Tales from the Corners

Worked on this one on December 10, 2018

Worked on this feature on NBC Saturday Night Live' s Pete Davidson Sunday, December 16, 2018

For me, it's been a busy year for running. I didn't think that was going to happen at first since I decided not to do the Publix full marathon again in March. Since I did one full marathon, I'm not sure if I had to prove that to myself again. I wouldn't be until I did my fourth Peachtree Road Race back in July 2018 that I would pick up the race pace. Don't get me wrong, I was still regularly running on my own, but I took a hiatus the first half of 2018. I vow not to take another hiatus like that again, so in 2019 I'm planning on some frigid winter races. Invesco Thanksgiving Half Marathon, November 22, 2018  Speaking of cold races, this year's 10-miler in October was probably one of the more cold, brisk ones that I took on. I did a tad better than I expected, but this was one of those races that I could not seem to totally get warm. I was little bit more worried about my third Thanksgiving Half Marathon, which turned out as cold as I expected. I think

Pop stars are getting out the vote in the U.S. during autumn 2018. Watch this feature that I completed with the wonderful and talented folks with CNN International. Click this link or the box below to view the video feature. 

HBO Real Time with Bill Maher In the past week, I witnessed some riveting TV like the exchange between HBO's Bill Maher on his Friday night program between himself and Former White House Chief Strategist Steven K. Bannon. Watch the clip below. Most have seen Bannon on scores of shows since he has been in the political spotlight these past three or so years, but this discussion is quite unique. Love him or hate him, Bannon knows his stuff. The biggest surprises I got after viewing this segment is that 1) Bannon feels that the president will be impeached if the Democratic Party gains the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and 2) That Bannon himself doesn't take much credit for President Donald J. Trump's 2016 election success. Before the Maher HBO program, I spent. err, wasted a few hours viewing some bad TV. Indeed, one could say that it's a matter of taste, but I cannot help it, there is a lot junk out there sprinkled with a lot of good material.

I love stories that have a positive impact on any community. Read all about Cedric Wouldfolk, an AT&T technician whose son is a gunshot victim. Wouldfolk got involved with the community in Chicago to make a difference to prevent future tragedies in a city that has seen far too much gun violence for the past several years. Check out the posting here.  What a crazy, busy month. I'm confess that I am proud of some of my latest video projects that I have been involved with. Of course, I work with some of the most talented folks on the planet, so they all make the final product superb. The first project that I would like to spotlight here is a feature that I video edited on a paralysis patient who is able to walk with the assistance of a special stimulation device. It's a fascinating story that is c urrently residing on the CNN.com Health page. Indeed Lester Holt's  NBC Nightly News did a quite fancy story of their own on the topic, but I am quite happy that I was

Photo by Morguefile/DodgertonSkillhause I was driving along State Bridge Road heading towards Twisted Taco one hot afternoon. While approaching the intersection of State Bridge and Medlock Bridge, a woman in an Audi SUV began drifting into my lane. It wasn’t a huge drift, just slight. I’m not one to lay on the horn the second I see this activity because I give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes we all misjudge the lane of travel that we use daily. I’m certain that I’m guilty of this practice whenever I do a slight drift and am met with a fellow motorist laying on his or her horn. Also, I have been here in the South to know that laying on the horn is a last resort for me.  In this case on State Bridge, I was wrong not lay on my horn since the slight drift turned into a major one.  Immediately I went into quick reflex mode, slight turned away from the SUV and of course, hit or better yet, killed my poor brakes. Now there’s more reason for me to replace the entire age

I rarely go personal on Facebook, YouTube or any social media. For years I've just been uncomfortable to reveal so much in the online world. Even now, I'm a bit cryptic because I fear retaliation. Today, I am somewhat breaking from my own tradition. I'm still not going to go too much into detail here. This person's defenders will say that it's all just words. Past actions prove these defenders wrong. There's no gray area on this argument. I was just threatened.  Was this the first time? No. I have texts, emails and audio supporting that this person threatened me before which I will not share here. The bottom line, this person has a long history of making threats and engaging in violent actions and behavior. Today, I have had enough and would love to start the conversation because this person's defenders who have been enablers, only make matters worse whenever the subject comes up through written communication. They need to be held to acc

Photo by Robert J. Nebel/A lone scooter waiting to be corralled in downtown Atlanta When have scooters become “a thing?” I do keep up with trends, but this one took me by surprise.  I just noticed scooters around town in late August. Apparently, scooters became available to the public for those folks who do those “last mile trips.” The idea is to keep residents out of their cars for short trips. It begs the question: what is a short trip? I suppose that depends on the user. Scooter companies says maybe just a mile or two constitutes that pesky walking movement from Point A to Point B. The practice of using a scooter for short grocery or drug store runs could be convenient if one can scoot and carry the purchased goods. Perhaps that’s a good thing when someone like myself runs to the store for 10 items or less. For the full-blown shopping experience, obviously scooters are not the best transportation choice. I would have to say that golf carts would be a better fit if one

Morguefile/Alvimann According to a new AAA survey, 75 percent of Georgia participants witnessed some type of distracted driving in the form of texting and/or talking. The Hands-Free Georgia Act took effect on July 1 so now, we are still in the learning curve phase. The bigger question is, will we as Georgians ever get out of the learning curve phase? Only time will tell. What is the answer to this dilemma? Increased patrols? Higher fines when distracted drivers get caught? There’s no doubt that this law is tough for authorities to enforce, so I suppose, we need to rely on overall cultural change. When it comes to texting and driving, I like to loosely quote the band Chicago, “You’re a hard habit to break.” Let’s face the fact that most of society has an addiction of one form or another with their Smartphones which honestly do so much for us these days including talking, texting, Facebooking, Twittering, Snapchatting, banking, exercise tracking, traffic navigating, video v

