Earls We Have Known
If there is no hurricane this weekend, then there will at least continue to be a storm of overblown stories. It makes us think of some other Earls in history.…
The TV Critic as Terrorist
The hostage situation at the Discovery Channel Wednesday, which ended with the death of the offender, shows the extent some people will go to complain about cable programming. Not blaming…
Back to School
We moved Lillie back to college Saturday and her new single dorm room reminded me of something I couldn't quite recall until now.
Tips for Obama’s Speech
As he prepares for his speech Tuesday night declaring the end of major combat operations in Iraq, here are some hints for Barack Obama. Don’t wear the full flight suit.…
Fallon's Got Too Much Material for Emmys
Jimmy Fallon, the late night star who is hosting his first Emmy Awards show Sunday, says the only problem he’s had so far is coming up with too much material.…
Report from The Beach
The experience of vacation beach houses on the East Coast is that it’s hellacious to get down there through traffic, but able to mellow you out about midweek, by which…
Franzen’s Hartford Interlude
Jonathan Franzen’s sprawling, long-awaited novel, “Freedom” occurs all over the place, in gentrified St. Paul, Minnesota to the grime of the lower East Side New York City, with forays to…
From 'Flipper' to Saving 'Blood Dolphins'
Ric O’Barry first became attached to dolphins when he was trainer on “Flipper.” Now, years later, he’s infrontof the cameras for a new series that, like “Whale Wars” before it,…
New Challenge for 'Survivorman'
For his last adventure series, “Survivorman,” Les Stroud was literally parachuted into the wild and forced to find a way to survive it. He did, so now he has another…
Steady, Wyclef, Other Musicians Have Become Politicians
Take heart, Wyclef Jean! Haitian law may preclude you from running from president until you’ve lived there for five years. But many other musicians have made the leap to politics.…