Tag Archives: United States
The U.S. School Yearbook Posted by Gary Locke on Feb 7, 2019
Schools, colleges, and universities throughout the United States create academic yearbooks. They document the school year, highlighting the accomplishments and campus life of all students and not exclusively graduating seniors. Generally, these annual collections of photos and short essays are considered journalistic endeavors. Indeed, most high school and college yearbooks are assembled by students in…
Speaking of Walls Posted by Gary Locke on Jan 9, 2019
We’re hearing a lot about walls these days. The President of the US wants one built along the southern border with Mexico, Congress doesn’t. Some days they substitute the word fence, but the meaning doesn’t change very much. It may be the single most controversial topic in the English-speaking world right now. Walls have also…
Explaining the U.S. Midterms Posted by Gary Locke on Nov 8, 2018
Every two years, on the first Tuesday following November 1st, elections are held in all 50 of the United States. This is when citizens of those states decide who will serve in the US House of Representatives. They also vote for other candidates and on various state matters and proposals affecting the electorate. Since every state…
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…
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…
When Western is a Noun Posted by Gary Locke on Sep 13, 2018
“It’s Americana, it’s part of our history, the cowboy, the cattle drive, the sheriff, the fight for law, order, and justice.” Clayton Moore, the actor who portrayed The Lone Ranger, on Westerns. Western is a word most commonly used as an adjective to describe either a direction or some characteristic representative of the US or…
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…