Centuries ago, minstrels roamed the countryside with lutes and mandolins, trilling ballads of romance, chivalry and the glories of ages past. Today the music of the masses has a little less hindsight.

I've noticed lately that a very old trend persists against all odds: men hold doors for women, and then these same men refrain from extending such kindness to other men who lag only a step or two ...

Leopold, the third Duke of Albany, the title character in the movie "Kate and Leopold," is a model of silken savoir faire. As played by Hugh Jackman, he is courtly but also refreshingly square. Thrust ...