by Anna Breuer

Traffic getting to the airport was miserable, the security checkpoint line was out the door, and stress levels were high. But when traveling during the holidays, what’s the alternative?
Now that we’ve kicked off summer with the busy Memorial Day holiday, here are the five days to avoid flying on and to stay off the roads for the remainder of 2018.
June 29
The 4th of July comes on a Wednesday this year …

Review: ‘The Fourth Wall’ at A.R.T./NY Theatres

by Jonathan Spira

A.R. Gurney is know for witty plays such as “The Dining Room” and “The Cocktail Hour,” which explore upper-class WASP life in contemporary America. “The Fourth Wall,” set in a similar household, is the study of a quartet of characters who wrestle with one person’s obsession with the fourth wall in a room.
First staged in 1992, “The Fourth Wall” is being produced, in an off-Broadway revival, by the Theater Breaking …

Thursday’s Summer Solstice to Mark Longest Day of the Year

by Anna Breuer

Today, Thursday, June 21, marks the summer solstice, the day of the year with longest period of daylight and fewest hours of darkness.
The solstice is an astronomical phenomenon at which the Northern Hemisphere is tilted closest to the sun, and takes place at the same time everywhere on earth.
In 2018, the solstice will occur at 6:07 a.m. EDT, hence 5:07 a.m. CDT, 4:07 a.m. MST, and 3:07 a.m. PDT. At …

Why Apple’s New Screen Time Feature Doesn’t Shock Me

by Jonathan Spira

Once Apple announced that it was introducing Screen Time, a new feature in its iOS 12 operating system for the iPhone and iPad, I was inundated with calls from researchers and journalists asking my opinion about both the feature and also the “surprising” findings people using the beta version were reporting.
As some of our readers know, I spent over a dozen years as chief analyst at Basex, a think tank, …

Cardless ATMs Come of Age

by Anna Breuer

In a world where contactless payment seemed like something out of a Jules Verne story until Apple Pay and Google Pay came along, banks are now on the edge of what could be a major revolution in how we interact with them, at least at the branch level.
The change: automated teller machines that don’t require an ATM card for such tasks as deposits, checking balances, transfers, and cash withdrawals. This …

Lobby Bar – June 15: Clara Peller, Orson Welles, Three Stooges, and Rabbits Who Like Chocolate Milk

by Paul Riegler

The band that stayed for dinner. “The Band’s Visit” swept the Tony Awards this week. Only problem is they are still stuck in Beit Hatikva and the show may be renamed “Groundhog Day: Israel” instead.
Nyuk. Nyuk. Nyuk. John F. Kennedy International Airport debuted its new Emergency Operations Center, which came about after multiple crises occurred during a winter storm. The new directors – Larry, Curly, and Moe – spoke at …

Restaurant Review: Bobby Van’s Steakhouse, New York

by Jonathan Spira

Back in the 1970s at the original Bobby Van’s restaurant on Main Street in Bridgehampton, the clique of regulars at the bar included famed authors such as Truman Capote, John Knowles, James Jones, as well as Willie Morris, the editor of Harper’s magazine.
Other regulars included the artists Roy Lichtenstein, Warren Brandt, Willem de Kooning, and Lukas Foss, the classical composer and conductor. Frequently diners would find Mr. Van, who died …

‘The Band’s Visit’ Sweeps the 2018 Tony Awards, ‘Harry Potter’ Wins Best Play

by Anna Breuer

NEW YORK—The 72nd Tony Awards took place Sunday evening at Radio City Music Hall in New York City with “The Band’s Visit,” the story of an Egyptian police officer stranded in Israel after going to the wrong town, winning 10 awards including best new musical. “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” won the Tony for best play.
In what was by some considered to be an upset in a year with …