Movie Review: Iron Man

Just what the world needs - another superhero. This time it's “Man in a gold-titanium alloy suit that's painted red because gold is too flashy” (aka “Iron Man”).

Holding a Monthly Family Financial Meeting

Prior to our financial meltdown, my wife and I simply never sat down and talked about our finances. Right after our meltdown, we talked about things almost every day.

Photo-essayist perfected his images with darkroom artistry

A. Aubrey Bodine’s photographs on display at the Morris Museum of Art are striking images for several reasons. Many of them evoke a particular place and time: the Baltimore area, notably in the 1940s. They also reflect a bygone era in photojournalism.

Richmond County schools to suspend playoff sports participation

Taking a page from the Paine College playbook, Richmond County school superintendent Dana Bedden announced that Richmond County school sports teams will not be traveling to future road playoff contests.

Jokes on Me

Library books: I know how to pick 'em!

Still A Little Boy

Ethan took his first mega-big field trip yesterday, leaving before school started and getting home just before bedtime. It was a long, wonderful day that he had been looking forward to weeks in advance.

Last night, a very tired but happy boy came home just as his brothers were finishing bathtime. I told Ethan he needed to go ahead and hop in the shower -- he had hiked, gone swimming in the ocean, and traveled several hours (each way) in a van filled with other sweaty fifth grade boys.

"But mom," he pleaded, "I practically showered already."

"What does that mean," I asked.

"I washed my face like four times today!"

I'm holding on to these moments. Next year is middle school, and I have this feeling life starts to speed up right around this point.

Perspective

When there is no underlying agenda or bitterness, talking about the pros and cons of our respective days can help us appreciate our spouse – and also our own situation.

Scared.

With an attitude like this, I fear the presents they will give.

Sad But True

The bigger question is: can the uniform pants last a few more weeks?

Ladies Man

This guy knows the way to a woman's heart.

Robert Rauschenberg's Augusta connection

Robert Rauschenberg, who died Monday at age 82, was undeniably one of the great figures in American art. We are quite fortunate to have some of his work here in the collection of the Morris Museum of Art, and particularly fortunate to have a major work that is specific to our city.

What I’m Doing With My Economic Stimulus Check

Over the last few weeks, several readers have written in asking me what I’m going to do with my economic stimulus check, perhaps in hopes that it would give them some idea as to what to do with it.

Tell me when gas will hit $4 a gallon

When gas hits $4 a gallon is anybody's guess ... what's yours.

In Mom-orium

Dealing for the first time with a Mother's Day without a mother.

Government: A blessing for the economy

Times like these (as in “so-so”) make me glad to live here. Although the recent economic downturn (no one is using the R-word yet) has business and industry in many parts of the nation pulling on the emergency brake, the Augusta-Aiken metro area has simply eased off on the gas pedal.

Baseline to Baseline

Today I want to focus on a few topics including college baseball, the Hawks future, and of course some college football.  So here goes...

Big Week for the Dogs

The University of Georgia Diamond Dogs emBARK on the biggest week of the year so far this season.  With Georgia Tech on Wednesday night at home and then a trip to play second place Vanderbilt in Nashville this weekend, we will find out just how ready this team is to challenge for a championship.  The Dogs can virtually clinch hosting a regional with a sweep of the week.  If they play decent then they should sew up the eastern division championship.

Hawks Future

The future seems to be very bright for a young Hawks team that challenged the Celtics in their first round playoff loss to what had been described as the best team in the NBA this season.  With Billy Knight "resigning" this morning, it will interesting to see what direction the new GM takes in regard to the talent on the team and especially coach Mike Woodson.  I have not been a big fan of Woodsons in the past, but he has seemed to save his job by getting this team to the playoffs and with a great showing in those playoffs.  Priority one is deciding whether or not to resign Josh Smith and Josh Childress.  If they resign both then it would seem that Marvin Wiliams may be the odd man out.  The Hawks need another big man so Al Horford can move back to his natural position of PF.  A consistent outside shooter off the bench would also be a major piece to the puzzle.  The future looks bright for years to come for the Hawks.

College Football

So, Tony Barnhart has picked UGA as his spring #1 team in the nation.  WHO CARES. Its freakin May.  Anything can happen over the summer and early in fall practice.  I think we should wait at least until fall practice begins to start picking who will be the best of the best.  Actually I would love it if they waited until about four weeks in to the season before they came out with the first polls.  But its these preseason polls that have many people biased about which teams they think will be the best.  I do believe UGA will have a very good team and hopefully a dream season.  But it is way to early to tell.

Taking a Deeper Look at Wants Versus Needs

I believe that many of the personal finance problems that people face are due to a confusion between wants and needs.

All-Star ballot includes former Augusta minor league stars

Eight former Augusta minor league ball players earned a spot on the 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star ballot.

So True.

Elliott: Henry is a big ball of joy!

Augie: Henry is a big ball of awesome.

$4 a gallon for gas? They’re not even trying

When I heard that Hurricane Katrina was going to damage refineries and offshore oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, I quickly left work and filled the tank of my Bonneville in anticipation of a shortage that never came.