I am a crotchety old man, but erudite, handsome and suave, ;o). I seem to know something about everything. But really, I want to make millions of dollars by writing only a few lines now and again. In my stories, such as they are, I am usually writing to someone specifically, teasing them by including an inside joke - as transparent as it may be to the rest of the readers. But that is me. I am essentially a baby at writing. I may develop; I may not, but I make no commitment either way. If an interesting idea arises out of the cobwebs that comprise my brain, and I write it down before it ebbs away, you may get to read it, but I will have to be on the site and taken by a topic or title that interests me that particular moment. Any time I plan to write and carefully choose my subject matter, I tend to wander off in myriad directions, basically squandering what I thought would be a great idea. Discipline and skill are not my main virtues. I hope one day to write something funny and interesting for you to read. I further hope you enjoy it as much as I will enjoy reading it for captive friends and family - over and over again. ;o)

My passion is ...

On second thought, maybe I'll have to win the lottery.

I know too much about ...

I am a generalist. I know a lot about history so I bombard anyone within ear shot with references to Caesar, Aristotle, Voltaire, Rousseau, Luther, Erasmus, Shakespeare, Malone, Mohammed and Dante

My parents always told me ...

Shut up and sit down. Eat! There are starving children in China.

My childhood ambition ...

To be president and have everyone do things my way.

My favorite memory ...

Watching "Darby O'Gill and the Little People" for days on end - partly because I enjoyed the movie and partly because the theater was air-conditioned.

Why I write ...

Because I can.

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

My ears are open, my eyes do see. If I shut my mouth now, I'll be ahead of the game.

My first job ...

Picking cotton at the age of 5. I think I earned less than a dollar for 10 hours work. Boy was I pissed, but it cured me of wanting to work/sweat under the hot Texas sun for a living.

My best moment ...

Now

My inspiration ...

The present and all those things, people and events that have led up to now.

Politics, News & Issues > War in Iraq Reflections: A soldier's view from the front line in Iraq

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Here we are. The darkness of the night engulfs our small unit of young soldiers. Out of the black background of a moonless sky comes sniper fire. I hear the sizzle of an incoming round burning a trail through the air. One soldier falls, his body limp as a rag and just as lifeless. His only complaint is a slight "uuuh" and then a thud as he drops to the ground. We take cover wherever we can and try to see where the shooter is while dragging our lifeless comrade to shelter with us. This is war. Another bullet from atop an apartment building echoes in the night and we locate our buddie...

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