Getty Images Congratulations. I think we have been forging through one of the most humid and oppressive summers in recent memory here in the Southeast US. From the sounds of it, many other places were experiencing tough weather. We received plenty of rain, but enough heat and humidity which came on the heels of the moisture. The only silver lining during any of summer 2018 is that the twisters have held off and will continue to never come to our doorsteps or anyone’s doorsteps in the future. Indeed, wishful thinking, but we must always keep up with positive thoughts. I’ve been attempting to stay positive in the aftermath of US Senator John S. McCain’s passing this week. Even though I’m melancholy, I take the late senator’s words in his farewell statement to heart. “ I’ve loved my life, all of it. I’ve had experiences, adventures, friendships, enough for 10 satisfying lives, and I am so thankful,” McCain wrote. That type of reflection makes me appreciate the things that matter t

Wish to find out what Trump and Putin discussed behind closed doors in Finland back in July? Check out this feature in which I worked on with an ace team of serious journalists:

Screen grab of Mike Snowden, who appears in this June 2018 CNN video feature Here is my latest video production project. I do hope that you will enjoy this story about a suburban Atlanta resident who handcrafts cigar box guitars. You may view the video here:

As of this writing we are back into another wet weather pattern. The frequency and combination of rain periods followed by intense sunshine makes me feel like I’m in the tropics. Somehow, it’s even worse this year. Some folks love these weather patterns, but I cannot guess who now. Diffused deer from the backyard Scratch that. I recall a clip with punk rock legend Iggy Pop saying that he loves it hot and humid in Miami. Crazy? Yes, but that is one person who I have in mind that loves this insane humidity. Perhaps it’s also the fact that Mr. Pop doesn’t have an ounce of fat on this thin frame. That clip of Mr. Pop is from CNN’s Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown . As we all know, Mr. Bourdain took his own life this past week – which affected scores of fans around the planet including myself. My tribute to Mr. Bourdain But in that clip, Iggy Pop talks about how great all that heat and humidity is with the beach and ocean. We obviously don’t have what Miami has w

Photo by Robert J Nebel - this photo was taken while on foot so I didn't break any future laws.  There’s been quite a brouhaha over Governor Deal’s signing of House Bill 673. In case you missed it, House 673 is the new distracted driving bill. This piece of legislation is designed to stop Peach State drivers from operating their vehicles while using electronic devices that are not hands-free. So, if you’re driving and talking or texting on your mobile phone while holding it to your ear, you’re in violation of the law. The law takes effect on July 1. What’s also prohibited in House Bill 673 is the driver watching a video or movie on his or her mobile phone while driving. Obviously, passengers are exempt from this video-watching measure, but is the legislation going far enough with drivers when it comes to other activities? What about eating a meatball parmesan sandwich while driving? How about reading the newspaper while driving? Then there is the proverbial driver who e

What an awesome idea: a contest to see who comes up with the best idea to solve water runoff problems. Great story here:

0 Even though the pollen count is up and growing by the second as we get deeper into May, I'm outside more than in previous months. What a crazy weather year this has been and we are almost half-way through it all. We were colder than usual in this first half of the year, then suddenly it feels like we went straight to the heat. In addition to outdoor running, I'm typically mowing two lawns every other week. I'm making up for lost outdoor time that happened during the winter. While that one is a long story, I am exposed to more pollen than ever. The good news is that I'm getting some nice outdoor pictures out of the deal. Wildflowers are blooming. Chipmunks are frolicking on top of my patio and burrowing under its edge. The deer are using my backyard as a mattress. Most of all, the felines are visiting more than ever. Deer love are plentiful in PTC North Chipmunks love my yard For those not-in-the-know, the governor signed a bill that will al

It was an honor to be a part of this interview that I edited on the Hon. US Rep. John Lewis.  CNN Click here to play this great interview:

ARTS Bill of wrongs SP spends some ‘real time’ with comedic instigator Bill Maher "I'm sort of a rallying point for people who think a little different from the majority," says comedian and talk-show host Bill Maher.  BILL MAHER  Friday, July 7, 2006 The Fabulous Fox Theatre www.foxtheatre.org  By Robert J. Nebel It should come as no surprise that comedian Bill Maher has a lot on his mind these days. Between Iraq, religion, the environment and other issues, the host of HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" and "Amazon Fishbowl with Bill Maher" has amassed so much stand-up material that he's hitting the road to dispense his trademark common-sense rants. The Sunday Paper recently caught up with Maher by phone to discuss Ann Coulter, the Dixie Chicks and "The Purpose Driven Life." How do you enjoy performing in the South? I love coming to the South. I may not agree with the majority of political opinion there, but they do know how to party. 

Interview John Thomas Griffith, known best from the band, Cowboy Mouth --  from autumn 2004 

Up, down and back again. That describes the strange winter weather temperatures that we have been experiencing this year in the Southeastern US. From snow in the early portion of winter to a number of humid February days, winter has been quite challenging. For those of us in the Atlanta metro area, winter wore out its welcome as it extended itself beyond the expiration date. Me and thousands of others realize that we shouldn’t complain. The stifling temps will be back before we know it as the AC units crank back up as well as the sweat factor. It's funny how easily we forget about summer’s wrath while we deal make our way through winter. Late autumn and winter are the Atlanta metro area’s respite from the heat. Where we haven’t been able to get a respite from is road construction. It seems to me that road and building construction have been at an all-time high for at least the past two years. Perhaps it’s only my perception, but I have been navigating construction proje