I’m Not Yet Fifty, Despite What My Friends Say
Today is my birthday–I am not yet fifty. Most people I know have already hit this milestone, and I laugh because people in the past few days keep asking me how old I am gonna be, then commenting that “I’m not even fifty yet.” Well as my sweetheart likes to […]
Exubera Is Just Too Much for Pfizer Any More
I read in the WSJ today about Jeffrey Kindler, the CEO of Pfizer. They’ve just written off $2.8 billion for a failed spray diabetes drug called Exubera. The reasons behind why it could never make enough money to pay for itself is representative of the way Big Pharma works in […]
The Dual Fuel Car That Solves the Puzzle of Hydrogen
While we were in Barga, we watched three movies, all of which stood out. The last movie was ‘Who Killed the Electric Car?’ that skewered the power companies and GM for giving up on a little car that hundreds, if not thousands, once loved. But they were all squashed and […]
Speaking at UMass Can Be Fun…or Dreadful
I’m just about ready to leave the office to go to UMass and lecture BJ Roche’s ‘Writing for the Web’ class at 1:25 today. I looked all around for the papers I had prepared, and can’t locate them…but the main point I’ll make is how to stand out from the […]
A Homeless Man We All Knew–But Didn’t
Bob Flaherty of the Daily Hampshire Gazette put a name to a face that many of us knew during his time on this earth. That was Scott Sadoski, a red-haired bearded homeless man who died last month. I used to drive by Scott almost daily, he was known for having […]
Schulz, or Schroeder, Was Oblivious to Lucy’s Love
Charles M. Schulz was perhaps the most famous artist in the world. “Sparky,” as he was known throughout his life, was somebody many people thought they knew because they faithfully read his cartoons. A new book called “Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography,” by David Michaelis was reviewed by the Wall […]
Band Day in Amherst with Thousands on the March
Today was band day, and a glorious fall day it was in Amherst. There more than 3500 kids dressed up in 67 different band uniforms performed together at halftime of the UMass football game. Sixty-seven units and the resounding boom of those hundreds of drums must have carried over to […]
"How Dare They Bore Us!"
In the National Journal, William Powers writes today about the worst thing you can do to somebody in America–bore them. The candidates are doing that already. “The [Fred] Thompson critique isn’t just about Thompson. It’s emblematic of how central entertainment is to the campaign, and how closely journalists monitor the […]
Arthur’s Travel Show is No Bologna
I talked about Bologna with Arthur Von Wiesenberger today, on his Around the World Travel radio show. He’s a water expert. It was funny hearing him comment earlier on his food radio show on the public water in Santa Barbara, where he lives. When you ask somebody who has hosted […]
Work Through Lunch, You Pathetic Slave
“Work Through Lunch,” the pink billboard exhorts me, as I drive south on I-91. Then just below is a photo of a tiny pizza the company sells for ‘lunch.’ I glare at the sign and set to thinking. No Way! Lunch is a relaxing bit of the day. Lunch is […]
The Algerians Prove that Less is More in the Desert
I return again to Robert D. Kaplan’s superb book that I’ve almost finished reading. As discussed previously, his aim here is to shed light on the lives and thoughts of the grunts, the men and women who are the heart of America’s military. He goes to Algeria with the Green […]
The Lives of the Grunts of the Blue Water Navy
It’s a soggy Sunday morning but the best part is that tomorrow is a holiday! It’s like Saturday all over again. I stayed up late last night devouring a book by my favorite author. Robert D. Kaplan doesn’t let me down, in his new book called ‘Hog Pilots, Blue Water […]
Kim Meets Roh: Doesn’t Say Much But Loves the DVDs
In am embarrassment of riches, I now am getting two copies of my beloved WSJ delivered, so more chances to read fascinating stuff. Evan Ramstad and SungHa Park reported today about a rare meeting between the leaders of North and South Korea. There were some tidbits worthy of note: Mr […]
The New Center of South Deerfield is the GoNOMAD Cafe
Been hobbling around with terrible shin splints after an awkward session on the treadmill. So I am still the one who’s asked to run to Georgios to fetch whatever ingredient they are out of at the cafe. Funny, one time that is. Today we messed up an order for a […]
Talk Radio: It’s Much Harder Than It Looks
William Lobdell of LA tried a stint as a talk radio host. Apparently, it’s harder than it looks. “As soon as the show’s opening music boomed into my headphones, my mind began to shut down. You wouldn’t think being a talk radio show host would be all that tough — […]
I’m Focusin’ with PhoCusWright in Orlando!
I’m feelin’ focused….yeah PhoCusWright! I am thrilled to report that I’m officially on board for the highest level Internet Travel event held in the US–PhoCusWright 2008! I applied for media credentials and they’ve approved me. So I’m booked to fly to Orlando from Nov 12-15 to hob knob with Google’s […]
Loretta Alper’s Film Packs the House in ‘Hamp
Last night Loretta Alper must have been damn proud. That’s because a packed to the rafters, turn-people-away-at-the-door crowd piled into the Academy of Music theater to see the film she produced make its debut. The film is ‘War Made Easy: how presidents and pundits keep spinning us to death‘ and […]
Showing Off Big Boobs Gets Her the Boot
In one of the trade papers a small item caught my eye. ‘Busty Tourist told to cover up or leave,’ it said, quickly getting my attention. Stuff.co.nz had the rest of the story. “A night of celebration turned to humiliation when an English tourist’s “offensive” breasts upset fellow punters at […]