Just analyzing (or trying to) the contention, very much in the news last week, that helicopter parenting leads to husbands cheating on their wives. Best Wishes, Marek View Comment

Yes, I think a lot of communities will take a look at their ordinances, though it is an admittedly small contingent agitating for bees. Best, Marek View Comment

Come on--I'm hardly one to jump to the defense of politicians, but from Bush to Obama, presidents are always taking manufactured flak for taking vacations or playing golf. Fact is, they are working whether they are at Camp David or Washington. Whatever you think about these guys politically, their schedules--especially when they are running for reelection--are pretty packed. There are a fair number of demands on their time. Yet Obama coaches...and if Bush's daughters played sports, I bet he would have carved out the time too, which is more than you can say for a lot of the rest of us. Best Wishes, Marek View Comment

Yes, by and large, country music traffics in tamer themes than, say, rap or hard rock...though the cheap sentiment and nostalgia almost cancels that out. I, for example, can deal without hearing Justin Moore lament that he can't drive his pick-up to heaven to grab his bird-dog Bo for one last hunting trip. That's so cloying it makes my teeth ache. But how about the good side of country lyrics, but written about the suburban land we inhabit here in the North East? Maybe it's a matter of being careful what I wish for, but I'd love to hear some.... View Comment

Looking at the number of police officers and budgets of nearly all local police forces in well-to-do areas of Westchester and Connecticut and--well, we might simply have to agree to disagree that we need even more. Besides, could more cops prevent a targeted invasion? Unless the newly hired have telepathic abilities, I doubt it. All I was saying was that in light of a bit of danger and misfortune, it's somewhat refreshing to see a politician not react by telling us he must save us all from certain doom. And though this column appears in Daily Hastings, it also appears across Westchester and Connecticut. Best Wishes, Marek View Comment

This might have been the first time I've ever written anything positive about anything a politician has ever said. Oh well, I guess no good deed goes unpunished. In all seriousness, most well-to-do Westchester and Connecticut communities have remarkably well-staffed police forces. Adding even more is not financially viable. Plus, posting one on, say, every corner probably isn't the life we want to live and guess what? There'd still be the occasional break-in. Moreover, I was only intrigued with a single line this mayor uttered, because it ran so counter to the conventional rhetoric we hear from our political creatures. This was not a review of his entire tenure, which probably wouldn't be of interest to any outside of his village, even if, as you say, he has failed to keep it safe from calamity and ticks. Best, Marek View Comment

I like the idea of a detention hall for offending moms and dads. Take that, lout. Best, Marek View Comment

Hey Westportdad: Well, turning the brightness down might help it the blue glow department, but still seems to little to solve the larger spirit of problem, don't you think? Best, Marek View Comment

Well, video might have killed the radio star...but brick and mortar malls aren't dead just yet. That said, early indications seem to be that this one will have to find a way to boost weekday traffic or go beyond gangbusters on the weekends. Best, Marek View Comment

Thanks for your note, even if we might disagree a bit. I don't see my role as that of automatic cheerleader for any business--or politician, for that matter. Other countries do it that way and--well, it doesn't seem to turn out so well. I'm just noting what I see initially and what I see is this: those weekday crowds are noticeably light. Does that condemn the mall to the ash bin of history? No, but that's not what I said. What I said was that nothing with this mall has been easy and, at least initially (and perhaps not surprisingly) they might have a slight challenge on their hands. Best Wishes, Marek View Comment

You speak the truth, TheAcsMan, and wisely. Plus, you had me at "privatized remnants." Best Wishes, Marek View Comment

Uh, exactly what I was thinking. Let me see what I can do about that, Marek View Comment

As a man who has a face for radio, I don't want to touch that one. But it's very funny. Best Wishes and Thanks, Marek View Comment

1-95 a parking lot with tickets for loiterers. That is, in a word, totally brilliant. OK, OK, I know--that's two words. But you get the point. Thanks for starting my New Year off with a laugh. Best, Marek View Comment

Liz: I'll check out your blog right now. The proud call of the hens...I love it, that's a great phrase. That's just what it was even if it was misinterpreted by an afternoon napper as a massacre. Best, Marek View Comment

I'm in my second decade here and about as involved as anyone, but thanks. All I'm saying is that the practice of mayors guilting and browbeating residents into shopping local helps no one. They should instead be concentrating on something beyond hollow (perhaps counterproductive) gestures. They should do thing like 1) try to attract corporations that throw off tax money and provide daytime shoppers or 2) find a way to lift metering/heavy ticketing, which destroys local shops. They all but admit this by turning the meters off during the shopping season. Mayors should not, in the limited time their part-time status provides, be producing long-lists of local shops or letting a big chain in then writing residents a letter saying it was their fault for not frequenting the old places enough. Best, Marek View Comment

Thanks for your thoughts, even if we might disagree a touch. I didn't say that local stores were charity cases--only that they were being treated as such. And that probably does as much bad as good. As for cheerleading officials--well, most of our mayors are part-timers, with a lot of full-fledged fiscal trouble on their hands. Should they really be frittering away time writing crib sheets listing local stores like my mayor and a bunch of others? I'm not so certain. Best Wishes, Marek View Comment

Well, I wasn't quite saying not to shop local. I'm just not certain that this blind obligation, foisted upon us by local mayors, does anyone any good. It doesn't recognize the reality of the citizens, especially in a crummy economy, who often have to go for the lower price. And might lull local retailers into a false sense of security. Instead of sprucing up their stores, they think they can rely on the obligation of the buy-local guilt trip. You can definitely point out some great stores in Westchester and Connecticut. I frequent a few of them myself. But too many are tried and frayed. Thinking they'll be held aloft because we feel sorry for them ain't doing anyone--from retailer to citizen to that mayor flapping his gums to no real end--any good. Best Wishes, Marek View Comment

Well, I wasn't quite saying not to shop local. I'm just not certain that this blind obligation, foisted upon us by local mayors, does anyone any good. It doesn't recognize the reality of the citizens, especially in a crummy economy, who often have to go for the lower price. And might lull local retailers into a false sense of security. Instead of sprucing up their stores, they think they can rely on the obligation of the buy-local guilt trip. You can definitely point out some great stores in Westchester and Connecticut. I frequent a few of them myself. But too many are tried and frayed. Thinking they'll be held aloft because we feel sorry for them ain't doing anyone--from retailer to citizen to that mayor flapping his gums to no real end--any good. Best Wishes, Marek View Comment

Yes, with younger kids, we need to rejigger schedules to arrange care. With older kids, they are let loose on the land and it's becomes a guessing game as to where they are. Charming, those half-days. Best, Marek View Comment