The Flash: "To Be Fair"

The 52/250 Flash has rotated another cycle around the sun. Almost. This week's theme is "spontaneous combustion", and my entry, "To Be Fair", is located ici.

100 Words: "Learning To Read"

Velvet Verbosity hosts the 100 word challenge here, and, in her spare time, negotiates Mideast peace. This week's prompt is "Spirit", and my entry is called "Learning To Read".









What's that word?" It was his constant refrain these days.

"That says "Wine and Spirits"," I told him.

"What that mean?"

"That tells us what this store sells."

"Which one we gettin?"

"We're going to get a bottle of wine."

"Why?"

"Mommy asked me to. She needs to bring it to a grownup party."

"There be presents?"

"No, buddy." I didn't think I could explain to him that being an adult meant you had to go to parties and pretend to like people because your boss was there.

"That sounds boring."

"It is, pal. I assure you."

It's way past Friday, but the Flash is the Flash

The 52/250 Flash is located at 52250flash.wordpress.com. This week's theme is "Silence", and my story, "Still Small Voice", is here.

This Seems Apropos

A video using digital tools to retell the nativity story. Very clever, I thought.

A Post That Will Almost Certainly Get Me Into Trouble

Since I can't think of anything useful to say, I figured I should get myself into loads of trouble by updating my Top Five Celebrity Crush list. 

1.Aditi Roy from NBC Philadelphia

2.Christine Woods, most recently of ABC's "Flash Forward"

3.Nataly Dawn from Pomplamoose, aka The Girl On The Hyundai commercial

4. Sela Ward

5. And, of course, Flo from Progressive.

Kevin Smith On Life

Film director Kevin Smith with a mini monologue on the meaning of life, originally posted on Twitter but collected into more coherent form on his blog here. Well worth your time, IMHO.

(Fair warning- Smith is a potty mouth, so I would have to consider this link NSFW. But if that sort of thing really offends you, I'm not sure why you're reading this, frankly.)

100 Words: It's All An Act

The 100 Words Challenge, elegantly hosted, run, and ruled over benevolently by Velvet Verbosity over here, is the leading online 100 word challenge since the battle of Austerlitz. This week's word is "Act" and my entry is called, "It's All An Act".







I did something wrong, and she came to fix it for me. I watched her work, her fingers dancing over the keys in a rehearsed rhythm. It was something simple, but in the intense bureaucracy we worked in, this was something she could do, and I couldn't. She was so beautiful, I had trouble breathing when she was nearby, with her jet black hair, gentle tan skin, and hourglass figure concealed by thick clothes because of the wintry conditions we worked in. I was in love with her, and she had no idea.

"What?", she said.

"Nothing," I lied.

Flash Fishing!

The Friday Flashes are up! This week's theme is "Missed The Bus", and my sports-themed story, "I'd Rather Be Fishing", can be found here

RIP, Bob Feller

Rob Neyer on the passing of one of the true greats, Rapid Robert Feller.

The Vatican doesn't have an Office of Irony, I guess?

Shirtless acrobats performing for the Pope. In case you're wondering, this is not one bit gay at all. Nope.

Five Things That Aren't Taking Place At Hogwarts

Since I can't seem to bring two words together harmoniously lately, here's five things that I've read that aren't Harry Potter novels and don't suck:


1.Becky on writing and not writing, and who's a writer and who isn't.

2.Writing Goddess on the check being in the mail.

3.The Sports Guy on purple, and green, and the difference between.

4.Rob Neyer on the Red Sox' new 100 million dollar man.

5. The always brilliant Phil Nugent on being too smart.

100 Word Challenge: Uno

In a recent survey of people I know personally, 98% of Americans believe Velvet Verbosity's 100 Word Challenge is the most important 100 word challenge available online since the dawn of recorded history. The Word This Week is "Wild", and my entry is called, simply, "Uno".









The cards, worn by years of use, were a sort of family tradition. Games of Uno, after dinner, throwing the Skips and Reverses and Draw Fours around, trying to lay down your last card and win. It was simple enough for kids, but adults joined in too. I looked at her, over my cards-my first serious girlfriend, all eager eyes, gorgeous legs, and a soul full of mischief. She slid a bare foot inside my pants cuff, playing a "Wild-Draw Four". I drew the four cards and mock scowled.

"You are wild," I told her.

"Yes, I am," she agreed.

Time for a 52/250 Story Flash!

It's Friday, the theme is Urban Convert, and my entry is aqui.

5 Little Pieces of Awesome

1. ESPN's interesting piece on John Lennon's assassination and Monday Night Football's role in breaking the news.



2. Joe Posnanski on kids and the disturbing habit they have of growing up.


3. Rob Neyer on the late Ron Santo, who belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame


4. Lexi, making life simple again.

5. And Scott Adams on why we're all doomed.

Merry Christmas, y'all.

A 100 Word Win!

Velvet Verbosity, commissar and dominatrix of the 100 Word Challenge, saw fit to choose my little screed, "It's Not About The Anchovies", as her pick of the week. It was a tough word, anchovies, and, obviously, I solved that by not writing about them at all.

Thanks to VV and all the players at this strange little game.