Thinking Deeply With Merriam-Webster

by Kevin Burton    My friend and co-worker on my college newspaper Tim, once suggested that thinking become a new sport.  That’s something that should really be pursued.       In this thinksport, there should be a penalty for speaking without thinking.    Maybe I’ll continue this thought later. For now, I want to share …

Two Teams To Fantasy Football Playoffs

by Kevin Burton    This could be my last happy fantasy football moment, so I’ll celebrate it here.    In life, as in fantasy, when you can celebrate, celebrate. Enjoy the moment because you never, never know what’s around the corner.    In football that oblong ball bounces funny (funnily?) sometimes.  Life can be even …

A Language That Goes Beyond Words

by Kevin Burton    Surely you’ve heard this old joke:    What do you call a person who speaks three languages? Trilingual. What do you call a person who speaks two languages? Bilingual. What do you call a person who speaks only one language?    American.     A wicked, sweeping generalization that. Not entirely fair. But …

God The Gift Giver, Jesus The Greatest Gift

by Kevin Burton    Tis the season of gift giving and that makes you a gift giver. By now you’re way deep into it, I’m sure.    Are you done with the shopping?  Do you have some anxiety about the gifts you don’t have purchased yet?  And what about the shipping?  You still have some …

What’s The Big Deal About Small Talk?

by Kevin Burton    What is your stance on small talk? I’m not into it.    “I’m just making conversation.” Ever hear that one? I say real conversation makes itself.    Necessity causes words to come out of my mouth. Information must be shared, I share it, so that action will be taken.    “We …

For Comfort Or Style, Jeans Are Ubiquitous

by Kevin Burton    If your workplace observes casual Friday, one thing you might be reaching for today is your favorite pair of jeans.    They are commonly called blue jeans, though some of them are not blue. I own one black pair that I rarely wear.    Approximately 450 million pairs of jeans are …

Are My Teams Facing SEC Beatdowns?

by Kevin Burton    My two favorite college football teams, Ohio State and Kansas State, have had very good seasons and are set up for prominent bowl games.    That’s the good news.    The bad news is they are both cruising for a bruising perhaps, facing SEC powers Georgia and Alabama respectively.    Best …

Oh My Word! Scrabble Goes Crazy

by Kevin Burton    If you read this column often you know I’m a Scrabble player. Guess I’ve become an old Scrabble player.    I used to laugh at my mom because she objected to some of the new words in the Scrabble Players’ Dictionary. I’m not laughing anymore.    I have the sixth edition …

Disaster At Who Concert Still Haunts Band

   I’ve written a lot about the Beatles and Beatlemania, but there is another side to the craziness of rock and roll.    Yesterday was the 43rd anniversary of the tragedy at Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati when eleven people were killed in a stampede to get into a concert by The Who. There was no …

Christmas Top 40: Up On The Housetop

by Kevin Burton    We don’t have Santa images at my house.  For us, Christmas is about Jesus.    But there is one Christmas song I have always loved that doesn’t fit that mode.  Hundreds of artists have recorded it. Possibly the most famous version was made by Gene Autry in 1953.     It was …