Eric on The Road

Seneca Falls as Bedford Falls from It's a Wonderful Life

2011-12-25T07:51:00.001-08:00

From CBS News:

By Bill Geist

What better way to spend Christmas morning than a trip with Bill Geist to Seneca Falls, N.Y.? The upstate town proudly proclaims itself the inspiration for the fictional town of Bedford Falls in the 1946 classic "It's A Wonderful Life."

Their hotel has been renamed "The Hotel Clarence," after the film's "angel 2nd class" who tries to earn his wings by saving George Bailey. The cafe is named "The Zuzu" after one of George Bailey's daughters. There's a museum dedicated to the Frank Capra classic, a walking tour of the places residents say are connected to the film, and a festival each December that draws fans from near and far - and which this year featured two actresses who played George's daughters Zuzu and Janie.

As one fan put it, "It's like a Mecca for 'Wonderful Life' fans."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/10/26/sunday/main6993125.shtml?tag=hdr;cnav

Bourbon's All-American Roar (NY Times)

2011-12-25T07:43:00.000-08:00

From The New York Times:

By MICKEY MEECE

Published: December 24, 2011

Five bartenders entered a “shake off” this month at the Kentucky Derby Museum, to see who could work the most magic with bourbon, a singularly American spirit that has turned out to be a singularly American success story.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/25/business/bourbons-all-american-roar.html?_r=1&hp

Book Closes On U.S. House's Storied Page Program (NPR)

2011-08-12T06:14:00.000-07:00

From NPR's Morning Edition:

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

The first official pages served in the 1820s, but now emails or tweets can serve the same purpose.

http://www.npr.org/2011/08/12/139482452/book-closes-on-u-s-houses-storied-page-program

After Years Of Research, Confederate Daughter Arises (NPR)

2011-08-07T15:38:00.000-07:00

From NPR News:

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War. It's of particular importance to the United Daughters of the Confederacy, an organization for female descendants of Confederate soldiers.

The group includes 23 elderly women who are the last living daughters of those who served. One of them is black.

http://www.npr.org/2011/08/07/138587202/after-years-of-research-confederate-daughter-arises

Urban Rangers Quest For The Natural L.A.

2011-08-07T15:34:00.000-07:00

From NPR News:

The Los Angeles Urban Rangers are an art collective set on teaching Angelenos how to view nature in their everyday surroundings. Guest host John Ydstie travels with the Rangers on their newest expedition: to explore the L.A. River, a neglected natural resource.

http://www.npr.org/2011/08/07/139062867/on-an-intrepid-quest-urban-rangers-find-the-natural-l-a

See Canada from sea to sea (National Post)

2011-08-01T05:44:00.000-07:00

From The National Post:

About the benefits of an auto trip in Canada.

http://www.canada.com/travel/travel/5174333/story.html

The World as America Dreamed It (NY Times)

2011-07-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

From The New York Times:

The Great American Hall of Wonders, including Ernest Griset’s “Far West,” at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington through Jan. 8

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/28/arts/design/smithsonian-art-museums-american-hall-of-wonders-review.html?ref=arts

Will And Kate Sample Canada's Native Fare (NPR)

2011-07-04T13:20:00.000-07:00

From NPR News:

This week, Britain's Prince William and the former Kate Middleton are making their first official state visit as a couple. Canada is the nation with the honors, and on Sunday, the couple heads to a quieter corner of the country, Prince Edward Island. At a resort there, they'll sample some traditional islander fare. Guest host Susan Stamberg speaks with Joerg Soltermann, head chef at the Culinary Institute of Canada in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, about what's on the menu.

http://www.npr.org/2011/07/03/137588355/will-and-kate-sample-canadas-native-fare

Tony Blair celebrates American independence (CBS News)

2011-07-04T13:17:00.000-07:00

From CBS Sunday Morning:

But the circumstances of independence are part of what makes America the great and proud nation it is today. And what gives nobility to the American character.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/07/03/sunday/commentaries/main20076511.shtml?tag=cbsnewsSectionsArea.1

July Fourth: A Time when "Red" and "Blue" almost manage to come together for the Red, White & Blue

2011-07-04T04:30:00.001-07:00

There are those (i.e.politicians, some in the media) who try to paint the U.S. as a place that is unified (or should be) in its outlook and perspective. Fact is rarely are we uniform or unified. However, for one day a year one starts to feel taht perhaps we might be more unified than we might otherwise think - that day: July Fourth.

Independence Day is a day of diverse celebrations throughout the land. But it is truly a day where be you in a "red" state or a "blue" state, you might actually feel some connection to those on the other side of the now large political divide. It really is a day of red, white and blue.

WHY IS IT JULY FOURTH ?

Though the Fourth of July is almost iconic to Americans, some claim the date itself is somewhat arbitrary. New Englanders had been fighting Britain since April 1775. The first motion in the Continental Congress for independence was made on June 8. After hard debate, the Congress voted unanimously (12-0), but secretly, for independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain on July 2 (see Lee Resolution). The Congress reworked the text of the Declaration until a little after eleven o'clock, July 4th, when thirteen colonies voted for adoption and released an unsigned copy to the printers. (New York abstained from both votes.) Philadelphia celebrated the Declaration with public readings and bonfires on July 8. Not until August 2 would a fair printing be signed by the members of the Congress, but even that was kept secret to protect the members from British reprisal.

John Adams, credited by Thomas Jefferson as the unofficial, tireless whip of the independence-minded, wrote his wife Abigail on July 3:

The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.

Adams was off by two days, however. Certainly, the vote on July 2 was the decisive act. But July 4 is the date on the Declaration itself. Jefferson's stirring prose, as edited by the Congress, was first adopted by the vote of the 4th. It was also the first day Philadelphians heard the official news of independence from the Continental Congress, as opposed to rumors in the street about secret votes.

SOME CELEBRATIONS AROUND AMERICA:

"The Big Ones":
* Washington, DC: Parade down Constitution Avenue, "A Capitol Fourth" concert with the National Symphony, large fireworks display over the Mall and a Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the Mall.
* Boston: Turnaround of the U.S.S. Constitution, Chowderfest, and free concert along the Charles River by the Boston Pops highlighted by 1812 Overture, Stars & Stripes and fireworks.
* Mount Rushmore: Fireworks display at this patriotic setting.
* New York & Chiacgo: Large fireworks show sponsored by Macys.
* New York: Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island.

Some Unique happenings:
* The "Oldest Continuous Homecoming", Pekin, IN
* "The Oldest July Fourth Parade", Bristol, RI
* "Human Flag", Huntsville, AL
* Boom Box Parade (No live marching bands, Willamantic, CT
* "American Redneck Day", Centreville,MD
* World's Greatest Lizard Race; Lovington, NM
* Ducktonia 500; Sheboygan Falls, WI where they race
plastic ducks in the lagoon at Riverside Park. There is also a "Kiss
the Pig" contest.
* The Twelve Mile Lawnmower Races, Twelve Mile, IN

* And in Oatman, Arizona, they fry eggs on the sidewalk at
the annual Sidewalk Egg Frying Contest. Held at "high noon" on Old
Route 66 participants can only rely on solar heat to fry eggs on the sidewalk
during the course of 15 minutes of "cooking". There are also a variety
of "Old West" activities.

For more see: www.hiddenamerica.com

For those who do not want to take the time to read or who want to hear the reading in someone else's voice:
* THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCEMorning Edition, July 4, 1997 - The Independence of the nation is Declared by the voices of N-P-R.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1029013

'Made In America' Store Capitalizes On Patriotism (NPR)

2011-06-22T05:57:00.001-07:00

From NPR'S Morning Edition:

by Daniel Robison

Andol sees the store as a way for American vendors to gain traction in a retail environment where they've been priced out by overseas competition.

http://www.npr.org/2011/06/22/137301881/made-in-america-store-capitalizes-on-patriotism?ps=cprs

Missouri Hopes For Boost From Civil War Tourism (NPR)

2011-06-21T04:19:00.001-07:00

From NPR News:

by Maria Altman

With 2011 marking the 150th anniversary of the Civil War's beginning, tourists and history buffs are expected to travel to famous battle sites, such as Gettysburg and Bull Run, in record numbers. Missouri would like some of that attention — only Virginia and Tennessee contain more Civil War battle sites.

