mr. ripley, i presume?

I have an undying love for New York City local news. This one's a doozy, way better than the easily-solved Linda Stein murder.
It seems a recently nabbed con artist (who had been masquerading as a Rockefeller in New York and Boston high society) may also have been responsible for the death of a pair of California newlyweds in th 1970s.
It's a sordid tale of multiple identities, kidnapping, murder, and social climbing. The story's on-the-run and assume-yet-another-alias nature reminds me, of course, of The Talented Mr. Ripley. That film found Matt Damon romping around Italy, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. Murderous jealousy, latent desire, and upper-class aspirations make for a bitter cocktail, I suppose. If you haven't seen the movie, well, what's wrong with you? It's Damon's best work, and features sly supporting turns from Jude Law (pre-Sienna Miller and with hair), Gwyneth Paltrow (good here, but, generally, the less said the better), and Cate Blanchett (she can do anything).
Click here to read the Post's requisite tabloid take on the matter.

local hero

One of the best things about living in New York, I've found, is the local news. In a city this big, crazy things happen on a daily basis. The best source for local stuff, ranging from relevant to utterly bizarre, is Gothamist.
Today, for instance, they ran a story about a swarm of bees terrorizing the Upper East Side. This, of course, is one of my greatest fears in life. Things that fly and sting you. I'd rather face a king cobra, a machete-wielding gang, or Joan Crawford any day.