What’s Playing At The Movies This Weekend?

by Kevin Burton    “Do you want to see a movie?” my wife Jeannette will ask me, thinking of  a fun diversion. “What’s playing?” I will ask.    “I don’t know,” she will say, exasperated.    “If I don’t know what’s playing, how do I know if I want to go?” I will say, as …

“Jive Talkin’” Saved The Bee Gees In 1975

by Kevin Burton    Looking back, The Bee Gees’ “Jive Talkin’” seems like an obvious, inevitable number one smash. In its day, it was anything but.    Fifty years ago today the song was in a two-week run at the top of the Hot 100. It pretty much saved the Bee Gees.    There was …

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 …

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 …

Some Nursery Rhymes Not Exactly Kid Stuff

by Dictionary Scoop    We all have nursery rhymes etched in our memory, verses that take us straight back to our childhood.    But behind some of those catchy, cheerful tunes lie surprisingly dark and mysterious origins rooted in real-life history.     Join us to discover the hidden stories behind the most popular nursery rhymes. 1-The …

In Praise Of Mexico, Lettuce And Billy Joel

by Kevin Burton    On a tip from a new friend, I knocked on the door of Interlingua language school one day, and asked the good people there to employ me.    Shockingly, they took me up on it.    This was in the Reagan 80s. I was in somebody else’s country, Mexico, and somebody …

My Ohio Roots And “Hang On Sloopy”

by Kevin Burton    The shirt I had just bought said “Sweet Home Kansas’ or “Down Home in Kansas,” something like that, and it was supposed to make a statement.    With decidedly mixed emotions I had just taken a job in Kansas and left my homeland, Ohio, behind. The shirt was one way of …

“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 …

Weird Traditions From Around The World

by Dictionary Scoop    Traditions come in all shapes and sizes, from a small family tradition involving a special breakfast treat to an annual activity shared by an entire community.    In that sense, some traditions around the world may seem downright strange to a keen observer. That’s why we’ve decided to highlight some of …

Can’t Forget The Breakfast Club, Simple Minds

by Kevin Burton    It’s been 40 years and I haven’t forgotten.    But it would appear that my limited affection for Simple Minds begins and ends with Ally Sheedy and The Breakfast Club.    Both the band and the Brat Pack were white hot in 1985, 40 years ago this week, when “Don’t You …