Paying the Rwandan Weavers or the Bank
Today’s NY Times includes this story about Eziba, a failed dot com that used to sell African handicrafts until it went belly up last year. “Since its debut in 1999, Eziba was never shy about publicizing the benefits it bestowed on vendors around the world. The company said it paid […]
The Sahel–Where Terrorism Breeds
Robert D. Kaplan is perhaps my all time favorite author. His non fiction accounts of travel blend the politics of today with the history of the ages, and it makes for compelling reading. I picked up a copy of April’s Atlantic and found his report from Niger, called “America’s African […]
I Wish I Could Remember You
Women are better than men at remembering people. I learned this last night, when I took a time travel train back 35 years to my days at summer camp in Vermont. The reunion took place at Kevin St. James, on 8th Ave in Hell’s Kitchen NYC. The bar was lively […]
Back to Camp Kokosing
Kay oh, Kay Oh, Ess eye en gee, Kay Oh, Kay oh! ess eye en gee. That was our song long, long ago when each summer I boarded a bus in Brooklyn with forty mostly New Yorkers and traveled to Thetford Center, Vermont to camp. It was not just any […]
Why I like Being an Internet Man
The NY Post reports on Business, just like sports; “The head of The Wall Street Journal’s empire, Peter Kann, could be sweating over his job, again. Earnings plunged by 54 percent at the newspaper’s parent Dow Jones & Co., with its fledgling online operations earning more money for the first […]
Flavorpill–You Like it Filtered
The New York Times magazine comes in a $4.50 wrapper, so I read it on line. This was included in last week’s issue. “Flavorpill now has scores of contributors who straddle the line between critic and fan. A recent issue of the New York version included a ”stoner/psych rock” show […]
Sudanese Ambassador Confronted by Students
From Littlegreenfootballs.com today: One of the best stories I’ve read today is this account of the confrontation at Belmont University in Nashville between anti-idiotarian students and the ambassador from Sudan’s “Islamic republic:” Sudan’s envoy gets hostile reception at Belmont. (Hat tip: Bill Hobbs.) An unusual gathering at Belmont University featured […]
Camilla Will Be Queen
Tina Brown is a royal-watcher with credentials, she’s British and knows what the signals mean. Her recent Washington Post column surmises what will take place in the years ahead of Charles and Camilla. “The prince’s intentions to crown Camilla have actually been clear all along. Item: the gift of the […]
Doing What You Love–Now THAT’s Real Money!
Tne NY Times keeps track of the stories that are emailed the most; often this is where you’ll find the best stories. This one was about a millionaire who decided to work as a train conductor in NJ. “Walter Joe O’Rourke, who never wed, is married to the rails. Despite […]
Who The Hell is John Bolton?
This from a lobbying website “The Center for American Progress” I found on google… “He has been called a “treaty-killer” and a “guided missile.” He is known as the “undersecretary for chads” and the “anti-diplomat.”[ii] Recently he called concerns over how many nuclear weapons North Korea possesses “quibbling.” [iii] And, […]
Hail the Cancer Vixen
The NY Times told a tale that included a long horizontal photo of Marisa Acocella Marchetto at her apartment. The story was about her reaction to breast cancer. “The New York-based illustrator was dressed to turn heads one recent afternoon at Da Silvano, a downtown Italian restaurant frequented by the […]
Too Cheap to Fly to Europe
The Providence Journal ‘s Jack Coleman reports on a controversy about the proposed Cape Cod Wind Farm, found on poynter.org today. “NEVER LET IT BE SAID that The Cape Cod Times is stingy. Unlike many newspapers its size, the 50,000-circulation Times has sent reporters to chase stories in South Africa, […]
Watching the Chef at Black Eyed Susans
Nantucket is a famous culinary mecca, with great chefs opening expensive eateries and each season coming up with new and higher standards for dining….with the clientele that comes ashore from multimillion dollar yachts and sprawling summer homes, this is a place where prices can soar and smiles will still greet […]
Long Long Lost
Saying goodbye to a favorite television series next week will take longer than ever. The hottest show on ABC, Lost, will feature a two-part final season episode that will last for three hours, says AOL News. Early rumors about “Exodus” had it that one of the castaways would die during […]
Stanley’s Literary Larding
Alessandra Stanley used to be a foreign bureau chief and high ranking reporter for the New York Times. Now she’s the TV critic, and Broadcasting and Cable magazine recently had fun looking back at the obscure yet precise literary references she loves to lard her columns with. Below are a […]
James Taylor at the Fenway Park Home Opener
Watching television in the hotel. Laptop enabled, high speed connection, bright sunny day, out visiting customers on Nantucket island with Todd. So many friendly people out on this isle 29 miles at sea. Sun glinting off the water. The Sox game is on and James Taylor sang the national anthem. […]
Driving in a Very Cool Car to ACK
We drove out to Hyannis to ferry across to Nantucket for a few days. The vehicle was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. A 2005 BMW 6 series, sharp and full of space age gadgets…like the navigation system that shows you the map of the road, even showed the ocean […]
Watch out for the Leopard Seals
Last night we came home after dinner at a Thai restaurant and turned on the Discovery Channel. A show about Antarctica called Blue Planet showcased the lives of the Emperor penguins, and their daily struggle to avoid becoming lunch for the fierce predators just below the ice. The beasts they […]