Obsessions

My Twitter Obsession

3/4/2009

They warned me.They warned me that Twitter would drain my blood like a vampire, sap my vital bodily fluids. … Read more

Chocolate: No Excuses Necessary

2/14/2009

February can be a grim month in New England. Temperatures are low, snow on the ground is filthy, and baseball Opening Day is still two months away.The one ray of sunshine on the calendar is that holiday in the middle of the month – known as Valentines Day to some, but to us hardcore chocolate lovers, it’s Perfect Alibi Day.“I’m not buying this for myself,” I can say. “It’s for my wife. No, my daughter. No, my wife and my daughter.” If an extra box of chocolate happens to make its way into my shopping bag, well, so be it. … Read more

Writers: The Coffee Achievers

1/15/2009

Santa didn’t bring me what I really wanted for Christmas, but I hardly expected him to. Don’t get me wrong -- I was good last year, and Santa was generous. But what I really wanted was a Clover® Brewing System, the kind they have at the Starbucks on Beacon Street, and in only a handful of other Starbucks around the country. It was a lot to ask for, I knew, even before I found out that a Clover® machine costs $12,000. But I swear, if I found $12,000 on a sidewalk, I’d buy one. … Read more

The Best Pencil in the World

12/3/2008

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The Perfect Signing Pen...

6/1/2006

does not yet exist. The classic, of course, is the Sharpie. They’re great for signing your name, but they’re too thick for writing anything more than a few words -- legibly, anyway. They also tend to bleed through the thinner paper that publishers have been using in recent years. Sharpie makes an Ultra Fine, but that’s way too thin and scratchy. … Read more

Dateline: Miami, May 23 -- "24" Fans in High Places

5/26/2006

After my signing at Books & Books in Miami, I talked to that great bookstore’s owner, Mitch Kaplan. His sister, as it turns out, is an executive at Fox involved with “24.” … Read more