Late Night Pitchmen’s Claims Debunked
Today began with me watching a little slice of Good Morning America. There the lovely Diane Sawyer had a frenetic blond woman on the show who was debunking the claims made by loud-mouthed TV pitch artists for dubious products. First they tried that glue that supposed to glue back your […]
For Every Buck Casinos Make, They Owe Seven
One thing I’ve learned from a year or so of reading the WSJ…it’s debt that makes it hard in business, not just sales. One of the worst-hit sectors of our buckling economy is the casino business. In Vegas and Atlantic City, debt is taking down Donald Trump and now, Kirk […]
Our New Home Makes Us Yearn for the Old One
There is a commercial for Target Stores that’s running on TV lately which captures the zeitgeist of today’s tough times with an appealing zeal. The catchy tune with the words “this is a brand new day,” contrasts the old and the new in our time. “The new bakery” turns out […]
Ten Penny Opera: Is It Me, Or Is This Really Bad?
Last night my friends and I gathered at Mama Iguana’s, a Mexican joint in downtown Noho. Cindy was meeting us there. When she showed up, I felt a great burst of pride when I introduced her to Jim Neal a friend who had never met her. I had told her […]
Sending the Little Mermaid Statue to Shanghai…Really
This just in…wow sending a city’s symbol all the way to China! Shoul and I got a chance to view her a few years ago while we toured the harbor in a boat. She was surrounded by Asian tourists, and soon she will be seen by up to 70 million […]
Arts in Franklin County? Or How To Promote Your Book?
I took some time out from my day to go up to Greenfield, where a meeting was starting at 10:30 am to promote Franklin County as an arts destination. The room was full of artists, the chamber rep, and other people who run museums and care about the topic…I was […]
Obama "Gets It" on High-speed Rail & Other Necessities
As the snow swirled around me this morning, I got a lot done here in my office alone. It’s funny because I used to think of how sad I was that Cindy before she had her assistant, would have to be by herself in the office. Today Í love it, […]
Chip Tracks Down the Dog Owner and the Realtor
I love my routine on the ‘Net, the same as my regular route in newspapers. Saturday I usually look at the Recorder to see if Chip Ainsworth has a column…he did yesterday and it was a beaut. He starts off at a Red Sox spring training game, and mentions all […]
Facebook Crushes Myspace, Which Once Ruled
Uh oh. The trade press is buzzing over the possible demise of once-powerful Myspace. Below is a snip from Jason Lee Miller, staff writer for Web Pro News, and his thoughts echo my own. I used to update a Myspace page, now I hardly ever bother to go there. Facebook […]
The Johnny Cash Show: He Deserved the Accolades
I got invited at the last minute by Marc for some steaks and salad at a big house in Florence. Then we repaired to the basement where on a giant flat screen, we popped on a DVD. It was “The Johnny Cash show”, a musical variety show that ran from […]
From Kentucky Come Photos of Redneck Things
My friend and ex-wife Kathryn once lived and worked in Kentucky. That’s why she is now a source for incredible and hilarious redneck photos. She sent these today. We have here a Redneck cat carrier and a redneck bbq grill. Yeehaw!
The Churn Continues…Help Wanted at the Cafe
I talked on the phone the other day to a nice woman who asked me for a job reference for one of our employees. I told her that I’d miss her terribly, and that she should hire her. Bam! Now we’re back to needing more people! Turnover is an integral […]
An Ancient Lady In a Mink Beefs About Her Travel Writing Career
I got an email from a traveler named Diane Letulle, who attended the NY Times Travel Show. She recalled a funny incident at the travel writing seminar we gave there. It’s from Eight Million Stories, a New York city website. My day at the Travel Show ended in a writing […]
Trying to Give the Mom a Little Time to Sleep In
I met fierce resistance early this morning as I tried to be a helpful grandpa and give my daughter Kate a little more time to sleep. As often is the case, I heard my grandson Nathan thrashing around in her bed in the room next door and heard that familiar […]
Going to Mobile, Alabama to See What I Can See
Another snowstorm has come and gone, today we are left with the glimmer, shine and colder temps that make it all even more beautiful. I had a busy day yesterday in the office, making plans to travel to Atlanta to the Travelcom show and finalizing my trip the week before […]
Eastern Flicker Chows Down on Suet in Holyoke
This is an Eastern Flicker, a great big bird with a spotted chest who surprised us today on the snowy feeder. He liked the suet and came back repeatedly, we found him in our bird book.
Working Less Brings Many Benefits
Yesterday I got a chance to watch an excellent movie and read almost the entire NY Times. Watching movies on Sunday afternoon is far more enjoyable than falling asleep during a nighttime screening. Among the interesting articles in the Times was a piece in the Week in Review about the […]
The Naked Men Converse on Worldly Topics at the Y
Saturday afternoon at the office, and once again I’m here. I can’t stay away from this place, what with so many things to worry about, get done, and piles of papers to file or throw away. I managed to get a good workout in, early up at the Greenfield Y. […]