By Debra J. White I grew up in New York City during the Cold War era. The city was packed with multi-level department stores that stocked clothing, furniture, toys, linens, hats, appliances and more. There was free gift wrapping and complimentary boxes. Some NYC department stores like Bloomingdale’s were high end for the upscale shopper. … Continue reading Shopping Memories
The Hen or the Egg, Which Existed First?
By Joshua Ibirogba Before my mother thought to put diapers on me as an infant, she had put waist beads on this infant. She held me up like a trophy, it was fair she took my loud cries as a consent to the adorning—that is all babies ever do, isn't it? I am African, so … Continue reading The Hen or the Egg, Which Existed First?
Sun Tzu and Entertainment: Strawberry Panic’s Etoile Competition
By Andrew Nickerson Throughout history, Sun Tzu’s The Art of War has been used to explain numerous different outcome types. Battlefields, sports competitions, politics, and even business dealings have been analyzed/dissected via this legendary master of tactics and strategy. However, there’s one realm of reality that hasn’t been broached with this type of analysis until … Continue reading Sun Tzu and Entertainment: Strawberry Panic’s Etoile Competition
Birthday Surprises
By Roger Funston I’m watching traditional German folk dancing on my 70th birthday today (May 5, 2024) at a German social club in Sacramento, California. Men and women in traditional German garb perform the Maypole Dance. We arrive at the opening, spy an amazing display of desserts laid out on a table and go directly … Continue reading Birthday Surprises
I Felt it in My Blood
By Lennox Shuppe I remember my great grandmother, Maude, collecting things. She went to flea markets in rural Oklahoma, coming home with little treasures that she squirreled away. Her home smelled of cinnamon, sage, and old books. The ground was neatly swept cement in her tiny little home on the Cherokee reservation. As you walked … Continue reading I Felt it in My Blood
Sun Tzu and Entertainment: Evan Almighty’s Flood
By Andrew Nickerson When it comes to endurance, only a handful of classics can boast of having truly stood the test of time. One of those is Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, which has stood as the tactics/strategy manual by which others are measured by for 2,000 years, namely because of its commonsense approach … Continue reading Sun Tzu and Entertainment: Evan Almighty’s Flood
Brain Silence
By Danielle Evans-Cole Those nagging, spinning, twirling thoughts in your head that weave around in and out of your consciousness. Like an invasive weed sprouting up in your synapses twisting around them. The… Should you be worried about that new knocking sound in your car … leads to the time your boyfriend’s car overheated on … Continue reading Brain Silence
Where Beauty Meets Peace
By Noeline Ann Anthony The blazing light of the sun somehow manages to splash some paint into the ocean and turns it into a rippling blanket of jewel blue. The ocean turns blue boldly for a touch of drama with the support of the atmosphere to show its purity. Not only does it stretch to … Continue reading Where Beauty Meets Peace
Flop Era
By Savannah Sisk We’ve all seen those videos on our For You Pages: “hey, girlies! Welcome to my TikTok on how to get out of your flop era.” The last two words are spat with such disdain you actually frown at your phone. Am I in my flop era? You wonder. I have been laying … Continue reading Flop Era
Sun Tzu and Entertainment: The Magnificent Kotobuki’s Heavy Bomber’s Raid
By Andrew Nickerson Throughout history, it’s hard to find a tactical/strategic manual anywhere near as influential as The Art of War by Sun Tzu. This 2,000-year-old manuscript differs from virtually all others on its premise alone: how to win. It then lays out the means of victory in simple, common-sense principles, an approach so effective … Continue reading Sun Tzu and Entertainment: The Magnificent Kotobuki’s Heavy Bomber’s Raid
