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I have uploaded the complete archives of everything I ever wrote for the Kokomo Tribune to my Google Drive account. You can view and download it here.
Stories
2012-05-18 – “USPS to begin closing plants” [Pages: A1, jump to A6]
2012-05-20 – “Minor wreck causes major roll” (with photo by Rob Burgess) [Page: A2]
2012-05-31 – “WMS student nearly makes National Spelling Bee semifinals” [Pages: A1 (mug), A3 (story)]
2012-06-08 – “House fire leaves two injured” (with photo by Tim Bath) [Pages: A1, jump to A8]
2013-02-03 – “Readers remember ’78 blizzard” (with three submitted photos) [Page: A3]
2013-11-23 – “How the Kokomo Tribune reported the assassination” [Page: A7, promo on A1]
2014-01-23 – “Stuck in the middle; Long-term Howard County LGBT couples discuss their experiences” [Page: A1, jump to A3]
2014-03-26 – “Limestone Comedy Festival returns” [Page: A11, promo on A1]
Partially
re-published: 2014-04-27 – “Week in Review” [Page: D1]
Question Time
2013-09-01 – “Question Time - Hands-free driving coming soon” [Page: A4]
2013-09-16 – “Question Time - What to do about Syria” [Page: A3]
2014-03-10 – “Question Time - Daylight Saving Time begins again” [Page: A2]
2014-04-07 – “Question Time - Most memorable spring break” [Page: A2]
2014-05-12 – “Question Time - Best thrift shop finds” [Page: A3]
2014-06-16 – “Question Time - New languages” [Page: A3]
2014-07-07 - "Question Time - Time for a new national anthem?" [Page: A3]
2015-06-14 – “Question Time - Discrimination against prospective adoptive parents?” [Page:C4]
A hologram of rapper Tupac Amaru Shakur performed two songs,
“Hail Mary” and “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted,” with Snoop Dogg during Dr. Dre’s
set on April 15 at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif.
In case you forgot, Shakur was shot four times on Sept. 7, 1996, in Las Vegas, dying six days
later.
The wife of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt
Romney told ABC’s Diane Sawyer on April 16 that their dog “loved” riding on the
roof of their vehicle.
When you’re a child, every birthday is a special occasion.
Nearly every age brings new rights and privileges. After you turn 21, though,
the chances for significant birthday milestones certainly goes downhill.
On May 1, Facebook announced it had finally come for your organs.
Well, not exactly, but it does want to know if you’d be willing to donate them post mortem.
Well, not exactly, but it does want to know if you’d be willing to donate them post mortem.
On May 4, I felt like one of my childhood friends died. When I heard that Adam
Nathaniel “MCA” Yauch, bassist and MC of the legendary New York
City-based band the Beastie Boys, had passed away after a three-year
battle against cancer of the salivary gland at the age of 47, a piece of my
innocence left with him.
In high school, I ate fast food pretty much every day. These
days, my wife, Ash, and I eat organic, natural foods.
In a May 31 email to the Huffington Post, David Daigle, spokesperson for the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, officially denied the existence of
zombies.
I really wanted to wait longer than this to write this
column. When my piece “Hologram Tupac Cometh,” dropped on April 25, I thought I
could stand to wait at least 90 days to file a follow-up. But just like Al
Pacino (who I’m sure will be a hologram himself in due time) said in “The
Godfather Part III,” “just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.”
2012-06-27 – “House of Burgess: The limits of freedom” [Page: A7]
2012-06-27 – “House of Burgess: The limits of freedom” [Page: A7]
I’m a big, fat hypocrite. I was reminded of this fact after hearing about a
series of varied social controls put into place by local municipalities over
the course of the last few weeks.
I was standing on the sidewalk by my apartment when I knew
July 4 was just around the corner. I ascertained this because out of the corner
of my eye I saw the brown sedan slow to a crawl beside me. I felt the handful
of bang snaps thrown from it hit my pant legs as the car sped away.
Something controversial happened recently in the world of
comedy that’s worth examining. For my purposes, the content of the discussion
is less interesting than the way it was propagated.
