“They say the economy is on the upswing.” “They say it’s a great movie.” “They say that liver is an acquired taste.” You know what they say. But do you know who “they” are?
You can learn a lot about life just by going to the grocery store. Have you ever noticed that milk and other necessities are located in the very back of the store? Forcing you to walk all the way through the store to get what may be the only item you need allows the store to attempt to sell some less-necessary items to you on your way to the dairy aisle and back.
It says nothing about Barack Obama that 18 percent of respondents in a recent Pew survey believe the president is a Muslim. But it says plenty about the gullibility of a fifth of the American people, and the cynicism of some media players.
I remember in the ninth grade, when I was reading “Great Expectations” and trying to figure out exactly why Mrs. Haversham had been sitting there in her wedding dress for 20 years, there was one thing I wasn’t thinking — namely, “This would make a great interactive thrill ride!” But what did I know? I also predicted a great future for Dexy’s Midnight Runners.
I don't know if anyone has it worse than the 33 Chilean men who are trapped underground and aren't sure exactly when they will see daylight again. That's why I was so impressed at their reaction when the drill bit reached them. They were loudly singing the Chilean national anthem and thanking rescuers for not giving up on them.
"American Idol" is a lot of things. But it is not a talent competition. I personally know the talent level of several people who recently tried out in Austin, Texas, only to be turned away in the early part of the process. It wasn't their fault. They simply had no hook.
As a parent, you really have to be careful who your children hang around with. You never know what they will be exposed to. Will it be bad language, drugs, alcohol or pornography? But as important as it is to keep your kids from being exposed to adult situations as children, I never knew I had to protect my son from birthers in the first grade.
Real success in staying well mentally and physically is in discovering that the mind and body like effort.
Lives were resumed after the war, and Julius Erdos never tried to contact Frank Duffy, nor did his wartime friend seek Erdos out. It was not until early in the 1990s that Erdos sent letters to an address he believed was Duffy’s home. Only after Duffy’s niece found the letters — following Duffy’s death in 1991 and his wife’s passing in 1993 — did Erdos receive a reply.
Everyone knows Americans are guaranteed freedom of speech. People whine, scream and complain about it constantly. But few have any concept of what it entails. You would expect more from people who make a living under the umbrella of the First Amendment, such as Dr. Laura Schlessinger, but you would be disappointed.
The BBC is now reporting that Pentagon scientists are developing an “army of cyber-insects.” This is a spectacular idea; the only thing I can think of that would be better might be to mount tiny little machine guns on their backs.
I don’t read upper-case e-mails any more closely. It isn’t as if I get an e-mail and tell myself, “Oh, well, wait, this one is written in BIG letters. I’ve got to write about this.”
If you pay attention, you can learn a lot about life chasing a little white ball around a well-groomed cow pasture.
According to a new survey, classroom texting is rampant in today’s high schools.
No, I don't wish for anything like World War II to befall America. But I can understand why our parents and grandparents recall those years with feelings much deeper than nostalgia. In an age when we waste so much energy yelling at each other over politics and trivia, I envy those who can remember an America united in the dangerous pursuit of something really important.
It frightens me somehow that we, as a society, need a sign warning us that weapons won’t be permitted at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement ceremonies.
The other day, my son saw the commercial for “Piranha 3D” and had exactly the reaction you’d expect from a 9-year-old boy: “I WANT TO SEE THAT!” And I had the response required from said boy’s 42-year-old father, namely, “Absolutely not. It’s completely inappropriate.” By which I of course meant, “I WANT TO SEE THAT!”
If the major argument in your defense is pointing at your sibling and saying, “It could have been him,” you’re not showing a lot of brotherly love.
I travel a lot, and because of that, I often have to use public restrooms. It used to be easy, but not anymore, thanks to technology, which marches on -- even into bathrooms.
A long time ago, I learned to tie a square knot, organize a fundraising drive, splint a broken arm, fold the American flag and chair a meeting. I hiked 25 miles in a single day through the mountains of New Mexico and I turned a stretch of shoreline on a pond near my house into a beach and picnic area. I did these things because I was in the Boy Scouts. So I'm happy to toast the BSA's 100th birthday, and a little sad at its current plight.
