Writing Tools

   Any writer needs to know the basic tools of writing. I find If I Were a Carpenter  by Roy Peter Clark very helpful. When I'm in "serious author mode" I re-read his short lists at least once a week. If you're not a professional writer but have any written work to do, using Mr. Clark's lists will improve your work. You can find it at http://swopnet.com/misc/writing/writing_tools.html .

Send a Gift Certificate to a Service Member    09/15/07

   This is a great way to show your support to our soldiers. Even if you can only afford to send them a $5 gift card, it means more than you know! The gift certificates are sent to individual servicemembers (designated by the purchaser) or distributed to "any servicemember." The fee to send a certificate is just $4.95 and the servicemember can use it at any PX in the world (including Iraq and Afghanistan). Here's how to do it: just click on this URL and follow the prompts http://www.certifichecks.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/cgi-bin/web06/affil_template.pl?U+affil+mlfd6105ffe7cee7+aafes_152598+aafes_152598+mlfd6105ffe7cee7+http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aafes.org%2F+welcome> You'll have to register the first time you do this, but it's easy enough.

09/03/09 Some of you know that I have a grandson serving in Iraq. He's now on his second tour of duty there. Pray for him. He has my two little great grandchildren to come home to. He'll be there about a year. 

Fantasy Football 09/03/09 During the 2008 fantasy football season I once again only managed to come in second. This season will be different. I have recently drafted four teams and intend to win all four leagues. "Ha!" you say. We shall see, my friend, we shall see.

I also intend to join an online fantasy baskeball league again this year. I really enjoyed the challenge I took on last year. Those of you who know anything about me know that I do not like basketball. That is a confession I make with fear in my heart. I live in North Carolina and everyone knows this is one of the true hot-beds of baskeball fandom. I don't want basketball backboards burned on my front lawn. I did it because I've noticed that I don't have to be a great football player to be a successful fantasy manager so I thought that managing a baskeball team would not require me to watch the games on TV or in person. And I was right. I won my head-to head competition league (thanks in part to the other managers not paying attention to their teams). The other nine managers in my league last year all talked like they were there when the game was invented. But I have come to believe there is very little about understanding the "sport of basketball" and understanding the "business" of managing a basketball team. More later.