GORE HAS RETURNED!
by Marie Giusto

Actually, I've never thought that he had gone away. I am a die-hard and I've been rooting for this man's presidency since his first try at the oval office in 1988. .....more

ON NATIVE GROUND: HERE IN OUR OWN BACKYARD
by Marie Villarreal

There was a story in The Miami Herald the other day about how the federal government will likely accumulate deficits until at least fiscal year 2005. The Herald reported that President Bush's budget director Mitch Daniels told Congress that the federal government will have to dip into the Social Security surplus to pay for other federal programs, something that Mr. Bush promised, during the 2000 president campaign he would not do .....more

AND WHAT ABOUT THE KMART SCANDAL?
by Charlie "Chuck" Odessa

Even though I had written a scathing report last year about shopping K-Mart, I wished I would have extended my feelings in writing that I didn't think that merchant monster had a much longer breathing life. But I didn't -- I only complained bitterly about the seedy appearance of the store I had been in. It looked like the last throes of a dying bag lady! .....more

DO THEY HAVE CAT-FLAVORED DOG FOOD?
by Martin "Marty" Crenshaw

There are three pivotal decisions in a person's life: when to get married, when to have children, and whether to own a dog or turn evil and own a cat instead. Since I'm allergic to cats, the decision was an easy one. .....more

HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT FAST!
by Alcamo "Al" Passagento

Oh, dear me! I get those e-mails all the time from desperate people with desperate overweight problems. What is the best way to lose weight fast? .....more

HOW TO PLOT A STORY
by Marie Villarreal

I constantly receive e-mails with the age-old questions: How do I plot a story? How do I plot stories efficiently? Etcetera, Etcetera. .....more

AN E-MAIL FROM THE GHOST OF MARK TWAIN
by Genviev Pannos

I see that I'm damn near legendary now; and since I died long ago, that's safe for all concerned. .....more

HEADING OFF PROBLEMS - Part 2
by Mac Meguire

PART 2 - The more you know about your vehicle, the more likely you'll be able to head off repair problems. .....more

SHADES OF ENRON!
by Jericho Van Orman

To the surprise of almost no one, the Republican Party plans to make the ongoing "war on terrorism" the centerpiece of its campaign strategy for the 2002 Congressional elections. So much for the "bipartisan" spirit that President Bush promised he'd bring to Washington. .....more

THE INCREDIBLY SHRINKING MOVIE STARS
by Roy "Cliff" Evans

So, a few weeks ago, when a good friend and I went to see "Ocean's Eleven," I happened to notice that when handsome George Clooney stood next to heartthrob Brad Pitt, they were exactly the same size. They looked like bookends. But, since Pitt is famous for being a small man then that must mean Clooney is also short. And Matt Damon didn't exactly tower over them. .....more

BETTING TO WIN!
by Ha3ry Giusto

I certainly appreciate all the e-mails I get! You all out there have so many questions about craps and how to play the game that it makes me wonder why you are playing it at all! But, dear reader, keep heart. We will tackle your questions one at a time. A-n-d here's one of them, a-n-d a good one at that, a question that has not come up too often, even at my crap table. .....more

THE RACE BEHIND THE RACE
by Nathaniel "Nate" Yaekel

Although the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is now an incorporated organization, it's a non-profit organization (in more ways than one) and still relies on volunteers and donations to make it work. It has only a tiny permanent staff. In an average year, it takes a two million dollar budget and a couple of thousand volunteers to stage the race. .....more

CONSIDERING THE ALTERNATIVE
by Garrison "Garry" Minstone

I never thought it was going to be a joke to reach middle age. You look into the mirror one morning and there you see your mom or your dad looking back at you. Well, what does it mean when you look in the mirror and see your grandmother or grandfather taunting you? It means that you're turning 60, turning the big 6-0, turning one of the last pages in the book of your life that you always thought you would write a book about by now. .....more