The City’s Best Wine Bar, and Entertainment to Boot!

       City Winery, on Varick Street in lower Manhattan, was recently awarded the distinction of Best Wine Bar by the Village Voice in their annual Best of NYC list.  But it’s not just a restaurant, bar, and winery; in fact, their website states that it is about “community, creativity, and culture, where like-minded people gather over a bottle of quality Cabernet, while dining on a freshly-prepared meal and listening to their favorite artists perform.”   And they manage to attract some renowned and very good artists such as:

• The Blind Boys of Alabama and John Hammond
• Shawn Colvin
• John McEuen, founder of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
• Los Lobos
• War.

       It’s a great place to relax, enjoy wine and food, listen to music, and even make your own wine.  You can read more at http://www.citywinery.com/.

Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back often – I write and post every day!  And if you like what I have to say and how I say it, you’ll probably enjoy my novels as well.  They’re listed below, and you can read more about them on my website, http://www.randolphmase.com.  In the near future, I’ll have excerpts of my books that you can read, accessible through my site.  I hope you check it out!   

And to view updated blogs in real-time, go to http://alphainventions.com or http://blogiche.com – they’re both great sites! 

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://twitter.com/randolphmase 

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death in The Cloisters (under construction)

Nathan Hale

A New Phantom in New York City!

       I read a piece in New York magazine about an upcoming sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, called Love Never Dies.   The article included some key events in Phantom (and Broadway) history, including:

• Phantom opened at the Majestic Theater in January 1988, two years after a successful opening in London
• In 1989, the original Phantom, Michael Crawford, left the Broadway show to star in the Los Angeles production
• The megaBroadwaymusical era reached its peak when Miss Saigon opened a 10-year run in 1991
• Andrew Lloyd Webber, who wrote the music for Phantom, was knighted in 1992
• In 1997, Webber began planning a sequel to be set in New York, but abandoned the project two years later
• A movie version of Phantom was released in 2004, but did not affect the Broadway show’s popularity
• The 7,486^th performance of Phantom sets a new Broadway record in 2006, surpassing Cats (also written by Webber)
• Webber began writing the sequel in 2007.  The production is now scheduled to open in London next March, then on Broadway in November.

       So get ready to welcome another Phantom into town…

Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back often – I write and post every day!  And if you like what I have to say and how I say it, you’ll probably enjoy my novels as well.  They’re listed below, and you can read more about them on my website, http://www.randolphmase.com.  In the near future, I’ll have excerpts of my books that you can read, accessible through my site.  I hope you check it out!   

And to view updated blogs in real-time, go to http://alphainventions.com or http://blogiche.com – they’re both great sites! 

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://twitter.com/randolphmase 

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death in The Cloisters (under construction)

Nathan Hale

Thanks to Blogiche, and Special Thanks to My Readers

       Many of you are probably avid blog readers, and I know how difficult it is at times to locate a blog that will interest you.  I found another resource for you at http://blogiche.com, a site that provides real-time views of recently updated blogs, and directs traffic to those blogs.  It cycles through views of the blogs every 10 seconds or so, but you can view the blogroll and click on a blog’s name to visit it.  It’s a great timesaver, and a great way to keep up with updated blogs.  To those of you who have visited through a referral from http://blogiche.com (I’ve had more than 7,000 referrals in the past week), welcome, and I hope you continue to visit! 

       Most of all, I extend my thanks to you, my readers, for continuing to return to my blog, for which I’ve recorded almost three quarters of a million views in the past six months!  And thanks very much for coming back!        

Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back often – I write and post every day!  And if you like what I have to say and how I say it, you’ll probably enjoy my novels as well.  They’re listed below, and you can read more about them on my website, http://www.randolphmase.com.  In the near future, I’ll have excerpts of my books that you can read, accessible on my site.  I hope you check it out!   

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://twitter.com/randolphmase 

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death in The Cloisters (under construction)

Nathan Hale

Everyday Life in New York City

       The Metropolitan Diary of the New York Times continues to offer humorous real-life stories and experiences of natives and visitors to New York City that often show the human side of New Yorkers.  When I read most of them, I can’t help but laugh, sometimes very loudly and sometimes, depending on my surroundings, attracting a little too much attention.  Others just make me feel good about being a New Yorker.  The latest edition includes a very friendly horse, an unusual evaluation of a suprervisor, and an impromptu performance in the subway.  So, try it for therapy, stress relief, or to assure yourself that there still is a good side to people – just don’t laugh or cry too loudly:  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/02/nyregion/02diary.html?scp=2&sq=metropolitan%20diary&st=cse. 

Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back often – I write and post every day!  And if you like what I have to say and how I say it, you’ll probably enjoy my novels as well.  They’re listed below, and you can read more about them on my website, http://www.randolphmase.com.  In the near future, I’ll have excerpts of my books that you can read, accessible on my site.  I hope you check it out!   

And to view updated blogs in real-time, go to http://alphainventions.com or http://blogiche.com – they’re both great sites! 

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://twitter.com/randolphmase 

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death in The Cloisters (under construction)

Nathan Hale

A Navy Ship Salutes a City

       Yesterday, a US Navy San Antonio-class amphibious dock vessel (basically an assault ship) sailed into New York Harbor and fired a 21-gun salute. 

       What’s so special about that, you may ask?  Well, the ship was the new USS New York, recently built in New Orleans.  The ship is 684 feet long and 105 feet wide, weighs 25,000 tons (do the math – that’s 50 million pounds, or about 250,000 adults…the equivalent of the population of some of our cities!), and can carry 360 sailors and 700 marines.  And its bow contains more than 7 tons of steel taken from the destroyed World Trade Center site; so the ship paused as it passed Ground Zero, lowered its flag, and fired a 21-gun salute as a tribute to the people who lost their lives on that fateful day of September 11.  The ship then proceeded upriver to the George Washington Bridge, turned around, and came back down to dock at Pier 88, next to the Intrepid.  It will remain there for a week of public tours and a commissioning ceremony this Saturday, then will proceed to its new home in Norfolk, Virginia.  You can see the schedule and more details at http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/LatestNews/October-2009-(1)/Intrepid-Proudly-Welcomes-USS-New-York.aspx.  And there’s a pretty good AP video – no sound, but interesting footage – at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDEwb-9zd5o.         

Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back often – I write and post every day!  And if you like what I have to say and how I say it, you’ll probably enjoy my novels as well.  They’re listed below, and you can read more about them on my website, http://www.randolphmase.com.  In the near future, I’ll have excerpts of my books that you can read, accessible on my site.  I hope you check it out!   

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://twitter.com/randolphmase 

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death in The Cloisters (under construction)

Nathan Hale

The Day of the Dead

       Not, it’s not another Hollywood blockbuster.  It’s a holiday.  

       In the past week, I’ve learned a lot about Halloween.  I also learned a lot about November 2, known in some cultures as All Souls Day.  In Mexico, it’s a holiday called The Day of the Dead.  According to a friend of mine in Mexico City, the day celebrates our relatives that have passed away, so that we do remember them.  In fact, it’s part of the Mexican culture to laugh in front of Death today, and the photo above is one of an office decoration that my friend sent to me.  He said the most famous celebration in Mexico today is in Michoacán State, at Janitzio and nearby Patzcuaro Lake, with many people attending the ceremony at night.  You can read more about it, and see more photos, at http://www.mexicoinsmallbytes.com/november.html.    

       However you do it, it’s very worthwhile to remember and celebrate our ancestors… 

Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back often – I write and post every day!  And if you like what I have to say and how I say it, you’ll probably enjoy my novels as well.  They’re listed below, and you can read more about them on my website, http://www.randolphmase.com.  In the near future, I’ll have excerpts of my books that you can read, accessible on my site.  Please check it out!   

And to view updated blogs in real-time, go to http://alphainventions.com or http://blogiche.com – they’re both great sites! 

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://twitter.com/randolphmase 

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death in The Cloisters (under construction)

Nathan Hale

It’s Time to Enjoy New York Taste!

       Tomorrow night, stop by Skylight on Hudson Street for New York Taste, where you can “join New York culinary editor Gillian Duffy and more than 40 of the city’s finest restaurants for the 11th annual New York Taste, an evening to benefit City Harvest.”  You’ll get to sample the offerings of chefs from many restaurants in the City, including:

• Beacon Restaurant and Bar
• Clover Club
• Fatty Crab
• Le Cirque
• Porter House
• SD26

       You’ll need to buy tickets in advance; they’re not exactly cheap ($175, or $250 for a VIP ticket), but the proceeds go to a good cause in City Harvest, “dedicated to feeding the city’s hungry men, women, and children.”  More info and tickets are at http://nymag.com/taste.

Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back often – I write and post every day!  And if you like what I have to say and how I say it, you’ll probably enjoy my novels as well.  They’re listed below, and you can read more about them on my website, http://www.randolphmase.com.  In the near future, I’ll have excerpts of my books that you can read, accessible through my site.  I hope you check it out!   

And to view updated blogs in real-time, go to http://alphainventions.com or http://blogiche.com – they’re both great sites! 

