The loss of a friend hurts an entire community
All of us have experienced life’s peaks and valleys. We laugh. We cry. We get frustrated. We get excited. We celebrate. We mourn. The emotional rollercoaster that we all find ourselves riding from time to time can seem both excruciating and...
Thursday, April 19, 2012 - 5:00am
An open discourse on pet rocks and crime sprees
I always loved “show-and-tell” when I was a kid.
It wasn’t out of excitement over my own contributions to the exercise, as I rarely brought in anything more enticing than a potato chip that loosely resembled former President Jimmy...
Thursday, April 12, 2012 - 8:06am
They got who to play Steve Jobs in a movie?
Many of us were playing that time-tested game of “what-if” last week.
As the dollar amounts spiked on the Mega Millions lottery jackpot, I found myself engaged in conversation with several different people regarding how we would...
Thursday, April 5, 2012 - 11:43am
Los Angeles to get one more Magic show
From the moment I could talk, many of my conversations have been focused on sports, and the athletes who play them.
I remember being young and worshipping Eddie Murray, Jim Palmer, Ken Singleton and my favorite Baltimore Oriole of...
Thursday, March 29, 2012 - 5:57am
We're divided, because they tell us to be so
I bite my tongue a lot, particularly during debates between people over the national political scene. It’s not that I’m apathetic toward politics, or afraid to take a stand on something I strongly believe in, as much as it’s a case of me not...
Thursday, March 22, 2012 - 5:52am
The greatest weekend of all is now upon us
Allow me to address the very esteemed court of public opinion regarding the significance of the weekend ahead of us. It is my argument that this is indeed the greatest of all the 52 weekends we see in a year, and that is saying a lot. After all,...
Wednesday, March 14, 2012 - 3:29pm
A century of deliciousness from the Oreo
A true legend turned 100 this week.
No, I’m not talking about Peyton Manning, the iconic quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts who was released by the franchise this week as they throw their hopes and fortunes into a rebuilding...
Thursday, March 8, 2012 - 8:27am
‘Boys will be boys’ — the ultimate cop-out
Boys will be boys, right?
From little caveboys riding pterodactyls around an open fire to Roman youths giving hotfeet to sandal-clad soldiers to kids today launching themselves and their skateboards over shaky makeshift ramps, it...
Thursday, March 1, 2012 - 10:33am
Lucy finds her way home four months later
There’s no secret that I’m fascinated by my dogs. The shar-pei, Guinness, fills the role of the big, happy dog that exists to eat, play and sleep. Bailey, the pug, is the princess that wants to be held and coddled, but also has a fiery temper and...
Thursday, February 23, 2012 - 6:01am
Trying to compete with that swimsuit issue
Since the dawn of time, man has relished the very concept of anticipation. Be it the scintillating aroma of a brontosaurus cooking over a cave fire, fresh water pouring its first cleansing drops into town from an aquaduct or opening the first...
Thursday, February 16, 2012 - 5:48am
You never know when you'll need a firefighter
There are certain things that I most certainly do not appreciate when they seemingly pop out of thin air.
Rabid dogs immediately come to mind, as do electric bills that defy logic, frost on my windows when I’m running late for work...
Thursday, February 9, 2012 - 3:54am
Walking the dogs can be a scary proposition
With as mild a winter as we have enjoyed to this point, it’s kind of hard to forget that it’s been cold in other parts of the country. And when one thinks of cold locales in the United States, one should immediately conjure up images of Alaska....
Thursday, February 2, 2012 - 9:42am
Ravens come up short in quest for greatness
As a kid, my parents did their best to teach me not to hate anyone. Every time the phrase would escape my lips I would receive a very stern lecture on just how strong a word “hate” is, and that feeling such a vile emotion only succeeds in rotting...
Thursday, January 26, 2012 - 8:13am
Is the end in sight for an American tradition?
Light a candle. Engage yourself in meditation or take to prayer. If you have a lucky rabbit’s foot, rub it now. This is one of those all-hands-on-deck situations, and it will take a collective effort to fend off the horrors that await.
...
Thursday, January 19, 2012 - 6:38am
That bucket list might have to be accelerated
I was going back through my New Year’s resolutions this past weekend, as well as formulating a plan on how I would explain to people how all of them are now officially dead, when a jolt of reality shot through my body.
Who needs...
Thursday, January 12, 2012 - 5:36am
Here's looking at another year of resolutions
Well, 2012, let’s take a look at you. I mean, yeah, there are those preconceptions concerning you being pretty much the last year we’ll ever see, thanks to the Mayans, but I have to say you’re looking pretty good to me.
Of course,...
