Play Goes Strong

Renting a Car? 10 Ways to Save

ILevine — Sun, 13 May 2012 23:33:17 +0000

If you are considering renting a car on your next vacation, here are some tips to help you find the best deal:

What To Watch This Week: The Best Of Times For TV

ctomashoff — Wed, 09 May 2012 19:37:13 +0000

TV is soooo Dickensian this week, showcasing the best of times and worst of times for viewers.

On the one hand, this is when, like spring flowers, new shows are allowed to take root and blossom into beautiful gifts that keep on giving. On the other hand, it's a time when shows we've taken into our homes and grown closer to than even some family members (you know who you are) bid farewell for the season or, perhaps, forever.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West Celebrates its 75th Anniversary

ILevine — Wed, 09 May 2012 04:08:53 +0000

Fame came late in life for Frank Lloyd Wright, who was already seventy years old when he embarked on the challenge of building Taliesin West in the foothills of the McDowell Mountains in Scottsdale, Arizona. The project turned out to be one of his most lauded architectural triumphs and was later recognized as a National Historic Landmark.

What To Watch This Weekend: Big Event Shows Take Over TV

ctomashoff — Fri, 04 May 2012 22:00:59 +0000

This weekend, TV is about big events. Which got me thinking about all the things I don't from my kids' childhood now that they're older. The hours spent in front of Teletubbies and Disney princesses, for instance. And the endless onslaught of more germs than a pool of Purell could ever destroy. Not to mention having to eat at restaurants with crayons on the table.

Traveling Jazzman: Andre Menard Speaks about Jazz and Travel

ILevine — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:29:37 +0000

As co-founder and artistic director of the Montreal International Jazz Festival, Andre Menard is one of the most influential figures in the world of jazz. Making some 20 trips to America and Europe each year to find new artists and book talent for the festival, he is also well-traveled.

This iconic festival is now celebrating its thirty-third year. It is the largest jazz festival in the world (according to Guinness World Records) and is expected to draw bigger crowds than ever.

Email Response Time: What Does It Say About a Friendship?

ILevine — Thu, 03 May 2012 01:44:09 +0000

Researchers Brian Uzzi and Stefan Wuchty of Northwestern University mined 1.5 million messages to learn more about the nature of email relationships between friends and colleagues. Their findings suggest that response time might be one indicator of the strength of a friendship.

Reel Review: Monsieur Lazhar

wasomatic — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:36:00 +0000

This is a film review of Monsieur Lazhar, but it almost wasn't! Thank goodness I don't wear a watch, otherwise I'd have been on time to see The Five Year Engagement, the latest from comedy baron Judd Apatow's assembly line. I would have acceded to such duty grudgingly, having long ago acquired that déjà vu all over again feeling when watching yet another edition of the mega-producer's happy-ending love stories about the overly-pampered, 30-something class. My sympathies have limits.

Kurse of the Kardashians

wasomatic — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:18:00 +0000

Call it the Kurse of the Kardashians: An unsuspecting NBA star hears the siren song of celebrity and smells the signature scent of fame and filthy lucre. Reality show-induced shipwreck follows in due course. Kris Humphries kaught the kurse with Kim, and poor Lamar Odom with Khloe — now both live with the bitter knowledge that their Pre-K lives were infinitely superior to their drunken dance with the she-devils in the Jimmy Choos. Beloved and useless hindsight to the rescue!

Smarter Travel: Saving Money on Vacation Rentals

ILevine — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 01:15:52 +0000

Saving money is smarter travel. A growing number of websites are cropping up linking travelers directly with private individuals who rent out their homes, apartments, or spare bedrooms for short periods of time. The sites are especially popular in Europe.

What To Watch This Week: TV Relies On Some Scare Tactics

ctomashoff — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 03:34:03 +0000

Do something each day that frightens you. For years now, I've heard that advice. Based on that suggestion, I'm preparing to do a sleepover in a haunted house and then rent a cabin so far back in the woods that it doesn't get cell service. Also on the agenda is arranging a swim in Loch Ness and picking up a hitchhiker after midnight on a two-lane country road. It's all pretty frightening, right? But here's the thing. It turns out that's not the kind of "scare" people were talking about.