Missouri was on the western front of the Civil War. The Battle of Wilson's Creek was fought there; in total, more than 1,000 skirmishes and battles took place in the state.

http://www.npr.org/2011/06/21/137228579/missouri-hopes-for-boost-from-civil-war-tourism

Texas Gets The Accordion Bug And Never Looks Back (NPR)

2011-06-04T05:26:00.000-07:00

From NPR News:

by Wade Goodwyn
All Things Considered

A loud, party-friendly "orchestra in a box," the accordion spread like wildfire across Texas after German and Czech immigrants brought it to their dance halls. Out of the polka came styles like conjunto and zydeco. From New Braunfels and San Antonio to Brownsville and Houston, the infection, it seems, is now permanent.

http://www.npr.org/2011/06/03/136891051/texas-gets-the-accordion-bug-and-never-looks-back

Some Fans in Canada See Vancouver as Foreign (NY Times)

2011-05-14T16:37:00.000-07:00

From the New York Times:

By JEFF Z. KLEIN
Published: May 14, 2011

Canadians are not as excited as one might think about the success of the Vancouver Canucks.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/15/sports/hockey/vancouver-canucks-may-not-be-canadas-team.html?src=dayp

Killebrew's caring nature shows even when he needs sympathy (Star Tribune)

2011-05-14T04:19:00.000-07:00

From The Star Tribune:

Article by: JIM SOUHAN , Star Tribune

As Harmon Killebrew deals with cancer, the slugger has been quick to offer comfort to others. "It just speaks to the character of him,'' Justin Morneau said.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/121818524.html

Trying to cultivate an urban vintage (Chicago Tribune)

2011-05-08T10:23:00.001-07:00

From The Chicago Tribune:

An entrepreneur fights to turn a crumbling 19th century estate in a rundown part of Chicago into a vineyard and winery.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-chicago-vineyard-20110501,0,7820754.story

Community toasts ‘Angel of Mount Morris’ (Livingston County Press)

2011-05-08T10:08:00.000-07:00

By Tony D'Imperio | May 7, 2011
As soon as Greg O’Connell arrived at the reception in his honor, he began walking around the room shaking hands, hugging and kissing well-wishers who packed the room.Around 400 people, brimming with gratitude and appreciation for O’Connell, filled the largest room in the Genesee River Reception Center in Mount Morris last Sunday.

http://thelcn.com/2011/05/community-toasts-angel-of-mount-morris/

The pursuit of happiness (CBS News)

2011-05-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

From CBS Sunday Morning:

Why are people in Boulder, Colo., at the top of the nation's measurable well-being - and those in Huntington, W.Va., at the bottom?

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/05/08/sunday/main20060870.shtml?tag=cbsnewsTwoColUpperPromoArea

Mavis Staples: I'm gonna sing till I die (CBS News)

2011-05-08T09:59:00.000-07:00

From CBS Sunday Morning:

The gospel singer and former member of the Staple Singers is, at 71, continuing a life of spreading the Word through song

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/04/24/sunday/main20056850.shtml?tag=cbsnewsSectionsArea.2

In Small Towns Hit By Twisters, 'You Feel Ignored' (NPR)

2011-05-03T10:06:00.000-07:00

From NPR's Morning Edition:

Nobody, I don't think, knew it hit Hackleburg, because there's this TV station that a lot of us watch in this area, and someone called in and told him, you know, 'Well, what about Hackleburg?' And he said, 'Well, what about Hackleburg?' We're such a small community and a small town, nobody's ever heard of it. And they didn't know."

"People know Tuscaloosa, they know Birmingham," says state Sen. Roger Bedford. But, he says, what people don't know is that dozens of small communities like Hackleburg, Phil Campbell and East Franklin were also hit by tornadoes.

http://www.npr.org/2011/05/03/135936478/in-small-towns-hit-by-twisters-you-feel-ignored

After Oil Spill, Shrimpers Hope For Blessed Season (NPR)

2011-04-20T07:57:00.000-07:00

From NPR's Morning Edition:

by Debbie Elliott

This past year has taken its toll on Kim and David Chauvin and their family's shrimping business. But earlier this month, they prepared for a brand new shrimp season.

Their community's annual Blessing of the Fleet is the traditional launch of shrimp season, when boats parade down the bayou and are blessed with a sprinkling of holy water.

http://www.npr.org/2011/04/20/135538086/after-oil-spill-shrimpers-hope-for-blessed-season

Passing: William Donald Schaefer, governor and mayor (Baltimore Sun)

2011-04-19T05:30:00.000-07:00

From The Baltimore Sun:

By Michael Dresser, The Baltimore Sun
April 18, 2011

Championed Harborplace, Camden Yards, the National Aquarium and other projects that changed the face of Baltimore

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-md-ob-schaefer-20110418,0,3898782,full.story

Ernie Kovacs: The King Of Early Television Comedy (NPR)

2011-04-18T14:32:00.000-07:00

From NPR/"Fresh Air"

by David Bianculli

From 1950 until he died in an auto accident in 1962, Ernie Kovacs created some of the most inventive and unusual television ever made.

http://www.npr.org/2011/04/18/135511104/ernie-kovacs-the-king-of-early-television-comedy

Canada's 10 best beaches (TripAdvisor/Canada.com)

2011-04-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

Via Canada.com:

Best beaches in Canada, according to travel website TripAdvisor's Travellers' Choice awards' best beach category.

http://www.canada.com/travel/Canada+best+beaches/4607880/story.html

Old Quebec Stagecoach Inn Thrives into the 21st Century (Montreal Gazette)

2011-04-16T17:21:00.000-07:00

From the Montreal Gazette via canada.com:

By ROCHELLE LASH, for the Montreal Gazette

Lodging establishments come and go, but Auberge Knowlton has been the place to be eat, drink and be merry for more than 160 years.

http://www.canada.com/travel/Auberge+Knowlton+winning+formula/4623224/story.html

An Appalachian Radio Voice Threatened fro Afar (NY Times)

2011-04-16T17:07:00.000-07:00

From The New York Times:

By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE
Published: April 11, 2011

WMMT, which reaches across the mountains, coal fields and hollows of eastern Kentucky, southwestern Virginia and southern West Virginia, creates a connective tissue for its far-flung, geographically isolated listeners. It also offers respite from the daily grind. Like the redbud trees that are starting to burst forth in violet patches along the scrubby hillsides here, the sounds from the radio can be, if not essential, at least life-affirming.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/us/12radio.html?_r=1&hpw

Appalachian History Boxed Up In Shuttered Museum (NPR News)

2011-04-16T16:59:00.000-07:00

From NPR News:

by Noah Adams

The contents of the museum are packed up in boxes and crates, hidden away behind a chain-link fence, on the lonely top floor of a building on Appalachian State University's campus.

The school says it can no longer afford the money and space the museum requires, so it closed it this spring. State aid has been cut, it says....

http://www.npr.org/2011/04/16/135442423/in-shuttered-museum-appalachian-history-boxed-up

Pizza Chain Plays Name Game in Habs-Bruins Rivalry (Montreal Gazette)

2011-04-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

From The Montreal Gazette:

By Paul Delean, THE GAZETTE

As of this week, Boston Pizza (which originated and still is based in Western Canada, not New England) has been “rebranded” – temporarily – as Montreal Pizza in Quebec, where it has 26 franchised bar/restaurant outlets.