Thursday, January 5, 2012 - 3:31am
Taking a look back at a very eventful year
As I started going back through the past year’s editions of the Coastal Point, I was floored by just how eventful a year it was. Now, to be fair, I’ve had a similar reaction nearly every year since we started this publication in February 2004....
Wednesday, December 28, 2011 - 1:33pm
Taking a look back at a very eventful year
As I started going back through the past year’s editions of the Coastal Point, I was floored by just how eventful a year it was. Now, to be fair, I’ve had a similar reaction nearly every year since we started this publication in February 2004....
Wednesday, December 28, 2011 - 1:33pm
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all
I’m a wrestler, by nature.
Coastal Point
Now, before you have images of me wearing a singlet, being in shape and competing against another finely-tuned athlete, take a breath and stop. I’m not that kind of wrestler. And just in case...
Thursday, December 22, 2011 - 2:54am
We often find our treasures in unexpected venues
It’s been said that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.Texas Christian University professor Jeff Ferrell embodies that axiom.
Coastal Point
Ferrell has somewhat adopted the persona of a modern-day Robin Hood, as far as his...
Thursday, December 15, 2011 - 7:44am
The wrong password can make life pretty tough
We all like to feel secure.
Coastal Point
There’s a sense of comfort we gain from being secure as far as personal safety, monetarily, romantically, you name it. Human beings are basic creatures, and all creatures like to feel safe....
Thursday, December 8, 2011 - 5:50am
A tale of inspiration and positive mental attitude
Human beings are a fickle breed. We allow things on the outside to consistently interfere and influence the things on the inside. We run hot and cold, and our overall moods and dispositions often vary from moment to moment. Good things cause us...
Thursday, December 1, 2011 - 3:08am
Thanksgiving is the ultimate time to give thanks
Thanksgiving is largely built on traditions. You know, like white people coming here and running through the native population like they were ...
But I digress.
It is a holiday that has morphed into the ultimate family...
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 - 7:16am
Maryland falling into big-time athletics trappings
When I read the other day in The (Baltimore) Sun that a University of Maryland commission recently recommended that the school cut eight sports, I was a little sad.
Coastal Point
The sports in question — men’s tennis, men’s track...
Thursday, November 17, 2011 - 4:41am
Penn State situation an absolute nightmare for all
I really should be happy.
The Baltimore Ravens finished off a satisfying sweep of their rival Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night, and I could not believe my eyes at the time. Much-maligned quarterback Joe Flacco put the team on his...
Thursday, November 10, 2011 - 3:34am
It's the time of the season for ... what seaons?
My ever-graying beard and creaky joints partner perfectly with this new conversation-starter I’ve been using more and more frequently as of late: I remember back when ...
For the record, I hate it. It used to really raise my hackles...
Thursday, November 3, 2011 - 9:58am
There is an easy solution for upset protesters
I’ve been somewhat fascinated by the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations.
Coastal Point • File photo
I get the frustration felt by those collaborating across the nation to get out their feelings in public demonstrations against big...
Thursday, October 27, 2011 - 8:29am
A daring dog escape and a bill to remember
Those of you who regularly read my column (Hi, Mom!) know that I absolutely love my dogs, Guinness and Bailey.
Coastal Point
Guinness is an overly-playful mixture of shar-pei and boxer who loves nothing more in life than getting...
Thursday, October 20, 2011 - 10:21am
Sometimes, the exciting story is not so much fun
Before I moved back to our little coastal oasis of Delaware in 2003, I was the editor of two weekly newspapers in the Atlanta area — the Rockdale Neighbor and the DeKalb Neighbor.
Coastal PointThe Rockdale paper was in a more rural region...
Friday, October 14, 2011 - 5:18am
There’s another drug for parents to worry about
Gov. Jack Markell announced at a news conference last Friday that Delaware has banned “bath salts,” making them illegal in the state. The bath salts have been added to Delaware’s Schedule I of Controlled Substances, following a recommendation by...
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 - 4:27pm
Turning over a whole new leaf with my column
This might be hard for some of you to accept, but there are times I upset people in this office for how I talk about them on this page. Be it the ever-changing job description of Bob Bertram in our masthead every week, or little comments I...
Thursday, September 22, 2011 - 4:41am
Keep your heads up, Steelers fans. It’s not so bad
Dear Steelers fans,
If you recall, a certain challenge I had with a friend last year resulted in me writing an open letter to all of you after your team dismantled my beloved Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs. It was no picnic to...
Thursday, September 15, 2011 - 4:31am
You can say one thing about us. We are cool.
America is a lot of things, to a lot of different people.
Coastal Point
We are an industrious nation that has provided advancement after advancement in nearly every field on Earth. We are divided, by political affiliation, race,...
