(Author’s note: This story appeared in the Feb. 2012 issue of the Tennessee Cooperator.) What Thomas “Bigfoot” Spencer lacked in historical staying power, he made up for in legendary adventure It was probably the winter of 1786, but nobody recorded the actual date. A smattering of militiamen had gathered for one of the first musters, […]
Several weeks ago, I wrote a post called “No color copiers” about a trip I made to Putnam County, Tenn., to conduct an interview with craftsman Joe Stout. As promised, here is the resulting story, published this month in the Tennessee Cooperator: Staying Sharp. (The link will open as a .pdf document.) Since the magazine came […]
Here are the Top 10 Lame-Ass Reasons not to exercise, as I see them. It’s not an official list compiled by the We’re Better Than You Exercisers of America or anything. These are reasons I’ve heard most often from friends, family, and coworkers, and my personal reaction to them. (I’ve used many of these excuses […]
In my Dec. 18 blog, “What to do about it,” I offered several simple ways for us to get our minds off the Sandy Hook tragedy, like purchasing coffee for the person behind you in a Starbuck’s drive-thru. Holly and I did this several times over the holidays. We didn’t require a thank you or […]
The “Smart Phone-omenon,” as I call it, is more about behavior and less about technology. There are plenty of good things about smart phones. They keep us in touch with our loved ones. They provide a added level of safety during travel. Equipped with GPS, they get us from A to B. We can play Angry […]
So you’ve got a buddy at work who began doing some crazy fitness fad called “Crossfit” last year, and now, it’s all he can talk about. He keeps encouraging you to give it a try and swears you’ll enjoy it. “You’ll be hooked after a week,” he claims. You look at him like he’s got […]
“Alone in the Wilderness,” the documentary about Alaskan naturalist Richard “Dick” Proenneke (pronounced prin-uh-key) is one of the most remarkable films ever made, in my estimation. Yes, I know that’s an ambitious statement, but I stand by it. I can’t think of another movie or TV production that can exhilarate me, fascinate me, and make […]
At the risk of repeating myself, I’m going to repeat myself: I write this blog as much for me as for you. I’m really not trying to be flippant. The fact is, it’s often easier to recommend and even teach certain techniques than it is to put them into action. I need to be reminded. […]
Holly and I had the distinct pleasure of seeing the movie “Lincoln” over the Christmas break. I expected to be amazed and riveted. I was. I had heard enough about the movie already to know that it mainly concerns itself with the passage of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in the United States. It was […]
Great news to report! Today, I decided to take a closer look at the barrage of emails I’ve been receiving lately, and boy, am I glad I did — I appear to be filthy, stinkin’ rich! No more mortgages! No more 9-to-5 grind! No more million-mile vehicles with discolored leather under the baby seat! It’s […]