Many, maybe most journalists at some points in their careers have thought about being a war correspondent. What could be more intense? What could tell us more about the human condition, and about ourselves, than the most destructive of human activities, seen first-hand? I was reminded of this while re-reading John le Carre‘s novel The […]

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North Korea is a wacky place. Dirt poor but nuclear-armed. Beaten down by a Kim family cult of the personality while neighboring South Korea revels in wealth and democracy. As if the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” (the official name) were not sufficiently different from everyone around them, the country’s leaders have come up with […]

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The Dodgers melted down spectacularly in Pittsburgh tonight, blowing a 5-4 lead in a nine-run Pirates seventh inning. It ended 13-6, with the Pirates completing a sweep of the most expensive team in baseball. This game had the feel of a milestone, a turning point, even from the other side of the Atlantic. Consider: –Another […]

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Summer is grim, in the soccer-loving precincts of the world. Most countries have soccer leagues that play from August and into May. And in June and July? A whole lot of nothing, aside from some tennis, some golf and … (ack!) cricket. For what seems like a month, the sports department TV, which sits poised […]

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It wasn’t long ago that leaving the U.S. for the Old World meant learning to live without a wide range of foodstuffs, from Oreos to blueberries. Now, pretty much everything you have ever eaten is available. Even perishable fruits and vegetables. Which still amazes me. Like the little box of blueberries I am looking at.

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Just another hoax. I was thinking that even before this commercial ended. Nothing about the Nike “prank” video starring Cristiano Ronaldo dressed up as a homeless guy feels real. None of it. Except the crowd at the end when it becomes clear that it’s it’s Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo doing tricks with the ball in […]

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It’s the sort of “no news” story newspapers typically do not run. Star Wars sets are not still standing in the Abu Dhabi desert: Twofour54 And then you peruse the story, and you realize why “no news” in this case really is news.

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Abandoned cars are the dumped mattresses of the UAE. An economic problem “solved” by property owners who simply walk away from their former investment … a solution that cannot be swept up in the morning. The National reported this week that Abu Dhabi Municipality has impounded 3,000 vehicles of some 4,300 abandoned on the streets […]

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A pundit on the BBC World network said, “It seems like 2005, not 2015.” It’s Dubai thinking big again. With a project to include the Dubai One residential tower, at 2,332 feet the world’s tallest; the world’s longest indoor ski slope, an 8,000-capacity arena and an enormous mall with a retractable roof. Also part of […]

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The Baseball Hall of Fame wants some of the old sports writers off the voting rolls for the game’s greatest honor — admission to the Hall of Fame. I would take that personally … except that I think it’s a good idea. To see the headline is to think, at first: “Hey, ageism at work! […]

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