In The Spotlight
Political Drama
The Diplomat
Anyone think The Diplomat on Netflix is an NC-17 reincarnation of Madam Secretary? You see it… I know you see it… Kate and Hal Wyler are career diplomats. Kate is now US ambassador to the United Kingdom and her husband is a retired – sorta – ambassador who has a lot to say… Story: This […]
Consumer
Shirley Temple 7UP
6oz Ginger Ale 1oz Grenadine 1 Maraschino cherry The original recipe for a Shirley Temple. The very first mocktail… But did you know there is a name for an alcoholic Shirley Temple? If you add 2 ounces of vodka it becomes… a Dirty Shirley! The lore is that a bartender at Chasen’s restaurant in Beverly […]
Television
Beyond the Gates
Uhhh… soap operas are dead aren’t they? Apparently not… Daytime dramas were hugely popular in the 1970’s and ‘80. By the ‘90’s, they had begun to lose viewer’s attention to the rise in cable options and by the turn of the century, streaming started to take over. One decade in and there were only four […]
BA on Assignment
I’m Still Addicted to Deli…
My quest for deli will never end but I feel like I should have titled this post, THE DEATH OF THE DELI… I’ve previously written about my love for deli delights and sadly, I must report the closure of yet more opportunities for me to feed my nosh… Two of my New York delis have […]
Diversity
Finding Religion
Don’t worry. I already found it. It’s not in the practice of religion, it’s in the study… Let me go on… A year ago, my cousin asked me, “What do you think of going to church?” My answer was, “I think going to church is great for some people… I”m not one of those people, […]
The Oscar Hypothesis
I don’t know why I put myself through this every year. What I think about films and what the people in Hollywood think about films are oxymorons. It’s diametric at best. I think that’s why I dismiss the term “Oscar pred...
Moody’s Puts the Big Banks on Notice
We got word this week that Moody’s – the credit rating service – downgraded the five biggest banks in the US and almost a dozen European banks. Unlike Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s is still regarded as a cred...
The Impossible Whopper
I can resist fast food. But I cannot resist Burger King. My latest discovery at Burger King? The Impossible Whopper. Now I’ve been eating Whoppers in volume for more decades than I’d care to say. I was even a Burger King in...
The Paparazzi…
The first awards show of the year is always the Golden Globes. This year, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosted, supposedly for the third and final time. Three must be the magic number – Ricky Gervais hosted three times as well...
UPS = Bad Business
The people who work at UPS don’t understand customer service. Let me tell you why… So I had a package that was being sent to me from a retailer. I gave the retailer my complete address. The retailer sent the package...
