When I was a sophomore in college, my geography teacher, Darren Purcell, told me that I should think about writing for the school paper. In an attempt to be funny, I put some jokes in my essays. I don't remember any of the jokes. They couldn't have been any good. How do you make geography jokes anyway? Three Palestinians, a rabbi and Satanist walk into a bar …

Never mind.

Anyway, Darren (who later became a good friend) encouraged me to try to publish my silly little thoughts. So while I was in Tampa that summer, I submitted two different essays to the USF Oracle. To my surprise, they printed both of them under the headline "Hell isn't for children anymore." Looking back on those essays now, they're pretty embarrassing. But the folks at the Oracle seemed to like them.

In fact, after they published "Hell isn't for children anymore," they asked me to be the commentary editor. Apparently, their old commentary editor wigged out and left town. They were desperate …

And thus, my career began.

I spent the summer of 1996 selling computer software (which I knew nothing about) and editing commentary (which I knew nothing about). For me, it was an opportunity to indulge in politics. In fact, I think I might have indulged too much. The other editors were mad because I would usually publish a column twice a week. Hey, it was my section, right?

So, after my experience in Tampa, I moved back up to Tallahassee to finish college. That's when I started submitting columns to the Tallahassee Democrat.

Perot: Live long and prosper

Monday, July 15, 1996

Perot tapped a reservoir of public discontent with his folksy, blunt speech and can-do spirit. Too bad he's from another planet.

In the spirit of Clinton campaign officials chasing George Bush around in a "chicken George" outfit, Bob Dole is hounded on the campaign trail by a large cigarette named Mr. Butt Man.

Independence Day: It's always explosive

A brief look at some of our nation's more memorable Fourth of July spectacles.

Yeltsin learns U.S. politics

Boris Yeltsin takes a few tips from Ronald Reagan and wins against the communists.

The ghost of J. Edgar Hoover

As we all sit around and wonder what Craig Livingstone was thinking while in possession of all those FBI files, the haunting sound of J. Edgar Hoover's ghost booms through the White House. Maybe Livingstone was just waiting for the next Metallica album.

If Plato could teach today

Obviously, the education of the youth is one of the most fundamental goals of a society. In an election year, we are apt to hear all kinds of proposals, but answers will not be found by throwing money at the problem.

Jim Guy Tucker's guilt does not indict the Clintons. Just because the Clinton-haters want to play the guilt-by-association card does not mean that they are playing with a full deck.

Leary's 'drop out' a model

The passing of Timothy Leary should cause us to think not about the man, but about his legend. Certainly, he was no hero. But his significance should not be overlooked.

This is the first thing I ever published and, quite frankly, it's pretty embarrassing.