Words with Friends

If you have an iPhone, and these days who doesn’t, you’re most likely familiar with a game called “Words with Friends.”  There’s an app for that, and honestly, it’s driving me NUTS.

“Words with Friends” is basically the board game Scrabble, where you try to use the letters given to you at random to spell out words that will give you more points than your opponent.  Each letter is worth a certain number of points and placement is everything since you may land on a square giving you two or three times the total value of the letter or two to three times the value of the word.  There are bonus points for using all seven letters during your turn.  You go horizontally or vertically, and even a simple four letter word can bring a huge payday if it’s placed just right.

Incidentally, I come up with all kinds of four letter words while playing this game, but none of them can be placed on the board.

A couple of things fascinate me about “Words with Friends.”  First, unlike board games you might play at home, this game runs 24/7.  Since you’re playing on your iPhone, opponents can be located around the world, down the street or in your bed.  The bed option should be limited to a very select group of friends.
You may play a word at 8:30 Tuesday morning against someone, and not hear back from them until that afternoon, or even the next day.  Then, when you least expect it, and sometimes in overnight hours, you see where Kelsey at UGA or Lindy in New Orleans has hit pay dirt with “XYLOPHONE.”  To which I boldly add an “S” for “XYLOPHONES.”  That’ll show ‘em.

The other amazing aspect of this game is that it actually does the opposite of what you might think.  Being a word game, you would expect it to somehow enhance your vocabulary.  My grandmother used to keep a Webster’s dictionary close at hand when we played the old Scrabble, because you had to prove the word exists.  All of that is done automatically by “Words with Friends.”  And you learn what might appear as nonsense words actually work in conversation, at least somewhere on the planet.

Some two letter words are acceptable like, “AH, OW, XU.”  Go ahead and use one of those in a sentence, I dare you.  In a game with my wife, I tried the word “GOR,” and it actually took.  Of course, GOR refers to the Counter-Earth, an alternate-world setting for John Norman’s Chronicles of Gor (sometimes called the Gorean Saga), a series of twenty-eight novels that combine philosophy, erotica and science fiction.  Had no idea I was so well versed in geeky literature.

The game has encouraged me to take any guttural sound I might be familiar with and spell it out there on the board.  Placed just right, it might be worth something.

Another interesting feature on “Words with Friends” is you can flip the board over and engage in a chat with your opponent.  A little trash talking, if you will.  Normally, my friends use it to pass along encouragement like, “I am trouncing you,” “Are you still there?” and “Is this you or the dog playing?”

Some have tried to add a new dimension to the game by requiring each other to only use words related to a certain topic like cooking, sports or religion.

I write this blog post as a tribute to Lori, Adrienne, Carly, Doug, Jennifer, Karen, Kelsey, Lindy and Taylor, all of whom normally beat me by at least a 2-to-1 margin.  But with every match, I get a little BETTER and grow a little STRONGER.

So, try it out.  “Words with Friends” may be just the thing to bring this world together.  They say what the world needs now is LOVE.  Especially if you can place it on a Triple-Word and somehow spell it with a Q.

