October 2011
31 posts
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Margin Notes: Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby
The Quote: One thing about great art: it made you love people more, forgive them their petty transgressions. It worked in the way that religion was supposed to, if you thought about it.
—Nick Hornby, Juliet, Naked
Margin Notes: I wrote about how much I loved this novel a few months back. It’s the tale of a musician who put out one amazing album and then disappeared from the public...
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The Reaction: Scariest Thing You've Ever Seen
In honor of Halloween, what is the scariest thing you have ever seen?
(Click Read More to see The Dispatch’s reactions)
Jared: Though The Descent is my favorite scary movie of all time, the most frightening moment in my life was a harrowing ride on the New York transit line when a drunk, gassy, homeless Santa boarded the subway car that my friends and I were riding in. It was apparent to us all...
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Channel Surfing: Beavis and Butt-Head
Come To Butt-head: Why America Is Prime For Two Idiots’ Return
Remember Beavis & Butt-head: the bane of parents and conservatives everywhere at a time in the early 1990’s when rebellion had once again become cool? Of course you do.After all, who could forget their perpetual chuckle? Their brainless banter? They’re ha-whacking-off in Tom Anderson’s trailer?
Well...
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Margin Notes - Toad the Wet Sprocket's "Throw It...
The Words: “Burn your tv in your yard, gather ‘round it with your friends/And warm you hands upon the fire and start again.”
“Tear up the calendar you bought, throw the pieces to the sky/Confetti falling down like rain, like a parade to usher in your life.”
-Toad the Wet Sprocket - “Throw It All Away”
Margin Notes: My favorite poet of all time? ...
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Now Hear This: Life Is Dangerous. Get Over It
Life Is Dangerous. Get Over It
As I stared down at the ten thousand feet below me, the distant floor of the Earth seeming unfathomably far from my perch, I’d like to say that I had some life altering thought, some great epiphany. But I didn’t. And as I soared through the air down towards the ground, my mind was again focused on only one thing, that this is fucking awesome. Sky...
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The Mix Tape: Starfucker - Reptilians
Starfucker - Reptilians
Starfucker’s Reptilians is an album that will catch your eye. Whether it’s the band’s name or the image of rosy-cheeked, anime-esque kids with pterodactyls flying around their heads, you’ll remember something about the band for a long time. On Reptilians, they present a high-gloss electronica album that features death as a motif.
At least,...
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The Reaction: Superhero Origin Reboots
With DC rewriting comic origins for all of their series, which one would you re-write?
(Click READ MORE to see The Dispatch’s reactions.)
Jared: After breaking free from a high-security mental institution using her highly refined martial arts skills acquired by years of watching Chuck Norris’ Sidekicks on constant repeat (it was the only movie the hospital had), Princess Diana of...
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Channel Surfing: The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead, Still Standing Strong
When I first head Frank Darabont was working on a zombie project for AMC, the home of fantastic series like Mad Men and Breaking Bad, I was a little more than excited. Darabont, the prolific writer/director of one of my favorite movies of all time, The Shawshank Redemption, was going to be returning to his roots, horror. (For those that don’t know,...
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The Mix Tape: Minus the Bear - Highly Refined...
Minus the Bear - Highly Refined Pirates
Minus the Bear is playing the 9:30 Club in D.C. tonight, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of their first full-length album, the hilariously titled, “Highly Refined Pirates.” It looks like I have to miss the concert, so I’m reviewing the album instead.
When I first heard these guys, I had no idea how to classify them. They were...
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Now Hear This: The Fine Line Between Art &...
The Fine Line Between Art And Bullshit
This past weekend I sat down to watch Terrance Malik’s Tree of Life, his latest feature film which I had been anxiously awaiting ever since I caught glimpse of the first trailer a year ago. Let me precede what I’m about to say by mentioning that the movie is beautiful—gorgeous, even—and will light up your TV with a kaleidoscope of colors you...
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Margin Notes: George R.R. Martin
The Quote:
We read fantasy to find the colors again, I think. To taste strong spices and hear the songs the sirens sang. There is something old and true in fantasy that speaks to something deep within us…
George R.R. Martin
The Reaction:
I’m always disappointed that for every fantasy book I read, I could find ten people who would tell me that fantasy is crap and I need to grow up....
