RoadTurn: Reflections on the Paul Potts Story

Today is the final day for this year’s National Poetry Month. It’s been an exciting time on Troublesome Creek, highlighted by a visit from Gurney Norman, a true Kentucky treasure. It is fitting that the New York Times ran an article today, announcing the most recent winner of the $100,000 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize for [...]

My current class-work is all about web design. I never realized how much goes into creating a “simple” web page. The considerations and possibilities are vast–as are the opportunities to make a mistake and get lost in trying to figure out what happened. A recent assignment was to search the web for examples of well-designed [...]

I guess that it had to happen–with the world anxious to see what’s coming up next on the Britain’s Got Talent contest, Drumond Park has announced the new Britain’sGotTalent electronic board game. It goes on the shelf tomorrow, according to the Liverpool (England) Echo. Here’s a bit of the press release:

Here we go again, it’s gift time for Mama and she already has everything…what are you going to do? Here’s a thought–how about getting her a genuine Butter Bell butter crock? No, I’m not talking about one of those old churns for making your own; the Butter Bell looks like that, but it’s considerably smaller. [...]

First it seemed that every other article about Paul Potts was somehow obliged to mention that he still hadn’t quit his sales job at Carphone Warehouse–as if Paul might decide, at any moment, to give up his singing career and go back to shelving marketing Motorolas. Now we are on the opposite end of the [...]

The Australian leg of the tour has ended and Paul Potts is headed for Tokyo, Japan. He is scheduled for two appearances there, then on to South Korea for more of the same. Here’s to you, Paul. You gave them their money’s worth in Australia, and I trust you’ll do the same in Asia. We [...]

Just a few days ago, I was reflecting on what a blessing the internet is to folks like me, who live a distance from urban areas. Given the current price of gasoline, a trip to Lexington (the nearest shopping center) would cost more than that pair of Round House, made in the USA, bib overalls [...]

Here’s a turn of events at Britain’s Got Talent: Charlie Green–a boy with no apparent hard-luck story, who loves Sinatra more than Pavarotti, and has the stage presence of a pro. The crowd loved him. Amanda says that he could win it, and I’m of the same opinion. Charlie Green is one talented kid and [...]

I missed Earth Day this year. I mean, I was here on Earth, but I was oblivious to the celebration. My wife mentioned it the day after, saying, “Did your students do anything special for Earth Day?” That hurt. If it was left up to me, the kids didn’t even hear about it. What [...]

It’s good to see Elizabeth Marvelly get some positive press. Still but a girl, Lizzie has been travelling with Paul Potts and orchestra in the great Down Under. The Australian reviews have tended to go hard on her. Jan Hallam, writing in Perth Now, for example said this:
Supporting (Paul Potts) on the Australian [...]

Yet another keen review of our boy, Paul Potts, and his Australian tour–this one from Perth’s Sunday Times. Arts Editor, Jim Hallam, echoes some of what we’ve already heard (”Potts has two volumes, loud and very loud”) and delivers his own brand of gentle criticism with a smile.
From Jim’s seat the show looked something [...]

If not for the internet and the availability of most everything one can imagine, by shopping online, we’d be hurting here in the mountains. Just to buy groceries is a twenty mile round-trip, and to find a pair of really good shoes, or that book of poetry I’ve been wanting? You’re talking a three hour [...]