April 04, 2013
RIP, Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert, just days after announcing a recurrence of cancer, died of the disease today. The tributes and obits are pouring in, including a fine one from his newspaper home. A quick search indicates that I've posted about Ebert more...
January 31, 2013
Why Is Your Memory So Bad?
Maybe you know too much! [Thanks to Joanne Pavia]...
July 20, 2012
RIP, Tom Davis
Best known as Al Franken's partner as a standup and writer-performer on Saturday Night Live, here's his self-penned obituary....
June 27, 2012
Damn Robots!
They cheat and they have no heart! [Thanks to Michael Feldman]...
December 10, 2011
Best Strategy to Stop a Temper Tantrum ASAP?
Nothing....
May 03, 2011
Can Prognosticators Prognosticate?
According to this study, not much more accurately than a coin flip. Of the political columnists studied, Paul Krugman's predictions are the most accurate? Who would have thought that an economist would be number one? Or that all the top...
February 22, 2011
Barry Manilow Annoyed that his Music May Annoy Others
Barry Manilow -- crime fighter!...
February 18, 2011
IBM's Watson: The Untold Story
February 03, 2011
Annals of Medicine
Gives a new meaning to "medical lab."...
January 05, 2011
R.I.P. Gerry Rafferty
I was saddened to hear of the passing of Gerry Rafferty, who first claimed fame as a member of Stealer's Wheel (with Joe Egan). Their hit, Stuck in the Middle With You, seems to get as much radio play now...
November 08, 2010
You Wanna Be a Political Pundit?
There are million$ of rea$on$...
November 02, 2010
Newscast of the Year
Although maybe not appropriate for the Emmy reel: [Thanks to Michael Feldman]...
July 12, 2010
Harvey Pekar, RIP
Cleveland has just suffered a greater loss than Lebron James. The great comics writer, Harvey Pekar, is dead at age 70. Pekar chronicled the lives of working men and women in his beloved Cleveland. Harvey wrote many things besides his...
May 06, 2010
First Family and Barbecue
[Thanks to Blaine Greenfield]...
February 12, 2010
Why Americans Hate Wall Street
Cantor Fitzgerald proposes derivatives that would allow folks to bet on the grosses of new movies. Bad idea....
December 16, 2009
Some Octopi Are Smarter Than Some People I Know
Here's the proof....
November 20, 2009
A Preview of Office 2010
I must have seen fifty articles about Windows 7, but hadn't read a thing about the new version of Microsoft Office until this piece by the usually reliable Farhad Manjoo....
October 19, 2009
Recession Road Trip
The Atlantic's Christina Davidson has traveled across the U.S. in her car for more than four months, chronicling the effect of the economic downturn on ordinary individuals. Most of the stories are heartbreaking, including her latest dispatch, about a "happy...
October 04, 2009
State of the Kid
Highlights Magazine presents its survey of kids age five and up. The results? Maybe kids admire their parents more than Lady Gaga. Some heartening results....
August 06, 2009
Pee in the Shower!
And Save the Atlantic Rainforest....
July 22, 2009
The Eclipse
Gorgeous photos from Boston.com [thanks to Michael Feldman]...
July 18, 2009
Walter Cronkite, R.I.P.
In honor of this venerable newsman's passing, the New York Times has assembled some of his most memorable moments....
May 19, 2009
In the Market for New Business Cards?
May we humbly suggest Meat Cards? [Thanks to John DiBartolo]...
April 27, 2009
IBM Takes On Jeopardy
What's the latest artificial intelligence curiosity, Alex?...
March 13, 2009
Jim Cramer on Last Night's Daily Show
Even if you haven't been following the "feud" between Jon Stewart and CNBC, ou owe it to yourself to catch a great half-hour of television. As I write this at 3:00 a.m., the Daily Show's website doesn't have the video...
March 10, 2009
The Number One Reason Not To Get an iPhone
At least in New York....
March 02, 2009
Siegried and Roy? Or Siegfried and Mr. X?
