As it turns out, news of TikTok’s demise has been greatly exaggerated… just like everything else about TikTok. Unless you think the popular short-form video social media platform is spelled “Tick Tock” or has a “the” in front of it, you’re probably caught up on the “will it” or “won’t it” be banned drama, which … Continue reading Tick tock for TikTok
Snowmeggedon. Snowpocalypse. Winter Storm Van Helsing. Whatever you call it, snow has been falling across the South this year in quantities not seen in my neck of the woods in a decade. We had two rounds of it with winter storms striking Atlanta Jan. 10 and Jan. 21 bringing with it that wonderful mix of … Continue reading Snow without kids just isn’t as fun
Journey back in time with me to that glorious season from the third week of November through December 20 when anything you didn’t want to deal with at work could just wait until “after the holidays.” If you’re like me, you had “circle back after the new year” on copy-paste for emails you didn’t want … Continue reading Circle back time is now
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter was laid to rest this week on Jan. 9, 2025, after passing away Dec. 29. Since he first began receiving hospice care in February of 2023, tributes, retrospectives, reminiscences, and all manner of eulogies have been posted and published. As a former journalist and resident of Georgia since 1992, I … Continue reading Three encounters with President Jimmy Carter
On January 7, 2025, one of my longest and best friends will celebrate a milestone birthday. Words of appreciation have gone unspoken for too long. Today’s post attempts to rectify that. I met Robert I. Perkins Jr. in 1987. At the end of my junior year of high school, I interviewed for the high school … Continue reading Friends and milestones
A look back at the year that was in 2024 for New South Essays.
Dear Faithful Readers and Adoring Fans (all three of you), Because of the overwhelming demand for more insider gossip from the first family of New South Essays, I am once again releasing the official Wallace family Christmas letter through this wildly popular platform. Last year’s clickbait edition generated so much traffic that it’s clear our … Continue reading The Official Wallace Family Christmas Letter 2024
The element of surprise contributes mightily to the joy and wonder of Christmas. My celebration this year has been largely devoid of this crucial component thanks to technology. That’s right, efficient and convenient online tools have robbed me of another of life’s simple pleasures. I have very inefficiently and inconveniently labored to counteract these tools … Continue reading Not-so-secret Santa
Don’t “@me.” I know what “literally” means. It means “figuratively.” It used to mean “literally” but people don’t know what words mean anymore, so now it means the opposite. I am using the term ironically. Anyway, I digress. My point is Christmas is coming to a home near you and quickly. Seriously. Super fast. It … Continue reading Christmas is literally tomorrow
Every year when the holidays roll around I face an internal struggle between capturing the magic of the past and experiencing something fresh. No two Christmases have been exactly alike, but there has been enough of a thematic throughline that my boys have expectations that we do specific activities in a certain order: Thanksgiving, breakfast … Continue reading This year will be different
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