike such vapid figures, I wondered? They’re parasitic balloonheads who leech off the public by providing lowest common denominator pop pap. I just assumed, I guess, that any thinking person over the age of 13 disliked such figures at least to some degree. These figures were being self-indulgent by alleging that those who wanted to maintain even minimal cultural standards were “haters.”

But I really began to get a little nervous about the cultural effects of the term in July, when I saw this headline in the periodical Business Insider: “11 Reasons To Ignore The Haters And Major In The Humanities” Are we really supposed to take seriously the notion that every person who doesn’t think it’s a good idea to major in the humanities is a “hater”? Or are we, alternatively, supposed to take seriously the even more

dubious proposition that there’s a crowd of people who are so wildly opposed to majoring in humanities that they fly into a white hot rage every time they think of the matter? Aren’t both ideas silly? Isn’t it perfectly fine to think that many people question the value of a major in the humanities? Isn’t it equally fine to think that in some cases such a major is a good idea and in some cases it isn’t? What I fear about the headline in the Business Insider is that it may indicate a widespread tendency to label anyone who dislikes anything, even in a thoroughly mild and unemotional way, a “hater.” If there is such a tendency, it’s only a small step to a culture in which it’s forbidden to dislike anything, or at least to say one dislikes something. Much less dangerous, but still annoying, is the term “hipster” and its effects on the culture. On June 27, Jonathan Manning wrote a story for the American Press about the new restaurant Botsky’s. Here’s how he described the patrons who dined while he was there: “Botsky’s was packed with a mixed crowed of he [sic] usual downtown folk, hipsters and families.” Hipsters? What the hell is a Southwest Louisiana hipster? Is it someone who wears a baseball cap that doesn’t have any camo in it? Someone who wears his baseball cap for-

ward rather than backwards? Someone who smokes Marlboro reds rather than Marlboro lights? OK, I thought, apparently I don’t know what a hipster is. And I don’t think I’m going to find out in Lake Charles. I’d better get on the Internet and do at least some token research. My first finding of interest was a description of the term from a 2009 issue of Time magazine: “Hipsters are the friends who sneer when you cop to liking Coldplay. They’re the people who wear t-shirts silk-screened with quotes from movies you’ve never heard of, and the only ones in America who still think Pabst Blue Ribbon is a good beer. They sport cowboy hats and berets and think Kanye West stole their sunglasses. Everything about them is exactingly constructed to give off the vibe that they just don’t care.” And what term do you use for your friends who write vague prose? “They … think Kanye West stole their sunglasses.” Kanye West stole their sunglasses? I don’t think that means anything.

We’ve had an unusually large number of tags for hip young people in the last three decades. There’s been Generation X, Generation Y, millennials and now, hipsters.

ble numbers in a place such as Lake Charles. After trying, without much satisfaction, to find out what hipster means, I tried a different approach; I began to search for evidence that the term hipster has no meaning. Guess what I found out. The internet is loaded with serious articles that assert there are no such things as hipsters. Here are some selections from a few of them: “Hipsters,” really, are just boogeymen; they’re a catch-all that contain the cultural anxieties of the moment: about homosexuality (‘they’re all wussy!’), about class (‘they’re all rich and they don’t even work!’). — Henry Stewart, The L Magazine continued

BAR NOW OPEN!

How about the rest of the passage? The hipsters like obscure films and also like a very mainstream beer. What sort of tendency is one supposed to take away from that? And cowboy hats? Come on. Maybe people such as Lyle Lovett or David Byrne can be cool while they’re wearing cowboy hats. But do young people who get on the soapbox about Coldplay really wear cowboy hats? I just don’t believe it. The next finding I thought might have some substance came from a book titled The Hipster Handbook. In this passage, the author described hipsters as young people with “mop-top haircuts, swinging retro pocketbooks, talking on cell phones, smoking European cigarettes ... strutting in platform shoes with a biography of Che Guevara sticking out of their bags.” I would argue that there is no being in our world that fits that description. Again, what is the message in the writing? Is it that young people who try to be stylish in 2013 are fundamentally different from the young people who’ve tried to be stylish in previous years and centuries? Are young people who read Che Guevara in 2013 different from young people who read Che Guevara in 1973 or F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1929 or Sir Walter Scott in 1829? I still didn’t get it. What is a hipster? After a little more searching on the Internet, I came to realize that there were some economic factors associated with the term “hipster,” to wit, hipsters are supported by their parents, don’t work and receive government aid. I’ll also note that hipsters are said to be white. Again, I have a hard time believing that many such people exist. And I certainly don’t believe that they exist in any appreciaAugust 15, 2013

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continued

People see others whom they perceive to have lives that are easier, cooler or more fun than theirs, and instead of questioning the society that gave them their lot, they demand conformity and misery out of others. But why? … even if creative and enjoyable lives are only accessible to the privileged, that’s not a damning fact about them so much as it is an indictment of a society that has so much wealth and yet only allows a select few to take advantage of it, while others are forced to waste their lives chained to their useless jobs and bloated mortgages. — Peter Frase, “Resenting Hipsters,” in Jacobin Magazine, no date. The term “hipster” itself is too glued to a sense of obscurity and individuality at this point, rendering it hopelessly incongruous with the fact that every third person between the ages of 18 and 35 very closely resembles, in many peoples’ eyes, the “hipster” archetype. — Dave Coffey, The Massachusetts Daily Collegian, Sept. 30, 2010 I must make my main point here: It is my suspicion that a “hipster,” in the broad sense of the word today, is merely an annoying person who doesn’t share any of your tastes. You might say, “Why would you defend people like that?” Well, I don’t feel the need to defend them, just as I don’t feel the need to defend evil hexes, unicorns or dragons. — From “Why Witches, Hipsters and Goblins Don’t Exist” by the anonymous author of the blog “Unchained” People who are no longer young or who are not at all hip often want to create a pigeonhole category for young people who are part of an innovative, changing youth culture. Before we had hippies, we had bobbysoxers and flappers and zoot-suiters and Gibson girls and heaven knows what else.

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August 15, 2013

In Jane Austen’s 1811 novel Sense and Sensibility, the term “Sensibility” was meant to pigeonhole the hip culture of one of the young female characters. We’ve had an unusually large number of tags for hip young people in the last three decades. There’s been Generation X, Generation Y, millennials and now, hipsters. The creating of a new pigeonhole before we’ve figured out what the last one means may be an indication of the fact that we live in times of upheaval, and in particular, of economic upheaval. Perhaps the irrational rage about the mythical hipster reflects a resentment about young people with disposable income on the part of many Americans who had expected to live by American middle-class standards and now find it impossible to do so. At any rate, pigeonholes for young people always express to some degree the regret of people who either never had the gift for being hip or who’ve reached the age when they can no longer associate with young people who are hip. In this country, anyway, that age comes very early on — usually at 25 or so. A person who’s 30 is already certain to be ostracized at any gathering of hip young people (unless said 30year-old is unusually attractive or wealthy). It wouldn’t be a big surprise if a 35-year-old who found that his finger was far from the pulse on which it once sat would express his frustration by pigeonholing people just 10 or 15 years younger than he. As for me, I no more know what a hipster is than I knew what Generation Y was. And I don’t expect people to think before they adopt fads in language. I think people who say such things as “often times” sound silly and ignorant. But there’s no solution for that minor problem. Given the range and importance of the things that people fail to pay attention to, it’s unrealistic to think that they’ll pay attention to changes in language.

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Need Cash Fast? Ask Your Bank If you need a small loan fast, where can you turn? “Start with your bank,” says Jonathan Miller, deputy director of the FDIC’s Division of Depositor and Consumer Protection (DCP). “Too many people go to companies such as car title lenders, payday loan stores and pawnshops because they don’t know that the vast majority of banks offer small-dollar loans at better rates and terms than what nonbanks provide.” That’s among the key messages from two new studies by the FDIC, both based on surveys conducted in 2011. One survey revealed that about one in five households that use car-title lenders and other alternative providers for credit did so because they mistakenly thought banks only made large loans, like mortgage loans or auto loans. “The survey showed that many consumers also think they won’t qualify for loans made by banks, and that may not

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August 15, 2013

always be true,” added Susan Burhouse, an FDIC Senior Consumer Researcher. The other study found that about eight out of 10 banks do, in fact, offer small, unsecured personal loans. Those institutions offered loans under $2,500 with repayment terms of 90 days or longer, annual percentage rates (APRs) at or below 36 percent, and loan approvals in less than 24 hours. “Results from both surveys suggest that consumers who want a small loan should find out if their bank or another financial institution nearby can offer that product and on better terms than those of non-bank loans,” said Sherrie Rhine, a senior economist with the FDIC. “Most banks offer an option to borrow small amounts of money on reasonable terms,” said DCP director Mark Pearce. “Consumers should explore options at their bank before going to alternative lenders that may offer small loans that are easy to get into but can be costly and hard to escape from because the loans need to be repaid in full in a short time — typically a couple of weeks — or be rolled over into a new loan with additional fees.”

Keep Checking Costs Down With new laws and a challenging economy limiting banks’ revenue, institutions are raising fees and reassessing features on services, including checking accounts. That’s why it’s especially important to think about how you expect to use a checking account and then comparison shop for the right combination of convenience, costs and services. Some banks, for example, are doing away with “free” checking accounts, and now charge monthly maintenance fees. However, they may waive fees if you meet specific requirements, such as keeping a minimum balance in the account at all times, using direct deposit, or doing all of your banking online. “Ask how the maintenance fee can be waived for the checking account you’re interested in, and be sure you know all of the rules and requirements,” said Heather St. Germain, an FDIC consumer affairs specialist. “And don’t hesi-

tate to check with several banks to compare fees and waiver requirements.” Some banks are also increasing ATM fees. “You can minimize or avoid fees by looking for a bank that offers ATMs that are conveniently located — close to your work, home or school,” said Debi Hodes, also an FDIC consumer affairs specialist. “You can also find banks that allow you to use other banks’ ATMs for free or a minimal fee.” In addition, be cautious when choosing a checking account that offers a debit card rewards program. The benefits of these programs may not be worth it if you’re paying maintenance fees or other costs, and the bank can decide to end the program at any time. Also carefully consider the costs for overdraft programs and your options for avoiding high fees. For help or information regarding the temporary, unlimited insurance program and FDIC insurance coverage in general, call the FDIC toll-free at 877 ASK-FDIC (877-275-3342) or visit www.fdic.gov/deposit/deposits.

Take Control of Your Credit Situation

The search for a sound financial direction often means first getting your credit under control. Credit scores determine far more about our lives than we realize, says Certified Financial Planner Denise Rau, president of Rau Financial Group. “Not only do these computerized three-digit measurements of creditworthiness influence how much we’ll pay for a credit card or a house or car loan; today many non-lenders, including future employers, like to check that information as well.” So how is your credit score determined? Rau explains that a credit score is a number, generally between 300-850, assigned to you to rate how risky a borrower you are. “The higher the score, the less risk you pose to creditors.” Experts estimate that more than 75 percent of mortgage lenders and 90 percent of credit card lenders use credit scores when they make their lending decisions. A low credit score may result in a denial of credit. Furthermore, lenders will charge high interest rates on loans to individuals with low scores. Credit scoring models compute your score primarily from information contained in your credit report. The models may also take information from credit applications into consideration, including your occupation, length of employment, and whether you own a home. Your payment history accounts for 35 percent of your credit score. The amount of money you owe accounts for 30 percent. Ten percent falls under the category “new credit,” which reflects such factors as the number of new credit accounts on your credit report. The more new accounts you have open, the more poorly this reflects on your score. In addition, the number of credit checks that were run on you in the past year can reduce your score. Fifteen percent of your credit score comes from the length of your credit history. Finally, 10 percent covers the type of credit you have and whether it’s a “healthy mix.” Rau says these factors are just a few among many. In fact, your credit score is determined by a complex formula that takes into account over 100 factors. The average credit score nationwide is 677; a

credit score above 720 is attractive to most lenders. Rau says you should learn and understand the steps you can take to maintain the best numbers possible. She offers some tips for restoring and maintaining credit: Get a copy of your credit report and score. You can get your credit reports for free at the site annualcreditreport.com. This site accesses all three credit bureaus: Experian (experian.com); Equifax (equifax.com); and TransUnion (transunion.com). “Respond quickly to inaccuracies in writing either by mail or online, and make sure you do this at the same time every year.” recommends Rau. “It won’t affect your credit score if you do this more than once. But it’s a good idea to mark a specific time and follow through. Resolve to pay on time. Get a calendar and mark the day you need to mail payments so they’re credited before the due date. Use electronic payments whenever possible. This allows you to program in payment reminders so you never forget to authorize a payment on time. Get current. If you’ve missed payments on an account, do whatever it takes to get current. Then never let yourself fall behind again. The longer you pay bills on time, the better your credit score. Prioritize balances for payment. Come up with a plan to pay off credit card balances in a sensible order. Start with your highest rate and highest balance card. If possible, transfer this balance to a card with a lower rate. Or call the bank to negotiate a lower rate. Once that step is behind you, make a commitment to pay the minimum payment on all cards except the card with the highest balance. Put as much extra money as possible toward the monthly payment on this highest interest card. Once it’s paid off, take the same amount of money you were paying toward it each month and apply it to the next card on your priority list.

Don’t decrease the amount you were paying. Be disciplined and keep rolling over the payments to the next card on your list until all the cards are paid off. You might get dozens of credit card offers and refinancing notices every week. That doesn’t mean you need to check all of them out. An excess number of credit inquiries can lower your score.

Cut up the card. But don’t close the account. Rau says closing accounts, even those that have had zero balances for years, can be a bad idea. “Lenders want to see a long record of credit management, and long-time accounts that you haven’t touched in years may actually help your score because it shows you have some restraint.”

August 15, 2013

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LUCKY 13 • BY RICK SARRO You hear it all the time in sports. You have to have a little luck to win a championship. Sean Payton and Drew Brees know it, as does LeBron James, Roger Federer, Phil Mickelson and probably the last 50-odd World Series champions. LSU’s Les Miles wishes he had more of it. I can only think of two guys who may discount the luck factor in winning, and they are Alabama head coach Nick Saban and New England head Patriot Bill Belichick. They’re cut from the same defensive cloth, so that wouldn’t surprise me. The “Process” and all of that. Maybe simple luck has been missing from the McNeese Cowboys’ football fortunes the last three years. The lack of it can explain a few things. Not all of course. continued

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Photo By Jesse Hitefield MSU Sports Information

Cowboys head coach Matt Viator admits the team has been “unlucky” when it comes to injuries to key starters. A bad Monday morning medical report can go a long way in turning a season south. When All American safety Malcolm Bronson was lost for the year with a blown knee during that win at Weber State last fall, you could see trouble on the horizon. The defense was challenged further with the loss of linebacker and

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tackling machine Joe Narcisse for a number of games, coupled with an injured safety Ford Smesny joining him on the bench. The injury bug bit the offense as well with running back Champlain Babin sidelined. At times over the last three years, it’s appeared to be an injury epidemic. From his old defensive coordinator’s post at Western Kentucky and Miami of Ohio, newly rehired Lance Guidry said

the Cowboys were “snake bit,” and, yes, a bit unlucky. On the field, right after the season finale blowout of Lamar, Viator got emotional when he addressed the injury problem, saying he had to figure out a way to keep players healthy and in the lineup. He pressed on further, explaining he didn’t know the answer, but promised to dedicate more time and attention to players’ health. I shook my head wondering what he or any coach can really do to minimize injuries in a game that’s gotten so fast, and involves bigger and stronger players. On the flip side, injuries haven’t been a major issue at two-time defending champion Sam Houston State. The BearKats have made two consecutive trips to the FCS National Championship game in Friscoe, Texas, with pretty much their starting lineups intact. Sam Houston head coach Willie Fritz, who’s entering his fourth year at the helm, told me at the recent Southland Conference preseason media meetings that luck does play a role with injuries, but he’s learned to hedge his bets.

Fritz explained that his staff tracks contact plays during pre-game practices and limits the amount of full-pad hits and pounding on his starters. This doesn’t mean a BearKat won’t come down wrong on a knee, but Fritz believes his method reduces the risk of injuries before games and reduces the wear and tear on his starters, who log a significant number of plays over a full season, and, most recently, added playoff games. He subscribes to the theory that you’ll win more games with healthy star players on Saturdays than beaten up starters on Wednesday. It’s worked for Sam Houston the last two championship years, as senior quarterback Brian Bell, senior running back Tim Flanders and senior receiver Richard Sincere have set career records. Luck may also have played some role in McNeese’s two one-point losses against Southeastern Louisiana and Central Arkansas over a three-week span last year. McNeese didn’t make the necessary plays late in the game in both losses, while no doubt SLU and UCA did. But just how those two critical defeats came to be with seconds remaining had Viator looking to the heavens for answers.

