OPINION | BRENDA LOOPER: It’s just logical
Whataboutism, red herrings, ad hominem attacks and other logical fallacies were alive in the comments that followed my column about recent shootings last week,…
Whataboutism, red herrings, ad hominem attacks and other logical fallacies were alive in the comments that followed my column about recent shootings last week,…
Friday night, about the time I was settling into bed at a friend's house after having enjoyed a night out at Argenta Community Theater's production of "Cindere…
I could probably easily write about the departures of Tucker Carlson from Fox News and Don Lemon from CNN. However, I don't have cable, and even if I did, I wo…
Everyone needs an editor.
It's hard not to get frustrated with social media when you're firmly grounded in reality.
Despite living out in the country south of Fort Smith for the first 19 years of my life, I've never had much of a Southern accent. That came in handy for what …
Spending time with fur-nephew Charlie always puts me in a better mood, especially so as the seasons change (though that's more by the calendar than the actual …
Time is weird. It crawls when you're doing something you don't want to do (especially if it's something you have to do, like register your car at the revenue o…
At a party to celebrate a friend's birthday this past weekend, I was struck by how many strong women were on that balcony.
One of the best ways to lose your faith in humanity is to check social media after a notable public figure has announced a health struggle. Sure, you're free t…
I didn't watch the Super Bowl. I haven't in a long while, even for the commercials (besides, the EDS "Herding Cats" commercial from 2000 will always be the bes…
What's normal anymore?
Back when I was on the night copy desk, my boss would cringe a bit when I told a green new hire that one of the copy editor's jobs is to "think dirty before th…
That one-two punch really knocked me for a loop, and during my birthday week.
At 11:30 Friday night, I finally was able to turn off my laptop and go to bed.
Eventually I'll submit a word or phrase to be banished by Lake Superior State University and it will actually be picked. Not this time, though.
The end of the year always brings up thoughts on the previous 12 months and what we hope will be better in the year to come. And, if you're so inclined (I'm no…
A reader recently reminded me of a Christmas column I wrote that she enjoyed, so I thought I'd share an updated version of what was originally published Dec. 2…
The last couple of columns have been devoted to Words of the Year from the biggies, Merriam-Webster (gaslighting) and Oxford Languages (goblin mode). This week…
Oh, how I would love to take credit for Oxford Languages' announcement of "goblin mode" as its Word of the Year. Alas, my pointing people to the site last week…
I really don't like getting political; I'm cranky enough on my own, but add politics as now practiced? Yeesh.
Giving thanks all year-round has been my goal for a while now, though I'm not quite as diligent about it as I could be. Most of the time those thanks are betwe…
Not all of my votes in this past election did much good, but I can be proud of them since I did my research. I voted early, as did a friend who ended up having…
"Remember, remember, the fifth of November."--nursery rhyme
I can't pretend to understand the U.K. government. I can say, though, that its scandals seem to be more entertaining than ours (though maybe that's more becaus…
I've long been a believer in evolution, biological and otherwise. Biological evolution is any genetic change in a population that is inherited over several gen…
Those who know me well know I despise politics as practiced today, which is why I don't identify with any party. A lot of that is because we were spoiled for r…
October has long been one of my favorite months, though lately it hasn't been so kind to my sinuses. Those of you with chronic sinusitis know exactly what I me…
Though my experience in the opinion side of the newspaper only goes back 11 years, my love for one specific endeavor within has been decades-long.
More than half of my career has been spent on the news side of journalism, so I’m a bit of a zealot when it comes to the difference between facts and opinion.
One of the best things about online dictionaries is that they can be updated more often than the old print editions, and with expanded definitions since they'r…
Sometimes it’s tough coming up with column topics, especially on a long holiday weekend when you’re thinking more about recreational marijuana for dogs that pl…
I've never had much money. It's not that I haven't tried, but that I grew up pretty poor, and I happened to choose an occupation (local journalism) that tradit…
A text from a friend and former colleague, along with Washington Post columnist Margaret Sullivan's final column, got me to thinking.
If you live in the state of Arkansas, more than likely you know someone who is diabetic or pre-diabetic. The estimate of Arkansans with diabetes is 360,000, or…
We all like to think that we would never take pleasure in the misfortunes of others, but we're human. It happens. Uppance comes for all, and we get a little th…
Migraines are never fun. Some people have migraines far worse than mine, and all I can do is salute them and marvel at their ability to withstand them without …
When I was a kid, there was a spot at the edge of our yard where I'd sometimes curl up and read a book. It was near one corner of the property, with a little o…
When I was in college, I checked out and read virtually every behavioral science book the campus library had, especially those having to do with serial and mas…
Back when I was in the office on a regular basis, I would sometimes get calls from someone who called himself an old Republican redneck (though he refused to g…
The past weekend has been one of a lot of thought. Unfortunately, some of those thoughts aren't exactly appropriate for a family newspaper.
In talking to a friend Sunday evening after returning from my nephew's wedding, I noted how important it is to never stop learning. In that spirit, I learned q…
My nephew is getting married this weekend (congratulations, Dalton and Amanda!) and I had a big dose of Vitamin C(harlie) last week, so I don't really feel muc…
I had to remind myself last week not to read the comments on news sites, or as a friend calls it, "the bottom half of the Internet."
I was determined not to write about mass shootings in my column again, though I've spoken about them on Facebook and on my blog. It tends to stir up the trolls…
Occasionally I'll get a letter from a reader that needs to be answered in a column. Last week, I received this letter from Carolyn Johnson of Little Rock:
My plan to early-vote Saturday never got off the ground, thanks to insomnia (you're welcome for not endangering you; I'm a very cranky driver when exhausted). …
As I was putting the finishing touches on the letter selection for Tuesday's page Monday morning, the "ding" from my iPad alerted me to a story from The Wall S…
At different points in my life, I might have been called a Republican. At others, "Democrat" would have been a fair label, as would libertarian. However, I've …
When I was in grade school, our library had a copy of illustrated Greek myths that I kept checked out for the better part of a school year simply because I lov…