The “College Admissions Scandal,” which broke in March 2019, galvanized the nation’s interest. The scandal involved parents paying illegal bribes to gain admission for their children to prestigious universities. The fact that some well-known celebrities were arrested in the FBI investigation, code-named “Operation Varsity Blues,” attracted widespread attention. What has attracted less attention is that
Moon Dimple, my back-home pal, recently called me. When I answered, he asked, “How’s it goin,’ sexy?” “Fine,” I answered. “But why are you calling me sexy?” “Because you were raised in the U.P. like me, of course. Didn’t you hear the news?” “Apparently not.” “Some big survey said the Yooper accent is the 14th
What comes to mind when hearing or reading the words “afternoon tea?” Is it crisp, white tablecloths and delicate, bone china dishes, scones and jams and pinkies sticking out just so? Is it something more casual, perhaps? Just cups of hot brew with a little cream, shared at a table to help keep your eyes
Americans love their burgers and May officially kicks off grilling season. You can celebrate National Hamburger Month with a backyard barbecue, try a different burger at your favorite place or perhaps read about the history of the hamburger! Random Burger Facts Biggest Burger You want big? The world’s largest commercially sold burger is a
Not too long ago, we visited Toronto, and the trip forced me to reflect on the lack of widespread, usable public transit in the United States … and how much easier it would be to cart my kid around if we had it. Unless you live in one of the few cities with easy-to-use,
In December 2017, President Trump and his republican-held Congress passed a sweeping corporate tax reform bill lowering the corporate tax rate from 35% to just 21%*. This is a permanent decrease of corporate taxation that will remain in place until both houses of Congress pass a bill to increase it. They also cut income taxes
“A mother is the person you can always call to find out how long chicken lasts in the fridge.” When I saw this quote on the internet, I stared at it for a solid ten minutes, smiling. I was trying to count how many different food spoilage questions I called my mother with over
In the 2018 election, fixing the roads was the top issue for Michigan voters. Certainly, the roads are in rough shape, though how rough depends on the type of road. Seventy-five percent of the state roads – roads with an I, U.S., or M-designation – are rated as being in “fair” or “good” condition.
As the movie season at the Flint Institute of Arts winds down (and it does every spring), it takes time to catch up on some of the Academy Award-nominated work that you might have missed in commercial theaters or via streaming services. Museum visitors in May will have the opportunity to experience Oscar-finalist emoting by
The best moment of the past month was seeing the first-ever image of an actual black hole 55 million light years away. How amazing was that? That’s the kind of thing that restores my faith in humanity. We can be really, really smart and cool when we want to be. One news report described
When my daughter, Melissa, announced that she was expecting for the fourth time, I knew – I just knew – it was going to be a sweet, precious little baby girl, especially since she already had three boys. I was so sure about it in fact, that the night they came over for dinner
Ever since I started working, April 15th has meant only one thing to me: Tax Day. Taxes are not fun. I am tired of allowing something so un-fun to take over an entire day of the year in my psyche. You may wonder what the heck could possibly occupy that space in the deep recesses
