Flying Through Ash: It Isn’t Pretty
Last night the airspace above five European countries was blocked by thick clouds of ash spewing from a volcano in Iceland. On CNN, the story recounted what happened back in 1982 when a British Airways pilot had to fly through thick ash and smoke above Indonesia. “Eric Moody was the […]
Modern Family’s Characters Become Jerks and Lose Me
I have a terrible feeling that one of my favorite TV shows has jumped the shark. That can happen when characters that people really like turn out to be jackasses who annoy you, instead of make you laugh. Tonight’s episode of “Modern Family” tipped right over into sharkville, when both […]
The UK Leads the Way in an Undesirable Statistic
In last weeks’ WSJ, a story was illustrated with people who had fallen down drunk on the road, and was about a statistic that bodes badly for the future of the United Kingdom. Despite years of the rate of drunkenness falling in other European countries and in the US, in […]
A Tale of Two Musicians, One Wrong and One Right
Erik Felton wrote a column a few days ago that stuck with me. It was about two men, and how vastly different they are– differences that have as much to do with the cultures of today and of yesterday as the men themselves. Leonard Slatkin was recently driven out of […]
With a Sigh of Regret, I’ll Pass the Reins on Soon
I’m sitting in my favorite window of my favorite cafe, thinking about what it will be like after May 3 when I will no longer own this place. I tell friends and acquaintances who ask me that it will be great; that just being a customer will be much more […]
‘Viva Chavez! Viva Chavez!’ Just Say It!
On most Thursday nights, I keep the channel on NBC so I won’t miss ‘The Office’ at nine pm. While that’s the main attraction, I must mention with admiration a very cleverly written mockumentary that preceded my regular fav, called Parks and Recreation. The show stars Amy Poehler as the […]
They Share More with Strangers in the Restroom
The very astute Jeffrey Zaslow writes in today’s WSJ about men’s friendships. The ‘nut graf’ as we journalists like to say, was a perfect summation of the column. The quote in italics comes from a wife, reacting to her husband’s answer to what five long-time men friends talked about during a […]
The Red Shirts Keep Me From Thailand…for Now Anyway
As we settle into a very summer-like day here in Deerfield, I am somewhat relieved. That’s because my planned trip to Thailand has been postponed, due to the army of Red Shirts who are protesting against the government and making things difficult for travel around Bangkok. Today’s news is that […]