I fell for Ischia well before I ever visited it in person. In the 1999 film “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” the scene where Tom, the main character, “happens” upon Marge and Dickie, the couple he is pursuing, was filmed beneath the island’s Aragonese castle on its golden beach (the Spiaggia dei Pescatori, the beach of…
Aftershocks from the coronavirus pandemic continue to rumble across the U.S. economy, and Signet Jewelers shared a surprising one this week: The company is selling fewer engagement rings this year because, it says, singles who were stuck at home during lockdowns failed to meet their would-be fiancés in 2020. “As we predicted, there were fewer…
Choosing a rug ought to be the easiest part of furnishing a room, right? Turns out, it’s harder than it looks. The rug you love may not be the right size. Or maybe it’s an antique that could be destroyed by foot traffic. Or it’s gorgeous but not that comfortable. Or maybe you just can’t…
When Rachel Karlic and her sister, Rebecca Hinsdale, were students at Western Michigan University, they sometimes played pinball with their friend Kate Porter in a 24-hour video rental store near campus. The store was called Video Hits Plus, with the Plus maybe referring to the basement attractions, which, in addition to the pinball machines, included…
Although the celebration of Juneteenth, which commemorates June 19, 1865, as the end of slavery, has gained popularity in recent years, it’s long been a deeply personal holiday acknowledged by many African American families and communities. My family was one of them. Our house was decorated with portraits of my father’s hero, the abolitionist Frederick…
When the astronauts of Apollo 11 went to the moon in July 1969, NASA was worried about their safety during the complex flight. The agency was also worried about what the spacefarers might bring back with them. For years before Apollo 11, officials had been concerned that the moon might harbor microorganisms. What if moon…
Like Oscar Isaac, I occasionally use chopsticks to eat hot Cheetos, a technique that keeps their red dust from sticking to my fingers. It’s the neatest way to keep pace with a perfectly engineered snack, designed both to satisfy the desire for its prickly heat and violent crunch, its convincing tang and mellow sweetness, and to fuel an immediate…
It has been more than 25 years since Red Bull hit the market and introduced caffeinated energy drinks to the United States. While the company claimed its beverage would “give you wings,” it never said it was actually good for people. Yet as the energy drink market continues to grow rapidly, companies both new and…
On the dating app Bumble, Sofia Rose Gross was drawn to the profile of Michael Alexander Haft, a former Marine who, like her, is Jewish. She immediately reached out for two reasons: She was thinking about serving in the military and, she said, she found him “hot.” Their first date, in December 2019, was at…
Abigail Renée Barr and Jed Ronner Feiman are intensely supportive of each other in a funny sort of way. They’re both comedy writers. “That’s our relationship,” she said. “Building jokes.” That and their mutual love for TV and pop culture. When Ms. Barr first came across his Bumble profile in July 2016, she was delighted…