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Pizza+chain+plays+name+game+Habs+Bruins+rivalry/4618605/story.html#ixzz1Jh0ke6vj

For Cowboy Poets, Unwelcome Spotlight in Battle Over Spending (NY Times)

2011-04-11T05:23:00.001-07:00

From The New York Times:

By ADAM NAGOURNEY
Published: April 10, 2011

A once obscure gathering in Elko, Nev., became a target in the budget battle a world away in Washington, employed by conservatives as a symbol of fiscal waste.

.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/11/us/politics/11cowboy.html?_r=1&ref=us

At 40, 'Take Me Home, Country Roads' Still Belongs (NPR News)

2011-04-06T09:07:00.000-07:00

From NPR News:

by Jess Gitner
Morning Edition, April 6, 2011

John Denver had trouble filling a room prior to releasing his 1971 album Poems, Prayers, and Promises. As a solo act, he was virtually unknown. All that changed with the the album's single, "Take Me Home, Country Roads," which launched Denver's career and made him an international star. But the song almost never happened.

http://www.npr.org/2011/04/06/135150085/at-40-take-me-home-country-roads-still-belongs

The National Cherry Blossom Festival (CBS News)

2011-03-27T13:27:00.001-07:00

From CBS News:

Charles Osgood shares the history of The National Cherry Blossom Festival held in Washington DC.

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7360908n&tag=cbsnewsVideoArea.0#ixzz1HpkzWcDE

Film Shows Babe Ruth, at Leisure and Up Close (NY Times)

2011-03-23T16:16:00.001-07:00

From The New York Times:

By JOHN BRANCH
Published: March 22, 2011

Recently discovered film believed to be from 1927 is the latest in a string of unearthed treasures from the Babe Ruth era.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/23/sports/baseball/23ruth.html?_r=1&ref=sports

Passing: Elizabeth Taylor

2011-03-23T08:23:00.000-07:00

A legend - the end of an era.

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/23/113558099/hollywood-legend-elizabeth-taylor-dies

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-elizabeth-taylorlong-20110324,0,6948132.story

An appreciation by Ken Turan: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-elizabeth-taylor-appreciation-20110324,0,5661417.story

More on NHL Hits via Ken Dryden

2011-03-13T05:27:00.000-07:00

In an op-ed article published in the Globe and Mail of Toronto and Le Presse of Montreal, Ken Dryden called for the managers to do more to prevent concussions.

“Arguments and explanations don’t matter anymore,” wrote Dryden, the Canadiens’ Hall of Fame goalie of the 1970s and a member of Parliament. “The N.H.L. has to risk taking the big steps that are needed: if some of them prove wrong, they’ll still be far less wrong than what we have now. It is time to stop being stupid.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/ken-dryden-on-hockey-violence-how-could-we-be-so-stupid/article1939428/page1/

Woe, Canada: The NHL's Slide Into Big Trouble (The Atlantic)

2011-03-12T18:03:00.000-08:00

From The Atlantic:

By Andrew Cohen

Fans and sponsors may leave hockey after the league's weak response to a gruesome hit

http://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2011/03/woe-canada-the-nhls-slide-into-big-trouble/72309/#bio

Passing: Danny Stiles

2011-03-11T17:38:00.000-08:00

From The New York Times:

By RICHARD GOLDSTEIN
Published: March 12, 2011

Danny Stiles, who brought back the music of yesteryear, spinning records for more than six decades on New York-area radio, died on March 11 in Manhattan.

Stiles was known as the "Vicar of Vintage" and hosted a show every Saturday night playing records from the 1920s-1950s and occasionally beyond.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/12/arts/music/danny-stiles-radio-host-who-gloried-in-golden-oldies-dies-at-87.html?hpw

Also:

http://www.wnyc.org/blogs/wnyc-news-blog/2011/mar/11/danny-stiles-longtime-radio-host-dead/

For more: http://dannystiles.com

Passing: Ulysses S. Grant V

2011-03-09T05:25:00.000-08:00

From The Associated Press via NY Times:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ulysses S. Grant V, the last surviving great-grandson of the nation’s 18th president, died Wednesday in a southwest Missouri home brimming with artifacts from his great-grandfather. He was 90.

His death was confirmed by a grandson, Ulysses S. Grant VI.

Mr. Grant, who lived in the small town of Battlefield, south of Springfield, spent part of his youth in the home of his grandfather Jesse Grant, the president’s youngest son.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/us/09grant.html?ref=obituaries

Library of Congress Buys Audio Archive (NY Times)

2011-03-09T04:39:00.000-08:00

From The New York Times:

By VINCENT M. MALLOZZI
Published: March 8, 2011

Bob Murphy’s account of Nolan Ryan’s first strikeout in his debut with the Mets in 1966 is among more than 6,000 radio and television broadcast recordings of memorable games and colorful calls that the Library of Congress has acquired and plans to make public.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/sports/09archive.html?ref=sports

On Eve of Retirement, Space Shuttles Capture Museums’ Hearts (NY Times)

2011-03-09T04:36:00.000-08:00

From The New York Times:

By KENNETH CHANG
Published: March 8, 2011

Museums around the country have been campaigning to acquire one of the three space shuttles from NASA after they are retired this spring.

.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/science/space/09shuttle.html?_r=1&ref=us

Alaskans Win National Snow-Battlers Championship (NPR News)

2011-03-08T07:30:00.000-08:00

From NPR News:

There was a new competition at the Fur Rendezvous festival in Anchorage, Alaska, this year: team snowball fighting. Thirty-two teams competed in the tournament. The winners — a team called the Rum Runners — have the chance to compete for the United States at the international competition in Japan next year. NPR's Melissa Block talks with Gary Ray, a co-captain of the Rum Runners.

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/07/134342253/Alaskans-Win-National-Snow-Battlers-Championship

Passing: Jane Russell

2011-03-01T16:57:00.000-08:00

From The Associated Press via NPR News:

Jane Russell, the busty brunette who shot to fame in Howard Hughes' 1941 Western The Outlaw, died Monday of respiratory failure, her family said. She was 89.

She went on to make some two dozen feature films, all but a handful of them between 1948 and 1957 and many of them westerns.

In the western comedy “The Paleface” (1948), she played Calamity Jane opposite Bob Hope, with whom she also starred in “Son of Paleface,” the 1952 sequel. In the musical comedy that she called her favorite film, “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” (1953), she starred with Marilyn Monroe as one of two ambitious showgirls. Her numbers included “Two Little Girls From Little Rock,” one of several duets with Monroe, and the comic lament “Ain’t There Anyone Here for Love?” Two years later she starred with Jeanne Crain in “Gentlemen Marry Brunettes,” a sequel of sorts, set in Paris.

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/01/134145790/jane-russell-star-of-40s-and-50s-films-dies

Passing: Duke Snider

2011-02-27T13:54:00.000-08:00

From The New York Times:

By RICHARD GOLDSTEIN
Published: February 27, 2011

Duke Snider, the Hall of Fame center fielder renowned for his home run drives and superb defensive play in the Brooklyn Dodgers’ glory years, died Sunday (February 27) in Escondido, Calif. He was 84.

In the 1950s, the golden age of New York baseball, the World Series almost always meant red, white and blue bunting at Ebbets Field, Yankee Stadium or the Polo Grounds. October afternoons provided a national showcase for baseball’s premier center fielders — Snider of the Dodgers, Mickey Mantle of the Yankees and Willie Mays of the Giants.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/28/sports/baseball/28snider.html?_r=1&hp

New Mexico Takes Its Chile Very Seriously. Even the Spelling (NY Times)

2011-02-27T05:37:00.000-08:00

From The New York Times:

By DAN FROSCH
Published: February 26, 2011

Lying about the origins of one’s chile is considered blasphemy in New Mexico, where the spelling of choice sets the sauce apart from the more common rendering.

And now, a new bill is taking aim at those who fraudulently assert that their chili is grown in New Mexico.

