Jun
17
Fort Payne AL events you don’t want to miss

Events are planned across DeKalb County to commemorate the nation’s birthday.

Fort Payne AL event

Upcoming Fort Payne AL events include the Independence Day celebration.

Fort Payne AL events

The City of Fort Payne’s Independence Day Celebration is always a highlight, but this free event on Thursday, July 1, will be extra special this year with the return of in-person activities at the Sports Complex at 101 45thStreet NE, plus a performance by the Alabama tribute band, Boys in the Band, who did two sold old shows in recent years. The event from 7:30-9 p.m. The fireworks show can be viewed from the venue or from any of the parking lots at surrounding schools and businesses. To learn more, visit City of Fort Payne Official Facebook Page.
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Dec
26
Star Wars movies ranked favorite to least favorite…
  1. The Empire Strikes Back
  2. The Mandalorian
  3. Rogue One
  4. Revenge of the Sith
  5. A New Hope
  6. Attack of the Clones
  7. Return of the Jedi
  8. The Rise of Skywalker
  9. The Force Awakens
  10. Solo
  11. The Clone Wars/Rebels
  12. The Last Jedi
  13. The Phantom Menace

Shall I expand? How about you?

Dec
24
Christmas in Dixie

I just wanted to take a moment to say Merry Christmas to all of my friends, family, subscribers and supporters.

Downtown Fort Payne is looking incredible right now, so I encourage you to drive through and look at the Christmas decorations.

And from Fort Payne Alabama Merry Christmas tonight

Fort Payne takes on an amazing vibe every Christmas. We attract a lot of attention because of that song by Alabama called “Christmas in Dixie.”

The lyrics go…

“Christmas in Dixie, it’s snowin’ in the pines
Merry Christmas from Dixie, to everyone tonight
And from Fort Payne, Alabama
God bless why’all…We love ya…Happy New Year…Good night… Merry Christmas tonight!”
– Jeff Cook / Mark Herndon / Randy Owen / Teddy Gentry

Christmas in Dixie

Now’s the time to listen to holiday songs, watch Christmas movies (“It’s a Wonderful Life” is a requirement for me), play board games and relax.

I hope you all have a great day and make good choices to avoid spreading this COVID-19 virus around any more than it already is.

Due to the continuing public health emergency, our family opted out of doing the traditional dinner. It’s tough saying No to momma in times like these, but she understands that it is for her protection.

On a personal note, I felt a bit under the weather yesterday with a fever and headache. Just to be safe, I went to Encore Medical here in Fort Payne, just to make sure I did not catch the coronavirus.

I tested negative. I’ve become a regular there after having to test after people in my orbit got it. This was the first time I went due to me feeling crappy myself. I was diagnosed with an old-fashion garden variety sinus infection and given antibiotics.

Already feeling better. It was a bit of a scare, I won’t lie. I am so ready for this pandemic to ease up. I saw far too many people at the recent Fort Payne Christmas Parade out in public neither wearing masks or social distancing. We must do better!

Dude, I have gotten WAY off my Merry Christmas message, haven’t I? Forgive me. It’s been a traumatic year, but only 7 more days remaining.

I can’t say that 2020 has been ALL bad. I did get this amazing promotion at the newspaper, which I am doing my best to be successful at.

Christmas in Dixie

Speaking of the newspaper, indulge me for a second with a shameless plug… 

I typically procrastinate when it comes to buying a Christmas present for my mother. I mean, what does someone retired really want or need? A restaurant gift card is usually my 11th hour panic choice, but it occurred to me today that a Subscription to the Newspaper is a fantastic gift. It’s fast and easy to subscribe online, plus you can go to a rack at your nearest convenience store, buy a copy of the newest edition, and include a hand-written note saying a loved one will get upcoming papers delivered! It’s a gift that keeps on giving, plus you can say you want to get closer by having plenty of local news and sports to talk about by subscribing to the TJ yourself, either the print edition or online! Just a suggestion in case you’re scrambling to think of gift ideas for someone who is a challenge to shop for right now…
Please help me share this message. Whatever you decide (better hurry), please support our local businesses!
Jul
04
An American Celebration

I enjoyed watching the Fort Payne Fireworks celebration Thursday evening. Due to the need for social distancing, the city skipped the usual on-site entertainment, which I think was the right call considering how rapidly the coronavirus is spreading right now.

I went with my daughter and watched from the parking lot of the Wills Valley Recreation Center.

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Jun
09
Honored to Serve my Community

Honored to Serve on the Boards of Landmarks of DeKalb, Inc., and Little River Arts Council

Having an Impact Behind the scenes

I haven’t really publicized it before, but it’s worth noting that I am serving on a couple of boards for local organizations that are near and dear to my heart. It is my hope that by mentioning them to anyone following this blog, our membership ranks can grow as we set out to do some pretty amazing stuff.
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May
25
Recognizing and Avoiding Modeling and Photography Client Scams

SCAMS TARGETING MODELS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS

Online scams

Not sure if an opportunity is legit. These tips will hopefully give you more information to sort out scams from real gigs.

My model and photographer friends, please be wary of people who claim to be art directors, photographers, or international modeling agents for publications such as major men’s lifestyle brands such as Maxim or Playboy. I know the excitement this can generate as we instantly get stars in our eyes and feel as if our big break is happening. Well, it’s too good to be true and may actually be a scam.

I’m writing this blog because the majority of casting scams are for modeling gigs. Although there are lots of real model casting calls as well, be extra cautious when considering modeling opportunities. The key to avoiding disappointment is recognizing how these scammers work. That’s the point of this blog…Read More

Apr
11
How to Compliment a Woman in 2020

I was looking through a friend’s OnlyFans page and saw where one of her subscribers left a comment under a photo of her in a leotard saying, “Wow, nice vagina.”

He might have been teasing her for choosing to wear a tight outfit and posing in such a way that her covered groin was visible, but something told me that it was (at least in his mind) a legitimate compliment. I shake my head when I see that happen and just want to take those guys to the side and say, “Dude…”

 

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Mar
16
Coronavirus and the rise of telecommuting

These are surreal days. In a matter of a couple of weeks, America has gone from dismissing COVID-19 as a “hoax” to scrambling to limit contagion. Much of the world has done the unthinkable, shutting down public spaces and canceling major sports and entertainment events.

With workplaces shutting down, a lot of companies are moving toward telecommuting.

I did this for 8 years, working with colleagues on the other side of the planet (Sydney, Australia) to produce a men’s lifestyle website called Savvy.com. Then I continued it when I changed jobs and joined a TV network based from Los Angeles.

As an introvert, I absolutely loved it. I could go to visit the beach as long as I brought my laptop along and got my work done.
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Mar
01
A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Fort Payne Opera House

Landmarks of DeKalb, Inc., brought the Alabama Shakespeare Festival to DeKalb County this week. I was at Saturday’s show in the Fort Payne Opera House. What a remarkable performance by these talented actors. We were so fortunate to have ASF visit our county, speak to kids at local schools and share their hard work for our entertainment.
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