Special Report:
Are We Flying
Again Yet?
Listen. Read.
Watch. Cook.
And Relax.
Ella In Flight
A League of Her Own
Rachel Balkovec is the first female to manage a professional baseball team. She's literally in a league of her own.
In the (Twilight) Zone
Submitted for your approval: The best--not the most famous--episodes of the original Twilight Zone.
Christmas and Casablanca
What does a wartime holiday romp have in common with Casablanca? Jolly, rotund S.Z. "Cuddles" Sakall.
Make the News Go Away
When things get rotten--and things are rotten--there are break-glass-in-case-of-emergency flicks to ease the pain.
Binge With Brancatelli
You got time on your hands. I have five binge-worthy TV shows you shouldn't miss--or should revisit in-depth.
TV Like It Used to Be
YouTube has free TV you can binge. Groucho, Abbott & Costello, Jeannie, Mary Tyler Moore, they're all there.
The Movies Aren't Small
The finale of TCM's annual Summer Under the Stars gives us a chance to binge five films worthy of your time
Ella In Flight
The First Lady of Song once gave two live concerts--on a plane. In flight. With a band. And she was amazing.
David Rowell on Bad Bose
Bose disables its NC-700 headphones unless you agree to share location data and much, much more.
Baker: Saving Air Pods Max
The Max Shield Case is a refined and professional-looking way to protect your Apple Air Pods Max.
David Rowell on Headphones
Need new headphones because you're working at home or want better audio? Here are some suggestions.
Italy From Your Sofa
You want to get out of the house and see Italy. Here's how to travel without leaving your sofa.
Lighter Than Nothingness
Thank heavens for E-readers. Being and Nothingness and Finnegans Wake are very heavy books to carry.
New Old (Neil) Young
A 45-year-old Neil Young album is now released. It was a road not taken so he could divert into a musical ditch.
Forever Young. Again.
A little-watched TV show is filled with music by young bands with wonderful, silly names and great tunes.
Ziggy's Tangled Up in Blue
When a friend leaves himself behind, do you let him go? And do the albums you loved explain your choices?
A Long and Winding Road
I've bought a lot of rock and roll over the years, but only these albums still make the cut and travel with me.
Glocca Morra and Pastry
How Are Things in Glocca Morra? A beautiful song about a mythical Irish village written by two New York Jews.
Blue Eyes, Old and New
Back in '79, Ol' Blue Eyes threatened to record again and a new blue-eyed girl cut a rock and soul album.
Martin Deutsch on Opera
I hope my passion for opera trickles down to another generation although my college-aged daughter is skeptical.
Raffio on Sinatra's Fedora
I'm a loser. I let Frank Sinatra's fedora get away from me. For a lousy couple grand. Sinatra knew about losers.
David Rowell on Classical
Great music strengthens your immune system. It's the perfect reason to learn about classical music now.
The Beginner's Bread ...
Not a baker? Mister Meatball says you are in luck. This clever recipe requires no kneading and just a bit of luck.
With Carmelized Onions
This might be the simplest pasta sauce ever. All it takes is onions, pepper, salt and oil. That's all you need.
With Chickpea Aglio y Olio
Chickpeas are high in protein and that makes this a nutritious dinner entree. The sauce is quick and easy, too.
With Quick Tomato Sauce
A sauce with just four ingredients--oil, tomato, garlic, basil--takes less time to cook then the pasta.
With Peas and Prosciutto
Pasta e piselli is what Italians call this. I call it the dish that most reminds me of my childhood.
With Cauliflower and Cheese
Tired of pastas with red sauce? Here's a tasty white quickie using cauliflower, breadcrumbs and cheese.
With Broccoli and Garlic
This is a go-to dish around my house because it requires few ingredients, is easy to make and tastes great.
My First Glove Affair
Lovers come, lovers go. Life moves on. But your first new baseball glove? It is with you forever and ever.
Just When I Think I'm Out...
A chance meeting at an airport check-in counter revives one fan's love of the team that once sold him out.
Beating the Baseball Beat
Baseball beat writer Kristie Ackert had to beat raw sexism and the long grind of life on the road, too.
