Keener 13

What’s Happening:

We’re still wary of personal contact and Black Friday proved it. As Americans shied away from in-person shopping Online sales the day after Thanksgiving saw more than $9 billion dollars in transactions taking place on the Internet, that’s a record. (More)

Women now dominate the New York Philharmonic orchestra. An all-male ensemble for most of its 180 years, the organization now features 45 women and 44 men. 27 of 30 violinists are now female. (More)

A 700-pound statue of Mickey Mouse with giant lobster claws has resurfaced at the Concepts sneaker store in Boston, 17 years after disappearing as an icon at Quincy Market. Mickey was found in bad shape on a New Jersey lawn by an intrepid Boston Globe reporter who saw a sale listing on Ebay. (More) Continue reading “Keener Today – November 28” →

Are you a Super Ager? Northwestern University is studying people over 80 who are extraordinarily active, with sharp minds and particularly healthy cells in the part of the brain where dementia often begins. Researcher Emily Rogalski tells CNN, Super Agers tend to be positive. “They challenge their brain every day, reading or learning something new — many continue to work into their 80s. SuperAgers are also social butterflies, surrounded by family and friends, and can often be found volunteering in the community.”

Today in History:

1895: Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established his prizes for achievement in medicine, physics, chemistry, literature and peace. He ordered that the first prizes were to be awarded five years after his death. He died the following year, and the first Nobel Prizes were handed out in 1901.

1910: Pennsylvania Station opened in New York City.

1924: In New York City, the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was held. Continue reading “Keener Today – November 27” →

Gotta hand it to Ringo. Ultimate Classic Rock reports Starr is selling chrome replicas of his family peace sign The life-size replicas of his hand, with prices starting at $2,000. (More)

The Greater Good Science Center suggests one way to feel more thankful for things is write them down. Stephanie Foo, a radio producer and author says a gratitude journal reminded her to focus on even small things like text messages that friends would send every day. Shesays, “It really let the love that I was receiving sink in.” (More)

Lipstick rules. Consumers may be cutting back on discretionary purchases but will keep shelling out for small luxuries like lipstick. The Wall Street Journal notes sales of the cosmetic product can be a bright spot in an otherwise bleak discretionary-goods environment. Spoilers: (More) Continue reading “Keener Today – November 26” →

It’s Black Friday and our email boxes are brimming with ads. Experts are debating higher prices, possible supply chain issues and shoppers demanding quality over quantity. But one thing is certain: There will be a ton of deals.

Want to carry gratitude with you into the holiday season? Forbes lists 8 ways to do it, including hobbies and exercise. Both activities generate endorphins which boost your mood and immune system, making it easier to feel and express happiness. (More)

Axios’ 2022 survey of what we are thankful for distills down to three traits: humility, resilience and love. Here are 12 examples. (More) Continue reading “Keener Today – November 25” →

What’s happening:

Macy’s may be better known, but America’s Thanksgiving Parade takes place TODAY in Detroit! Here are the details.

In 1967, Arlo Guthrie released his debut album. The 18 minute cut on side one told the story of Arlo’s adventures one Thanksgiving in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Alice’s Restaurant became a counter culture anthem that launched the son of the legendary Woodie Guthrie to the upper echelons of 60s rock and roll culture. The 1969 Arthur Penn film cemented to story into our consciousness.

Arlo’s other notable film appearance came in 1970, documenting his performance at Woodstock during the summer of 1969. But he would only chart on the Top 40 with a Steve Goodman penned tale about riding the rails on the famous Illinois Central’s City of New Orleans. That album was Hobo’s Lullaby, a collection on the Warner Reprise label that made it’s debut right around the time that WKNR faded into history.

Every Thanksgiving, those of us who still own the LP dig it out of the closet, dust it off, pop it on the turntable and head back to a time when being a litter bug could get you into real trouble.

