"There's so many of them," the septuagenarian remarked to a large gathering of us over dinner that night. "With all the people coming here from everywhere, can New York City really ...

I'm the Thanksgiving Day Scrooge. I truly think that Thanksgiving is simply a sham, a humbug, if you will. It's a day that makes us all feel a little better about ourselves for thanking God ...

I am standing at my kitchen sink, gazing out the window as the afternoon sun dissolves into the sky. I am supposed to be peeling potatoes for supper ...

The big red stripe ran the length of the white envelope proclaiming, Juror Summons Enclosed. Jury duty. I decided to take a positive attitude. Why not? They do pay forty bucks a day; it's a ...

Ever wonder where Halloween traditions came from? Are they evil? Pagan? Holy? Fire FestivalsThe ancient Celts celebrated seasonal feasts to honor the gods of nature. Halloween's pagan origin was a fire festival known as ...

I might as well admit it, the words "presidential election" cause me to fantasize about moving to a desert island where all the mind-numbing nonsense that passes for campaigning ...

February 16, 2003, New York—Maybe the best makeshift protest sign came as we rounded the corner on to the demonstration site on First Avenue. Someone—we couldn't see the bearer—had duct-taped a ...

The sheer amount of food is nauseating—a typical plate consists of beef, pork, chicken, sausage, potato salad, rice, corn salad, tomato salad, and a glass of wine. After an extensive grilling process, the traditional Chilean ...

My neighbor owns two tanker trucks and supplies water to houses that don't get a regular supply. He's constantly working on the tankers with his helpers, opening up the ...

Entire wars have been fought over it, British lords beheaded, Spanish mystics incarcerated, principalities set on fire, and now it travels the internet in search of friendships to destroy. It is religion. And ...