On the Air

As far back as I can remember, radio has always been a major part of my life.  It started as a small child when I couldn’t sleep at night.  Mom suggested turning on the radio on my nightstand and listening to stations both far and near until I fell asleep.  The illuminated dial also served as a night light of sorts, although I would never admit that to my friends.
I loved everything about the radio: The music, the news, the sports and the announcers.  I loved the way the stations identified themselves with singing jingles.  There was a fascinating world out there, and radio brought it right to my bed in the amazing clarity of the then crackling and popping AM dial.  Somehow, I needed to be a part of it.
At first, my radio experience was only imaginary.  I created a station appropriately called WREG, and used tape recorders and record players to make the magic happen.  I would intro records, do the weather and read the news.  I even had my dad drive around Atlanta with me to record traffic reports.  Then I would play the tapes back for hours, often forcing friends to listen.
While the imaginary world of WREG was fun, it didn’t pay very well and the audience was limited at best.  So, when we moved from Decatur to Conyers, Georgia, imagine my surprise when we saw a small 1,000-watt AM radio station called WGFS in nearby Covington, right there on Interstate 20.  As fate would have it, the station was looking for a high school news reporter from each of the area’s three high schools, and I auditioned at mine.  I got the gig – a weekly high school news report from Heritage – and that led to my very first job offer, at the ripe old age of 13.
Bill Hoffman, God bless him, was the owner and general manager of the station.  He needed someone to work part-time Saturdays and Sundays at WGFS and, if my parents were willing to provide the transportation, the job was mine.  Unbelievable.  Now I would be on the same radio I used to listen to in order to fall asleep at night.
The year was 1977 and WGFS was what the industry called an MOR station, for “middle of the road.”  We played an interesting mix of music, from Perry Como, Dean Martin and the Carpenters to the Eagles and Doobie Brothers. Local news was a mainstay, as were the local funeral announcements, which at the time I thought really cramped my style as the newest Top 40 DJ to hit the airwaves.  But, who was I kidding?  What Top 40 DJ plays Perry Como?
I soon learned how seriously we took the funeral announcements.  First, it was news that people really wanted.  “Haven’t seen Joe in a while, maybe I should go turn on the radio.”  It was also a form of advertising for the local funeral homes.  They paid us to make those announcements, as sad as they might be.
This was also the fertile ground of my first big-time radio blooper.  We did the funerals 3-4 times per day, immediately following local news.  You might have only two or three…sometimes more…but you read them all in detail and concluded with this somber benediction: “WGFS offers its condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of those who have passed away.”  Then it was back to the music.  I always picked my records out early (that’s right kids --- records --- Google it sometime).
Always wanting to have the latest hits, I filled my time on the air with only current stuff.  So, on a Saturday afternoon in 1977, I read the funerals, did the closing statement and immediately played the Bee Gees and “Staying Alive.”  The phone lit up.  Our more mature audience was not amused by the rock-and-roll teen DJ who had just arrived at the station.  Was this his idea of a joke?
But everything worked out fine.  I stayed there for five years, later moving up Interstate 20 to WCGA (later WTPO, WPBE) in Conyers, and then back to WGFS for a brief stint as general manager in 1987.  I treasured my time at both stations, and the many friendships I made while behind the microphone.  It was work, but I was hardly working.  I loved every minute of it.  From election night coverage at the courthouse to live high school football on Friday nights; ice storm coverage in the winters, and an ever increasing array of holiday music as we approached Christmas Day.  In fact, I spent many a holiday, including Christmas, behind a microphone, with some take-out of turkey, dressing and the trimmings prepared by mom.
In 1988, I moved on to WSB-AM and FM in Atlanta, hardly a small town station, to do news and play some music.  But it was only because of the experience I had gained from the smaller stations out east of town.  Sadly, both stations are all but gone, from the mainstream anyway.  WGFS was sold several times, ending up with a group programming it with Caribbean music and specialty programming, while the Conyers station was sold to a Hispanic radio company and moved to Gwinnet County.  But I will always have the memories.
They say that radio waves can travel for millions of miles into outer space, which always led me to believe that somewhere out there, beyond the planets and stars, some intelligent life form may be listening to some really bad programming from a kid in Covington and Conyers.
But they’ll also have a good laugh when the funeral announcements are followed by the Bee Gees.

My Pleasure

First, let me say how much I love Chick-fil-A…and it shows. 

Everything about this restaurant, based in my hometown of Atlanta, is first class, from their iconic founder, Truett Cathy and his impressive sons Bubba and Dan, down to their amazing sweet iced tea and lemon pie.  The story of how Mr. Cathy opened his first restaurant in Atlanta in 1946 and later created the delicious boneless breast of chicken sandwich the year I was born, 1963, is legendary.  It truly is an American success story and should be taught to your children and your children’s children. 

I also love the way Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays, yet still beats the other fast food chains in their sales of chicken over the other six days.  As a devout Christian, Truett rests on the Sabbath, and all signs indicate that God honors that, from the overall success of the chain to the high quality of employees they can attract due to more flexible schedules.

I recommend Truett’s book, It’s Easier to Succeed than to Fail, to everyone I meet, and even keep an autographed copy on my bookshelf at the office. 

So it’s established, right?  I love me some Chick-fil-A.

My only beef with this restaurant comes down to two simple words: My pleasure.

Somewhere along the way, during years of stopping in for the best Bacon, Egg and Cheese Biscuit in the Western Hemisphere, or some amazing chicken nuggets later in the day, the outstanding employees at Chick-fil-A have taken to this phrase as the mandatory response to just about anything I might say.

