Old-school news, just in time
by Ally Hirschlag BBC It was the sixth straight day of the heat index topping 100F (38C) in New Milford, Connecticut, when the sky turned a sickening shade of puce. I was leading an outdoor theatre workshop, and noticed campers gawking at an ominous, miles-long shelf cloud advancing overhead. Then a thunderclap shook …
Continue reading “Pleasures And Benefits Of Soaking In The Rain”
by Kevin Burton There was just one song that brought Dave Mason into my top-40-based musical awareness in the 70s, but that was enough to keep him there. Mason died April 19, and tributes began to pour in from people who knew him as I didn’t, as a co-founder of the British rock …
by Kevin Burton I think writers borrow the whole Dickens thing too much. You know, best of times-worst of times. But here I think, it fits. As a Beatles fan I am of course looking forward to “The Boys of Dungeon Lane,” PaulMcCartney’s first new solo album in six years, set for release …
Continue reading “Tempering Expectations For McCartney Album”
by Kevin Burton Here’s what we know about the female character from “December 1963 (Oh What a Night,” the Four Seasons’ fifth and last number one hit: She had the ability to walk. She walked into a room. That’s all we get. No eyes of blue, no golden hair, no perfume in …
Continue reading “December 1963, Oh What A Song, For The Guy”
by Kevin Burton My most recent place of employment was a three-story church, which had, on the third floor, a gymnasium. I almost never went up there because my work was on the other two floors. But the whole time I worked there, there was a basketball on the floor, in the office, …
Continue reading “The Last Jump Shot Of A Confirmed Gym Rat”
by Dictionary Scoop Social, economic, and technological changes, along with the emergence of new consumer habits, have led to the disappearance of certain jobs that were once popular and profitable. Here is a list of ten English words describing occupations and professions that are rare or have become obsolete: 1-Alewife Did you know that women …
Continue reading “A “Knocker-Upper” Isn’t What You Think It Is”
by Kevin Burton I’m trying to care. Honest to God, I’m trying. I am a football fan. And I am going to watch the Super Bowl. Somebody asked me the other day, “you going for Seattle or New England?” “I don’t care,” I said. And that is mostly true. I would …
Continue reading “Pumping Life Into Super Sunday Won’t be Easy”
by Kevin Burton Those color-coded national weather maps always showed the true snow calamity hitting other regions. We in Central Kansas were to be spared. But there were breathless local forecasts calling for eight inches of snow on Saturday. My “rule of half” said we would get about four. Sure enough, by …
Continue reading “The Weather Outside Was Cold, Not Frightful”
by Kevin Burton With its march to number one, inexorable as the steamrolling force of the trucks it portrayed, “Convoy” by C.W. McCall ruled the radio road 50 years ago today. Ruled both lanes, the pop lane and the country lane – double number one. But make no mistake, Convoy is a …
Continue reading “Ain’t She A Beautiful Sight? ‘Convoy’ Turns 50”
by Kevin Burton The 70s was the grooviest decade there ever could be. I mean it was far out! I know because I was hip to the trip back then. But to-ge-ther as we were, we didn’t invent slang. That has been spoken forever, and continues to this day. Here’s a Dictionary …
Continue reading “Bombshells And Chill Pills, Slang In Our Times”
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