Simple as that. A rebuilt offensive line must come together quickly; the running backs will have to produce yards; and the receivers will have to get open and make downfield plays. But the engine will really hum if Stroud continues his ascent. “As quarterback, you are the leader of the offense, and everything rides on decisions you make. So this year, I feel like our offense will go as far as I can take it,” says Stroud. His two biggest areas of improvement last year were touchdown to inter-

ception ratio (19 TD versus only 5 interceptions) and his ability to avoid sacks by not holding the ball too long. Stroud completed 61 percent of his passes for 2,102 yards. He’s always been a fairly accurate passer, but he’s had to learn and grow into a leader and effective distributor of the ball. To do that well, a quarterback has to make split-second decisions with three to four options moving in different directions. All this with chaos circling around him. “In 2011, I was holding the ball too long and not hitting check downs. I did a much better job on that last year. This

year, I want to extend the play a little more. Last year, I wasn’t fast enough, so this offseason, I worked on flexibility and speed. I’ve been working on extending plays so I can make better decisions and get the ball to the right places,” says Stroud. The senior from Montgomery, La., is a more confident quarterback: more self-assured and comfortable in his role. Spend any time around him in fun conversation and you’ll sense that. These are important intangibles in playing the position with confidence and at his own pace. continued

Maybe the Cowboys have been unlucky. And maybe that explains their pedestrian 19-14 record over the past three years, with no SLC titles and no playoff appearances. Finish strong is a mantra you see posted in locker rooms and on T-shirts across college football and the NFL. Champions that are leading or mounting a comeback know how to finish and produce a victory. You can coach the discipline and fundamentals to finish strong, but you must rely on star players to have an innate and uncanny will to make plays and do what it takes to win. Or you just have to be lucky at times. Maybe the Cowboys have been unlucky. And maybe that explains their pedestrian 19-14 record over the past three years, with no SLC titles and no playoff appearances. The 2013 season is upon us, and it can’t hurt to wish that 13 will go against the proverbial grain and bring more luck this year.

MCNEESE OFFENSE: ON THE SHOULDERS OF STROUD The Cowboys’ offense will succeed only if third-year starting quarterback Cody Stroud succeeds. August 15, 2013

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FLEET FEET AND SOFT HANDS

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The Cowboys return three of their four leading receivers in seniors Ernest Celestie, Wes Briscoe and Diontae Spencer. Adding receiver depth will be TCU transfer David Bush, senior Jereon McGilvery and redshirt freshman Damon Gladney. “We have some young guys that will put their names out there. Our veterans are very good. We have a good group of guys, and I have to get the ball in their hands and let them make some plays,” says Stroud. Spencer and Celestie can make

WR's Ernest Celestie (above) and Diontae Spencer (inset)

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plays in the open field and turn 5-yard passes into 20-yard gains. Now that he returns for his senior season in good health, this should be the year Celestie breaks out and becomes the impact player that showed so much promise when he came out of Barbe High School and then went on to Texas Tech before transferring to McNeese.

Briscoe is coming off a down year, with only 13 receptions. But he was tied atop receivers with three touchdowns. He’s still McNeese’s best reliable hands guy in the red zone. It will be interesting to see whether Gladney can earn significant reps and display an array of skills. The coaches were very high on him as a recruit in 2012, and at 6 feet, 1 inch, 180 pounds, he has enough

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Put the ball in his hands, and he must then put it in the hands of a capable crew of playmakers.

speed, strength and pass-catching ability to be an offensive factor. Tight end is where McNeese will have the biggest about face. LSU transfer Nic Jacobs is one huge human being. He’s a 6-foot, 5-inch, 260-pound receiver/blocker/competitor who says he came here to win championships. “All my coaches at LSU said McNeese was a great program and one that wins games.

Tight end is where McNeese will have the biggest about face. LSU transfer Nic Jacobs is one huge human being. He’s a 6-foot, 5-inch, 260-pound receiver/blocker/ competitor who says he came here to win championships. They’ve won championships, and I am all about winning championships,” Jacobs says. The junior from Many, La., says he left LSU after failing some drug tests, and “that LSU’s school policy is their policy.” Jacobs admitted he was sad to leave, and his coaches shared the same sentiment but he felt he had to go. The Tigers loss is McNeese’s gain. Viator has been searching for a tight

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G Arinze Agada

end combo that can run and catch while blocking like a tackle on the very next play. Jacobs fills that bill, as both player and coach describe him as a dominating run blocker. “He is an excellent run blocker with great hands,” says Viator. “Nic will get up-field for us and offer us another weapon in the passing game.” “I’m very confident I can fill that role here,” says Jacobs. “They can run to my side. I’m a dominant run blocker, so the running backs can follow me. I’m not taking anything away from our OLine. It’s a great offensive line, but I’m just saying I can get the job done.”

Expect to see Jacobs hold his block and then release, offering Stroud a check down option across the middle or in the flats for short passes. His wide body and height will be easy to find downfield, and help move the chains and extend drives.

REBUILDING THE FRONT WALL The offensive line Jacobs referred to has all conference talent in two positions held by right guard Arinze Agada and left tackle Antoine Everett. Both were voted onto the SLC preseason all conference team. continued

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Agada, a 6-foot, 1-inch, 288-pound junior, is described by Viator as “possibly the best at the guard position he has ever seen at McNeese.” He has great feet and blocking skills and is very durable. If you’re going to have top talent on the O-Line, left tackle and right guard are the spots needed. “We have some young guys on the line this year, but a lot of us have played a lot of snaps. We made some progress in spring, and I expect even more this camp. If we stay healthy, this can be a very good line. Wait and see,” says Agada. I got the impression he knew something I didn’t know. What I do know is replacing four departed starters from the line is a challenge no matter how you cut it. Add in the fact you moved two defensive linemen to the other side of the line, and you have an intriguing project ahead of you. Converted D-linemen Nick Gorman (son of former McNeese and LaGrange coach Chuck Gorman) is slotted at center, with sophomore Quinten Marsh playing left guard. Viator was impressed with their quick transition and skills over spring drills, and is optimistic both will be solid performers. Redshirt freshman Ben Jones is listed at right tackle, along with another redshirt rookie in Mason Martin at center. Behind them are three freshmen and three sophomores.

respectable 42 percent; and averaged 6 yards per play. The 2013 O-Line must keep Stroud upright and afford him enough time to execute a passing game still in need of downfield gains. The Cowboys’ passing game averaged 12 yards per catch, but their leading receiver (departed wideout Darius Carey) averaged a measly 45 yards receiving per game. Spencer was next in line at only 37 yards. McNeese’s passing game was low voltage at best, and didn’t threaten defenses enough by stretching or spreading the field.

NOT RUNNING ON EMPTY The classic Jackson Browne tune about “running on empty” doesn’t apply to the Cowboys. The running game again goes three- to four-deep at tailback. This doesn’t mean McNeese is a three-yardsand-a-cloud-of-dust type team, but the run will set up the pass in many game plans. Viator’s goal is to achieve a balanced attack between the run and pass, and he was nearly dead on in 2012. The

numbers are telling, and his offense will use them as a bench mark in 2013. The Cowboys averaged 209 yards on the ground, along with 203 yards through the air. They gained first downs on 109 running plays and 110 via the pass. And the tell-all stat of total yardage was an amazing balance of 2,304 rushing yards against 2,239 passing yards. “I strive for a balanced attack, and we have the talent and weapons to do that this season. Stroud has to continue to improve. Jacobs will certainly help us continued

“We have some young guys on the line this year, but a lot of us have played a lot of snaps. We made some progress in spring, and I expect even more this camp. If we stay healthy, this can be a very good line. Wait and see,” says Agada. O-Line coach Rob Sale, now in his second season, has a big job ahead of him this August; he has to get a very young group thinking and playing together as a unit in time for South Florida on August 31. “During the spring, they got a lot of growing in,” says Stroud. “A lot of the young guys got a lot of work in. The expectations are high, but we have three weeks to help them grow and get better. They are young but talented.” If this offensive line can at least match the efforts of last year’s senior heavy crew, that would be an accomplishment. In 2012, they cut the number of sacks allowed in half; helped raise a third down conversion rate to a August 15, 2013

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TB Marcus Wiltz

at tight end. And I think we have some excellent running backs again this season,” says Viator. The running game will be led once again by tailback Marcus Wiltz, who was tops in yardage with 651 off 130 carries for a 5yard average to go along with six touchdowns. The senior seems to have added some bulk and muscle this season to go along with his elusive, hard-charging running style. Keeping Wiltz healthy is a key. But there’s capable depth in senior Javaris Murry, who gained 504 yards and three scores last fall. An exciting spark that appeared in the running game late in the season was provided by sophomore tailback Kelvin Bennett. He’s a 5-foot, 11-inch, 170-pound speedster from Newton, Texas, who fits the mold set by Toddrick Pendland a few seasons ago. It won’t take much to bring Bennett down, but the defense will have to catch him first, as he’ll easily be one of, if not the, fastest man on the field at

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any given time. He set the stage in that season-ending win over Lamar with a thrilling 93-yard burst for a touchdown. With more touches in the passing game and carries, Bennett will have more chances to break free and show off his fleet feet. Keep an eye out for Houston transfer tailback Jontrey Tillman, who may be an option in the short passing game. The key stat for this offense will be turnovers, according to both the head coach and starting quarterback. Turnovers end drives, eliminate scoring

opportunities and, conversely, offer opponents an extra shot at your end zone. Short-field turnovers, like the ones from 2012, can be backbreakers. Last season, they cut the turnovers down to a total of 12 (six lost fumbles and six picks). Stroud wants that number even lower. “I don’t like to turn the ball over, so that was a key point last year, as opposed to the year before: to minimize the turnovers; and I did that. This year is just keep growing. Getting guys in the position to succeed is my job: getting the ball

where it needs to be,” says Stroud.

MCNEESE DEFENSE: RUNNING WITH THE DOGS When veteran defensive coordinator Mike Collins decided to accept the same role at Sam Houston State (along with a hefty pay raise) earlier this summer, the timing couldn’t have been worst for McNeese. I’m not sure whether Viator and his staff hit the panic button, but they probably came close. Finding a capable and

experienced replacement so late on the calendar was a worry. But as luck would have it (yes, luck works with injuries and finding coaches), former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino was hired at Western Kentucky. When a new coach arrives, the revolving door cranks up. Hold-over assistants, including former McNeese coach Lance Guidry, who was living large in the hills at WKU, found themselves on the job market again. continued

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need for speed; and had defensive starters wearing shirts adorned with DWA. He explained his simple motivational concepts. If a player earns a starting position, he wears the “Defense with Attitude” shirt. If their efforts tailed off, then it was back to a normal jersey. Guidry has also installed a “pits and poodles” type scenario. “Every time there’s a loaf, we chart it as a poodle. Every time they get a turnover or [make a] great effort play, we give them a pit bull. As

“It was like Momma calling you to come home,” recalled Guidry. “You go home.” a defense, if we have more poodles than pit bulls, then we’ll run at the end of the day,” says Guidry. Pits and poodles, DWA and the constant critiques are a simple but effective

CB Guy Morgan MSU Sports Information

Guidry, fresh off his success as the Hilltoppers’ defensive coordinator, and his secondary coaching position at Miami of Ohio before that, accepted a defensive back’s post at Stephen F. Austin. That put this Ragin’ Cajun only a few hours from home. Viator didn’t take long before he called on Guidry and asked him to return to his alma mater and his second stint as the Cowboys defensive coordinator. “It was like Momma calling you to come home,” recalled Guidry. “You go home.” Lance It was the obvious Guidry hire and the best possible move for the Cowboys: the king of all no-brainers. Guidry has history here. He’s committed to the 4-2-5 defensive scheme. He knows the current staff, and can bring not only FBS success and insights, but also a much-needed passion and energy to the program. The 42-year-old Guidry says the transition and return to McNeese has been easy and exciting. He was easily the loudest and most talkative coach on the field for the Cowboys’ first full practice. He ran around the field screaming for more turnovers and strips and the

means by which to establish competition at every position every day. “I’m just trying to judge guys who I can count on and play fast and physical. All the scheme stuff really doesn’t matter. I think the schemes have been overrated. It’s always been about the players. The harder your guys play, the more effort they play with, the more physical they are — it doesn’t matter what scheme you run, you’re going to play well. We are trying to get competition every practice,” says Guidry. Guidry’s goal is to get the defense playing with swagger and a certain

amount of intimidation again: intangibles that have served this program well in the past. But you can’t have swag if you don’t have talent.

THE FIVE IN THE 4-2-5 DEFENSE There are enough returning starters and skilled players to make this defense formidable. But questions linger: mostly at depth in the secondary. And that’s why Guidry is playing cornerbacks at safety positions and vice versa. His thinking is to establish versatility among all his defensive backs to be able to

changing moving target this August. Right now, the cornerbacks are senior Guy Morgan and junior Aaron Sam, but that can change and it just might. The safety positions are manned by senior Ryan Bronson (yes, the third Bronson to play in a McNeese secondary); sophomore Brent Spikes; and senior All SLC and team MVP Terence Cahee from Westlake.

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interchange them at will if need be. “I am trying to create depth among all the players. If a weak safety goes down (with an injury) and your next best player isn’t a weak safety, then why is a weak safety going in? Let’s get it from somewhere else. I want the best five players on the field at all times, and that’s why we’re teaching them multiple positions,” Guidry said. It’s a simple concept with a complex learning curve for players learning two to three secondary positions. But that’s why Guidry says they’re taking it slow early in camp. The defensive depth chart will be an ever-

S Terence Cahee

continued

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DE Everett Ellefsen

Cahee led the team last season with 101 tackles and plays with the swag and physicality that Guidry so desires. He’s a hard-hitting tackler and leader in the secondary. “The defensive backs can be really good this year. We have the experience, but just have to get better; work to improve and communicate better,” says Cahee. He admits the secondary gave up too many long plays again last season, and noted it wasn’t lost on his backfield mates or the coaches. Containing of plays, controlled pursuit and better tack-

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ling will, he says, help solve those problems.

THE FOUR IN THE 4-2-5 DEFENSE The defensive line returns all four starters. It will be anchored by All SLC defensive end Everett Ellefsen. The junior end totaled four sacks and 12 tackles for lost yardage. Senior Chris Loveless returns on the other end, and Guidry will be looking for more production with sacks and tackles from him. The defensive tackles are senior

Michael Ware and junior Kevin Dorn, who was tied with four sacks and had eight stops behind the line. There’s a lot of snaps on the D-Line — decent size and speed — but Guidry is reserving judgment right now. “I don’t know. Our tackles are athletic. Our ends are average to above-average. I don’t know if they’re great players, but I think they’re really good players. I’ll have to see them come off the edge to see if they can get pressure.”

THE TWO IN THE 4-2-5 DEFENSE

offenses, who ran 71 plays per game. The defense put up some stout stats in 2012, ranking second in the Southland rushing defense. It was third in total defense; first in scoring defense — allowing an average of 21 points per game; and first in the league in turnover margin. The defensive shortfall was in passing defense, where the Cowboys ranked seventh, allowing 237 yards per game. That has to improve, and Guidry’s goal of putting the five best players on the field in the defensive secondary might do

the trick. This defense, as all try to, will hunt for more turnovers. It’s the one key component to winning games. Better tackling will surely help bring the down and distance equation back in the Cowboys’ favor, resulting in shorter possessions, fewer first downs and more three-andouts. One critical key for this defense is how it holds up when it needs a stop or big play to force a punt late in a close game. Teams can come back from a mistake in the first quarter. An ill-timed

blown coverage or missed tackle with 2 minutes remaining is hard to overcome. This situation arose in McNeese’s two late-game losses against Southeastern and Central Arkansas. Different results in those two games would have changed the race for the SLC title and probably put the Cowboys in the playoffs. “You have to play great defense first,” opines Guidry. “Protect the ball; and that comes from our quarterback play. We’re going to have to hold up our end of the bargain on defense too. We continued

Some of that pressure will have to come from the linebackers manned by junior Deonte Thompson, a preseason All SLC pick. Senior Hayden Dobbs is slotted at the other linebacker position. He came on strong last year, with 51 tackles and an interception. The fresh legs will come from sophomore Bo Brown and junior Correy Middleton. Both rely on speed versus bulk. The defensive numbers from 2012 saw 27 turnovers, 20 sacks and an average of 353 yards allowed by opposing

The defensive numbers from 2012 saw 27 turnovers, 20 sacks and an average of 353 yards allowed by opposing offenses, who ran 71 plays per game. The defense put up some stout stats in 2012, ranking second in the Southland rushing defense. It was third in total defense; first in scoring defense — allowing an average of 21 points per game; and first in the league in turnover margin. The defensive shortfall was in passing defense, where the Cowboys ranked seventh, allowing 237 yards per game. August 15, 2013

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SPECIAL TEAMS … NOT SO SPECIAL IN 2012 The third leg on the Cowboys’ stool is special teams. There’s an urgent need to improve both punt and kickoff coverage. Kickoff returns weren’t much better, as McNeese was seventh in the league; the team was a much more respectable third on punt returns. The field goal kicking was erratic, as former kicker Josh Lewis connected on only 11 of 17 attempts, missing three kicks between 30 and 39 yards. Tulane transfer Ryan Rome will handle field goals while sophomore Jean Breaux returns with a 41-yard punt average, earning him preseason All SLC honors. Veteran assistant coach Lark Hebert will coach the special teams again this season. He must devise coverages that will limit those huge 40- and 50-yard jailbreak returns. There were too many times opponents began possession at midfield or better. This opened up the playbook and put the defense, especially the secondary, on their heels and backing up.

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won a lot of conference championships with that formula (a league-leading 13 SLC titles): protecting the ball; giving it to your playmakers. I think the formula is still the same. If you get great quarterback play, but are not very good on defense, you aren’t winning.”

DE Chris Loveless

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The Cowboys are bound to have close games in the conference and will need every point available, so Rome will have to improve on last year’s 64 percent field goal accuracy. He’ll have to hit from 45 yards and beyond to help swing the momentum and the game.

