The History of Independence Day
Back in the 1700s, the place we now call the United States of America was actually a scurvy-ridden collection of colonies owned by the British. The Brits took it from the natives, who took it from each other, who took it from a guy named Sam who came across the land...
My Two Cents
Last Sunday, Amazon reported to me that I made 2¢ in royalties. So, I decided to give it all away! Here’s my 2¢ on two cents. First, I looked up the origin of the phrase. There are a variety of possibilities, but the one that makes the most sense is from...
What Sets Off The Story Alarm?
Where do ideas come from? Specifically, where do story ideas come from? If you have ever wondered that when reading a book or watching a movie, you’re not alone. And since I get that question a lot (usually after they ask if my wife thinks I'm crazy), I thought I...
Chasing Cheese & Answers
Life is filled with questions. Not just the obvious ones like where are my socks? Or Are there aliens who can play baseball? There are deep existential questions like who was the best actor to play Batman? And if a tree falls in the woods and nobody hears it, does it...
Cannons and Chaos
This may come as a shock to some of you, but I have a day job that doesn't involve writing about people peeing on the side of the road, sending cottage cheese through the bank drive-through tube, and making fun of the Kardashians. It seems my book royalties are...
I’m an Underachiever
It’s graduation season. And boy do I feel like an underachiever. I just read a story about a twelve-year-old boy in California who graduated college with five degrees. That’s not a typo. He was awarded five Associate of Arts degrees in History, Social Sciences, Social...