Monkeys, Riding Dogs, Herding Sheep
I will never forget that day in 2002 when sportswriter Matt Coffey came up to me and said these magical words: “monkeys, riding dogs, herding sheep.”
I just stared at him.
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Yes Virginia, Even Santa…
A Santa waits to use the men’s restroom in the crowded Blitz bar in the Pearl District in downtown Portland, Ore.
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Pond Hockey – Back to the Basics
Long before indoor ice rinks, arenas and zambonis the Navajo Indians played a game called shinny on frozen ponds and lakes. In recent years, ice hockey enthusiasts have returned to the roots of the modern game, and pond hockey clubs have popped up in places like Trissel’s Pond off of Cooks Creek Road in Rockingham County, Va.
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Two Strangers Walk Into A Bar…
While visiting my family in Pennsylvania for the Thanksgiving holiday this year, my wife and I took a drive around Beaver County, Pa. Everything was familiar to me considering that my family is originally from the area, and I have lived there for short periods of time through the years.
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A Gathering Storm
The nation’s capital is almost always in the grip of some sort of political turmoil. It’s not surprising given that the U.S. Constitution is designed to create conflict between the executive and legislative branches of government.
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Toe-to-Toe with Smokin’ Joe
I never imagined being in a boxing ring with a heavyweight champion, but in the fall of 2007, I found myself in the ring with one of the most well-known boxers of them all, Joe Frazier.
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Committed to Equal Rights
When the Supreme Court of California ruled on May 15, 2008, that same-sex marriage was legal in the state, I was jubilant because my gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender friends were finally free to marry, if they chose. But my joy was short-lived.
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Drag Racing in the District
The runway stretches for 2 blocks and thousands of spectators line the street in anticipation for the show. Although the annual High Heel Drag Queen Race in Washington, D.C., is billed as a race, it is really more of a two-hour drag queen fashion show with a mad dash in heels at the end.
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Steve Jobs 1955-2011
When I was a teenager in the 1970s, I was fascinated by computers. They were cool and mysterious. Well, at least to me. I was so captivated by them and their possibilities, in fact, that I enrolled in college to study computer science.
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The Deer Hunter
The American deer hunter. Most likely male, white, conservative.
Sincere in his belief that his avocation is a noble and necessary tradition. He appears to be driven by a force, an instinct suggesting a fierce atavism in his makeup. Yet there is a serenity in the hunt … in the hunter.
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The Cowboy Way
If you ever attend a rodeo and have an opportunity to interact with some of the cowboys there, one thing will stand out instantly.
These are some of the most friendly, down to earth and polite people you would ever want to meet. You immediately sense that they have a keen understanding of who they are and what they are about as human beings.
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Unknown Circumstance
On my way to dinner during a recent visit to New York City, I passed a man sitting in the doorway of a church.
Reflecting back on the moment, I recall that he appeared to be a businessman dressed in nice slacks and a button-down shirt. Beside him in the doorway was a travel bag and a small folding luggage cart. He seemed to be just sitting there waiting for someone.
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American Troubadour
Arlo Guthrie is a natural born storyteller.
Attending an Arlo Guthrie concert is about more than just listening to somebody sing. It’s about keeping American folk culture alive.
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