COACHING STAFF: OLD IS NEW AGAIN There’s a lot of individual coaching going on from second-year man Chris Hampton, who is working with the defensive backs. Broderick Fobbs, back for his second stint at McNeese, is coaching the tight ends. Slade Nagle, back for his second year on the staff, is directing the running backs and first-year assistant Art Asselta, who came over from Southeastern Louisiana, will coach strictly the quarterbacks. Viator has one of the most talentrich, diverse and experienced coaching staffs in the conference. Their football IQ is high; they have a great chemistry and a free flow of ideas that begins with the head coach, extends to his veteran offensive coordinator/receivers coach Tim Leger and to his old friend Lance Guidry.

BearKats. Right now, that gap is as wide as Big Lake, as Sam Houston has defeated McNeese the last two seasons by an average of 28 points. A road trip to Nicholls State will fall on Oct. 26. The Cowboys will be at home against Southeastern Louisiana on Nov. 2; away to Stephen F. Austin the following week; home again for Northwestern State on Nov. 16; and a season finale in Beaumont at Lamar on Nov. 23. Of the three teams that have given

McNeese problems of late (Sam Houston, Central Arkansas and Southeastern), two of the three will travel to Lake Charles. Overall, that tilts the schedule in the Cowboys’ favor, but not by much. The preseason coaches and sports information directors’ polls have Sam Houston, Central Arkansas and McNeese at 1, 2 and 3 in their rankings. It’s a preseason opinion that the players and coaches don’t put much stock in, but in this case they should. If you battle through the FCS play-

off gauntlet to the national championship game two straight years, as Sam Houston did, you deserve to be No. 1, and the clear favorite to repeat. Coupled with the fact that the team returns running back Tim Flanders, who rushed for more than 1,600 yards and 17 touchdowns, along with 10 other starters. Don’t forget that Central Arkansas shared the regular season SLC title with Sam Houston last year: a fact often forgotten because of the BearKats’ postseacontinued

THE 2013 SEASON For the third straight year, the Cowboys will open on the road against a larger FBS opponent. Their impressive 27-21 road win over Middle Tennessee State last year kick-started a 3-0 start. McNeese will fly to Tampa for an August 31 season opener against South Florida, who has a new head coach in Willie Taggart (Western Kentucky, where he worked with Guidry). The Bulls are coming off a down 3-9 season, but Viator is impressed with what he’s seen on film in regards to the number and type of athletes they have. In their only previous game against South Florida, the Cowboys lost 41-10 in 2006. Stroud will be a calming voice against yet another FBS team. He’s battled-tested, with road games at Missouri, LSU, Kansas and Middle Tennessee. This season-opener in Tampa won’t rattle his nerves or confidence. “It’s just another game. We’ve played FBS teams every year, and have done well every year except against Missouri. Other than that, we’ve done really well, and we have the talent to do it again this year.” The Cowboys will return home for an unusual three straight games in the friendly confines of Cowboy Stadium. Arkansas Pine Bluff will open the home season, followed by West Alabama and a big matchup against Weber State. Then it’s on the road Sept. 28 at always-tough Northern Iowa. The SLC schedule begins Oct. 5 at Central Arkansas, who have beaten the Cowboys the last three years by a total of 8 points. A critical open date follows on Oct. 12, and then it’s an Oct. 19 homecoming showdown with two-time defending SLC champion Sam Houston State at Cowboy Stadium. This will be a telltale test on whether McNeese is truly on the road back, and just how far the team has closed the gap with the surging August 15, 2013

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MSU Sports Information

DT Kevin Dorn

son run. The Bears will be a force because they have the conferenceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best quarterback in Wynrick Smothers, who threw for over 3,100 yards and a leagueleading 31 touchdown passes. In the Southland Conference, a good quarterback can put you in the upper tier; a great quarterback will win you titles. McNeese is slotted third in the preseason polls and justifiably so. The Cowboys return 16 starters, led by Stroud and Cahee. The running game was a distant second in the SLC to Sam Houston, but second nonetheless. The

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Blue and Gold were second in the conference in third-down conversions. Jacobs will be a weapon at tight end. The defense will hit hard and run fast under Guidry, and the kicking game should improve. So, points of difference between the teams can be wide in some instances and razor thin in others. A play here, blown coverage there, and a missed kick, could decide critical games. Or in the end, it could all boil down to who has the most luck.

12 MSU PLAYERS ON SLC PRESEASON TEAM The McNeese State football team has 12 players on the 2013 Preseason AllSouthland Conference football team. McNeese tied with Central Arkansas and Sam Houston State with the most players on the two squads. The Cowboys, who finished 7-4 last season and return most of their players from that squad, landed six players on the first team and six on the second. First team selections on offense were offensive linemen Arinze Agada, a senior from Houston, and junior Antoine Everett from Richmond, Texas. Agada is an all-Louisiana selection, and a 2013 preseason all-American by Beyond Sports Network. He was a 2012 first-team all-conference selection. Also chosen on offense was wide receiver Diontae Spencer, a senior from New Iberia. Earning first-team honors on defense were senior defensive backs Terence Cahee from Westlake and Guy Morgan from Baton Rouge, as well as junior linebacker Deonte Thompson of Shreveport. Named to the second-team offense were senior running back Marcus Wiltz from Cecilia and junior transfer tight end Nic Jacobs of Many. On defense, defensive linemen Everett Ellefsen, a junior from Madisonville, and Chris Loveless, a senior from Houston, were named to the second team, while senior Javaris Murray of Kingston was named to the second team as kick returner. Sophomore punter Jean Breaux of Scott was also named to the second team. Agada played and started in all 11 games last season and played a big part in the success of McNeeseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s running game, which ranked second in the conference last season and 18th nationally, with 209.5 rushing yards per game. He played 699 snaps on the season and allowed just one sack. Everett played in 10 games last season and 352 snaps and allowed just 1 sack during his sophomore campaign. In 10 games last season, Spencer ranked second on the team in receiving with 413 yards on 31 receptions, while scoring two touchdowns. Cahee was named McNeeseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s MVP last season after he led the squad with 101 tackles and 12 pass break ups. He also had one interception and four tackles for a loss, and put up 10 or more tackles four times last season. Morgan tied for the team lead with three pass interceptions, and was third on the squad, with 61 tackles to go along with six pass break-ups and three tackles for a loss. Thompson played in all 11 games in the 2012 season, making 10 starts and finishing the season with 52 tackles to go along with five tackles for a loss. Wiltz led the Cowboys in rushing last season with 651 yards, and also topped the team with six rushing touchdowns. He had three 100-yard rushing games, with a season-high of 111 yards in a win over Stephen F. Austin. Jacobs will be seeing his first action as

a Cowboy this season after he spent the last two years as a member of the LSU Tigers. The highly-touted tight end played in 19 games during his career at LSU, starting one, and made five catches for 58 yards. Ellefsen led the team in 2012 with 12 tackles for a loss to go along with four sacks. He ranked sixth on the team with 50 total tackles, while playing and starting all 11 games.

Loveless set a single-game school record against Lamar when he recovered three fumbles. He was named the Sports Network and SLC Defensive Player of the Week for his numbers in that game. For the season, he made eight starts and played in 10 games, and made 23 tackles to go along with 2 sacks and four tackles for a loss. Murray averaged 74.3 all-purpose yards last season, including a 19.4 average

in kick returns. He also ranked second on the team with 504 rushing yards while averaging 5.9 yards per carry. Breaux made a great impression during his true freshman season, ranking fifth in the league in punting with a 41.3 average. Eighteen of his 48 punts were downed inside the 20-yard line while another five were stopped inside the 5-yard line.

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MCNEESE FOOTBALL TICKET INFO McNeese football season ticket holders will be able to pick up their commemorative ticket books beginning Aug. 15 from 8 am-7 pm at the ticket office, located in the Jack V. Doland athletic field house. Pickup will also be available at the field house on Friday, Aug. 16, 8 am-7 pm; Saturday, Aug. 17, 11 am-3 pm; and in Cowboy Stadium Sunday, Aug. 18, 5-6 pm. Tickets not picked up by Sunday, Aug. 18, will be mailed out on Monday, Aug. 19. Season tickets are still available. Single-game tickets for the South Fla., Stephen F. Austin and Lamar games are also now available. Prices for the USF game are $40. Seats will be located in Section 132 at Raymond James Stadium. Ticket prices for the SFA game are $12, with seats located in Section F; and the price for the Lamar game is $10, all general admission. Tickets for the Northern Iowa game can be purchased by contacting the UNI ticket office while tickets for the Central Arkansas and Nicholls games will go on sale in the near future. All away-game tickets must be purchased either over the phone or in person at the Jack V. Doland field house. Tickets will not be available online. Single-game tickets for all McNeese home games will go on sale Monday, Aug. 19, and will be available online, over the

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phone, or in person at the field house. Ticket prices are $15 for general admission, and $20 for reserved seating. For more information, contact Garrett Thibodeaux at the McNeese ticket office at 562-4MSU.

FOBBS, ASSELTA JOIN COWBOYS’ COACHING STAFF McNeese football head coach Matt Viator recently announced the hiring of Broderick Fobbs and Art Asselta to the Cowboys’ coaching staff. Fobbs will handle coaching the tight ends. Asselta will be quarterbacks coach. A 1997 Grambling graduate, Fobbs spent five seasons on the Cowboys’ staff before joining the staff at Southern Mississippi for the 2012 season. At McNeese, he served as co-offensive coordinator and coached the wide receivers. During that time, he mentored players Quinten Lawrence, who played for the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins, and Steven Whitehead, to all-star status. The Cowboys won two Southland Conference championships during Fobbs’ five seasons on staff. Prior to his first engagement at McNeese, Fobbs coached from 2002-2006 at Northwestern State, where he mentored and recruited two of the most productive receivers in NSU history — Derrick Doyle and Toby Zeigler, who rank No. 1 and No.

2 at the school in receptions, respectively. Before NSU, Fobbs served an NFL Minority Internship with the Buffalo Bills in 2005, and has also coached in the Arena League II, where he was on staff at the Lafayette franchise. He also worked as an offensive graduate assistant at LouisianaLafayette during the 2000 and 2001 seasons. Asselta, a Utica, New York native and a 1999 Hofstra graduate, spent the 2010 and 2011 season as the quarterbacks coach at Southeastern Louisiana. Under his tutelage in Hammond, quarterbacks Tyler Beatty and Brian Young both etched their names in the Southeastern single-season and career passing record books. As a firstyear starter in 2010, Beatty posted the eighth-best mark in passing yards (1,738 yards) in school history while finishing his career sixth in passing yards (2,328) and completions (188). Young succeeded Beatty at quarterback in 2011 and posted the third highest single-season total in passing yards (2,855 yards), finishing his career behind Lion signal callers Martin Hankins and Brian Babin in passing yards (3,867) and completions (332). From 2004-09, Asselta was on staff at Sacred Heart, where coached three-time All-Northeast Conference receiver Steve Tedesco, who led the league in receiving with 67 receptions for 865 yards as a senior and who holds school records for career receptions (229), career receiving yards (2,848), career touchdowns scored (37),

career receiving touchdowns (37), receptions in a season (77), touchdown catches in a game (4), and catches in a game (12). During his first season with the Pioneers, Asselta coached the running backs and SHU graduate Ed Priccolo, who became the school’s all-time rushing and then-touchdown leader. Before joining SHU, Asselta worked as a graduate assistant and running backs coach at Louisiana-Monroe, where he coached the first 1,000-yard rusher for the Warhawks since their move to the FBS.

MCNEESE COWBOY CLUB This year’s McNeese Cowboy Club board of directors were nominated and elected by the general membership. The executive board this year will be president Bob Phillips, vice president Chuck Richey, treasurer Phillip Abshire, secretary Tom Sawyer, and past president CJ Hernandez. Board members are Phillip Abshire III, Charles Gorman, Dawn Primeaux, Allen Abshire, Mike Wittler and Lynn Miller. The McNeese Cowboy Club, as it is known today, was established in 1974 when the late Jack Doland was both the athletic director and the head football coach at McNeese. It is an organization made up of members who are dedicated to raising money in support of McNeese athletic programs for men and women.

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CHOOSING THE BEST SUNGLASSES KEEP YOUR EYES HEALTHY IN THE SUN â&#x20AC;˘ By Joyce Geddings

ltraviolet radiation from the sun can cause cumulative damage to your eyes as you age, but you can protect your vision by wearing sunglasses every day, even in cloudy weather. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what you need to know about choosing the best sunglasses in order to prevent age-related cataracts and other eye problems over time.

UV LIGHT As we get older, our eyes undergo physiological changes that can cause vision problems and eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma. Ultraviolet light from the sun carries two types of radiation, UVA and UVB rays (which also cause photo-aging and wrinkling of our skin). Since UV light carries more energy than visible light, it can do

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greater damage to our eyes. As we age, the damage simply has more time to accumulate: a cataract, (cloudiness of the lens) for example, is believed to be caused by many years of exposure to bright sunlight.

HOW DO SUNGLASSES HELP? Sunglasses designed to block 100 percent of UVA and UVB rays will protect your eyes against this cumulative damage.

HOW DARK? While very dark lenses might seem to offer greater protection, how dark the lens is only affects visible light, not ultraviolet light. Dark lenses can actually cause the pupil of your eye to get larger to let in more light, making UV protection even more important. Choose glasses which block 100 percent all of the UV light, both UVA and UVB. This protection can be a function of the material the glasses are made of, the thickness of the material, or it may be a coating on the lens — even in lenses without any color or tint at all. It’s the 100 percent UV blockage you should look for on the label, since you can’t tell whether they have it, just by looking at the glasses.

CHOOSING SUNGLASSES According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), the best sunglasses offer: • 100 percent UV protection • High optical quality (lenses are free of manufacturing defects like bubbles or waves that could bother your eyes • Scratch-resistant lenses • larger frame that offers more coverage of eye area. In addition, pick sunglasses that are comfortable and fit your face properly, because you’ll be more inclined to wear them if they feel good. Hutchings suggests that older adults may prefer larger, more robust frames that are easier to handle with arthritic fingers. What about polarized lenses? Polarized lenses work on visible light (not UV rays) by blocking out polarized light that is reflected off of a horizontal surface like snow, water or a hot road. Consider polarized lenses if you ski, live near water, or find them more comfortable while driving. While these lenses are usually more expensive, you may find you prefer them as you get older.

WHEN TO WEAR SUNGLASSES The AAO recommends wearing sunglasses anytime you are outdoors, particularly in the summer, when the level of UV radiation is triple that of other times of the year. In addition, you should take care to wear sunglasses when on the water or in snow, when light rays are reflected. Older adults may find they need to wear sunglasses more often than they used to, because light passing through the cornea and lens is scattered to a greater degree in an aging eye. This scattering effect can be distracting and annoying, but it is alleviated with the use of sunglasses, especially larger ones that block light coming in from the sides.

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BEAUTIFUL SCIENCE NEW SKIN CARE INNOVATIONS

any of the beauty products making the news today didn’t begin in a beauty lab. Science and medical research are the origin of many skin care innovations such as peptides, retinoids and antioxidants. More than just a bottle of lotion off of the drugstore shelf, these high-end products are formulated after years of research by leading scientists and are filled with ingredients that rival most medicine cabinets. The cosmeceutical industry is a marriage between cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. “These products are applied on the skin, like cosmetics, but contain ingredients that influence the biological function of the skin,” said Harold Bienvenu, MD, facial plastic surgeon and medical director of the ENT and Aesthetic Center at West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital. “Evidencebased cosmeceutical ingredients can provide anti-aging benefits. The new generation of cosmeceuticals can provide valu-

SEIZING THE OPPORTUNITY Annette St. Romain worked in her family’s jewelry store since 1982. The opportunity arose to buy the existing business in 2003. “I loved my work and I loved our clientele. I was a single mother of four children; at the time, I could either reopen the business or look for another job. It was both frightening and exciting,” she explained. “After being there for 25 years, I just couldn’t walk away.” Prioritizing tasks and time management is an ongoing juggle. In order to give full attention to her clients, Annette finds it helpful to tend to the business tasks by working before or after business hours. “I feel that I have a different perspective than a businessman,” said Annette. “I think being a mother teaches you to be flexible, thoughtful and understanding.” The opportunity recently arose for Annette to open a jewelry design center in Lake Charles “and I jumped on it,” she said. “So many people have told me they wished we were in Lake Charles. The new design center is more contemporary and is conducive to creativity, an important element in our design work. Of course, I had to overcome challenges with opening a new business but I’ve learned to walk by faith not by sight.”

4070 Nelson Road • Lake Charles (337) 478-0770

1705 Maplewood Drive • Sulphur (337) 625-9971

WWW.BIJOUXFINEJEWELRY.COM 60

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able skin benefits.” Research is ongoing to improve the texture of the skin, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and slow down the signs of aging. Manufacturers are taking this knowledge and applying it to skin care. The results are breakthrough products that can make significant differences in all skin care types. Some of the innovations come from sources not related to the beauty industry, such as wound healing. This complex area of medicine deals with rejuvenating skin in order to speed up the healing process. Cell turnover is an area that has been well studied; some of the findings can be applied to the skin care industry. Other cosmeceuticals weren’t found through research, but instead were pleasant surprises, like one discovered with the workers in a Japanese sake brewery. The men, no matter how old and wrinkled, had the hands of young boys. They found that one of the enzymes in the yeasting fermenting process was responsible for producing cell turnover, which slows down the aging process. That technology was then applied to the skin care industry. Experts say the science-based approach to beauty is here to stay. “Scientific strides are being made in the world of skin care, giving the aging baby boomer population effective tools to rejuvenate their appearance,” said Bienvenu. “Science is being applied to the skin just as it is to the joints, the lungs, the heart and the brain.” Even though the price for physiciangrade skin care products are higher than those found on the drugstore shelves, in many cases they are worth it. Less-expensive products usually contain more water. Higher-end skin care lines are concentrated so that a small amount is often enough. The cost-per-use is often pennies a day, and the skin benefits from the key ingredients used. “We wear our skin every day. It’s one of the first things people notice, and it’s a big clue in determining someone’s age, whether it’s done consciously or not,” Bienvenu says. “Smooth, flawless skin is equated with health, vitality and youthfulness. Maintaining the best skin texture possible can help you put your best image forward.” Many ingredients found in cosmeceuticals sound like they could be found in a prescription bottle, but their benefits are more than just skin deep:

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE Is running part of your lifestyle? If it isn’t, it should be. The benefits to your overall health are many.