“What we’ve got is people coming in and selling chile and saying it’s from New Mexico, and some of it is being shipped in from Mexico or elsewhere,” said State Representative Andy Nuñez, a former chile farmer from Hatch and sponsor of the New Mexico Chile Advertising Act. “We’re trying to keep the integrity of New Mexico chile, which we think is the best.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/27/us/27chile.html?_r=1&ref=us

A revealing look at Gypsy Rose Lee (CBS News)

2011-02-26T13:45:00.000-08:00

From CBS News:

Remembering the stripper renowned for class and brains 100 years after her birth.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/02/20/sunday/main20034128.shtml?tag=cbsnewsTwoColUpperPromoArea

At Fisk University, A Tradition Of Spirituals (NPR)

2011-02-26T13:36:00.000-08:00

From NPR:

by Jeff Bossert

For nearly 150 years, a largely black private university in Nashville has prided itself on its liberal arts studies and its music. Vocal ensembles at Fisk University have been there about as long as the campus itself. But the songs performed there today could have sounded very different if it hadn't been for the efforts of one of the school's first music directors.

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/26/134028602/at-fisk-university-a-tradition-of-spirituals

Hiking The Mountain That Made Birmingham (NPR News)

2011-02-26T09:02:00.001-08:00

From NPR News:

by Al Letson

Before the civil rights movement made Birmingham, Ala., a dateline in history, it was a famous steel town. Its mines have been closed for more than three decades, but the network of old tramways is being turned into a large park. Now it's a place to explore both the history of mining and the subtleties of race.

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/26/134067080/hiking-the-mountain-that-made-birmingham

Passing: Ernie Tyler, Orioles' Fixture for over 50 Years

2011-02-22T07:57:00.001-08:00

From The Baltimore Sun:

Longtime Orioles umpires attendant Ernie Tyler, who worked for the team for more than a half century and ended his own O's iron-man streak at 3,769 games to attend Cal Ripken Jr.'s Hall of Fame induction, has died at the age of 86.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-ob-ernie-tyler-20110211,0,7286037.story

Also: http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-schmuck-column-0212-20110211,0,4873735.column

Recent Passings of Note

2011-02-19T05:48:00.000-08:00

We usually will honor those who passed individually. But not wanting to turn into an Obit blog, we group a number of persons of distinction who have recently passed away. Each was important - touching us in different ways:

- Chuck Tanner, Who Managed Pirates to ’79 Title
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/12/sports/baseball/12tanner.html?_r=1&ref=obituaries

Alan Slifka, Who Promoted Arab-Jewish Ties
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/10/nyregion/10slifka.html?ref=obituaries

Tom Carnegie, Voice of Indianapolis Motor Speedway
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/12/sports/autoracing/12carnegie.html?ref=obituaries

George Shearing, ‘Lullaby of Birdland’ Jazz Virtuoso
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/15/arts/music/15shearing.html?ref=obituaries

Joanne Siegel, the Model for Lois Lane
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/16/arts/16siegel.html?ref=obituaries

John Strauss, Composer of ‘Car 54’ Theme
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/18/arts/television/18strauss.html?ref=obituaries

Bill Monroe, ‘Meet the Press’ Host
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/18/business/media/18monroe.html?ref=obituaries

History Hinders Diversification Of Portland, Ore. (NPR News)

2011-02-16T11:41:00.000-08:00

From NPR News:

by Amelia Templeton

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/16/133748144/history-hinders-diversification-of-portland-ore

Passing: Betty Garrett, Actress In Film, TV, Stage (AP via NPR)

2011-02-16T11:39:00.000-08:00

From The Associated Press via NPR News:

Betty Garrett, the vivacious Broadway star who played Frank Sinatra's sweetheart in two MGM musicals before her career was hampered by the Hollywood blacklist, has died in Los Angeles, her son said Sunday. She was 91.

Garrett was best known as the flirtatious girl in love with the shy Sinatra in "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and "On the Town," both in 1949, and later in life she became well-known to TV audiences with recurring roles in the 1970s sitcoms "All in the Family" and "Laverne and Shirley."

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/13/133728980/betty-garrett-actress-in-film-tv-and-broadway-dies

What’s Always Been So Great About Green Bay (NY Times)

2011-02-09T08:10:00.000-08:00

From The New York Times:

By DAVE ANDERSON
Published: February 8, 2011

In more than 50 years of writing about professional football, my favorite trip was always to Green Bay.

“Green Bay?” my big-city friends would always say. “What’s so great about going to Green Bay?”

They didn’t understand.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/09/sports/football/09anderson-packers.html?adxnnl=1&ref=sports&adxnnlx=1297270834-ilAgeNskNka4Lf7Sph3OQA

Passing: "Dan Whitfield" (NY Times)

2011-02-04T13:30:00.001-08:00

From The New York Times:

By DANIEL E. SLOTNIK
Published: February 4, 2011

Who was Dan Whitfield ?

Well, I was a big fan of the old Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Dan Whitfield was a journalism teacher and boyfriend of Mary Richards.

The actor who portrayed Dan Whitfield, Michael Tolan, died on January 31 at age 85 in Hudson, NY.

In addition to the MSM Show, Tolan also was recurring presence on television in the 1960s and ’70s after walking away from film and Broadway.But he returned to the stage to help found the American Place Theater, a successful Off Broadway house, died on Monday in Hudson, N.Y. He was 85.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/04/arts/television/04tolan.html?_r=1&hpw

NHL’s curbed enthusiasm for Heritage Classic (SI.com)

2011-02-02T16:46:00.000-08:00

From Sports Illustrated (si.com):

by Stu Hackel

When it comes to comparing the NHL’s two outdoor games, the Winter Classic and the Heritage Classic, the upcoming game in Calgary between the Canadiens and Flames is a second-class citizen to the New Year’s Day event.

http://nhl-red-light.si.com/2011/02/02/nhls-curbed-enthusiasm-for-heritage-classic/

Gallery: 5 Up-and-Coming Canadian Cities (Postmedia News via The Montreal Gazette)

2011-01-30T06:07:00.000-08:00

From Postmedia News via the Montreal Gazette:

If major cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal are giving you a headache and even underdogs like Calgary or Halifax don’t thrill you, you might consider relocating to one of the other metropolises blossoming in our great nation. Here are five Canadian cities on the up and up

http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/story.html?id=4177610

Passing: Jack LaLanne (Washington Post)

2011-01-25T12:45:00.000-08:00

From The Washington Post

By Patricia Howard
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, January 24, 2011

Jack LaLanne, the jumpsuit-clad fitness dynamo who starred in one of the nation's first and most popular TV exercise shows and touted healthful eating with such relentless earnestness that he helped usher in a modern era of health-consciousness, died on January 23 at age 96.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/23/AR2011012304391.html

For more see: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/24/AR2011012403521.html

Advice form North Dakota: How to Get Through Winter (NY Times)

2011-01-25T04:52:00.000-08:00

By MANNY FERNANDEZ
Published: January 24, 2011

According to folks in Langdon, North Dakota, two ways of getting thorugh winter: kittylitter and shnapps.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/25/nyregion/25freeze.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion

S.F. Giants Return for Fans They Left Behind (NY Times)

2011-01-23T13:37:00.000-08:00

From The New York Times:

By DAVID WALDSTEIN
Published: January 22, 2011

Warren Bellefond, a 72-year-old retired postal worker from Washington Heights, held up a clear plastic cube with a dirty, brown, smudged baseball in it, and described to Willie Mays how Mays hit the ball to him during batting practice on Sept.29,1957, the last game the Giants ever played at the old Polo Grounds.

