Oktoberfest 2019 Opens in Munich with Parades and Ceremony

MUNICH—The first keg was tapped with the words “O’zapft is” (“it’s tapped”) accompanied by a 12-gun salute as Bürgermeister Dieter Reiter opened the 186th Oktoberfest on Saturday.  As tradition demands, the Bürgermeister handed the first Maß – literally a measure but also a liter – of beer to Bavarian Ministerpräsident Markus Söder.
The opening was preceded by a Festzug, a parade, starting in the city center, which was led by the …

Apple’s Latest iPhone Update, iOS 13 is Out – and iOS 13.1 is Already on the Way

Apple released the next version of its iPhone software, iOS 13, on Thursday.  Available as a free download, the new version has multiple new features and updates to Apple apps.
The update arrived a day ahead of the release of the new Apple iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max.  The update is compatible with the iPhone 6s and later iPhones.
There are few major changes to the user …

The Kaffeehaus: Vienna’s Coffee House Culture

If you thought the Italians were serious about their coffee, you’ve never been to a Viennese coffee house, or Wiener Kaffeehaus – spoken in proper Austrian as Weana Kafeehaus – known the world over as an institution
The Kaffeehaus is one of the most democratic public places ever invented.  Similar to the Melange, the most popular kind of coffee in Vienna, the Kaffeehaus offers a mélange of people of all social …

The World’s Busiest Airport? Yes, It’s Atlanta (Again)

Once again, Atlanta has taken the crown.
The world’s busiest airport – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International – saw over 107 million passengers last year, allowing it to hold that title for the 21st year in a row.
Three U.S. airports were in the top ten, namely Los Angeles International and Chicago O’Hare International, in addition to Atlanta.
Airport Council International said Monday in its world traffic report that Atlanta saw a 3.3% increase in …

6 Plays and Musicals to See on Broadway Right Now

Our guide to Broadway shows including a major revival and six new shows that are at theaters on the Great White Way.
Here are theater co-critics’ recommendations for six musicals and plays on the Great White Way, in alphabetical order, with excerpts from their reviews.

BEETLEJUICE
Winter Garden Theater
There’s a second phantom on Broadway now.  The new musical, based on the 1988 Tim Burton film, haunts and delights theatergoers at the Winter Garden …

No-Deal Brexit? Expect Food Shortages, Higher Fuel Costs, and Chaos at the Border

The British government released an internal policy paper that outlines what would be a “reasonable worst-case” outcome of a no-deal Brexit.  The document lists food shortages, dramatically higher fuel prices, and days-long waits for truckers at border crossings.
Prepared in August as part of a contingency exercise, code-named Operation Yellowhammer, the document identifies 12 areas of risk: transport systems, people crossing borders, key goods crossing borders, healthcare services, energy systems, other …

Review: ‘Oklahoma!’ at Circle in the Square Theater

Based on a 1931 play by Lynn Riggs, the 1943 musical “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!” returned to Broadway not as your father’s or grandfather’s “Oklahoma!” Rather, this production should be thought of as “Oklahoma! (Unplugged).”
Daniel Fish’s revival, the fifth since the show’s 1943 opening, is about as far away from the original as the Circle in the Square Theater is from Claremore, Indian Territory, in 1906.
Meanwhile, on the sweeping prairies …