For the love of a great shine There's a lot to see and do in New York City, my home town: Music at Lincoln Center, exhibits at the Metropolitan Museum, theater on Broadway and foods from every corner of the globe. And of course, there... Continue

Have you noticed how many television ads for food are followed by ads for weight-loss programs? No sooner has the jumbo-sized 16-cheese eight-meat pizza filled the screen then it is immediately followed by tantalizing images of pizza, hamburgers, pasta and chocolate deserts from Jenny Craig,... Continue

The Earth is a patient Mother. You can run around all over, Even misbehave. She knows that in the end You will come back And crawl into her arms. Blessed by the forgiveness of the world, human beings by and large have enjoyed a fabled... Continue

“I can’t define pornography, but I know it when I see it.” So goes Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart’s infamous quote. Such subjectivity is something we may all relate to, but as a method of official decision-making, it stinks. Yet, by all appearances, Sonoma may... Continue

No, it’s not a novel about depressed bi-valves. It’s a scientific report documenting the collapse of mussel populations due to exposure to Prozac dissolved in wastewater from water treatment plants. Modern wastewater treatment has advanced to the point that we now use the treated wastewater... Continue

As I do two or three times a week, I called my dad in the other day to chat. I am among those extremely lucky 59-year olds who still have a dad. My grandfather died in his 60s when my father was in his early... Continue

In a rather remarkable transformation of the ordinary into the precious, wine, tea, chocolate, pots and pans - even salt and pepper – are no longer just everyday things but have become symbolic indicators of the superior life. Williams-Sonoma founder Chuck Williams knows it and... Continue

For people like me, who have implanted medical devices such as pacemakers, a trip through the airport has become a bit surreal. Unlike the general public, we “bionic” humans must identify ourselves and submit to a full-body search by a uniformed member of the Transportation... Continue

Ever wonder why you feel right at home in your favorite comfortable chair? Or why it feels good to get your hands down into the dirt and plant spring flowers? How about that first bite of cinnamon French toast with maple syrup; do you ever... Continue