The Giants, Bellefond’s favorite team, were about to leave New York and a small legion of fans who never severed their loyalty the way bitter Brooklynites did with the Dodgers, although they, too, felt rejected.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/sports/baseball/23giants.html?_r=1&ref=sports

Also see:
Mays, at Home in Harlem, Connects With Its Children
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/22/sports/baseball/22rhoden.html?ref=baseball

Polo Grounds, and Its Former Tenants, Emerge From the Shadows
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/20/sports/20polo.html?ref=baseball

Polo Grounds, and Its Former Tenants, Emerge From the Shadows (NY Times)

2011-01-20T15:38:00.000-08:00

From The New York Times:

By RICHARD SANDOMIR
Published: January 19, 2011

Remembrances of the ballpark and football stadium, often an afterthought among classic 20th-century stadiums, move into the forefront this week (as teh baseball Giants come to New York to celebrate their championship where they started and the NY Jets -once of the Polo Grounds - play in a championship football game).

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/20/sports/20polo.html?ref=sports

About Mule Riders in The Grand Canyon (USA Today)

2011-01-18T03:50:00.000-08:00

From USA Today:

By Laura Bly, USA TODAY

Each year, an average of 15,400 Grand Canyon visitors take commercial mule trips into the canyon and above the rim. Rides have been a tradition here since the late 1800s, and the most popular route is along the Bright Angel Trail, originally used by the Havasupai Native Americans for access to water at modern day Garden Creek. Riders make reservations up to a year in advance and pay $481.71 per person for a one-night, two-day trip that includes meals and a stay at a rustic Phantom Ranch cabin.

But that popularity has taken its toll, and earlier this month the National Park Service announced a plan that designates a new, above-the-rim ride and formally approves recent decreases in the number of rides along the Bright Angel and South Kaibab trails.

http://travel.usatoday.com/destinations/dispatches/post/2011/01/do-mule-riders-belong-in-the-grand-canyon-/138755/1

How Early 60's Florida Theme Park was Impacted by Disneyworld (Ocala Star-Banner via USA Today)

2011-01-18T03:49:00.001-08:00

From USA Today:

By Rick Allen, The Ocala Star-Banner

In its day, Six Gun Territory was a hot property.
Opening with great fanfare on Feb. 2, 1963, the Western-themed attraction would draw thousands of visitors to Ocala during its 20-year lifespan. Six Gun and nearby Silver Springs attraction were among the premier stops in pre-Disney Florida.

Yet, even as this frontier town in the East reveled in its newness, the seeds of its demise were being sown some 100 miles to the south.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2011-01-15-six-gun-territory-disney-florida_N.htm

L.A. Kings Honor Rogatien Vachon

2011-01-15T14:22:00.000-08:00

From The L.A. Daily News:

Rogie Vachon, is being honored tonight by the team with whom he remains most identified, the Kings.

In a ceremony before LA's game with the Oilers, Vachon is the first Kings player honored as on a "Legends Night" at the Staples Center. The Kings are wearing their 1970s purple-and-gold jerseys to mark the occasion.

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_17099350

Credit also to Stu Hackel @ Habsinsideout.

Passing: David Nelson, Son in ‘Ozzie and Harriet' (NY Times)

2011-01-15T05:24:00.000-08:00

From The New York Times:

By BRUCE WEBER
Published: January 12, 2011

David Nelson, the elder son of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, the brother of Rick Nelson and the last surviving member of the television family that perhaps more than any other stood for the Eisenhower-era middle-class American dream, died at home in Los Angeles on January 11. He was 74.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/13/arts/television/13nelson.html?ref=obituaries

Passing: Margaret Whiting, Singer of Jazz and Pop Standards (NY Times)

2011-01-15T05:23:00.000-08:00

From The New York Times:

By DAVID BELCHER
Published: January 11, 2011

Margaret Whiting, a songwriter’s daughter who as a bright-eyed teenage singer captivated wartime America and then went on to a long, acclaimed career recording hit songs and performing in nightclubs and on television, died on Jaunauary 10 in Englewood, N.J. She was 86.

Ms. Whiting may not have been a household name like her contemporaries Rosemary Clooney and Ella Fitzgerald, nor was she a singing movie star like Doris Day, but in her heyday she was widely popular in the worlds of big band, jazz, popular music — even country — for more than 30 years, beginning in the 1940s.

When she was 16, the comedian Phil Silvers asked her to fill in for a missing member of his act at the Grace Hayes Lodge in the San Fernando Valley. It helped start her career. At 18 she recorded the Harold Arlen-Johnny Mercer song “That Old Black Magic” with the bandleader Freddie Slack. The next year it was “Moonlight in Vermont” with the trumpeter Billy Butterfield and his band, followed in 1945 by “It Might as Well Be Spring,” with Paul Weston, a Rodgers & Hammerstein tune from the musical “State Fair.” That song became a signature for her.

There were more hits, among them “Come Rain or Come Shine,” a Mercer-Arlen song from the musical “St. Louis Woman.”

In 1948 alone Ms. Whiting had three major hits: “A Tree in the Meadow,” “Now Is the Hour” and “Far Away Places.” A duet with Mercer, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” (by Frank Loesser), lasted 19 weeks on the Billboard chart in 1949. Her nine duets with the country star Jimmy Wakely, from 1949 to 1951, were sensations, particularly “Slippin’ Around.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/12/arts/music/12whiting.html?_r=1&ref=obituaries

Library Of Congress Receives Largest Single Audio Donation (NPR News)

2011-01-11T01:20:00.000-08:00

From NPR News:

by Tom Cole
All Things Considered

The donation came from Universal Music Group and is made up of master recordings — the final metal discs used to press commercial releases; lacquer discs that were cut in the studio to capture full takes of tunes; and reel-to-reel tapes from the late 1940s. The material dates from around 1930 to around 1950 and marks the first time the Library has received commercial masters from a major label.

Universal retains the copyright to the recordings and, as is the case in most donations of this kind, will get digital copies of the Library's preservation work. The label's agreement with the Library of Congress allows for non-commercial streaming on the Library's website — a site the Library hopes to launch this spring. It's a collaboration with another major label — Sony-BMG — a project to be called the National Jukebox.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2011/01/10/132803768/200-000-recordings-donated-to-library-of-congress

Hockey Video from Before the "Original Six" (Montreal Gazette)

2011-01-06T14:16:00.000-08:00

From Habsinsideout.com

Thanks to Dave Stubbs at the Montreal Gazette and Habsinsideout.com for unveiling this wonderful a 65-second Universal Newsreel, released April 1, 1937, featuring that night's first game of the 1937 Stanley Cup semifinal between the New York Rangers and Montreal Maroons at Madison Square Garden.

http://habsinsideout.com/main/42704

Passing: Geraldine Hoff Doyle, "We Can Do It" Poster Inspiration (CNN)

2011-01-06T14:15:00.000-08:00

From CNN:

The woman who inspired the famous World War II "We Can Do It!" poster has died (December 26, 2010).

Geraldine Hoff Doyle was just 17 when a United Press photographer captured her in 1942 working at a Michigan metal factory, wearing a red polka-dotted bandanna.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/12/30/geraldine-hoff-doyle-we-can-do-it-poster-inspiration-dies-at-86/?hpt=C2

2010's Last Farewells

2010-12-28T05:03:00.000-08:00

As a year and decade pass, we pause to remember and pay homage one last time to some of those folks (and things) who mattered to us and who passed this year.

A Happy New Year to all. May it be a year of health, happiness and prosperity:

* Bill Powell, African American Glofing Pioneer
* Curtis Allina, Put Heads on Pez
* Art Clokey, Gumby Creator
* Kate McGarrigle
* George Jellinek, Classical Music Radio Voice
* John Halligan
* Jane Jarvis
* Tom Brookshier
* Shirley Bell Cole,Voice of Little Orphan Annie
* Dick McGuire, NY Knick
* Northwest Airlines
* John Babcock, Last Canadian WWI Veteran
* Fess Parker, "Davy Crockett"
* John Forsythe
* Ernie Harwell
* Art Linkletter
* Mercury (Car)
* John Wooden
* Bob Sheppard
* Daniel Schorr
* Ralph Houk
* Mitch Miller
* Morrie Yahim, Creator of Cheese Doodles
* Bernie West, TV Writer best remembered for "All in the Family"
* Booby Thompson
* Allen Dale June, Navjao Code Talker
* Eddie Fisher
* Barbara Billingsley, "June Cleaver"
* Sparky Anderson
* Fred Foy, Lone Ranger Announcer
* Bob Feller
* Vic Lynn, Played for all 6 "original six" NHL teams

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T07:19:00.000-08:00

All the best to you and those dear to you.

