By MONTE DUTTON Families enjoy a lively Fourth of July fireworks show. Click here. On Friday night, the fireworks went off Adventure Village. I’d had a frustrating day with a new computer. (Still am.) I stopped by the office to see if The Transylvania Times had arrived. It hadn’t, but back at the shoe box, …
Category: Writing
Where AI comes in handy
By MONTE DUTTON Click here. I use Artificial Intelligence. Often I illustrate these blogs with images created by WordPress as part of the deal for providing this site. Also, it’s easier to ask AI the derivation of “lead-pipe cinch.” The standard Internet search now offers lead pipes I can purchase in the first 20 items. …
Something old, something new
By MONTE DUTTON A vintage car drives past a rustic BBQ joint on Route 66 at sunset. Click here. It’s Sunday, and I’ve wrapped up the photos and story on Clinton High School’s latest baseball triumph and am presently surfing back and forth between the NASCAR all-star race and the PGA golf tournament. I’m going …
How I’m changing to how I’m changing
By MONTE DUTTON A man reacts in shock to soaring inflation and rising prices of everyday items. Click here. On Sunday morning, I got up, drove to a drive-through and bought the same thing as the week before. I can’t remember the restaurant. I just remember it had golden arches. Usually, I get something that …
Months and days and watches
By MONTE DUTTON A man looks stressed while managing multiple devices and documents at a busy desk The waitress had her back turned. She was doing something at the grill. “How many days are there this month?” she asked to no one in particular. I’ve a little in common with those guys in the commercials …
Last of the red-hot promoters
By MONTE DUTTON Click here. When writing about stock cars became my principal way to make a living, one of the surprises was Howard Augustine “Humpy” Wheeler Jr., known for his flamboyant promotion of events at Charlotte Motor Speedway. I was expecting P.T. Barnum. What I found was the Wizard of Oz, a mild-mannered fellow …
Thoughts that have infected me recently
By MONTE DUTTON Click here. Latest trends in the world of sports: Length and size have replaced height and weight. Groups have been replaced by rooms (“the quarterback room”) that I suspect do not actually exist. Some words have flip-flopped meanings to the point where anything goes. Citizens want governments to be “transparent” so they …
Trying to keep my head above water
By MONTE DUTTON Click here. So … … I’ve quipped for months that I hoped to live long enough to see the sale of my land go through so that I could make a new start in a new place and become successful again. It’s not as much of a joke as it used to …
Not much worth reading
By MONTE DUTTON Click here. I have become obsessed with how bad journalism has become. It’s become a hobby to read Internet stories with lurid headlines if only to see what nothing burgers they are. This morning I saw a headline on “NASCAR’s deadliest tracks.” Truth be known, there aren’t any. I don’t think a …
Decent movies about auto racing are rare
By MONTE DUTTON Click here. There’s a frequent local TV commercial that encourages people to have “staycations,“, i.e., build a pool and stay home. My “staycation” is a bit more reasonable. Until my financial situation improves – the latest estimate is August or September, or perpetually two months ahead, depending on level of optimism – …
Nightrider's Lament 