Smiley Anders for April 25, 2012

Readers continue to ponder new names for the New Orleans Hornets NBA team to help new owner Tom Benson rename the lads in baggy shorts:

R.O. suggests the New Orleans Po-Boys (although NBA players can’t be called “po”).

Mike Robert has this unique suggestion for Tom:

“Change the Hornets’ name to the New Orleans Saints, and rename the football team the New Orleans Bounty Hunters.

“Heck, most of the players already have the training — and the tattoos.”

And Dr. George S. Bourgeois, of Opelousas, favors a name along the same lines as the football team that plays next door:

“The Hornets may not all wear bangles,

But when you consider all angles,

Each probably ain’t

What you’d call a saint,

So why not call all of them Angels?”

Initial reaction

At first I wondered if this was a true story.

But since it comes from Richard M. Flicker, an upstanding citizen known for his veracity, I assume it really happened:

“Overheard in the allergy medicine aisle at Walgreens: ‘I’m voting for the CATS tax. The higher the CATS tax, the fewer people will own cats; and my allergist told me to avoid cats at any cost.’ ”

Limerick wars!

Leave it to Doug Johnson, of Watson, to turn our recent surge in limericks into a contest:

“It seems your readers are smitten

With limericks people have sent in.

I’m writing my own

To make others moan,

And see how poorly they’re written.”

Down in front!

A reader signed “Don’t Want to Miss that Grand Slam!” says it’s time “to have a little chat about courtesy at the baseball park, especially at the Box.

“I was taught that you enter and leave your seat in between innings at a baseball game, or at the least between batters — not while a player is up to bat.

“When someone leaves their seat at the Box, everyone they pass has to stand and let them through, leaving others blinded to the action on the field.

“It would be courteous if fans would just wait until there is a pause in the action before they make those of us actually watching the game miss a play.

“This also applies to those strolling down the stairs.”

SEC champion

Karen Poirrier’s SEC story doesn’t involve sports:

“Gerald Kennedy, LSU Boyd Professor of English and former chairman of the English Department, received a Southeastern Conference College Faculty Achievement Award.”

Channel (9) cats

The above-mentioned Karen adds to our series on longtime Baton Rouge businesses:

“WAFB-TV just celebrated its 59th birthday. It began broadcasting news, weather and sports in south Louisiana on Sunday, April 19, 1953.”

She’d like to hear stories about Channel 9.

War stories

Daniel Martinez, chief historian at the Pacific National Monument in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, gives a presentation, “East Wind Rain: The Attack on Pearl Harbor,” at 10:30 a.m. Thursday in the USS Kidd Veterans Memorial & Museum auditorium.

Call Mary L. Fish at [phone], ext. 13.

Let’s boogie!

A “Boogie Kings Bash” at 7 p.m. Friday at Ville Platte Civic Center benefits the Louisiana Swamp Pop Museum.

Tickets are $15. Call City Hall, [phone], or KVPI, [phone].

Special People Dept.

• On Wednesday, Eva Comeaux Crochet, formerly of Morganza and now at Lakeview Manor in New Roads, observes her 100th birthday. She celebrated Sunday with her family.
• Della H. Himel, of Geismar, celebrates her 99th birthday Wednesday.
• Celebrating her 98th birthday Wednesday is Adele Langlois Lowe, of Port Allen.
• Pearl Lipscomb, of Walker, celebrates her 94th birthday Wednesday.
• Enola Dugas, of Paincourtville, celebrates her 91st birthday Wednesday.
• On Wednesday, Lucy “Lou” Alleman celebrates her 90th birthday.
• Ed and Fran Taylor celebrated 63 years of marriage April 17.

Thought for the Day

Harriet St. Amant got this one from Stan Kegel:

“Isn’t it appropriate that the month of the income tax begins with April Fool’s Day and ends with cries of ‘May Day!’?”

Aging process

Beanie, of Slaughter, ran across these items on maturity from Sharon Delaney-Chronis, of South Milwaukee, Wis.:

“You know you’re getting marvelously mature
when:

“You and your teeth don’t sleep together.

“You wake up looking exactly like your driver’s license picture.

“Your idea of a night out is sitting out on your porch.

“You’re on vacation and your energy runs out before your money does.”

Write Smiley at [e-mail]. He can also be reached by fax at [phone] or mail at P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821.