The Blue Cheese Conundrum
Pardon me while I vent about a few problems I’ve had with to-go orders from restaurants.
Mikhail Gorbachev
The death of Mikhail Gorbachev last week had me remembering when, in the last months of the USSR, I broadcast my radio show from Moscow back to the US — and the time DC locals were surprised to find themselves shaking his hand.
Review: “McEnroe”
My review of a new documentary about John McEnroe, from his years as a wooden racket-wielding bad boy of the tennis court to his current position as one of the most respected analysts in sports television.
The Real Dog Day Afternoon
Yesterday, I put “Dog Day Afternoon” at the top of my list of the greatest bank heist movies ever. To mark the 50th anniversary of the event it was based on, Daniel Edward Rosen has written a terrific piece with amazing details about the actual robbery.
Best Bank Heist Movies Ever
Why do they make movies about bank robbers? Because that’s where the money is. Here are the ten best, with two of them starring the same actor.
Find This
At the gym, I started to put my earbuds in before realizing I didn’t have my phone. I worked up a sweat without it, but when I returned home and couldn’t find it, Apple’s FindMy feature was no help. Here’s the story.
As I Tweeted
I’ll never forget that very odd episode of “I Dream Of Jeannie” in which Larry Hagman petitioned the court to force Barbara Eden to call him “Special Master.”
One Less Hour
Some thoughts about NBC executives considering no longer airing network shows in the last hour of primetime. No, it doesn’t mean Jay Leno gets his hour back.
Lyrics That Became Irrelevant
The other day, I heard this line in Dr. Hook’s 1972 hit “Sylvia’s Mother” that made me wonder if anyone under 30 years old had any idea what the words meant.
Best Thing I’ve Read Today
I was going to write a piece about why efforts by CNN’s new owners to make the network more “centrist” were doomed to fail, but Kurt Bardella beat me to it.
Bye Bye Broadcasts
Brian Stelter was fired by CNN, but at least got to do a goodbye show, a courtesy that’s rarely offered to radio broadcasters. As I write in this piece, I speak from experience.
Reliable But Fired
Some thoughts on CNN firing Brian Stelter, who not only won his time slot every Sunday with “Reliable Sources,” but also compiled a must-read daily newsletter and set a high bar for quality.
Martin Short In The Guest Chair
Sparked by a Twitter conversation with Jason Zinoman, here’s an example from last night of why Martin Short has to be on any list of all-time money-in-the-bank late-night TV guests.
Five Random Thoughts
Quickies about a racist neighbor, advice for my young self, something no one ever tells you, posting Wordle results, and how musicians and dancers count differently.
You’re Not On The Air
Taking regular phone calls from lonely listeners who just want to talk to someone is a recipe for bad radio. Here’s how I handled them during my years as a talk radio host.