Back in the olden days, fake news was what The Daily Show reported, actually satire, with no expectations that its audience would think otherwise. When the Weekly World News reported “Hillary Clinton Adopts Alien Baby” or the National Enquirer headline screamed “Cheating Blake: 9 Women He’s Hiding From Gwen!” most people smirked.
Month: January 2017
More Outrage in the New Year
Since the days of Bugsy Siegel, Las Vegas has attracted revelers looking for the freedom to gamble, pay for sex (if you’re not famous) and, of late, dine in ostentatious “gourmet” establishments promoting their celebrity chefs. Now another freedom is threatened. Free parking is going the way of the free buffet.
“Even the mob didn’t dream of charging people for parking on the Strip.”
— Steve Sebelius, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Vacation Planning Ideas
Have you started thinking about your 2017 travel plans, what sights to see and cultures to experience? Hibbing Minnesota is likely near the top of your list. The hometown of a recent Nobel Prize winner, Hibbing was also home to Yankee Should-Be-in-the-Hall-of-Fame Roger Maris, Boston Celtics star Kevin McHale and smarmy sixties singer Gary Puckett.
Defender of Freedom
Mike Royko, Pulitzer Prize-winning Chicago newspaper columnist, did not live long enough to see the Cubs become champions. He periodically reported on the “Ex-Cubs 
Factor”: that the team with more ex-Cubs players would lose the World Series. He reported exclusive scoops from his friend and confidante, Slats Grobnik. Way back in 1984, before Fox News, he offered his opinion of Rupert Murdoch: “No self-respecting fish would want to be wrapped in a Murdoch paper.” Royko also published an annual column honoring the gun owner of the year.
Around the World in Photos
Begin the new year by taking a trip around the world with National Geographic. You can visit people, places and animals from all parts of the globe without leaving your laptop. Best of all, the 52 photos load onto one page (hope you have a fast connection) so you don’t have to click 52 times.
The Days Are Getting Longer
Did you feel worse than usual after partying all night on New Year’s Eve? Or, if you retired early, before midnight, maybe you’re beginning 2017 feeling extra rested? That’s because while you were celebrating – or sleeping – keepers of the Universal Coordinated Time added an extra second to the night.