Two takes on the mystery of Siegfried and Roy's farewell appearance -- one from the L.A. Times's Richard Abowitz and the veteran columnist of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Norm Clarke....
February 07, 2009
Dreamworks Lands at Disney?
Nikki Finke provides details about why Steven Spielberg may wind up at the Mouse House....
January 21, 2009
Inauguration Photos
These are the coolest we've seen, courtesy of The Big Picture. [Thanks to Michael Feldman]...
January 16, 2009
Ricardo Montalban
Even though he died this week, it's still hard to suppress a giggle when the name "Ricardo Montalban" is uttered. But I loved this story from blogger extraordinaire Mark Evanier, which makes Montalban a little more human and a lot...
January 05, 2009
The Next Senator of Minnesota
[Thanks to Josh Marshall]...
January 01, 2009
The Worst Americans of 2008
Tomasky's list is good. The sad thing is that it's so easy to think of many other alternatives....
December 18, 2008
Sign of a Market Bottom?
Maybe it is when a new blog consists only of photos of finance types with hands on their faces. [Thanks to Andrew Sullivan]...
December 13, 2008
The Worst Predictions of 2008
Pundits, shmundits....
December 10, 2008
Dennis Yost, R.I.P.
I was sad to learn of the death Sunday of Dennis Yost, lead singer of the sixties group, Classics IV. Yost suffered from brain damage after a fall in 2005. Oldies groups can survive on the basis of one hit,...
December 01, 2008
Ocean Currents Can Power the World, Say Scientists
Can slow-moving water currents be harnessed to solve our energy needs? Maybe....
November 17, 2008
The Third Most Important Story of the Year
Film critic Roger Ebert's blog is always worth reading. We were moved by his latest post about the fatwa against terrorism issued by 6000 clerics in India....
November 04, 2008
Interactive Maps
Here at Imponderables Central, we'll be glued to the tv with notebooks on our laps. Two sites we frequent regularly feature fantastic interactive maps. With one hovering mouse, you can find out the poll results for presidential, senate, and house...
Can a Dead Woman Vote?
Slate ponders whether the absentee ballot of a deceased person is counted. The answer; it depends....
November 02, 2008
Why We Vote
October 31, 2008
Easiest Guinness Book of World Records Record to Break?
Gather your extended network and dance! If you want to practice choreography, here you go....
October 28, 2008
Election of the Century?
Professor Michael McDonald argues that the upcoming election might garner the highest turnout in more than a century....
October 25, 2008
Spider Politics
Your political preferences might be dictated by primal fears. [Thanks to Kassie Schwan]...
October 23, 2008
Do Your TV Preferences Match Your Politics?
Nielsen has done the research....
October 21, 2008
Which Poll Should You Trust?
I'm a political junkie, and I've already written about the polling sites, Pollster and FiveThirtyEight, that I visit every day. In a wonderful post, Tracking Poll Primer, Nate Silver at 538 explores the issue of why particular polls have "biases"...
October 16, 2008
Edie Adams, R.I.P.
Very few performers combine comedy and music with the quality and finesse of Edie Adams, who just passed away. I was a big fan of her husband, Ernie Kovacs, and Adams was her sidekick on the show. I would be...
October 13, 2008
Starbucks Goes Discount
USA Today outlines Starbucks's latest attempt to boost sales is an unlikely route: price. As the article elucidates, the strategy is three-pronged: 1. Lower prices on holiday gifts (those CDs that were $14.95 last Christmas will be $12.95 this year)...
October 08, 2008
So You Want To Be a Campaign Manager?
Think again!...
October 01, 2008
Popcorn and Futility
A New York judge has decided that perfectly-popped popcorn is an unfulfillable fantasy....
September 21, 2008
Robert Steinberg, R.I.P.
If the name Robert Steinberg doesn't ring a bell, if you are a chocolate fancier, you'll recognize the last name of his business partner, John Scharffenberger. His friend, David Lebovitz, whose blog you should be reading, has written a lovely...