Continue reading “Happy Thanksgiving 2022!” →

What’s Happening:

Worried about those inevitable Thanksgiving dinner table disagreements? Jim Otteson, a professor of business ethics at Notre Dame, tells Axios it’s OK to let those with differing opinions score some points. Author Melody Stanford Martin says, acknowledging that you might not agree before a debate even begins, transforms the pressure to win into a desire to understand. (More)

Will you get up early to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and recline after the meal to watch the Lions take on the Bills? TV ratings for both events continue to deliver viewers with some declines for the parade, but a record high last year for football. Continue reading “Keener Today – November 23” →

November 22, Fifty-nine years ago, at approximately 12:30pm Central time, two shots rang out over Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas and a lone assassin took life of President John F. Kennedy. Keener’s new hit music format was barely a month old, but the WKNR News Team turned the station into a 24 hour news and information source as listeners from across Detroit tuned to radio and television for news of the president’s death and the events that followed. 28 years ago, we recorded a podcast about how Keener and the world covered the tragedy. Here it is.

Continue reading “Keener Today – November 22” →

What’s Happening:

Detroit’s Michigan Central Terminal isn’t the only classic train station getting a face lift. DC’s historic Union Station is in need of a 10 million dollar refurb.

Want to make a vegetarian Thanksgiving Dinner? We’ve got some ideas from the NYT.

As Neil Young passes 71, he tells Rolling Stone, “I’m still a hippie at heart. And I still have hope.” These days he’s singing about clear skies, clean water, a world without war. Continue reading “Keener Today – November 21” →

What’s happening:

It’s Friday!

Taylor Swift breaks Ticketmaster… again. Her concert tix were supposed to go on sale to the general public today. But now, due to, “extraordinarily high demands … and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet that demand,” they won’t.

Friendships are love stories, too. “The Shondaland series, The Art of Friendship,” tracks how relationships evolve over time and how to nurture them. The key to keeping things fresh? Adapt and adjust. Continue reading “Keener Today – November 18” →

What’s happening?

The last of the Hogan’s Hero’s gang has passed on. Robert Clary, Corporal LeBeau on ‘Hogan’s Heroes,’ Died at 96. The French actor and singer spent 31 months in a concentration camp but said he had no reservations about starring in a TV comedy about the Nazis. (More)

It’s that time, the annual Leonid Meteor Shower abounds through Saturday morning and the viewing is predicted to be especially good this year.

If you liked Kevin Costner in Yellowstone, you’ll love Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren and Timothy Dalton in the forthcoming prequel,”1923.” It’s coming to the Paramount+ streaming service on Sunday, Dec. 18. (See the trailer) Continue reading “Keener Today – November 17” →

Artemis I finally blasted off into space early this morning. The unmanned NASA vehicle may, one day, send astronauts to the Moon for the first time since the end of the Apollo program in the 1970s.

Want to check out the Grammy contenders? We’ve got the list here.

Where to expect the rain and snow in Metro Detroit

Who is the world’s biggest automaker? Not General Motors. Not the Mercedes-Benz Group or Toyota. According to The Financial Times, it’s Mattel. The maker of hot wheels and micro machines has sold 500 million units this year.

The brown suede Birkenstock Arizona sandals worn by Steve Jobs in the Apple Computer’s early days were auctioned off in New York on Sunday. NPR reports an anonymous bidder paid $218,750.

Via Dave Pell: “As per usual, The Onion was ahead of the curve.” Here’s a headline from April: Man Who Lost Everything In Crypto Just Wishes Several Thousand More People Had Warned Him.

The iPhone 14 can send an SOS, even if you don’t have coverage. The latest Apple smart device pings one of Globalstar’s 24 low-orbit satellites which relays the info to send help. Mashable has a demo so you don’t have to test it yourself. Continue reading “Keener Today – November 16” →

It’s a wintry week in Detroit. Here are some Nice News tips to prepare.

Prepare your car. CNN’s 25 ways to stay warm without breaking the bank. NPR on how darkness doesn’t have to mean doom and gloom. And a couple of YouTube vids for your screens: A snowy outdoor landscape and some CGI indoor wintry magic. (Signup for Nice News Here))

Scaffolding finally disappears from London’s most historic skyline landmark.
London’s Big Ben is back after five years of renovations: Hear its bong

Want to avoid Cancer? Your workout may be the answer
Study links habitual high-intensity aerobic exercise to a more than 70% decrease in the risk of developing metastatic cancer; authors point to more efficient glucose consumption by organs (More)

And…
Recent research has opened the door for a new era of personalized cancer treatments. In a study published last week, scientists detailed a novel approach to fighting cancer that combines various techniques to essentially attack the disease from multiple angles. Continue reading “Keener Today – November 15” →