The Deeper Meaning

Christmas and New Year’s Day were handed down to us centuries ago.  Their message is actually the same—a new start.  Christianity was launched with the birth of a child and January 1st opens a new year. Both events coincide for a practical rather than a...

 BUON ANNO!

A new year brings good cheer—at least, that’s everyone’s hope.  Speaking of cheers, a colleague of mine pointed out a rather odd irony in Stanley Tucci’s recent series in Italy. Whenever dining with Italians, he would often use that very...

A Christmas tradition with Italian roots

[It doesn’t happen often, but I’ve been on a roll this month with my observations on jazz man Vince Guaraldi and the Peanuts franchise. My last blog on the subject made it to the San Francisco Chronicle.  This week the Chicago suburb newspaper Daily Herald printed my...

Salvatore Who?

Salvatore Guaragna, Master of Melodies He had more songs on radio’s Your Hit Parade than Irving Berlin (42 vs. 33).  During his long career he wrote 500 songs, scored 300 movies, and even scored 100 of the animated Looney Tunes we watched as kids.  He won...

When You Think About It…

Marconi pioneered wi-fi December was a lucky month for inventor Guglielmo Marconi.  On 12 December 1901 he proved that wireless transmission—what we call Wi-Fi today—was possible across long distances.  What’s more, he demonstrated that despite the curvature...