September 03, 2008
Whoops
Peggy Noonan and Mike Murphy, two Republican pundits/strategists, get caught with a live mic after they thought they were off the air:...
August 26, 2008
Beijing the Ghost Town
What does Beijing look like when the crowd disappears?...
August 18, 2008
Yacht or Mom?
A whale of a story....
August 07, 2008
Did Oprah Swing the Democratic Nomination for Obama?
Two economists argue yes. [Thanks to FiveThirtyEight.com]...
July 05, 2008
PoliticalThought of the Day
Folks don't come here for political musings, but occasionally something vital occurs that I cannot refrain from commenting about. I'm very worried about Obama's position on the Lincoln bedroom....
July 04, 2008
News You Can't Use
It's July 4. Time for barbecue!...
Need a Good Veep?
Chuck Hagel and Colin Powell have both been bandied about as possible vice-presidential candidates for both parties, but if McCain or Obama are looking for a true crossover running-mate, we have the man for the job. Happy 4th!...
June 11, 2008
Photo of the Day
June 01, 2008
For Political Polling Wonks, Only
I've raved several times here about Mark Blumenthal's work on Pollster.com. If you are as obsessed about the presidential race and all the complexities of trying to poll voter preferences as I am, you'll also love Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight.com...
April 18, 2008
Nonrandom Wags
Does it matter in what direction a dog's tail wags? Evidently, yes....
April 17, 2008
Pennsylvania Polling
Why is Hillary Clinton ahead by 20 points in one poll and behind by 3 in another? As usual, the Mystery Pollster offers some good ideas....
March 18, 2008
The Shorty Complex
Are short people truly more insecure about their height? Researchers in Spain and the Netherlands weigh in....
February 05, 2008
Check Back in November
Ann Coulter isn't the only arch-conservative boasting about voting for an arch-nemesis. But Michael Graham combines his promise with a poor sports prediction....
January 29, 2008
David Gergen at Davos
He advised Nixon, George H.W. Bush, and Clinton, among others. We have one piece of advice for D.G.: Stay off the dance floor....
January 27, 2008
If Birds Could Vote...
The vote would go something like this......
September 14, 2007
No Need for Chocoholics Anonymous
According to a British researcher, you might like chocolate a lot. You might LOVE it. But you likely aren't addicted to chocolate....
August 17, 2007
When Do Fish Flush?
In a Fish 'n Flush, of course! [Thanks to Joanne Pavia]...
August 08, 2007
Emotional Economics
Jim Cramer is just a tiny bit upset....
McDonald's -- Kids Are Lovin' It!
By now, many of you have heard about the study that says that kids prefer the same food if wrapped in McDonald's packaging. Here's where it first appeared on the Web....
July 18, 2007
Political Contributions Imponderable
I was playing possum a little bit when I mused in my last entry about why so many contributions "of the stars" were for $2300 and $4600. I knew that the maximum contribution for an individual was $2300, but I...
Cashing Checks with the Stars
Few showbiz-oriented blogs break more stories than Nikki Finke in her Deadline Hollywood Daily. Even if she is a little smug about her accomplishments, at least she has something to crow about. Yesterday she linked to a list (originally compiled...
July 16, 2007
Blame That Bad Back On Your Ancestors
I've been felled by back spasms for the past ten days. A spine specialist in Los Angeles thinks he knows why....
July 11, 2007
Our Long International Wait Is Over
The best thing to happen to toilet paper in decades. Our heroes: Kimberly-Clark....
June 26, 2007
Giant Ancient Penguins Liked It Hot
And we love penguins....
June 17, 2007
The Best Cat Ever
Ordinarily, I'm a "dog person." I've always considered cats animals that patronize us and badmouth us behind our backs. But not all cats are created equal. At least one has furthered the course of the arts and is worthy of...
June 14, 2007
Maybe Freud Was Right?
