I will not cop to charges of snobbery; I find my pop-culture thrills wherever I can. I freely admit, though, that IÁ¢€â„¢m selective. Any consumer of media has to be,…
Books
489 Articles
Jon Cummings
3 Min Read
We white folks are feeling pretty good about ourselves these days. And why not? A couple months ago, almost half of us voted to put a black guy into what…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
John Carroll – The Existential Jesus (2009, Counterpoint) purchase this book (Amazon) You can’t claim to offer an interpretation of the Gospel of Mark that claims to offer up hitherto…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Bob Schildgen – Hey Mr. Green: Sierra Magazine’s Answer Guy Tackles Your Toughest Green Living Questions (2008, Sierra Club/Counterpoint) purchase this book (Amazon) Which is worse — paper or plastic?…
Jon Cummings
2 Min Read
If you’re looking for the perfect holiday gift for that cousin who dropped out two credits shy of her BA in European Civ — or for that pesky uncle who…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Jeff Martin (Editor) – The Customer Is Always Wrong: The Retail Chronicles (2008, Soft Skull) purchase this book (Amazon) I’ve been lucky enough not to have had to wear any…
Jon Cummings
1 Min Read
My World History teacher in high school, Mrs. Rivers, was less than efficient in her use of verbiage. While lecturing about the Peloponnesian Wars or the Roman aqueducts, she would…
Mojo Flucke
1 Min Read
In what better ways could musicians reject the status quo of Led Zeppelin, the musical bollocks of disco, and the pop pablum du jour like Debbie Boone’s “You Light Up…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Danny Goldberg – Bumping Into Geniuses: My Life Inside the Rock and Roll Business (2008) purchase this book (Amazon) Most rock & roll memoirs are penned either by rock stars…
Dw. Dunphy
1 Min Read
The legend goes something like this: a young writer-turned-director is over at Universal Studios taking a tour of the facilities. He’s introduced to another young hotshot fresh off an assignment…
Taylor Long
3 Min Read
For women who want to make it in the all too male-dominated music industry – and music journalism in particular – writer Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna is an inspiration. Her name has…
Michael Fortes
1 Min Read
Juliana Hatfield – When I Grow Up: A Memoir purchase this book (Amazon) Á¢€Å“Á¢€¦ if you’re timid and looking for mercy, stay on the road that leads to a more…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Hey, everyone! Our good buddy Eric Grubbs of Theme Park Experience has finally reached the end of years of hard work on his book, POST: A Look at the Influence…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine – Ask a Ninja Presents: The Ninja Handbook (This Book Looks Forward to Killing You Soon) purchase this book (Amazon) I suppose I should begin…
Robert Cass
7 Min Read
The comedy duo of Richard “Cheech” Marin and Tommy Chong redefined American comedy in the 1970s and ’80s with seven albums and six feature films, including their debut, Up in…
Ted Asregadoo
2 Min Read
If journalism is the first draft of history, and history is argument without end, then Matt Taibbi has fired the opening salvo of a new argument about the current political…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Tim Etchells – The Broken World (2008) purchase this book (Amazon) The Internet has been, as Chico Escuela would say, very very good to me — but still, as a…
Jason Hare
1 Min Read
Over the years, my best friend and I have come up with a lot of random, idiotic games — games that we use to pass the time while waiting for…
Scott Malchus
2 Min Read
Former Eagles guitarist Don Felder titled his memoir Heaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles (1974-2001) in an attempt to sell more copies of the book. Co-written with journalist…
Ted Asregadoo
1 Min Read
History-altering events produce consequences that are sometimes unintended. In our post-9/11 age, the political landscape has quickly altered, from the relative peace and prosperity of the Clinton years to perpetual…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
All right, you’ve listened to us share the sordid details of some of our lowest “romantic” moments — now it’s your turn. But unlike us, you actually stand to win…
John C. Hughes
1 Min Read
Don’t know if there’s anyone besides me still reading comic books, specifically The Amazing Spider-Man, but the powers that be just pulled a major Dallas-style boner — y’see, a lot…
Scott Malchus
1 Min Read
It took us awhile, but Sophie and I finally completed “Charlotte’s Web” tonight. Ironically, I leafed through “The Elements of Style” (3rd Edition) by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White…
Scott Malchus
2 Min Read
I completed reading Michael Chabon’s brilliant “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay” this afternoon. I found myself so attached to the characters of Josef Kavalier, Sam (Sammy) Clay and…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Love is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time (2007)purchase this book (Amazon) As my Dad and I sat around the house one Saturday afternoon, playing…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
It’s been awhile since I wrote anything in-depth on politics, for the same reason Captain Video! has taken his sweet-ass time coming back from the 1980th Dimension Á¢€” those posts…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Marilynne Robinson, Gilead (2004) purchase this book IÁ¢€â„¢d never have believed IÁ¢€â„¢d see a wife of mine doting on a child of mine. It still amazes me every time I…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Marilynne Robinson, Gilead (2004)purchase this book I’d never have believed I’d see a wife of mine doting on a child of mine. It still amazes me every time I think…