Category Archives: Books

Randy Parker

Posted on December 29, 2017 by vanbytheriver

Am I the only one concerned about what happened to Randy ? As the younger brother of Ralphie Parker in “A Christmas Story”, Randy clearly had a troubled childhood. He was often shown hiding under kitchen cabinets, worried about the … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Education, Entertainment, Family, Food, Humor, Movies, Nature, News | Tagged , | 80 Comments

In Heavenly Peace

Posted on December 22, 2017 by vanbytheriver

  On December 16, thousands of volunteers placed Christmas wreaths  on almost 250,000 graves at Arlington National Cemetery. In 1992, Morrill Worcester of Maine donated a surplus of wreaths to Arlington in remembrance of a visit to Washington DC that … Continue reading →

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Move Over, Rose

Posted on December 1, 2017 by vanbytheriver

For the 20 years since the release of the Oscar winning film Titanic, folks have been asking the same question. If Rose had moved over, could Jack have fit onto that piece of wood and been saved from a tragic … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Beauty, Books, Education, Entertainment, Movies, News, Technology | Tagged , , | 76 Comments

Goosebumps

Posted on November 27, 2017 by vanbytheriver

If you react to certain kinds of music with goosebumps, you have a unique brain. You may have a wider, richer range of emotions. Those who get chills from music have structural differences in the brain, namely “a higher volume … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Education, Entertainment, Music, News, Technology | Tagged , , | 75 Comments

Wookin’ Pa Nub

Posted on November 12, 2017 by vanbytheriver

With internet access, it is easy to verify song lyrics. It might just be taking away the mystery, and a bit of fun. When artists created their LP (Long Playing) record albums in the past, they would often include printed … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Education, Entertainment, Humor, Music, Writing | Tagged , , | 58 Comments

Chicken and Egg

Posted on November 9, 2017 by vanbytheriver

Chick-Fil-A is taking on the role of Sam-I-Am. They want us to believe that it is okay to eat chicken and eggs for breakfast. Together. When they opened a new store in the area near my work, they brought us … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Education, Entertainment, Food, Humor, Nature, News | Tagged , , | 42 Comments

Toys “Were” Us

Posted on November 3, 2017 by vanbytheriver

Cabbage Patch Doll. 1983. Teddy Ruxpin. 1995. Tickle Me Elmo. 1996. Furby. 1998. Pokemon. 1999. Nintendo, XBox, Playstation. Forever. These are just a few of the toys that made us lose our mind. Marketing strategies stirred up popularity, kids begged … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Education, Entertainment, Fashion, Movies, News, Technology | Tagged , , | 77 Comments

Nevermore

Posted on October 30, 2017 by vanbytheriver

I had a Halloween encounter today. With a raven. A pair of these huge beauties have been hanging around my neighborhood all summer. I thought they were crows. Until today. Crows have a different shaped tail, and travel in larger … Continue reading →

Posted in Beauty, Books, Education, Entertainment, Nature, News, Photography | Tagged , , | 80 Comments

The Million Dollar Tip

Posted on October 25, 2017 by vanbytheriver

He didn’t have change to tip the courier who brought a message to his Tokyo hotel room. So Albert Einstein wrote him a brief note on hotel stationery, telling him it might be of some value later. The 1922 message … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Education, Entertainment, History, News, Technology, Writing | Tagged , , | 61 Comments

Me Too ?

Posted on October 19, 2017 by vanbytheriver

There is a form of collective PTSD that has emerged from the Twitter campaign started by actress Alyssa Milano, #Me Too. Millions of women and many men have responded. It is not just about Hollywood’s casting couch culture. My Facebook … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Education, Entertainment, News, Technology, Writing | Tagged , , | 57 Comments