Pop Culture
Autumn in the Midwest
Autumn made its annual trek to our small part of the Great Midwest a few days ago. Not officially, of course — the calendar shows that summer still has a few play days left — but anyone who has lived in Ames for any period of time recognizes “the signs” that fall is here. For…
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Smatterings from Smart Town
Please permit me a random thought or two on another gorgeous Sunday night in the heart of our great American heartland. For starters, one of the joys of living — even temporarily, as I am now — in a really smart town is that you don’t encounter a whole lot of stupid talk. And that…
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Summertime, Sweet Summertime
Those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer are here again – and, yes, I stole those words from the great Nat King Cole – but who better to steal from – than from the man who immortalized them back in the ’60s? Some folks don’t like summertime in Fresno. They say it’s too hot. But…
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I don’t know about you – but I’m looking forward to flying United Airlines again. I mean, think about how United has changed its ways for the better – in the aftermath of that horrible incident where authorities dragged a doctor off a plane earlier this month. The airline has now reached a settlement with…
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Bye, Bye, O’Reilly!
So it has actually happened – the biggest name on the right-wing Fox News Channel is gone. Fox’s decision today to kick Bill O’Reilly off the network may be shocking to those who believe that Fox News really is “fair and balanced” and that O’Reilly is as close to a God-like figure as you can find –…
Read More about Bye, Bye, O’Reilly!Losing Our Senses
These past few days, I’ve been wondering why so many people and institutions have seemingly lost their senses — why they’ve lost their ability to reason, and to avoid saying or doing stupid things. Example: United Airlines. Why in the world would any United employee on board that jet think it was a good idea…
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Joe Buck’s Story
If you’re a sports fan, you likely know who Joe Buck is. He’s the lead broadcaster for Fox Sports on the TV network’s NFL and Major League Baseball games. He’s also the son of one of the most famous sports broadcasters ever, and because of that, Joe Buck has never really gotten the praise he…
Read More about Joe Buck’s StoryFresno’s Two Worlds
I did something this bright and beautiful Saturday that I bet you didn’t do: I spent time in both downtown Fresno and “up north” — in and around Fig Garden Village. Only about five miles separate downtown from Fig Garden, but they might as well be galaxies apart. When I walked through downtown late Saturday…
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Downtown’s Doldrums
Something happened to me this morning during one of my long walks, and I think it exemplifies the trouble Fresno city officials will have in trying to bring downtown back to life. It was a cool, sunny day, and I was dressed in a sweatshirt, long pants and tennis shoes as I made my way…
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