Chris Rodell's Blog, page 69
November 23, 2015
Teaching history/current events to innocents
(1,052 words)
I remember being flattered my spring semester sophomore year when my history professor asked me to tutor a fellow student who was having trouble.
She was a local Athens girl, a farmer’s daughter and pretty. She wasn’t stupid. A junior, he’d just gotten confused by the tumult of the 20th century American history and needed someone to explain the complications.
I minored in
I remember being flattered my spring semester sophomore year when my history professor asked me to tutor a fellow student who was having trouble.
She was a local Athens girl, a farmer’s daughter and pretty. She wasn’t stupid. A junior, he’d just gotten confused by the tumult of the 20th century American history and needed someone to explain the complications.
I minored in
November 22, 2015
RRS: The true story of the Pilgrim turkey rapist
I’m eager to watch the Ric Burns documentary, “The Pilgrims,” on PBS Thursday evening. They say it’s a dark take on the first Thanksgiving that includes famine, intolerance, beheadings — nothing at all like the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving being shown at the same time on ABC.
I’ll watch the dark version in the hopes it’ll relate the tale of the Pilgrim turkey rapist.
I wrote about America’s
I’ll watch the dark version in the hopes it’ll relate the tale of the Pilgrim turkey rapist.
I wrote about America’s
November 20, 2015
Summarizing my fall season of yapping
(714 words)
“Try and do something each and every day that’ll ensure parking at your funeral is going to be a real bitch.”
That seems to be the consensus favorite line from my talks. I think people like it because it combines aspirational good deeds, profanity and the assurance the people who mourn you will be inconvenienced when you croak.
People tweet it during my talks and come up to
“Try and do something each and every day that’ll ensure parking at your funeral is going to be a real bitch.”
That seems to be the consensus favorite line from my talks. I think people like it because it combines aspirational good deeds, profanity and the assurance the people who mourn you will be inconvenienced when you croak.
People tweet it during my talks and come up to
November 19, 2015
Found socks/lost dignity: my night at Kalahari Resort
(655 words)
The previous occupant of my hotel room inadvertently challenged me with a moral dilemma upon my Tuesday check-in.
He’d left behind a pair of old athletic socks in the dresser. Housekeeping either missed them or sensed the new Mr. Room 7256 was going to need some socks.
So before I can even begin unpacking, I have to pause and decide if I’m going to keep them, toss them, or go
The previous occupant of my hotel room inadvertently challenged me with a moral dilemma upon my Tuesday check-in.
He’d left behind a pair of old athletic socks in the dresser. Housekeeping either missed them or sensed the new Mr. Room 7256 was going to need some socks.
So before I can even begin unpacking, I have to pause and decide if I’m going to keep them, toss them, or go
November 16, 2015
Crowded cupboards & what Paris has to do with it
(660 words)
We have eight functional cupboards in our kitchen but only one of them devoted to boards with cups.
It's the one above the dish washer. It has three shelves upon which rest 78 cups, mugs, wine and beer glasses and assorted stacked kiddie plastic vessels emblazoned with promotional messages from restaurants like Eat ’n’ Park and Disney franchises like “High School Musical.”
We have eight functional cupboards in our kitchen but only one of them devoted to boards with cups.
It's the one above the dish washer. It has three shelves upon which rest 78 cups, mugs, wine and beer glasses and assorted stacked kiddie plastic vessels emblazoned with promotional messages from restaurants like Eat ’n’ Park and Disney franchises like “High School Musical.”
November 12, 2015
I speak & understanding the power of the pause
(698 words)
I’ve gone in just one year from speaking to 10 members of the Butler Rotary Club to successfully keynoting state associations with more than 250 enthusiasts.
The trajectory has me egotistically concluding I’ll by 2018 be invited to address the United Nation’s general assembly of the global benefits of using all the crayons.
And there can be no denying it will be wildly
I’ve gone in just one year from speaking to 10 members of the Butler Rotary Club to successfully keynoting state associations with more than 250 enthusiasts.
The trajectory has me egotistically concluding I’ll by 2018 be invited to address the United Nation’s general assembly of the global benefits of using all the crayons.
And there can be no denying it will be wildly
November 10, 2015
"Fargo" & do today's actors disdain dialogue?
(682 words)
My wife and I were enjoying “Fargo,” (season 2 on FX) when she responded to an observation of mine with a nasty slur on both professional actors and the elderly we both aspire to one day be.
First off:
Spoiler Alert!
I thrill to be writing “Spoiler Alert!” so early in the morning. It makes me feel like one of our critical big shots, like I’m making readers tingle with either
My wife and I were enjoying “Fargo,” (season 2 on FX) when she responded to an observation of mine with a nasty slur on both professional actors and the elderly we both aspire to one day be.
First off:
Spoiler Alert!
I thrill to be writing “Spoiler Alert!” so early in the morning. It makes me feel like one of our critical big shots, like I’m making readers tingle with either
November 9, 2015
Gliniewicz shows America needs honest obits
(644 words)
The disgraceful circumstances surrounding the staged suicide of Illinois cop Charles Joseph Gliniewitz have me pining to return to daily news reporting.
Not because I’m eager to chase high-profile national stories again.
In fact, I’d like to return to the newsroom to assume one of the least heralded positions on the entire staff.
I want to write obituaries.
Well, not really
The disgraceful circumstances surrounding the staged suicide of Illinois cop Charles Joseph Gliniewitz have me pining to return to daily news reporting.
Not because I’m eager to chase high-profile national stories again.
In fact, I’d like to return to the newsroom to assume one of the least heralded positions on the entire staff.
I want to write obituaries.
Well, not really
November 8, 2015
RRS: The Bible needs exclamation points!!!
If the exclamation point is good enough for Jeb!, then it ought to be good enough for the good book. I argued last year the Bible needs more exclamation points. My contention still stands. Really!!!
Have a great day!!!!!!
(605 words)
Did you know keyboards prior to 1970 didn’t even include an exclamation point? Before that you had to type a period, backspace and then type an
Have a great day!!!!!!
(605 words)
Did you know keyboards prior to 1970 didn’t even include an exclamation point? Before that you had to type a period, backspace and then type an
November 6, 2015
Ringling dumping elephants; circus in town
(766 words)
This weekend I’ll be going to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus with my littlest buddy.
I imagine in a few years I’ll be going with my biggest.
I’ll get to that.
Growing up, the circus was never on our radar. Sure, we did a lot of fun family stuff, but never once did my old man say, “Guess what, kids? The circus is coming to town … and we’re all going!”
I
This weekend I’ll be going to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus with my littlest buddy.
I imagine in a few years I’ll be going with my biggest.
I’ll get to that.
Growing up, the circus was never on our radar. Sure, we did a lot of fun family stuff, but never once did my old man say, “Guess what, kids? The circus is coming to town … and we’re all going!”
I
