It’s the season to offer thanks
Yup, it’s that time of the year again.
It’s the time when we’re supposed to mentally push aside those day-to-day trials and tribulations in our lives that invade our minds throughout the rest of the year and focus instead on the bigger...
Wednesday, November 25, 2009 - 8:04am
The dictionary just got thicker
Hi. I’m Darin, and I’m a word nerd.
To be more precise, I’m a word nerd of the English language. I love how it is an ever-evolving language that adapts to changing times and changing vernacular, and it takes on the form of a living,...
Thursday, November 19, 2009 - 9:06am
Tuesday was not a slow news day
Shock.
That was what was going through my mind and body when I first heard of the actions of the now-infamous “D.C. sniper.” I was living in Atlanta, and following very closely the events transpiring in my hometown. Like many, I was...
Thursday, November 12, 2009 - 7:29am
The tide has turned.
As is the case most mornings, I was still half-asleep as I stumbled out my front door to climb in my car to begin a new day of work. It was Wednesday, which is our final deadline of the week, and promised to be...
Thursday, November 5, 2009 - 3:36am
Fantasy sports can take you away
If there was ever an appropriately-named hobby in this modern society of ours, it’s fantasy sports.
I admit it. I play them. I’ve had a fantasy baseball team on and off for about 20 years, and I’ve been in a fantasy football league...
Thursday, October 22, 2009 - 7:30am
Fishy stuff going on in Oregon
During one of my daily voyages through the wild frontier of the Internet, I stumbled across an Associated Press story that made me stop mid-surf. That in itself is not odd, in that I tend to get sidetracked by some strange things on the Web, but...
Thursday, October 15, 2009 - 7:40am
Chicago's loss could be our gain
There was quite a bit of disappointment last week with the announcement that Chicago would not receive the 2016 Summer Olympics, and for valid reasons. The Olympics would have potentially brought a bump for that local economy, a global stage for...
Wednesday, October 7, 2009 - 3:42pm
So much promise, so much misery
I spend a lot of time reading various newspapers.
Yes, it’s certainly part of the game when you’re in this business, but it’s also what I love to do in my spare time. If I’m sitting on my couch at home and watching television, there’...
Friday, October 2, 2009 - 5:05am
The nocturnal pug has my attention
It felt like a soothing mist.
There I was, fast asleep in bed with visions of giant meatball subs dancing in my head, when I felt the little spray on my forehead. I originally chalked it up as part of my dream — the spittle escaping...
Thursday, September 24, 2009 - 7:58am
Another look at a weird, weird world
We all have problems. Bills get piled up, kids run around with scissors, work becomes too much, etc., etc., etc.
It’s during those times when I reach out for hope — a quest for people who either have it much worse than me, or do...
Thursday, September 17, 2009 - 7:53am
Disagree, but stay on the same team
It was said by many at the time that Sept. 11, 2001 would change the world forever.
There was a prevailing opinion that the majority of people, particularly in this country, would set aside pettiness and confrontational differences...
Thursday, September 10, 2009 - 7:22am
Shoulder season is welcomed here
For openers, let me tell you that I had a very funny column lined up for this week. Well, to be fair, it was funny in my eyes, because I was going to make fun of my good friend Bob Bertram for his respective tastes in old movies and current films...
Thursday, September 3, 2009 - 8:49am
A look back at my summer goals
Reality can sometimes hit you when you least expect it.
I was flipping the page on my beautiful and practical Coastal Point calendar the other day to jot down a meeting I had scheduled, and the words “Labor Day” greeted me like a pie...
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 4:09pm
Well, at least he's not on my team
It’s funny sometimes how news travels.
There I was, sitting on a short stack of chips at a poker tournament in Atlantic City last week, when word started circulating throughout the room that the Philadelphia Eagles had just signed...
Thursday, August 20, 2009 - 6:52am
The players are the real stars
There are some moments in time that we wish would just stay frozen. Those instances when all seems right in the world, and it feels as if we’ve finally figured out all of life’s little riddles.
I had that the other night in Roxana...
Thursday, August 13, 2009 - 6:32am
There comes a point in each man’s life when he must put down the water balloons and whoopie cushions, and make a definitive statement that he is indeed an adult — that marker in time that unequivocally states that adulthood is now upon him, and...
