I have a problem. Well, I have a number of problems, but one of them is with my health. Things like high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease run in my family. That means I have been on medication for my cholesterol for a few years now and have to be careful about what […]
When I started reading “Summer Crossing” by Steve Tesich recently, I almost tossed the book aside after a few pages. The story opens at a state wrestling championships where the protagonist, Daniel Price, has a chance to win the championship against a heavily-favored opponent. At one point, the narrative mentions Price scoring a takedown and […]
In his debut novel “Then We Came to the End,” Joshua Ferris took a clever look at an advertising agency in hard economic times. His insightful use of the first person plural narrator brought the reader into the action. I looked forward to reading whatever else he produced. I don’t quite feel the same after […]
I feel bad for Steve Wynn. Not the casino mogul, but the musician. Wynn led a band called Dream Syndicate in the 1980s and has carved out a nice solo career over the past two decades. My real familiarity with him comes from The Baseball Project, a recent endeavor with Peter Buck from R.E.M. and […]
Earlier this month, R.E.M. announced the remastered version of “Fables of the Reconstruction,” the third of the band’s early albums to get this treatment. Like the first two, this July 13 release will include a bonus CD. But they are mixing it up. Instead of a concert like we got with “Murmur” and “Reckoning,” the […]
I had a hankering for some comedy at lunch yesterday and decided to watch an old episode of Newsradio on Hulu. It was the one where Jimmy James faked his attempt at flying around the globe in a hot air balloon. I love that episode because so many of the elements that made the show […]
A photocopy from a 1998 “Word of the Day” calendar hangs on a wall in my workspace. The word for January 13 of that year is “schadenfreude.” enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others I bring this up because I can see the photocopy right over my monitor as I chuckle softly with each passing […]
I have had satellite radio for some time now. The main comedy channel plays a fascinating variety of performers. Once in a while, they will play an old routine from Steve Martin. On first listen, you might think he’s bombing. The jokes don’t have a traditional structure and some of the laughter from the audience […]
After almost 10 years, I have simply accepted my commute to Baltimore as a fact of life. I don’t even notice when co-workers talk about sleeping in until 7 a.m. or get a chance to run home to grab something they forgot. I have 22 hours for the rest of the world and two hours […]
NBC announced its new fall schedule over the weekend. The good news is that we are in the post-Jay Leno experiment era. The bad news is that the people who run the network still have the critical thinking skills of a 4-year-old after an afternoon of Pixie Sticks and Mountain Dew. Three-quarters of the Thursday […]