2012-07-25 – “House of Burgess: Open letter to a murderer” [Page: A7]
When you were apprehended July 20 outside the Aurora, Colo.. movie theater after shooting 71 people 10 minutes into the first showing of “The Dark Knight Returns,” you told authorities that you were “The Joker.”
2012-08-01 – “House of Burgess: Let’s get unconventional” [Page: A7]
When you were apprehended July 20 outside the Aurora, Colo.. movie theater after shooting 71 people 10 minutes into the first showing of “The Dark Knight Returns,” you told authorities that you were “The Joker.”
2012-08-01 – “House of Burgess: Let’s get unconventional” [Page: A7]
I have an election year request, nay, plea for the two major
political parties this time around. For the sake everything that’s sacred about
this country, I beg you: skip the conventions.
On July 31, Snoop Dogg called a press conference to announce
he had officially changed his name to Snoop Lion, eschewing rap for reggae.
A sadly necessary piece of legislation was signed Aug. 6,
when President Barack Obama made the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for
Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 the law. Among other provisions, it added new
restrictions for protesting military funerals
Here lately, if rain were caused by violations of
journalistic ethics, the sky would be crying.
2012-08-29 – “House of Burgess: The machine rages against itself” [Page: A7]
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis., 1st District), presumptive 2012 Republican vice-presidential candidate, is apparently “a bit of a metalhead, with a taste for [bands like] Led Zeppelin [and] Metallica,” according to The Nation’s John Nichols. A New York Times piece listed Rage Against the Machine “among [Ryan’s] favorite bands.”
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis., 1st District), presumptive 2012 Republican vice-presidential candidate, is apparently “a bit of a metalhead, with a taste for [bands like] Led Zeppelin [and] Metallica,” according to The Nation’s John Nichols. A New York Times piece listed Rage Against the Machine “among [Ryan’s] favorite bands.”
I was determined to ignore both the Republican and
Democratic national conventions this election cycle. By and large, they are
nothing more than loud, high-powered infomercials. But Aug. 30, actor, director
and former mayor of Carmel-By-The-Sea, Calif.,
Clint Eastwood, forced my hand.
2012-09-12 – “House of Burgess: Guide to social media 2012” [Page: A7]
2012-09-12 – “House of Burgess: Guide to social media 2012” [Page: A7]
Social media basically rules communication for most
Americans in 2012. It is the only thing that is real to some people. Being
ignorant any longer is not advisable.
Jamie Kuntz, 18, freshman linebacker at the North Dakota
State College of Sciences, was dismissed from his team earlier this month after
stealing a kiss on the sidelines from his 65-year-old boyfriend. Coach Chuck
Parsons said the fact that Kuntz lied about the embrace, initially saying it
was his grandfather, was the cause for the termination.
Cecilia Giménez has had quite a year.
Tonight, virtually the only substantive portion of our
never-ending presidential election cycle kicks off at Magness Arena at the University of Denver
in Colorado.
The event, hosted by the Commission on Presidential Debates, will be the first
of three televised match-ups between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mitt
Romney. What won’t be featured are the candidates of any other party.
2012-10-10 – “House of Burgess: Insignificant office, significant debate” [Page: A9]
After watching last week’s presidential debate, even the most hardcore political junkies can be excused for thinking: “Is this what it has come to?”
2012-10-10 – “House of Burgess: Insignificant office, significant debate” [Page: A9]
After watching last week’s presidential debate, even the most hardcore political junkies can be excused for thinking: “Is this what it has come to?”
Turns out, sometimes things live up to their hype. On Aug. 4, I began hearing
reports that comedian Tig Notaro had laid down an amazing set the night before
at the Los Angeles nightclub Largo at the Coronet.
Thirteen days from today, voters across the country will
head to the polls to select our next president — kind of.
There are just six days left until Election Day. Most voters
will either vote for Mitt Romney or Barack Obama for president. The problem
with these choices is that there is no indication which version of these
candidates you’re being asked to vote for.
I remember Nov. 4, 2008, quite clearly.
Eight days ago, Americans went to the polls and re-elected
President Barack Obama. But for those who didn’t help Obama win a second term,
this news caused some fairly bizarre reactions. In fact, some conservatives
were ready to take immediate, drastic action.
