I Always Wanted to Know an Atticus Finch

And yet I never quite met him. I never found him in any of my coaches, my teachers, my friends, the fathers of my friends and even my beloved father never had that perfect pitch of character while he still ranks as the greatest inspiration to my manhood. I once had a minister that came close, who was also the father two of my friends, but he could never turn a phrase like Atticus. Ronald Reagan seemed about the closest, but I never actually met "The Great Communicator," so I'll have to strike "The Gipper" from contention.

No, I think I may go to my grave never knowing an Atticus Finch, but I am so very thankful that Harper Lee had a father, who helped her live such a life to inspire her to write ... Read More

I am accepting commentary from the public on any issue that interests you, and that you believe may interest others.

I will, however, at my sole discretion, reserve the right to not publish any article that may be of wanton slander, or just plain stupid. I do not "suffer fools galdly" here at NHCN, or any of our other publications for that matter - so come with your "A game."

In the month of February, we averaged 265 unique visitors per day, and we are growing at a rate of about 15% per month, so you will be read. If you are good, really good, I may ask if you would like to submit your work for further publication, and share in the eventual profits.

Think about it... and if you are interested, please send your commentary / opinion piec... Read More

Last night, while thousands lived out the Easy Rider fantasy on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, I was perfectly sober in the fluorescence of my small-town grocery, hunting for fresh-caught salmon.

Like I promised in yesterday's blog, I was using Mardis Gras to prep for my date with righteousness, rather than to have one last Hoorah, and be hungover for it.

(If you are truly ready to be married, Brandia, there will be no desire to have a bachelorette party.)

So, I'm at Food Lion and all I can find is farm-raised salmon from Canada, as if I haven't ingested enough of the Great White North after watching the Vancouver Winter Olympics all week.

Even though the salmon was raised on a farm, however, the pricing machine still felt it was wort... Read More

Don’t you just hate getting letters from politicians or their political hacks that begin Dear Friend, Dear Friends or just Friend …

Well, I’ve been a very conservative Republican county commissioner for nearly 14 years. I have angered so many liberals; many of whom have rarely experienced a rational thought, and certainly if they did, on that very rare off chance occasion, they, more often than not, cannot discuss / debate the issues that put them into their tizzies, without cussing, condescension or slander. This is why it is so remarkably odd that I must tell you: Since the 2008 General Election season, I have received a continuous stream of Democrat communiqués as if I were a member of their inner circle. ... Read More

For Love of Country or Love of the Rush?

Does it really matter? Staff Sergeant William James is still an American Hero - almost along the order of Audie Murphy. Sergeant Audie Murphy saved the lives of many American soldiers by killing hundreds of well armed Nazis. Staff Sergeant William James saved the lives of many American soldiers by dismantling hundreds of IED's in war torn urban Iraq.

The Staff Sergeant, portrayed by virtually unknown actor Jeremy Renner, had just disarmed a very large bomb from a just burning automobile. It was a tough disarming: So tough, and dangerous, he took off his bomb suit, stating, "If I'm going to die, I'm going to die comfortable."

His squad-mate, Sergeant JT Sanborn, played by Anthony Mackie,... Read More

I know this Will Anger Some, But the Movie Did Not Need to be Made

I do try to give films a good go of it when I try to enjoy them as art or simply entertainment. In terms of "Where the Wild Things Are," I tried to look at the picture trough the eyes of an unruly child, but I came up empty. The movie was 101 minutes long and was about 60 minutes too long to tell the story of the unruly Max in a make-believe-world that originated from a short, but very interestingly illustrated book by Maurice Sendak. I liked the book, read to my children. I did not particularly like the movie. As a movie it really did not need to be made.

I really did like the quirky "Being John Malkovich," another film made by the "Where the Wild Things Are" Direc... Read More

It's gorgeous outside today. Beyond and above my computer monitor, I can tilt my head back to look up through the large window facing me and see shapes move across my vision: an albino alligator smoking a hookah, a white motorcar blowing exhaust, a blank void turning into a glittery peep show. I don't care what kind of fancy piece of technology you have; nature, plus a good imagination, always steals the stage.

I'm convinced, now more than ever, that spring was named after what it inspires: unbridled, spontaneous action. And so it is, that at the tail end of winter, with just a hint of the season to come, on a Tuesday, I'm going to make a lifestyle shift that will free up huge banks of airtime for all my spring adventures. I'm going to gi... Read More