No Baseball? No Problem!
We can survive this summer without baseball just fine. The very nasty 1981 player's strike taught us that lesson.
Ken Levine on and in the Air
Ken Levine complains about frequent flying, writes for hit TV sitcoms and, oh, yeah, does baseball play-by-play.
Baseball Fantasies Fulfilled
If you weren't good enough for "the show" in your prime, fantasy baseball camps are your ticket to immortality.
The Joe Torre Story
In 2007, Joe Torre and his departure from the Yankees was global "news" because we're obsessed with celebrity.
Baseball and Business Travel
Rooting for a perennially losing team is like business travel. You always know what happens next will be bad.The Cocktail Hour
Bad times call for better cocktails. You can make these with stuff that's already in your liquor cabinet.Shake Up Your Coffee
Italians naturally have a better way to do iced coffee and you can do it at home. It is called shakerato.Loving Lambrusco
Lambrusco, that bubbly red wine from Emilia Romagna, makes a comeback as an easy-going favorite.Negroni O'Clock
Campari, gin and red vermouth. It's a negroni. There is something magical about the Florence favorite.I Loves You Porgies
It's summertime, but the fishin' ain't easy. But they can't help lovin' dat fish. And other corrupted Broadway lyrics.Bellies of the Feast
Two packages of flash-frozen Alaskan silver-salmon bellies from the freezer become the basis of a pandemic feast.A Big One Didn't Get Away
In the middle of this spring's bluefish season, Bucktailin' Billy Black lands a striped bass for the ages.Eat What You Catch
The French dish brandade is based on cod. I had East Hampton striped bass. After a few tests, I made a new dish.The Life Lasagna
Mister Meatball offers four traditional and untraditional lasagne recipes you can make at home.Magic Made in Modena
It's passion and tradition in a bottle. A few drops of balsamico upgrades your palate and changes your life.The A, B, C of Cheese
Did you know that there are more than 600 kinds of Italian cheese? An expert explains how you can buy wisely.The Wrath of Mom
When politics conspired to outlaw soffritto--an Italian offal dish--my mom got even. After a fashion.Ricotta Cookies
Mister Meatball had some fresh ricotta around and used it to make cookies with a touch of orange. They are brilliant.Tiramisu Tease
What's soaked in coffee, slathered with mascarpone cheese and started as a post-coital snack? Tiramisu, of course!Chocolate Pignoli
Mister Meatball is all for honoring the classics, but the pandemic calls for a change. Like a chocolate pignoli cookie.New Mexico's Hard Hole
Let me tell you a little bit about the Elfego Baca Golf Shoot, the single hardest golf hole in New Mexico.Blinded by the (Solar) Light
Would a portable solar panel be a good standby when power goes out? David Rowell explains the issues.Model Behavior
Instead of traveling, Will Allen spends time operating and maintaining his large model railroad layout.The Dumbass Dow
Even many smart Americans wouldn't know a municipal swimming pool from a municipal bond.Surviving the Virus
I have now survived the Coronavirus. I think. But I cannot know because there was no testing available for me.The Deep Freeze
With big challenges to our food supply chain, David Rowell shopped for a new freezer so he could stock up.CBD Versus Painkillers
CBD wins a non-scientific comparison between the hemp-derived painkiller and a cream prescribed by doctors.Apple's (TV) Moment
It is time for an Apple TV. Not just streaming-in-a-box video, but a full blown, full-featured HDTV Apple TV.Can You Really Dump Cable?
Fed up with his overpriced cable service, tech wizard Phil Baker decided to cut the cord. In a four-part series, he explains it's not as easy--or cheap--as you think.• Cable firms force us to cut cords.
• Cutting the cord isn't convenient.
• YouTube TV works on PC or TV.
• Streaming is the future. YMMV.
• I Finally Cut the Cord ...
