Alan’s Quest

I heard a priest yesterday who spoke of a fine cause for donations, helping children in terrible circumstances. But his 20-minute message was all about him: What he had done, how he had "saved" children, how his personal intervention was

One of my favorite restaurants now carries my favorite vodka for me (Jean Marc XO) which is uncommon, and now serves wines such as Isosceles and Jordan by the glass. They also serve a great prime rib on Saturday night. I

We always take private tours. I'm a bit of an elitist, I guess, but I hate groups (whether scuba diving or walking on the Acropolis) and we even took a private safari in Africa. But the reason may surprise you:

We often crave for publicity and acknowledgment, but when that door finally opens we become tentative, afraid that we won't be "good enough." All you can do is your best. If you've done that, you've done well. Stop worrying about

The Great Wall of China was built between 700 BC and 200 BC. When I was there, I was told that parts of it which have crumbled cannot be repaired because it's too dangerous for the government to attempt. So a

An Über driver named Tasha here in Las Vegas went to the wrong address to pick us up from church, refused to drive over one more block insisting she was in the right place (she couldn't find a huge cathedral!),

Remember the song from the play Caberet? Money, Money, Money, Money, Money

I can silence a room merely by asking for a volunteer. I can also lose all eye contact. Yet what's likely to happen? Am I going to make someone sing, or humiliate them, or beat them? There really is no downside

My wife purchased Pekin ducks (first domesticated, by the way, over 2,000 years ago). They've been here for three years, two winters, and there are 15 of them. (I seem to remember 16 originally, but I don't want to alarm