The Slow Death Of Local AM And FM Radio

by Luke Bouma Cord Cutters News Over the past decade, traditional terrestrial AM and FM radio has undergone a steady erosion in both audience share and physical infrastructure, as streaming services, podcasts, and on-demand digital platforms have reshaped how Americans consume audio.  Industry tracking shows the shift is neither sudden nor complete, yet the long-term …

State Mottos, Including My Home State, Kansas

by Dictionary Scoop A motto is part of a state’s identity, much like a nickname or a famous landmark, and is often born from a real moment in history. Let’s dig into ten of these mottos and the history that shaped them. 1-Kansas: Ad astra per aspera This one means “to the stars through difficulties,” …

Nordic Languages Have No Word For “Please”

by Laura Hall BBC    I’m in a Copenhagen bakery, standing in line for sugar-dusted slices of lemon cake, delicately plaited cardamom buns and golden-brown cinnamon swirls.    When I reach the front of the queue, I’m ready to order in simple Danish. But then I hit a snag: in this country, there is no …

Our Malls Aren’t What They Used to be

by Sarah Anne Lloyd interestingfacts.com    The iconic American mall emerged in the 1950s as a “third place” — a social environment separate from home and work — for the growing suburbs.    Typically anchored by a department store, malls offered shoppers a chance to reach multiple places on foot, at least once they parked …

Keepin’ It Real About The Story Of Woodstock

by Rob Patterson Best Classic Bands    There are two Woodstock festivals that happened in 1969: First and better known is the Woodstock Myth: the paramount Aquarian Age experience, as the mythic echoes imply, and they are not without a sizable measure of truth in some ways.    The second is what really happened: the reality of …

Rescue, Restoration After Colombian Quake

by Kevin Burton    A young boy has his mother back. From the jaws of tragic loss, comes delicious, unspeakable joy.    A 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit Colombia Aug. 10. Since then we’ve read stories with updates on the death toll, the number of people missing and damage to buildings. But one story grabbed me …

GNN: Teen Uses Lasso To Save Drowning Man

by Kevin Burton    Whatever skillset you have, you can use it for good just when a neighbor needs it most.    That’s the theme of today’s stories from the Good News Network.    The more troubling, heartbreaking news must be covered. We can’t stick our heads in the sand and ignore reality. But it …

New Sweden: The “Secret” American Colony

by Eliot Stein BBC    Ask most Americans and they’ll tell you that the United States started in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776 when the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence.    But chances are, almost none of those coming realizes that the US’s political and ideological birthplace was once part of a little-known …

Five Choices For Disaffected American Expats

by Blake Bachelor CNN    (Blogger’s note: Yesterday we ran the first part of a BBC story explaining why many Americans, especially retirees, are leaving for other places. Today reporter Blake Bachelor gives details of just where to go and how best to thrive there.)    Here are five countries that are well-suited for retirees. …

Strangers Build Community Via Co-Housing

by Charlotte Cox BBC    When Nikki Little and John Porter retired, they considered buying a bungalow for just the two of them.    Instead, they invested in a one million-pound  ($1.33 million US) house tucked away on Devon’s rugged and remote Hartland Peninsula – and looked for a community of like-minded people to join …