• ... Then They Raised Prices
• Verdict: Two Years Later
Martin Deutsch's Book Nook
A life on the road with too many hours on planes and in hotel rooms has made Martin Deutsch a voracious reader. And he has opinions about what he reads.• A Spy Lover's Gift List
• His 2020 Reading List
• His Great Reads List
Tales of the Working Class
A posthumous collection of 43 stories by Lucia Berlin hit bestseller lists--and told tales of Americans on the margins.A Book Blitz
It's okay to admit that you're running out of things to do at home. Might I suggest these compelling reads?Franzen's Dysfunctions
Three Jonathan Franzen novels offer solid entertainment in modern settings. He's also a generally easy read.In Good Company
The Company, a fine "novel" about the CIA's inner workings, reminds me of my peripheral brushes with history.20th-Century Leaders
Consider this collection of books about the Roosevelts, FDR, Truman and more modern presidents.Historic Presidencies
From the controversial John Adams to the tragic James Garfield, consider these bios of our early leaders.The Burr Conspiracy
The Aaron Burr Conspiracy at the start of the 19th-century made the actions of January 6 look like the minor leagues.The Wright Brothers
What could go wrong with a Wright Brothers biography when masterful David McCullough is your navigator?Lawrence of Arabia
A real-life (and death) narrative of T.E. Lawrence and the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire.Marquis de Lafayette
Hate historical biographies because they're stuffy and dull? Sarah Vowell's bio of Lafayette crackles with humor.Einstein and Churchill
Winston Churchill and Albert Einstein are the most fascinating personalities in the 20th century.Tara Westover
Educated: A Memoir has been atop the best-seller list for more than 100 weeks and has won universal praise.John le Carré
The modern "spymaster" kept running right to the end of his long life. And his last novel was one of his best.Moshid Hamid
Sometimes big surprises come in little packages and Exit West is a realistic yet otherworldly little novel.Isabel Allende
The Japanese Lover explores the life of one family as it sprawls over the decades and across continents.Henning Mankell
Henning Mankell is one of the giants of the crime fiction genre and synonymous with the Scandinavian noir style.Jennifer Egan
What can you say about a writer who cites both The Sopranos and Marcel Proust as her inspiration?Stuart Woods
Stuart Woods' Stone Barrington series of novels could easily fill your down time on or off the road.Grisham's 'Real' Confessions
I was reintroduced to John Grisham by way of his legal thriller based on several real-life situations.European Mysteries
Europeans are turning our some thrilling thrillers and the mysteries often revolve around the culture of Scandinavia.Painting a Scene
In a 2007 novel of the art world, a dead painter is a "great man," but three women in his life share a tantalizing secret.Secrets and Lives
Manhattan Beach is a purposeful deep dive into a World War II-era Brooklyn family with ties to the waterfront mob.Character Study
Slam the Big Door is unlike John D. MacDonald's traditional output of murder, crime and violence galore.Thrillers in the Snow
Two thrillers--one of espionage and one of familial relationships--are pleasant diversions from violent fiction.Kanon's Canon
Is Joseph Kanon in the same league as spy-master John le Carre? Read a few of his novels and make up your own mind.Love, Death and Scotland
Allow me to introduce Peter May, the highly regarded Scottish writer, and The Lewis Trilogy, one of his many triumphs.Two Wars, One Author
Sir Max Hastings put together a great read on World War I and uses interviews with participants to explain D-Day.Madness Rules the Hour
Paul Starobin's account of Charleston's pivotal role in the days just before the Civil War serves as a warning.Germany After the Wars
Heinrich Böll's The Silent Angel was not published until 40 years after he wrote it. Why? His vision of a worn-out, hapless Germany wasn't post-war PC.The Endless War
Battle Cry has come to be regarded as the definitive single-volume tome about the Civil War.Berlin in Winter
Len Deighton's Winter, a tale of a Berlin family, engaged me because I lived in Germany during the rise of the Nazis.Becoming Churchill
How did Winston Churchill become Winston Churchill? A new biography, "Young Winston," explains it all.
What Keeps Us Sane
Back in 2018, Joe Sent Me columnists described what kept them happy and sane. They chose an intriguing array of books, music and films.• Martin Deutsch
• Ralph Raffio
• Will Allen
• Phil Baker
• Erica Firpo
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