David Hunter

• David Hunter: 'Housemade words burrow under skin Published 05/22/2012 at 4 a.m.

  One of my Facebook chums recently posted a complaint about the overuse of a trendy new word, "housemade." Truthfully, I didn't know it was being overused — probably because I eat at the wrong restaurants — so I looked it ...

• David Hunter: Common aphorisms commonly wrong Published 05/15/2012 at 4 a.m.

  Proverbs, aphorisms, sayings, maxims and adages mean essentially the same thing. If you dig into a dictionary of etymology or a thesaurus, you may find subtle differences listed between them, but the differences matter only to people who earn their ...

• David Hunter: A friend's death is never easy to accept Published 05/08/2012 at 4 a.m.

  Not so long ago, when my friend Jim Wester was dying of cancer that started in his pancreas and spread throughout his body, he contacted his friends to say goodbye and to tell us to stay away because he didn't ...

• David Hunter: Lady fits in at the Hunter household Published 05/01/2012 at 4 a.m.

  Because of my affinity for writing about dogs in general and German shepherds in particular, I receive frequent enquiries about my canine household members.

• David Hunter: A skeptic finds Facebook useful Published 04/24/2012 at 4 a.m.

  In September of 2011, I joined Facebook and became one of those people who had never expected to have an account because I could see no reason why I would ever need it. I don't play online games, a primary ...

• David Hunter: A logical Legislature? That's just a theory Published 04/17/2012 at 4 a.m.

  Tennessee…s House Bill 368 — nicknamed "the monkey bill" — has caused a lot of controversy. Actually, the only controversy is among people who put too much faith in science and not enough faith in faith.

• David Hunter: Quiet desperation speaks volumes Published 04/10/2012 at 4 a.m.

  Our Knoxville Utilities Board payment was not mailed on time this month, so I went by to drop the payment off at the Western Avenue location. While I was there, one of Thoreau's statements popped into my head: "The mass ...

• David Hunter: Decriminalize pot to focus on hard drugs Published 04/03/2012 at 4 a.m.

  In the mid-1980s, the Knoxville-Knox County narcotics unit raided a marijuana dealer on the beat I was patrolling, and I was dispatched to transport him to jail. During the trip, I asked why he was dealing drugs.

• David Hunter: Trust system of law over vengeful acts Published 03/27/2012 at 4 a.m.

  The prohibition of the deliberate killing of one human being by another is as old as the history of humanity. Every society of which we have knowledge prohibited murder. What constitutes murder, however, has varied from time to time and ...

• David Hunter: Age comes with intangible benefits Published 03/20/2012 at 4 a.m.

  As I recently added reminders to my March calendar, a cold blast of reality hit me in the face. On April Fool's Day, I will be 65 — officially old, the age when early baby boomers become eligible for Social ...

• 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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