David Hunter

• David Hunter: Clearing clutter yields big haul Published 02/07/2012 at 4 a.m.

  When we moved into our split-foyer house 26 years ago, it was the proper size for a family with three children. It never occurred to me that one day the stairs might become a problem.

• David Hunter: Confidence comes with incompetence Published 01/31/2012 at 4 a.m.

  Bertrand Russell, the British philosopher, mathematician and essayist, once wrote: "The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt."

• David Hunter: Lawmakers learning about draconian bills Published 01/24/2012 at 4 a.m.

  Draco was the legislator in Athens, Greece, who introduced that city-state's first written code of laws around 621 B.C. This written code replaced the arbitrary oral laws enforced by the aristocrats of Athens, most of which were not even revealed ...

• David Hunter: Time to thank outdoor workers Published 01/17/2012 at 4 a.m.

  It's Thursday evening and a light snow is alternating with rain outside the house. It brings back memories.

• David Hunter: Pundits annoying on both sides of the Pond Published 01/10/2012 at 4 a.m.

  Mary McCusker, a Facebook friend from the Scottish lowland town of Paisley in Renfrewshire, posted the following quip not long ago: "Started to watch the 'Most Annoying People of 2011,' but found the celebrity pundits and their 'intelligent and insightful' ...

• David Hunter: What's technology to some is magic to others Published 01/03/2012 at 4 a.m.

  My wife, Cheryl, bought me a Kindle e-book reader for Christmas. It's an amazing device that has been around a few years, but I tend to watch new inventions for a while to see if they are a trend.

• David Hunter: What year is it? Well, that depends Published 12/27/2011 at 4 a.m.

  The celebration of a new year is the oldest of all recorded holidays. Various cultures have celebrated it at different times and for different reasons, but most cultures have celebrated it — at least after they began to watch the ...

• David Hunter: Imagination is sometimes better than gifts Published 12/20/2011 at 4 a.m.

  As a child, I was often the victim of my own expectations. A vivid imagination is great when writing a novel or short story but can set a person up for disappointment in real life.

• David Hunter: Saying farewell to faithful Old Red Published 12/13/2011 at 4 a.m.

  Old Red, my 1994 Toyota Corolla, has been towed away to wherever good cars go when they are no longer economically feasible.

• David Hunter: Horse meat's a delicacy elsewhere Published 12/06/2011 at 4 a.m.

  Horse meat will probably once again be available as food in the United States very soon. The consumption of horse meat was not forbidden by federal law, but the government stopped inspecting facilities where it was processed in 2007, effectively ...

• Hunter: Sometimes Santa wears blue and carries a badge Published 12/08/2009 at midnight

  Charlie Bundren is a solid man. When he speaks, his words are well-thought out. A former Lonsdale kid, Bundren learned life in the raw, but it never broke his humanity. Neither did decades on the streets of Knoxville as a ...

• What it means depends on who is saying it Published 06/30/2009 at midnight

  Every profession develops its own style of writing and its own peculiarities. For instance, the opening sentence you just read is called a "hook" in literary circles because it is designed to catch your attention and lead you on to ...

• Hunter: The natural hazards of being male in the wild Published 05/19/2009 at midnight

  Being male in the wild sometimes leaves a lot to be desired.

• Hunter: Where man's best friend really is Published 05/12/2009 at midnight

  Human Animal Bond in Tennessee (H.A.B.I.T.) is a group of volunteers working to explore the circumstances and consequences of the human-animal bond and to promote this valuable bond between people and animals.

• Hunter: You can't please all the people all the time Published 05/05/2009 at midnight

  There is an immutable law of writing that says, "Everything you write, no matter how innocuous you believe it to be, will offend someone."

• Hunter: Monsters of imagination are the worst kind Published 04/28/2009 at midnight

  Mark Twain is often credited with having said, "The worst things that ever happened to me, never happened." In fact, he is credited with having said it several different ways, depending on the source.

• Hunter: In the end, we are all just passing through Published 04/21/2009 at midnight

  'To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die … '

• Hunter: Searching for the remote control Published 04/14/2009 at midnight

  While recently wandering the toy aisles of a local department store, I happened upon a box labeled "remote-controlled kite." I made a mental note to do some research.

• Hunter: Thinking is quicker with a bumper sticker Published 04/07/2009 at midnight

  'Tennessee is for God, not Obama.'

• Hunter: Remembering our groovy heritage of words Published 03/31/2009 at midnight

  Recently, I had the opportunity to read an advance copy of a book called "I Love It When You Talk Retro," from Saint Martin's Press. It will be released April 1.

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