Two of our favorites:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxv-Y1JVjpc (Santa Claus is Coming to Town - Dave Seville & the Chipmunks)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M0dzWuSmGQ (I'll Be Home For Christmas - Frank Sinatra)

Passing: Fred Foy, 'Lone Ranger' Announcer (NY Times)

2010-12-23T12:23:00.000-08:00

From The New York Times:

By MARGALIT FOX
Published: December 23, 2010

A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty Hi-Yo, Silver! ...

Three times a week on the radio, those words, juxtaposed with the galloping strains of Rossini’s “William Tell” overture, captivated generations of midcentury Americans.

For a decade, first on the radio and later on television, Fred Foy was the man who intoned those gallant lines, among the most evocative in American broadcasting.

Mr. Foy died on Wednesday (December 22), at 89, at his home in Woburn, Mass. The death, of natural causes.

On the radio, Mr. Foy was also the announcer for “The Green Hornet” and “Sergeant Preston of the Yukon.” On television, he became a staff announcer for ABC in New York, where his duties included “The Dick Cavett Show.”

A frequent speaker at old-time radio conventions, Mr. Foy was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2000.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/arts/television/23foy.html?hpw

Popularity of Juniors Tournament Crosses Border (NY Times)

2010-12-23T12:20:00.000-08:00

From The New York Times:

by JEFF Z. KLEIN
Published: December 22, 2010

On Sunday, the world juniors will begin again, this time in Buffalo and on the campus of Niagara University in Lewiston, N.Y.

The world juniors are a Canadian tradition, wildly popular north of the border. The last final drew a peak audience of 7.5 million viewers in a country of 33 million, until the Vancouver Olympics the largest audience in Canada for any telecast of any kind since 2005.

“In Canada, it’s a unique part of their culture,” said Keith Allain, coach of the United States team at this year’s tournament and the coach of Yale, the nation’s No. 1 college team. “Whole families get together to watch the day after Christmas the way American families watch football on Thanksgiving.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/sports/hockey/23juniors.html?ref=hockey

Custer’s Last Stand Was Only the Beginning (NY Times)

2010-12-20T12:04:00.000-08:00

From The New York Times:

By Dan Forsch

Golden, CO - Debate persists over battle monument.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/us/19custer.html?scp=1&sq=custer's%20last%20stand&st=cse

Finding Simon And Garfunkel's 'America' In Saginaw, Mich. (NPR)

2010-12-20T11:51:00.000-08:00

From NPR News:

In 1968, Simon and Garfunkel released the bittersweet song "America" — a tune about a man leaving Saginaw, Mich., to seek his fortunes elsewhere. This past week, a reporter at The Saginaw News noticed lyrics from that song spray-painted on vacant buildings all over town.

http://www.npr.org/2010/12/19/132168299/finding-simon-garfunkels-america-in-saginaw-mich

Snowman Gone Wild (Smithsonian.com)

2010-12-17T06:50:00.001-08:00

By Bob Eckstein

Before the age of Frosty, the snowman was abused by children and exploited by advertisers

Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/Snowman-Gone-Wild-The-Winter-Icon-as-an-Alcohol-Pitchman.html#ixzz18Ne4qWY6

Passing: Bob Feller

2010-12-16T13:33:00.000-08:00

From The Cleveland Plain Dealer:

Bob Dolgan / Special to The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Bob Feller, the brilliant pitcher who is the only Cleveland pro athlete to be immortalized with a statue, died Wednesday (December 15) of complications from leukemia at age 92.

The Hall of Famer hurled 266 victories, most in Indians history, from 1936 to 1956, despite losing almost four years at the peak of his powers after enlisting in the Navy during World War II.

http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2010/12/the_greatest_cleveland_indian.html

Baseball in Cleveland will never be the same without Bob Feller: Paul Hoynes commentary
http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2010/12/baseball_in_cleveland_will_nev.html

See more about Bob Feller @ cleveland.com

NY Times Obituary:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/16/sports/baseball/16feller.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=bob%20feller&st=cse

Quebec Fans Take Quest for a Team to Long Island (NY Times)

2010-12-12T17:33:00.000-08:00

From The New York Times:

“This is not a demonstration,” said Vincent Cauchon, a radio sports show host and a founder of Nordiques Nation, the fan group that is organizing the trip. “We just want to show the N.H.L. that Quebec needs a team and is a better market; maybe a third of the markets in the N.H.L. aren’t doing so well right now.”

The Quebec fans, many of whom clad in the sweaters of the Nordiques, will took the 550-mile trip in 22 buses. They crossed the border at Champlain, N.Y., the organizers having sent each passenger’s passport number ahead to speed the crossing through United States Customs.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/10/sports/hockey/10islanders.html?scp=1&sq=nordiques%20nation&st=cse

An estimated 1,100 fans of the old Nordiques came here from Quebec City for Saturday night’s game between the Islanders and the Atlanta Thrashers, about 10 percent of the announced crowd of 10,056. The Thrashers won, 5-4.

With five minutes to play in the game, all the Quebec fans walked down to the lower bowl behind the Atlanta net and stood and cheered and waved provincial flags through the rest of regulation in an impressive display of passion.

http://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/11/at-last-a-bit-of-passion-at-nassau-coliseum/?scp=2&sq=nordiques%20nation&st=cse

Whether Famous Or Forgotten, They All Sang Standards (NPR)

2010-12-12T14:08:00.000-08:00

It used to be that singers had to tackle the so-called Great American Songbook if they wanted to prove they had chops.

The range, the pacing, the inflection, the restraint: Singers defined themselves by how they interpreted a lyric and how they made the listener feel it. The songs they sung were often covered by many other vocalists of different styles.

Some 210 of the greatest singers of the recorded era are profiled in a mammoth new book. Will Friedwald is the author of A Biographical Guide to the Great Jazz and Pop Singers. In an interview with NPR's Audie Cornish, he says that all the artists he chose to profile deal with the Great American Songbook — the standard repertoire of pop.

http://www.npr.org/2010/12/12/131972175/whether-famous-or-forgotten-they-all-sang-standards

Passing: Vic Lynn, played on all original six NHL teams (CP)

2010-12-10T10:10:00.001-08:00

From Canadian Press through The Hockey News:

SASKATOON - Vic Lynn, the three-time Stanley Cup winner with the Toronto Maple Leafs who played for all of the NHL's Original Six teams, has died. He was 85.

Lynn died Monday in his hometown of Saskatoon.

http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/36941-Vic-Lynn-who-played-on-all-original-six-NHL-teams-dies-in-Saskatoon-at-85.html

A Bypassed Small Town Makes a Visual Statement: Here We Are (NY Times)

2010-12-09T15:09:00.000-08:00

From The New York Times:

By DAN BARRY
Published: December 7, 2010

The highway now bypasses the people of Hooper, Neb. – population 827, more or less – but they refuse to be missed, raising a collective hand with a new sign.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/us/08land.html?_r=1

Also see accompanying slide show: http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/12/07/us/HOOPER.html

The Importance of Po' Boys (CBS News)

2010-12-09T14:50:00.000-08:00

From CBS News:

CBS Sunday Morning
November 21, 2010

The people of New Orleans take their food seriously and no food is taken more seriously than the Po-Boy sandwich. Sunday Morning's Bill Geist went to New Orleans to taste and find out for himself why the Po-Boy sandwich, that has survived challenges like hurricane Katrina and the Gulf oil spill, is so important to the people of New Orleans.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7076082n&tag=cbsnewsSectionsArea.5

Passing: Don Meredith

2010-12-07T08:46:00.000-08:00

From The New York Times:

Cowboys Quarterback and Cosell’s Broadcast Foil.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/07/sports/football/07meredith.html?_r=1&ref=obituaries

Also see a slideshow Remembering Don Meredith @ http://ww.dallas.com

Passing: Gil McDougald, Yankee of the 1950's (NY Times)

2010-12-05T11:05:00.002-08:00

From The New York Times:

By RICHARD GOLDSTEIN
Published: November 29, 2010

Gil McDougald, the Yankees’ versatile All-Star infielder who played on five World Series championship teams died Sunday November 28, 2010 at his home in Wall Township, N.J. He was 82.

