"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena" - Theodore Roosevelt

Businesses

From my first job in sales to owning a bar to my first technology company where, in 1985 I won Georgia's FastTec 50 award, I've always been fascinated by the challenges of business. My two current projects, TapToReport and GetToKnowMe both feed my two greatest passions, keeping people safe and helping people find healthy romantic relationships. You can learn more about each project below.

  • TapToReport

  • Imagine an app that gives teachers a one button call for help or can send an alert to place a school on lockdown. When minutes matter, getting notifications out as fast as humanly possible saves lives.
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  • GetToKnowMe

  • Years ago I consulted with several of the big dating app companies and I thought there had to be something between the dating app and the constant cycling through coffee dates and ghosting and everything else.
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  • ChanceConnections

  • As people become more and more technology focused and social media centric, the opportunities for real life connections diminish. You see this in any coffee shop or restaurant where people are focused on their mobile devices instead of the people around them.
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Books

I never thought I'd own a bar, never thought I'd be a single dad, never thought I'd write a single line of code, so imagine my surprise when I found myself compiling notes for a book, talking with friends about those notes, having friends criticize the concept but moving forward anyway to produce The Man Puzzle. Now, life has again thrown a few twists my way and the result will be two new books, Letters From Prison and The Violin. Both stories are near and dear to my heart and writing them has been incredibly cathartic and has made me question many of my life’s choices along with teaching me a few lessons.

  • The Man Puzzle

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  • For years I have been "that guy." You know the one, the guy women always turn to with their "why did my man do ___" questions, and the one who patiently...
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  • Letters From Prison

  • What happens when you discover a son or daughter you never knew you had? How would you proceed forward with the relationship? How would you feel if that relationship were cut short before you ever had a chance to meet?
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  • The Violin

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  • Know that old expression: "Be careful what you wish for?" What happens when what you wish for is right in the palm of your hands and then, suddenly and without warning
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My Short Stories

Occasionally I write a short story and post it here. Often times these are random memories from my past, sometimes it's a fragment of a book that doesn't serve the story but is still worth telling... or really just an itch I need to get out of my brain. Other times, these are just random observations or a piece of poetry. Here are the most recent stories:

Dancing Through A Rainbow

Rainbow in a wooded area
Some naming history: When my daughter Katie was in kindergarten she struggled with what to call her stepdad Tom and I. If she called us both Dad as she had been doing, it got confusing. Ultimately, she decided to call Tom, her stepdad, Dad because she was with him every day and…

Lady

Image of an English Pointer
Mom and Dad divorced in 1962 as I was just finishing kindergarten. Not long after Mom moved us into public housing. I don’t remember much about that summer other than I was in the hospital for almost a month with a ruptured appendix. What I remember most from that time is Mom…

When Your Daddy Holds Your Hand

This story needs a little context. Today is Thanksgiving Day, 2023. It was just a few minutes past noon when I called Daddy. I knew he'd answer and I knew he knew my weekend was busy. I'd traveled to Charleston with my hubby, mom and stepdad to visit my in-laws. Mom has been…

My Purpose

A lone red leaf
From the moment I sprouted I knew I was destined to grow and become something special but no one told me what that would be. Like any generation, there were many like me and, from a distance, we all looked the same but to each of us within that generation, we could easily tell…

What? Poetry?

Okay, I'll be the first to admit that I'm no Wadsworth or Longfellow but every once in a while the words come out. Here are the most recent poems that friends have enjoyed:

Missing Soul

Man longing for another soul
I was born a million years ago and my heart has sought but one soul In the mornings I feel her hair flow softly across…

May Your Love

Candle of Hope
On Monday 12/18/2023, I received a letter from my sister-in-law Jamie. She'd been sorting through "the box" of family…

Disconnected

sunset suicide
I’m a good dad, I gave you my all. I was there for you every day, Through every joy and fall. If we’re no longer…

Tomorrow

Tomorrow
If we could see the futureWhat would we find?Do we have a loving heartA sharp mind? What would be importantWhat would…

returned coordinates: 39.96138,-82.997749

testing to see if it's already in the DB

Already in DB as 1 so record is being updated