Author Archive
Hurricanes, Typhoons, and Cyclones, Oh My!
You may not have known it, but we are a full ten weeks into the 2009 hurricane season. It was setting up to be a quiet season until the past week produced three tropical storms, including Bill, the first Atlantic 2009 hurricane. We at Dinner Topics want you to be prepared to weather the storm [...]
Lockerbie Controversy
No doubt you have heard or read about the “Lockerbie Bomber” in recent days. A few quick notes before the full explanation: Lockerbie is a place and al-Megrahi is the guy. Now, on to a quick summary of things you should know about this very interesting topic! On December 21, 1988, Lockerbie, Scotland made world [...]
Have We Seen the Last of Brüno?
By now you’ve probably seen a handful of trailers promoting the movie Brüno. The film stars British comedian Sasha Baron Cohen as a flamboyant, gay, Austrian, fashion journalist who lures unwitting non-actors, many of whom are celebrities, into embarrassing situations. Through Cohen’s clever and controversial positioning, Brüno preys upon the homophobia of America’s ordinary citizens. [...]
Explaining the Tour de France
I suspect most understand that the Tour de France is going on right now, and I’m sure that many know that Lance Armstrong has made his triumphant return to the event. There’s probably a select few who have seen enough of the well-known race to refer to it affectionately as the Tour de Lance. 1 But [...]
Argentina and Appalachian Trail Significantly Different Destinations
You may have heard that South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford went “missing” on Thursday. Rest assured, he is safe, and we now know his whereabouts. So what happened to the Governor? The facts are these: The Governor left the governor’s mansion on Thursday in a black SUV. Apparently he skillfully evaded the watchful eyes of [...]
What’s a Solstice?
Tomorrow morning at 5:45am marks the 2009 summer solstice. 1 What’s that? You have no idea what a solstice is? No worries; we are here to help. In astronomical terms, solstice refers to the bi-annual event when the Earth’s axis is tilted closest to (the summer solstice) or furthest away (the winter solstice) from the [...]
OMG, Can U Rd Ths Msg?
My daughter can. She turns twelve this month and the Number One item on her birthday wish list is The Freedom To Text Early and Often on her “emergency” cell phone. With her mother at her side, she made a heartfelt and compelling case, flawed as it was, that texting would dramatically alter her life [...]
Not-So-Black Box?
French accident investigators have located wreckage indicating the general location where Air France Flight 447 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on June 2, taking the lives of the 228 people aboard. As they sift through the debris, French officials expressed pessimism at the prospect of recovering the infamous “black boxes” miles below on the ocean [...]
