Biden’s absurd student loan ‘solution’
Not that anyone can blame him — it’s a political win-win for the White House
Spectator Life
An intelligent mix of culture, style, travel, food and property, as well as where to go and what to see.
February 22, 2024
Trump’s Never Surrender High Tops embody the worst of sneaker culture
They are almost certainly white-label shoes, sold with a 300 percent retail margin
February 15, 2024
The curious case of Botox babies
One of the most entrenched rules in life is that the grass is always greener on the other side. It seems doubly true for women
Megève’s enduring magic
Celebrities may have moved onto flashier Alpine neighbors, but this iconic French ski resort still has star quality
Plogging: Europe’s bizarre eco-friendly fitness craze
Italy has hosted the championships since they began in 2021, first in Torino and now in Genoa
Mökki life and Moomin minutiae in Finland
We arrive at a stream that eventually leads down to Lake Poikkipuoliainen. Stopping to look, it occurs to me that I’ve not seen another soul in days
In search of the quintessentially British afternoon tea
You could search all fifty states, from sea to shining sea, and never come close to finding a proper scone
How eggs became the symbol of Easter
As the living chicken breaks out of the egg, so the immortal Christ breaks the seal of the tomb
The delight of reading the New York Times Cooking comments
With all their foibles, this community of commenters has become essential to my kitchen
February 13, 2024
The fight for civilization in higher education
The ‘School of General Education Act’ insists that all students in a state’s public university system take a prescribed sequence of courses that will take them through most of Western history
February 12, 2024
Opening a bottle with… Angela Hartnett
The British Michelin-star chef running an Italian restaurant in the French Alps
February 8, 2024
Women watched the NFL before Taylor Swift’s WAG era
What Taylor has done is dramatically increase the attention paid to the sport by women who aren’t already sports fans
February 7, 2024
Shane Gillis and the year cancel culture dies
His return to SNL enshrines the ability of comedians to offend and move on
January 31, 2024
California’s next freedom to lose: speeding
A state senator wants to restrict cars from going 10mph over the limit
January 23, 2024
America is too fat for another civil war
It’s not right versus left: it’s Dunkin’ versus Krispy Kreme, battling for the soul of the country
Inside Oberlin College’s failed auto-da-fé
When it comes to women’s sports, former lacrosse coach Kim Russell is firmly in the camp of objective science
Does boxing still matter?
MMA has overtaken the sport in the public mind
The vagabond spirit of Mirleft, Morocco’s surf nook
A mile past the sleepy little town’s dusty high street lie cliffs of California proportions — with swells to match
Swimming with sharks is nothing to be scared of
There is a thrill to heading out to sea searching for these magnificent creatures
Ringing in the Chinese New Year with homemade dim sum
The Sichuanese are serious and methodical about flavor
The wonder of cooking with coal
Cold grates on cold nights are grim. Warm bright ones lift the spirits, whatever tidings the day may have brought
The possibilities of gluten and dairy-free cooking
You’ve likely made many GF/DF meals without even noticing
January 20, 2024
How to improve NFL officiating
It stinks worse than maggot-infested roadkill and the league has no plan to fix it
January 18, 2024
The war against Hamas on campus
Boston University students honored October 7 terrorists as ‘martyrs’
January 11, 2024
Eating my way through Sicily
It is the fantastical realm they say it is and stupendously beautiful. And the food is even better
January 8, 2024
Lloyd Austin’s secret surgery was unusual, but not unprecedented
Grover Cleveland had his own and kept it a secret for years
Did the fight over slavery cause the Civil War?
You won’t get the answer from politicians and ideologues
January 4, 2024
Claudine Gay may be gone, but the issues on campus remain
Can universities clean up their acts on their own or will it take pressure from unhappy donors and parents?
January 3, 2024
Lessons from the removal of Harvard’s president
Her decision to leave Harvard’s presidency is not a real goodbye