Playing with the Yankees for 10 seasons, McDougald was a five-time All-Star and a gifted fielder, appearing mostly at second and third but also at shortstop.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/30/sports/baseball/30mcdougald.html?scp=1&sq=gil%20mcdougald&st=cse

Critics Accuse Group of a Serious Texas Sin: Forgetting the Alamo (NY Times)

2010-12-05T11:05:00.001-08:00

From The New York Times:

By JAMES McKINLEY
Published: December 4, 2010

For 105 years, a private organization of women descended from Texas pioneers has been taking care of the Alamo with very little oversight by the state.

But in the last year members of the group, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, have found themselves besieged and divided. Dissidents have accused the leaders of caring more about building a $36 million library and theater nearby than about preserving the site’s old church and priest’s quarters, the only buildings remaining at the Spanish mission where at least 189 Texan rebels died fighting the Mexican Army in 1836.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/us/05alamo.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=alamo&st=cse

Passing: Ron Santo, Chicago Cubs icon (Chicago Tribune)

2010-12-03T12:38:00.000-08:00

From the Chicago Tribune:

By Paul Sullivan
Tribune reporter

Legendary Chicago Cubs player and broadcaster Ron Santo died Thursday night in Arizona. He was 70.

Friends of Santo's family said the North Side icon lapsed into a coma on Wednesday before dying Thursday. Santo died of complications from bladder cancer, WGN-AM 720 reported.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-ron-santo-chicago-cubs-obit,0,1699814.story

Also see a remembrance by NPR's Scott Simon, a Chicago guy and Cubs fan:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/12/03/131779247/the-cubs-ron-santo-an-inspiring-figure-has-died

Finally, this column, also from the Chi. Tribune: http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/12/rogers-remembering-santo.html

Philly's Spectrum gives way to the wrecking ball (Philadelphia Inqurier)

2010-11-26T08:13:00.000-08:00

By Frank Fitzpatrick

Inquirer Staff Writer

Forty-three years after sporting competition debuted there with Joe Frazier's devastating left hooks, the Spectrum's demolition began Tuesday afternoon with a series of soft jabs to its brick and glass exterior.

Beneath gray skies symbolic of the funereal mood, a crowd of several thousand Philadelphia sports fans - passionate, sentimental and a bit shabby - gathered on the Spectrum's south side to witness both its demolition and the formal goodbyes from some of the graying performers who had starred there.

"It's a sad day," said ex-76ers great Julius Erving, "because some memories will be taken away." That process began at 12:33 p.m. when, more than a year after the South Philadelphia arena formally closed, a four-ton orange wrecking ball began a surprisingly tentative assault on the multipurpose facility once billed as "America's Showplace."

A Comcast-Spectacor official said it would take "four to five months" for the building to be razed. Sometime after that, the first phase of Philly Live, a retail, entertainment and dining development aimed at capitalizing on its proximity to the busy sports complex, will get started.

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/sixers/20101124_Philly_s_Spectrum_gives_way_to_the_wrecking_ball.htm

Also see: http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/flyers/20101124_Bob_Ford__Spectrum_transcended_its_unremarkable_structure.html

On Being Thankful at Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T07:11:00.002-08:00

In a strange way, the continuing economic crisis (yes they tell us that their recession is over - whoever the "they" are - we are still smarting!) has made one even more sensitive to the ways that we are blessed. Somehow, you dig in and dig down. We'll make it through. In the meantime, we gather and express our gratitude for the good things - family, health, the opportunity to make things better.

Happy Thanksgiving, and may you similraly be guided by an authentic sense of thanks (and enjoy the turkey and football).

Here are some of our favorite Thanksgiving features that always manage to put us in the right mood for the day:

* Bob Edwards' Thanksgiving Fantasy Feast (NPR)
Getting ready for Thanksgiving and don't know what to make ?For every Thanksgiving from 1993 until he left NPR a couple of years back, through the miracle of audio editing, Morning Edition host Bob Edwards would create an annual tradition that brought together the creme de la creme of cookery for a fantasy holiday feast. Here is celebrity chef potluck sampling from 2003 featuring Julia Child, Maida Heatter, Paul Prudhomme and Wolfgang Puck -- and one would-be party crasher.This link includes a pair of recipes from the invited gourmet guests -- and a link to the party crasher's recipe.http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=857578

* Charles Kuralt on Thanksgiving In Prairie, Mississippi (You Tube/CBS News)
From You Tube - Originally from CBS News:Charles Kuralt tells the story of the homecoming of 9 children of Alex and Mary Chandler for parents' 50th wedding anniversary and Thanksgiving in 1978. The family remembers the old sharecropper's cabin and lifestyle. From humble beginnings, now all 9 children are college grads.Watch it and be thankful.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adsc6kW1Spk

*Susan Stamberg's Cranberry Relish Tradition (NPR)
From NPR News:Here's another Thanksgiving tradition, courtesy of NPR.Every year since 1971, NPR's Susan Stamberg has managed to sneak on the air her mother-in-law's recipe for cranberry relish. She's sprinkled it into dialogue from movies, tricked celebrities into reading it and even had it put to music. The Thanksgiving tradition continues.http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4175681Mama Stamberg's Cranberry Relish Recipe:http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4176014

In a Spirit of Gratitude & Thanks...

2010-11-25T07:11:00.001-08:00

Simple Gifts from Appalachian Spring
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiLTwtuBi-o

Bing Crosby - "Counting Your Blessings"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DARnIsN2bc

A Thanksgiving Reflection

2010-11-25T07:10:00.000-08:00

This came to us via our friend Sylvia Allen (http://allenconsulting.com). We wanted to share it with you.

More Than A Day

As Thanksgiving Day rolls around,
It brings up some facts, quite profound.
We may think that we're poor,
Feel like bums, insecure,
But in truth, our riches astound.

We have friends and family we love;
We have guidance from heaven above.
We have so much more
Than they sell in a store,
We're wealthy, when push comes to shove.

So add up your blessings, I say;
Make Thanksgiving last more than a day.
Enjoy what you've got;
Realize it's a lot,
And you'll make all your cares go away.

By Karl Fuchs

Happy Thanksgiving !

Aviation pioneers take flight in revamped Smithsonian gallery (USA Today)

2010-11-19T13:11:00.000-08:00

From USA Today:

By Laura Bly, USA TODAY

A newly overhauled gallery at Washington's National Air and Space Museum now includes more than 1,000 objects from the museum's archives, including a jacket Earhart designed for female aviators and Lindbergh's radio receiver, snow shoes and other emergency equipment he took on flights with his wife, Anne.

Other sections feature milestones from military aviation and pioneering black aviators, including the Tuskegee Airmen from World War II. A version of the exhibit on those who broke the color barrier in flight will travel to museums nationally next year.

http://travel.usatoday.com/destinations/dispatches/post/2010/11/smithsonian-air-space-pioneers-of-flight-gallery/131847/1?loc=interstitialskip

'Battle Hymn Of The Republic': The Other National Anthem (NPR News)

2010-11-14T06:30:00.000-08:00

From NPR News (All Things Considered):

November 13, 2010

Next year marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. There is no song that more vividly evokes that conflict than "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."

Julia Ward Howe wrote the famous words "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord" in 1861. Since then, the song's become a kind of second national anthem.

