Past Articles

Jerry Wexler was a renowned music producer who died last week at 91. He was remembered by Jim Fusilli in today’s WSJ, a portrait of a man who considered was ‘abrasive, derisive and cynical,” by many people, but beloved by artists like Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles. He will be […]

It’s a gorgeous day at the cafe. But I’m not supposed to be here. I got a call, one of those somewhat rare calls from the cafe, when one of my workers called in sick. So here I am taking my first break of the day after slinging hash and […]

What a concept! Have a special weekend when the state won’t take their five percent cut of any purchase in a store…advertise it heavily and then the merchants pick up and advertise it. And pretty soon every store in the state is full of eager shoppers, wanting to spend money, […]

I’ve just spent the last hour reading magazines. For free, on-line, flipping through the pages of Popular Photography and the National Enquirer as easily as I might read them in the check-out line of the supermarket. I found them all at a site that is making magazine publishers reach for […]

The relentless progress of alternative energy is leaving the government in its wake. More and more utilities are seeing the value of large-scale solar arrays to generate not just hot water but electricity. Today in the WSJ I read about Pacific Gas and Electric, which just signed on to the […]

Flowers can change a building’s tone, as illustrated here at the GoNOMAD cafe, in the center of South Deerfield.

Last night was a Wednesday, so as custom lately has dictated, it was time to go out for dinner. Cindy has enjoyed not having a messy kitchen and I’ve enjoyed finding new and different places to have our weekday night out. Often it’s the old standby, The Apollo Grill in […]

Some of my friends speak highly of Venezuela’s strong man Hugo Chavez. This pisses me off, because I detest what he’s doing to his country and his dangerous braggadocio all over the world stage. I have read travelers’ accounts of how pathetic it is there compared with neighboring countries like […]

Mad Men is a television show that’s been lauded and praised by many. I caught the past two shows and think the buzz is deserved. The opening credits give you a hint that it’s a little different from most 2008 scripted TV fare. In an animated sequence, a man wearing […]

As an American traveler, one topic that I care deeply about is the value of the dollar. Over the past year, changing my crisp 100 dollar bills into euros or kronors or pesos has been a bummer of an experience. And it’s rare to speak with a traveler returning from […]

Last night after a long time closing up the cafe I relaxed on the couch and turned on the TV at 8:08 pm. It was time for that gathering that does indeed bring the world together–or at least to the same channel–for sixteen days: The Olympics. I knew I could […]

“There are two railroads out there,” said Amtrak President Alex Kummant in a Wall St. Journal article today. “There’s the one we run every day, and there’s the one everybody imagines is out there.” Kummant was asked about a topic that I wrote about in the Valley Advocate: really fast […]

I’ve been thinking about this date for a long time. Today is eight, eight, oh eight. WOW. It’s the opening night of the Olympics and at 8:08pm tonight, we’ll be watching. It might be a little more difficult because last night while Cindy was on the phone with me, we […]