Tag Archives: American culture
TV Commercials and American Culture Posted by Gary Locke on Nov 1, 2018
Television advertising has a powerful effect on American culture. Slogans become part of daily conversation. Characters in commercials are as relatable as family members. It has been like this for decades, but there’s a palpable sense that commercials are now more important to our daily lives than ever before. All this is coming at a…
Tracing Family History Posted by Gary Locke on Oct 25, 2018
US President Donald Trump has had a long-standing feud with Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren over her claims of having a Native American heritage. For years he has derisively called her “Pocahontas”, a reference to the Powhatan woman who famously saved settler John Smith from execution at the Jamestown colony. That selfless act may have been a…
The Invasion from Mars Posted by Gary Locke on Oct 18, 2018
Eighty years ago, on the night of October 30, 1938, millions of Americans believed that Earth was being invaded by creatures from the planet Mars. It was the result of a radio show produced on CBS by the Mercury Theater Players under the direction of Orson Welles. The nature of the program caused widespread pockets…
Public Broadcasting in the U.S. Posted by Gary Locke on Oct 4, 2018
Broadcasting in the United States is widespread and highly competitive. There are an estimated 1700+ television stations and over 15,000 radio stations! There are networks for almost any interest, from California wine to CrossFit. Most of these are commercially owned and operated, meaning that they exist to make a profit. There are also, however, many…
5 Westerns You Must See Posted by Gary Locke on Sep 20, 2018
Notice that I didn’t say that these are the best Westerns. There are thousands of Westerns made by filmmakers over the decades, and I certainly haven’t seen them all. Many, in fact, have been lost forever to the vagaries of time. Still, I have seen quite a few Westerns, and I have a deep love…
Old Dictionary, New Words Posted by Gary Locke on Sep 6, 2018
As you know, the English language is an evolving, ever-changing construct. The words we speak and write can change in meaning, become forgotten, or morph into something quite different. This is one of the reasons that language, and linguistics, is such a challenging discipline. Merriam-Webster Dictionary, one of the leading resources for English in the…
Sleepless in America Posted by Gary Locke on Aug 23, 2018
Americans are not getting enough sleep, and that presents an economic, health, and social crisis for the entire country. Studies show that lack of sleep contributes to obesity, poor performance in work and school, and unhealthy lifestyle choices. In the United States, this adds up to a stunning economic cost in lost productivity and health…