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://twitter.com/randolphmase 

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death in The Cloisters (under construction)

Nathan Hale

Thanks to Alphainventions, and Special Thanks to My Readers

       Many of you are probably avid blog readers, and I know how difficult it is at times to locate a blog that will interest you.  A guy named Cheru Jackson has created Alphainventions.com, a site designed to provide real-time views of recently updated blogs, and direct traffic to those blogs.  It cycles through views of the blogs every 15 seconds or so, but you can pause it.  And you can also click on the blog’s name to visit it.  It’s a great timesaver, and a great way to keep up with updated blogs.  To those of you who have visited through a referral from Alphainventions.com, welcome, and I hope you continue to visit! 

       Most of all, I extend my thanks to you, my readers, for continuing to return to my blog, for which I’ve recorded more than 700,000 views in the past six months, and I’ve a single day with almost 14,000 views!  And thanks very much for coming back!        

Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back often – I write and post every day!  And if you like what I have to say and how I say it, you’ll probably enjoy my novels as well.  They’re listed below, and you can read more about them on my website, http://www.randolphmase.com.  In the near future, I’ll have excerpts of my books that you can read, accessible on my site.  I hope you check it out!   

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://twitter.com/randolphmase 

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death in The Cloisters (under construction)

Nathan Hale

Happy Halloween!

At this time every year, many of us have acquired our stash of candy and anxiously await the arrival of all those children seeking treats.  I don’t know about you, but I never gave much more thought to Halloween, until I watched a program on The History Channel about the history of this day.  And that prompted me to do some research about Halloween and its traditions.  For example, in the 8^th Century, Pope Gregory III declared November 1 as All Hallows (Saints) Day, and the evening before became known as All Hallows Evening, later shortened to Halloween (actually Hallowe’en).  And I also learned the history of some of the other traditions associated with the holiday:

Trick or Treating.  The Celts left food and sweets around for the evil spirits to take and leave.  Years later, in medieval times, poor people would go from door to door, begging for food in return for offering prayers for the dead on All Souls Day, November 2.

The Jack-o’-Lantern.  Years ago, many Irish and Scottish people would carve a face into a turnip and place a lighted candle inside to honor the dead on All Souls Day.  There is also the legend of Irishman Stingy Jack who tricked the devil into climbing a tree.  To avenge this, the devil placed a curse on Jack – he was forced to wander the earth with the only light he had: a candle inside of a hollowed turnip.  Thus the name.

       The Wearing of Costumes.  The Celts also believed that at summer’s end (the same time as Halloween), spirits passed by.  Of course, the spirits of ancestors were invited into the home, while evil spirits needed to be warded off.  To do this, the Celts wore costumes and masks to disguise themselves as evil spirits, thus escaping harm.  And of course, today, we see the full range, from the simple to the elaborate and bizarre. 

       So enjoy the day, but remember the traditions… 

Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back often – I write and post every day!  And if you like what I have to say and how I say it, you’ll probably enjoy my novels as well.  They’re listed below, and you can read more about them on my website, http://www.randolphmase.com.  In the near future, I’ll have excerpts of my books that you can read, accessible on my site.  I hope you check it out!   

And to view updated blogs in real-time, go to http://alphainventions.com or http://blogiche.com – they’re both great sites! 

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://twitter.com/randolphmase 

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death in The Cloisters (under construction)

Nathan Hale

Your Last Chance for the Disney Train!

       In May I wrote about a train that Disney was sending across the country to promote its new 3-D movie A Christmas Carol, opening in theaters next Friday.  The six-car passenger train contains a digital portrait gallery where visitors (admission is free) can view the design and development of characters in the movie.  It also includes artifacts from the Charles Dickens Museum in London, a demonstration of technology, interactive games, and a 3-D theater tent where you can get a sneak peak of some scenes from the movie.  The promotional tour began in Los Angeles on May 22 and visited 40 cities across the country, and ends this weekend in New York’s Grand Central Terminal.  Prepare for the holidays early!  Get more information and view a photo gallery at http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/christmascaroltraintour/.

Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back often – I write and post every day!  And if you like what I have to say and how I say it, you’ll probably enjoy my novels as well.  They’re listed below, and you can read more about them on my website, http://www.randolphmase.com.  In the near future, I’ll have excerpts of my books that you can read, accessible on my site.  Please check it out!   

And to view updated blogs in real-time, go to http://alphainventions.com or http://blogiche.com – they’re both great sites! 

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://twitter.com/randolphmase 

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death in The Cloisters (under construction)

Nathan Hale