If you read my regular "hard news" blog, you know that I've posted frequently on the Chinese economic, cultural, and military challenge to the United States...
Some folks in the beer industry believe it doesn't hurt the industry to have a President known to publicly consume the suds on occasion.
In fact, they fervently hope folks "moving down" from expensive wines and mixed drinks during a recession may very well settle on beer...
If you or family members have any interest in postage stamps, may I recommend the area's major philatelic event of the year - DELPEX '09.
You can see the various stamp exhibits; check out various dealers; and meet fellow collectors...
The 72+ degree temperatures in New Castle County part of Sunday afternoon (before the storms hit!) did the trick:
I saw my first butterflies of the new year, strangely not in some state park or wildlife area, but just driving along the edge of the Valero refinery northwest of Delaware City, and in Red Lion, just north of Lums Pond State Park...
Spring is in the air, and in addition to the invigorating weather, budding blossoms, the return of butterflies, and so much more... as a license-plate collector, I welcome the chance to see more out-of-state vehicles with different license plates...
I always come back from radio hobbyists' gatherings with mixed emotions.
So it was with the annual Shortwave Winterfest in Kulpsville, Pennsylvania, which combined nostalgia with the coming "Brave New World" of telecommunications technology...
I periodically get calls and emails from folks with questions about long-distance radio listening (DX'ing).
Perhaps you've found an old shortwave rig from your childhood, and would like to explore the international shortwave bands today...
Like Delaware's own Dogfish Head, Colorado's Avery Brewing Company pushes beer to its limits, producing bold, memorable brews.
(In fact, Avery's "The Czar Imperial Stout" is one of my favorite Russian imperial stouts!)
So when a clerk at Kreston's suggested I try Avery's "The Beast", I decided to bring home a bottle...
I can't say I'm shocked to hear the satellite radio conglomerate, Sirus XM, is likely filing for bankruptcy.
God knows terrestrial traditional media need new business models, but - in my view - satellite radio execs misread the economy and the marketplace...
Canada Post has issued a postage stamp honoring an African-Canadian abolitionist who was actually born in Mill Creek Hundred, and collaborated with "Friends" (Quakers) in West Chester to rescue African-Americans from the South through the Underground Railroad...
I see the hobbyists' magazine, POPULAR COMMUNICATIONS, reprinted an open letter to then-President-elect Obama about the gradual dismantlement of the Voice of America in favor of regional targeted broadcasters...
The dead of winter is NOT my favorite time of the year; I eagerly await the promise of spring and some hiking through state parks and wildlife management areas...
The Game & Fish Commission for the state of Arkansas will issue its latest conservation license plate in 2009, with depictions of both genders of the Diana Fritillary, the Arkansas state butterfly...
Of course, many people - young and old - just casually collect coins. For example, stashing away all the state quarters or Presidential dollar-coins they can find...
Colder temperatures and the holiday season are the perfect time for the darker beers and stouts, distinguished brews with complex tastes, aftertastes, and aroma...
This isn't purely a "hobby" post, but since it's so personal, I'll put it here.
I broke down and attended my high school "Class of '73" 35th-year reunion this past weekend in the Chicago suburbs...
Let me direct this to any tropical fish enthusiasts out there.
For years, aquarists have selectively bred various species of fish to develop individuals with longer fins, more intense coloration, consistent coloration, etc...
As a member of the American Entomological Society, I volunteered this past weekend at "Bug Fest" at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia (incidentally, the oldest, natural-science research institute & museum in the United States)...
Beyond Monarch butterflies and fireflies (and honeybees for obvious reasons), the Luna moth is probably one of the insect world's most charismatic ambassadors to people who generally dislike insects...
For me, driving around the country (or continent) is never boring; I much prefer terrestrial travel to travel by air... even before post 9-11 concerns led to increased security, and consequently, long lines at airports...
Canada Post has issued a postage stamp honoring an African-Canadian abolitionist who was actually born in Mill Creek Hundred, and collaborated with "Friends" (Quakers) in West Chester to rescue African-Americans from the South through the Underground Railroad...