A mountain lion traveled from South Dakota to New Haven, a distance of 2000 miles: Biologists estimate the size of the mountain lion population at about 100,000 in North America, mostly living in western regions and seldom traveling more than … Continue reading →
Who? Erma Franklin, that’s who. Aretha’s older sister, she was nominated for a Grammy for the original 1967 R&B version of “Piece Of My Heart,” a song later made far more famous by Janis Joplin. I’d never heard Erma’s rendition … Continue reading →
I can’t say I knew much about Amy Winehouse until her death, although I’d vaguely heard of her. But from what I’ve read since, it appears she exemplified a type of addict who is extraordinarily difficult to help—defiant and resistant … Continue reading →
So, was J.D. Salinger to blame for the murder of John Lennon? It’s an absurd question, on the face of it: of course he wasn’t. But as Mark David Chapman, Lennon’s killer, stood waiting to fire the fatal bullets, he … Continue reading →
…but I know I want to say something. This is about the marriage between 51-year-old actor Doug Hutchison and 16-year-old Courtney Stodden, about which a lot of people are up in arms. Her parents are not among them, however; they … Continue reading →
The Wall Street Journal explains Mitch McConnell’s strategy in saying Republicans should let Obama raise the debt limit himself: Mr. McConnell would then let the President propose three debt-limit increases adding up to $2.5 trillion over the coming months. Senate … Continue reading →
Yesterday I used the phrase “kabuki theater” to describe the debt ceiling machinations between the president and Congress. I didn’t exactly think I was making a unique observation, but apparently I was stepping into one of the most overused memes … Continue reading →
Former First Lady Betty Ford has died at the age of 93. She was catapulted to fame through an unlikely and unique set of circumstances, her husband appointed VP by Nixon after the disgraced Agnew was forced to leave, and … Continue reading →
Of all the hard-to-believe scenarios involved in the DSK case (and that includes all of them), this one reported by the NY Post might just be the most implausible so far: Before she ever walked into Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s dazzling suite … Continue reading →
They’re both musical; Patinkin is a singer and Broadway actor and Zukerman a famous classical violinist. They’re both Jewish, although Patinkin was born in this country and Zukerman is the Israeli son of Holocaust survivors. But their marital history diverges, … Continue reading →
I’ve been revisiting the memoir Self-Consciousness by John Updike, which I first read when it was published in 1989. Updike is best known for his novels, but I consider them his weakest genre. I much prefer the short stories and … Continue reading →
This is astounding body control: I don’t know whether Lil Buck has formal dance training or not; a quick Googling yielded no information on that score. But he’s pretty amazing, trained or no, with a unique combination of hip hop … Continue reading →