There's plenty to dislike about U2 and most of them are named Bono. He's pompous and self-righteous, will hobnob with any sleazy politico if it gets him on the news, and is eager to chide fans who've paid $100-plus to see his band that they need to donate to his causes. Meanwhile, he moves his business operations out of Ireland to avoid paying taxes, while complaining that the Irish government doesn't do enough to help Africa. Grrr. ...more

March 6, 2009

There's plenty to dislike about U2 and most of them are named Bono. He's pompous and self-righteous, will hobnob with any sleazy politico if it gets him on the news, and is eager to chide fans who've paid $100-plus to see his band that they need to donate to his causes. ...more

March 3, 2009

"Descended from the apes!" exclaimed the wife of the bishop of Worcester. "Let us hope that it is not true, but if it is, let us pray that it will not become generally known." ...more

February 9, 2009

The new Cure album is here, finally, after originally being slated as a double-disc, not to mention causing the band to postpone a tour. That it arrives as a 13-track single CD suggests Robert Smith and Co. reined in their ambitions in order to produce a concise album that can stand with The Cure's best. ...more

November 6, 2008

Starkly ambitious and powerful, 2006's "Return to Cookie Mountain" was TV on the Radio's take-no-prisoners leap into the major leagues. It's doubtful the Brooklynites could match its bleak grandeur this soon after, and "Dear Science" doesn't try. ...more

October 17, 2008

A stroll along Seventh Avenue is a journey through the old-world charm of a community that thrived on the commerce of cigar factories and the richness of its cultural melting pot. ...more

October 9, 2008

Ask a roomful of readers about Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's "Leopard" and more often than not you'll find a few who will put hand to heart and say it's their favorite book, and a few others who will simply shrug - never heard of it - or ask if it has anything to do with the Visconti movie starring Burt Lancaster (yes, it does). I suppose it's a coincidence that a roomful of travelers will poll in a similar fashion if you ask them about Sicily, the marvelous, maddening island disparaged and adored in "The Leopard": It's either a favorite place, or they haven't even thought of going there. ...more

August 3, 2008

The city's one-time working sponge boat, that has provided a photo opportunity for thousands of visitors over the years, needs an infusion of capital to keep it afloat. ...more

July 19, 2008

Members of the Sponge Docks Merchants Association told city officials the municipality needs to focus on its main tourist area that has started to look sad and shabby. ...more

July 19, 2008

It was 1938 when Auntie Ruth bought us tickets to the circus and I discovered my young heart's desire. Auntie Ruth was my mother's best friend and took us many special places. The country was in the midst of the Depression, but she had her own car. Her husband finished college before the hard times began and had a good job as an engineer. ...more

June 1, 2008