July 3, 1776
A storm, the previous day, had broken a spell of humid days. It was mercifully cooler. Although not so much indoors, where the Second Continental Congress was meeting in the…
White Dog, Whiskey Thief, Red Line
On National Bourbon Day. Do you know your single barrel from your small batch? Know what to do with a whiskey thief? (It's not as dangerous as it sounds.) Use this guide…
Cognac, Cigars and Suez
Don't let the title throw you, we're not going to discuss the Suez Canal. (Although it's a fascinating subject.) Lady Clarissa Eden, wife of Sir Anthony Eden, said in the…
Broken Hearts and Dirty Windows
I came to him kind of late. I was in a strange place, flipping around the dial in my car radio, trying to find the local jazz station, and I…
Main Street
A 200-mile trip might take the average person six or seven hours. I've been known to do it in three days. That's because I always take the alternate route, otherwise…
The Notes They Left
In the lower level of Literati Bookstore in Ann Arbor, Michigan, you can find an old typewriter ready and waiting for customers to leave their thoughts. And they do. Love…
Glory Comes From Brave Beginnings.
I’ve always identified with the biker culture, and its romantic, early 20th century predecessor, the biker subculture, because a motorcycle says a lot about who you are and the way…
America’s First Barbecue Critic
George Washington was more than the Father of this Country. He was the Father of Modern Barbecue. His diaries are filled with juicy references to that "succulent boar" we gorged…
Liminal
Who better to share observations on the collections inside The Metropolitan Museum than the staff members who know those collections inside and out? They share their thoughts in the museum's…
A Ticket into the Past
February 21, 1804, Penydarren ironworks in South Wales. A steam locomotive pulled a train along the tramway of the Penydarren ironworks, near Merthyr Tydfil, and the world's first steam-powered railway journey in the world…