Americans began giving up wearing wristwatches more than 20 years ago when the beepers and cell phones in their pockets made wristwatches look old-fashioned. What technology took away, though, it seems to be on the verge of bringing back again, in particularly high-tech form. While Sony is first to market with this new device that …
Month: July 2013
The Internet and social media have touched nearly every aspect of life in the developed world, and even in much of the developing world. Real time chats, photos and videos, links to online news items are all shared instantaneously with friends, colleagues and acquaintances across town and around the world. In this context, there is …
Even in the changing world of education, there’s still something of a stigma attached to community college. But with a greater national focus on the massive cost and inherent difficulty in securing and completing higher education, two-year institutions are being recognized as the path to success for more students than ever. And for community college …
It’s not atypical of business leaders to be focused on the bottom line. What may be atypical, however, is a billionaire CEO who considers customer service to be a priority. Enter Richard Branson. The founder of Virgin Group has found incredible success due, in part, to his unwavering focus on customer service. Here is how …
We all have that one neighbor that is fantastic and the one that we could live without. Bad neighbors are not only irritating, but they can prevent you from selling your home. Whether you have the family who can’t keep their lawn mowed or a group of party-happy teens next door, it’s important to deal …
I remember driving around with a good friend in her old VW bug, in the summer evenings after work. She had broken up with her longtime boyfriend, I wasn’t seeing anyone… just bored. And feeling left behind. Everyone was elsewhere. Very little money, and we were already too well-trained by our upbringing to figure out …
A week before the All-Star Break, I took my daughter Jillian to AT&T Park to see the Giants play the Dodgers. On the way down she asked if an outfielder had ever caught a fly ball with his bare hand. “Yes,” I said. “Kevin Mitchell did it in ’89 when he was with the Giants.” …
Approximately 64 percent of the nation’s children attend preschool prior to entering kindergarten. Preschool, in part, teaches children social skills and enhances behavioral traits needed to succeed in the educational environment. While these are important aspects of a preschool environment, what is often ignored is the importance of art in the preschool setting. Today’s educational …
Last Sunday I caught the last few holes of the Open Championship, which were the only ones that really mattered. Those who don’t live in a cave know that Phil Mickelson played the best six holes of his life to break out of the pack and win the fifth major championship of his career. During …
Last week, I was in Sacramento and saw Before Midnight at the one theater in the city where it played. Those who have seen Before Sunrise and Before Sunset will find the format familiar. The setting is gorgeous–this time in the south of Greece–and the conversation is engaging and intense, with a few more participants …
Rancid came on stage and played almost all their “greatest hits” one after another, barely coming up for air. Tim Armstrong, wearing his traditional ski hat, barely stayed in one place as he moved about the stage, stood on a monitor, stood on the drum riser and moved about some more. Songs like Fall Back …
It’s a steaming hot Tuesday night July 9th, 2013, but inside Seattle’s El Corazon it’s even hotter. SO Cal ska masters Suburban Legends turn up the temperature as they hit the stage like a raging inferno and never let up. Front man Vincent Walker leaped about the stage, thrust himself into the crowd, working them …
Jimmy Eat World played to a packed crowd at Showbox Sodo Monday night July 15th. They played songs from their brand new release Damage as well as many of their classics. Jimmy Eat World is from Mesa, Arizona, that formed in 1993. The band is composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist and …
“It’s not an accident that we’re on stage together,” David Byrne declared near the beginning of a concert Thursday with St. Vincent at the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery in Woodinville, Wash. Good thing he said that considering how little the two performers genuinely meshed during the show. That said, the concert proved to be an …
I’m very glad someone filmed this appearance by Van at Montreux in 1980. Different Youtubed song clips from it float my way from time to time. Right after Common One, this had to be A peak, even THE peak. …not to mention fishing poles…
The average salary for teachers in the United States, according to 2012 data, is $55,418. It’s important to keep in mind that this figure is, in fact, the average. Many teachers make far less and few make more. New graduates often find it difficult to support themselves and pay back student loans on a beginning …
I am disappointed by President Obama’s forays in the Middle East, failure to close Guantanamo, and use of drone “missions” that create more hatred than peace. The following lyrics come from a Dead Kennedys song called “Kinky Sex Makes the World Go ‘Round,” which was part of the 1987 release, Give Me Convenience or Give …
Before Sunrise, Directed by Richard Linklater, Columbia Pictures, 1995. Before Sunset, Directed by Richard Linklater, Warner Independent Pictures, 2004. Those of you who listen to NPR or read the New York Times probably know already that a third movie in director Richard Linklater’s “Before” Series has been released recently: Before Midnight. In this installment Linklater …