I love eating, and I love cooking. But not all food is good, and some cookbooks and/or recipes leave a lot to be desired! Today’s FamilyFirst pick pays homage to bad cookbooks and recipes from the past. It’s called The Gallery of Regrettable Food. Here’s their mission: What were they thinking? How did they eat…
The art of the insult has been largely lost. Once upon a time, a well-placed insult was a social grace. The insultee felt honored at receiving such a barb. Example: an angry woman once told Sir Winston Churchill “If you were my husband, I’d give you poison!” Churchill’s reply: “If you were my wife, I’d…
My name is a venerable Norwegian one. That means that I likely have Viking blood coursing through my veins. The only pillaging I do these days is sneaking a cup of coffee from the adjoining department’s urn when my own pot is still brewing. But such a conquest might possibly elicit a loud cry of…
Well, it’s time to pay homage to a commercial site out to make a buck. There’s certainly nothing wrong with plying one’s trade online, especially if it’s an innovative new way to do things. Today’s FamilyFirst pick is that of such a business. It’s called Custom Signs Now. What makes them innovative? This: Their signs…
Once upon a time, the television was a newfangled, expensive gadget. By the 1950’s, most homes in America had TV’s, and the prerequisite rooftop antennae, as well. The televisions were black-and-white, of course. A color TV in the 50’s cost as much as a 72″ plasma would today. But television back then had its own…
Ah, growing up in the 70’s. We had all sorts of innovations that were earthshaking in nature. For example, we grew up with handheld games that involved putting little metal balls in various holes on a tiny gameboard. Or perhaps we had plastic pinball games. But in 1974, Mattel released Auto Race. It was the…
As I write this piece, it’s Saturday morning, and I’m enjoying my traditional cup of French roast black. One of the qualities that make us true individuals is how we take our coffee. I’ve always felt that a good cup of coffee doesn’t need cream or sugar. Coffee is a huge part of our lives….
Well, as a card-carrying member of the Baby Boomers, it’s time for me to pay homage to my fellow middle-aged youths (and throw in a teaser for a website I’m developing in the process). What constitutes a Boomer? Opinions vary, but Wikipedia defines the Boomer generation as running from 1945 to the start of the…
It’s amazing how many FamilyFirst picks are (a) musical in nature and (b) influenced by what I happen to be listening to at the time. Today, driving home from work, I was blasting a best-of by The Animals. As I listened to the music, it struck me as amazing that the incredible bluesy rock and…
There have been many, many voices on the landscape of great rock and roll music. Many have shone brightly for just a bit, then vanished. Sadly, a few have endured because the promotion, or the hook, far outweighed the actual talent. But a few voices are recognized as classic, timeless, and greatly influential on later…