Of Long, Long Trains And Trains Under Water

by Kevin Burton    “There’s something magical about train travel for just about everybody,” writes the Interesting Facts website, “whether you’re an engineering nerd, a hopeless romantic, a world traveler, or an easily excitable 8-year-old.”    The longest train ride I have taken so far was (round-trip) from Wasilla, Alaska up to Denali National Park. …

Students Sue District Over Free Speech

by Katie Stavick The Frontiersman    Wasilla, Alaska – Two students filed a lawsuit against the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District Nov. 30, stating that the district has violated their right to free speech.    The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are Ben Kolendo and Quinlen Schachle, both seniors in the District-Kolendo is a senior at Career …

Do You Still Write Personal Letters?

by Kevin Burton    Here’s a shoutout to Angie in Michigan, Linda in England and to hundreds of others who made this post possible.    It’s World Letter Writing Day according to the National Day Calendar. I am still a practitioner of the art. Back in the day, I was an extreme practitioner.    A …

Thursdays With Mom: Golden Memories

by Kevin Burton    I took custody of the gold yesterday.  Didn’t make me any richer, not in the monetary sense anyway.     The transaction took place at my mother’s apartment at an assisted living facility twelve miles north of where I live.  I go there to visit her just about every Thursday.  We are …

Thanking God For Closed Doors

by Kevin Burton    One of my frequent prayers is that God will “open the doors that need to be open and close the doors that need to be closed.”    This is a necessary prayer because I can’t see around time corners to see the future and I’m not always so good at the …

Saginaw USA, Why Not Exactly?

by Kevin Burton    I think I’ve found America kids! This after considerable searching. You’ll never guess where.    Listen to this:    “The Saginaw Valley Rail Trail is one of Saginaw County’s gems, stretching 11 miles from St. Charles to Saginaw. It incorporates a number of natural features including: seven bridges over various rivers …

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 …

Cleaning Up My Act In The “Newsroom”

by Kevin Burton    For some reason, the mere act of moving a piece of furniture into my office has jump started my inner neat freak.    My long-somnolent, even comatose neat freak.     There was a mini entertainment center we had in the master bedroom.  My wife said it was broken down and with …

Merry Birthday Or Something Like That

by Kevin Burton    What if your big day got overshadowed every year by the biggest day of all?    What if the season to be jolly also brought your birthday?    This is probably not just a problem for Christmas Day babies.  I would guess any birthday between about Dec. 22 and 27 or …

ESPN Classic: A Thing Of The Past

by Kevin Burton    ESPN will discontinue the ESPN Classic channel at the end of this year according to published reports.    You know what this means? I will have to come up with a new joke to explain the futility of my Cincinnati Reds. I have been saying I still love to watch them, …