In Queens, a Nautical Battle in the Roman Tradition
Duke Riley dreams big. Really big. Next Thursday he’ll be directing a mock naval battle, Coliseum style, at the Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. People will don gladiator gear, spectators will be required to wear togas, and in a vacant pool, 30-foot-long Spanish galleons, Egyptian river boats and Polynesian […]
It All Started with the Dreaded Ghetto Latte
The blogosphere is abuzz with the actions and the comments (and the reactions) from a man in Virginia who went into a hip coffee cafe and tried to order a triple espresso over ice. He was refused by the barista who claimed that this violated the shop’s policy. Then the […]
The Decline of the Arabs Starts at the Top
Tonight a column by Fouad Ajami caught my eye in the WSJ. “Autocracy and the Decline of the Arabs” told the sad tale of a society that’s been in the ditch out of action since the early 1980s. He speaks of “the Arab Rip Abu Winkle, awakening from a slumber […]
Afar Magazine Debuts, and It’s a Keeper
In my overflowing office email box, I got a press release for a new travel magazine called Afar. One that’s printed, and mailed, old school style. I dashed off a wise-acre reply, saying hey, send me a copy, and I wished them luck in this devilishly tough ad climate for […]
"The Ultimate Gift" Keeps on Giving
I’m a sucker for a heart-wrenching tale, and have been known to tear up during sad movies and at poignant moments. Tonight I watched a movie that brought out these same sappy tears but the message definitely bears repeating. I think this film is part of a new division called […]
Alessandra Stanley Goes from Times Star to Goat
Alessandra Stanley was once the ít girl of journalism. So cool and so facile, able to mix in anecdotes about Neapolitan traditions, esoteric literary references, and other word tricks. But she is on a copy desk now, no longer the top TV writer for the NY Times.It’s all because of […]
Rockin the House at Johnny and Andrea’s Party
We went to two parties last night. Boy what a contrast. At the first, most people didn’t know who we were and nobody really had any interest in us. It was like we were shopping, wandering anonymously through the aisles. Then we drove up to John and Andrea’s in Florence […]
In Germany, They’ve Spent $7B on Clunkers–So Far
I’ve got a clunker in my garage that my family would love to see me get rid of. It’s got a dead battery, needs a new catalytic converter, and now the hood latch doesn’t work so it takes pliers to open it up. You’d think I would be eligible for […]