I’d Like a Politician With Values and a Steakhouse With Outdoor Seating

Yelp Allows Us to Rank Restaurants and Doctors and Spas. Why Not Use it to Rank Elected Officials?

Yelp is a wildly popular web service that allows customers to offer public reviews of the companies and professionals they patronize. Diners rate restaurants, patients rate their doctors, dentists, and health clinics, and shoppers rate their malls. But, at least so far, Yelp does not allow constituents to rate their politicians.

That should change. We all need more feedback on those who represent, or seek to represent, us. Since Americans are, for the most part, in between campaigns, now is the perfect time to build out a website to provide the …

Why Dead Malls Comfort Me

Thoughts On Vanished Grandeur—and Coffee In Styrofoam Cups

I feel at home in dead malls. When I walk inside and absorb the silence, when I see the empty storefronts and walk past second-rate retailers that barely cling to …

The Healing Power of Junk

Finding Solace (and Sparkly Shades) Among the Racks

Treasures. Thousands of them. Rows, shelves, hooks, nooks, closets, rooms, and corners full of treasures. I always knew I had an addictive personality. My veins bleed 12 steps and amends, …

Maybe the GOP Debates Should Happen At Ralphs

Politics and Supermarkets Have a Surprisingly Close Relationship

If you’re like millions of Americans during the holidays, you’ve had to wade through a crowded grocery store gathering up cooking supplies. Hard as it is to believe, though, supermarkets …