Archive for November, 2010

Elderism #93

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010 Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

"My relationship with cats has saved me from a deadly and pervasive influence" -William Burroughs, at age 86. The "Naked Lunch" author became devoted to cats late in his life, even writing a book about them. The Lawrence, Kansas house in which ...

How They Molt

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010 Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

The Daily Beast recently compiled a list of which common household pets live the longest. Typically, a child's first animal companion is meant to be a lesson in responsibility and, failing that, mortality. While the creatures on The Daily Beast's ...

“To” Two

Sunday, November 28th, 2010 Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

“Henry,” I hear you whispering in my ear, “are you aware that another person besides you has just published a book called ‘How to Live,” and that it, being a life of the French philosopher Montaigne by someone named Sarah Bakewell, ...

Peaches, It’s Not All About You

Saturday, November 27th, 2010 Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

I have a story about the Landmark Forum in tomorrow's New York Times. A successor to Est, the self-help seminar famous in the 70's for not allowing its participants to use the bathroom during class, the Forum (during which participants ...

Elderism #92

Saturday, November 27th, 2010 Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

"Cecil DeMille loved the Bible for its stories and its habitual association of naughtiness and high-mindedness. So long as you condemned a sin and allowed for redemption, the orgy was yours, and audiences were sly enough to catch on to ...

This Week in Old

Friday, November 26th, 2010 Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

-Is Mark Twain's autobiography surprisingly "tame, unfrank, and highly embarrassed"? (Slate) -You might have to put that watercolor set back in the closet for a few more years: The pros and cons of raising the retirement age. (AOL News) -Ineffective when house breaking ...

Elderism #91

Sunday, November 21st, 2010 Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

"You should have called." -Fran Lebowitz to me four years ago when, meeting her for the first and only time ever, I revealed to her that I had lionized her when I was younger and that she was "why I became a ...

Elderism #90

Sunday, November 21st, 2010 Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

"Mike Nichols, who directed [Cher] in Silkwood, said: 'I heard her on the radio once, somebody was interviewing her, and they said, 'How do you feel about the Middle East?' She said: 'Listen, I'm Cher. You don't want to know ...

This Week in Old

Saturday, November 20th, 2010 Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

-Noam Chomsky discusses his Cultural-Zionist upbringing, his ties to Hezbollah, and his favorite frittata recipes with David Samuels. Well, two out of those three at least. (Tablet) -Are older voters blocking whippersnappery...I mean progressive...social policy changes? (AOL News) -Chris Dodd crosses off ...

Stuff to Talk About

Friday, November 19th, 2010 Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Here are some conversation topics for the upcoming weekend, from my Times column. The holidays are soon upon us, bringing with them countless opportunities to try to break the ice with your intransigent uncle and his eerily silent new wife. I ...