This week marked the passing of Kitty Carlisle Hart who was known, among other things, for the role of Rosa Castaldi in one of the greatest movies of all time, A Night at the Opera.  With this, one of the last living contemporary links to the Marx Brothers is gone.

There are many things to say on the subject, but Lawrence Downes put it best in today's New York Times: Ciao, Rosa Castaldi.

Think about it.

OK fellas, listen up:  The fully shaved head look is over.*  Over! 

I cannot tell you how tired I am of my work meetings looking like a Moby impersonators' convention.

This is not just my opinion, by the way.  I've confirmed it with my official style arbiter, Rodger of 7.

Please do something else with the top of your head.  Anything else, in fact, except a mullet or a comb-over.

* - Five extra demerits for pairing it with a goatee.

Here's the premise:  Take a moderately bright, moderately geeky, entrepreneurial type and give him a billion dollars.  That's right, a billion dollars.  To do whatever he wants with it.

Here's the result.

Not always right, but rarely dull.

Whenever I hear people complain about winter weather and pine for southern California, I'm reminded of this famous Neil Simon quote:

"When it's 32 degrees in New York, it's 78 in Los Angeles. When it's 102 degrees in New York, it's 78 in Los Angeles. There are about two million interesting people in New York -- and 78 in Los Angeles."

I was reading a New York Times Magazine this past weekend and I came across this letter:

Published: November 28, 2004, Sunday

Your questions for Richard Branson failed to mention any of his numerous failures, including cola, cellphones and soon, I predict, his excursion into the world of railroads (Deborah Solomon, Nov. 7). After years of trying, he couldn't even circle the globe in his wonderful balloon. Also, I find it hard to believe that anybody in the airline business is, in fact, a billionaire.

Since your feature appeared, Richard Branson's reality show, ''Rebel Billionaire,'' has opened to minuscule ratings, even lower than Mark Cuban's failed attempt at knocking off me and my show. In the meantime, ''The Apprentice'' continues to bring in top ratings, and I am having fun on all fronts, especially beating my copycat rivals.

Donald J. Trump
New York

You would think that an emininently successful businessman would have little time or need to retort a few minor digs from a competitor.  Or perhaps his success is a glorious facade and he must shield his fragile ego at every turn.  You be the judge.