The problem with picking the greatest Beatles songs, as Rolling Stone has done, is that the Beatles were not always Great–you know, capital G Great, as in profound, but not only profound, also peerless. They were, however, prolific, creative, innovative, imaginative, relentlessly cheerful, and over and over and over again, perfect. Songs like “Lovely Rita”, …
At an event marking the end of fasting during Ramadan at Gracie Mansion last night, Michael Bloomberg continued his staunch defense of the right to building an Islam community center in Lower Manhattan: “ I understand the impulse to find another location for the mosque and community center. I understand the pain of those who …
Currently on Slate, a photo album from Magnum Photos of the Mad Men era, including this shot of a 1963 literary cocktail party at George Plimpton‘s Upper East Side apartment. Plimpton is seated at left with literary agent Maggie Abbott next to him. At top, left to right: Jonathan Miller, Gore Vidal, Ricky Leacock, Robert …
For ten days while Ginny and Cara were visiting the horse-rich campuses of Texas A&M and the University fo Kentucky (with a stopover in Colorado to see assorted grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins), Molly and I and the dogs played Rabbit Retrievers–chasing Steve (nee Tintin, but renamed after Steve McQueen of The Great Escape) and …
Dock Ellis, the former Pittsburgh Pirate pitcher, recalls his day of excellence.
Three cheers for Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his ardent defense of religious freedom. His position is in keeping with the best traditions of New York City and America. The people who are opposing the mosque are either know-nothings like Sarah Palin, or worse, far worse, scare-mongering manipulators like Newt Gingrich, who is up to the …
Today in The Wall Street Journal, Eleanor Laise and Kelly Green report that many companies that suspended 401(k) contributions during teh depths of the financial crisis have yet to restore them–despite a return to “surging profits and rising dividends.” Among the companies named in the article: FedEx, which last week boosted its profit expectations for …
Three years to the day that he hit his 500th home run, Alex Rodriguez, breaking a 12-day, 47 at-bat homerless drought, hit his 600th home run in a 5-1 Yankee victory over Toronto, becoming only the 7th man to reach that milestone. SI.com’s Joe Sheehan thinks it’s inevitable that Rodriguez will one day hold the …
Rep. Anthony Weiner in The New York Times: “While I appreciate the concern over the future of civility in politics, I believe a little raw anger right now is justified. Democrats make a mistake by pretending there is a bipartisan spirit in Congress these days, and would be better served by calling out Republican shams. …