Essays
1093 results
Page 83
Farewell to the '50s
Dear Beaver, Howdy, Adlai et al: You made me what I am today
It's high time I faced the facts: My beloved '50s are indeed dead, and I need a new set of conversational reference points. But before I take my leave, allow me one last farewell to my faithful '50s friends.
Essays
4 minute read
Why the 'U.S.S. Olympia' matters
Save that ship!
I was shocked to learn that scuttling may be the fate of the cruiser Olympia, Admiral Dewey's flagship at the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898. It's the world's oldest steel warship afloat. It's also the sole surviving example of a turning point in America's life as a nation.
Essays
3 minute read
The case for professional soccer
A sport whose time has come: The case for professional soccer
With its low-scoring games and British roots, soccer may never be America's game. But for connoisseurs, it's the ideal niche sport in an age of niche markets.
Essays
5 minute read
On renaming my commuter train
The R6 train, and other atrocities
Can you espy the connection between a nameless commuter train and a limbless Iraq war veteran?
Essays
1 minute read
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On selling Viagra
The best is yet to be? Or, Selling sex to seniors
These days, when I can barely get out of my chair, my junk-mail warehouse is awash with offers of oral sex aids. My TV promises visual metaphors of sex on beaches and in bathtubs. And then there's my priapic role model, Hugh Hefner.
Essays
3 minute read
Can positive thoughts make you rich?
Think and grow rich? Hey, if it works for you….
My wealthy friend tells me I won't make big money until I cast off my “poverty mentality.” To get rich, she and others in her class insist, you must think rich. Why do I remain unpersuaded?
Essays
4 minute read
Ralph Lauren at Monticello (Part 2)
Fashion vs. history: Remaking Thomas Jefferson (Part 2)
Ralph Lauren and Monticello's curator now insist Lauren had nothing to do with revamping Thomas Jefferson's dining room (aside from funding it). But somebody did indeed revamp it.
Essays
3 minute read
The charm of minor league baseball
Only a game (and isn't that nice?): The charm of minor league baseball
The minor league baseball game I attended produced no big moments but plenty of nice little ones. I'd forgotten how enjoyable a ball game can be when the owners, players and fans haven't staked their lives and fortunes on the outcome.
Essays
3 minute read
Confessions of an illegal immigrant
‘Show me your papers': Confessions of an illegal immigrant
Many Americans are applauding Arizona's tough new immigration law. So I think it's time I came clean: For three years I was an “illegal” in Rome. Italy benefited from my presence, just as Americans benefit today from our new arrivals, legal or not.
Essays
4 minute read
An antidote for cheating: The performing arts
An antidote for cheating: The case for live performances
From our schools to the BP oil spill, cheating and shortcuts are rampant, for one reason: Cheaters know they're unlikely to be caught. Fortunately, this problem has a solution: Teach students to perform in public. It's one of the few arenas where patience and hard work are rewarded, and cheating is all but impossible.
Essays
4 minute read