By MONTE DUTTON Click here. This day began as most days do, with me convincing this laptop I am human. All I had to do was identify three frames that had buses in them. Oh, the humanity. I got a text message warning me to pay immediately a traffic ticket I never got in North …
Tag: Donald Trump
What in the Name of the Constitution Is Going On?
Clinton, South Carolina, Thursday, July 30, 2020, 3:28 p.m. If there’s no sports this fall, it’s devastating. It’s devastating to me because I am running a sports website without the benefit of sports, but it’s devastating for millions because sports is a vital part of their lives. It’s mild in comparison to losing basic social …
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Last Days of Pompeii
Clinton, South Carolina, Tuesday, December 18, 2019, 3:24 p.m. Everyone gets sick every now and then. I don’t get sick often. The last time was 14 months ago. I’ve reached the age at which I realize that disaster is never more than a single malevolent germ away. Last night it was hard for me to …
A Weary Saturday with Ballgames on
Clinton, South Carolina, Saturday, November 2, 3:50 p.m. I don’t get out much. The last time I spent a night in a motel room was in March. My road trips are to places like Piedmont (twice!), Simpsonville, and Greer, where the Piedmont Municipal Power Agency resides. A commute to Greenville after four hours’ sleep is …
Writers Need Love, Too
Clinton, South Carolina, Wednesday, October 23, 2019, 9:22 a.m. It’s going to be one of those days, crashing down on another one like white water over rocks. Seldom is it good when one notices that the answering machine is beeping at the crack of dawn. I seldom was called a moron before Trump got elected …
Can’t Help Myself
Clinton, South Carolina, Thursday, October 17, 2019, 12:36 p.m. I am reminded this morning of the line of actor Jeff Goldblum in The Big Chill. It was something to the effect of … aw, hell, I’m a journalist, let me look it up: Michael: I don't know anyone who could get through the day without …
Independence with a Little ‘i’
Clinton, South Carolina, Saturday, July 6, 2019, 1:49 p.m. I’ve restrung two guitars this week during the time I could spare from work. I also worked on my next novel on consecutive days for the first time in at least six months. Independence Day gave me some time for independence. I had a few local …
Taking It All with a Pound of Salt
Clinton, South Carolina, Thursday, June 20, 2019, 10:47 a.m. Advertising has never been particularly important to me. I’ve spent most of my life working for newspapers, but I have my own small role in their decline. I’ve never paid any attention to the ads. Apparently, I was not alone. In a very small way, I …
They’re Only Words, and Words Are All I Have …
Clinton, South Carolina, Saturday, June 1, 11:39 a.m. A half hour ago, I was trying to catch up on email, text messages, posts, tweets – the bare necessities of life – and I heard NASCAR driver Christopher Bell say his car was “migrating” in the turns. I’m guessing he meant it was “wandering up the …
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‘The Storms of Life Are Washing Me Awaaaayyy’
Clinton, South Carolina, Friday, April 19, 2019, 12:19 p.m. When I was a boy, one of my grandmothers was prone to say “it’s about to come up a cloud.” Another line of those storms is about to roll through, flinging out lightning. It sure seems like this happens more often than it used to. Mama …
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Nightrider's Lament 