The Hammock spelling bee team swapped paint with 10 other great teams in the 15th Annual NALC Spelling Bee on Sept. 9, and, after sustaining some sheet metal damage, finished out of the money for the first time in 4 years.

The evening's theme was NASCAR, so the track was littered with racing terms. Hammock ran into trouble on the word "monocoque," literally "single shell," which is a term used in auto and other kinds of design. We overcorrected by spelling it "monococque," and spun out in the "chicane," another racing word we heard last night.

A non-racing word that quickly became the most-uttered term of the evening was "Pshaw," a somewhat archaic interjection that was more polite to say as teams fell by the wayside than what most of us were thinking.

The winner of the evening was the law firm of Neal & Harwell, who ran neck and neck with Davis-Kidd Booksellers until nosing ahead on the word "inchoate." They sealed their victory by correctly spelling "shibboleth."

Beemasters were author Ann Patchett and her husband, Karl Vandevender. Both of them struggled at times with pronunciations and joshed with each other throughout the event, which was entertaining—when it wasn't distracting.

Hammock congratulates Neal & Harwell on their victory, but cautions them not to get too attached to the traveling trophy. We'll be back next year to reclaim it.

In November 2007, the Homeless Research Institute reported that veterans make up 25 percent of the national homeless population—a shocking statistic, considering veterans only make up 11 percent of the national population. Every fall, Nashville-based Operation Stand Down, a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting homeless veterans with the community, holds an event to help these vets access medical care, employment opportunities, counseling services and a few hot meals. Unfortunately, many homeless vets are out of touch with programs set up to aid them such as social security, VA medical benefits and food stamps.

Recent changes in the economy make it almost certain that more American veterans—and other people, too—are ending up on the street every day. Here at Hammock, we spend a lot of time talking to, writing about and meeting those who have served our country, since we help produce magazines for the Marine Corps League and the Army National Guard. That’s why we’re asking you to get involved with our work for Operation Stand Down. In addition to taking monetary donations, OSD accepts donations of winter clothing items like coats, hats, gloves and wool socks. If you have extra coats hanging in the closet that you’re interested in donating, we’ll do the work for you: Just drop them off to us 3322 West End Ave., Suite 700, and we’ll make sure they get into the right hands. Or bring them by the event Oct. 17–19, at a location to be announced.