Memorial Day: when we remember all of the men who died valiantly for our country; when summer unofficially begins; and when we can wear white again. It was once called Decoration Day and was enacted to remember the soldiers who died during the Civil War, but was extended to those who died during WWI.

Decorating graves was a widespread practice in the North after the Civil War. In 1882 the name was switched to Memorial Day to remember, rather than simply decorate. Today the holiday is celebrated on the last Monday in May, which means that most of us don’t have to go to work today. But for those who do, take heart. You are doing yourself a service by working hard when the other schlemiels are hitting the beach on their boats and kicking sand and drinking Coronas. Soon you can join them, if you didn’t this weekend.

The Indianapolis 500 is this weekend, and has been since 1911. Now that summer is here everyone is happy and tan. People love going to the beach, being lazy and doing all kinds of relaxing summery things. Sure it gets hot, but that’s why we don’t work as hard. Summer Fridays, when you get out at 2? Yeah, that’s right. I love summer, and thus Memorial Day.

So I Google searched “What is excess partying” to see whether I can classify myself as a partyholic and Google turned up a search about farting. (more…)

I’m from Portland. (more…)

My favorite April Fools Day prank is the old, “My cat died.” (more…)

Because it’s cold. Duh.

And while that didn’t stop the millions of folks who lived there during the 20th century, the demographics of the city have changed. The auto industry ain’t what it used to be. But more than that, there aren’t the communities of immigrants who found it safe to be with their people. Greeks, Jews, Lebanese, Eastern Europeans – the place was a hotbed of diversity, a little New York. Today, however, two thirds of the metro area’s population is black. And more than a third of the city’s residents live below the poverty line. The burbs just outside remain affluent. What does that leave Detroit? Poor, shrinking and of largely of a single culture. Who would want to live there?

Hipsters. Because it’s cheap. But Detroit is large – Boston, San Fran and Manhattan could fit in the city limits. And that means that even if over the next 20 years tons of hipsters recreate the American dream in Detroit, they’re going to have to rezone the city to make it feel cozier. Because chances are Detroit will never be the fourth largest city in the country again. The country has expanded and people have realized that they can live in really nice weather, with other people. So while Detroit may not die, it’s safe to say it’s glory days are over.

The Kansas City Star is a famed newspaper. It has a long history and today is being widely searched for on Google as the Jayhawks mourn their upset by Virginia Commonwealth.

It all started in 1880 when it was called The Kansas City Evening Star. Back in 1902, Harry Truman worked in the mailroom for a few weeks. He joked in 1950 that “If the Star is at all mentioned in history, it will be because the President of the U.S. worked there for a few weeks in 1901.”

In 1917 a young Ernest Hemingway learned how to write with this  newspaper. He continued to refer to the rules by which he learned to write for the rest of his career: “Use short sentences. Use short first paragraphs. Use vigorous English. Be positive, not negative.” Some other guidelines from the 1915 style guide: “Both simplicity and good taste suggest house rather than residence, and lives rather than resides,” and “Say “She was born in Ireland and came to Jackson County in 1874,” not “but came to Jackson County.” She didn’t come here to make amends for being born in Ireland. This is common abuse of the conjunction.”  It is easy to see how Hemingway cultivated his style from these guidelines. He eventually won a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954.

The Star has received eight Pulitzer Prizes in its history.

Roight, so I’m going away to Londontown tonight, here Fat Tuesday, and as our neighbors across the Channel say, “Laissez les bon temps rouler.” (more…)

Ah the first Friday in March is here and that means it’s Employee Appreciation Day. (more…)

Today Texas celebrates its 175th birthday. (more…)

The Oscars this year were kind of like the Golden Globes – shorter, baser, and unsurprising in terms of awards. (more…)