Father’s Day. Or as most of us men prefer to call it…Shaft Day. The day that fathers all over the country get the shaft. How many of us go all out to celebrate Mother’s Day for our moms and wives? What about Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, birthdays and what-not? But on Father’s day, do we get breakfast in bed? Cool presents? No. If we’re lucky, we get the opportunity to take the kids out to their favorite place, burn ourselves making a barbeque and end up spending more money that you had.

Some day.

Actually, mine wasn’t so bad. I worked this morning and since my kids had friends over, went into the bedroom to watch a movie. Unfortunately, it was a lousy movie. To top it off, my car decided to inform me that I need to check my engine soon. That’s nice. There’s nothing like knowing that you are going to need to sell a limb in order to pay for car repairs.

All-in-all, it could be worse. I could be a Dallas Maverick fan. Oh, wait…I am. Talk about frustration. I would be willing to law odds on the fact that if Shaq or Dwyane Wade had been called for the foul, they would not have been suspended. I can understand the suspension on Jason Terry during the Spur’s series and, although it was for a very good reason, D.J. Mbenga shouldn’t have gone into the stands. But to suspend Jerry Stackhouse for a hard foul on Shaq – the same Shaq who had given Stackhouse a crushing elbow in Game one that required 4 stitches – well, that’s just not right. It has been years since I’ve been a cry-baby about sports. Like all “homers”, I’ve had my share of times screaming “no fair” when I thought my team was cheated. But as I’ve grown older, I’ve learned that it’s just not worth the aggravation (unless of course, we’re talking Dallas Cowboy games). So I must really be mad about this call by the NBA.

Ah, well. I am still sticking to my original prediction of Dallas winning in 6 games.

Anyway, in honor of Shaft, er I mean, Father’s Day, I present my latest TOP 10 list. I have never been considered a “well-read” individual, but I have enjoyed the occasion book. When I began rehabbing and started my blog, I began to appreciate the ability of certain writers to spin a tale, whether true of fiction. So today, in honor of writers everywhere, here is my latest list:

TOP 10 FAVORITE WRITERS
(Authors, columnists…)

10. Lewis Grizzard
Before there was the Blue Collar comedy tour, there was Lewis Grizzard. His columns and his books brought me back home the South no matter where I may have been. More than anything, his book titles were a thing of beauty, including such titles as They Tore Out My Heart And Stomped That Sucker Flat, My Daddy Was A Pistol, And I'm A Son of a Gun and the immortal Elvis Is Dead, And I Don't Feel So Good Myself.

9. Steven Plaut
Without a doubt, Plaut is the most sensible columnist to write about the Middle East. An Israeli and an orthodox Jew, Steven Plaut has a front row seat to all that goes on there. His ability to cut through the insanity and convey the feelings of the Israeli right (and middle) makes him a must-read.

8. Charles Krauthammer
A former speech writer for Walter Mondale, Krauthammer understood what liberalism was doing to this country and soon began a transformation to conservatism. While his writings and opinions are considered more centrist than to the right, his stance towards the State of Israel has never been stronger. He is one of the most read columnists of one of the world’s most popular newspapers (the Washington Post).

7. J.D. Salinger
When I was in High School, we were forbidden to read The Catcher in the Rye. So obviously, I did. While I can’t say it changed my view of the world, I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Far from being a “one hit wonder”, Salinger wrote a number of books I loved – most notably “Nine Stories”.

6. John Grisham
I loved A Time to Kill, I loved The Pelican Brief and I loved The Firm. I probably would have been okay if Grisham had stopped there. Not that his later works were poor, just in comparison to his first 3 books, they were. But the first three were wonderful. I was really upset that he changed the ending in the movie version of The Firm, but it was still enjoyable.

5. Carolyn Hax
I have no doubt that most of you have no clue who Carlyn Hax is. She is one of the advice columnists for the Washington Post. Generally, I find advice columnists to be incredibly shallow and at times (see the “new” Dear Abbey), downright dangerous. Hax is different. While she doesn’t have the following of some of the better known ones, she makes up for it with incredible common sense and intelligence. She’s never mean or condescending and just seems very “real”.

4. Ann Coulter
Coulter is the 3 B’s of journalism; bravery, bravado and brains (well, 4 B’s if it weren’t a family blog). Oh, and she’s blonde and bold, too. As the poster child for all things evil, Ann coulter may well be the most vilified Republican on the planet. Personally, I find her to be over-the-top at times, but one thing she isn’t is wrong. As far as I’m concerned, those who have criticized her haven’t read her. If she’s guilty of anything, it’s of saying the things most people want to say, but are afraid to.

3. J.K. Rowling
10 years ago, no one had any idea who Harry Potter, or J.K. Rowling were. Now, you would be hard pressed to find anyone who hasn’t. It wasn’t until the Prisoner of Azkaban that I finally succumbed and read a Harry Potter book. But once I did, I was hooked. A fan of the books more that of the films, I really loved every one. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be The Goblet of Fire. If asked to name my least favorite, it would be The Chamber of Secrets.

2. Jeffrey Archer
Being imprisoned aside, Jeffrey Archer simply wrote the finest novel I have ever read – Kane & Abel. In fact, I can’t think of a single Archer book that I was able to put down. His storytelling is superb and in depth and his knowledge of law and social issues make him very entertaining. In addition to his many novels, he is also a proficient author of short stories.

1. Thomas Sowell
A good writer is not someone who uses words to his advantage. A good writer is someone who uses words to help others understand the point he’s making. Thomas Sowell is a great writer. He’s also the most intelligent man in America. Raised in poverty in North Carolina, Sowell eventually became a Marine and after his service became an academic. He books and articles so such incredible insight and range that it’s hard to believe no one has thought of them first. His latest book, Black Rednecks and White Liberals is lesson on the origins of slavery in America and is a must read.