In the words of one of my favorite aphorisms, ''if all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.'' My hammer at the moment is generational theory, Strauss and Howe's view of the procession and relations between different cohorts in American history. Once you put on those goggles, everything from politics to pop culture snaps into a ...

My wife and I have belatedly discovered the fantastic new series Mad Men, currently re-running its first season on AMC or available on iTunes. Created by Matthew (“The Sopranos”) Weiner, it’s a dark comedy/drama set in a Madison Avenue ad agency in 1960. It’s not only a terrific character-based story; the period detail is incredible. We had fun ...