Tomorrow is one my favorite holidays, Thanksgiving. The day
after tomorrow used to be one of my favorite holidays, Black Friday.
Every mayor, governor, senator and representative in the
country, regardless of political affiliation, should be forced eat a food stamp
diet for a week, or longer.
By last Wednesday afternoon, the majority of the adults with
whom I interacted had procured at least one Powerball lottery ticket. The $587.5
million jackpot was the highest ever for the Powerball, and I certainly had my
$2 ticket.
Sleigh bells are ringing. Snow is glistening. Can you feel
it? The War on Christmas is here.
Friday saw a pair of horrific attacks perpetrated by young
men on elementary school students living in villages, but with two distinctly
different outcomes.
The run up to the holidays is always a mad dash, and this
year was certainly no exception. However, the news generally slows to a trickle
during this special time between Christmas and New Year’s Day, hence the
preponderance of rehashed “best of” lists like this one.
We are now officially two days into 2013, and the world has
not, as of this writing, ended.
Effective Dec. 21, 2012, workers in the state of Iowa can be legally
fired by their employer for being too attractive.
In the days and weeks after the Dec. 14 tragedy in Newtown, Conn., where 28
human beings were slaughtered by firearms, we as a nation held a serious, adult
debate about the future of guns in America. Of course, I’m kidding.
Actually, the country lost its collective mind.
Lore has it that the Monday of the last full week in January
is Blue Monday: the most depressing day of the year.
My list of personal heroes now has a new entry:
singer/songwriter Jonathan Coulton. I have always enjoyed his skewed take on
geeky folk rock, but his latest move just put him over the top.
On Jan. 24, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced the
Pentagon was lifting its ban on women in combat roles. While momentous, this
about-face in policy will not take place immediately.
2013-02-13 – “House of Burgess - The artwork of George W. Bush” [Page: A4]
2013-02-13 – “House of Burgess - The artwork of George W. Bush” [Page: A4]
Last Wednesday, when I started pondering what I’d write
about in this week’s column, I never would have dreamed I would be seriously
pondering the artistic output of President George W. Bush. That all changed
Thursday when The Smoking Gun reported a hacker called “Guccifer” had
infiltrated several email accounts connected to the Bush family.
Last August, I wrote a column called “Journalism’s new crime
lab” in which I outlined the misdeeds of several less-than-truthful writers
including Mike Daisey and Jonah Lehrer. In that piece I wondered why modern
journalists would risk plagiarizing when things like Google exist. For Daisey
and Lehrer, the answer seems to be: Because even when caught red-handed, the
embarrassment itself can become fodder for future projects.
On Dec. 6, 1865, the 13th Amendment to the United States
Constitution was adopted, officially outlawing slavery. It was the first of
three so-called Reconstruction Amendments following the Civil War. Of the then
36 states, 27 ratified the amendment in 1865.
I can tell you this with a straight face and as an objective
journalist: if you were to list the hands-down funniest comedians working
today, the four announced headliners of the inaugural Limestone Comedy Festival
would absolutely be in the conversation.
On March 3, George Stephanopoulos, host of ABC’s “This Week,”
conducted one of the most staggering interviews I’ve ever seen.
Like several of my readers, I had additional questions after
I filed last week’s column, “Mr. Rodman goes to Pyongyang.”
In my Feb. 15 column, “The artwork of George W. Bush,” I
wrote about the artistic endeavors of our 43rd president. Several of his
paintings were revealed to The Smoking Gun by the hacker “Gussifer.” My capsule
review of the paintings: striking.
My Facebook news feed turned bright red last week. That’s
because the Human Rights Campaign’s crimson “equal sign” spread like a grass
fire as the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two landmark same-sex
marriage cases March 26 and 27.
I knew this was coming, but it doesn’t make it any easier.
On Thursday, one of my favorite writers, Roger Ebert, died at age 70.
Earlier this month, a stupid and dangerous piece of
legislation was introduced to and subsequently expelled from the North Carolina
General Assembly.
“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can
and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney.
