The top 10 mosquito cities tend to be in the South, with Atlanta the perennial number one and various Texas cities not far behind. But I figured that New York City had to be among them, from the evidence of … Continue reading →
This article about how head injuries sometimes (although very very rarely) lead to savant powers made me think (once again) of the Jorge Luis Borges story “Funes, the Memorious.” Fortunately, the work appears in its entirety online, so if you … Continue reading →
The US embassy has officially moved to Jerusalem today. All that had to happen in the architectural sense (for now, anyway) was the sprucing up of a building that was already operating as a consulate, but in the psychological sense … Continue reading →
I was away in New York for a few days and came back last night with a cold. So this morning I canceled a bunch of things I was supposed to do and just crawled back into bed, hunkering down. … Continue reading →
[NOTE: This is a repeat of what has become my annual Mother’s Day post. It was written while my mother was still alive.] Okay, who are these three dark beauties? A hint: one of them is the very first picture … Continue reading →
Another confession: I never much cared for Bob Fosse’s choreography, except for the very early stuff in “Kiss Me Kate” and “Damn Yankees.” And Gwen Verdon—that wonderful, wonderful dancer and impish spirit—was very much a part of my early admiration. … Continue reading →
Ta-Nehisi Coates weighs in on the Kanye West Trumplove, as might be expected. I’ve written about Coates before (see also this). In that first post I wrote: The larger message [Coates received from his father’s treatment of him] was that … Continue reading →
All hail the tree peony, as I did a few days ago in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It’s that time of year, and the Brooklyn garden has a huge display of these gorgeous plants, which feature enormous blossoms that look … Continue reading →
The other day while driving in a moderate-sized town, I glanced down to look at my cell phone GPS for a quick moment. Next thing I knew, I saw a police car in back of me turn on its blue … Continue reading →
At least in the Senate, here’s more evidence it might be rough going for the Democrats: Among more than 200 experts and veterans of Florida politics surveyed in the latest Tampa Bay Times Florida Insider Poll, nearly six in 10 … Continue reading →
I’m not referring to the possible effect of Trump’s presidency on the economy, which is the way the expression has sometimes been used. I’m using it more like a sort of speed bump in the narrative—that little obligatory hiccup in … Continue reading →
The University of Michigan has a comprehensive anti-free-speech policy. Oh, the school doesn’t call it that. They say it’s: …a disciplinary code that prohibits “harassment” and “bullying,” and increases the penalties if such actions are motivated by “bias.”…Michigan defines harassment … Continue reading →