Dreams important to healthy life
July 31, 2012
I want to take some time with this column to give a few words of encouragement to the students at UT, because they don't hear them much.
When I was in fourth grade, I wanted to trade on the stock exchange. That was my dream job. In fourth grade ...
Olympics call for American apparel
July 24, 2012
Ralph Lauren had the U.S. Olympic Opening Ceremony uniforms made in China. So now there's another thing we have to worry about.
The discussion is going back and forth relentlessly. Many Americans are outraged, including political officials, because, well, they're political officials, and this is an issue ...
Diners big part of American culture
July 17, 2012
What is it about the diner that has infatuated Americans for decades? What is it about the stale coffee that sits on the burner for hours that keeps us coming back for cup after cup? What is it about the grease-and-sweat-stained griddle tops on which fat fry cooks sear everything ...
Concept of art not found concrete
July 10, 2012
A while ago at Nashville’s Frist Center for the Visual Arts, my girlfriend and I overheard a group of people discussing a piece of abstract art that was part of the current exhibit. They wondered aloud what the random combination of colors meant. One said she thought it had ...
Olympics fails at lasting impression
July 03, 2012
For a couple weeks in July and August, Americans will engross themselves in the Olympic Games. Hard men who drink only domestic pilsners will follow synchronized swimming, they will cheer for Danell Leyva (men's gymnastics) and Julie Zetlin (rhythmic gymnastics), and they will be collectively outraged when judges call ...
Bleak, obese future in store for U.S.
June 26, 2012
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to ban supersize soda cups and limit most sugary beverages to 16 ounces. Rasmussen Reports did a national telephone survey regarding the ban, which may take effect March 2013.
Here are the straight facts of the survey results:
The survey found that 65 ...
Dreams, stories go beyond fiction
June 19, 2012
In John Gardner's "The Art of Fiction," Gardner tells us that Isak Dinesen ("Out of Africa," "Babette's Feast," "Seven Gothic Tales") begins one of her tales with the following: "After the death of his master Leonidas, Angelino Santasillia resolved that he would never again sleep. Will the narrator ...
Fooding offers unfettered cuisine
June 12, 2012
In 2009, John Colapinto interviewed a food inspector who worked for the Michelin Guide, an annual guide book that rates restaurants, for an article in The New Yorker. It was the first time Michelin had ever allowed an inspector to be interviewed. The inspector did not disclose her name.
I ...
Man, dog relationship complicated
June 05, 2012
The relationship between dog and human surpasses all other animal-human relationships. Cat lovers will take issue with this, and let's go ahead and set aside parasitic relationships — neither of those is healthy.
Owning a dog has become a lifestyle, with different lifestyles possible depending on the type of dog ...