If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you
understand the rights I have just read to you? With these rights in mind, do
you wish to speak to me?” Those are the words Boston Marathon bombing suspect
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev did not hear Friday night when he was taken into custody.
Recently, two politicians I never thought would be heard
from again have resurfaced. Both have taken advantage of the inability of
incumbents to seek re-election in their respective districts. And they both
provide interesting case studies in life after political death.
I joined Facebook Sept. 22, 2004. That was just seven months
after Mark Zuckerberg and his cohorts created the site. Needless to say, it
looked and felt much different back then.
When I was a child, I often wondered what technological
advancements would shape our collective futures
Having lost the most recent election to Barack Obama,
certain foes of the president looking for another chance at regime change have
decided 2016 is too far away.
In February, I read a short news story that barely caught my
attention. A relatively minor figure in the history of East Coast rap, Timothy
“Tim Dog” Blair, had reportedly died at the age of 46 of a seizure connected to
his diabetes.
When we eschew our own values in pursuit of scoundrels, we
degrade ourselves. This fact was brought into stunning relief due to the
response to a developing scandal in Canada’s largest city. It all began
last month when a report was released regarding the head of Toronto’s government.
BLOOMINGTON
— As I sat in the Buskirk-Chumley Theater on Thursday waiting for the opening
show of the inaugural Limestone Comedy Festival, I reflected on my various
connections to Bloomington.
In the ever-darkening days at the end of each year — when
Christmas songs begin to fill the air — a simple thought never fails to amuse
me. It’s the idea of the musicians behind those noises, and the conditions
under which the songs were produced. Christmas music isn’t generally recorded
at Christmas.
On Jan. 10, 1999, television changed forever. I was a
sophomore in high school. It was a Sunday night. I probably should have been
asleep. Instead, I was in my room watching HBO.
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court issued four of the most
consequential rulings in years as a final capper to its current term.
I can tell you the exact date I knew I was being spied upon. It was six weeks
after 9/11: Oct. 26, 2001. That was the day President George W. Bush signed the
Patriot Act.
On July 8, anti-death penalty nonprofit group Reprieve released a shocking
video on The Guardian’s website.
2013-07-24 – “House of Burgess - 'We made several mistakes'” [Page: A4]
As it says on page A2 of every issue of the paper you hold in your hands, “The Kokomo Tribune strives for 100 percent accuracy, but when we make a mistake, our policy is to correct it promptly.” We in the journalism game are only human.
As it says on page A2 of every issue of the paper you hold in your hands, “The Kokomo Tribune strives for 100 percent accuracy, but when we make a mistake, our policy is to correct it promptly.” We in the journalism game are only human.
2013-07-31 – “House of Burgess - Nobody wants to see that” [Page: A4]
I never thought basic political reportage could be deemed not safe for work.
2013-08-08 – “House of Burgess - A People's History of Mitch Daniels” [Page: A4] +
On July 17, The Associated Press revealed via a Freedom of Information Act request a series of emails in which then-governor and current Purdue University President Mitch Daniels explicitly targeted Howard Zinn’s classic book “A People’s History of the United States” for deletion.
I never thought basic political reportage could be deemed not safe for work.
2013-08-08 – “House of Burgess - A People's History of Mitch Daniels” [Page: A4] +
On July 17, The Associated Press revealed via a Freedom of Information Act request a series of emails in which then-governor and current Purdue University President Mitch Daniels explicitly targeted Howard Zinn’s classic book “A People’s History of the United States” for deletion.
On July 26, Ariel Castro pleaded guilty to 937 of the 977 charges against him
in connection with the kidnappings of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle
Knight in Cleveland.
2013-08-21 – “House of Burgess - 'Seaver Fever' strikes Kokomo” [Page: A5]
As it turned out, I only had the opportunity to ask Kirk Cameron one question Saturday, but I think I made it count.
2013-08-28 – “House of Burgess - A good woman without a gun” [Page: A5]
As it turned out, I only had the opportunity to ask Kirk Cameron one question Saturday, but I think I made it count.
