Mike Pilewski writes about life, politics and culture in the United States
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been fascinated by the news reports of recent weeks. The demonstrations that toppled regimes in Tunisia and Egypt have spread to Algeria, Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain, Iran, Libya, Lebanon, Oman and even Saudi Arabia. Kuwait took the hint and offered concessions before any protests happened. As George W. Bush said, several years too early, … >>
My parents have been together for quite a few years, and as you’d expect, they know each other really well. They can predict each other’s reactions and behavior with 100 percent accuracy. It’s good to know they can rely on each other. Rather than being like two peas in a pod, though, they’re more like a left hand and a … >>
Eight years ago this Sunday, the child in us died, and we were all forced to grow up a little bit. That child was Fred Rogers — psychologist, musician, minister, TV star. For 33 years, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was the show that everyone in America watched when they were little. Rogers understood children like nobody else. He talked directly to … >>
In politics, if you want to make a point, it’s best to do it in a way that gets as much attention as possible. In the US, this is easiest to do in three places. The first is the roof of the White House. In 1979, Jimmy Carter showed America he was serious about renewable energy when he had solar … >>
This column was originally written for Spotlight Online. As some of you may know, I write the Replay section you hear on Spotlight Audio each month. We present the voices of people who have been in the news and explain the language they use. The language we use when giving background to recent events is just as important. A few … >>
In the world of commerce, Wal-Mart is a phenomenon unto itself. In 15 countries, it attracts 200 million customers a week to more than 8,700 stores, where they can buy practically everything. Its sales volume — more than $400 billion — is bigger than the GDP of Austria. Since its first store opened in 1962, Wal-Mart has followed the philosophy … >>
As State of the Union speeches go, this one was pretty good — as was the commentary that followed it. Barack Obama resisted the temptation presidents usually have of presenting a long list of policy initiatives and acknowledging a long list of “everyday heroes”. Instead, he found a theme and more or less stuck to it. The president could have … >>
If you’re ever in Pagosa Springs or Creede, Colorado, go to a Mexican restaurant named Kip’s Grill and order the most expensive thing on the menu. Then tell them that Mr. Pilewski sent you. The specialty of the house, number 9 on the menu, is called The Pilewski. It’s three flour tortillas, stuffed with pork barbacoa, provolone cheese and chipotle, … >>
I have to say the news hasn’t been good lately. In fact, it’s been so bad that only one thing can help. That thing is Auto-Tune. Auto-Tune is software that can correct anyone’s singing voice to give it perfect pitch. Music producers use it on a large percentage of pop and especially R&B singers, many of whom would seem rather … >>
So far, Barack Obama has been one of our best Republican presidents — which is fine, except that he claims to be a Democrat. Despite his promise of “change”, some things haven’t changed at all since the days of George W. Bush. We’ve seen unrepentant bankers get big bonuses, government advisers be recruited from Wall Street and corporations, and nearly … >>