Missing, but in Action

Once football started I basically limited myself to updating my facebook page daily and a weekly entry in my writing blog.

I've submitted several short stories and just had a one-sentence story published in the October 18th edition of the e-zine 50 to 1.

Two weeks of football left.

A lot of history (and econ) teaching still out there to get done.

A favorite cover.

(homemade video, not so much).

Charlie's Angel

In about 1977 a friend of mine had a Farrah Fawcett beanbag chair.

One of my favorite short stories.

Sredni Vashtar by Saki (Hector Hugh Munro)

Sredni Vashtar went forth,
His thoughts were red thoughts and his teeth were white.
His enemies called for peace, but he brought them death.
Sredni Vashtar the Beautiful.

Boston Butt Getting Close.

Alton as the Colonel

Mint Juleps begin at 6:59. "Do you heah me? I know that you do, I know that you do."

Less of me

24) Four times in my life I’ve lost over forty pounds. I plan on this time being the last time.

Writing blog

Please proceed to http://gatetree.com/blog

Priorities

23) I coached soccer for two years at Gulf Shores. I had no idea about the game, but I had good players and convinced them to stay generally sober, and I ran them every day ‘til they puked. We were Area Champs in 2001. I did have to let them out of practice early one day, because none of them could concentrate – the surf was up.

Sabermetrician no more.

22) For years I was obsessed with baseball stats. I played in all kinds of leagues: computer, simulation, and fantasy. I even have a pennant from winning an ESPN league. I’ve gone cold turkey and have been clean for a full season.

Geek Lit

21) A couple of summers ago I read the over 3000 pages of Neal Stephenson’s “Baroque Cycle”. It was the perfect blend for me of history, the Enlightenment, and fantastic fiction and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever read. Wikipedia, Review, Interview

Called it a mile away

Knew it would end with snipers. There was, in the end, no other way, they were pirates after all - Hostage captain rescued; Navy snipers kill 3 pirates

King of Meats

20) I love to cook meat. Ribs on a Weber. Steaks under a broiler. Wings in a pot of oil (and then in a bowl of hot sauce). I’m hungry right now.

hiding in plain sight

19) On my desk at school I have three cups – a Captain Kirk coffee mug, a Rules of Fight Club coffee mug, and a ‘beverage’ cup from the 1993 Alabama/Miami Sugar Bowl.

My Number One Game Obsession

18) I have been playing EASports College Football since Sega was the latest game system.

5ives

A fine 5ives list from Merlin Mann:
Five things that should be issued to every American on his or her 14th birthday

We had one of the first DVD players available.

17) We have nearly 1000 DVD’s of movies & TV series at our house.

I must have information

16) For many years I collected almanacs so I could have easy access to important, current information. So, of course, I love the internet, and Wikipedia in particular. (Oddly, the site’s creator’s younger brother lived in our dorm at Alabama).

Honorable Manhood

15) Two things get me choked up from Ken Burns “Civil War” – when George Pickett says, “Up men, and to your posts and remember that today you are from Old Virginia!” and sends them up Cemetery Ridge in Gettysburg to the beginning of the end. And Sullivan Ballou’s letter to his wife before Bull Run, which simply explains it all.

Ambition

14) My first year teaching, my only year at Hale County High, I completely rebuilt & reorganized the weight room and ran the weight program. Then I completely rebuilt, reformatted, reinstalled, and networked their computer lab. I was an ambitious jock/geek.