My Inner Author

As 2009 draws to a close and 2010 prepares for its grand opening, there are so many issues which could draw debate, discussion and attention. But 01/01/10 will be the biggest day for college football in the state of Florida perhaps in history, as two of the most revered, loved and respected careers will come to end; and one successful career will hit the pause button. You see, Bobby Bowden and Tim Tebow will end their respective runs on New Year's Day 2010. What else can be said about Bobby Bowden that hasn't really been discussed already. He has been hailed as a Saint by some, respected as a coach, a mentor, and sometimes as a father figure to thousands of young men over his 44 years as a head coach. He was innovative, colorful (but never profane), and perhaps most of all, sincere. Ironically, the events which stand out most to me as a FSU fan and Coach Bowden has nothing to do with the game played on the field. Rather it has to do with how he taught those young men about thin...

Well, the news is drawing me towards writing on a different topic, but I have seen a few recent efforts at getting people to share more info about themselves over the past few weeks. The 100 question interviews, the polls and such are okay, but I wanted to try a different concept. Nothing too detailed or time consuming. So, I came up with the idea to list the 10 Guys I Would Most Like To Hang Out With For A Day. I stayed away from listing any ladies, no distractions here. Just 10 dudes from all different areas whom I think would be fun, interesting, educational, and maybe all of the them. Each one holds some area of interest to me, and I left some off the list just because I had to whittle it to 10. And of course since I cannot bring people back from the dead, they have to be living. So, I will list mine. Perhaps someone else will take up the idea and list theirs. Just a quick bit of mostly meaningless wondering. Perfect for the holiday season. 1) Mike Rowe, host of Dirty Jobs. Besides...

As I listen to people talk on the news, in the media, online and in person about health care one thing has become abundantly clear: Far too many Americans have forgotten what it is to BE an American, they now resemble something like a couch potato watching reality TV every day. They look to Oprah and the government to just fix the problem, preferably before the next commercial break and certainly before tomorrow’s episode. And sadly, many of them actually believe they can do it. Are Oprah’s guests today Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter? Shute, you would think Barrack Obama is wielding a magic wand the way so many people think he can magically solve not only America’s woes, but all the world’s problems. So many Americans want things wrapped up all nice and neat, and quickly. It seems "closure" is now the goal, not a dogged determination to find the best solutions to the problems of the world today. Too many people lack the motivation to educate themselves on the issue or lack...

Okay, here is a good topic to discuss, and well outside my usual zone: Black Friday. Most Americans know this as the Friday after Thanksgiving, and the biggest shopping day of the year. It got its name from the idea that most stores became profitable for the year with their huge volume of sales that day (and everyday thereafter was gravy). You know the deal: Thanksgiving Day these "top secret" (yes, that is sarcasm) deals are revealed to the world, and dedicated shoppers can stage their pre-dawn war plans to obliterate Christmas shopping lists and drop a thermonuclear bomb on the family credit card debt. Where as once the stores opened at 7am, the frenzy now begins at 4am (maybe earlier in some cases). Well, I have an idea to offer the retail world: "Change" is a nice buzzword these days, so maybe you can get with the program; change the rules for Black Friday. I cannot count the number of horror stories of rude behavior, of people running over others, or knocking p...

Okay, like so many in Bulldog Nation, I share the frustration of the 2009 football season to date. Our beloved Dawgs look more undisciplined than a band of fresh Army recruits on the first day of basic training, they give the football away so much the United Way has given them the donor of the year award already and the defense is so friendly to the opposition (and so averse to takeaways) Amnesty International and the United Nations have nominated them for pacifists of the year. All of that said, I think all the naysayers screaming to fire Martinez, fire Bobo and even some who have questioned Mark Richt’s leadership need to sit down, take a deep breath and have some patience. Coach Richt, if he were listening out there, would likely quote the old saying, "if you listen to the fans, soon you'll be sitting up there with them." I don’t think Mark reached the highest levels of the football coaching profession by listening to sports talk radio, making crucial decisions by pol...

This is still not finalized I think.... As my friends know, I am a huge fan of the science fiction genre. For me it all began with Star Trek, despite William Shatner’s overly dramatic Captain Kirk. By the time Star Wars debuted in 1978, I had been hooked. To me the real power of Science Fiction is the ability of the writer to craft his or her story in whatever “world” or “universe” they want. Not all fiction writers can take advantage of such a powerful tool. Your average legal drama today requires a setting in today’s society (or a well documented past one) where there are certain rules in place. For example, you can’t have a story today where you can probe the suspect’s memories for the truth with a machine. You can’t have a chase scene that spans a continent. You have to use a judge, a jury, and follow the norms of today. In SciFi, the author can have all sorts of possibilities. Want a chase scene across galaxies? Sure. Want a truly invisible stalker? Alright. Time Travel? Okay. But...

This will not be one of my usual blogs. I just had a thought about something and decided to jot it down quickly before it got washed away by an afternoon of college football. Why are we Conservative, Tea Party types so upset over the Health Care debate and runaway spending? There are many reasons, but here is one very large one to consider. Why are people inside Washington so clueless? Do you know George Bush (41) had no idea about bar code scanners in checkout lines at grocery and other retail stores? He had absolutely no idea such a thing existed. Do you think Bill Clinton ever had to run out at 9pm to get Chelsea some cold medicine because they had run out of Nyquil? Has Nancy Pelosi ever had to check a bag through when she has flown on an airplane? When was the last time "W" went to the grocery store and saw the prices of food? Do you really think Harry Reid pumps his own gas? When was the last time Barrack Obama actually bought a car at a dealership? Think about nearly a...