At least two of my VOA colleagues are all a-tizzy, in a scholarly sort of way, about the “Rio+20” conference coming next week in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It will mark the 20th anniversary of the historic United Nations Conference on Environment and Development — now commonly called the “Earth Summit.” There, thousands and thousands […]
Mostly Cloudy About the Cloud
Posted October 3rd, 2011 at 12:43 pm (UTC-4)
Everyone who railed at me for writing about something I know little about when I spouted off about Algebra II courses in school, sharpen the computer equivalent of your pencils. Every weekday morning when I fight with the alarm clock, I awaken to our local all-news station as well as a little sports talk, seeking […]
ALS Conquers, but Does Not Diminish, All
Posted September 27th, 2011 at 7:34 pm (UTC-4)
This is the story of a remarkable, and I mean remarkable, man named O.J. Brigance. I will take some time to introduce him so that you fully grasp the enormity of the battle he is fighting. His enemy, vile and always victorious, is ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the cruel agent of death that took […]
We’re Not in Mississippi Any More
Posted May 4th, 2011 at 2:22 pm (UTC-4)
You may know the charming story of Dorothy, the Kansas farm girl who, with her cute little Cairn terrier Toto, was picked up by a howling tornado and transported to a magical land in Frank Baum’s book The Wizard of Oz, and in an even better-known movie. Astonished by their new surroundings amid little people […]
Mama — and Papa — Grizzlies
Posted January 31st, 2011 at 6:40 pm (UTC-4)
Most likely, I don’t have to tell you who Sarah Palin is. The former Alaska governor and unsuccessful 2008 U.S. vice-presidential candidate, who is now a prominent voice in the conservative Tea Party movement, is one of America’s most famous — and controversial – women. Sorry, I just told you who Sarah Palin is. Some […]
Only in America: Quack, Quack!
Posted November 22nd, 2010 at 3:11 pm (UTC-4)
Let’s talk museums. Not the artsy kind we so often cover. Not the Smithsonian Institution’s many museums in Washington, or the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. I’m talking strange museums. You see, Americans may be unique in saving and displaying all kinds of unusual, even useless, items in tiny collections devoted to just […]
