Articles written by Trent Lorcher - Page 3

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About me - Trent Lorcher

I've spent about an hour trying to write something clever in this space and the end result has been absolutely nothing.

There's no way I'm just going to write the same old stuff. You know: that I'm 38 years old, a high school English teacher for 10 years,

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Celebrations & Holidays > Celebrations & Holidays (Other) Unusual Independence Day customs: 2 of 13
Cookouts, barbecues, and fireworks satisfy most Americans, but not all. These four towns, with their unusual and controversial Independence Day customs, demonstrate that America's birthday affects citizens differently. FORT SPECIAL, ARKANSAS: FLAG DESECRATION CEREMONY Someone forgot to tell the residents of Fort Special, Ark... More..
Travel > Travel Planning & Advice Outdoor activities and things to do in the Dominican Republic: 1 of 6
Considered a nature lover's paradise, the North Coast of the Dominican Republic offers excitement and adventure for anyone who enjoys beautiful scenery, sore buttocks, broken bones, giant killer fish, and mouthfuls of salt water. Mountain Biking With tours lasting from one day to two weeks, North Coast visitors enjoy scenery... More..
Travel > Caribbean & Atlantic Travel destinations: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic: 1 of 6
Things have changed since the days of Columbus. For example, I got lost outside of Des Moines last year: I got yelled at by my wife, screamed at by my kids, beat up by a 12 year old on a dirt bike, and arrested for leaving a personal landmark behind an out of order outhouse at a rest area off route 46. Christopher Columbus g... More..
Travel > Travel Planning & Advice Winter sports and activities in Whistler, British Columbia: 1 of 6
Famous for its skiing and snowboarding, Whistler, British Columbia offers plenty of other winter outdoor activities that involve danger, snow, and guys named Biff hitting on your wife. SNOWMOBILING As a driver or a passenger, snowmobiling provides fun and frostbite for the entire family. Whether you're tired of the slopes, d... More..
Sports & Recreation > College Basketball The most overrated men's college basketball teams: 1 of 6
A highly regarded team comes into your gym, gets beat down, and leaves to a chorus of "O-ver-rat-ed! O-ver-rat-ed!" Which highly regarded teams does this chant fit best? Let's take a look at college basketball's most overrated teams. DUKE No team in college basketball evokes a stronger reaction than the Duke Blue Devils. Duk... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips Overcoming "writer's block" for academic writing: 3 of 17
Remember that time you had an essay due on Wednesday and instead of writing it the week before, you watched Knight Rider reruns and played Tetris? Remember on Tuesday night when you couldn't think of anything to write and you threw your laptop out the window in frustration? Don't let it happen again. Do the following for ove... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Celebrations & Holidays (Other) 4th of July cookout: Dos and don'ts: 8 of 40
Fly the flag, pledge your allegiance, and light the fireworks. It's the 4th of July and you're hungry. Whether you host your own barbecue or plan on eating elsewhere, these "dos and don'ts" will make this 4th of July the best ever: DO WEAR A SHIRT. Nobody wants to see your flab spilling into the potato salad or your chest ha... More..
Arts & Humanities > Children's Literature Great children's books about fire safety: 1 of 5
I'm not sure why a giant purple dinosaur has more credibility with my 3-year old son than I do. I'm also not sure why a furry, red monster is a role model. I do know, however, that when these adorable anthropomorphic creatures speak about fire safety, my son listens. BARNEY AND BJ GO TO THE FIRE STATION Two prehistoric safet... More..
Relationships & Family > Family Life Our family's most unique and unusual autumn tradition: 9 of 42
Make Halloween more fun with a portable haunted house. All it takes is 68 feet of PVC pipe, a bucketful of fittings, 12 giant garbage bags, a strobe light, some dry ice, and a giant blow up pumpkin (Trick-or-Treat candy sold separately). A PORTABLE HAUNTED HOUSE Construct the frame of the house with PVC pipe. Tape on the gar... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Celebrations & Holidays (Other) A brief history of Bastille Day: 6 of 27
More famous for its inability to untrench the Germans in World War I, its quick surrendering in WWII, its non-participation in the Vietnam conflict, and its failure to out-flop the Italians in the 2006 World Cup, France does hold the honor of staging the world's all time bloodiest revolution, one which popularized the guillo... More..