A special factslap edition, particularly for presidents from shithole frontal lobes: Haiti is the second oldest independent nation in the Western Hemisphere, after the United States. The place where Hitler killed himself is now a children’s playground. Jackie Chan trains his stuntmen and pays their medical bills out of pocket. Cacao plants are …
The Pew Research Center just released a study that must awaken newspaperpeople in cold sweats, or urine: 81% of Americans get their news from a screen — either online outlets or social media (a putrid redundancy) sites. That doesn’t even include TV. Of the stragglers left over who get their news from papers or …
It’s either a sign of Guillero del Toro’s genius or the lackluster slate of films (or both, of course) that Shape of Water has become the film du jour in Hollywood’s pre-Oscar hysteria. The odd fairy tale has already racked up seven Golden Globe nominations, a raft of other nods, and it’s expected to …
There’s a certain anticipation — and dread — that comes with every Oscar season. On the one hand, the Academy Awards are a clear demonstration of film as art. On the other, that art often sucks. But this year will mark a seismic shift, at least in tenor, to the annual self congratulations: Expect …
I’m not so much a gadget freak as a gadget mutant alien virus. My technology jones runs deep. I have four outdated cellular phones, a half dozen MP3 players and four digital cameras. My middle name could be iSucker. I even like the ads for electronic stores. When I lived at home, I would …
First: How is it that Donald Trump has not responded to rapper Eminem’s scathing video beat down of the administration, in which he told his fans that if they were supporters of the Pumpkin-in-Chief, they should stop following buying his music? It was a rare non-response (which has become as much a tea leaf …
What happened last night in Vegas is unspeakable. So of course Sean Hannity spoke. “This is no time to politicize the tragedy,” he belched on Fox. What insanity this? He then went on a rant against the “liberal media,” who would surely try to make this a political hot potato. Do you not already …
(photo by The Washington Examiner) bait-and-switch noun the action (generally illegal) of advertising goods that are an apparent bargain, with the intention of substituting inferior or more expensive goods. “a bait-and-switch scheme” The term was first used in 1962, to describe an ascending advertising strategy. Ad folks also coined the term “Mad Men,” one of …
Among the nosy and intrusive questions I like to ask strangers (and there are many — questions) is: “What’s your favorite guilty pleasure TV?” Granted, it’s a stupid question, as the answer itself requests stupidity. But the answer is usually fascinating. TV is nothing if not an expensive mirror, at least of our subconscious. …
I accidentally deleted all my email this weekend. I think I know what happened. I’m such a goddamned minimalist that the lifestyle caught up with me. And when I say lifestyle, I mean neurosis. Anything that sits in my garage for six month without being used is unnecessary, I reason. Same with my closets: …