PHYSICAL FITNESS You’ll lower your resting heart rate, improve your cardiovascular system, strengthen and tone your muscles and increase bone density. Running can help you lose weight and lower your body fat percentage.

RUNNER'S HIGH

ANY TIME, ANY PLACE

Running releases endorphines in your brain which results in an elevated mood and a general sense of well-being.

Running helps you see the world from a different perspective. No matter where you travel, you can always find a place to run. You’ll observe things you would never have noticed any other way, and you'll feel more a part of your locale.

MEDITATION Running alone is a meditative activity. You’ll find yourself solving problems that have been pestering you and gain insight into your life.

ALPHA HYDROXY ACIDS (AHAS) Glycolic, malic and lactic acids speed up the skin’s exfoliation process, preparing it for active treatment products.

ANTIOXIDANTS Ascorbic acid, vitamin E and green tea help restructure collagen and act as anti-inflammatories.

BOTANICALS Phytochemicals from plants minimize photo damaging in a non-irritating manner.

PEPTIDES Copper peptides and Argireline firms, smoothes and softens the skin.

RETINOIDS Non-prescription Retinols, derived from vitamin A, help reverse and prevent sun damage. August 15, 2013

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BRA STRAP SOLUTIONS B

ecause many petite women have narrow shoulders, a common problem for them is the slipping bra strap. Of course, this fashion faux pas isn’t exclusive to the petite woman; any woman can encounter it. Despite the fact that some women, including some celebrities, like to display their underwear, it’s really not appropriate. Bras are truly meant to be undergarments, and their purpose is to support without being seen. So whether bra straps are slipping due to narrow shoulders, ill fit or bad taste, it’s a problem that can easily be corrected.

CONVERTIBLE BRA Convertible bras adjust so that they can be worn either with two straps, as usual, or one strap in halter style. They’re widely available in many different sizes, colors and styles. Petite women who wear petite bras should also be able to find convertible bras at specialty sellers. Certainly, wearing a convertible bra in the halter style will solve the problem of slipping bra

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Photo By Jamie Lee

HOW TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM OF SLIPPING BRA STRAPS • By Shannon Valencia

straps; however, it doesn’t always work well because, depending on the style of garment that a woman is wearing, the bra’s halter strap may show, so it’s a good idea to try on the bra with the garment to make sure that the bra strap does not show.

STRAPLESS BRAS Although a strapless bra is a good solution because there are no straps to show, strapless bras can be uncomfortable, and some of them don’t stay in place as well as they should. Also, women who wear C cup sizes or larger may have a more difficult time finding a strapless bra that doesn’t slip or sag.

TRANSPARENT STRAPS Transparent or “invisible” straps are available on some bras, and a few bras come with transparent straps as extras. Also, transparent straps are sold separately. Unfortunately, invisible straps are not totally invisible, but they do show much less than a regular strap would.

FASHION TAPE Double-sided fashion tape can be used to anchor bra straps in place so that they will not show. Like adhesive bras, fashion tape will leave a sticky residue on the skin. Also, some women’s skin may be sensitive to the adhesive.

ADHESIVE BRA Many different styles of adhesive bras are available, some even in larger cup sizes. The larger the cup size, the more problematic this style of bra is, though. Adhesive bras simply stick to the skin, so

there is no need to worry about bra straps showing, although it’s necessary to remove the adhesive from the skin after wearing, and there is the possibility of some skin irritation, especially for those women who have allergies or sensitive skin.

BUILT-IN BRA Bras can be built right into clothing as a lining, eliminating the need to wear a separate bra, and also eliminating any worry about bra strap slippage. Most of the styles that include built-in bras are activewear, such as tank tops. Occasionally evening gowns or bridal gowns feature built-in bras, too.

BRA STRAP CARRIER This is my favorite solution to the problem of slipping bra straps. A bra strap carrier attaches to the shoulder of a top or a dress. To use a bra strap carrier, simply slip the bra strap under the ribbon and snap the ribbon in place to anchor the bra strap. Although bra strap carriers are highly effective in solving the slippage problem, very few clothing manufacturers include them, probably because it’s more costly to do so. However, it’s not too difficult to add your own bra strap carriers to clothing. All that’s needed is some narrow satin ribbon, a snap, needle, and thread. Then one end of the ribbon is hand sewn to the lining of the garment or to the seam allowance while the snap is sewn on the other end of the ribbon, one part on the ribbon and one part on the lining or seam allowance.

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LOSE THE EXCESS BAGGAGE A LOOK AT SOLUTIONS FOR BAGS UNDER THE EYES

ost people would agree that the eyes are the most important feature of the face. They are the key feature for expressing emotions, reflecting interest, affection, disapproval and, unfortunately, the signs of aging. That’s the main reason why cosmetic eye surgery has become so popular. Mark Crawford, MD, oculoplastic surgeon and medical director of the Aesthetic Center at The Eye Clinic, explains that the skin around the eye is more thin and fragile than at other parts of the body, and as a result, is usually the first area of the face to show the signs of aging. “Sagging of the upper eyelids and bagginess in the lower eyelids can result in a tired, sad, angry or aged appearance. Loose excess skin, weak muscles or a combination of both causes sagging of the upper lids,” he explains. “Every time you blink, the skin and muscles of your upper eyelids stretch a bit and, in time, the repeated stretching causes the skin and muscles of the upper eyelid to get longer. A fold may even develop as the skin bulges outward and hangs over the lid.”

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Crawford says nearly everyone will develop bags with age, but even young people may have this problem because this tendency is inherited. “Our eyes are surrounded by a protective layer of fatty tissue encased by a membrane that holds the fatty tissue tightly in place. As we age, this membrane weakens, allowing the fatty tissue to slip downward. Skin and muscle are stretched by the protruding tissue, increasing the appearance of ‘bags’ under the eyes.” Eyelid surgery, called blepharoplasty, is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used to remove excess skin and fat around the eyes, giving you a brighter, more youthful appearance. This surgery is usually performed for cosmetic reasons, but Crawford says in some cases it can be considered medically necessary when the excess skin is interfering with vision. “This surgery is very effective for both women and men, and new advances in technology allow the procedure to be tailored to each person’s anatomy and gender,” Crawford says. Eyelid surgery is done on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia with

mild sedation, explains Crawford. For the upper lids, a small incision is made in the natural fold, and the excess skin is removed along with appropriate amounts of fatty tissue to rejuvenate the upper eyelid appearance. The most common incision site for the lower lids is just inside the inner surface of the eyelid. The excess fat is removed through this tiny incision, resulting in a more restful and youthful under-eye appearance. If there’s also excess skin in the lower lid that needs to be removed, the incision can be made in the natural crease immediately below the eyelashes. Incisions in the eyelid usually heal quickly, and there is very little risk of complications. Mild swelling and discoloration is common immediately after the surgery. Most people are able to resume their normal activities within one week after the surgery. “You don’t have to look older than you feel, and you don’t have to have major surgery to get the results you are looking for,” says Crawford. “Cosmetic eyelid surgery is a great way to redefine your eyes, achieving a younger, more refreshed appearance.”

SLIMMING STYLES Did you know that when you look slimmer, you also look taller? Here are some fashion styles that can make women look thinner and taller. These styles are slimming for all women; and for petites, they have the extra benefit of also making short women look a bit taller.

SHEATH DRESS A sheath dress is a slimming style as long as the details are right. For the most slimming look, choose a knee-length sheath dress in a dark color. The dress should fit well, neither too tight nor too loose, or the slimming effect may be lost. The most slimming neckline for a sheath dress is a V-neckline because it elongates the neck, making the wearer look a bit slimmer and taller. Choose a sheath dress in a matte fashion fabric, rather than a shiny fabric, because shiny materials make the wearer look larger. Don’t forget the shapewear if you want the most slimming effect, and add a jacket to help disguise figure flaws if you like.

PENCIL SKIRT Many women believe that they can’t wear a pencil skirt because it will make them look bigger, but just the opposite is true, as long as the pencil skirt fits correctly. Knee-length is usually best, but women with slim legs may wish to wear a shorter pencil skirt.

V-NECK TOP A top with a V-neckline is a slimming choice because it opens up the neckline and creates an elongating effect. Unfortunately, a V-neckline alone can’t save a garment that’s otherwise unflattering, so choose a top style that works well for your figure type.

TAILORED, SINGLE-BREASTED JACKET Fit and fabric are keys to a slimming single-breasted jacket. A jacket that fits well will have a more slimming effect than an ill-fitting jacket, so it’s worth investing in some tailoring to achieve the perfect fit. Avoid bulky fabrics, such as wool, and opt for closely woven fabrics, such as wool gabardine. A jacket can be used to disguise figure flaws, such as a big tummy, thus adding to its slimming effect.

STRAIGHT-LEG JEANS Denim continues to be a major fashion player, which means that almost everybody wears jeans. Despite the availability of lots of trendy jeans styles, such as printed jeans, slashed and trashed jeans, and brightly colored jeans, the best style to wear for the most slimming appearance is a straight-leg, dark denim style with a medium rise. To add to the slimming effect, pick jeans that have some Lycra content. Skip embellishment on your jeans if you want to look thinner, and opt for plain pockets.

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KEEP YOUR COOL BE SMART WHEN IT COMES TO DEALING WITH HOT WEATHER AND AVOID HEAT ILLNESS

ummer is still here, and we’re experiencing the high temperatures and soaring humidity that is typical in Southwest Louisiana. That makes this the ideal time to raise awareness of a common summer health risk: heat illness, which includes both heat exhaustion and heat

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stroke. “Your body is designed to cool itself when overheated. Typically, the heat is lost through the evaporation of sweat and other means,” explains Dr. Melissa Rasberry, family medicine physician with Imperial Health Urgent Care. “However, in climates

like ours with high humidity, this evaporation does not occur. As a result, your body function is affected. Blood is diverted from the muscles to the skin, blood volume is reduced, and water and electrolytes are lost in the sweat.” Other physiological changes may also

occur, causing hyperthermia, which is a sharp rise in body temperature that can trigger heat-related illnesses such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heatstroke. Rasberry says this risk increases most when the relative humidity exceeds 65 percent. Heat exhaustion is best treated by moving the person from the hot environment to a cooler, well-ventilated area. The victim’s temperature should be lowered by having him or her drink ice water, removing unnecessary clothing, and placing ice packs or iced towels on the body. Heat exhaustion can progress to heat stroke if not treated. Heat stroke is the most serious of heat illnesses, and occurs when body temperature is 104 degrees or higher. Rasberry says the classic signs are sluggishness, confusion, and hot, dry skin. “These signs are not always present,” Rasberry says. “Heat stroke can occur without warning, and can damage vital organs, such as the liver, kidneys and brain. Immediate medical attention should be obtained for anyone suspected of suffering from heat stroke, with body cooling techniques beginning immediately.” One of the best things you can do when exercising on a hot, humid day is to drink plenty of water to replace the fluids lost from sweating. “Dehydration is not to be taken lightly,” says Rasberry. “A mere three percent loss of body weight from dehydration has been shown to significantly reduce muscle endurance. As little as four percent can significantly reduce muscle strength. And contrary to advertising claims, water is just as beneficial as sports drinks for activities lasting 90 minutes or less, but for some people, the flavor of sports drinks entices them to drink more. It’s also important to not count on thirst to be your guideline. The thirst mechanism always underestimates fluid loss.” Don’t make the mistake of thinking you have to be out in the sun to be at risk of heat illness. Rasberry says heat, not sunlight, is the danger to avoid, and offers these additional suggestions: • Wear loose-fitting, loosely-woven, light-colored clothing. Dark colors attract heat, and tightly-woven clothes don’t allow your skin to breathe. • Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a hat or using an umbrella. • Use sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or more. • Drink plenty of water before starting an outdoor activity. Drink extra water all day. Drink fewer beverages that contain caffeine or alcohol. • During an outdoor activity, take frequent breaks. Drink water or other fluids every 15 to 20 minutes, even if you don’t feel thirsty. If you have clear, pale urine, you are probably drinking enough fluids. • If you have a chronic medical problem, ask your doctor about how to deal with the heat, about drinking extra fluids, and about how your medications might be affected by the heat.

f you’re as old as I am, you may remember when children were scolded because they “couldn’t sit still” at school. I remember that especially well, since I was one of the children who got scolded. In 1985, a psychiatrist coined the term “attention deficit disorder” and wrote a popular book about the condition. A longstanding, common human behavior had been turned into a disease, or “disorder,” that was recognized by the medical community. After the conflict in Vietnam, the term “post-traumatic stress disorder” came into official, clinical usage. But was post-traumatic stress disorder really different from the “shell shock” experienced by soldiers in World Wars I and II and the “exhaustion” suffered by soldiers in the Civil War? And how about “intermittent rage disorder” — a term that came into clinical usage in the 1990s? How is it different from the longstanding notion that some people can’t control their tempers? It sometimes seems as if certain researchers long to create new names for new disorders that are in fact common human behaviors that have been recognized for as long as there’s been recorded civi-

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lization. In this story, we’ll look at several of these new names and disorders: “male menopause,” “andropause” and “irritable male syndrome.” If those aren’t enough terms for you, how about “aging-related hormone changes in men,” “testosterone deficiency,” “androgen deficiency of the aging male” and “Del syndrome,” which is another term for irritable male syndrome? Would it surprise you to be told that this glut of language has been created to describe a condition that very probably does not exist? If you’re curious, keep reading. It’s long been understood that men lose testosterone as they age. For many men, this loss begins as early as age 30. On average, men 30 or older will lose 1 percent of their testosterone each year. Eventually, extreme loss of testosterone can result in depression, mood swings (including the grouchiness and grumpiness which are part of the old man stereotype), anxiety, sexual dysfunction or loss of interest in sex.

All of this is well known. It’s at this point that we encounter our first problem: Why is that some men of, say, 60 or 70 are virile and sexually active and others simply seem disinterested in sex? The explanation is simple. The amount of testosterone among individual men varies greatly. Some have a great deal; others — not so much. An adult male who begins with a large amount of testosterone can lose 30 or 40 percent and still be rarin’ to go. Another perfectly ordinary man with less testosterone can lose 30 or 40 percent and be down for the count. Perhaps the real problem is with the men in their 50s, 60s or 70s who find themselves losing interest in sex and flying off the handle more often than they used to.

What Have Sheep Got To Do With It? For these men, there is, as we’ve seen, a batch of new terms to describe their condition. One of these is irritable male syndrome, which popular Irish health writer Muiris Houston has called “a medical sounding label.”

It may seem curious to turn to an expert in Ireland for information on this topic. However, for whatever reason, the fact is that research studies of the irritable male syndrome have tended to take place in parts of the United

“Female menopause Kingdom or in countries still and so-called male strongly influenced by the menopause are two difU.K., such as Australia. ferent situations,” write Given that, it shouldn’t staff at the Mayo Clinic. be a surprise that one of the big studies behind the irrita“In women, ovulation ble male syndrome was conends and hormone producted by the Medical duction plummets.” Research Council’s Human This might be a Reproductive Sciences Unit good time to note that in Edinburgh, Scotland. In many women, including fact, it was researchers for many who are in no way this study who came up with feminists, find the idea of Did this monkey hope that the term “irritable male syn- Buster Keaton would protect male menopause distastehim from Serge Woronoff? drome.” ful in the extreme. They Now, keep in mind that feel it belittles an experithis was a study of sheep — in particular, ence that many women find extremely Soay sheep — and not of people. unpleasant, and sometimes even debilitatResearchers found that in the fall, during ing. It’s probably a sensible practice for mating season, testosterone levels of the men who are experiencing some sort of male sheep rose dramatically. But in winter, the males’ testosterone levels diminished, as did their interest in sex. What seems to have caught the attention of the researchers was that in the winter, the male sheep also experienced increases in anxiety, introversion and aggressive behavior. The researchers later said they saw the same changes in male deer, reindeer and elephants. At first, then, irritable male syndrome was just a theory about complex animals that experience precipitous drops in testosterone. It should take only a little thought to realize that the Scottish study was about male animals whose testosterone levels rise and fall dramatically every year, and that

problem to refrain from attributing it to some sort of menopause.

Depression Or Anxiety? The irritable male syndrome encompasses more than just sexual functions. In fact, one researcher has said that irritable male syndrome can even cause a “loss of male identity” — whatever that means. Note that many of the symptoms of irritable male syndrome or male menopause — symptoms such as hypersensitivity, acute reactions to stress, frustration — fit very neatly into the conditions of anxiety or depression or both. One researcher has written about andropause that “stress tends to be a common trigger.” Surely stress is one of the most common triggers, and perhaps the continued

Extreme loss of testosterone can result in depression, mood swings (including the grouchiness and grumpiness which are part of the old man stereotype), anxiety, sexual dysfunction or loss of interest in sex. such animals have little in common with the typical male human being, whose testosterone levels stay steady or fall slightly during the course of the year.

