Win Some, Lose Some

Sometimes I think we have progressed as far as we possibly can as humans. We have sent astronauts to the moon. We have built vehicles to explore other planets. We continue to seek the outer reaches of the galaxy. As far as I am concerned, I thought our technological advancements had reached an end. Then […]

PA Liquor Laws: Still Stupid

One of the key aims of Pennsylvania’s new governor is to get the state out of the liquor store business. Currently, all liquor and wine is sold at state-run stores. The plan is to auction off those licenses to raise money and open up the marketplace. This will eliminate one of the problems with the […]

ITEOTWAWKI: Disappointed

The trickle of information about R.E.M.’s upcoming album Collapse Into Now continues. The first single is out and another “lyric video” for a new song has popped up. But the real news comes from an interview Mike Mills gave to a radio station in Los Angeles. How did you come to the decision to not […]

The King’s Speech

As we prepared to leave the movie theatre, my wife thanks me for coming along to see the film we just finished watching. She told me she appreciated when I went with her to see the English period pieces she liked so much. The funny thing is, I originally suggested we go see “The King’s […]

The Travels of Lucky Charms

When you grow up with a large number of siblings like I did, you have difficulty trusting people. That’s just the nature of a big household, especially when you are the youngest. Sure, you have a great support system, but while one of them is helping you, another might be lurking around the corner waiting […]

Just Because

I have to give the producers of Gulliver’s Travels credit. They certainly used the perfect formula to success. Take a well-known story, or at least the well-known part of a well-known story. Cast someone famous like Jack Black. let Jack Black be Jack Black. Throw in recognizable actors like Amanda Peet, Jason Segal and Billy […]

Book Review: A Season on the Mat

As a sportswriter, I always wanted to write one of those books where you spend a whole season with a team and chronicle their ups and downs. When I left the writing side of the journalism game on a full-time basis in 1998, I had already formulated some ideas for one of these books, but […]

ITEOTWAWKI: Getting Closer

Three months ago, I expressed my wish that R.E.M. wouldn’t wait until spring to release their new album. They indicated that they had finished work so I wondered why they would wait until March or April to let us in on the secret. They chose a different tactic, of which I heartily approve. They have […]