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The Reaction: What toy do you wish you still had?
What toy do you wish you still had even now, as an adult?
(Click READ MORE to see The Dispatch’s reaction.)
Jared: I constantly find myself reaching for shit around the house: beer, the remote, the last slice of pizza, and this whole process can get pretty tiresome. It makes me long for the good ole days when I had a Robot Arm to help me with these troubled tasks. With its claw like grip,...
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Unrealpolitik: Why The American Political System...
Unrealpolitik: Why America’s Political System Blows
It’s that time again, when the armies of the red states and blue states amass along their party lines and prepare for ideological war. Yesterday, in what was one of the first shots of the 2012 election, Governor Chris Christie put all his weight (pun intended) behind Mitt Romney, giving the former Governor of Massachusetts the...
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The Letterpress: Peter and the Starcatchers by...
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Sometimes, I need a book that is pure story. There may not be a ton of depth and the characters may be a bit stale, but as long as the plot throws something imaginative my way, I’m pretty happy. Such is the case with Dave Barry (yes, the brilliantly funny former Miami Herald humor columnist) and Ridley Pearson’s tale.
...
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Now Hear This: The Great Light Beer Myth
The Great Light Beer Myth
“Same great taste. Less filling.” Since its inception, light (or lite) beer has been nothing more than a simple marketing ploy, another gimmick by the big corporations, kind of like Crystal Pepsi and greeting cards. As American waist lines grow by the day, we desperately latch onto anything that will give us the hope and promise of having our cake and eating it too,...
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Anonymous asked: Why does the Easter bunny carry eggs? Rabbits don't lay eggs.
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Margin Notes: Edna St. Vincent Millay's Sonnet...
Edna St. Vincent Millay’s Sonnet XLIII
The Quote: “…the rain/Is full of ghosts tonight, that tap and sigh/Upon the glass and listen for reply.”
Margin Notes:
I think I remembered this quote because I saw the trailer for Paranormal Activity 3 and that little Bloody Mary scene at the end made me afraid to get up at night. Millay’s poem, however, isn’t about...
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The Reaction: The Simpsons Renewed for 2 More...
The Question: Fox has given The Simpsons a two-season extension. First: how do you feel about this? Second: What guest stars would you like to see in the new seasons?
(Click “Read More” to get The Dispatch’s reaction.)
Grant: I haven’t watched an episode of The Simpsons—tv or dvd—in at least five years. I think the last one I saw was a Treehouse of Horror...
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A Month For Awareness, Remembrance
A Month For Awareness, Remembrance
Her name was Susan Elizabeth Pulliam. She was the kind of person who devoted herself to caring for the ones she loved; always giving while rarely asking for anything back. Her smile was the sort that inspired others and her laugh was nothing short of infectious. She was a daughter, she was a sister, she was a wife. Susan Elizabeth Pulliam was also a mother—my...
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The Mix Tape: Someone Still Loves You Boris...
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Tape Club
One of the most powerful words added to the English language was “evolution.” The word has led to fierce conflicts in classrooms and classrooms—but none of that applies to my article because I’m here today to talk about evolution in terms of music. Tape Club, the latest release from Someone Still Loves You Boris...
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Now Hear This: Are The Wall Street Protesters...
Are The Wall Street Protesters Right?
If there is one memo that won’t need to be hung in any campaign headquarters within the coming year, it’s surely Carville’s “It’s The Economy, Stupid.” The word recession has become part of our household lexicon as American checkbooks have slowly sunk from the black into the red. Businesses are closing. Unemployment is at staggering...
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The Mix Tape: Paul Pfau & The Dimestore Band - "7"
Paul Pfau & The Dimestore Band - 7
I fell out of the Maryland/DC local music scene at the end of college. My favorite bands all dissolved over time, mostly due to the band members all trading the uncertainty of a music career for a degree (which is one hell of a sensible decision to make, by the way). The ones who stuck around tended to stall out and fall apart for all the usual reasons a...
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The Reaction: Cutting Back During The Recession
What will you personally cut back on to beat the recession?
(Click Read More to see the Dispatch’s reactions) Jared: The smart move would be beer, but I’ve never been one to be mistaken for a wise man. I read a report recently that underwear sales are a key indicator of the health of the economy. In that spirit, I won’t be buying any new drawers any time soon. And while...
