As Bruce Springsteen rolls into our town for another long-awaited show at Verizon Center on Sunday night, a question rises from these dusty streets: A teleprompter, Bruce? Really? Well, yes. There it was the last time Bruce played Verizon and the time before that, too. Few of the many thousands of fans arrayed in front of and to the sides of the stage could see it, but for those looking down from on high behind the stage, it was plainly visible. As the band cranked up, a small monitor tucked discreetly at the Boss’s feet flickered to life, scrolling the words to some of his songs. Read full article > >

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Bruce Springsteen uses a teleprompter in performances: Does it matter?

Priscilla L. Buckley, who became known as the den mother of modern American conservative intellectuals through her decades-long stewardship of National Review, the influential magazine founded by her brother William F. Buckley Jr., died March 25 at her family’s estate in Sharon, Conn. She was 90. Read full article > >

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Priscilla L. Buckley, steward of conservative National Review and sister of William, dies

Look to the west after sunset Sunday night and, unless clouds impede the view, you’ll see three worlds. One is the moon, a thin crescent, upturned like a smiley face. The second is Jupiter, a gas giant reduced by distance to a bright dot. It’ll be just to the left of the lunar smile, like a beauty mark. Read full article > >

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Venus, Jupiter, crescent moon meeting up this weekend

The advance copy of the new episode of “Mad Men” — the first in too many moons — arrived the other day. It was handsomely packaged, of course, and closely trailed by an e-mail plea from its meticulously controlling creator, Matthew Weiner, who asked critics not to tell you anything that happens when the show returns for a fifth season, two-hour premiere Sunday night on AMC. Read full article > >

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‘Mad Men’ returns, in living color

HONG KONG — When China’s ruling Communist Party began preparing to take back Hong Kong from Britain, it quickly found an unlikely ally: billionaire tycoons who, terrified of communism, had long supported British colonial rule. Read full article > >

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Hong Kong turns on its tycoons

HONG KONG — When China’s ruling Communist Party began preparing to take back Hong Kong from Britain, it quickly found an unlikely ally: billionaire tycoons who, terrified of communism, had long supported British colonial rule. Read full article > >

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Hong Kong turns on its tycoons

In York, Pa., he speaks of his father living at the local YMCA. In front of Toledo autoworkers, he calls himself the “son of an automobile man.” In Media, Pa., he is the “grandson of Ambrose Finnegan,” a Scranton ad man turned gas company worker. But he is also the great-grandson, on his mother’s side, of Edward F. Blewitt, a member of the Pennsylvania state Senate. On his paternal side, he is connected to Maryland through a great-great grandfather who sold produce and a grandfather whose transition from Baltimore kerosene salesman to Wilmington oil executive earned the family a temporary taste of wealth. His family was rich in Boston, comfortable in Long Island and broke in Scranton. One relative died in World War II, and another, “Old Man Sheen,” ran shipyards in Virginia. Read full article > >

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Joe Biden: Digging back into his roots to move Obama forward

Olivier Martinez has confirmed rumors that he’s engaged to Halle Berry, telling the Miami Herald, “Yes, of course it’s true.” What isn’t true, according to the French actor, is that jeweler Gurhan designed the ring, as a rep for the company claimed to People magazine . Martinez said the ring was designed by “real artist” Robert Mazlo. Read full article > >

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Olivier Martinez confirms engagement to Halle Berry

A power tie for a job interview, an educational puzzle for a teething 2-year-old, a dress for a White House gala. A decade ago, we bought these items at the mall. Today, we rent them with a smartphone. Read full article > >

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Why buy that dress, movie, car or bike when you can rent?

Few companies are as protective of their corporate name as is Google, which has been known to write frosty cease-and-desist letters to people who use “google” as a generic term. The company is proud of its unusual name, which it says was coined in 1997 by its co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin in an accidental misspelling of the mathematical term “googol.” It’s not a verb, Google says, and never was, and using it as such violates the company’s trademark. Read full article > >

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Gene Weingarten: Take this™ and google it!

The laconic protagonists of yesteryear would have found it quite strange, all the family-talk indulged in by Deborah Crombie’s married protagonists, Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid of Scotland Yard and Detective Inspector Gemma James of the Metropolitan Police. But judging by the popularity of Crombie’s series, her many fans must clamor for it. Read full article > >

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Book review: ‘No Mark Upon Her’ by Deborah Crombie

The laconic protagonists of yesteryear would have found it quite strange, all the family-talk indulged in by Deborah Crombie’s married protagonists, Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid of Scotland Yard and Detective Inspector Gemma James of the Metropolitan Police. But judging by the popularity of Crombie’s series, her many fans must clamor for it. Read full article > >

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Book review: ‘No Mark Upon Her’ by Deborah Crombie

Bob Green, a onetime radio DJ who married pop singer and Miss Oklahoma Anita Bryant, was found dead Jan. 26 at his home in Miami Beach. He was 80. Mr. Green managed his wife’s rise to stardom as an entertainer and Florida citrus spokeswoman, then followed her into anti-gay activism, which ultimately destroyed their careers — and marriage in 1980. For more than 30 years, Mr. Green lived quietly, alone and resentful. Read full article > >

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Bob Green, former DJ and ex-husband of Anita Bryant, dies at 80

It was Kate Middleton ’s year: The newly minted Duchess won the heart of both Prince William and the world, with her easy grace and shiny — so shiny! — hair. She was runner-up for Time Magazine’s Person of the year (“The Protester” won), and was recently named 2011’s best-mannered person (The worst? Kim Kardashian.) Her uterus even made our year-end list of what’s in and out , replacing her sister Pippa’s posterior as the royal body part fueling national speculation. Read full article > >

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Kate Middleton: All of her best outfits for 2011

The third of the Magazine’s four-part compilation of the best of the year’s quizzes, covering July – September 2011. PLUS a special bonus question each day.

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52 weeks 52 questions, part three