Problem At The WHO In addition to irritable male syndrome, aging men are sometimes said to suffer from male menopause or andropause. Houston points out that in the effort to find a parallel between men’s and women’s conditions, it’s even been said that men in male menopause experience hot flashes. (The Mayo Clinic reports that men can experience hot flashes, but only “rarely” do.) Right away we start to encounter problems with the andropause diagnosis. For starters, says Houston, andropause isn’t recognized by the World Health Organization as a medical condition. The likely reason for this is that male aging — or sexual or hormonal aging, if you prefer — is dramatically different from the condition of menopause experienced by females. Females lose their hormones quickly, usually over the course of a year; men lose testosterone very, very gradually. August 15, 2013

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most common trigger, of depression and anxiety. If an aging man finds that he’s snapping at people or getting easily frustrated and that these behaviors are new to him, he might consider a consultation with a physician or a psychiatrist to see whether depression or anxiety could be the problem.

The ‘Collective Work’ On Syndrome Creation “Has a simple phenomenon of old age in the male been turned into a disease?” wonders Houston. That could easily be the case. Most of the buzz behind irritable male syndrome is being driven by Jed Diamond, who published the book The Irritable Male Syndrome in 2004. A frequent guest on talk shows, Diamond has spent the last 15 years publishing books that endeavor to turn men’s perennial experiences into syndromes. His other books include Mr. Mean: Saving Your Relationship From The Irritable Male Syndrome (2010); Surviving Male Menopause: A Guide For Women And Men (2000); and Male Menopause (1997). One of his book titles makes reference to something Diamond calls “Energy Healing.” He espouses some other thing he calls “Comprehensive Energy Psychology.” On his site, menalive.com, Diamond claims he has a PhD in “International Health.” Diamond invites visitors to the site to become part of what he calls the MenAlive Tribe. He writes, “We … ask that you not call yourself a member unless you share our

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vision and contribute to the collective work.” He promises that “you can eliminate deadly stress from your life without talk therapy or drugs … for less than $20.00.” Diamond’s 2004 book on irritable male syndrome was published by Rodale, which is the publisher of Prevention, the magazine that’s touted natural cures for ailments for decades.

from trying to find a cure. Let’s look at one that was especially creative.

Monkey Business

I’ve hinted above that many aging men simply may not like the idea that at some age, they will, more or less, lose interest in sex. We’ve seen evidence of this before. For instance, says Houston, we saw it in the 1920s and 1930s when France’s Dr. Serge One Real Problem Voronoff advanced his monIs there any real, bona key glands therapy. fide medical condition The notion was that caused by drops in human aging human males would male testosterone that can experience increased virility be treated with testosterone if small pieces of monkey replacement? testicles were grafted onto There is indeed. It’s the men’s scrotum. called male hypogonadism. And this wasn’t It occurs when levels of entirely considered a cracktestosterone dip below the pot theory at the time. It’s levels that usually exist in thought that Picasso underaging men. Hypogondaism went the procedure. If he Picasso. His fabled virility creates all the symptoms didn’t, it’s certain that a had nothing to do with associated with testosterone number of lesser known monkeys. reduction, and osteoporosis celebrity figures did. and anemia in addition. The therapy was abanOne thing that should be remembered doned when it became clear that the human about male hypogonadism is that it is body wouldn’t accept the grafted parts of extremely rare. The best study of the condi- the monkeys. tion is, again, found among Europeans. The European Male Ageing Study (EMAS) ‘Cavalier Approach’ found that hypogonadism was present in While this use of monkey parts may 0.6 percent of the male subjects who were seem haphazard and lackadaisical to us 50-59, 3.2 per cent of those 60-69 and 5.1 today, some find a similar lack of perspecpercent of those in their 70s. tive in what Houston calls the “cavalier Testosterone replacement therapy approach to testosterone therapy.” He (TRT) can have real benefits for a man thinks that “gels, patches and intramuscular diagnosed with hypogonadism. But, as injections of testosterone” may be the we’re about to find out, TRT is not a equivalent of monkey parts for the 21st panacea for typical male testosterone loss. century. In fact, there’s probably not any real cure If testosterone levels fall too low, men for everyday male testosterone loss. may have, in addition to reduced sexual But that fact hasn’t prevented people desire, either insomnia or increased sleepi-

ness, increased body fat, decreased motivation and self-confidence, increased sadness and difficulty in concentration. While these symptoms may sound unpleasant, they are, the Mayo Clinic assures us, “a normal part of aging.” They can also result from causes as diverse as medicinal side effects, thyroid problems, depression, excessive drinking. If you want to determine your testosterone level, you’ll have to take a blood test. If your doctor is concerned about your testosterone level, one thing he’ll want to consider is what medications you’re taking. He may also recommend such common sense treatments as a healthy diet, physical activity and exercise. Men in their 50s, 60s and 70s should approach testosterone therapy with extreme caution. In general, it’s believed that aging men will not solve the problems of testosterone loss with testosterone therapy. A much more sensible approach is to accept the fact that men gradually lose testosterone and that their bodies change as they do. For aging men who get testosterone therapy for anything other than hypogonadism, “the risks are a concern,” says the Mayo Clinic, which, along with Dr. Houston, lists prostate cancer as one of the risks. Other experts say testosterone replacement therapy may increase the incidence of heart problems. Houston says the risk of testosterone replacement therapy “may have been played down to those eager to experience an elixir of youth.” The chances of finding an elixir of youth are probably about as poor now as they have been at any other stage of human existence. On the other hand, aging men can still enjoy the fact that they need not feel obliged to do nearly as many things as young men.

rossfit, P90X, Insanity and other high-repetition, high-intensity workout programs have amassed huge numbers of followers in the last decade. While there’s no doubt these programs get results, there’s a growing concern in the medical community about their safety as their popularity increases. “These programs have caught on and are the latest fitness craze,” says Dr. Geoffrey Collins, orthopeadic surgeon and sports medicine specialist with Center for Orthopaedics, an affiliate of Imperial Health. “Even the military is implementing aspects of these programs in their physical training because they’re effective. “The concern, however, is that when not done under proper supervision of qualified trainers, participants can risk injury — some of which are severe.” Collins says they have seen an increase in the number of patients who have overdone it during a high intensity workout in recent years. Rather than traumatic injuries, like broken bones and stress fractures, he says high-intensity exercisers tend to rack up muscle sprains and tendon strains, particularly of the calf, chest and shoulder — the result of overusing explosive movements and heavy weights. “Most fitness programs present a lower risk for injury than participation in team sports. But participants in these extreme fitness programs often push themselves beyond what’s safe, especially when they’re new to a program,” says Collins. “In many cases, they’re also participating without the guidance of a qualified professional who could set safe limits and tailor a program to an individual’s capabilities. “Following a program you’re not in condition to complete greatly increases the risk of injury.”

Although these programs often include a warm-up and stretching period, Collins says muscles can still be stressed and overworked. “Choosing weights that are the correct weight for your current fitness level, making sure you’re performing the exercises correctly and not completing more repetitions than you can with good form can help protect your muscles from

undue stress.” Your muscles aren’t the only thing at risk in a high intensity program. Your joints, tendons and ligaments are also at risk for injury, according to Collins. “The joints of your shoulders, wrists, ankles and knees are the most susceptible. This is where the bulk of weight stress is placed during these workouts. Pay particular attention to how you bend these joints, and be sure you

aren’t putting too much stress on them while completing manual exercises like push-ups.” In addition, the quick changes required between exercises in intense workout routines can increase the risk of injury. Collins says to be sure and rest in between sets or exercises if you need to. “If you’re doing one of the video workouts, then pause the DVD, grab a sip of water, and then resume play on the video when you’re ready.” Beyond sprains and strains, Collins says there are much more serious injuries that can occur from extremely intense workouts, including torn ligaments, ruptured discs, broken bones and rhabdomyolysis, a condition in which skeletal muscle becomes so severely damaged that it rapidly breaks down. If this happens, muscle cells may rupture and important contents could leak out into the bloodstream, eventually damaging the kidneys — even to the point of kidney failure. The condition must be treated in a medical facility, as it is potentially life threatening. Before beginning any new exercise regimen, Collins says it’s important to get a clean bill of health from your doctor. “If you’ve had previous injuries or have a history of heart problems, it’s important to discuss your new workout plans with your doctor,” says Collins. “You may need to tailor whatever program you’re starting to your own physical capabilities. This could be anything from working out fewer days a week to modifying certain movements and actions to prevent injury. “It’s also imperative that you listen to your body when you’re working out. You should never ‘play through the pain.’ If something doesn’t feel right, it’s because it’s not. Stop and scale back. You’re working out to improve your health, not put it at risk.”

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UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN KICKOFF United Way of Southwest Louisiana will hold its 2013 Campaign Kick-Off celebration on August 29. The kick-off breakfast, which will initiate the 74th United Way campaign, will be held in the Buccaneer Room of the Lake Charles Civic Center. Since its beginning, United Way has raised more than $100 million in the five-parish area. 2013 Corporate Cornerstone companies will be recognized at the event. These are companies that designate their annual corporate gifts to help underwrite the campaign, dues and administrative costs of United Way of Southwest Louisiana.

MESSAGE FROM THE CAMPAIGN CHAIR I am honored to serve as this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chair. One of the things I most enjoy about working with United Way is that it allows everyday people like you and me to find our inner hero. By pooling our resources of time, money and heart, even the smallest donation can make great strides toward improving the health, income and education levels in our community. Our annual kick-off celebration will be held on Thursday, Aug. 29, in the Buccaneer Room in the Lake Charles Civic Center. United Way allows everyone a chance to become a hometown hero, so we hope to see everyone there. Robert Gelinas 2013 United Way Campaign Chair

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UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN FAQ Contributors and volunteers are the backbone of United Way of Southwest Louisiana, and United Way appreciates everyone who gave their time and talent to help meet the challenges that so many in our community face on a daily basis. Those services provided through United Way and its agencies are utilized by thousands of people in Southwest Louisiana every single day.

HOW DO I GET STARTED IF I WANT TO HELP? A: The United Way workplace campaign is the easiest and most powerful way to invest in your community. You can direct your contribution to one of the impact areas, or influence the condition of all by choosing United Way’s Community Impact Fund. WHY GIVE TO UNITED WAY OF SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA? A: United Way of Southwest Louisiana is the one organization looking at the big picture — embracing the entire circle of life, focusing on children and youth, families and neighborhoods, seniors and people rebuilding their lives. We are the social services safety net for our community, creating long lasting change to prevent problems from happening in the future. United Way brings people together for a greater good. There are basic things we all need for a good life: Quality education that leads to a stable job, enough income to sup-

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port a family, good health and, sometimes, help through difficult times. United Way works each and every day to make these building blocks for a better life a reality throughout Southwest Louisiana communities. United Way is the leader and trusted partner in: • improving lives (touching one of every two lives in our community) • tackling key community social issues • making a lasting difference in the quality of life in the community. I’D LIKE TO GIVE. CAN MY DOLLARS GO TO A SPECIFIC AGENCY? A: With United Way, people can give once for a variety of services. Your contribution supports our goal areas of helping children grow into successful adults and families to achieve financial stability. Some individuals may choose to designate their gift to a particular United Way initiative or agency (because of help

they have received or a personal experience). To designate your gift, fill out the separate designation card. Some contributors designate only a portion of their gift.

ARE DONATIONS USED ONLY LOCALLY? A: United Way supports programs and agencies in the fiveparish area.

IS MY GIFT TO UNITED WAY TAX DEDUCTIBLE? A: Your United Way gift is deductible on Schedule A of the Form 1040, if you choose to itemize deductions on your tax return. Please consult with your tax advisor regarding IRS limitations that may apply in your individual situation.

DOES UNITED WAY FUND ABORTION? A: United Way does not fund programs in agencies that provide abortions.

WHO BENEFITS FROM DONATIONS THAT ARE GIVEN TO UNITED WAY? A: People in the greatest need throughout our community are the ones who benefit from these donations. United Way promotes the tenets of “Education, Income and Health” and, through programs with the agencies it funds, is involved in many aspects of intervention and prevention.

WHY SHOULD I SUPPORT SERVICES I MAY NEVER USE? A: United Way programs reach an estimated 100,000 people each year — the life you change could be that of a friend, co-worker or family member. Any of us may need services such as care for older adults or emergency disaster aid. I DON’T GIVE TO UNITED WAY BECAUSE I DON’T WANT ANY OF MY MONEY GOING TO (X) AGENCY. A: Because United Way annually funds about half a dozen focused initiatives, and anywhere from 50 to

55 programs in 30 to 40 agencies, there might be one that you don’t want to support. Please consider, however, that a decision to withhold a contribution because of one agency penalizes others that are providing important services.

money sent there, you can designate. Some United Way agency partners provide services to people outside of our service area and people in surrounding parishes or counties often come into Southwest Louisiana for service.

WHY SHOULD I GIVE IF I I LIVE OUTSIDE THE AREA IT SERVES? A: United Way has arrangements with nearby United Ways — other Louisiana and Southeast Texas United Ways. If you live in one of these areas and want your

WHO GOVERNS UNITED WAY OF SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA? A: United Way of Southwest Louisiana is governed by an unpaid Board of Trustees made up of local volunteers from across the community. These volunteers determine

policy and oversee every aspect of the organization. Professional staff manages the day-to-day activities. WHAT IS 2-1-1? A: It’s a free helpline operated 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The call center has trained specialists answering calls from those in need. Calls for help are consistently for basic needs: food, rent or mortgage assistance, utility assistance and medical prescriptions. 2-1-1 is a valuable community resource with the most compre-

hensive database of social services available for the community. Encourage individuals who need help to dial 2-1-1. HOW CAN I BECOME INVOLVED? A: United Way recruits volunteers to help make a positive change in the community. These volunteers serve as board and committee members, consultants and trainers, and help make investment decisions. For more information on volunteering, call 337-433-1088.

UNITED WAY OF SWLA'S MISSION

DENISE DUREL

For more than 70 years, United Way of Southwest Louisiana has been committed to building strong, successful families and strengthening the community. Those who join the United Way team support a powerful movement that has an impact on the region’s most pressing health and human service needs. United Way of Southwest Louisiana’s volunteer-led assessments are designed to assure a wise investment of donor dollars. The result is a diverse array of programs that make a positive difference in the lives of your workers, neighbors, friends, family members and others in need. Through a great number of local health and human service agencies, United Way serves the parishes of Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron and Jeff Davis. Currently, United Way of Southwest Louisiana works with its partners to deliver over 50 programs and multiple services that target community needs that center around the building blocks for a good life: a high quality education that leads to stable employment; sufficient income to support a family through retirement; and sound mental and physical health. The organization’s mission is to unite Southwest Louisiana in order to address all citizens’ human needs. Its vision is of a united community that meets the educational, financial and health needs of Southwest Louisiana.

President and CEO of United Way of Southwest Louisiana

We Can Make A Difference! We're Pleased to Salute United Way of Southwest Louisiana! AIR LIQUIDE TM

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THURSDAY, AUG. 15

FRIDAY, AUG. 16

SATURDAY, AUG. 17

Coushatta Pavilion Journey; Mikko Live Leroy Thomas & Zydeco Roadrunners Dharma Open mic Isle of Capri Caribbean Cove Ivy & Timmy Dugas; Otis & Henry’s Ryan Bunch L’Auberge L’Auberge Liquid Society Fuel, Hoobastank; and Alien Ant Farm; Jack After Dark DJ Cage Luna Live TBA

Cigar Club Wayne Dylan Coushatta Mojeaux Cowboys Club 7 Radio Delta Downs Alter Ego Dharma Engine, Mad Maude & The Hatters Isle of Capri Caribbean Cove Zydecane; Otis & Henry’s Tiffany Rene L’Auberge Jack After Dark DJ Cage Loggerheads J.C. Melancon Luna Live Street Side Jazz Band (7 pm); Sol Tribe (10 pm) Yesterdays BB & Co.

