8.31.2004

Odd People, Part I

Thanks to several rounds of phone tag, I was expecting Kent’s phone call before I actually spoke with him. In my mind, I sort of had this picture worked out of a droll college professor spouting eighty dollar words and perhaps a Shakespearian quote or two. Or maybe he was more like a bigwig executive too busy striding around the halls of power to spend much time with a peon like me.

What I never expected was someone with all the fast-talking, slick-scheming enthusiasm of a salesdude making a killing selling lawn ornaments to New York high rise tenants. Yes, I called him a slick schemer, and I said that because it sounds way less boring than strategic analyst. Although his brilliant plans are decidedly un-Machiavellian, we Apostolics should still feel fortunate that he’s on our side.

For such a celebrity-type, the venerable leader of
ninetyandnine.com is very down-to-earth. He obviously lives in the real world, but no matter what he’s doing – writing an e-mail, composing an article, talking so fast on the phone I hardly get a word in edgewise – what always comes through is his passion for the success of ninetyandnine, his passion for living for God, and his passion about life in general. You get the feeling that a Saturday evening spent with him and his lovely wife Nita would be a little loud. And just rowdy enough to be fun!


Celebrity veneration aside, for all you new readers who missed The Great Female Blog-off, go check out what all the fuss was about.


Tomorrow: Sometimes You Just Feel Like a Kiss


Questions, comments, concerns?
E-mail them to
wscoggins@ninetyandnine.com.
I reserve the right to quote you unless you ask otherwise.

8.30.2004

Welcome to Just a Little Bit Odd, Where It’s Fun to Be Odd!

That’s right, you guys chose the oddball! Muchas gracias to everyone who voted for me. To those of you who didn’t, well, I can’t really blame you. Unlike this year’s presidential election, your blog girls were all exceptional candidates.

Forgive me for foregoing the typical “Get to Know Me” session. I had to talk about myself a lot to get this job, and right now I’m temporarily bored with the subject. What’s more interesting is the reactions I’m getting when telling friends and family about this blog. One such conversation went exactly like this:

“Do you know what a blog is?”

“No, what is it?”

“Well, let me show you . . .”

“It won’t gross me out, will it?”

“Um, no. See? This is a blog. It’s an online web journal where you post your thoughts, opinions, links—”

“And find a boyfriend?”

“No!”

“Oh, I thought maybe it was, like, one of those matchmaking things.”

I have my work cut out for me, don’t I?

For the rest of the week, I’m going to be celebrating my grand opening with some light fare featuring odd people, places and things; although I'll be skipping the man with the world’s longest ear hair. I'll begin tomorrow with something I’m sure all you ninetyandine.com readers are not going to want to miss:

My First Impressions of Kent Curry: College Professor or New York Salesguy?
Questions, comments, concerns?
E-mail them to
wscoggins@ninetyandnine.com.
I reserve the right to quote you unless you ask otherwise.