Do You Want Coffee With That Cronut?

In case you haven’t heard, the latest food craze to hit New York is the cronut, a cross between a croissant and a doughnut.  The Dominique Ansel Bakery on Spring Street in Soho started selling the hybrid pastry a few weeks ago.  It’s become so popular that it’s not unusual to see a line of a hundred would-be customers outside the bakery a couple of hours before it opens.  They make only 250 cronuts (which take 3 days to make and retail for $5) each day, and each customer is limited to 6 cronuts per day.  So if you really want to try one, get on line early!

But there are alternatives.  In the true entrepreneurial American spirit, rival bakeries are coming up with their own, one calling it a doissant…

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 improved website, designed and built by my son Don, http://www.randolphmase.com.  On my site, you’ll also find excerpts of my books that you can read – please check it out!

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

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://www.facebook.com/randolphmase

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

Celebrating Flag Day!

I would guess that unfortunately many of us do not know that today is Flag Day here in the United States.  Established by Congress in 1949, it commemorates the adoption of our national flag by the Second Continental Congress on this date in 1777.  And it’s an opportunity to show our patriotism – if you have an American flag and the weather permits, please display it for all to see.  And if you don’t have a flag, please conseder buying one.

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 improved website, designed and built by my son Don, http://www.randolphmase.com.  On my site, you’ll also find excerpts of my books that you can read – please check it out!  

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

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://www.facebook.com/randolphmase

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

Great NYC Views: Governors Island

The fourth New York City view recommended in a recent list of six great views in New York City in a Hudson Valley newspaper is Governors Island, a former military base situated south of Manhattan in New York Harbor.

Tour Fort Jay or Castle Williams, stroll along the beach, enjoy summer weekend concerts, simply lounge in Hammock Grove (yes, hammocks are provided!), and enjoy the great view of Manhattan.

For more information go to www.govisland.com.  Up next – Central Park…

And a very happy birthday to my wife Kathy!

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 improved website, designed and built by my son Don, http://www.randolphmase.com.  On my site, you’ll also find excerpts of my books that you can read – please check it out!

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

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://www.facebook.com/randolphmase

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

Great NYC Views: The High Line

The third New York City view recommended in a recent list of six great views in New York City in a Hudson Valley newspaper is the High Line, situated on the site of an old freight line in Manhattan.  Opened in 2009, the elevated park runs above Tenth Avenue for about a mile, between 14^th and 30^th Streets.

Because it’s so popular, try to arrive before 9:30 am to beat the crowds; you should find ample street parking near the 14^th Street staircase.  While there’s lots to see, check out the Sunken Overlook near 17^th Street and the Gansevoort Overlook at the southern point of the park for some great views.  Free guided walking tours are also offered, and if you get hungry there are food vendors between 12^th and 18^th Streets.

For more information go to www.thehighline.org.   Up next – Governors Island…

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 improved website, designed and built by my son Don, http://www.randolphmase.com.  On my site, you’ll also find excerpts of my books that you can read – please check it out!

And to view updated blogs in real-time, go to http://alphainventions.com or http://kadency.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

 

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.  A recent edition includes a lesson in hot dogs, a creative technique for getting customer service, and a game of spy on 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://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/category/metropolitan-diary/.

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 improved website, designed and built by my son Don, http://www.randolphmase.com.  On my site, you’ll also find excerpts of my books that you can read – please check it out! 

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

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://www.facebook.com/randolphmase

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

Great NYC Views: The Brooklyn Bridge

The second New York City view recommended in a recent list of six great views in New York City in a Hudson Valley newspaper is the Brooklyn Bridge, called the “Eighth Wonder of the world” when it opened in 1883, and was the longest suspension bridge in the world for the next 20 years.

Enjoy a morning walk of a mile to Brooklyn on the bridge, then have some food under the bridge at Grimaldi’s or the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, followed by a visit to Brooklyn Bridge Park.

For more information go to www.brooklynbridgepark.org.   Up next – the High Line…

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 improved website, designed and built by my son Don, http://www.randolphmase.com.  On my site, you’ll also find excerpts of my books that you can read – please check it out!

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

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://www.facebook.com/randolphmase

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

Great NYC Views: Wave Hill

A Hudson Valley newspaper recently printed a list of six great views in New York City.  The first view they recommend is Wave Hill in the Bronx, a 28 acre cultural center and garden overlooking the Hudson River.

Sights to see, in addition to the magnificent view of the river, are the Wave Hill House (once rented by Theodore Roosevelt’s family, Mark Twain, and Arturo Toscanini), the Abrons Woodlands Trail, the Aquatic Garden, the greenhouses, and the Wild Garden Gazebo.  Also, activities and demonstrations are scheduled throughout the year.

For more information visit their website at www.wavehill.org.   Up next – the Brooklyn Bridge…

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 improved website, designed and built by my son Don, http://www.randolphmase.com.  On my site, you’ll also find excerpts of my books that you can read – please check it out!  

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

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://www.facebook.com/randolphmase

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 Memorial Day – A Time to Remember Our Veterans

Most of us think of Memorial Day as another Monday holiday, another day off from work, and baseball, hot dogs, and apple pie.  But the real purpose, as the name implies, is in memory of our men and women who died while in the military service.

I had an experience that reinforced this purpose for me.  A few years ago I attended the burial of a classmate from West Point who died of brain cancer after serving 30 years in the Army.  Although I had visited Arlington National Cemetery before, I had never attended a funeral service and burial there.  It was a somber but rewarding experience.

It started with a memorial service in the Old Post Chapel on Fort Myer adjacent to the cemetery, with probably more than 300 people in attendance, including many of our classmates.

Following that, we walked to the gravesite; as it turns out, it was about a mile.  The clear sky, moderate temperature, and soft breeze made it more bearable (although the uphill return walk was a challenge).  What made the entire event more memorable were two things:  the casket was transported on a horse-drawn wagon, and at the gravesite, 12 white doves were released into the air, flying in unison for several minutes.

So even though I’d prefer not to have to attend another similar funeral, it did make me pause to remember those who have given their lives for their country.  Colonel Jeff Jones, rest in peace…

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 improved website, designed and built by my son Don, http://www.randolphmase.com.  On my site, you’ll also find excerpts of my books that you can read – please check it out!

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

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://www.facebook.com/randolphmase

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

Answer to Another Question from Jeopardy!

Here’s the question to the final answer on Jeopardy! that I posted last week:

The last song in this musical is “Tomorrow is a Latter Day.” – What is “The Book of Mormon?” [a reference to the Church of the Latter Day Saints.]

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 improved website, designed and built by my son Don, http://www.randolphmase.com.  On my site, you’ll also find excerpts of my books that you can read – please check it out!

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

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://www.facebook.com/randolphmase

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 Kadency, 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://kadency.com (this used to be Blogiche), 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://kadency.com (I’ve had more than 7,000 referrals in a single 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 more than three million views in the past three years, and I’ve had a single day with more than 20,000 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 improved website, designed and built by my son Don, http://www.randolphmase.com.  On my site, you’ll also find excerpts of my books that you can read – please check it out!

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

http://www.randolphmase.com

http://www.facebook.com/randolphmase

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