Thursday, August 6, 2009 - 6:10am
As a journalist, it is my absolute obligation to inform my readers of any information that could impact their lives. With that basic tenet of my profession in mind, I’ll now share a little tidbit with the general public.
...
Thursday, July 30, 2009 - 12:42pm
Remember the old gag when you would dangle your buddy’s hand in a bowl of warm water as he slept, hoping against hope that it would cause a, well, biological reaction?
Well, from recent experience, I can tell you unequivocally...
Thursday, July 23, 2009 - 7:28am
One bright light in frustration
There are those who claim to have seen Bigfoot walking by their campsite. Others have stated emphatically that they have seen the Loch Ness monster peek her head through the water and mist. And I have heard tell of giant pink monsters dancing up...
Thursday, July 16, 2009 - 8:21am
If we’re fortunate enough in life, we continue to learn, to better understand and to still be inspired as we grow older. We’re able to push aside the cynicism and pessimism that often accompany years of experience, and still stare wide-eyed at...
Thursday, July 9, 2009 - 8:59am
This is indeed a great holiday.
From watching the magnificence of fireworks exploding over head to the simple pleasure of biting into a hot dog fresh off the grill, we all seem united for at least one day of the year in a pride in...
Thursday, July 2, 2009 - 9:17am
It’s funny what you can learn from sitting on a couch.
For instance, I learned recently that Jon and Kate are getting a divorce — though I admit that I’m not exctly aware who they are or why I should care. I also learned that...
Thursday, June 25, 2009 - 6:51am
The brave adventurer deftly maneuvered his way past treacherous hazard after treacherous hazard. Surely, fear and apprehension filled his mind as he found himself deeper in the abyss, but he was single-minded in focus — and would not be denied...
Thursday, June 18, 2009 - 6:39am
Time for another look at stupidity
There are certain things in life that leave me completely astounded. I don’t mean merely surprised, or even shocked, but absolutely frozen in disbelief as I contemplate what it was I just came across.
A lot of the times, it is my...
Thursday, June 11, 2009 - 7:46am
Oh, what penguins leave behind
I get amazed sometimes by science.
I’m awed by the advances we’ve made in medicine, from orthopedics to cancer research and treatment to pills that not only can treat illnesses, but can also enhance one’s, well, I’m sure you get the same...
Thursday, June 4, 2009 - 5:57am
It happens every year.
Memorial Day weekend comes upon us, I start getting a little excited about all the really cool things I’m going to do that summer and I start to make a mental list on prioritizing them all — just to make certain that...
Thursday, May 28, 2009 - 10:44am
It’s been said that life is a journey. We twist and wind through life’s obstacles and victories, and encounter a cast of characters along the way that either impact the very nature of who we are, or simply disappear into the background in...
Thursday, May 21, 2009 - 11:59am
Thanks for all the great help, Mom
My mother came out to visit me a few weeks ago.
And I had a nice time.
Now, when I was a younger person, those two sentences could not have possibly gone together unless they were followed by an unceremonious dig (“And I had a...
Thursday, May 7, 2009 - 7:30am
The days are creeping up on me
There are certain realities in life that we must all one day accept as, well, reality.
Speaking on a personal level, I’m quite bald. Yes, it’s a fact that I do indeed shave my head — but that’s not a fashion statement as much as...
Thursday, April 30, 2009 - 6:05am
It’s time to soak in the NFL draft
This weekend is a bit of a vicarious Christmas for me.
My pleasure is derived not from what I obtain for myself, but, rather, I gather joy from watching what other people receive. Yes, there is a certain amount of ownership over...
Thursday, April 23, 2009 - 7:13am
Great ... more to worry about now
Pirates?
That’s what it’s come to in this upside-down, be-afraid-of-shadows, never-sleep-well world of ours? Stinkin’ pirates?
We already have to be afraid of terrorists, drive-by shootings, a sagging economy, drug addictions...
Thursday, April 16, 2009 - 7:39am
Taking my own stab at Tweeting
I admit to feeling curious.
I’ve been hearing bits and pieces about celebrities doing their Twitter thing, or Tweeting, or whatever they call it. Apparently, people can sign up to be on people’s Twitter list, and they receive...
Thursday, April 9, 2009 - 8:33am
Taking my own stab at Tweeting
I admit to feeling curious.
I’ve been hearing bits and pieces about celebrities doing their Twitter thing, or Tweeting, or whatever they call it. Apparently, people can sign up to be on people’s Twitter list, and they receive...