Cigar Club Tiffany Rene Coushatta Mojeaux Delta Downs Alter Ego Dharma McNeese Hard Bop Combo w Brad Walker Jazz Quartet Isle Of Capri Event Center Tracy Lawrence; Caribbean Cove J.D. Newbury & Southwind L'Auberge Jack After Dark DJ Cage Loggerheads Judd Bares Luna Live Gabriel’s Last Breath, Downfall Rising, Lisa Marshall

THURSDAY, AUG. 22

FRIDAY, AUG. 23

SATURDAY, AUG. 24

Coushatta Bernie Alan Dharma Open mic 8 pm Isle of Capri Caribbean Cove Jag; Otis & Henry’s Kory Fontenot L’Auberge Liquid Society Ratt; Jack After Dark DJ Mata Luna Live TBA

Coushatta RKW Live Cowboys Club 7 Radio Delta Downs City Heat Dharma Certain Satellites, Jenny & The Reincarnation, Purple Isle of Capri Event Center John Anderson; Caribbean Cove Crossroads; Otis & Henry’s Wayne Dylan L’Auberge Jack After Dark DJ Mata Luna Live Street Side Jazz Band Yesterdays The Tedd O’Neill Band

Cigar Club Loaded 44rz Coushatta Mixed Nuts Delta Downs City Heat Dharma Dolo Jazz Suite w AF The Naysayer Isle of Capri Caribbean Cove Ryan Harris & Killing Tim Band L’Auberge Jack After Dark DJ Mata Yesterdays Steel Shot

karaoke Annie's 9pm Friday; Saturday Bourbonz 8pm Tuesdays Chicageaux Bar 8pm Thursday, Friday, Saturday Club 90 8pm Saturday Coolers Thursday Crickets 8:30pm Friday DeQuincy VFW 7-11pm Friday; 6-10pm Sunday

Dirty Rice Saloon 7pm Thursday Frosty Factory 9pm Friday & Saturday Handlebars Club Tuesdays & Thursdays Huddle Up Thursdays Isle Of Capri 8pm-Midnight Wednesday Kaw-Ligas Tuesday thru Saturday Mike's Place 8pm-until M,W,F Linda's Lounge 8:30-11:30 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday; 9-1 Saturday Neighborhood Bar 7pm Thursday No Name Lounge 8-Mid Friday, 7-11pm Sunday Old Town Tavern Fri/Sat Nights

R-Bar 8pm Friday Sam's Cove 9pm Thursday Shorty's Ice House 9pm Friday Slim's Yesteryears 9pm Thursday Spot Bar & Grill Fridays Sports Pitt 8pm Thursday, Friday, Saturday Sulphur VFW 9pm-Mid Saturday Tiki Bar 8pm Friday Texas Longhorn Club 9pm Thursdays, 1am Fridays Fax listings to 433-8964 or edit@thelanyap.com

big names August 17: Tracy Lawrence at Delta Downs August 18: Lil’ Wayne at Cynthia Woods Pavilion, Houston August 22: Ratt at Liquid Society, L’Auberge August 23: John Anderson, Isle of Capri August 24: Gary Allen at Coushatta Casino August 30: Jerry Lewis at L’Auberge Sept. 4: Blue October at House of Blues, New Orleans Sept. 5: Marc Anthony at the Toyota Center, Houston Sept. 30: Cheap Trick, L’Auberge October 16: The Lumineers at Lakefront Arena, UNO, New Orleans Nov. 2: Selena Gomez at the Toyota Center, Houston

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“The trail to today’s Cajun music and culture was blazed a long time ago,” muses Cajun music icon Jo-El Sonnier. And Sonnier’s a big part of that “trail” himself. Often called the “King of Cajun,” he’s been a fixture on the Cajun music scene since the early 50s, when at the age of three he first picked up an accordion. He had his first recording session at the age of 6. He’s a four-time Grammy nominee, a La. Music Hall of Fame member, and a winner of numerous awards and honors from the Cajun French Music Association. He’s played throughout Louisiana, from festivals to CFMA concerts, throughout the US and all over Europe. But what he remembers most at this point of his long career is, perhaps, playing the clubs in the Lake Area during the late 1950s and 60s. “Everyone had a place to go to listen to music,” Sonnier says. “There were Cajun music clubs all over the place in Southwest Louisiana. People couldn’t wait to hear Cajun music.” Places such as the Sham Rock Club, the Bamboo Club, Club 90, Moulin Rouge, The Green Frog, the Big Oak, The Purple Peacock, The Riceville Club, The Mermentau Club, The St. Regis, Club 73

JO-EL SONNIER

and so many others. “They’re all gone now,” says Sonnier. “There’s no place to play Cajun music here.” Other than the once-a-year festivals and occasional “swamp pop nights” at some local clubs, people aren’t able to hear and dance to Cajun music as they were each weekend in the 50s and 60s. “Bands pretty much have to leave this area if they want to play,” says Sonnier. That’s something he, along with his wife, Bobbie, would like to see change.

A PLACE TO EAT, DANCE, LISTEN AND LEARN The Lake Area is in dire need of a place, says Sonnier, for people to hear Cajun music — and dance to it, of course, for you can’t listen to Cajun music without dancing — on a regular basis. What’s more, he says, that venue needs to be a center which brings together the music, food, culture and history of the Cajuns. “What I see is an entertainment and education center,” says Sonnier. The Sonniers envision a cultural center complete with museum including exhibits and videos.

“There could be exhibits of Cajun art, musical instruments, Cajun culture and history, area wildlife,” says Bobbie Sonnier. The Sonnier’s vision also includes an area for weekend workshops on not just Cajun music, but Cajun arts and crafts — continued

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from piroque building to making a gumbo. There could also be an area for Cajun artisans, craftsmen and food producers to sell their goods — from woodworks to fruit preserves to wildlife paintings. “It could really give people an idea of Southwest Louisiana as it was,” Sonnier says. The center could also include a restaurant/buffet. But, first and foremost, says Sonnier, it would be a place for people to learn about the music of this area’s rich history — and the musicians who developed it and who’ve kept it alive. “I learned by showing respect to the older generation of musicians,” says Sonnier. “By learning from them. If we don’t hand down the music and its history to the younger generation, how will they learn? You’ve got to expose kids to the music and history to keep it alive.”

THE NEXT BRANSON? Keeping the music alive would be perhaps the main function of the center. The Sonniers say such a place would not only be a place for visitors and residents to hear the big names in Cajun music, but it would give the area’s younger musicians an opportunity to play without leaving the area. “Why would you bother to learn Cajun music if there’s no place for you to play?,” says Bobbie Sonnier. The Sonniers say a cultural center would provide a stage for many musicians;

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Lake Charles an ideal location for a Cajun cultural center. "We're on the border," she says. "We're the first stop along I-10 from the West. This is a perfect place to introduce people to the history and music of the area, and to its environment." Also, say the Sonniers, the coming expansion in the area makes this a perfect time to consider such a venture, with perhaps thousands of people relocating to the area. These people, say the Sonniers, will want to experience and learn about the culture of the area they're relocating to or simply working in temporarily.

The Lake Area is in dire need of a place, says Sonnier, for people to hear Cajun music — and dance to it, of course, for you can’t listen to Cajun music without dancing — on a regular basis. And that’s only one facet of his vision to preserve Cajun culture and history.

in fact, says Bobbie Sonnier, it might be compared to Branson, Mo., or Nashville, Tenn. "We could have a little Branson here," Bobbie Sonnier says, referring to Branson, Mo., and its plethora of country music venues. "It could be a place for people to go and hear music and see a culture's hsitory. Much like Nashville preserves country music. It would be a place people would plan a vacation to come and see."

HOW TO START?

came back from Europe, and they had soldout crowds. Every time Jo-El plays in Europe, he sells out dinner shows." And, say the Sonniers, any time someone comes to this area from out of town, the first thing they want to do is hear Cajun music, then eat Cajun food. They want to experience the Cajun culture. "Right now, if you want to take out-oftown guests to listen to Cajun music, you have to take them to Lafayette," says Sonnier.

WOULD IT FLY? That begs the question, though: Is Cajun music and the Cajun culture really enough of a draw to support such a place? Absolutely, say the Sonniers. "People can't get enough of Cajun music in other areas of the United States, and especially overseas," says Bobbie Sonnier. "(The Cajun band) Beausoliel just

WHY LAKE CHARLES? Which brings up another question, of course: Why create such a place in Lake Charles? Isn't the music and history of the Cajun culture properly preserved in New Iberia, Lafayette and points East? It is, of course, says Bobbie Sonnier. But there are a couple of things that make

While the Sonniers have done much thinking about a cultural center here in Lake Charles, they haven't taken formal steps toward building such a place. They haven't discussed the matter with government officials, haven't drawn up plans, haven't picked out a building or land for a building. The first step, they say, would be to organize a committee to explore the matter. Such a committee would include representatives from the music industry, local government, local business and the community. "We have to start somewhere," says Sonnier. "Maybe there's a company that would donate land or buildings." The center, he says, would be more than a tourist draw. "It would keep a legacy alive," he says. If interested in serving on an exploratory committee, donating property or otherwise becoming involved, email the Sonniers at backontouragain@bellsouth.net.

Photo By Parker Brand Creative

SWLA CENTER FOR HEALTH SERVICES WINE EVENT

ARTS AND CRABS FEST

The SWLA Center for Health Services will host “Art — Something to Wine About” Saturday, Sept. 7, 4:30 pm, in the Governor’s Mansion, located at 1025 Broad St. Proceeds will go to support scholarships to area high school students who plan to attend a college or vocational school to pursue a healthcare related career. The event will include classical music by Megan and Mia Polk; and Jazz by the Chester Daigle Combo. There will also be a dance demonstration by Elsie Thibodeaux and the Lake Charles Dance Academy, and an exhibit of artwork by Erin Barker, 2013 Louisiana Artist of the year; Eddie Mormon; and Shannon Simmons. Tickets are $35 per person. Tickets should be purchased by Aug. 30. Sponsorships, donations and in-kind services are welcome and are available at various levels. For more information or to reserve tickets, e-mail gbeningo@swlahealth.org or call the center at 312-2010.

Tickets are still available for the Arts and Crabs Fest, which will take place Saturday, Aug. 17, 5-8 pm, at the Lake Charles Civic Center. The event celebrates the ties between Louisiana seafood and culture, and showcases the importance of supporting the area’s creative economy. Guests will have the opportunity to sample crab dishes from several area restaurants, including Street Breads, City Club, Coyote Blues, Mongolian Grill, bonte, Otis & Henry’s Bar and Grill, Luna Bar and Grill, Governor’s Mansion, 121 Artisan Bistro and Chez Caffe. Each dish will be paired with a beer from Bayou Teche Brewing and Covington Brewhouse. Live music will be provided by Rusty Metoyer and the Zydeco Crush. Tickets are $25. For more information, visit artsandcrabsfest.eventbrite.com.

YOUTH FIREARM SAFETY DEMO Ward 3 Marshal Joey Alcede will host a youth firearm safety awareness demonstration Aug. 24 as part of the annual Family Festival, sponsored by the Family and Youth Counseling Agency, to be held in the Lake Charles Civic Center. Presentations are scheduled for 10 am, 11:30 am, 1 pm and 2:30 pm. The festival will be open from 9 am-4 pm. The presentation will focus on safety issues, including instruction on what to do when a firearm is found. Demonstrations will be conducted by POST/FBI firearms instructors, who will use props and a ballistic shoot tank for a live demonstration. For more info, call the Marshal’s Office at 491-1304.

OIL PAINTING WORKSHOP Associated Louisiana Artists will hold a two-day oil painting workshop Sept. 14-15 at Gallery by the Lake, located at 106 West Pryce St. in Lake Charles. Scott Mattlin, an impressionist painter, will be instructing the class. He will offer numerous step-by-step demonstrations as well as individual instruction. He will demonstrate many of the techniques he uses on his paintings. Cost is $275. Class size will be limited, and advance registration is recommended. For more information, contact Nancy Czejkowski at 855-9202 or Gallery by The Lake at 436-1008.

MSU BASEBALL HIGH SCHOOL SHOWCASE The McNeese Cowboy High School Showcase will take place Monday, Sept. 2, at Cowboy Diamond. Registration will begin at 11:15 am, and the camp will run from noon-4 pm. Sessions are open to pitchers and position players in grades 9-12. The showcase will include a pro style workout, which will include position players being assessed on their 60-yard dash time, throwing, fielding and hitting. Pitchers will throw bullpens, while catchers are assessed on their “pop” time as well as receiving skills. Cost is $100 per entry. To register, complete the registration form on the McNeese Baseball page, or visit the field 45 minutes prior to the posted start time. For more info, contact assistant coach Caleb Clowers at 318-355-0543 or email cowboysbaseballcamp@gmail.com.

LUTCHER MEMBERSHIP DRIVE The Lutcher Service Guild will hold its 2013 season membership drive Sunday, Aug. 18, 3 pm, in the Lutcher Theatre’s third-floor lobby. Lutcher is seeking individuals interested in volunteering time and talent to help promote and support the Lutcher Theater and the arts. The event will include refreshments and provide an opportunity to gain information about the theater’s committees and membership requirements. For more information, call 409-886-5535 or visit lutcher.org.

August 15, 2013

LAGNIAPPE

DUTCH OVEN COOK-OUT

B-29 Superfortress

The Southwest Chapter of the Louisiana Dutch Oven Society will hold its monthly cook-out Saturday, Aug. 24, 10 am-2 pm, at Sam Houston Jones State Park. This month’s cook-out will feature specialty seafood dishes cooked in cast iron Dutch ovens. All are invited to either cook or bring an item for the cast iron buffet style luncheon. Members of the chapter, Le Chien Cookers, will be demonstrating cooking techniques and will be available to answer questions and help others get started in the hobby of Dutch oven cooking. For more information, contact Dwayne or Randy at 302-5025 or 912-9394, or visit ladutch.com. The group also has a Facebook page at LeChienCookers.com.

WALNUT GROVE 5K, FUN RUN

AIRSHOW TO FEATURE RED TAIL AIRCRAFT The rare Red Tail P-51C Mustang will fly in the Chennault International Airshow Sept. 28 and 29, and airshow visitors will be able to experience the free “Rise Above” traveling exhibit honoring the famed Tuskegee Airmen of World War II. The Red Tail P-51C Mustang that flies in the show is one of only four like it still flying. It is highly recognizable because of its bright red tail, and signifies the inspiring story of the Tuskegee Airmen. In addition to its airshow appearance, the “Rise Above” exhibit will also be made available for schools or groups to view Tuesday, Sept. 24, through Friday, Sept. 27. Viewing arrangements can be made by contacting Megan McLellan at 337-214-6155 or info@chennaultairshow.com. The exhibit provides a unique opportunity to learn about the Tuskegee Airmen. It features a mobile big-screen theater in a customized 53-foot trailer with expandable sides. It houses a 160degree panoramic curved movie screen and seating for 35 in climate-controlled comfort. There is no extra charge for the exhibit. For more information about the CAF Red Tail Squadron, visit redtail.org. For information about the airshow, visit chennaultairshow.com.

"On Our Way Out Of The Building" A man by the name of Randy Pausch was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. When he learned that he was dying of an incurable illness, he gave a meaningful talk to his students. His now-famous lecture was viewed by millions of people on the Internet. It also came out in print entitled, “The Last Lecture.” It is very powerful. In an interview in a national publication Randy stated that his life was now measured in months, not years. He said that he simply hoped to do what good he could do “on my way out of the building.” The Apostle Paul wrote, “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” (II Corinthians 5:1) Who knows how much time we have left in this world? Ultimately, our lives are in the hands of God alone. Scripture affirms the truth, “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” (I Timothy 6:7) The great writer Charles Dickens once said, “Do all the good you can and make as little fuss about it as possible.” Good words. That is the powerful example of Jesus. The book of Acts summarizes the life of Christ with this statement, “He went about doing good.” (Acts 10:38) May our goal be to simply do all the good we can for others on our way out of the building. You are invited to worship at First Methodist: Sundays, 8:30 & 10:45 AM Corner of Broad and Kirkman • Radio broadcast: Sundays, 8:00 AM on 100.5FM 80

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Walnut Grove, the new traditional neighborhood development located at 1575 West Sallier St. in Lake Charles, will host a 5K race and fun run Saturday, Sept. 28, 7:30 am, to celebrate Bishop Noland Episcopal Day School’s 60th anniversary. The 5K and fun run will start on the Walnut Grove property and wind through the Shell Beach Drive area. The event will also include a kids’ obstacle course, mimosas at Walnut Grove’s model home, music, food, a raffle and more. Registration fees are $20 for the 5K race and $15 for the fun run (strollers welcome). All pre-registered participants will receive a commemorative t-shirt. Awards will be given to the overall male and female 5K race finishers, as well as age division winners. Awards will be given to all participating children. For more info or to register, call 497-0137 or visit walnutgrovetnd.com/community.

ITINERANT THEATRE AUDITIONS Itinerant Theatre will hold auditions for its season-opening production of Jesus Christ Superstar on Saturday, Aug. 24, 1 pm, at Lake Charles Boston Academy. The cast consists of 9 leads, and 15 supporting roles. Auditioners must be prepared to perform a song from Jesus Christ Superstar; accompanist will be provided. Headshots and acting resumes are also required, as is a completed audition form. Forms are available online at itineranttheatre.com. For more info, email joypace@itineranttheatre.com, call 436-6275 or visit itineranttheatre.com. The group also has a Twitter account and a Facebook page.

MUSCULOSKELETAL SYMPOSIUM The fourth annual Musculoskeletal Symposium, sponsored jointly by Center for Orthopaedics, an affiliate of Imperial Health, and the Women’s Foundation, will take place on Saturday, Aug. 17, 8:30 am-4 pm, at the conference center of L’Auberge Casino Resort. The symposium is designed to provide expanded learning opportunities regarding musculoskeletal disorders and advances in treatment options. The program is open to physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, physical therapists, athletic trainers and students in the above fields. Continuing medical education credits from the Louisiana State Medical Society will be awarded for participation in the program. Cost is $75. Special group rates for overnight accommodations are available from L’Auberge. For info or to pre-register, call 312-8291 or visit centerforortho.com.

COMMUNITY GARDEN RIBBON CUTTING A ribbon cutting ceremony for the Royal Magnolia Community Learning Garden will take place Tuesday, Aug. 20, 11 am, at the garden, located at 171 Hagan St. in North Lake Charles. The garden, sponsored by the Partnership for a Healthier Southwest Louisiana and Dare to be Healthy, along with Greater St. Mary Baptist Church, will provide fresh locally grown produce and gardening knowledge to neighborhood residents and the surrounding area. The garden staff will hold weekly Saturday morning demonstrations and volunteer opportunities at the garden to teach neighborhood residents how to grow their own fruits and vegetables in an effort to relieve both hunger and obesity.

