State of the Nation

67% of Americans continue to believe that the country is on the wrong track. The last time the wrong track number was under 50% in the NBC/WSJ survey was September, 2004, when it was 49%. [NBC/WSJ 9/08] In July, 87%...

President Bush - 4 Months to Go

61% of Americans disapprove of the job that George Bush is doing as President. 34% approve. 33% "feel" favorably about him, while 55% have negative feelings. 68% disapprove of the job that he is doing on the economy; 62% disapprove...

2008 Presidential Campaign: Act III is Underway

As you may recall, WW sees the Presidential race as a play in 5 acts. Act I - Post-"nomination" to the conventions The pre-convention period was relatively quiet for both Party's candidates. There was some drama between the Obama campaign...

2008 Congressional Campaigns

Democrats continue to be on the path of increasing their margins in the U.S. Senate and House. A generic vote, suggests, however, that the "race" is tightening. DEM GOP NET Democracy Corps (9/1-3) 50 45 5 Hotline/FD (9/5-7) 51 42...

Wisdom From Saul Turteltaub

You know the airport is less than thirty minutes from your hotel when you arrive in the back seat of your taxi cab and still can't click on the seatbelt. The problem in being taken by a good friend to...

This and That

Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement. 1/3 of ice cream sold is vanilla. 1/3 of potatos sold are French-fried. 7% of Americans eat at McDonald's on any day. The only President awarded a patent was Abraham Lincoln for...

Restaurant: Barbuto

New York, NY: The menu changes every day. On the day we were there for lunch the menu included a mix of items that made it possible to select items that are more traditionally eaten at breakfast

Restaurant: Acquerello

San Francisco: The service was exceptional. There appear to be 3 captains working the floor, including the owner and his son, as well as a serving person.

Restaurant: Curbside Cafe

San Francisco: There was one serving person who handled all of the action from greeting folks to taking orders and delivering up the food. He was in perpetual motion. However, when he was attending to a given customer he was attentive and unhurried.

Restaurant: In-N-Out Burger

San Francisco: According to a friend, if you don't order an In-N-Out burger in a certain way, you make it very clear to everyone that you are not "In-N-Out Burger sophisticated."

Restaurant: Rocco's Cafe

San Francisco: This is a neighborhood joint that Stanley selected for my first breakfast in San Francisco. The place looks like it has been there for decades, but at least this location opened in 1990.

Restaurant: Mama's on Washington Square

San Francisco: If you decide to try Mama's, which WW recommends that you do, wear comfortable shoes; it is inevitable that you will spend some time waiting in line.

Restaurant: The Slanted Door

San Francisco: This 175 seat restaurant describes itself as Vietnamese, but is probably better described as Pan Asian.

Theater Review: Beach Blanket Babylon

San Francisco: There is no way to describe this show, except to say that all 5 of us laughed or giggled pretty much non-stop throughout the 90-minute performance.