Alas Babylon

I find it interesting that when I pause on the roads to allow a driver to turn in front of me or pull out, that person often looks at me skeptically, as if it's a trick or a trap. Sometimes

Most of us—maybe some of us—realize that being in a Who's Who simply means that you've paid for the placement and agreed to buy books, and that a great many "top ten" books in the Times and Wall Street Journal are the

The younger and younger people I see in positions in major organizations—client service phone lines, retail sales, airline desk agents—the poorer and poorer judgment I encounter. It doesn't seem to be a matter of smarts so much as a matter

I just saw someone on Linkedin advertise herself as a "neuro-humorist." That sounds like one of these ridiculous menu entrees talking about all kinds of sauces in five languages when what you basically have is a garden salad. Can you see

I'm continually astounded by the lack of serious education displayed on Facebook by people who don't understand socialism, throw "fascism" around as if it's all around us, find conspiracies under all the rugs, and seem to believe there is only

We're now at that magical time of year for some when professional football, baseball, basketball, and hockey are all being played. In those arenas and stadiums is where people should be screaming, not on elevators, in corridors, or during meetings.

I went for a manicure on Sunday to my usual place since I'm flying out today for San Francisco. I had never seen this receptionist before, perhaps because she was new or perhaps because I'm not usually there on Sundays.

A woman's seat in business class apparently wasn't working, so British Air upgraded her to the one empty first class seat. She then took over a bin meant for two, made incessant demands, and acted like some member of the

This is HL Mencken: "Moral certainty is always a sign of cultural inferiority. The more uncivilized the man, the surer he is that he knows precisely what is right and what is wrong." There's a certain revulsion one acquires on social media

If you're a perfectionist, it's hard to have a hobby. Everything would have to be exact, accurate, and precise. There could be no flaws. You'd have to guard against imperfection constantly. In other words, it's just more work and no fun