GULF COAST BIRD CLUB WALK The Gulf Coast Bird Club will hold its monthly beginners bird walk Aug. 24, 8 am, at Sam Houston Jones State Park. Experienced sponsors from the Gulf Coast Bird Club will guide the walk, which should offer an opportunity to see migrating hawks and other raptors. The guide will offer information on basic birding skills. The walk is open to anyone, regardless of birding experience. No experience is required. The group’s next regular meeting will be held on Sept. 12. For more information, contact David Booth at 474-7325 or visit sites.google.com/site/gulfcoastbirdclub/. August 15, 2013

LAGNIAPPE

REEL TALK

duane bergeron

Elysium TriStar Pictures • Rated R Of all the genres, science fiction is perhaps the most demanding. In dealing with the realm of the fantastic, it requires effort to create a production that’s worthy of the designation. Some miss the mark and others get it right. When it’s done properly, it exceeds the sum of its parts. This is what happened with Elysium. And much of the credit can be laid at the feet of director Neill Blomkamp. In 2009, Blomkamp had a surprise hit with District 9. That feature had a very rich texture that dealt brilliantly with the topic of prejudice and bigotry. Blomkamp is doing a superlative job of mixing social commentary with his storylines. As a result, Elysium gives him a double knockout punch at the box office. In the middle of the 22nd century, Earth has become a worldwide ghetto. Life has become hard and meaningless, while civilization has virtually become extinct. The wealthy and affluent live on Elysium, a huge space station in orbit that’s fiercely defended by Secretary Delacourt (Jodie Foster). Her job is to make sure no one on Earth can board Elysium without her approval. Factory worker Max (Matt Damon)

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August 15, 2013

is bombarded by lethal doses of radiation in a chamber with a mechanical problem. He’s given five days to live. As if that weren’t enough, Max discovers his longtime friend Frey (Alice Braga), has a daughter who’s on the verge of death from leukemia. Elysium has medical machines that can cure any illness. Realizing that his only hope for life is on board the space station, Max makes a deal with Spider (Wagner Moura). Spider, a high tech criminal, outfits Max with an “exosuit” that enhances his physical abilities. The plan is for Max to obtain information from corporate executive John Carlyle (William Fichtner) and use it as a way to infiltrate Elysium. But standing in the way is Delacourt’s main agent Kruger (Sharlto Copley). Kruger is determined to stop Max from achieving his mission and advancing Delacourt’s political ambitions. I deliberately watered down the plot summary because there are too many subplots to include here. And revealing more would have resulted in spoilers. Elysium was held back from wide release until now; that turned out to be a wise idea. With this summer’s earlier success stories, Elysium would have gotten lost in the mix. And that would have

been a shame. This film is far too good to put it up against the usual popcorn fare offered during the summer season. Each plot point in the storyline enhances the overall impact of the storyline. What’s also beneficial is that each subplot is separate from the rest; they don’t overlap each other. Each subplot is free of any confusing elements. There’s no uncertainty or other negative elements that might have compromised the main story. Elysium isn’t just a triumph of science fiction storytelling for the big screen. The social commentary is blatant, but not to the point of whacking the audience’s head with it. The tale comments superbly on the problems of social justice in America and elsewhere. Even comments on Obamacare are intertwined in a subplot, but it’s finely wrapped in the context of its plot point. When science fiction movies can serve up a story as exemplary this one, it serves the genre and audiences with great satisfaction. Blomkamp has created another thought-provoking and intriguing motion picture that challenges the viewer and delivers on the entertainment factor. For those who crave action and special effects in such features as this, Elysium doesn’t disappoint. Damon

comes through again, thanks to his experience in the Bourne franchise. Having top-notch talent, such as he and Foster, in the leads makes a sizable difference. Give an actor great material and they can make the most of it. Their respective performances, in addition to those of the supporting cast members, make Elysium, in my opinion, Oscar-worthy material. In the technical categories, special effects and cinematography are at their finest. This is one of those rare productions where I couldn’t find any weaknesses of substance. Elysium is the last major motion picture release of the 2013 summer season. The remainder are just “filler” until the fall gets underway. While this summer will be remembered for huge bombs such as The Lone Ranger, R.I.P.D. (which to me was the worst one of the bunch), White House Down and Pacific Rim, there were some success stories as well. Among those were Star Trek Into Darkness, Iron Man 3, Fast and Furious 6 and The Man of Steel. Elysium is a great finale to this goround of summer fare and Blomkamp has shown he has what it takes to make great pictures of substance. I look forward to seeing what else he plans to bring to theaters in the future.

MOUNTED MEMORIES

rocke "soybean" fournet

The Benefits Of Competition A change is going to come. It’s a great time of year to be living large in Louisiana for a number of good reasons. Though it’s not over, the relentless heat we’ve been baked by this summer should be loosening its grip in the near future. A timely September cool front would be welcomed with open arms. The opening of archery season next month will provide a good reason to stretch your legs in the great outdoors. Don’t forget the bug juice and a sweat towel. Beaucoup early season teal should be en route to Louisiana’s marshes and rice fields right now. They’ll find beaucoup rice fields, and hopefully, a little water to satisfy all their needs. When they arrive it’s a sure thing the seasons are changing. Don’t forget the daily bag limit has been upped to six birds, so bring plenty of ammo. The school bell has rung and all the children will get back to new and exciting schedules. Parents can breathe a sigh of relief and thank God for peace and quiet. It’s only temporary, but you’ve earned it. It’s a good break for parents and children alike. Southwest Louisiana was very well represented this season by a group of girls who didn’t let any grass grow under their feet this summer. These all-stars

The Stars and Stripes on game day.

competed in fast pitch softball against the cream of the crop at the 2013 USSSA World Series in Alabama. This is the flip side of the bad rap that’s sometimes erroneously put on today’s youth. With the internet, video games, cell phones and air conditioning, today’s young athletes have many options to choose from, none of which involve the physical pain of competing and enduring the oppressive heat. There’s no better way to improve your game than competing against the

best. These girls brought their A game, showing the rest of the country what they’re made of. There’s nothing that compares to learning the essentials of teamwork and win or lose, walking away knowing you gave it your all. Our girls sweated through a steam bath tournament and registered some great successes on the national softball scene. Representing southwest Louisiana, the 10-year-olds fought their way to a second-place finish. The 12year-olds finished a very respectable sev-

enth place. The 14s sweated out a second-place trophy, and the 16-year-old group brought home the gold with a clutch performance and a first place finish. These coaches and players deserve all the recognition the fans can muster for their sacrifices. They’ll always cherish their accomplishments, making the hardships of competition well worth the effort. The benefits of athletic competition are too innumerable to mention here. But there’s no better feeling of accomplishment and self-worth when you compete and excel against the best in the good old USA. These girls have set themselves up for success. A few will have the opportunity to compete at the next level, but all will benefit from the experience. They’ve made Louisiana sports fans proud. It’s football season, and anticipation, as usual, is at a fever pitch. Our hats are off to our local warriors, who are donning the pads in triple-digit heat. They will be applauded and cheered on by appreciative fans for all their blood, sweat and tears. Good luck, and support your favorite teams with your presence.

August 15, 2013

LAGNIAPPE

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MOSS BLUFF, SUNDAY AUG 18 AND SUNDAY, AUG 25 FROM 2PM-4PM! For Sale By Owner! Beautiful 3BR/2BA, 2000 square feet brick home. Two car garage plus two car b r e e z e w a y . Fireplace, jetted tub, granite countertops, wood floors and porcelain tile in wet areas. 1112 WEST DIAMOND CIRCLE, 337-855-8217, 337661-1545 r0815 PLACE YOUR AD CALL ROSE AT 4338502 TODAY! class@thelanyap.com _________________

HUGE SAVINGS! 2014s arriving daily, no need to drive any further! Hwy 171 Moss Bluff Sales & Service 855-6994 ralankite.com r0905

announcements EXCAVATING CULVERTS SET and drainage problems fixed. Surface or underground drainage, both residential and commercial. Call Goudeau Excavation 337-540-4820 r0905

announcements BROUSSARD & COMPANY CPA's 127 W. Broad Suite 800 Lake Charles 337-439-6600 r1219

• Accounting & Payroll • Business Evaluations & Appraisals • Tax Preparation & Planning • Technology Management Advisory Services • QuickBooks Advanced Certified ProAdvisor Charles Quirk, Jr. CPA, CVA Kenneth P. Quirk. CPA, MBA, CITP GMA,MCP 3931 Common Lake Charles 474-7979 www.accts.com r0905

FLIGHT TRAINING! VISION AVIATION, LLC; LICENSED INSTRUCTOR(S). Fly to new heights with our one of a kind “Discovery Flight” to see the sights for only $75! Makes a unique and adventurous gift. Gift Certificates available now. Call and reserve your fun at 478.7722. k2013apr

GREAT DEALS ON WHEELS 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis ........$3995 2004 Dodge Neon loaded, super nice....$3595 2002 Chevy Cavalier extra clean..........$3595 2001 Chevy Monte Carlo sporty.........$2995 2001 Ford Taurus loaded, excellent ......$1995 1995 Pontiac Bonneville loaded ........$1995 2002 Ford F150 like new, pickup.............$2995 2002 Chevy Trailblazer sharp .............$2995 1999 Jeep Cherokee Sport sharp.....$3595 1999 Chevy Suburban super clean.....$2595 1997 GMC 2500 lext cab, loaded.............$2595 1995 GMC Jimmy V6, very clean...........$1995

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All work is done in store by me Located inside Bodin Jewelers 3133 Ernest Street (East of JCPenney) OPEN: Tues-Fri 10-5:30

NEW TO LAKE CHARLES! "Your Honest Hometown Family Owned Repair Shop" We offer fair labor rates, honest diagnosis and service. We don't just want your business, we want to earn it along with your trust. Complete Automotive Repair and Maintenance on cars and light trucks, with specialization on Domestic. Small or Large Repairs and Service.

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help wanted MAZDA OF LAKE CHARLES is Now Hiring Sales Associates To expand their Sales Team. We offer insurance, 401K, Vacation, Great Hours, Large Inventory. No experience necessary, will train. Apply in person to Will Bryant 11am-2pm r1219

help wanted DEPENDABLE PEOPLE WANTED! Slender Solutions, an established salon for over 13 years located in thriving South Lake Charles is looking for Eager New or Upcoming Hair Stylists, Massage Therapists, and Nail Team who are excited to prosper with our expanding business! Private or open settings are available with limitless client possibilites! PLEASE CALL APRIL AT 5629400 TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT. Slender Solutions of Lake Charles.

help wanted DEPENDABLE PEOPLE WANTED! WANTED! DEPENDABLE Persons who are looking for a challenging job. Evergreen Life Services has openings for people who are capable of teaching living skills to people with developmental disabilities. If you have experience in this area, then come and apply for the position. If not, we will train. We have competitive salaries. Social Security Card, Driver's License, Criminal History Check, and Drug Screen required. If interested, come and apply at our West Calcasieu Division located at 1301 Industrial Street, Vinton, LA 70668 Monday-Friday (8:30am-3pm) or you can call (337) 5893444. Serious inquiries only. Starting salary at $9/hour. k0905 _________________

BARRETT CONSULTING APC Tax • Accounting Litigation Support Business Valuation & Consulting 1180 E. McNeese Ph: 337-855-0032 r1219

pets DOG GROOMING NOW AVAILABLE AT BARK PARK Two professional groomers are here to serve you. Boarding and day care are also available. Ask about our other wonderful services to pamper your pooch . Located at 4121 Nelson Rd. or call 478-4300 k0816

services LAWN SERVICE S & S Lawn Service ~ For mowing and trimming, and all your lawn and garden needs; both commercial and residential. We are licensed and insured, and welcome free estimates. For a yard your neighbors will envy, call David at 884.0342 or 588.4000 k1018 _________________

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announcements RV PARK/LAKE FALL IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER, that means camping season in SWLA! 25 minutes north of Lake Charles, Longville Lake Park110 acre scenic stocked pond with boat launch. Full RV hookups available. Call or come by for your campground reservations! 337-725-3395 7115 Hwy 110 East, Longville, LA. k1220

services A ALL JOB'S, Very Reasonable, _________________ Carpentry, Tile, Brick, Stucco, Sheetrock, Vinyl Siding, 302-4110

help wanted

DEISEL MECHANICS

IMMEDIATE OPENING

YOUNG AND growing company needs experienced Diesel Mechanics on togging equipment, heavy equipment, and 18 wheelers. Knowledge of electrical, hydraulic, and diesel. Minimum 50 hours per week. Competitive wages. Apply at Merryville Lube & Tire, 947 Hwy 110 West, Merryville, LA or call 337-825-8791, fax 337-825-8792

FOR RV SALESPERSON Apply in person at Kite Bros. LLC 1940 North Pine Street, Deridder, LA.

SEEKING CAPTAINS AND DECKHANDS

r905

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EOE

LANDSCAPING Where's YOUR ad? Call Rose and get one. It's the American thing to do! CALL ROSE AT 433-8502 TODAY! Get results, save $$$!

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stuff 4 sale

A/C & HEATING

TRAILERS

CONTACT ALL SEASONS AIR & HEAT in Lake Charles. We offer sales and service for all makes and models of heaters and air conditioners. Our team of contractors provides residential and commercial heating and cooling services. Call today! 337855-1446

Trailers Aluminum, Steel, Horse, Stock Motorcycle, Cargo, Gooseneck, Bumper, Lowboy, Equipment

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k1220

_________________

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Tree Removal, Stump Grinding, Land Clearing, Demolition, Crane Work, Debris Hauling. Bonded. Insured. License AR 1604 337-884-6881 g0502-2012

HAIR SALON COUNTRY CLUB HAIR - Where a haircut still comes with a lollipop and a smile. Over 25 years in business. Walk-ins welcome. Located on 1214 Country Club Rd. Open Tuesday-Friday 8:30-5:30, Saturdays 8am-2pm. Call 4744722 k0906

services ROOFING

LA ROOFING Lifetime Architects, All Carpentry/ Repairs. Insured. Call 405-9962 r0815

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announcements LC YACHT CLUB JOIN THE LC YACHT CLUB! Sail boats and power boats are welcome, family friendly. Member- ship includes on the water clubhouse, sailboats, socials. Call Ship to Shore at 474.0730 _________________

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services

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Director Of Nursing Registered Nurses

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Start an Exciting Career in Emergency Communications Entry Level $24,900 year w/benefits Apply at 911 Hodges Street, 2nd floor. Equal Opportunity Employer

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r905

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announcements

RETAIL / OFFICE

RESTAURANT LOCATION!

RETAIL OR OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE. "Single or double available. Includes conference room usage, kitchen, 2 handicap accessible bathrooms, parking in front and behind building. 154 W. McNeese. Call Castle Real Estate today for details! 337-480-6555 ph _________________

services CONTRACTORS HOUSE LEVELING, HOUSE LIFTING. CALL ONE STOP CONSTRUCTION. Sill and truss replacement, foundation repair, general remodeling, etc. References available, free estimates, licensed and insured. All work is warrantied. Call us at 337-309-7301. r0905 _________________

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services CAREGIVER I am an experienced, compassionate caregiver looking for part-time work. References available. (337) 2756406 r0905 PLACE YOUR AD CALL ROSE AT 4338502 TODAY! class@thelanyap.com _________________

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LAGNIAPPE

UTEC

Utility Truck & Equipment Co. Boat Trailer Axles & Springs • Flat Beds Service Bodies • Truck Cranes • Tool Boxes Fabrication • Big Truck P&B We're At Your Service! 24-Hour Road Service 1432 BROAD ST • 433-5361

services

announcements

MISC. SERVICES

HAIR SALON

Sell that Junk Car for Cash! I will buy your junk car, truck, van, motor home, or trailer. I also buy ATV’s, motorcycles, and even farm equipment. Even if it’s not running, you can make from $400 to $600. Clean your yard up, and decide what you’ll spend your extra money on! HELP WANTED Experienced mechanic needed. Call now at 526.9533. k1018

COUNTRY CLUB HAIR - Where a haircut still comes with a lollipop and a smile. Over 25 years in business. Walk-ins welcome. Located on 1214 Country Club Rd. Open Tuesday-Friday 8:30-5:30, Saturdays 8am-2pm. Call 4744722 k0816 _________________

CABINET SHOP Custom Countertops Affordable Pricing Professional Custom Woodwork Entire Lake Charles Area

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PAPER HEROES Buying U.S. Coins & Currency

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services

A PROFESSIONAL LAW CORPORATION

FENCING

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FENCEMAKERS We build chainlink, barbed, privacy, electric, net, wooden, and security fences, free estimates. Call David today at 337-375-4747. k0920 _________________

services FENCEMAKERS We build chainlink, barbed, privacy, electric, net, wooden, and security fences, free estimates. Call David today at 337-375-4747. k0920 _________________

2917 Ryan St. • Lake Charles (337) 433-8504 • Fax (337) 433-3196 86

LAGNIAPPE

August 15, 2013

RARE COINS Gold & Silver Coins Currency Mint & Proof Sets All Coins Graded w/Photograde I BUY COLLECTIONS

GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD $37,500 PER ACRE OR MAKE OFFER

KEMBLE GUILLORY CALL 802-5402

SOUTH LAKE CHARLES 478-2386 884-2386

Tree Removal, Stump Grinding, Land Clearing, Bonded. Insured. License AR 1604 337-884-6881 g0502-2012

real estate MOBILE HOMES

services PLUMBING RAPHAEL BENOIT CUSTOM HOME BUILDERS - Home improvements, Remodeling & Additions. New Home Construction. Serving SWLA since 1993. Call Raphael Benoit at 337-802-6522 k0816 _________________

MOBILE HOME TO BE MOVED. 3/2, BO over $8,000. Camper for rent. All bills paid. 2 acre lot south of Lake Charles. 477-6243 or 564-5859 gpnmr _________________ PLACE YOUR AD HERE AND START GETTING RESULTS! CALL ROSE AT 4338502 TODAY _________________

stuff 4 sale

announcements

SALVAGE

HOUSEKEEPING

OVERKILL SALVAGE "If it's sunk, we can get it up!"