Daughters and Dads -- the bond that binds....
May 28, 2007
Right To Return
On this Memorial Day, let's not forget the Americans displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Director/producer Jonathan Demme's Right To Return chronicles stories of those who have chosen to reclaim their homes and their neighborhoods. Right To Return will be...
May 08, 2007
What Do You MEAN I'm Not Going To Die?
The good news is that you're still alive. The bad news is that you're destitute. Well, you can't have everything....
April 20, 2007
Fruity Cocktails Count as Health Food
Please drink more alcohol. It's all about the antioxidants....
April 19, 2007
Job Satisfaction
According to this survey, I'm happy....
April 18, 2007
Dumbest Defendant of the Week
He lives in Autauga County, Alabama....
April 07, 2007
Why Do People Believe in Reincarnation?
A memory error?...
April 02, 2007
The Onion News Network...
...can fulfill all your needs....
February 12, 2007
I Didn't Know I Was So Proactive about Helping My Heart
It's all part of my commitment to wellness....
January 24, 2007
Do Not Call Registry for Cell Phones
It has worked for my home phone. Now, keep those spamsters away from your cell phone....
December 31, 2006
Newseum
Today's newspaper headlines. Today!...
November 01, 2006
Be Prepared
But I don't think this is what the Boy Scouts had in mind....
October 25, 2006
The Other Ballgame
The World Series isn't the only game in town, at least for me. I'm also an election junkie. I'll leave out my own political views, and focus on the best place to view the how the horse-race is shaping up...
October 15, 2006
Here Comes a Made for TV Movie
Woman kidnaps son four times....
October 05, 2006
Too Lazy To Read Bob Woodward's New Book?
So are most of us. Which is why it's nice to have Slate provide us with just the juicy bits....
September 26, 2006
Happy Birthday, Jack LaLanne
On Pardon the Interruption, today, Tony Kornheiser wished health guru LaLanne a happy 92nd birthday, and quoted his wise words about nutrition (and about the best rule of thumb for a successful weight-loss regimen ever): "If it tastes good, spit...
September 24, 2006
"For Delta Librarian, The End"
My nephew, the estimable Michael Feldman, sent me a glowing e-mail about this article in the L.A. Times a librarian who just retired after long service to one of the poorest areas in the Mississippi Delta. Sometimes, nephews are right....
September 22, 2006
And You Thought Killer Spinach Is a Threat?
How about marauding ostriches?...
September 21, 2006
Panda Bites Man, Man Bites Him Back
Maybe not quite as bad as teaching your dog how to drive, but bad enough....
September 09, 2006
Willi Ninja, R.I.P.
The "Godfather of Voguing," Willi Ninja, died in New York City this week. Most of the obituaries focus on how Ninja was one of the stars of the fabulous documentary, Paris Is Burning, the marvelous 1990 documentary, and how Willi...
August 28, 2006
Don't Woof and Drive
Things are wacky in Mongolia....
August 02, 2006
More of Bourdain on Lebanon
Anthony Bourdain is back, safe and sound from Beirut and he chatted with the Washington Post online. Find out what food Bourdain ate in Lebanon before the bombing, why he likes the Navy, and isn't so sanguine about the American...
July 29, 2006
Bourdain on Lebanon
Chef/TV Personality Anthony Bourdain visited Beirut, Lebanon to film his TV show at a most inopportune time -- just two days before the current crisis started. Bourdain has been stuck in Beirut ever since. He wrote Watching Beirut Die, a...
June 29, 2006
Warren Buffett -- A Model, Not a Saint
That's David Weidner's take....
June 28, 2006
Replay TV "PC Edition"
The folks who invented the DVR are fighting for survival (heck, TIVO, who "won the war," is fighting for survival) with their PC Edition. You can sign up for a free 30-day trial when it launches in September....
June 22, 2006
TV Over Trees?
I'm proud to be an American....
June 17, 2006
Why I'm Proud To Be a Slob
It's all about health....