Wednesday, September 7, 2011 - 2:55pm
Irene claims the life of my rival, and I'm sad
I got the call on Sunday, at approximately the same time I was letting out a huge sigh of relief that the wrath of Hurricane Irene did little more than knock down a few branches at my house. It was our publisher, Susan Lyons, who called, and she...
Thursday, September 1, 2011 - 6:10am
Mankinis and jeggings are cool. Tapes are not
We evolve.
Now, wait a minute. I’m not diving into the quagmire that is evolution versus creationism. No, no, no. This is more about what we do as a civilization in general.
We build homes to withstand hurricanes and...
Wednesday, August 24, 2011 - 2:55pm
Man’s best friend doesn’t have to be a talker
There’s an ongoing one-sided dialogue between myself and my dogs. The reason I say this is one-sided is because it’s, well, one-sided. My dogs can’t speak. Well, not English, anyway.
I get whining noises from them on a fairly...
Thursday, August 18, 2011 - 6:45am
World Series once again an event to behold
There are a few certainties in my life every August.
For starters, I will age. This has been happening every August for as long as I can remember, as it happens to contain my birthday. As a kid, this was a truly beautiful thing. As a...
Thursday, August 11, 2011 - 6:04am
National leadership failing constituents badly
Through selfless compromise and a keen eye toward the welfare of our citizenry, our national leaders reached a deal to raise the nation’s debt ceiling on Tuesday. This prevented our proud nation from going into default and showed once again that...
Wednesday, August 3, 2011 - 3:22pm
Lockout comes to end, and summer is great again
Ah, summer.
When I was 10, this was undeniably the most wonderful time of the year for me. Christmas was great — don’t get me wrong. But it was fleeting. There was a day of receiving presents, and then, well, a hurried rush to see family...
Thursday, July 28, 2011 - 10:42am
Community waring: Leviathan is back in town
He’s back.
There was no doubt I had dropped my guard, and was caught woefully unprepared when I first saw him. After more than two years of not seeing that bully’s face, I had gone under the assumption that my nemesis was no longer...
Thursday, July 21, 2011 - 2:35am
New advancements are (usually) pretty cool
There have been some mind-boggling inventions throughout the course of my lifetime. No, I wasn’t around for the dawn of the automotive industry, though Bob Bertram tells me they were indeed exciting times. And airplanes were already a standard...
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 - 4:44pm
Verdict brings back memories of Simpson
Verdict brings back memories of Simpson
Floored.
Shocked.
Angry.
Frustrated.
Incredulous.
Those were just a few of the emotions running through my head when I first heard the verdict in the Casey...
Wednesday, July 6, 2011 - 4:10pm
Reality can sometimes slap you in the face
There are times when acceptance of an inevitable truth comes to one slowly — a steady progression of experiences that leads to an unmistakeable reality that something has indeed happened.
This can happen with people’s finances,...
Wednesday, June 29, 2011 - 4:00pm
Exploring golf tournaments, water and...
So, I went to Sunday’s final round of the U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md.
Yeah, there was no Tiger Woods. And, yes, there was no real intrigue to the tournament at this time because Northern Ireland’s Rory...
Thursday, June 23, 2011 - 5:50am
We really do need to look at our gun laws
According to a report released by three Democratic U.S. Senators earlier this week, a significant number of weapons used by Mexican drug gangs come from within our country.
The Mexican government reportedly sent 29,284 firearms...
Thursday, June 16, 2011 - 7:31am
Bullying is an old tradition, but getting worse
When I was a kid, there was a certain classmate who delighted in bullying me.
Now, to be fair, I only really got on his radar because I had a tendency to be a bit of a smart aleck on occasion, and he was one of my favorite targets....
Thursday, June 9, 2011 - 7:12am
The family that jails together, fails together
There is nothing like a good old family connection story that truly touches the heart.
For instance, I stumbled acros a story on allweirdnews.com the other day that touched on a young man’s desire to spend more quality time with his...
Wednesday, June 1, 2011 - 3:54pm
Everyone gets a new lease on life--for now
I thought I was all set for doomsday. Huddled beneath my kitchen table with a helmet strapped tightly to my head and a flyswatter in my tightly-clenched fist, I kept a keen eye on the digital clock by my side.
5:57 p.m. — I...
Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 11:26am
Let's make this summer special for our guests
Well, that was a fairly quick offseason, wasn’t it?
A quick glance at your calendar will inform you that Memorial Day weekend is indeed next week, and with that comes the start to another summer season for our quiet little corner...
Friday, May 20, 2011 - 6:35am
Rough couple of weeks, could have been worse
It’s been a couple interesting weeks for me.
Coastal Point
I spent last week down in the Outer Banks, relaxing in 80-degree weather and basically recharging my mental and physical batteries for the coming dog days of summer. It was...
Thursday, May 12, 2011 - 11:22am
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