Randolph Mase&#8217;s Weblog

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death at The Cloisters

Death Inside Diamond Head

Nathan Hale

More of “the 50 things we love about New York!”

June 21, 2020

Here are more things from the Duane Reade mural (see my post from Sunday), along with some of my thoughts:

21. NYPD and FDNY [especially after 9/11]

22. Open 24/7 [the only place I’ve seen as many people at midnight in Times Square is on the Las Vegas strip!]

23. The U.S.S. Intrepid [a great museum]

24. Museum Mile

25. Shakespeare in the Park

26. Saint Patrick’s Day Parade [the first one was in 1762 – actually, this one appears twice, so it must be really good!]

27. Delivery [of just about everything – except Chinese food to Elaine in Seinfeld]

28. The Bronx Zoo and Botanical Gardens

29. Herald Square and the Macy’s Parade [see my Thanksgiving post]

30. Flatiron Building [a real early post, in November 2008]

More to come…

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death at The Cloisters

Death Inside Diamond Head

Nathan Hale

Celebrating Flag Day!

June 14, 2020

I would guess that 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 consider buying one.

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death at The Cloisters

Death Inside Diamond Head (coming soon!)

Nathan Hale

Posted in Observations on the Strange and Unexpected and on Life Itself | Leave a Comment »

Death Inside Diamond Head is Here!

June 11, 2020

Good News – Death Inside Diamond Head has been published in Kindle format! And I can use your help. One of the steps in the publishing process I’ve used is to obtain verified reviews (verified only means that the person who submits the review actually bought the book). So, if you read books on Kindle, like mysteries, and appreciate a quick, easy read, please consider buying my book and leaving a review on Amazon.com. You don’t have to read the entire book (although it is short); you can leave a review based upon a chapter or two, if you prefer. To help you, I’ve cut the price to just $.99 for the next two weeks. Click here to buy my book and leave your review. Thanks for your help!

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death at The Cloisters

Death Inside Diamond Head (coming soon!)

Nathan Hale

Posted in Observations on the Strange and Unexpected and on Life Itself | Leave a Comment »

How Well Do You Know Broadway?

June 8, 2020

One of the categories on a recent Jeopardy! episode was “Broadway Musicals’ Opening Numbers.” Here are the answers; just come up with the correct question for each. I’ll give those questions in a future post:

Sung by Prince Eric & his sailors: “Fathoms Below.”
“Oh What a Beautiful Mornin.”
“Food, Glorious Food.”
“Comedy Tonight.”
Based on a French play and based mostly at a drag club: “We Are What We Are.”

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death at The Cloisters

Death Inside Diamond Head (coming soon!)

Nathan Hale

More of “the 50 things we love about New York!”

June 2, 2020

Here are more things from the Duane Reade mural, along with some of my thoughts:

11. Fashion Week [I’m not really into fashion – I’m a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy – but I do know that it happens in February and September of each year]

12. The best bagels [a lot of people say that, and I’ll add Kaiser (hard) rolls to that!]

13. The Apollo Theatre [it’s been around for more than 75 years and has hosted performances by many big name entertainers]

14. Little Italy and the Feast of San Gennaro [more than 1 million people flock to Little Italy for the feast; the 85^th annual feast will be held September 15-25 – and check out their list of recommended restaurants and cafés at http://www.sangennaro.org/rest.htm.]

15. Lighting the tree in Rock Center

16. Saint Patrick’s Day Parade [the first one was in 1762]

17. Staten Island Ferry [a fun ride with great views of New York Harbor!]18. Junior’s Cheesecake [I’m not much of a cheesecake fan, but I have had some very good meals here]

19. Street entertainers and subway musicians [they certainly are different]

20. The High Line [a great place to spend a Spring afternoon, or whenever we finally get out of the house]

More to come…

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death at The Cloisters

Death Inside Diamond Head (coming soon!)

Nathan Hale

It’s Memorial Day – A Time to Remember Those Who Sacrificed

May 25, 2020

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.

On this day, I remember three people. The first is Jonathan C. Shine, who was in my company at West Point and graduated 2 years before me. He was killed in action on October 15, 1970. He was 23. The second is Michael J. Callahan, a friend and neighbor when I was growing up in New City, New York. He was killed in action on November 8, 1967. He was 18. The third is my 6^th great grandfather Jan Van Dyke. He was killed in action at the Battle of Monmouth on December 4, 1777. He was 68. Please take time to remember those who have given their lives for our country.