Me: “Can I get a sausage, egg and cheese biscuit and a large sweet tea?”  CFA: “Yes sir, you can.” Me: “Thanks.”  CFA: “My pleasure.”

Me: “Could I get extra honey mustard?”  CFA: “Yes sir, you can.” Me: “Thanks.”  CFA: “My pleasure.”

Me: “Have a good day.”  CFA: “My pleasure.”  Me: “Nice weather we’re having.”  CFA: “My pleasure.”

Me: “A wild boar just ran through the children’s playground but no one was hurt.”  CFA:  “My pleasure.”

Obviously, someone stayed at a Ritz-Carlton or went to one of their leadership meetings, because pretty much everything is “My pleasure.”  I even find myself trying to avoid the encounter and mandatory reply:

Me: “Looks great, thanks so much.  Oops….”  CFA: “My pleasure”

Me: “I’ll let you go because I know you are busy…please don’t say another….”  CFA: “My pleasure.”

Honestly, I can tell you love your job, and it’s even apparent you enjoy serving me and the rest of the public, but I have a hard time believing that everything you do brings true pleasure.  Isn’t there something you’re doing out of sheer obligation?

I thought about asking them to clip my toenails.  Trust me, nothing pleasurable about that.

Maybe we just add a little variety by allowing employees to express the same sentiment, just in different words:

• “You know it.”
• “I heard that.”
• “I know that’s right.”
• “Back at ya.”
• “You don’t have to tell me.”
• “The Chick is the trick.”
• “Gesundheit.”

And if it makes you feel better, throw in a “My pleasure” every now and then, just respect the rotation.

All this talk about chicken is making me hungry.  Good thing there is a Chick-fil-A right around the corner where I will now head for lunch: CFA sandwich, waffle fries, Cole slaw, sweet tea.  Maybe a brownie.

And can I get you anything?  No need to thank me.

My pleasure.

Lessons from a House Finch

Couple years ago, our family noticed this banging on the front door of our house.  It wasn’t constant, just occasionally.  But when it happened, it got your attention.  Our front door is mostly made of glass, and the noise was enough to make you get up from a perfectly comfortable chair in front of a perfectly fine flat screen TV to see what was going on.  Turns out it was nothing short of remarkable.

Some tiny house finches were building a nest inside a small basket of artificial flowers my wife had placed on the door as decoration.  And why not?  It was up high from the threat of neighborhood cats, and even under shelter in case of bad weather.  And you know when it comes to house finches and nests; it’s all about location, location, location.

Within a matter of days, the whole family was hooked on the miracle taking place right before our eyes.  I mean, I love Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, but this was like the live stage version.  The female was rather plain and gray, as house finches often are, while the male had a splash of color and I think what they called a pompadour back in the day.  Together, they would work tirelessly, building their little home of twigs, pine straw and sticks, mixed in among the best artificial flowers Hobby Lobby can provide.

Soon enough, eggs appeared and the watch was on.  My wife stretched tape across the back of the door, so no one would go out the door, and more than one delivery person was redirected to the garage door, so the birds and their eggs were undisturbed.  And then it happened.  One, two and three tiny baby birds hatched right before our eyes.  You’ve seen the pictures.  Sleeping most of the time, but when mom and dad came back with food, tiny little heads with alien eyes and chewing gum necks stretched up to the sky.  We checked on them constantly, trying to avoid the mother’s watchful eye, and amazed with how the father not only stuck around but took an active role in their nurturing.

And then, one Friday night, another commotion at the door.  The chirping was louder than normal.  So, ma in her kerchief and I in my cap got up to see what was going on.

The parents were strategically stationed in a crepe myrtle, only a short distance in front of the nest, calling to the babies.  It was time for them to fly.  The first one up was brave and bold.  He was ready, but then again, not so fast.  He would move to the nest, beckoned by his parents’ chirps, but then back away, as if to say “Wait a minute, how does this work?”  Finally, a literal leap of faith, and he flew to mom and dad in the crepe myrtle.  We were concerned, checking to make sure he found his parents in the tree.  Night was falling, and we could hear thunder in the distance.

The next morning, the show was on again.  Parents and baby together in the crepe myrtle, calling to the others.  Then the next one, and then the next.  All of this took the better part of a Saturday morning, but we didn’t mind.  It was fascinating.

