Appreciating all that makes America special

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Sports: Arthur Ashe

Posted by on Dec 28, 2010 in Sports | 1 comment

  Richmond, Virginia’s Arthur Ashe knew the highest highs and the lowest lows in his too-brief lifetime. He won three of Grand...

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Album: "Are You Experienced"

Posted by on Dec 27, 2010 in Music | Comments Off on Album: "Are You Experienced"

You know that feeling you get when you hear unknown music and you think, Wow. This changes everything. That’s the reaction I had upon...

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Travel: Central Park

Posted by on Dec 26, 2010 in Travel | Comments Off on Travel: Central Park

  When Central Park was established back in 1857, New York City’s population had begun to move northward from the downtown area....

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Film: It’s a Wonderful Life

Posted by on Dec 25, 2010 in Film | Comments Off on Film: It’s a Wonderful Life

  (Originally posted December 1, 2009) This movie is shown on TV at Christmas, but it’s not really a Christmas movie. It just...

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Film: Miracle on 34th Street

Posted by on Dec 24, 2010 in Film | Comments Off on Film: Miracle on 34th Street

  Does Santa Claus really exist? Edmund Gwenn has made believers out of generations of movie lovers thanks to his performance as Kris...

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Album: "A Charlie Brown Christmas" Soundtrack

Posted by on Dec 23, 2010 in Holiday, Music | Comments Off on Album: "A Charlie Brown Christmas" Soundtrack

Even today, it doesn’t seem like a natural fit for a jazz soundtrack to accompany an animated Christmas show. Certainly the...

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Americana: Macy’s New York

Posted by on Dec 22, 2010 in Americana | 1 comment

  Not many retail establishments can trace their roots back before the Civil War. But R.H. Macy opened his eponymous store at the...

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Book: Ender's Game

Posted by on Dec 21, 2010 in The Arts | 2 comments

I have to admit up front that I’m not personally a big fan of science fiction. Never have been. My brother, on the other hand, began...

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Song: "White Christmas"

Posted by on Dec 20, 2010 in Holiday, Songs | 1 comment

My favorite Christmas album in my childhood was Bing Crosby’s Merry Christmas, which was released as an LP in 1949 and has never...

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Kid Stuff: Lionel Trains

Posted by on Dec 19, 2010 in Holiday, Kids Stuff | 2 comments

For many families of the 1940s and 1950s, a Christmas tree wasn’t complete without a Lionel train set encircling it. This...

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