Author: Will
Holiday Movie Recommendation
Our end-of-year movie podcast featured plenty of spirited argument, but one point of unanimous agreement was the excellence of “The Hurt Locker,” which manages to do justice to the Iraq War without lapsing into...
No Condescending Voyeurism Here!
Seriously, read The New York Times on Jersey Shore. Do you think the paper’s audience is on the verge of imitating the show’s participants? Or are they tuning in for cheap mockery?
Podcast: Holiday Movie Edition
Blogging is going to be pretty slow around these parts for the next few days, but before everyone disconnects for Christmas, we’ve got a year-in-review movie podcast for your enjoyment. I’m joined by Freddie...
The Top Ten Covers of All Time
A blizzard-induced Internet outage and various snow-related activities forced the cover selection committee (read: me) to delay its final decision over the weekend. Now, however, we’re back on track. Thanks to everyone for their...
The Best Cover of All Time – The Stragglers
Due to an influx of late nominations and a prior social engagement, I’m going to hold off posting my top 20 covers until tomorrow afternoon.
Finally, a fake New York Times trend story I can get behind
The return of dapper menswear. Best quote from the article: “The fashion gene skipped a generation.”
Just who are the Japanese?
This isn’t particularly new or exciting, but I recently stumbled across this fascinating article from Jared Diamond on Japan’s enthnographic history.
The Best Cover of All Time – The Final Countdown
Well folks, it’s been a long and arduous journey, but I think we’ve done a half-decent job of rounding up some pretty good covers. The final list (complete with my top 10) will go...
The Problem of Denial
At Master Resource, Jim Manzi synthesizes several objections he’s aired to comprehensive greenhouse gas regulations in one easy-to-read Thomas Friedman take-down. I find this stuff pretty persuasive, but it’s worth noting that there’s real...
Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Martyr
Some of the coverage from National Review and The Washington Times really has to be read to be believed. A guy whose career highlights include chaining a pregnant woman to a bed and filing...
The Best Cover of All Time, Volume XVI
At the risk of “los[ing] serious street cred with [his] friends,” Mike D. nominates Glee’s (admittedly catchy) cover of “Don’t Stop Believing” and Damien Rice and Ray LaMontagne covering the Bee Gees’ “To Love...
Yes, an insurance mandate is a tax
In a rare moment of bipartisan convergence, Mitt Romney and Barack Obama continue to insist that forcing people to buy health insurance is not a tax. Unfortunately, they’re both wrong. Very wrong.
The Best Cover of All Time, Volume XV
Here’s an eclectic bunch: Via email, Schuyler nominates Mike Posner covering Beyonce’s “Halo”; Mike nominates Dennis Brown’s reggae version of “Little Green Apples”; Scott O submits Tricky’s trippy cover of Public Enemy’s “Black Steel...
Jersey Shore
No, I haven’t watched the show. Yes, its (fleeting) cultural footprint is inescapable. But I do want to discuss reality television in light of Jonah Goldberg’s latest column, which makes a bunch of smart...
The Other Echo Chamber
Daniel Larison takes a few lumps for resisting knee-jerk opposition to the war in Afghanistan.
Good beer, good music
As I compile everyone’s “best cover of all time” submissions (Yes, I’m getting to you. No, Uncle Kracker’s version of “Drift Away” did not make the cut.) while enjoying a lukewarm PBR, I realize...
The Best Cover of All Time, Volume XIV
Ian M. also submitted Built to Spill’s epic cover of “Freebird”; I’m nominating Beirut’s cover of Ary Barroso’s “Brazil” (Sinatra’s version also makes the cut). Again, my musical biases are pretty obvious, so if...