This was nature --- created by the one true God --- at its finest.  And once they were all settled in the crepe myrtle, the parents flew to another tree, calling them again to follow.  And just like that, we were empty nesters.  Literally.

Last weekend, we took our oldest daughter Holli to Anderson University in South Carolina where she began classes today as a freshman.  Some parents call this the “drop-off,” but it was so much more than that.  We had two great days at this amazing university, which is a small private school that humbly calls itself “intentionally Christian.”  When we arrived Saturday morning to move her into the dorm, student volunteers with smiling faces appeared to help us carry all of her stuff into the building.  The next morning, there was a freshman family worship service and the “Archway Walk,” where all 600 freshmen marched down Boulevard, shook the President’s hand, and entered into the next chapter of their lives.

From the front lawn of the school, my teary eye fell upon a house finch, shuffling through some pine straw, and I thought about our little friends from a past Spring.  In much the same way, we were helping to call to our daughter, encouraging her to fly higher and higher, as she pursues her college degree two and a half hours away from the nest and 17 total turns, according to MapQuest, but who’s counting?

Thanks to the miracle of facebook and texting, Holli is never far away.  We will stay in touch more than most families do living under the same roof.  But I am thankful for the experience of last weekend, and the confidence the faculty and staff at Anderson gave to my wife and me.

My encourager through all of this was Emily, our younger daughter who at 16 is a junior at Woodstock High School.  When I started to feel the tears coming on when it was time to say goodbye, she calmly reminded me, “Dad, think about baseball.”  It worked, thanks to Chipper’s recent problems and talk of retirement.  But even with Emily, a driver’s license and steady boyfriend mean she’s away more and more of the time.  The seasons always have a way of changing.

So many of our friends have younger children, and we’re far from old.  But we remind them all, that tapping on the glass at the front door is a sign of things to come.  Enjoy the view while you can.  For soon enough, it will be time for them to fly away.

Building a Digital Bridge

A famous Chinese proverb says, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

Across the nation, the Comcast Foundation is partnering with the educational non-profit One Economy and other local non-profits to teach teens and young adults from low-income areas about broadband technology and how it can benefit them for a lifetime. Backed with a foundation grant of $1.2 million, Comcast is rolling this program out to at least 30 locations across the US, including Atlanta, Houston, Miami, Tallahassee and West Palm Beach, and this fall in Chattanooga.

When Comcast and One Economy bring Digital Connectors to a market, we first select an appropriate non-profit organization with which to partner. Here in the South, we have chosen organizations like the Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans in Houston; Apalachee Ridge Technology Center in Tallahassee; Elevate Miami in South Florida; Urban League of Palm Beach County in West Palm Beach; and the Boys and Girls Clubs in Atlanta.

Next, together with our partners, we select a group of young people - ages 14 to 21 - from diverse, low-income backgrounds to join us two to three times per week over a full year to learn digital literacy skills. Students learn how to network computer labs, connect wireless access points and create video documentaries.  Additionally, they are given instruction in entrepreneurship, healthy living, career and character development.  The program also includes creative media projects intended to inspire the students to put broadband and Internet technology to their greatest use in the local community.

At the end of the course, the young people volunteer their time at community-based organizations, senior centers, churches and even in their own homes to help improve digital literacy. Additionally, they are being mentored by local Comcast employees who are helping develop leadership skills among the young people and lending expertise to local programs.

Response to this program has been nothing short of amazing. In a recent editorial, the Tallahassee Democrat newspaper wrote:

“Many of these young people never would have pursued such a career choice, because the idea of broadband and the potential of the Internet have never touched their worlds. That’s the digital divide, a concept widely recognized but seldom solved...Now it’s Tallahassee’s turn and we are grateful to Comcast for helping us to bridge the digital divide - one young person at a time.”


In West Palm Beach, Mayor Lois Frankel stated at a news conference: 


“Thank you for making sure there is no digital divide in the city. Thank you for training our kids for the future.”

This is exciting news for the communities we serve, and I am so glad that Comcast plays an important role.

Miami Mayor Tomas Regaldo (far left) and Commissioners Frank Carollo talk with students in the Comcast Digital Connectors Program in South Florida.

Comcast West Palm Regional Vice President Gary Waterfield speaks at the mayor's press conference, highlighting the accomplishments of the Comcast Digital Connectors Program in West Palm Beach.