I love my hometown. There are 36 parks across the five boroughs with areas designated for barbecuing, many of them with grills available for public use. Churches, block associations and other community groups often haul stoves onto sidewalks or streets on summer days, while friends and families camp out on apartment rooftops, in brownstone backyards, even on fire escapes. Whether they are grilling tempeh or T-bones, chances are it’s not just about the food. Happy Memorial Day Weekend!  (more…)

In a sign that perhaps the recession’s hold on the consumer’s psyche is finally loosening, a key measure of consumer confidence climbed for a third straight month in May, a research group said Tuesday, with the outlook for the next few months spiking to pre-recession levels. One can only hope…  (more…)

The demography of motherhood in the United States has shifted strikingly in the past two decades. Compared with mothers of newborns in 1990, today’s mothers of newborns are older and better educated. They are less likely to be white and less likely to be married.  (more…)