Introductory Stuff

Ihate first columns.

You need to get all the background stuff out of the way before you can get to the really important things.

It's not like I haven't written a few first columns in my life; and last columns.

Sometimes I didn't know the last columns were really last columns.

Maybe I should explain.

Before I retired, I worked for a number of newspapers.

Mostly little ones and mostly in the southeast.

Wherever I worked I seemed to eventually get into trouble for a certain lack of political correctness (long before they invented the term).

I guess they didn't cover that in college when I was there.

Or maybe I was out doing something significant at the time.

I define political correctness as not saying what's really true, because somebody, somewhere doesn't like to face reality.

But that's a story for another time.

Anyway, I knew Ron Whittaker before he defected Florida in favor of Baywatch country.

So I'm sitting here in this trailer (with the ocean view) about 2 a.m. surfing the net with my Mac one night. I saw the name Ron Whittaker, so I decided to say hello with some e-mail.

One thing led to another, as they say, and Ron mentioned he needed some zing and controversy on his web sites.

Not being one to resist a challenge I offered to help out an old friend.

That's the kind of guy I am.

Plus, it's not like my days are chock full of meaningful stuff these days.

I mean how many hours a day can you sit and stare at the ocean?

So, anyway, I'm going to send this stuff to Ron with a couple caveats.

First, I promise not to use four-letter words—well, hell, not too many four-letter words—if he promises not to censor my ideas.

And, oh yes, he promises not to pay me for my efforts.

That's the kind of guy he is.

Okay, with all that out of the way, it's on to more interesting stuff.