News - Friday, September 30, 2011

Ask a young boy what he wants to be when he grows up, and he might say lawyer, fireman, or pilot. James McKoon would have said all three, and thrown in Navy SEAL for good measure. He followed his heart, though, and went with option one. “I’d always wanted to become a lawyer. I’ll never forget my dad taking me to meet one.

The Chattanooga Bar Asso­c­iation will offer member and nonmember attorneys a chance to update their knowledge of specific areas of the law and earn up to four Continuing Legal Education credits when it hosts two seminars on October 4. The first session is titled “Florida Law Update and Dur­able Power of Attorney/Home­stead & Trust.”

I heard an interesting fact this week. It seems that most people would prefer to have more time than more money. Whoever said that never met Kevin in purchasing. He requires multiple forms for even the most mundane office product request, and by the time he finally orders the requested item, it is likely obsolete.

I heard a story about it when I was little, from a cousin in Louisiana. I have certainly never done it myself, nor have I actually seen it done. I can only imagine how terrible it would be to watch. What I am talking about is the tying of two cat’s tails together and throwing them over a line used for hanging laundry.

Having grown up on a dairy farm in Middle Tennessee, I was taught at an early age that work was something a person did as long as they were physically able to do so. Much of our farming required hand labor in those early years of my development, and being born a male child, I received my fair share of that labor.

As I noticed the news appear on my Twitter account Sept. 19 about the passing of Dolores Hope at age 102, I was reminded of the wonderful legacy that she helped to give America during her 70-year marriage to the amazing Bob Hope. As a child, whenever I could catch Bob Hope or Bing Crosby on the air, I would never miss it.

Monday evening the un­­pleas­ant familiar feeling had returned. The symptoms, (sneezing, watery eyes and runny nose) had increased enough by midnight that I knew it was back, that miserable and most frequent infectious disease known to man – acute viral rhinopharyngitis, also known as the common cold.

MEGILPH. Ever heard of it? Neither had I. But there it was. On the Words with Friends board, earning my opponent, whose name remains unknown to me, 96 points. With a hard-earned 50-point lead down the drain, I was on my way to another loss. WWF is a smartphone app similar to Scrabble.

It’s 7 a.m. and you’ve already been at the office for two hours trying to get everything in line. Why not take a breakfast break at a little café that is conveniently located near many of the downtown law offices and the University campus? At the corner of Lindsay and Vine Street is Toast Café, a fresh new spot from the people who brought you Coffee Crafters.

The Gold Strike Casino in Tunica, Miss., glitters from the outside and impresses on the inside. The flashing lights and melodic chimes are hypnotizing. There are no clocks on the wall, allowing time to disappear into the brightly colored slot machine wheels. It’s a curious place, providing better opportunities to people watch than a crowded airport.

1. Decibel is a measurement unit. After whom is this word named? George Bell; Alexander Graham Bell; John Bell; Bell Pepper

2. In 1 Kings 1, King David is very old, and he selects one of his sons to succeed him as king. Whom does he select? Adonijah; Solomon; Saul

You’ve run out of breath just running in place. For months now, you’ve been more than willing to work 60-hour weeks. Nights and weekends are the norm and you never complained. You’ve taken classes, gotten certified, volunteered for committees, but it hasn’t seemed to matter. Your career is stalled, you’re running place and you just can’t get ahead.

Although some parents struggle with the idea of parting with their child when it comes time for preschool, the reality is that many jobs demand that mothers and fathers show up to the workplace with their child safely cared for elsewhere. This requires parents to pick some form of childcare from the multiple options that Chattanooga offers.

The George T. Hunter Lec­ture Series began with controversial education reform advocate Michelle Rhee speaking to a packed house at the Tivoli on September 20. This is the fourth year for the series, sponsored by the Benwood Foundation, in partnership with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, the Ochs Center for Metropolitan Studies, and CreateHere.

Jennifer Crutchfield’s busy life and community outreach can be best compared to that of a superhero like Wonder Woman with the zeal for her community like Barney Fife. She also makes the occasional citizen’s arrest with skills as a former private investigator under her belt.

It’s an understandable conundrum: sellers believe their home is worth more than it is, and buyers think that it’s worth less. So where is the proverbial “sweet spot” when it comes to the single most important aspect of marketing your home - setting its price? Consider how many homes are for sale in your neighborhood.

Well, it is the football time of year which includes tailgating, outdoor parties around a fire, big-screen TVs, and traveling to your teams home field. This doesn’t go on just for the college and professional crowd. High school football is just as important, and requires the entire family’s participation!

Actor Ryan’s Gosling’s character in “Drive” proves it’s impossible to live in two worlds. He tries, but fails. Gosling, however, succeeds in creating one of this year’s most compelling film characters. By day, his nameless driver does car stunts for B movies, and by night, he moonlights as a wheelman, no questions asked.