Dominic Tierney, an assistant professor of political science at Swarthmore College, talks about the history of the song — the Elvis and Judy Garland versions, for example — in the new issue of The Atlantic, which is where the poem was originally published in 1862.

http://www.npr.org/2010/11/11/131251777/-battle-hymn-of-the-republic----the-other-national-anthem

In Vermont, Taking the Roads Less Traveled (NY Times)

2010-11-12T09:17:00.000-08:00

From The New York Times:

By CECILIA BOHAN
Published: November 11, 2010

An expedition of mostly Jeeps and Land Rovers with Vermont Overland Guide Services on old roads, many of them cut through the forest by settlers in the 18th century.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/11/12/travel/12trails.html?scp=1&sq=vermont%20nov%2012&st=cse

Passing: Sparky Anderson

2010-11-05T10:19:00.000-07:00

Remembrances from Cincinnati and Detroit.

Cincinnati Enquirer: http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20101104/COL03/311040134/Doc-Sparky-thanks-for-the-memories

Detorit Free Press: http://www.freep.com/article/20101105/COL01/11050468/Losing-Sparky-like-losing-one-of-the-family

As the Boardwalk Is Remade, 9 Fixtures Are Told to Leave (NY Times)

2010-11-05T10:18:00.000-07:00

From The New York Times:

By CHARLES V. BAGLI

Nine longtime Boardwalk tenants, including familiar places like Ruby’s, Shoot the Freak and the Beer Garden, have been told they have 15 days to leave (as of 11-1-10).

Ruby’s, for example, has been a fixture on the Boardwalk since 1934, and the pathway nearby is named after its founder, Ruby Jacob.

“We just heard this devastating news,” Ms. Allman said. “We are a throwback to the past. We make people feel good. To think we’re not going to be part of the new Coney Island is just very sad.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/02/nyregion/02coney.html?ref=nyregion

Italian American Song (WNYC)

2010-11-04T10:21:00.000-07:00

From The Leonard Lopate Show - WNYC:

Mark Rotella talks about the “Italian decade”—the years after WWII when Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, and other Italian voices established their smooth, stylish brand of pop. Amore: The Story of Italian American Song tells the stories behind 40 Italian American classics—from “O Sole Mio” to “Volare” to “I Wonder Why”—and shows how these songs became the soundtrack of postwar America.

http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/2010/oct/25/italian-american-song/

Salem expects a ghastly horde for Halloween (Boston Globe)

2010-10-29T09:36:00.000-07:00

From The Boston Globe:

Posted by Martin Finucane October 29, 2010

A combination of fair weather and Halloween falling on a Sunday should provide a solid two days of what “could be the biggest crowd we’ve ever had,” said Salem Police Captain Brian Gilligan. He said 75,000 to 100,000 people could flock to the city each day.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/10/_salem_police_a.html?p1=Upbox_links

The Original California Cuisine, Courtesy of Sunset Magazine (NY Times)

2010-10-20T10:05:00.000-07:00

From The New York Times:

By KIM SEVERSON
Published: October 19, 2010

Sunset has issued a collection of a thousand recipes, many of which helped define that other California cuisine. Although the magazine is Californian to its core, some of the recipes in “The Sunset Cookbook” (Oxmoor House, $34.95) are drawn from the other parts of the West that Sunset covers, like Hawaii and the Southwest. And any state in America might claim zucchini pickles. But laced throughout are some old-school California dishes like guacamole, grilled turkey, cioppino, barbecued oysters, Crab Louis and fish tacos.

Collectively, they summon a way of life that flourished in the postwar boom, when Sunset was a coffee-table staple.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/20/dining/20sunset.html?hpw

Three Star Selection Change in Montreal (Montreal Gazette)

2010-10-19T06:16:00.001-07:00

From The Montreal Gazette:

by Dave Stubbs
Montreal Gazette

Three-star selection, which began as a marketing tool, now in the hands of the public.

http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/hockey/montreal-canadiens/Canadiens+show+faith+fans/3691948/story.html

Passing: Barbara Billingsley, TV’s June Cleaver (NY Times/LA Times)

2010-10-17T14:35:00.000-07:00

From The New York Times:

By MICHAEL POLLAK
Published: October 16, 2010

Barbara Billingsley, who as June Cleaver on the television series “Leave It to Beaver” personified a Hollywood postwar family ideal of the ever-sweet, ever-helpful suburban stay-at-home mom, died Saturday (October 16). She was 94.

From 1957 to 1963 and in decades of reruns, the glamorous June, who wore pearls and high heels at home, could be counted on to help her husband, Ward (Hugh Beaumont), get their son Theodore, better known as Beaver (Jerry Mathers), and his older brother, Wally (Tony Dow), out of countless minor jams, whether an alligator in the basement or a horse in the garage.

Baking a steady supply of cookies, she would use motherly intuition to sound the alarm about incipient trouble (“Ward, I’m worried about the Beaver”) in their immaculate, airy house in the fictional town of Mayfield.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/arts/television/17billingsley.html?_r=1&src=ISMR_HP_LO_MST_FB

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-barbara-billingsley-20101017,0,7345907.story?page=1

Video of interview with Barbara Billingsley: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4j1dGrdo4E&p=F6C16EE8E49E8051&playnext=2

Podcast Posting: The Man They Called Mr. Goalie

2010-10-15T05:42:00.000-07:00

With 11 All-Star team selections, three Vezina trophies, a Conn Smythe trophy, a Calder Memorial trophy and the invention of the butterfly style of goaltending to hsi name, Glenn Hall is among the premier contenders as best goaltender in National Hockey League history.

Hockey coach, and writer Tom Adrahatas has made a case that Glenn Hall is, in fact, the number one goaltender of all time.

He did so in a 2002 book “Glenn Hall – The Man They Call Mr. Goalie” Greystone Books). He is also did so with us in this “Journey into Hockey” conversation.From Detroit to Chicago to St. Louis, Glenn Hall made a difference where he played. He established a remarkable and still unbroken record of 502 consecutive games played. And that’s just for starters.

Tom Adrahatas is coached for some three decades – including teams that went to the U.S. National Championships at the Bantam AAA, Midget AAA, and Junior A levels. A longtime fan of the Chicago Black Hawks and Glenn Hall, he lives in Chicago.

At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=507

Podcast Posting: The Trail Less Traveled - The Yukon's Dawson City to Ottawa Stanley Cup Re-enactment

2010-10-15T05:39:00.000-07:00

On December 18, 1904 the upstart Dawson City Klondikers began their 4000-mile trek to wrest the Stanley Cup from the Ottawa Silver Seven. Twenty-four days later, after trudging 350 miles behind their dog teams, lurching and rolling down the inside passage, and whiling away endless days on the CPR, the rubber-legged, travel-worn players staggered into Ottawa’s Union Station. In less than thirty-six hours they would meet their fate against the greatest hockey team ever assembled, creating the most enduring legend in hockey history.

Ninety-two years later a team of oldtimer hockey players from Dawson City re-created that epic journey, inviting Don Reddick, American author of Dawson City Seven, to accompany them. As the team wends its way once again through the Yukon wilderness, down Alaska’s panhandle, and across the vast Canadian shield to face the Ottawa Senators Alumni, Reddick weaves his way through the history of the original games, the backdrop of the Klondike gold rush, and the characters of today’s Yukon.

Author Den Reddick tells the story of his trip as part of the re-enactment.

At:http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=503

Baseball as seen from Minnesota

2010-10-11T09:32:00.000-07:00

The Twins may be out but the fresh air from Minnesota can still be felt. Read these takes from the New York Times on baseball the way it should be.

Lovely in Twin Cities, With Usual Fall: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/08/sports/baseball/08vecsey.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=minnesota%20george%20vecsey&st=cse

Keillor, Twins Fan, Knows Not To Fret
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/sports/baseball/10twins.html?scp=2&sq=garrison%20keillor&st=cse