As we enter another election year, I am reminded that someone once said—this is probably not an exact quote and I can’t remember who said it anyway—“Politics ain’t bean bags. It’s a blood sport.” I was thinking about Dick Tuck the other day. He was a political consultant and a very good one. He was…
I’ve had three so far today and I’m writing this at 2:07 in the afternoon, so there’s plenty of time for one or two more. The first call came at 5:04 this morning. It was a recorded male voice, speaking in an urgent tone, telling me that my personal and confidential data had been compromised…
In my experience—and that includes thousands of miles on Amtrak long-distance trains—passengers who cause trouble are annoying. It’s rarely a serious problem, but they do show up from time to time. However, Amtrak conductors are very good at spotting a potential troublemaker and getting him to shape up before he becomes a serious problem. Like…
In 2012, I made yet another pilgrimage to The Shrine—otherwise known as Fenway Park in Boston. The occasion was the 100th anniversary of the very first big league game played by the Red Sox in that wonderful old ballpark. (The only other barely comparable site in Major League…