2013-08-28 – “House of Burgess - A good woman without a gun” [Page: A5]
Whatever Antoinette Tuff is being paid by DeKalb County
School District, it’s
nowhere near enough. On Aug. 20, the Lithonia, Ga. bookkeeper single-handedly prevented
what easily could have ended as a ghastly school shooting.
President Barack Obama’s decision to ask for congressional
approval to strike Syria
last week raised a fair amount of throat-clearing from those who pointed to his
2009 Nobel Peace Prize.
2013-09-11 – “House of Burgess - Matthew Cordle 'killed a man'” [Page: A4]
2013-09-11 – “House of Burgess - Matthew Cordle 'killed a man'” [Page: A4]
A wildly popular video confession, released last week on YouTube by nonprofit
Because I Said I Would, had garnered more than 1.6 million views by Tuesday
morning.
2013-09-18 – “House of Burgess - Read a banned book” [Page: A4] +
[This column was re-published on the Stanford Graduate School of Education website.]
[This column was re-published on the Stanford Graduate School of Education website.]
I felt a surge of righteous indignation July 17 when I first
read the February 2010 emails sent by then-Gov. Mitch Daniels regarding Howard
Zinn’s classic book “A People’s History of the United States.”
2013-09-25 – “House of Burgess - Obama turns hawks to doves” {Page: A4]
Over time, I have come to realize I am mostly a pacifist. It takes a lot to convince me any given war is worth fighting. As our country seems to constantly be pounding away somewhere, holding this worldview can get lonesome. So, imagine my surprise recently when a flood of conservative Republicans suddenly joined me.
Over time, I have come to realize I am mostly a pacifist. It takes a lot to convince me any given war is worth fighting. As our country seems to constantly be pounding away somewhere, holding this worldview can get lonesome. So, imagine my surprise recently when a flood of conservative Republicans suddenly joined me.
Last year, the National Low Income Housing Association produced a fascinating
and disturbing map. Perhaps you’ve seen it. The representation showed the
number of hours per week it would take a minimum-wage worker to afford a
two-bedroom apartment in each state.
At 5 a.m. Alaska Daylight Time Friday, the National Weather
Service in Alaska
released a forecast with a hidden message. On the surface it appeared to be
your standard, technical weather chatter. But, if readers followed the first
letter of each line of text down the left-hand side, they would discover hidden
in mundane meteorological talk a cryptic plea: “P_L_E_A_S_E_P_A_Y_U_S”.
Columbus Day was Monday. Did you celebrate? I sure didn’t. You can’t believe
how much I didn’t celebrate the life and work of one Cristoforo Colombo.
2013-10-23 – “House of Burgess – A Republican civil war’s a-comin’” [Page: A4]
2013-10-23 – “House of Burgess – A Republican civil war’s a-comin’” [Page: A4]
It might seem counter-intuitive, but if traditional
conservatives want to reclaim the Republican Party, they had better start
thinking progressively. Radical action is required.
One day a few years ago, I was in the newsroom at the Ukiah
Daily Journal in Ukiah, Calif., when I found out Daylight Saving
Time would soon be upon us. I loudly complained about this fact.
Let this week’s column serve as an update round-up of five
villains I didn’t feel like writing another column about individually.
Besides being insensitive, it’s incorrect: It was Flavor
Aid, not Kool-Aid. Someone as greedy and sadistic as Jones would never serve
his flock anything name brand.
The Umbrella Man.
The Badge Man.
The Black Dog Man. The Babushka Lady. The Three Tramps.
The Magic Bullet. The Wink. The investigation into the Nov. 22, 1963,
assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy in Dallas — which turns 50 on Friday — carries
with it its own specialized nomenclature, as research possibilities remain
ever-increasing.
Thirty-five years ago today, fellow supervisor, Dan White,
shot and killed Mayor George Moscone and then Supervisor Harvey Milk in San Francisco City Hall.
2013-12-05 – “House of Burgess - (Bloody) Black (and Blue) Friday” [Page: A4]
2013-12-05 – “House of Burgess - (Bloody) Black (and Blue) Friday” [Page: A4]
Any further lingering doubts about whether the free market
has a conscience should have been answered by the state of Black Friday in
2013. Gigantic companies have invented an increasingly punishing capitalistic
gauntlet pitting family traditions against pure greed.
