Beckoning Summer
Assume the Berating
Before I’m ordered to the leave the state due to my lack of Montana brawn, let me explain: I like cold weather, snow, Christmas and Norman Rockwell paintings that include frozen ponds. I tell stories, often with a hint of bravado, about the treacherous winter mornings I endured in Bismarck, N.D. I’m cold-blooded, but I’m over it.
[read more]A tribute to Indulgence on Earth Day
Celebrating the Blues Brothers’ 30th Anniversary
So today is Earth Day – a chance for many of us to start believing in the good of the world again following tax season. But instead of delving into fuel efficiency and conservation, I would like to take a moment to commemorate indulgence, fiery car crashes and the blues. On this day in 1978 Saturday Night Live aired its first Blues Brothers skit, which later became the backbone of my five-movie rotation growing up, situated on my personal timeline right between Bambi and Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.
[read more]The Changes from Constant Connectivity
Modern Nomads
“Wireless communication is changing the way people work, live, love and relate to places—and each other.” The signs are all around us – people going to public places, not to gather with others, but to sit with iPod ear buds in place staring at their laptops; parents working on their Blackberries at kids’ soccer games; teens using “mosquito” ring-tones that adults can’t even hear. But how often do we consider its effects?
[read more]The Living Legends of Comic Books
The Comic Book Renaissance
This is a weekend where I regret that Montana never hosts events like the Comic Con, the national comic book convention taking place in New York City for the next three days. It comes at a time when the medium of comic art is undergoing a boom, thrusting young artists into the national spotlight, and celebrating artists from the 1940s and 1950s, who for too long labored in obscurity.
[read more]"Cussed Authenticity"
Belated Ode to John Adams
In the first episode of the seven-part HBO series “John Adams,” the young attorney defends a group of British soldiers against murder charges following the shooting death of budding revolutionists. An unpopular position at the time, it began a rather unpopular, albeit landmark, career, which preceded a near-forgotten legacy. In fact, for the Founding Father, first vice-president of the United States and second president, Adams has enjoyed little love. Until recently.
[read more]Surviving a Saturday Afternoon on the Course
The Common Nature of Golf and Root Canals
Golf makes me unstable. I am, for the most part, mild-mannered. Call me names, insult me, chances are I can take it in stride. But put a 3-wood in my hands and all innocence is lost. I hate that little white ball. Over the weekend, in a misguided attempt to enjoy the sunny weather, I decided to humiliate myself at the Buffalo Hill Golf Course.
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