June 08, 2006
Was the 2004 Election Stolen?
In the current issue of Rolling Stone, Robert Kennedy, Jr. concludes that the answer is yes. During the 2004 election, I was riveted by the Mystery Pollster blog. After the election, he wrote extensively about why the exit polls that...
June 01, 2006
Save the 76 Ball!
One campaign I can get behind!...
April 26, 2006
Interesting Choice of the Day
It probably wouldn't have been mine....
April 10, 2006
Better than "None of the Above"
Ernie K-Doe for Mayor!...
April 03, 2006
Yay!
The manuscript is in. Baseball begins. Life is good. But now I collapse....
March 25, 2006
Not Sleeping Well?
Don't despair....
March 21, 2006
Piper the Cat
Watch the video!...
March 02, 2006
Our Youngest Art Critic
And his latest review is negative....
February 19, 2006
Can Monkeys Count Calories?
Evidently, they should....
January 31, 2006
James Frey's Agent Breaks Her Silence...
in this interview with Publishers Weekly....
January 17, 2006
Sex and TV?
Sex OR TV is more like it....
January 01, 2006
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
And let me repeat what I said last year, with the modification of one digit: May all your Imponderables in 2006 be little ones....
December 18, 2005
Google Music Search
Try typing "Bob Dylan" into the Google search box. Here's what you get......
December 14, 2005
The Award Season Is Here
No, I'm not talking about the Golden Globe nominations. We're talking about the 2005, but the 2005 Crunks, from the addictive website, Regret the Error....
What Are Dogs Laughing At, Anyway?
Not at hyenas, I hope....
December 11, 2005
Top 10 Words Most Searched at Merriam-Webster's Website
Evidently, Pamela Anderson and Britney Spears aren't in the dictionary....
November 30, 2005
The One-Year Itch?
Sometimes, romance and science just don't mix....
November 02, 2005
A Sixth Sense?
How can we explain why a craving for fatty foods seems universal? Some French scientists think they know why....
October 23, 2005
The Light Bulb...
has been a subject of many Imponderables. Please don't take them away from me....
October 20, 2005
To Drink or Not To Drink
You're running a marathon. What's the bigger danger -- not drinking enough water or drinking too much? The answer, according to a New York Times article (free registration might be required to read), might surprise you....
October 07, 2005
Germany Retakes Lead in Technology
A good start, anyway....
October 04, 2005
Hamilton Camp, R.I.P.
A wonderful singer-songwriter and actor, Hamilton Camp, died in Los Angeles on Sunday at the age of 71. If the name does not ring a bell, I guarantee you have seen him and heard him (if not as a singer,...
September 29, 2005
There Will Always Be a Brooklyn
The sad before story. And the happy ending....
Extreme Fakeover?
Tsk Tsk....
September 14, 2005
Horse Swap
Sounds like the title of a bad reality show. But it actually happened....
September 10, 2005
A Stunning Slide Show
Alvaro, a denizen of the French Quarter, had the presence of mind to shoot photographs of his city, documenting the first five days of Hurricane Katrina. Most surprising is how well the city looked at the end of Day 2....
September 08, 2005
Go Donate Yourself!
We've already praised the website, Go Fug Yourself,for its witty take on the way that beautiful people make themselves, er, less beautiful. But Heather and Jessica, the brains and beauties behind the site, have assembled a wonderful set of links...
August 29, 2005
Only Starbucks Is Happier than I Am...
...about this story....
August 26, 2005
Where Have You Gone, Miss America?
Away from Atlantic City, evidently....
August 11, 2005
The Pause That Doesn't Refresh
Only in America....
August 03, 2005
R.I.P. David Shaw
One of the great journalists in the United States, David Shaw, died Monday in Los Angeles. Shaw covered the media for the Los Angeles Times for more than 30 years, and was a trailblazer in criticizing his own paper. In...
July 19, 2005
TIVO's Latest Upgrade
This is an upgrade?...
