Hollywood’s Best, Part 2

       Here are the next 13 in Bill Goodykoontz’s list of the “50 stars who shine brightest in Hollywood’s universe:”       

13.      Henry Fonda – a level-headed, decent sort

14.      Clark Gable – for It Happened One Night over Gone with the Wind [but you’ve gotta love his classic line at the end]

15.      James Dean – three movies, two Oscar nominations.  A tragic death [in my opinion, he was overrated]

16.      Robert De Niro – no one was better in his day [and for all he’s done to restore vitality to Tribeca after the World Trade Center attacks]

17.      Gary Cooper – High Noon is enough

18.      Buster Keaton – for works of comedy genius

19.      Grace Kelly – The Country Girl and Rear Window in the same year

20.      Robert Redford – the thinking woman’s sex symbol [and The Sting and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid with Newman]

21.      Sidney Poitier – with three classic films in 1967 [but I like Shoot To Kill the best]

22.      Julia Roberts – an Oscar for Erin Brockovich

23.      Elizabeth Taylor – the biggest star of her day; just watch Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? or Butterfield 8

24.      Dustin Hoffman – the consummate character actor, starting with The Graduate

25.      John Wayne – a larger-than-life movie cowboy

       Stay tuned…more to come…

       Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back often – I write and post twice a 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, http://blogiche.com, or http://condron.us/ – they’re all 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

The Continuing Saga of the MTA

       I’ve written several times (as have other people and newspapers and bloggers) about the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.  Remember the $2 billion budget shortfall, the $7 billion operating loss in 2008, the 10% fare increases, and the payroll tax imposed on employers, prompting several counties to say they would secede from MTA, and the Doomsday Budget?  Well, they’re back.  For the first five months of this year, MTA ridership is down almost 3 per cent from the same period last year.  That equates to a drop of about $10 million in revenue from the first five months of 2008.  That’s pretty scary, when you think about it.  So what’s next?  Doomsday 2?  Maybe.  Or maybe they should have made the recent fare increases retroactive to January 1, and then spend millions of dollars trying to collect it… 

Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back often – I write and post twice a 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, http://blogiche.com, or http://condron.us/ – they’re all 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

Hollywood’s Best, Part 1

       The Chief Film Critic for Gannett newspapers Bill Goodykoontz recently published his list of the “50 stars who shine brightest in Hollywood’s universe,” his list intended to start discussions about it.  Here are the first dozen on his list, along with a one-liner explanation for each [and some of my own comments]; I’ll post the others later:       

1. Jack Nicholson – nominated for 12 Oscars, and winning 3 [yes, but can you name them?]
2. Cary Grant – beginning of the suave male lead, paving the way for many others such as George Clooney [my personal favorite is North By Northwest]
3. Charlie Chaplin – he made the motion picture industry possible
4. Marilyn Monroe – her street pose in The Seven Year Itch is a classic
5. Marlon Brando – from A Streetcar Named Desire to The Godfather
6. Katharine Hepburn – her classy career spanned more than 60 years [and she spells her name the same as my wife]
7. Paul Newman – regardless of the role, this was the guy we wanted to be like
8. Humphrey Bogart – his characters of Sam Spade, Rick Blaine, Philip Marlowe, and Charlie Allnut established him as a legend
9. Meryl Streep – possibly the greatest living actor
10. Jimmy Stewart – great in thrillers, comedies, Westerns, and dramas [and my favorite, It’s A Wonderful Life]
11. Tom Hanks – America’s sweetheart, and 2 Oscars
12. Bette Davis – her films Jezebel, All About Eve, and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? kicked butt

       So start thinking and discussing…

       Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back often – I write and post twice a 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, http://blogiche.com, or http://condron.us/ – they’re all 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

South Beach Miami? No, Staten Island!

       Most of us have heard of the South Beach in Miami.  But just as many of us have no idea that we have our own South Beach right here in New York City, on Staten Island.  It’s actually on the eastern shore of Staten Island, near the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, adjacent to the Gateway National Recreation Area (I wrote about that in a post back in February), has only about 8,000 residents and no Starbucks…the closest one is in Brooklyn!  South Beach was the first permanent settlement on Staten Island, and today is primarily a recreational area, with a limited number of retail shops.  The biggest draw is the beach, with its almost-two-mile long Franklin D. Roosevelt Boardwalk and its dining spots such as South Fin Grill and Ben & Jerry’s, as well as the nearby Basilio Inn Restaurant, which claims to be the oldest restaurant on Staten Island, opening in 1921.  At the south end of the boardwalk is Freedom Circle, which pays tribute to the men and women who have fought to defend our freedom.  All in all, South Beach looks like a great place to spend a summer day, and it’s a lot closer than Miami.  You can read more about this hidden jewel at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/26/realestate/26living.html?em.

Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back often – I write and post twice a 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, http://blogiche.com, or http://condron.us/ – they’re all 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 1,000 referrals in the past couple of days), 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 half a million view 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 twice a 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 missing husband, chivalry on a bus, and Bloomingdale’s to the rescue.  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/2009/07/27/nyregion/27diary.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=metropolitan%20diary&st=cse. 

Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back often – I write and post twice a 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, http://blogiche.com, or http://condron.us/ – they’re all 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

Those Sides Can Get You Also!

       The same issue of Men’s Health magazine that rated burgers (from their book titled Eat That, Not That! The Best (&Worst!) Foods in America) includes good and bad side dishes, some of which are surprising.  The bad ones (I call it the Hall of Shame) includes:         

• Worst Mozzarella Sticks  – Arby’s large Mozzarella Sticks (637 calories, 42 grams of fat, 2047 milligrams of sodium)
• Worst Baked Potato – Ruby Tuesday’s Loaded Baked Potato (668, 31, sodium not mentioned)
• Worst Side Salad – Uno Chicago Grill Spinach, Chicken, and Gorgonzola Salad (720, 44, 1320) – and we thought salads were good for us…
• Worst Soup– P.F. Chang’s bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup (758, 24, 4135)
• Worst Side Dish in America – Five Guys Burgers and Fries Large French Fries – but they’re sooooo good! (1464,71, 213)

       But they also help us out with The Side Dish Hall of Fame:

• Best Side Salad – Au Bon Pain Tuna Garden Salad (240, 12, 480)
• Best Vegetable Side – Boston Market Garden Spinach (130, 9, 200)
• Best Beans Side – Red Robin Chipotle Beans (150, 0, 675)
• Best Soup Side – Subway Rosemary Chicken and Dumpling Soup (90, 1.5, 810)
• Best Potato Side – Red Lobster Baked Potato with butter and sour cream (310, 13.5, 990)

       I’ll write more later about some of the other Halls of Shame and Fame. 

Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back often – I write and post twice a 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, http://blogiche.com, or http://condron.us/ – they’re all 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

“Popeye Slept Here and Now Olive Oyl Can, Too”

       The headline caught my attention also, in The New York Times.  The subject is the Jane Hotel on Jane Street in the West Village.  The red brick building was built in 1908 as a lodging house for sailors, and was opened by the American Seaman’s Friend Society, charging 25 cents a night for seamen, and double that for all others.  More than a hundred survivors of the Titanic stayed there in 1912; but in the following decades the building was largely ignored, to the point when it became a haven for the down and out, including drug addicts.  Thanks to a recent renovation, the Jane Hotel now features a uniquely furnished bar, rooms that look like yacht cabins, and a mix of old tenants and new banker-type tenants.  See the full description and photos at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/19/realestate/19scape.html?_r=1&em.  

Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back often – I write and post twice a 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, http://blogiche.com, or http://condron.us/ – they’re all 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 Condron.us, 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 Ryan Condron has created Condron.us, 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 5 seconds or so, but you can adjust the time and 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 Condron.us, 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 half 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 twice a 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 Flower District

     You may know that there are many districts and neighborhoods in New York City, each with its own individual culture and people. 

      You probably don’t know that there is a Flower District in the heart of Manhattan!  It’s on 28^th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, and The New York Times recently ran a suggested itinerary for a morning in the Flower District:

• 8:00 am – have one of the eight types of coffee at Guy & Gallard, then visit nearby Caribbean Cuts
• 9:00 am – enjoy the palm and bamboo trees from Plants and Foliage that line the sidewalk (as shown above from The New York Times)
• 9:30 am – enjoy the artificial plants at the Center of Floral Design or the real ones at International Garden
• Noon – for lunch, enjoy a sandwich at Johny’s Luncheonette or a pizza at Waldy’s Wood Fired Pizza & Penne
• 1:00 – for a different bookstore experience, go to Revolution Books and browse their politically-oriented gifts.

      Tip:  Get there early (the article jokingly suggests 5 am) to get the best picks when many of the shops open.  Read more at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/28/nyregion/28stop.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=lush%20passage&st=cse.   

Feel free to leave a comment, and please come back often – I write and post twice a 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, http://blogiche.com, or http://condron.us/ – they’re all 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