Mom Gave Me Birth, Gave Back My Birthday

by Kevin Burton    Today we talk birthdays on what would have been my mother’s 92nd. She died May 4, leaving an unfillable hole in my heart and life.    She is gone from this life but far, far from forgotten. There were many special days while mom was with us. Birthdays were among the …

You Were Born To Love Jesus, Other People

by Kevin Burton    My wife Jeannette sent me a devotional from the Bible app that leads with “Love is the beginning of everything.”    It’s written under the title, “The Great Love of Jesus.”    The closer I can stay to that theme and awareness, in what I do and say and pursue in …

A More Elevated Level Of Name Calling

by Dictionary Scoop    In a world increasingly dominated by four-letter words and monosyllabic grunts of disapproval, the art of the sophisticated insult has become something of a lost relic.    There is a profound difference between being rude and being cutting. A common insult is a blunt instrument, but it rarely leaves a lasting …

Is Ringo’s New Record Better Than Paul’s

by Kevin Burton    I’ve had a ton of fun writing about pop music on Page 7. But I have juuuuust about talked myself out of the notion that I am any kind of knowledgeable, creditable music critic.    And I’m getting close to swearing off all music critics. I mean, we like what we …

Missing My Mom And Defining “Carry On”

by Kevin Burton “And when one of us is gone, and one of us is left to carry on, then remembering will have to do..” “You and Me Against The World” Helen Reddy    The first song I played after learning of my mother’s death on May 4, was “First Morning In Heaven,” by The …

Study Says Music And The Arts Slow Aging

by Good News Network    Culture vultures who regularly take part in arts activities—such as listening to music, visiting a museum, or reading—may be slowing the pace of their biological aging, according to a new study.    Researchers from University College London looked at blood test data and survey responses from more than 3,500 adults …

The Road, The Race And The Finish Line

by Kevin Burton    Most of the words I share today come from Truth For Life, the Cleveland ministry founded by Alistair Begg. But I also imagine them coming also from my late mother.    They are words she might well have spoken in her final days.    Mom died May 4. She had close …

Meet the 98-year-old ‘Angel of Route 66’

by Rebecca Treon BBC    On a dusty stretch of northern Arizona, about an hour west of Flagstaff, the neon glow of Angel and Vilma Delgadillo’s Original Route 66 Gift Shop still flickers to life each morning.    Inside, 98-year-old Angel Delgadillo greets the stream of visitors pouring in from tour buses with a handshake and …

You Talk Funny, Sonny: 12 American Accents

by Dictionary Scoop    The U.S. is a collection of regional accents, derived from waves of immigration, geography, and history. Let’s take a look at how some of the most recognizable American accents came to be. 1-California    California accents may seem subtle, but they’re deeply rooted in the state’s layered history. Spanish was the dominant …

‘Miracle Tree’ Removes Plastics From Water

by Angela Symons  Euronews.com    A millennia-old purification technique could be the cure for Europe’s microplastic-riddled drinking water.    In a recent study, seeds from the ‘miracle’ moringa tree were found to match or outperform their chemical counterpart in filtering out aged PVC microplastics – one of the most harmful plastic types for human health. …