June 27, 2005
What's the Deal with Tom Cruise?
Salon is running an informative, non-snarky four-part series about Scientology by James Verini that features the observations of some anonymous but knowledgeable long-term members of the group. The first installment is here....
June 04, 2005
Read My Books and Lose Weight
Honest....
April 16, 2005
A Gnomish Imponderable
What possible use is a garden gnome? Answer....
April 06, 2005
Can Hybrid Cars Be Converted To Electric Cars?
Some folks not only believe in it -- they've already done it. Here's the New York Times article about it (free registration might be required to read it). [Disclosure: Felix Kramer, featured in the article, is a good friend of...
March 25, 2005
Don't Try This At Home
Or at least if you try it at home, don't try it at your nearest art museum!...
March 17, 2005
X Marks the Spot
And geneticists now think they can explain some of the differences between men and women now that the genetic code of the X-chromosome has been unraveled. Gee, hundreds of Imponderables might be swatted away at once....
March 14, 2005
What's Hot at the New York Times?
Yahoo has long allowed its users to see what stories have been emailed most often. Now the New York Times has joined the fray, offering you the chance to see the most frequently emailed stories of the past 24 hours...
February 24, 2005
More on DVRs
The New York Post runs an article about those obsessed with digital video recorders. And yours truly is briefly mentioned in it. Although I don't know it for a fact, I'm pretty sure the reporter found me because of this...
February 21, 2005
Hunter Thompson, R.I.P.
Sad news....
January 23, 2005
Whatever Happened To Full-Body Scans
Maybe it's because I can't get rid of a nagging cold, but this piece of health news struck my eye. Just a few years ago, you couldn't listen to the radio in urban markets without hearing ads for clinics that...
January 06, 2005
R.I.P. H. David Dalquist
Founder of Nordic Ware, H. David Dalquist, died in his home in Edina, Minnesota Sunday. Perhaps he will only be a footnote in history, but a permanent footnote, for Dalquist created the aluminum Bundt pan in 1950. Besides looking cool,...
December 12, 2004
Where Were You When I Was in High School?
Instant Admission to College!...
December 02, 2004
Imponderables in USA Today
In the interest of self-promotion, I can't resist:...
November 23, 2004
Bad Elephant in the News
At least it didn't jump on the guy....
November 14, 2004
Poltical Colors
In a wonderful, November 13 blog entry, Kevin Drum researches how "blue state" and "red state" went from wonk terms to omnipresent during the 2004 election....
November 02, 2004
Vote!
If you are eligible to vote and haven't yet, I'll wait patiently until you've come back. Back? I'll admit it. I've spent not one second on work today, other than replying to some of the emails I've received in response...
November 01, 2004
Confined Voters
Did you know that in several states, incarcerated felons can vote?...
October 22, 2004
Presidential Election Results Are In
It's a tie!...
October 20, 2004
Google Saves a Life
In Iraq, of all places....
October 15, 2004
No Respect
No, this isn't our tribute to Rodney Dangerfield, though we mourn his passing. Not since Woody Allen bungled his bank robbery in Take the Money and Run has a robber been afforded so little respect. But this time it's real....
October 05, 2004
Following the Horse Race
With the presidential polls all over the map this election, some websites are trying to provide perspective. If all you're interested in is the horse race, a site like electoral-vote.com offers an easy-to-read map with state-by-state data. So does Daly...
October 03, 2004
Halloween "Poll" Augurs Well for Bush
So say the kind folks at BuyCostumes.com....
September 30, 2004
The Last Good Use for Men -- Gone!
Men have been officially replaced...
September 27, 2004
Living in the Suburbs May Be Bad for Your Health
So says the Rand Corporation....
September 24, 2004
Pay Attention During Rhetoric Class
I'm going to refrain from talking much about politics here, but this entry isn't about right and left, or right and wrong. Stanley Fish wrote an excellent op-ed piece in today's New York Times about why, despite President Bush's verbal...