Dancing Naked in Front of a Fire: Relaxed Yet?
We are sitting in the sun on a glorious morning in Southern Vermont. It’s hard to describe the cloak of calm and relaxation that one puts on when you take your clothes off and spend time in a place like this. Our table included professors who were regular visitors to […]
Getting Naked in Southern Vermont
Tomorrow I’ll be back on the road, writing an article about a visit to a clothing optional resort in the Green Mountains of Vermont. We will visit Abbott’s Glen, where we are hoping that an Indian summer is in store. I remember well when I flew out to San Diego […]
Ch. 22’s Mass Appeal Will Feature Deerfield…and Us!
What’s the best way to advertise a town? How about on TV? My fellow Deerfield tourist-driven businesses and I are signing a contract to appear on live TV, in hopes of drumming up more Deerfield Daytrippers as a result. We will be creating two days worth of programming on channel 22’s […]
Win Around the World Airline Tickets: Now That’s a Prize!
Today was a sodden yet rewarding day. That’s because I got a card from a former intern, Christa Romano, who has found a job in the Big Apple and starts work in a PR agency next week. Christa was one of our interns and did a great job…so to pay […]
Sinatra’s Bobbysoxers Swooned at The Voice
I continue to enjoy reading this new book about the life of Frank Sinatra. Today’s installment described the absolute mayhem that ensued when the singer first began getting famous and attracting legions of young women to his shows. Sinatra left Tommy Dorsey’s band and in 1944 went from a $400 […]
George Washington: Great for Different Reasons Says New Book
A new book is out about the man who has more cities and towns named for him than anyone else in America. Come on down George Washington! The book by Ron Chernow was reviewed in the Weekend WSJ and revealed that the big man definitely married for money. Martha’s family […]
What Can I Get for Five Rupees? The Guard
In marketing these days, poor consumers are all the rage. Corporations like Nestle and Gillette are realizing that growth isn’t going to come from middle class or rich consumers, but from the bourgening legions of those who make just a few dollars a day. Soda in poor countries often is […]
Topless Pools Bring Voyeurs to Vegas: Death Ray at the Vdara
In Las Vegas, one of the biggest attractions besides casinos where you can lose your shirt are pools where women take off their shirts and their tops. This new “Euro style” topless pool scene has attracted voyeurs and sun worshippers making nearly all of the pools crowded and popular. ‘Pictured […]
Google Is God, and Our PageRank is 6–RIGHT ON!
An email popped up on my phone this morning from GoNOMAD Shooter Paul Shoul. It was good news. Our Google PageRank has bumped up to a PR6 from 4. Why does this thrill us? Because as travel website publishers, Google is God. All of us hate to admit it, but […]
“Sinatra Always Wanted to Be a Gangster,” Another Gangster Said
I was like a kid at Christmas the other day when I pored over a box of books from the Number One Reader, Kentski, who favors all types of nonfiction. I chose one called Sinatra: The Life, by Anthony Summers, and last night I most enjoyed our quiet reading time […]
A Mobile Farmer’s Market Brings Produce to the North End
When you want to find something compelling to read on the net, go to theatlantic.com and just browse. Here’s where I found out about an inspiring idea…a mobile vegetable farmer’s market stand, that prowls old neighborhoods in Burlington Vermont, with hot peppers, carrots, leeks, tomatoes, watermelon, sweet corn and herbs […]
She Quits Huffington Post, and Gets Mocked for It
Sometimes the comments on a blog are far more entertaining than the blog itself. I followed a link on Poynter.org that was a story by Mayhill Fowler on why she just ‘quit’ blogging for Huffington Post, after her request to be paid $2500 per month was politely rebuffed. Fowler was […]
A Bad Idea Involving Cobras Got Worse
The lead was a classic…what was he thinking? “Local businessman Cai Yong thought it would be a good idea to buy 3000 cobra eggs and then hatch the snakes at an abandoned school building.” Really? Today in the Gazette a McClatchy News Service story told a slithery creepy tale of […]
How Much Is that Peach in the Market?
I love it when my newspaper is full of intriguing articles that stretch the mind. I am also fond of that moment when someone close to me reads it and is inspired. That happened the other day when I showed a column by Virginia Postrel to Devorah and she ended […]
Keith Brown Jumps from 29,000 Feet…and Is Loving the Feeling!
Keith Brown was always an adventurer. In 1993 he climbed Mt. Everest. And just the other day, he skydived out of a plane at an astounding 29,000 feet up! I met him at NMH in 1976. Since then we haven’t been in touch, until recently when Facebook brought me his […]
A Human-Powered Monorail Gets $1M from Google
Look down when you do a Google search today, and click on the link that says 10>100. The internet monolith has selected five companies from more than 150,000 submitted ideas to fund. The project began soliciting ideas in 2008, today, one of the winners was Shweeb. Shweeb, a derivative German […]
Go Ahead, Get That Massage. It’s Good for Your Health
In our Pioneer Valley, there are lots and lots of massage therapists. There are three schools churning out graduates every semester, it’s a wonder there are enough people who need back rubbing to keep them all busy. I read in last night’s NY Times about the medical benefits of massage–based […]
Dog Poop Fueled Lights in a Cambridge Park
Parks are wonderful, but there’s always the issue of that annoying dog poop to mess up your shoes and wreck your day. In Cambridge, MA ,an artist has come up with a use for dog poop. It’s a system of tanks and hoses that uses methane released by the poop […]