All Entries in the "Life" Category
Eye on Monday: The Radio Station
The word on the street is that the station in the picture above is where I work in Fargo. I’m here to confirm…it’s not. Repeat: This is not WDAY. There are no mountains in, around or near Fargo. I’ll admit, the person looking out the window in the light green building does look like me [...]
CGabriel and Blog Harbor: Change is in the Air
For those of you who are regular visitors to Blog Harbor, you’ve probably noticed a little less activity here over the past week or so. Several days ago, the normal Eye on Monday feature was no where to be found. And the same for today, as The Farmland Almanac with Harrison Beillor is not running in its [...]
Harrison Beillor on AM 540 KQMB, Quimby (Montana)
with Harrison Beillor *** Eat well, work hard, and give me a call. PRODUCTION CREDITS KQMB Host: Terry Svinale Producer: David Allen Technical Director: Wendy Gabriel Inspiration: The Writer’s Almanac, with Garrison Keillor
Spotlight: Sandy Boren-Barrett, Part 2
If you haven’t already done so, make sure and read Part 1 of my interview with Sandy Boren-Barrett. She’s got a lot to say and every word is well worth your time. Here’s Part 2: CG: Sandy, over the years during rough economic times people have gravitated to the arts for a bit of an escape. What kind of [...]
Spotlight: Sandy Boren-Barrett
Today is the beginning of the Spotlight series at Blog Harbor. In the coming months you’ll be reading interviews with an eclectic mix of professionals at the top of their game in the arts, media, sports, politics, child psychology, business and environmental issues. You’ll even meet a group of 13 pretty amazing teens in middle school and high school. And of course [...]
It’s Dark. It’s Late. It’s Quiet. Why? (video)
It was dark. It was late. Nobody was out. It was quiet. Too quiet? Maybe. But I needed to know: Why was it so quiet? Why wasn’t anyone out. I knew why it was dark. Because it was late. When it’s late . . . it’s dark. I could have been a detective. My [...]
The End of a Teaching Year
I want to step out of character for a moment and, essentially, step in character. The professional hats I wear are radio talk host, freelance writer and theatre instructor. It’s that last one that gets attention today. Although I rarely talk about it here, most people who know me understand one of my great passions in [...]
Eye on Monday: Sneak-a-Peek Cell Phone Technique (video)
I was speaking with a friend the other day about people and their cell phones. Namely, how folks can be in mid-sentence with you, stop abruptly, check their cell for a new text message and then continue talking as if nothing happened. Or, worse, they’ll actually interrupt you to read a text, then send a reply [...]
Eye on Monday: Greek Easter Can Be Dangerous (video)
As any of you who come to Blog Harbor on a regular basis know, I’m Greek. Greek, as in Greek Orthodox. And while I always celebrate Easter on it’s traditional day, Orthodox Easter follows the Julian Calendar which means, more often than not, Greek Easter is after Passover. So, two Easter dinners. Greek People: It’s [...]
The Batting Cage
As spring is settling in here in Minnesota, summer is in the on-deck circle. And with summer around the corner, this means many things to different people: Going to the beach house at the Jersey Shore every weekend, heading up to the Maine coast, traveling “up north to the cabin” here in our state and [...]
The Three Minnesota Driving Styles Direct from Hades
Christopher Gabriel, CGabriel.com I often think it’s me, this uncanny ability I possess that allows me to drive directly behind, or in front of, The Driver Spawned From the Depths of Hades. And for those of you not up on your Greek mythology, Hades was the God of the Underworld, which also went by the same name. Not [...]
Eye on Monday: Earth Hour
On Saturday, March 28, 2009, close to one billion people in nearly 4000 cities across more than 80 countries came together for an event called Earth Hour. From the tiny Chatham Islands of New Zealand to the Palace of Westminster in London to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the symbolic gesture of switching off lights for one hour, beginning [...]
Eye on Monday: Finger Puppet Theater
Blog Harbor was given a rare behind-the-scenes look at the Gabriel Finger Puppet Theater. They’re currently in rehearsals for the world premiere production of Le Vol de la Princesse. Notice the minimalist set design in stark contrast to the elaborate costumes. This is the signature style of director and legendary performer Caleigh Gabriel. Le Vol de la Princesse
The Drive-Thru Window and #3418
Christopher Gabriel, CGabriel.com It all started out like a great idea. You drive up and order. You drive a little further and pay. Then you wait patiently before you receive what you’ve ordered. And within minutes, you’re on your way. Coffee, food, prescriptions, even alcohol - you did it all without ever getting out of the car. It’s [...]
A Trophy for Everyone: The Seeds of Entitlement
When I was growing up, I played sports. Basketball was what I eventually settled on by high school but prior to that I also played baseball and ran track. When there was a tournament during the year or the playoffs at the end of the season, there were winners and there were losers. The winners got [...]
Battle for Boulder: The Cows Strike Back
Christopher Gabriel, CGabriel.com I grew up on the north side of Chicago. Although the city shares a bit of history with a certain cow kicking over a lantern (or so the story goes), schoolkids weren’t brainwashed into believing cows and trouble went hand-in-hand. Quite the contrary. In the Midwest we were taught cows were good. Cows [...]
The Acronym Generation . . . Or, TAG
We’re a country that’s fond of attaching labels and nicknames to things. It’s our way of grouping; of simplifying. Labels and nicknames will stick if they create buzz. And although sense rarely factors into them, buzz is more important than sense. So making sense doesn’t always make sense. We especially like naming generations. Some of the more [...]
The Christmas Spirit and Customer Service: Return of the Grinch
By Christopher Gabriel, CGabriel.com Part 2 of The Christmas Spirit and Customer Service. Part 1 was published December 8, 2007 I look forward to the month of December and Christmas more than any other time of the year. The music, the decorations, the meaning of the holiday, the snow - so much good cheer in the air. [...]
Merry Bailouts to All, and to All a Good Night
By Christopher Gabriel, CGabriel.com Since 1927, TIME Magazine has chosen a Man of the Year. The honor was later renamed Person of the Year for the man, woman or idea that “for better or worse, has most influenced events in the preceeding year.” I believe we have arrived at a point in our history that TIME must now select [...]
Giving Thanks Shouldn’t Be So Hard
By Christopher Gabriel, CGabriel.com Every year in late November families and friends gather to eat, watch football, eat a little more and watch even more football. It happens on a Thursday, usually early in the afternoon. Sometimes there’s wine and other assorted alcoholic beverages to go with the food. Other times it’s simply water and [...]
A Night at the High School Musical
I went to high school in the mid-1970′s just outside of Philadelphia. Our school was known for exceptional academics and strong sports teams. The arts? We had a decent choral group and the orchestra was passable. Oh, and there was the theatre department. Calling it an actual department may be an overstatement. Our school put on two shows every [...]