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death at The Cloisters

Death Inside Diamond Head (under construction)

Nathan Hale

Posted in Observations on the Strange and Unexpected and on Life Itself | Leave a Comment »

“the 50 things we love about New York!”

May 18, 2020

I first wrote this series of five posts several years ago. It was very popular with readers, so I’m posting again for your entertainment in these homebound days.

Duane Reade is a well-known name to New Yorkers. For those of you not familiar with it, the company started with a drugstore that opened in 1960 on Broadway between Duane and Reade Streets in Manhattan. Today, they operate more than 250 stores in the greater New York area, and many think of them as “New York’s Drugstore.”

A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I visited one of their midtown stores with multiple floors. On the wall by the escalator we saw a mural called “the 50 things we love about New York!” It really caught our attention, and as I read the mural, I found myself nodding my head in agreement. You may also find the things interesting, and even useful if you plan a visit, so I’ll share them here in several posts, along with some of my thoughts:

More diversity than any city in the world [some experts believe that more than 800 languages are spoken in New York City!]
Buggy rides in the Park [we took one many years ago, and it’s a unique – but expensive – experience]
The Pizza [I’ve never found better thin crust pizza…anywhere!]
Seven pro sports teams and the US Open [I actually count 9 – Yankees, Mets, Giants, Jets, Knicks, Nets, Rangers, Islanders, and Devils – but only 7 are called “New York,” and only 6 actually play in New York City. So pick a number.]
Broadway, off-Broadway, and off-off-Broadway [We’ve been to shows in each of these categories, and have enjoyed all of them]
Radio City Music Hall and the Rockettes [I’ve seen the Christmas Spectacular several times, and even went there on a field trip in junior high school to see a movie]
Restaurant Week [it’s held in Summer and Winter, and I’ve written about it several times]
Free movies in Bryant Park [occasionally, Broadway performances are offered as well]
The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island [I haven’t been to Ellis Island recently, but the Statue of Liberty is worth the trip!]
Prospect Park

More to come…

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death at The Cloisters

Death Inside Diamond Head (under construction)

Nathan Hale

Happy Mother’s Day!

May 10, 2020

Each year, we celebrate Mother’s Day here in the United States (and Canada as well) on the second Sunday in May. But do you know the history of this holiday? Actually, it depends on the country. For example, the United Kingdom’s version called Mothering Sunday actually started in the 16^th century, and occurs on the fourth Sunday in Lent. In South Korea, they celebrate Parents’ Day each year on May 8 (did you also know that we also have a Parents’ Day here in the US, signed into law in 1994 by President Clinton and observed on the fourth Sunday of July?). The Mother’s Day as we celebrate it in the US today was officially recognized in 1914 after years of effort by activist Anna Jarvis. And it’s observed by about 70 countries around the world. Although it is highly commercialized today (lots and lots of cards and flowers and meals), the original intent was to honor our mothers, living or not. This photo is my mother, taken shortly before I was born. To all mothers out there, I hope your special day is indeed special.

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer

My Novels:

Death on Broadway

Death Beneath the Streets

Death in Central Park

Death at The Cloisters

Death Inside Diamond Head (under construction)

Nathan Hale

Posted in Observations on the Strange and Unexpected and on Life Itself | 2 Comments »

Enjoy Cinco de Mayo!

May 5, 2020

I think we’ve all heard of Cinco de Mayo, and probably associate it with Margaritas and dinner specials at Don Pablo, and that it means “5^th of May.” But you may not know the origin of the holiday (which, by the way, is apparently a minor holiday in Mexico, but celebrated widely in the U.S.), so I did some research.

The day actually commemorates the Mexican Army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. France had sent troops to Mexico over a defaulted loan, and the two armies clashed at Puebla, with the French finally retreating after the day-long battle. Although it was more of a symbolic than strategic victory for Mexico, it did bolster the resistance, resulting in France’s departure 6 years later.

Don’t give up on it this year to avoid social gatherings! Make mock Margaritas for the younglings and have a virtual happy hour with friends and family using Zoom, Facetime, or some other platform. And you won’t even have to drive home!

Randolph Mase, Fiction Writer