Quibbles And Bits: Cats, Beatles, Fantasy

by Kevin Burton    Our younger cat Lakin is a great leaper, has a good set of lungs and is eager to communicate.    And she’s wild about exercise. I should be so wild about exercise.    You share your living space with two cats, you find out a few things.    Like on a …

Turns Out My Wife Was Right All Along

by Kevin Burton    In yesterday’s food-safety post we learned that poultry that is green or has secretions should be thrown away immediately.    This is the sort of cutting-edge consumer lightning bolt that makes me proud and happy that I started a blog some years ago.    And today we’re still on the job …

Are Your Leftovers Making You Sick

by Kevin Burton    I hate wasting food, and I’ve been known to stretch the plausible life of leftovers into a danger zone.     I famously told my then girlfriend Jeannette that there was middle-aged food in my fridge that I would eat, but not serve to her.    That was the place where chivalry …

Things Get Better With Age, If You Let Them

By Hannah Singleton National Geographic      While aging is often portrayed as a slow decline, scientists say that view overlooks the bigger picture.    “Everyone talks about aging as this decline,” said Michelle Feng, chief clinical officer at Executive Mental Health and a licensed psychologist who specializes in geriatric psychology and medicine. “But aging …

Prepare Yourself For International Kissing Day

 by Kevin Burton     OK, now I’ve got you covered, now I’ve got the goods. Here’s news you can use for sure.    Now this is something worth celebrating. Sunday is International Kissing Day, according to  Nationaltoday.com.    And see, I didn’t do something lame, like posting about it the day of International Kissing Day. …

“Love Will Keep Us Together” Is Pop Perfection

by Kevin Burton     Did you know the 1975 smash “Love Will Keep Us Together” by Captain and Tennile is actually a breakup song?    Hey, I was there. Yes it is, a breakup song!    Well, sort of.    Fifty years ago today it was in the beginning of a four-week run at the …

Here Comes The Bride…With 95 Bridesmaids?

by The Times (UK)    In a traditional wedding, when bridesmaids start to walk down the aisle, the bride is typically a few steps behind.    Guests at one wedding in Northern Ireland last week, however, had to watch nearly 100 bridesmaids pass in pairs before getting a glimpse of the bride.    Kathryn McGowan, …

Des Moines Isn’t Boring, Really, I Mean It

by Kevin Burton    Did you know there is a Memphis, Missouri?    Fewer than 2,000 people live there. We came perilously close to joining them on vacation two weeks ago.    We had planned to see the big Memphis – the BB King-Jerry Lee Lewis-Johnny Cash Memphis – but a flood warning for the …

When The Chips Were Down, I Came Through

by Kevin Burton    Briefly, I stuck to my guns, relied on my own resources, ever so briefly. And I can’t tell you why.    This was misguided, but I rebounded quickly and it all worked out.    It was just after 8 p.m. and my wife Jeannette approached, walking with purpose into the mancave …

Flowers Can Wait, They’ll Be Here Tomorrow

by Kevin Burton    Now flowers come from seeds. But flower etymologies come from every linguistic corner under heaven, ubiquitous as the flowers themselves it seems.    On a beautiful Spring day, imagine an average couple driving the highways and byways of the heartland in a beautiful 2012 Toyota. And the wife might say, “Do …