Reflections on music, movies, TV, sports, American History, and other stuff.

James Dean's ultra cool 1949 Mercury used in his film "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955).  Dean was a great influence to teenagers...

Photo from c. 1940 of gas for 20.5 cents a gallon.  Apparently the station owner was receiving flack about his price so he broke it down s...

(Left:  Yes, they are waiting in line to buy an iPad) I forget who said it and I am too lazy to check but it may have been Jefferson (...

                                                                                          Probably the most read column I have done sinc...

Recently my wife and I decided to stop by a restaurant in north Scottsdale that we have patronized for years.  When the place was built ab...

I want to thank everyone who has followed me from Plugged-in Scottsdale to my Blogspot blog.  Although this blog is new to many of you, I ha...

I’M GLAD I DON’T SMOKE  When I was growing up in the 1950s the cars were big, the food was fatty with large portions, Milton Berle and...

My wife and I have been involved in the grocery business for years.  While in college in the 1960’s, she was a checker for Kroger’s and ...

Being an ex-salesman, I can appreciate a recent column by business writer Harvey MacKay.  Mackay knows his way around the business wor...

The grocery store business has changed a lot in Phoenix over the years.  J. B. Bayless markets started in1917 and grew to 18 stores before ...

I'm glad I am not out beating the bushes looking for a job. It's highly competitive today and you better know all there is to know a...

Recently I was invited to tour Sheriff Joe’s Tent City prison facility on West Durango in Phoenix. It is internationally known for its priso...

I used to love the holidays when I was in college or in the Air Force. While in the Air Force I usually took leave for the holidays and in c...

Last night I dusted off my DVD of Miracle on 34th Street (1947) to give it its yearly viewing. Of the three greatest Christmas films I have...

Scottsdale, Arizona Mayor Jim Lane commented recently about a new city ordinance concerning littering that could hit downtown violators wit...

Robert Robb of the Arizona Republic newspaper wrote an interesting column on December 9. He quoted Obama’s usual oration about how the midd...

On December 8, 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt addressed Congress: "Yesterday, December 7, 1941–a date which will live in infamy–the...

As any athlete will tell you, attrition takes its toll regardless of the sport and in most cases retirement is inevitable when Father Time m...

I read a recent article in the Republic business section about how so many people consider public speaking a terrible ordeal that involves s...

I am not an email “freak” although with my blog at azcentral celebrating its fifth anniversary on December 1st, I have answered thousands of...