To listen to this reflection as a podcast, click here. For 237 dark, desperate days, Americans lived in junk food limbo. On November 21, 2012, Hostess – having filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection – ceased production of all its iconic snack products. They finally returned to the shelves on July 15, 2013, after the brands had been purchased by another company. People can… Read more »
Collective nouns are one of the most delightful components of the English language. A collective noun is a word that describes a group of something: a herd of elephants, a pack of wolves, a gaggle of geese, a choir of singers. We hear those examples rather often. Less common collectives can be a hoot: a clowder of cats, a bloat of hippos, a… Read more »
For 43 years, Ken and Barbie were the perfect polyurethane couple. Sure, four decades is a mind-numbingly long time to go steady. But everybody assumed that Ken would ultimately get his act together and pop the question. Then suddenly, in 2004, in a move that even TMZ didn’t see coming, Barbie dumped Ken. In a press release, the folks at the Mattel corporation… Read more »
The military readiness of America’s armed forces is described by the Defense Readiness Condition, better known as the DEFCON scale. In 1959, as military and political leaders grew increasingly anxious about the potential dangers of the Cold War, it seemed wise to craft a system that would permit rapid and appropriate responses. The scale goes from 5 to 1 –… Read more »
When it comes to love relationships, our culture assumes that big moments are a big deal. That’s what we see on the screen. Humphrey Bogart tenderly wraps his arms around a weepy Ingrid Bergman and she surrenders her heart. A real man ought to embrace his woman while they lie together in the pounding surf, or boldly declare, “Nobody puts… Read more »
