One of our favorite restaurants in the world is Julian Serrano’s Picasso, located in Las Vegas’ Bellagio hotel. Over the last few years we’ve become friendly with its sommelier, Robert Smith MS, who makes sure that the wines accompanying our meal are its equal in beauty and quality. Another reason we love this restaurant is the availability,…
I’ve heard this song a few times now on the Sirius XM “On Broadway” channel, and I love it. It’s from the 1975 musical Shenandoah (which was based on the 1965 film of the same name). It’s a duet between two young boys of different backgrounds. Music by Gary Geld, lyrics by Peter Udell. Why…
Lots of people have said what they like about Facebook’s announcements at yesterday’s f8 conference. I’m all for innovation, and I agree that many users (including myself) whine about changes, get used to them, and then whine when the next set of changes comes down. But I do have some observations and questions about these…
Anyone who idolizes you is going to hate you when he discovers that you are fallible. He never forgives. He has deceived himself, and he blames you for it.
The unattributed quotation to the right, engraved in the lobby of the Storyteller’s Cafe at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, has often caught my eye. After my most recent visit, my curiosity got the better of me, and I looked up the quotation’s provenance. It’s by Elbert Hubbard, described by Wikipeidia as “an American writer, publisher, artist,…
Last night I was priviliged to be among the guests invited to a spectacular wine tasting dinner. The meal, prepared by Chef Craig Strong (Executive Chef, Studio, Montage Laguna Beach), was paired with three decades of each of the four Super-Tuscan wines: Ornellaia, Sassicaia, Solaia, and Tignanello. The dinner was donated by philanthropists Hal and Sharon Lampert as…
Evidently I was into media from a far earlier age than I remembered! This is from May ’63, when I was 18 months old. Thanks to Toby Lowenfels for giving me the idea to add a grab of the TV Guide cover for those who are curious. It’s Amanda Shore, Lee J. Cobb and James…
My husband and I recently stayed twice at the Hotel Le Germain Toronto. I chose the hotel because of its affiliation with Tablet Hotels. I’m a member of the fee-based Tablet Plus program, which provides upgrades and amenities at certain of their properties. Le Germain is a 122-room boutique hotel; while part of a (small)…
In under a month and still in beta, Google+ has attracted 18 million users, or 2.4% of Facebook’s base (per Business Insider). That’s a fairly impressive figure. Time is a finite resource. The time people are now spending on G+ (or turntable.fm, or Namesake, or any other hot new service) is, almost certainly, time taken…
One day, when I had been away from you, I knew what I had been too scared to think. My days are filled no longer with just you, And willingly I will return a wink. It took some time, but distance dulled the thoughts Which scribbled me through high school every day. My stomach now…
If you’ve been on Twitter for any length of time, you’re probably following a fair number of accounts (for those who have the opposite issue, I’ll post soon about how to find good accounts to follow). If you follow many more than a few hundred your stream can become unruly, if not entirely unmanageable. You…
Last month we spent a wonderful – and all-too-brief – night at the lovely Hotel Keppler in Paris. It is exactly the kind of place we love: small, discreet, chic. We made the booking through Tablet Hotels (I’m a member of their Tablet Plus program). The hotel is located in the fashion district, a block…
In his new autobiography Stories I Only Tell My Friends, Rob Lowe explains fame from the famous person’s point of view. It’s something I’d never considered before, and yet it makes blinding sense. In this case, the reference is to Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather. Lowe once praised the film to Coppola, who replied You know,…
My friend David passed this along. It made me chuckle: THE BOTTLE OF WINE Sally was driving home from one of her business trips in Northern Arizona when she saw an elderly Navajo woman walking on the side of the road. As the trip was a long and quiet one, she stopped…
Whenever I scan my Facebook news feed, I see items I’d like to read, watch or comment upon, but don’t always have time to do so at that moment. If Facebook wants to expand its domination of C2C and B2C online communications, it should offer users a bookmark/favorite option. If in addition to “Liking” a given…
Another panicky status meme is making the Facebook rounds. And while there’s a grain of truth buried in it – as there is with many memes – it’s surrounded by some scare-mongering misinformation. The current status meme reads something like this: ATTENTION: This Friday, Facebook will become owner of the publishing rights of ALL your…
Evidently the discipline of doing this daily has eluded me, but I’m picking up the pieces and carrying on. Here are the links I found interesting today: Facebook has had a glitch that overrides user preferences to not receive email notifications. They’re aware of the issue and working to fix it. In the meantime, you…
Photos from around the Smith College campus taken on April 14, 2011. I was there for the semi-annual Friends of the Smith College Libraries Executive Committee meeting. College Hall Collacott Reading Room, Neilson Library Lyman Plant House Paradise Pond Dewey House Chapin House Campus Center Seelye Lawn, looking toward Neilson Library
Of interest around the interwebs today: The legal aspects of SM are as critical as measurement or branding. Social Media Law Update is a smart resource. Smartphones just got more fun: Atari’s Greatest Hits brings 100 classic games (Asteroid, Centipede, Pong, etc.) to your iPhone. Via Uncrate. Two words: Badminton Jedi. Via Devour.
Catching up on two days worth of notable links: April 4 From the Heifer International site: Kids can make a difference this summer as they participate in your local Read to Feed library program. AOL bought Engadget, but forgot to make sure they’d retain the site’s editorial staff along with it. Oops. E One Entertainment…
This isn’t a commercial or paid endorsement, but it’s going to read like one. Rest assured I’m merely a happy long-term customer. 🙂 Worried about your email address being exposed to spammers after last weekend’s Epsilon breach? Fed up with the spam you already get? Read on. I intentionally use separate email addresses for various…
Linka I found interesting enough to share today: The LAPD joins agencies statewide tomorrow (April 4) in beginning zero-tolerance enforcement of laws prohibiting distracted driving. That menas no texting while driving and no taking while driving (unless you’re using a hands-free device). Think abou it folks. There’s NOTHING so important it can’t wait until you’re…
This groovy wooden koi, which comes in assorted colors/treatments, is from one of my favorite foundries, House Industries.