Thursday, April 9, 2009 - 8:32am
Remember top have fun, as well
Through astute techniques of observation, I’ve been able to determine that the sky is indeed falling down around us.
Actually, it was easy. Armed with a bag of Doritos and my trusty remote control, I navigated deftly through the...
Thursday, April 2, 2009 - 8:34am
Happy Days are all around here
Have you ever felt like anything was possible? Like you finally had this whole “life” thing figured out, and that the world was indeed in the palm of your hand?
Yeah, me neither.
However, there is a little room for optimism...
Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 12:52am
Time to get rid of those curses
This is just a spectacular time of year for those of us afflicted with a complete addiction to sports viewing.
The NCAA basketball tournament is now in motion, professional golfers are preparing for the major tournaments, NHL and NBA...
Wednesday, March 18, 2009 - 5:32pm
In a cruel twist of fate, our calendars tell us that St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Tuesday this year. In related news, the sun will eventually burn out and leave us wandering around a cold, dark rock until we fade away and Disney is actually more...
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 - 5:45pm
Man against beast and elements
I’m an honest-to-goodness trailblazer.
In the spirit of the esteemed and romantic pioneering spirit, I recently set forth to forge new and unexplored territory through the sheer power of nothing more complicated than my bare hands and...
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 - 4:05pm
Tiger’s back.
In case you’ve been hiding under a rock or glued to reality television programming centering around the lives of Hef’s best girls, you’re probably aware that Tiger Woods is back to playing competitive golf this week...
Wednesday, February 25, 2009 - 3:20pm
Another tour through the inane
I’m beginning to believe that South Carolina is becoming the doofus capital of the free world.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve never had a problem with the state, outside the fact that it happened to surround Parris Island — a place that...
Thursday, February 19, 2009 - 2:59am
Rossé to share more of his skills
We meet people in life. It’s really that simple.
Unless you live in a Montana cabin so you can fully concentrate on your manifesto, or have figured out a way to master space colonization, you’re going to have interactions with other...
Wednesday, February 11, 2009 - 4:10pm
So, there I was. Surrounded by members of the Swedish bikini team and counting enormous stacks of $100 bills, when the phone in my shoe went off and I knew immediately...
Well, I knew that I was dreaming. The ringing was not, in...
Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 3:49pm
The spectacle otherwise known as the Super Bowl kicks off Sunday evening, and much of the world is ready for the action.
Well, unless you’re a fan of the Baltimore Ravens or Philadelphia Eagles — in which case, you’re still licking your...
Thursday, January 29, 2009 - 2:19am
Enjoying a little slice of hope
I’m a believer in believing.
While it’s true that I’m fairly cynical by nature, there is part of me that keeps out hope for finding something to believe in — a cause, ideal or person that generates enthusiasm in me and causes me to...
Thursday, January 22, 2009 - 5:41am
I guess it had to come to this.
While the rivalry between my beloved Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers has always been one surrounded by tough talk and tougher men, the two games between the division rivals this regular...
Thursday, January 15, 2009 - 5:57am
I’m not exactly the brightest guy in the world.
There have been insipid decisions in my personal life, random accidents around the house that result in spectators scratching their heads and comments that escape my mouth in a...
Thursday, January 8, 2009 - 8:34am
Many of us in the community will remember 2008 as the year that Ocean View blew up in front of our faces. Actually, that’s pretty much the story that captured the most inches of news throughout the year, and kept our letters section more swollen...
Thursday, January 1, 2009 - 11:20am
Getting things off on right foot
Goodbye, 2008.
Not that this has been a bad year by any means, but there’s just something invigorating about getting that clean slate, opening your new Coastal Point calendar and embarking on a brand new year that is filled with hope,...
Friday, December 26, 2008 - 3:42am
Getting things off on right foot
Goodbye, 2008.
Not that this has been a bad year by any means, but there’s just something invigorating about getting that clean slate, opening your new Coastal Point calendar and embarking on a brand new year that is filled with hope,...
Friday, December 26, 2008 - 3:42am
Getting things off on right foot
Goodbye, 2008.
Not that this has been a bad year by any means, but there’s just something invigorating about getting that clean slate, opening your new Coastal Point calendar and embarking on a brand new year that is filled with hope,...
Friday, December 26, 2008 - 3:42am
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