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Showing posts from 2016

The Olympics, cargo shorts and other former stars

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The Olympics aren’t the crowd-gathering, world-unifying spectacle they once were. In our whiz-bang, attention-splintered culture, the 17-day event is too long-winded, too story-driven, too much longer than a YouTube clip. The Olympics are now kind of like, hmm ... Let's call them the cargo shorts of the sports world. Still easy to find. Still offering some value. Just not really in fashion. But it’s been years since I’ve worried about trying to be cool, so I’m comfortable admitting that I enjoy the Olympics. I’m also comfortable in cargo shorts because, despite the fashion trends, my personal trends still require carrying stuff around. * * * The Olympics aren’t what they used to be, but that’s partly because there used to be very limited television options. Back during the Summer Games of 1984 in Los Angeles, the first Olympics I remember watching, the quest for gold was the clear entertainment leader. My parents had finally broken down and signed up for cable TV, whic

Kid fundraisers: Striking out one door at a time

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The people in my neighborhood are generally the friendly sort, but you won’t get that vibe when you approach their homes. There might be a welcome mat out front, and possibly some cute wooden cutouts and whimsical garden decorations, but then you’ll meet the bouncer at the door. “No soliciting.” Sometimes it’s a homemade sign; sometimes it looks professional. A few are really bold,   with that big, screaming red slash that we’re used to seeing on no-smoking signs. Many of them include the word “please,” adding some politeness to the message that we don’t want to hear about a free roof inspection, or a TV/phone/Internet bundle, or an unbeatable price for pest control. Pest control? But Mr. Salesman, you are the pest. Ha-ha … zinger!   Yeah, well it’s not so funny when you become the pest. And last month, I became that pest as I sold mulch door-to-door with my 10-year-old son, Cooper. * * * So how did it go? Cooper was raising money for his baseball team, so I’ll