by Anna Breuer

Taking a vacation without your smartphone might be akin to… well it’s hard to imagine just what it would be like.
Without my smartphone, how would I take photographs, navigate to destinations, share striking sunsets and vistas with friends on Facebook and Instagram, compensate for jet lag, and even wake up on time in the morning?
Smartphones also have a downside. The barrier between one’s worklife and private life has long been …

Vienna, A Cultural Gem, Named World’s Most Liveable City

by Jonathan Spira

Vienna, once the capital of an empire of which it was said that the sun never set over it, is now the world’s most liveable city, according to the latest liveability index from the Economist Intelligence Unit.
As someone who spent a portion of his childhood in Vienna, I would most heartily agree.
The imperial city finally placed first after taking second place after Melbourne every year since 2011 and it’s the …

Theft of Aircraft in Seattle-Tacoma Raises Serious Security Questions

by Paul Riegler

A more complete story of how a Horizon Air employee was able to steal, fly, and subsequently crash an aircraft taken from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Friday evening is beginning to emerge as details come to light.
Richard B. Russell flew a Bombardier Dash 8 – Q400 turboprop plane for almost an hour over Puget Sound, even performing aerobatics, until it crashed on Ketron Island, off the shore of Steilacoom. Mr. Russell, …

Lobby Bar: Horse Manure, Underage Workers, Rogue Engineers, and ‘I’ll Take German Sex Toys for $200, Alex!’

by Anna Breuer

Lobby Bar – Fantastically Phantasmagorical
Duff your hat. Drivers and passengers alike were puzzled by new legislation in the Big Apple requiring Uber and Lyft drivers to wear caps. “It’s a return to civility, just like we had in the horse-and-buggy era,” said the city’s oldest resident, Mabel Clarence, who at 128, has a clear recollection of the transition from horse-drawn Hansom cabs to early electric- and gasoline-powered taxicabs in New …

The Story Behind the 42nd Street Shuttle: New York’s Tiniest Subway Line

by Paul Riegler

Few people, including native New Yorkers, know very much about New York City’s tiniest subway line, the 42nd Street Shuttle. With only two stations – Grand Central Terminal and Times Square – it only has the two stops and runs about 2,402 feet (732 meters) in 90 seconds.
The Shuttle is part of the city’s original subway system, specifically the IRT line, and the actual subway through which it runs dates …

Theater Review: ‘Desperate Measures’ at New World Stages

by Jonathan Spira

Would you have slept with another guy, or perhaps shot a man and watched him die, or even dressed yourself up like a nun? While it sounds like it was lots of fun – and it was – we just outlined (and paraphrased) the basic premise of the plot of “Desperate Measures,” a musical loosely based on William Shakespeare’s decidedly non-musical play “Measure for Measure.”
The story – recited mostly in …

Lobby Bar: Early Retirement, Jaws, Sierra Madre, and ‘I’ll Take Broadway Shows for $200, Alex!’

by Anna Breuer

Lobby Bar – It May Not Be Much, But It’s Ours
Shark Week. Smartphones are ruining vacations for many people as colleagues and customers now expect 24×7 availability. Since turning them off really isn’t an option, our experts came up with a list of “things you can do with your smartphone on vacation” including 1.) Feed it to a shark, 2.) Let a monkey take selfies with it, and 3.) Leave …

Review: Using Amazon Prime Now for Whole Foods Delivery in New York City

by Anna Breuer

Amazon is finally making good on its promise to consumers for its $14 billion takeover of Whole Foods Market with the launch of delivery through its Prime Now service.
Delivery from Whole Foods via Prime Now is available in 24 cities and deliveries will arrive within an hour, albeit for an extra fee, while deliveries within a two-hour window are available at no charge provided the customer hits the $35 minimum.
The …