In a Dec. 1 “60 Minutes” piece on CBS — charitably labeled an Amazon.com
“infomercial” by Slate’s Konstantin Kakeas Dec. 2 — CEO Jeff Bezos gave Charlie
Rose an exclusive look at what’s next for the company, which had $61 billion in
revenue in 2012.
With the Big Day only a week away and this coming Saturday the first day of
winter, the time felt right for a follow-up to my June 19 column, “War on
Christmas ... summer edition.”
Since I did the same thing last December, I feel justified
in calling this, my final column of 2013, the second annual Best of the Year
awards.
When I write my columns, I try my best to be as timely as possible. This is the
first opportunity I’ve had to write about the recent “Duck Dynasty”
controversy, and the whole thing is already over.
2014-01-08 – “House of Burgess – I like your style, Pope” [Page: A4]
2014-03-05 – “House of Burgess - Like déjà vu all over again” [Page: A5]
2015-03-25 – “House of Burgess - Lewinsky pays 'Price of Shame'” [Page: A4]
-
* = Part of winning entry: First Place - Best General Commentary - Division 5 - 2013 Hoosier State Press Association Foundation Better Newspaper Contest
+ = Part of winning entry: Second Place - Best General Commentary - Division 5 - 2014 Hoosier State Press Association Foundation Better Newspaper Contest
# = Part of winning entry: Winner - Staff - First Place - Best Multimedia Package - Division 2 - 2014 Indiana Associated Press Media Editors' Awards AND: Part of winning entry: Winner - Staff - First Place - Best Special Section - Division 5 - 2015 Hoosier State Press Association Foundation Better Newspaper Contest
% = Part of winning entry: Winner - Staff - Second Place - Best Ongoing News Coverage - Division 5 - 2016 Hoosier State Press Association Foundation Better Newspaper Contest
^ = Part of winning entry: Winner - Staff - Third Place - Best Spot News Coverage - Division 2 - 2017 Indiana Associated Press Media Editors Journalism Contest AND: Winner - Staff - Second Place - Best News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure - 2017 Hoosier State Press Association Foundation Better Newspaper Contest
(You can read more about all of the awards I have been honored to receive for my writing here.)
2014-01-08 – “House of Burgess – I like your style, Pope” [Page: A4]
It was New Year’s Eve in the Carmelite community in Lucena, Spain,
when the phone rang.
2014-03-05 – “House of Burgess - Like déjà vu all over again” [Page: A5]
Re-published: Week of
2014-04-16, Miami County Weekly
[Page: A6, jump to A10]
2015-03-25 – “House of Burgess - Lewinsky pays 'Price of Shame'” [Page: A4]
2015-04-22 – “House of Burgess - Another day at Ebert's festival” [Page: A4]
2015-04-29 – “House of Burgess - An open letter to Mitch Daniels” [Page: A4]
2015-04-29 – “House of Burgess - An open letter to Mitch Daniels” [Page: A4]
AWARDS KEY:
* = Part of winning entry: First Place - Best General Commentary - Division 5 - 2013 Hoosier State Press Association Foundation Better Newspaper Contest
+ = Part of winning entry: Second Place - Best General Commentary - Division 5 - 2014 Hoosier State Press Association Foundation Better Newspaper Contest
# = Part of winning entry: Winner - Staff - First Place - Best Multimedia Package - Division 2 - 2014 Indiana Associated Press Media Editors' Awards AND: Part of winning entry: Winner - Staff - First Place - Best Special Section - Division 5 - 2015 Hoosier State Press Association Foundation Better Newspaper Contest
% = Part of winning entry: Winner - Staff - Second Place - Best Ongoing News Coverage - Division 5 - 2016 Hoosier State Press Association Foundation Better Newspaper Contest
^ = Part of winning entry: Winner - Staff - Third Place - Best Spot News Coverage - Division 2 - 2017 Indiana Associated Press Media Editors Journalism Contest AND: Winner - Staff - Second Place - Best News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure - 2017 Hoosier State Press Association Foundation Better Newspaper Contest
(You can read more about all of the awards I have been honored to receive for my writing here.)
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