Rudolph Sends Wrong Message
The Original Rudolph Booklet The song of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer dates from 1939, when the Chicago-based Montgomery Ward company asked one of their copywriters to come up with a Christmas story they could give away to shoppers as a promotional gimmick. Robert...
The Hating Of Duke
UNC vs Duke Every year about this time, legions of ACC fans begin to tingle with excitement. The hardwoods have opened up and college basketball is well underway. Power teams are playing their share of cupcakes and contenders in an effort to hone their squads into...
Fat Chance
This short story was originally published at hackwriters.com in October 2007. Can't you just feel the cynicism? I was once on a reality TV show where the contestant who lost the most weight won the prize money. I never saw so many fatties in one place...
The Other Twin
This short story was published at hackwriters.com in October 2007. It is based almost entirely on a true story. IT WAS 1968, a summer of love, and so it was with Martha and Odell. They had three girls, the youngest at sixteen months, and another child on the...
Thanks For Giving
The Thanksgiving Feast. It's that time of the year again. The leaves have turned from brilliant oranges and yellows to shades of brown. The time had changed and temperatures have cooled and most importantly, Turkey Day is here! Officially, in America, November 22 is...
The End of Baseball Rain
The Impervious Baseball Rain November is finally kicking into full swing and the cold is upon us. After a month of teasing us with relatively mild temperatures, Autumn has turned the corner. Summer in the South is marked with intensity. Whether it's intense heat,...
Homage To The Southern Biscuit
The Southern Biscuit. In the South, we take a lot of things in stride. If it rains on game day, we shrug and celebrate that at least we don't have to work in the yard. If our car breaks down, we call someone to pick us up. But whatever you do, don't mess with our...
The Obligatory Halloween Blog
Halloween, a license to pretend. Halloween is probably the funnest holiday ever invented. Not only is it during the best time of the year, Autumn, but it is mandatory to be someone else. The holiday is a license to pretend and what could be more fun? Since...
A Cheesedog Like No Other
About twenty years ago, I went to an old soda shop style restaurant in downtown Burlington named Zack's. Their main fare was hot dogs and Cokes in ten ounce glass bottles. And everything was always served with a smile and a thanks. Zack's hot dogs has been a staple...
Fat Boy Asthma
Growing up, I had what I affectionately called "Fat Boy Asthma." Whenever I would play sports, I had trouble breathing. I never experienced an attack for no reason like most asthma sufferers, it only happened when I exerted myself. In fact, that's what the doctor's...