13 Years Ago

Thirteen years ago today, my first story appeared in The Stanly News & Press. It was really a commentary, but they didn't have my photo, since I wasn't officially an employee.

That first column asked "What is a sport?" I discussed different activities such as kick the can, hopscotch, stick ball and other such "sports." During that summer I wrote about dragsters, tractor pulls, disc golf, dan ball -- something I can't even remember anything about -- and lots of pro wrestling.

It was a fun summer working with the SNAP and I still sometimes still question "What is a sport?" I guess anyone can make a sport out of anything. We have covered brawl fighting events, checker tournaments, arm wrestling, chess and many other competitions.

I didn't know, however, that 13 years later we would be tweeting and blogging about events.

But it still can't beat the real thing -- The SNAP.

James Arnass Dies

Just saw that James Arnass, who starred as Matt Dillon on "Gunsmoke," has died.

Even though I like "Bonanza" more, I've grown to love Matt, Miss Kitty, Festus and all the other characters from "Gunsmoke."

What's your favorite western?

TCM

I think I'm addicted to Turner Classic Movies. I've been watching a lot of it lately. I'll share some of my favorites in the coming weeks. About to watch "Godzilla." Monster movies on Thursday nights in June. What's your favorite monster movie?

Heat vs. Mavericks

The NBA Finals begin tonight. Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks. I don't really have a favorite in this. I was pulling for the Bulls and Grizzlies. I guess I'll have to go with the Heat. It wraps up the story they've been working on since signing LeBron last summer. It's his time.

Cell phones

News released today suggests that cellphones may cause cancer. What do you think? Will this cause you to stop using your phone? I'll have more on this topic later.

Home Show

The home improvement show on Friday and Saturday was certainly interesting. I met some wonderful people at the show, some old friends, and hopefully some new acquaintances. Read more about my home show experiences in Tuesday's SNAP.

Joplin Tornadoes

The tornadoes that hit Joplin, Mo. hit close to home for us at the SNAP. We have a sister paper, The Joplin Globe. Some of the members of its staff lost their homes. It is unknown if any of the employees or their families were hurt.

This does make us think about our situation here. How are we prepared? What would we do in a situation like this? Any thoughts?