An Eminence Grise Speaks Out in Favor of Lord Leno
I read in today’s NY Times about an NBC executive who came to the sudden defense of the chin–also known as Jay Leno–who has been attacked recently by his fellow late-night talk show hosts. Ebersol says its gutless, and ‘chicken hearted’ for Conan to be mad at Jay, because the […]
While the Tourist Boat Passes, She Flashes Boobs
It’s a whirlwind of a day and finally, the cafe is chugging on all eight cylinders, shaking off a lousy few weeks of post-holiday doldrums. With my most excellent staff handing all of the soup and pannini making, I had time to do what I should be doing, publishing stories […]
This Has Gotta Be a Plant…
A new study finds that couples who do more housework have more sex on average than those who slack on keeping the house tidy. After interviewing almost 7,000 couples about their household chores and frequency of sex, researchers found a direct correlation between the two. More housework completed = more […]
Life in a Little Village, Joyous to Have No Commute
I just got back from bringing my grandson Nathan to school. It’s less than a half mile from my house, and the same tiny distance from my office. As I drove home I thought about the difference between my life in 2010, and my car-oriented life of 2004. I used […]
The Dinosaurs Can Attest: Asteroids Are Dangerous
I tore an op-ed piece out of one of last week’s WSJ’s because it both worried and reassured me. It was about asteroids, one of which is expected to nearly hit the earth in 2032. It’s a long time from now, but in Russia, they are gearing up to actually […]
Spike Lee’s ‘Miracle at St. Anna’ a Bloody Mess
Last night I watched a Spike Lee movie. It was terrible, and it was very long. Amazingly, I kept on until the bitter end, until the last bullet hole was drilled into a body with spurting blood, until the final Nazi machine gunner was thrown down and the last leg […]
The Kingdom: "We Will Kill Them All"
“Watch your mouth. Don’t use those curse words!” Faris chastised the only Jewish member of the FBI investigative team as they surveyed the damage from a massive bombing and shooting attack at an American compound in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We were watching a 2007 film called “The Kingdom” […]
Role Reversal: Trying to Snag an Intern
We had a visit last night from a tall Chinese student named Sitian. He is a computer science major at UMass, and he applied for an internship with GoNOMAD. For the first time, the roles were reversed, and we were in a new position of really, really wanting him to […]
Aren’t You Glad The Holidays Are Over?
I don’t know about you but I can’t remember another time when I was so glad to be back to our regular routine…no more holiday days off, no more closed cafe, no more distractions from the good work that we all love. No, it’s simply, finally, Monday morning, January 4, […]
In Virginia, the State Now Offers Payday Loans
Have you ever taken out a payday loan? These loans are famous in working-class and minority neighborhoods and can add up to as much as 400% annual interest! In Virginia, the state is trying out a new program that offers cash-strapped workers a way to avoid the trap of these […]
A Year of Travel…Looking Back through 2009
My friend Johnny Jet presented a digest of all of his 2009 travels, and it inspired me to do the same. I often wonder just when I went to a certain place, so publishing the full record is a good way for me to remember them. Below is my 2009 […]
A Town on Tenterhooks
In the NY Times, Northampton was described as a “town on tenterhooks.” This expression goes back to 14th century, and refers to the ‘tenters’ which were used to stretch out wool in the sun, so that it wouldn’t shrink when it was being cleaned. The woodent tenter held it stretched […]
The Oldest Justice Swims Every Day
John Paul Stevens has been on the Supreme C0urt for 34 years. It is thought that he might someday become the longest serving justice of all time. I watched him on television tonight, and at 89 he was as spry and sharp as a man of 60. It was remarkable. […]
Odds and Ends at the End of the Year
I read in the Boston Herald about a tragedy…that donated clothing is being turned into rags. Rags! You’d think the clothes were alive or something. People are upset, and vowing to only bring their throwaway clothes to Goodwill, not to to the boxes that sit in many Cape Cod Supermarket […]
"I’m Happy Just to Look at You:" The Real Rain Man
When Barry Morrow won Best Screenplay Oscar for Rain Man, he gave the precious statuette to the original Rain Man, Kim Peek, who had inspired the screenplay. The savant who would become world famous after the movie won four Oscars died last week, leaving the world without an incredible mind […]
Christmas Morning Repose
It’s Christmas and a feeling of peace and contentment wafts through the air. Everybody is busy with some new toy or gadget; others are casually pulling their loot together to get ready to bring it home. It’s a satisfying thing to know that virtually every business has stopped, for a […]
A Net Zero House: My Eventual Goal
Some things are exciting….like being energy neutral. I read today about Net-zero homes that make and save as much energy as they use in the WSJ this cold morning. WOW! In Greenfield, Rural Development is putting up duplexes with these features, and can add $37K to the price of the […]