I like small restaurants. Not so much the fancy ones with linen napkins and quiet lighting. I mean the little neighborhood places – the ones with eight tables and a bar that might seat four people if nobody breathes too deeply. You go there because it’s familiar and comfortable. A place to sit down, eatContinue reading “The Four Layers of Noise”
Author Archives: John Berkovich
Whatever Happened to Brightly Colored Cars?
I was sitting on a veranda, taking a break from work and watching cars go by, when something just hit me. Black. White. Charcoal gray. Dark blue that almost looks black. One after another, the same colors, over and over again. I’d say at least 90 percent of them fall into that group. Then, finally,Continue reading “Whatever Happened to Brightly Colored Cars?”
The Four Coke Bottles Nobody Is Supposed to Notice…or Maybe They Are
We were watching a World Cup halftime show recently when something caught our attention. It wasn’t a tactical adjustment the trailing team had to make going into the second half, and it wasn’t an injury update or some brilliant piece of analysis. It was four unopened bottles of Coca-Cola. One in front of each personContinue reading “The Four Coke Bottles Nobody Is Supposed to Notice…or Maybe They Are”
Life Inside the Local Facebook Group: “Does Anyone Know This Person?”
Someone has captured a front porch-camera photo of a mysterious individual walking past their house, pausing briefly near the driveway. The post appears with the familiar tone of mild alarm. “Does anyone know this person?” The photo usually shows a human figure walking down the sidewalk at 2:14 in the afternoon. The person might beContinue reading “Life Inside the Local Facebook Group: “Does Anyone Know This Person?” “
Life Inside the Local Facebook Group: The Free Couch That Starts a Community Debate
Another classic feature of local Facebook groups is the “free item” post that usually begins with a photo taken in a driveway, garage, or basement. Someone is giving something away. Often it’s a couch. Sometimes it’s a coffee table. Occasionally, it’s a large wooden cabinet that clearly weighs as much as a refrigerator and wouldContinue reading “Life Inside the Local Facebook Group: The Free Couch That Starts a Community Debate”
Life Inside the Local Facebook Group: The Lost Pet That Was Never Lost
Every local Facebook group eventually develops a steady stream of lost pet alerts. At first glance, these posts seem perfectly reasonable. Someone’s dog or cat has wandered off, and the owner is understandably worried. The community rallies around the search effort. Photos are shared, locations are posted, and people promise to keep an eye out.Continue reading “Life Inside the Local Facebook Group: The Lost Pet That Was Never Lost”
Life Inside the Local Facebook Group: The Detective
I joined a few Facebook groups when I moved to Buckhorn because it’s good for business, and I wanted to keep in touch with Buckhorn and the surrounding communities in various ways. Anyway, I’ve noticed a few funny (to me, at least) quirks and comments in these groups, which may be partly due to theContinue reading “Life Inside the Local Facebook Group: The Detective”
When Nostalgia Sneaks Up on You
Nostalgia is a funny thing because it rarely arrives when you expect it. You don’t wake up in the morning and say, “Today feels like a good day to revisit memories from a long time ago.” Life usually moves too quickly for that. There are emails to answer, errands to run, and the usual day-to-dayContinue reading “When Nostalgia Sneaks Up on You”
Zabriskie Point and the Question of How Long to Look
Another entry in my travel series. Some places are easy to leave. You stop the car, take some photos, go for a walk to loosen up, and within fifteen minutes, you’re back on the road again, the place already fading into the rearview mirror of the trip while you think, “That was nice; I’m gladContinue reading “Zabriskie Point and the Question of How Long to Look”
A Visit to Joshua Tree National Park
Another entry in my travel log series The first thing that hits you about Joshua Tree National Park in California is the feeling of space. Wide desert landscapes stretch in every direction, broken up by massive piles of boulders that look as if someone dropped them there eons ago. And then there are the treesContinue reading “A Visit to Joshua Tree National Park”
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