Call Today! 337-309-7301 k0920

services

I AM LOOKING FOR WORK ... I AM A HOUSEKEEPING HOUSEKEEPER! - I am honest, hard-working, trustworthy and dependable. 10 years experience. Call me! Cami @ 337-287-4972

services

BOAT UPHOLSTERY and top repairs, motorcycles, convertible and more. AAA Glass & Upholstery, 1810 E. Prien Lake Road or CALL 337-564-4125

BOAT & RV STORAGE - 6102 COMMON STREET. SECURED STORAGE! Call 337564-5377 cr _________________

services LAWN & GARDEN S&S LAWN CARE for your mowing and trimming needs call David at 337-884-0342 or 337-588-4000 k0517

Do Your Laundry in 4 Minutes! 2 minutes to drop off 2 minutes to pick up 4319 Common St. • 474-8748 2501 Hwy 14 • 433-7503

CONSTRUCTION

BOUCHER & SON'S CONSTRUCTION ~ YOU’VE FOUND THE RIGHT COMPANY! Give us call for all your construction, carpentry, painting, and damage repairs. Licensed, Bonded, and Insured. Member of the Better Business Bureau. Give Tom a call at 337-474-2844 (office) or 337-842-1455 (cell) AND SEE HOW AFFORDABLE UPGRADING YOUR HOME CAN BE! 474.2844. k0313 _________________

real estate

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BOAT & RV STORAGE

k0816

services

r1003

UPHOLSTERY

Laundry W rld Larry A. Roach (1932-2003) Barry A. Roach • Larry A. Roach, Jr. Fred C. "Bubba" LeBleu • David M. Hudson

DOWN ON THE BAYOU

PLACE YOUR AD CALL ROSE AT 4338502 TODAY! class@thelanyap.com _________________

FENCING

NEW! CUSTOM

3 ACRES ELEVATED LAND

CORPORATE LEASE Approx 3500 sf, 4BR, 3 BA, minutes from beach, L'Auberge and boat launch. Fully furnished, turnkey, large patio, bbq pit, fenced yard, $2750 per month. 713-829-2974, ask for Ron Wiggins. ph

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services HOME REPAIR ALL TYPES OF ROOFING, siding, mobile home skirting, licensed and bonded. Call Jimmy today at 337-499-7807. ph _________________

Professional Wash, Dry, Fold/Hang Service Dry Cleaning Available PUT US TO WORK FOR YOU TODAY!

k1220

announcements WE WILL BUY! SELL THAT JUNK CAR FOR CASH! I will buy your junk car, truck, van, motor home, or trailer. I also buy ATV’s, motorcycles, and even farm equipment. Even if it’s not running, you can make from $400 to $600. Clean your yard up, and decide what you’ll spend your extra money on! HELP WANTED Experienced mechanic needed.Call now at 526.9533. k1018 _________________

services AUTO REPAIR

YOUR SOURCE LAWN & GARDEN TIRES 477-9850 478-6565 527-6355 "People you trust, products you depend on"

announcements

services

RETAIL / OFFICE RETAIL OR OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE. "Single or double available. Includes conference room usage, kitchen, 2 handicap accessible bathrooms, parking in front and behind building. 154 W. McNeese. Call Castle Real Estate today for details! 337-480-6555 ph _________________

announcements NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCT OR INVENTION? Have 20 connections in China and Vietnam for manufacture of new products. Let us know what you have or need. Call Bryan or Ron today 1-800-634-5816. ph _________________

KNOX FENCE Tree Removal, Stump Grinding, Land Clearing, Demolition. Bonded. Insured. License AR 1604 337-884-6881 g0502-2012

services DOORS WHY PAY MORE FOR DOORS 800 instock Doors Windows & More. 489-4313 csta15 _________________

Don’t blend in, make your home stand out with a customized fence. Choose your own design or one of ours. We also do chainlink, ornamental, aluminum and iron fencing. Can install electric or solar gate operators. Call for a free estimate. Licensed and insured, 20+ years of experience. Ask for Steve at 337.540.6973 k0621

JUNK CARS SELL THAT JUNK CAR FOR CASH! I will buy your junk car, truck, van, motor home, or trailer. I also buy ATV’s, motorcycles, and even farm equipment. Even if it’s not running, you can make from $400 to $600. Clean your yard up, and decide what you’ll spend your extra money on! Call now at 526.9533. k1018 _________________ PLACE YOUR AD HERE! CALL ROSE AT 433-8502 TODAY! _________________

classified FULL-TIME SATELLITE TECHNICIANS NEEDED for well-established company. Paid training, $500 sign on bonus, paid weekly. Call Josh @ 888-959-9675 or submit resume to careers@satcountry.com

TRACTOR AND FORKLIFT WORK. Bush hogging, box blade, disk. Call today 337-749-2069 or 337802-8182 n0804 _________________

FINANCING AVAILABLE!

SLEEP BETTER AT NIGHT KNOWING YOU ARE SMART! PLACE YOUR AD HERE! CALL ROSE AT 433-8502 TODAY! _________________

2002 Pewter, 3rd row, runs great, financing available! 2003 CHEVY MAZDASUBURBAN TRIBUTE Black, runs great, financing available! 1999 Silver, come see it, financing available, call Luke Papania 302-2912 2006 GMC FORDYUKON ESCAPE Pewter, come see it, financing available, call Luke 302-2912! 2002 MAZDA 626 Come drive it! 2005 CHEVY MERCURY MARINERGrey, Come drive it! 2002 SUBURBAN 165k, come drive it today!

Cash for Junk Cars Need Extra Cash? WE ARE NOW BUYING CARS • TRUCKS VANS • ATV’S • MOTORCYCLES

services BOAT & RV STORAGE BOAT & RV STORAGE - 6102 COMMON STREET. SECURED STORAGE! Call 337564-5377 cr _________________

Also Motor Homes, Trailers and Farm Equipment. Not running? You can still make $400 and up! Get your yard cleaned up while deciding how you’ll spend your extra money!

announcements

CALL 526-9533

WE WILL BUY!

classified k0621

These & more quality vehicles... call Luke Papania today at 302-2912! 803 E. McNeese • 337-562-9211

SELL THAT JUNK CAR FOR CASH! I will buy your junk car, truck, van, motor home, or trailer. I also buy ATV’s, motorcycles, and even farm equipment. Even if it’s not running, you can make from $400 to $600. Clean your yard up, and decide what you’ll spend your extra money on! HELP WANTED Experienced mechanic needed.Call now at 526.9533. k1018 _________________

announcements

HWY 90 CONSIGNMENT STORAGE Cars • Trucks • Boats • RV's Mobile Homes • Vans Safe and Secure Storage forThose Big Items in Your Way! CONSIGNMENT: Your items can be put up for consignment to make that extra money when you decide you no longer need storage for you item. Good prices, and large customer base to purchase any items you store with us.

Call now and make some room OR some cash for your items: 337.526.2533 August 15, 2013

LAGNIAPPE

HOUSE LEVELING

Laundry W rld

LIFTING AND MOVING GUARANTEED 2-YEAR WARRANTY FOR ALL LABOR AND MATERIALS! Foundation Repair • Concrete Slab Stabilization Licensed, Bonded and Insured • References

CALL ONE STOP

337-309-7301 NEW PRODUCTS

NEW PRODUCT OR INVENTION? Have 20 connections in China and Vietnam for manufacture of new products. Let us know what you have or need. Call Bryan or Ron today 1-800-634-5816. ph _________________

announcements

real estate MOBILE HOMES MOBILE HOME TO BE MOVED. 3/2, BO over $8,000. Camper for rent. All bills paid. 2 acre lot south of Lake Charles. 477-6243 or 564-5859 gpnmr _________________

SHOP A-LOT DELI NOW SERVING OYSTERS! Drive-Thru Daiquiri Window Longer Dining Hours M-F 10AM-6PM SAT 10AM-4PM

2707 HAZEL 433-2135

4319 Common St. • 474-8748 2501 Hwy 14 • 433-7503

services

RETAIL / OFFICE

DINING OUT

2 minutes to drop off 2 minutes to pick up

for well-established company. Paid Training, $500 sign on bonus, paid weekly. Call Josh @ 888-959-9675 or submit resume to careers@satcountry.com

Professional Wash, Dry, Fold/Hang Service Dry Cleaning Available

www.onestophouseleveling.com

announcements

Do Your Laundry in 4 Minutes!

FULL TIME SATELLITE TECHNICIANS NEEDED

PLACE YOUR AD HERE AND START GETTING RESULTS! A lot of people are paying way too much for classified advertising. Don't be one of them! CALL LAMONT AT 660-8877 TODAY class@thelanyap.com _________________

THE

TRANSMISSION SHOP We work on all transmissions!

5817 Common Street Lake Charles 337-540-3795 337-540-6908

PLACE YOUR AD HERE AND START GETTING RESULTS! Don't pay too much for classified advertising. Unless you like to, of course. Save some money! CALL KENNY AT 433-8502 TODAY class@thelanyap.com _________________

C. Scot LaFargue Owner

classified

Call Samantha @ Rhino Real Estate

337-304-6686 337-433-9434 Our Address: 1027 Enterprise Lake Charles, LA 70601 Charming Home In Sulphur-$55,000. 3 bed/1 bath located on close to a full acre. Go by and have a look at this ideal family home at 1301 Sherwood, call for appointment viewing. 738 Kirkman St.-4 bed/3.5 bath around 3500 sq. feet, Bonus 1000 sq. feet on 3rd floor ready to finish out. Features FOUR fireplaces! Wood floors, updated kitchen and baths, pocket doors, walk-in closets, new paint, electrical and plumbing for $269,500. 2 Acres behind Apostolic Church on Gulf Highway. $35,000 Manufactured homes welcome 715 Magazine St. $179,000 3/2 move in ready, 2300 square feet 7653 Clara Dr $169,000 3/2. On almost an acre. Split floor plan, granite, large master bath and closet 1117 Common St. 3/2.5 $210,000 almost completed new construction Westlake land-14 acres on a canal with dock, utilities run and ready for a new house. 500 square feet building included $350,000. Moss Bluff lot in established neighborhood with storage building, $35,000.

LAGNIAPPE

August 15, 2013

LEGEND

LANDSCAPES Licensed & Insured

337-499-4664 Commercial & Residential • Landscape Lawn Care • Hardscape Seasonal Bedding & Clean-Ups • Maintenance August 15, 2013

LAGNIAPPE 89

That Time When We Walked Into The Wrong Church This is how the memory goes … I don’t know where we’re going, or why, but we’ve been going all day, I’m just the little kid in the big back seat, Mom and Dad up front, and it’s getting sunset time and we’re just entering some place too small to be a city and too big to be a town … … and I hear my father say, “Momma, I feel like going to church.” So that narrows it down to being a Sunday or Wednesday evening. This paragraph is specifically prepared for those of you who weren’t there in the 60’s. There are no iPhones, there’s no Google, no GPS. So here we are wanting to find a church in a strange place, and we need to find it pretty quick, because you don’t want to walk in just in time for the altar call, so we’ve got two options: 1) Stop at some little store and ask somebody; or 2) Drive around and hope that we pass a church … And Hey – there’s a church right over there! Like a prayer answered! Isn’t God good! I’m pre-reading age, so I don’t know what denomination the church sign might have identified. All I know is that there are cars in the parking lot and I can hear singing going on inside. Mom probably fished some mirror out of her purse to make sure her hair wasn’t out of place, Dad would’ve run a comb through his hair, but as for church attire, we’re dressed for driving comfort, not church appropriate for the times. It’s one of those long skinny churches so common back then, with a middle aisle and wooden pews left and right, and like our own little church, no foyer … when you opened the front door You Were In The Church. This paragraph is for all of you who started the first grade after the schools were integrated. This memory is all pre-MLK. He’s alive, but he’s not a national figure yet. Black and white Americans live in different neighborhoods (except in the country, more on that some other time), we shop at different stores, we go to different schools, and we certainly worshipped at different churches. That’s just the way it was. So, now, back to our story, where most of you are waiting for me to just come out and say that Yes, our little Sunbeam-white-bread family of three has just walked in on a black church service. Yep. There we are. The black preacher is looking right at us, stopping his oration mid-syllable, just stunned. We might well have been Lazarus-come-forth for the shock of our appearance. Now the congregation turns our way. It’s hear-a-pin-drop silent. My eyes set on this big woman with a white hanky twisted in her fingers because she is smiling at me like I was cute enough to be on the cover of a cereal box. The preacher caught himself, smiled, and waved us in with his Bible and tried to get back to his place in the sermon. The church is pretty full, so down this main aisle we go looking for a spot big enough for the three of us, everybody in the church watching us, and we end up on the second row on the left side. Everybody sitting near us smiled, and once seated, we were less self-conscious. This paragraph is for those of you who are used to a quiet style of church worship, the kind where the preacher or the priest, they talk and everybody listens. I had grown up in a church where you could raise your hands, or encourage the preacher with an Amen, but a black church, pre-MLK, it was as if I was in another country. Colorful. Talking about the clothes now … reds and purples and whitewhites and peacock greens, the older ladies with hats and feathers and all that. Almost every woman had a white handkerchief and many of them were holding

LAGNIAPPE

August 15, 2013

those pre-A/C-in-the-churches cardboard fans. And loud, I remember that. The preacher, just shouting, pausing for dramatic effect and to wipe his brow, yelling “Y’all don’t hear me!” to get a comeback from the congregation. They heard him, and all service it was this back-‘n-forth between pulpit and the pews, with Amens and Preach on Bruthuh, and Yes Jesus and Tell It Like It is and Lawd Have Mercy flying through the air as if lyrics from a song. We whites, its now-we-sing and then it’s now-we-sit-down-and-listen, but in this church the whole service was musical, sometimes uptempo, sometimes on the slow-down, but always there was a sway in the air, like sheets on the line in the breeze. I don’t think I’d be out on a limb by speculating that for most of the congregation it was the first time they’d ever had white visitors for a church occasion that wasn’t a funeral. That it was an accident my parents never confessed. When the service concluded, we were swarmed with smiles and so-glad-we-was-tohave-you’s. I, as cute-offspringin-the-right-place-at-the-righttime, was the center of attention It’s hear-a-pin-drop silent. in a way that I had not experiThe preacher caught himself, enced ever before. smiled, and waved us in with Even all these decades later … I’ve spoken before his Bible and tried to get large crowds a few times, I’ve back to his place in the had a few 15-minutes-of-fame sermon. The church is pretty moments, but I doubt I’ve ever full, so down this main aisle had an experience where everything was so out-of-body difwe go looking for a spot big ferent and yet wonderful ... and enough for the three of us, for that to happen before I everybody in the church could spell cat or even count watching us ... past ten … (This is the perfect place for me to insert the politically correct sentiment. If I say the right thing, it’ll be because it’s true to me. Political correctness was shameful to watch, and I despise the weakness of it. In Bedtime Stories to come, my experience coming of age in America during the Civil Rights Movement will certainly come up, for one simple reason – I believe historians hundreds of years from now won’t care about JFK, Vietnam, Challenger, Saddaam, or bin Laden, Obama, or even 9/11 … The Story of life on Earth while I was here for my few heartbeats will be what the Civil Rights Movement in America did to transform expectations for all the citizens of Earth. The acorn of it all was Ghandi in India, but it’s MLK in America that put some growth rings on the tree.) This memory is one of the quirky accidents that affected how I reacted to the integration of the schools and the eventual integration of America. For the first time in my life – my parents’ life – we were the minority. Inside this church building it was just us three, and all-of-them, and yet we felt safe, welcomed. More important than their hospitality … see if you know where I’m going … was that they were praying to my God too. That old kiddie song, Jesus Loves The Little Children, red, yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight ... just words with a nice sentiment, but the accident of walking into the “wrong” church gave me this curious gift of seeing some of the ones not white loving Jesus back. This edition of Uncle P’s Bedtime Stories is brought to you by Eighty-one, where we believe that whether it’s an accident, serendipity, or God making chess moves towards the end game of a life, once you have an insight your road just got wider, and the wattage just went up on the light bulb. Uncle P can be reached at 81creativity@gmail.com.

The CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital da Vinci SiTM Surgical system for prostate surgery

technology on the cutting edge — the tiniest cutting edge. [ __ ] Typical da Vinci incision size

The da Vinci Si™ Surgical System features much smaller incisions which mean less pain, shorter hospital stays and quicker recoveries. With hundreds of procedures performed since 2006, benefits include:

Farjaad Siddiq, M.D. –Urologist, Director of Robotic Surgery

• Improved erectile function • Better urinary control • Higher cancer cure rates

Call (337) 430-3400 to schedule a consultation or visit www.christusstpatrick.org/robotassistedsurgery for more information.

JOHN ANDERSON Friday, August 23 • 9:00pm Tickets $5 with Fan Club card and $10 without Fan Club card. ®

Tickets available online at JestersJam.com or at the Banana Cabana gift shop.

Earn a Kitchen Gift Set Friday, Saturday and Sunday August 23 – 25