Maybe there is something to this separation of church and state idea—especially if you happen to be running for president.

Ever since Richard Nixon embraced Billy Graham, it seems, there has been a temptation for nationally prominent politicians to seek out nationally prominent preachers. Perhaps they are hoping that a smile and a nod from one of them will be seen by the voters as an endorsement from God.

One of the hardest assignments for a journalist is attending a funeral for someone you didn’t know, never met, and have no connection with. Will Branham’s funeral last Sunday was different, and I spent part of the next day trying to figure out why.

One of the most disturbing pieces of information that dribbled out from the flurry of “first anniversary” stories on the 2007 Virginia Tech shootings was this: Apparently, Seung-Hui Cho’s parents weren’t told by school or public health officials that their son had been deemed a “danger to himself and others.”

Joe Jackson’s book “The Thief at the End of the World:  Rubber, Power and the Seeds of Empire” was born at a dinner party.

“I had some people over, and one of them was a botanist,” recalled Jackson, who will be signing copies of his book at Givens Books this Saturday (1-3). “He asked me what I was working on for my next book, and I said, ‘Give me an idea.’ And he said, ‘You ought to write about Henry Wickham.’”

First of all, I haven’t discarded the idea of picking a “President of Central Virginia.” For those of you who’ve already submitted your issue statements (around 10, the last time I checked), hang in there. I’d like to get a few more entries, and I’ve decided there’s no big hurry – the conventions aren’t until late summer. Also, we still have to come up with some prizes and a panel of judges (any volunteers?).

You’ve got to hand it to Liberty University. When it comes time to find a graduation speaker, most colleges rummage through their Rolladexes and come up with a politician or a business leader or a prominent alumnus. The majority of them are crushingly boring.

There was a lot of hand-wringing from political writers recently when former Arkansas governor and God-fearing Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee said he thought the Constitution should be based on the Ten Commandments. Or something like that.

Scientific studies have proven that part of our memory—not just institutional, but personal—comes from Hollywood.

It’s almost eerie, what’s happening in the National Football League playoffs. And as I watched the Green Bay Packers decimate the Seattle Seahawks in a swirling snowstorm on Saturday, I sensed a made-for-TV movie waiting to happen.

Check out Darrell Laurant’s writings from 2007, including his thoughts on politics, health care, Randolph College and more.