Products Archive

Father’s Day 2020 - I don’t want a single thing. Not in a country that had one child in six going hungry last year and has one in four kids inadequately fed this year.

Father’s Day 2021: A few good things - Last year I said I didn't want a single thing. Not in a country that has one child in six going hungry and has one in four kids inadequately fed.

Father’s Day 2022: The older he gets, the more it matters - My daughter is 20 now. Hard to believe --- and probably hard to believe for longtime readers, who remember her as “the small person” and “the child.” What is not

Father’s Day 2023: Cheap and Cheerful - SUPPORTING BUTLER: You can become a patron of this site, and automatically donate any amount you please — starting with $1 — each month. The service that enables this is

Father’s Day, 2013 - Oh Dad, poor Dad, women are leaning in and you look so bad. It’s true. Book after book tells us women are shut out from the C-suites (and they are)

Father’s Day, 2015 - I used to write for a home decorating magazine --- the term of art is “shelter magazine” --- that went kit-crazy. Everything had to be some kind of ingredient for

Father’s Day 2014 - I loved last year’s gift from the young person --- a card with a pen glued to it and a note: “This is the pen I used to write this

Father’s Day 2016: Just because Dad is male doesn’t automatically mean he’s a jerk - If you judge by the headlines, 2016 hasn’t been a good year for men. Start with the Presidential candidates. Move on to the cowboys who believe that the government

Father’s Day, 2012 - In an episode of “The West Wing,” one of the president’s men is having a drink at a bar in the Midwest. He strikes up a conversation with a man

Fennel Pollen - Children go hungry and I’m suggesting you buy an ounce of fennel pollen? Guilty.   Let’s be honest. It’s not like many of us are going to be deciding between 1.3 ounces of

Filson Duffle Bags - A friend invited me to a Yankees game. “I know it’s warm today, but it will be 20 degrees cooler at the Stadium tonight.” She’s had season tickets for 20

Filson Tin Cloth Creek Jacket for Women - I was walking up Madison Avenue one winter evening when I ran into Ralph Lauren. "Filson,” he said. He was referring to my coat. Not the greatest of guesses, for there is

Finger Pulse Oximeter - NOTE FROM A READER #1: When I read your piece on the pulse oximeter early last year, I purchased one right away and used it daily. Many many months

Flip Video Camera - "That was stupid.” Out of the mouths of babes --- “That was stupid” was the reaction of the nine-year-old when I told her that Cisco had decided to stop making Flip

Flying Wish Paper - Prayer sounds serious. Wishing seems fun. In an election, wishing would win. So let’s abstain --- briefly --- from seriousness and vote for lighthearted fun. Julia Lambie was aiming for fun

Forehead Thermometer - I no longer saunter in to restaurants, doctor’s offices, or any other COVID-aware establishment. At the entrance, I get my temperature checked. The device: a forehead thermometer. It’s not a bad idea

French Notebooks - From the New York Times: "A growing body of evidence shows that over all, college students learn less when they use computers or tablets during lectures. They also tend to

Gifts for Difficult Recipients -   GIFTS FOR DIFFICULT RECIPIENTS It's not that these folks are hard to please. It's that they don't fit easily into a neat demographic. (In fact, nobody does. But many people have been

Gifts for Executives -  

Gifts for Grads 2007 - It's that time again. This year's models are sleek and smart and accomplished and, just possibly, deep in debt and scared out of their minds. Yes,