All Entries in the "Life" Category
End of the World? No, It’s Just the Economy
By Christopher Gabriel, CGabriel.com As one who has been around the block a few dozen times, I’ve seen our country weather many things. Vietnam, the Iranian hostage crisis, Desert Storm, the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the tragic events of September 11, 2001 and certainly others that have both united and divided us. In every case [...]
Food News: Are Turkeys Mobilizing?
By Christopher Gabriel, CGabriel.com Driving on a major highway in suburban Minneapolis today, traffic nearly came to a halt. The reason for the hold-up was: A. An accident B. Road construction C. Turkeys Of course the answer is turkeys. Two enormous birds that looked as though they were spawned from a master race of Super Turkeys simply [...]
Election ’08: When Words Become Stars
By Christopher Gabriel, CGabriel.com Election years are a funny thing. From Democrats to Republicans, incumbents to hopefuls and insiders to wannabees, our country turns into something along the lines of a sideshow at a county fair. There are promises, accusations, denials, smiles, handshakes, hugs, speeches, ads, signs, buttons, music, dancing . . . and that all [...]
Sesame Street’s Bert: The Trip to Madness
Although I didn’t grow up with Sesame Street, I’ve seen it enough in recent years to have a full appreciation of it. Elmo, Big Bird, Grover, Cookie Monster, Rosita, Zoe and more. So many great characters, all of them unique in their own way. One of those characters, however, troubles me. He troubles me because I [...]
Sugar and Spice Not Always So Nice
By Christopher Gabriel, CGabriel.com My wife and I live in a lovely suburb of Minneapolis. Good schools, lots of parks and lakes, plenty of restaurants . . . nice. The other day, I went to a nice coffee shop in our nice suburb and saw a picture on the wall that wasn’t so nice. The photo showed approximately 20 young women in [...]
Hollywood: Amateur Politicos Gone Wild
By Christopher Gabriel, CGabriel.com Those pesky little Hollywood celebrities, they say the darnedest things. Nothing like a good Emmy Awards broadcast to give this group of amateur political commentators their opportunity to play MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann. Is there a difference between 15 minutes of fame and 15 seconds of folly? You’ve heard the phrase “less is more?” Sometimes, [...]
When Teens Take Over the Playground
It’s tough being a teen. While they’re busy trying to find their own identity, adults are busy trying to find it for them. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, television shows, movies, advertisers selling them things . . . the list is endless. And then there’s their friends. The crowd they hang out with often has the greatest impact on them, nudging [...]
USA Volleyball Won Gold in Character
It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. Athletes are told that from their earliest days of competition. Implied in the phrase, however, and what is often overlooked, is the importance of the journey. In the case of USA Volleyball, the indoor men’s and women’s teams understand that importance a little better than the [...]
Can Two Sisters Control the Universe?
By Christopher Gabriel, CGabriel.com There was a time not so long ago when we were the parents that got a good chuckle over the wild stories we heard from other parents about their children. The assaults on their sanity, the mass chaos that would commence without warning and the meltdowns in stores. Good laughs, indeed, because [...]
Beijing’s Moment of Spectacle Marred by Reality
By Christopher Gabriel, CGabriel.com This wasn’t supposed to happen. Not here. Not during China’s moment. This would be more than just a nation’s 15 minutes of fame. That’s what we’ve been told since Beijing was awarded these Olympic Games. This was going to be a country playing show and tell with the world, and the world [...]
Free Speech Can Have Consequences
By Christopher Gabriel Blog Harbor and CGabriel.com While I am a major proponent of the First Amendment – and really, who isn’t? – I’m beginning to wonder if it’s a conditional Amendment. You know, the fine print at the bottom that nobody ever reads? Sometimes it comes in the form of a disclaimer. Other times, it’s the [...]
Can a Minivan Be Cool?
By Christopher Gabriel Blog Harbor and CGabriel.com I was speaking to a friend the other day about cars. For me, that alone was unusual, but this was an unusual conversation. Suddenly, for no particular reason he launched into a tirade about minivans. I understand people getting upset over the economy, the war in Iraq, healthcare, the [...]
The Cycling Doctrine: Pedestrians are Prey
Now that beautiful weather is once again upon us, it’s time to take cover. What’s that? Before going out for that leisurely, after-dinner walk with your family or friends, better refresh yourself on E.A.P. For the untrained or uninitiated that would be Emergency Avoidance Procedures. In the event you haven’t noticed, Bloodsport Cycling is back. Let [...]
Stanley Cup Follow-Up: 7 Minutes to Remember
By Christopher Gabriel Blog Harbor and CGabriel.com When last we met, which would be yesterday, I was outlining my case for the NHL having no major buzz with fans and all levels of media across the nation in The Stanley Cup Final: Does Anyone Care? A few hours ago I turned on NBC and, along [...]
They Said It, I Read It and a Car Horn
By Christopher Gabriel Blog Harbor and CGabriel.com The past few weeks have been loaded with what amounts to a verbal and prose buffet’s-worth of items screaming for attention in Blog Harbor. With that in mind, grab your coffee, get comfy and let’s chat. Hi Sweetie-Pie I grew up in a family that frequently used names [...]
One Paragraph, One Video
By Christopher Gabriel Blog Harbor and CGabriel.com When last we met, I was discussing the nature of blogs. Some of them are short, creative gems offering little more than a video with one sentence of introduction along the lines of ”Check it out dudes, this video rocks!” And it usually does. At the other end of the [...]
Long Day’s Journey Into Blog
By Christopher Gabriel Blog Harbor and CGabriel.com In the 26 years I spent as a professional stage actor, I must have worked with at least 1,000 actors, if not a few more. And in the case of nearly every one of them, there was always the inevitable closing night party conversation regarding staying in touch. You know the [...]
Wandering Aimlessly at the Mall . . . and in Life
By Christopher Gabriel, Blog Harbor The fact the word “Mall” is in the title of this piece tells an awful lot about me. Yes, I go to malls. And not only do I go to them, I enjoy them. Usually. Most men I know refuse to admit they ever venture forth to these bastions of [...]
Hillary Clinton: Today’s Richard III?
By Christopher Gabriel, Blog Harbor Have you ever seen Richard III? If you have, you possess an immediate understanding of why I believe Hillary Clinton is perfectly suited to play the complex role of Richard. Women playing men’s roles in Shakespeare is more common now than in any other time in theatrical history. And to play a demanding [...]
Women: The Power that Transforms
Let me get this out of the way right at the top: I’ve been together with my wife 19 years with this July marking our 15th wedding anniversary. I could not be a happier married man. I have two healthy, beautiful daughters… ok, you’re thinking there’s a “but” coming. There is, though it has absolutely [...]
Doing What’s Right: Too Hard for Too Many
By Christopher Gabriel, Blog Harbor When I was growing up, we had a neighbor named Mr. Detwiler. He was our neighborhood’s official Mean Guy. He didn’t speak to anyone; he didn’t acknowledge anyone. At least that’s how he treated all the kids. And because of it, he became The Guy No One Liked. It was [...]
Lady Millie of the Pigeons
For a number of years now, there’s been a highly publicized controversy over what to do with the multitude of pigeons populating London’s Trafalgar Square. Having been there myself, walking through the square is tantamount to being on the set of Hitchcock’s The Birds. Everywhere your eyes scan, a pigeon is directly in front of you. This morning I stumbled [...]
