Bad Teacher, Good Movie
A lot of times, I read reviews before I commit to a movie. I don't slavishly follow what the critics say, but I want to get a taste of the…
Book Review: Where the Hell Am I?
Off and on for the past few years, I have enjoyed Ken Levine's fantastic blog. The former "Cheers" and "Frasier" writer brings wonderful insight, hilarious stories and cleverness to the…
ITEOTWAWKI: Wait Almost Over
I didn't realize until now that I hadn't posted at all about the upcoming re-release of "Lifes Rich Pageant." The new version comes out on July 12 with a bonus…
Getting Old Stinks
I had a decision to make, a decision which would have wide-ranging implications.
For a number of reasons, I had committed to paying close attention to the NBA Finals. I have slowly drifted toward pro hoops over the past few years. The quality of play combined with some really dramatic storylines in the playoffs had me hooked.
I made it through Game One with no problem. Well, that’s not completely true. The game didn’t start until 9 p.m. and went right down to the wire so I didn’t get to bed until around midnight. I generally get up for work sometime between 5 and 6 a.m.
Did I mention I had a couple of beers while watching that game?
Bridesmaids Scores Big
I think my original thought when I saw the trailer for "Bridesmaids" mirrored that of many people - "This could be great or terrible." The advertising really made it easy…
Book Review: Supreme Courtship
Candy has its purpose in life. It makes us feel good. It helps pass the time between meals. And it sometimes makes us regret the moment we tore open the…
Kindle Me!
During a Memorial Day weekend picnic, I had to break the bad news to a friend of ours. She works at a small bookstore.
I had to come clean about the new Kindle I had bought. We had brought it to the event because I had bought a few books for Bridget since she was fascinated by it. I wanted to tell our friend myself instead of having her see it by mistake.
I could tell by the look on her face that she did not like this development. After she heard the news, she set her jaw and looked squarely in my eyes.
“Brian, I want to punch you right now.”
Book Review: The Imperfectionists
When you work at a newspaper, you tend to think no one else sees the things you do. Not in the course of your duties, but in your workplace. No…
Book Review: Fleeced
Now that I have a Kindle (more on that in next week's column), I feel like a whole new world has opened up to me. I can search all through…
Why the Go-Go’s Matter to Me
A number of years ago, I went to the mall to purchase a CD. I only had the songs I wanted on cassette and wanted to upgrade my collection.
After I handed the disc to the clerk at the register, he sighed. Now this was no sullen teenager bothered by some older guy’s nostalgic purchase. This guy was at least my age, maybe older. This will sound mean, but he looked like the guy they would cast in a movie about a 35-year-old guy who worked at a music store in the mall.
While he finished the transaction, he looked down at the CD and said, “Well, I guess some things never come into style.” Yes, this was someone I was willingly giving money to telling me that my taste stunk.
I don’t think I said anything. Maybe I was stunned. Maybe I was in a hurry. But most likely, I really didn’t care what Record Store Guy thought about my purchase of the Go-Go’s Greatest Hits. I knew the songs were awesome without his input.