Did you realize that commercial radio got its start on November 2, 1920 when legendary KDKA in Pittsburgh broadcast the results of the Harding-Cox presidential race? Almost overnight, radio transitioned from domination by ham operators to an actual business with schedules, programming and sponsors. ...

M ost of my Christmases have become hopelessly blurred together, but Christmas 1969 holds a special place in my heart. In fact, back in 1998 my very first yuletide column took a whimsically nostalgic look at that holiday. But as the 50th anniversary of Christmas 1969 approaches, I feel compelled to ...

W ith festive turkeybased feasts fast approaching, and having just re-watched a classic Thanksgiving-themed Steve Martin video, I thought it appropriate that I share a few of the things for which I am thankful. I apologize if the list is too predictable and schmaltzy, but please bear with me. I am t...

A ccording to NBC News, the majority of the Washington, D.C. council as well as the mayor and the Washington Post are pushing a bill that would make the District of Columbia the first place in the nation to allow people as young as 16 to vote in federal elections (including presidential races). A gr...

D id you notice that Thomas Lickona recently adapted a portion of his book “How to Raise Kind Kids” into the online “Time Magazine” article “How to Raise Grateful Kids in An Era of Thankless People”? My own son Gideon is a gentle, cheerful, kindhearted lad; but I set aside the time to read the essay...

t this festive time of year, it is good to remember those who will probably never again personally experience “city sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style.” Individuals who are fortunate enough not to have close relatives in nursing homes may feel that they have “dodged a bullet” and ca...

hen I was in my late teens, a Nashville TV station ran a late-night double-feature of Humphrey Bogart movies. Immersed in the nostalgia craze, I grudgingly sacrificed “Treasure of the Sierra Madre” and dozed off so I could stay awake for the fabled “Casablanca.” In those pre-DVD, pre-streaming days,...

y family will be participating in two or three “trunk or treat” activities this month, but I’ve learned that the trend of going from car to car in a designated parking lot to collect candy is still very controversial. Fans (especially the parents of special needs children) laud it for the convenienc...

ccording to "Newsweek" and MSNBC, Stanford University researchers have reported startling accuracy in predicting sexual orientation by using artificial intelligence (AI) analysis of facial features in photographs. (I wonder if this also works on PAINTINGS? Could the Mona Lisa's enigmatic smile have ...

las, we haven’t been a “dog family” since we had to euthanize poor old Turpy; but a time.com article titled “More Evidence That Owning A Dog Is Really Good For You” certainly grabbed my attention. Not only can having a dog around the house lead to lower stress levels, decrease the risk of asthma in ...