“Best Of My Love,” Pure Joy In 1977

by Kevin Burton     Their gospel wailing and harmonies brought out the emotion from listeners in their native Chicago. People confided as much to their mentor/father Joe.    That’s why when the singing Hutchinson sisters needed a new name for the group, they called themselves The Emotions.    Forty-five years ago, their “Best Of My …

Pastore: This One Belongs To The Lord

by Kevin Burton On opening day 1979 the great Tom Seaver of the Cincinnati Reds didn’t have it. His early exit led to the major league debut of Frank Pastore. Pastore was born on this day in 1957.  He had an early exit from life, at age 55, and he sort of predicted it on …

Hey Sports Nut, Could You Give Up ESPN?

by Kevin Burton     What was previously unthinkable, now I don’t even think about. I’m talking about a ravenous, red-blooded American sports fan giving up ESPN.     I did that, we did that, years ago.    This comes up because it is football season now, or close enough. The pre=season pro games have started. The …

Corneas Made From Pigskin Restore Vision

by Kevin Burton    Fourteen blind people had vision restored after receiving cornea implants made from pigskin, according to published reports.    Three of those people had perfect vision after undergoing a new surgical technique developed by Swedish researchers, wrote Sarah Kuta in Smithsonian Magazine.    The cornea is the clear outer layer that protects …

Speaking Of English, Speaking In British

by Kevin Burton    Not smashing, not daft, something mid-table I’d say, to use a football analogy.    I thought I was ready, so I had a go, with middling results.    Every day Merriam-Webster sends me an e-mail to help me watch my language.  A few weeks ago they announced “The Great British Vocabulary …

Did Gilbert O’Sullivan Launch Disco Era?

by Kevin Burton    There have been many theories to explain the rise and fall of disco music. Here’s a new one for its rise:    Disco music exploded in the mid-70s as a direct result of “Alone Again Naturally” by Irish singer-songwriter Gilbert O’Sullivan.    OK, so I can’t prove I’m right, but you …

Patience Lets God Be God And Work In Us

by Kevin Burton    We sometimes have guest bloggers on Page 7. Maybe this should have been one of those times. Why?    We’re talking patience, not necessarily my strong suit. You could ask my wife about that.    The apostle Paul listed some elements in Galatians 5:22-23. They are evidence of a life being …

My Bilingual Doubletalk In Mexico

by Kevin Burton    My career as an English as a Second Language teacher came to an abrupt early end one night under the streetlights outside a small taco shop in Puebla.    To tell you how and why that happened, I first turn to BBC writer Nicole Chang, who recently wrote about what speaking …

Studying Social Interactions Of The Blind

by Kevin Burton    A North Carolina State University research study offers tips for blind people on how to make social interactions less awkward.    I found the story by NC State’s Matt Shipman on http://www.medicalxpress.com.    “A recent study highlights the range of uncomfortable situations people living with blindness or visual impairment encounter due …

K&J Points: Our Mercurial, Floating Currency

by Kevin Burton    I was born in the heyday of S&H Green Stamps. By God’s grace I have lasted into the era of bitcoin.    I learned barter by baseball cards before I ever heard the word barter. I used to get fistfuls of Pesos for teaching Mexican nationals how to speak idiomatic American …