Articles written by John Davis

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About me - John Davis

Father of two boys; one three, one new. Married to lovely wife six years this August. Author of "Growing Moon, Growing Soil: Poems of My Native Land." Award-winning poet, published internationally in literary magazines. Avid outdoorsman, acoustical guitarist,

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Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Form letter in response to criticism: 9 of 94

Dear former colleague: Thank you so much for your informed and very helpful advice regarding the performance of my duties. No matter what the situation, your unique and ever-present voice was a constant reminder. Undoubtedly, you must consider yourself both experienced and praiseworthy in order to persistently deliver such a...
Sports & Recreation > Hunting Is hunting animals a legitimate sport?: 4 of 24

The "hunting as sport" issue boils down to a matter of semantics. If we define "sport" as competition between two teams attempting to achieve one certain goal, then no, hunting is not a sport by that definition. However, when we look at the broader definition of the word, dating back to its origins, we realize and recognize ...
Education > Teachers & Administrators Dress codes for teachers: 2 of 11

For years now, teachers have decried the inequitableness of their pay in comparison with that of other professionals. The battle cry has usually gone something like: "We're college-educated employees who receive the same pay as high school dropouts." There is some truth to this argument, but when we take a closer look at why...
Food & Drink > Coffee Does filtered water improve the taste of coffee and tea?: 2 of 8

Unless you live in Guada-the-heck-are-we-doing-here, chances are your tap water is decent. By that, I mean it's relatively free of impurities and the smell is okay (for the most part). On any given day in the largest of cities, water straight from the tap might have that chlorine scent, or, perhaps it might be a little "fish...
Creative Writing > Memoirs Testimonies: I love coffee: 2 of 7

College taught me a lot of things about life: Building explosives can be very rewarding, the best phone pranks usually leave you one friend short, laundromats are normally too much trouble, and coffee - oh, coffee - is the greatest beverage on earth. In fact, I hesitate to call it a "beverage;" that seems a little degrading....
Creative Writing > Memoirs Memoirs: My first job: 10 of 27

The summer I was turning 18 and heading for college, I went to work at a small-town weekly newspaper. The business was located in a small concrete-block building just off Main Street, but it was still visible to passers-by who were frequenting downtown. Outside the office, there stood two proud blue boxes, loaded with that w...
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: Life lessons: 131 of 334

Todd, Michael, and Ray lived on the same block, and each was turning twelve that summer. In Ray's tree house one Thursday afternoon, the boys concocted an idea that would change everything. "Let's go swimming in the pits," Ray suggested. "The phosphate pits? They're all closed off," Michael said. "Besides, isn't that kind of...
Politics, News & Issues > Baseball News & Opinion Predictions: 2008 Tampa Bay Devil Rays: 2 of 5

After a mediocre spring training season at best, the Rays are now poised to strike back during the regular season. Poised, that is, if they can get Scott Kazmir back off the DL and out of minor league rehab of sorts. Catcher Dioner Navarro has just returned from his stint in the minors where he allowed his finger to heal, an...
Creative Writing > Memoirs Memoirs: Looking back on childhood and missing it: 33 of 82

This particular issue is near and dear to my heart, as it took me nearly 15 years to overcome the melancholy power of reminiscence. See, I had a sublime childhood; nearly perfect, in fact. With the single matter of a few boyhood hospital visits, I was reared in such a way that as a young adult, I destructively longed for the...
Education > Alternative Education (Other) Boot camps and their purpose: 3 of 7

Here's the honest truth about boot camps, folks: I taught at a Florida youth boot camp for the grand total of two and a half years before it was "renamed" due to the Martin Lee Anderson incident in the panhandle. If you are unfamiliar with the Anderson case, it went essentially like this - guards at a separate boot camp (not...