How to Unhook from Addiction

A new year means new resolutions—here’s how to stick to them

By Lorraine Duffy Merkl

Welcome to your first week of change.

Five days ago, you most likely made a resolution involving one of the big three. With any luck, your agreement with yourself to exercise more, weigh less (always No. 1 on my hit parade) or stop smoking and/or imbibing will last out the week. Read more

Not Keeping Up with the Kardashians

How Justin Bieber saved me from Kim

By Lorraine Duffy Merkl

Just when I thought I’d be turning in a column about the nadir of entertainment, Kourtney & Kim Take Manhattan (10 p.m., Sundays on E!), I channel surfed my way to finding “the Biebs” rockin’ out on NBC with Rockefeller Center as his stage. Read more

‘Cheating’ on my Retail Therapist

After a saleswoman harassed me, I decided to shop online

By Lorraine Duffy Merkl

My next purchase is a mouse click away.

As much as I like to support New York City businesses and their salespeople who rely on commissions—especially now, when everything is on sale—I don’t think I should be made to feel uncomfortable, guilty or awkward while spending my money. I realize that Manhattan is a competitive place even in a good economy, but when two sales associates almost threw down in my (formerly) favorite Madison Avenue store, I decided to rethink my mode of buying.
Read more

The Jury’s Still Out

Dante’s Purgatory and court duty have a lot in common

By Lorraine Duffy Merkl

I was being sent to prison.

At least that’s how it felt when the summons for jury duty showed up in my mailbox.
Read more

Just the Facts Ma’am

Don’t criminals learn anything from cop shows?

By Lorraine Duffy Merkl

We should call them New York’s “Findest.”
Read more

Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Married

Single or married, let’s respect each other’s decisions

By Lorraine Duffy Merkl

The minute Governor Cuomo signed a law legalizing same-sex marriage, I began hearing how wedding planners, catering halls, florists, DJs—as well as divorce lawyers—started licking their chops at the new crop of potential clients.
Read more

View From a Bridge

The DDC is helping preserve New York’s architectural gems

By Lorraine Duffy Merkl

I spent a recent morning walking over the Brooklyn Bridge and back. It’s not really that big a deal, people do it every day. But what made it significant for me is that I’ve never done it before, even though I’ve lived here all my life.
Read more

Putting ‘Sweet’ in Sweet 16

Teen turns down ostentatious b-day for charitable fundraiser

By Lorraine Duffy Merkl

The Vera Wang gown. The celebrity DJ. The 10-layer buttercream cake shaped like a skate to carry out the ’70s “Stayin’ Alive” roller disco theme.
Read more

No Clichés at High School Reunion

Jealousies and feuds of teen years forgotten at get-together

By Lorraine Duffy Merkl

If asked which I would rather relive, high school or college, I would not have to think twice.

Even though I was hardly the dateless geek of John Hughes-movie lore, I still considered those four years my unjust incarceration between the simplicity of grammar school and the freedoms of higher education.
Read more

Through the Bridal Shower Looking Glass

How I decided that I wouldn’t live a “parallel” life

By Lorraine Duffy Merkl

“I feel like her life is going off and getting perfect, and mine’s just like… PLURRRRRRF,” says Kristen Wiig’s character in the new movie Bridesmaids.

It’s as though the screenwriters had been eavesdropping on the conversations of many a New York woman still looking for love. I know it sounds a lot like I did decades ago when I found out my cousin Donna was getting married.
Read more

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