Tag Archives: United States
Tornadoes, An American Phenomenon Posted by Gary Locke on May 31, 2019
The United States experiences more tornados than any other country. Virtually all 50 states have reported tornado damage. With an annual average of over 1200 tornadoes, we see more than twice the number of Canada and more than four times the number in all of western Europe. More importantly, the U.S. is subject to far…
Native American Flowers Posted by Gary Locke on May 23, 2019
Honestly, late May into June is my favorite time of the year here in New England. The birds are back, I get to pull out my lighter weight clothing, and everywhere I look it’s green spattered with the colors of plants and flowers which have been dormant for months. It’s a time of renewal and…
The Vaccination Vexation Posted by Gary Locke on May 2, 2019
The US Center for Disease Control has announced that measles, one of the most contagious diseases in the world, is at a twenty-five-year high. It is this nation’s highest total since 1994, with eight full months to go in the year. Today, as I write this, a cruise ship has been quarantined because of an…
Code-Switching in the US Posted by Gary Locke on Apr 18, 2019
The very controversial New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was recently accused of mimicking African Americans during a speech. She tossed in a few words from black urban culture and phrased some of her language in a manner unlike her common way of speaking. Many thought that she was misappropriating Black English and that it was…
What is Country Music? Posted by Gary Locke on Apr 11, 2019
If you are a music fan in the United States, or many other places in the world, you have likely heard of the Billboard charts. This is a weekly tabulation of the popularity of songs in a variety of genres, or styles. These lists are compiled by Billboard Magazine and its online presence, Billboard Biz…
The College Admission Scandal Posted by Gary Locke on Mar 14, 2019
In early 2018 an investigation involving stock market fraud led the FBI to a criminal who offered to cooperate with their case in exchange for a reduced prison sentence. In interviews, he mentioned something about a soccer coach who offered to get his daughter into Yale University for $45,000. One year later, the biggest scandal…
U. S. Mail and Delivery Today Posted by Gary Locke on Mar 7, 2019
A week ago I learned that it costs a little more to send a letter than it did a couple of months ago. Many people I know had no idea that there had been an increase. Not so long ago, if the US Postal Service wanted to increase their rates there would have been…