Entertainment
-
The Boss and I
The first CD I ever bought was Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen. It was 1985, and I got it when I purchased my Sony Discman from the small electronics store on our High Street. As an American kid living in England, I didn’t know much about Bruce Springsteen.…
-
I’ve Got It Covered
I’m starting a new year with a new playlist — a collection of covers that are equal to (or even better than) the original song. Enjoy! What songs do I need to add?
-
Songs About Bond, James Bond
Here are a few thoughts about James Bond theme songs. They’re in no particular order because, try as I might, I find it very hard to rank my favorites. You can’t talk about Bond songs without praising “A View to a Kill” by Duran Duran. This one holds a special…
-
To Boldly Go Where No Golden Girl Has Gone Before
Why hadn’t I figured this out before? As far as I know, this is the only overlap between the Star Wars universe and 6151 Richmond Street in Miami. However, there are a few times when Dorothy (Bea Arthur’s character) shows she’s aware of my other great sci-fi love, Star Trek.…
-
Frankly, My Dear …
Dear Hollywood, Please stop using “from the studio that brought you …” as a selling point when you promote new movies. It’s disingenuous. It’s ludicrous. It’s like EMI telling people they’ll enjoy Iron Maiden’s “Dance of Death” because it comes from the same label as the Beatles’ “St. Pepper’s Lonely…
-
The More You D’oh!
Plato? Descartes? Emerson? What a bunch of amateurs! The philosopher that best understands the human spirit is Homer Simpson, a middle-class American man in his late 30s. As one of Homer’s disciples, I’d like to share some of his teachings. First, if you want people to respect you, you have…
-
Yeah, It Makes Me Smile
A few days ago, I wrote about how much I missed live music and shared a few videos from 2019. Here’s a clip from another concert I absolutely loved: Lily Allen’s No Shame Tour at Terminal 5 in New York on October 20, 2018. This is one of my favorite…
-
Music Makes the People Come Together
One thing I miss from the pre-pandemic era is the concerts. I can complain all day about astronomical ticket prices, crummy opening acts, and how much I hate waiting for performers to take the stage. But none of those really matter, because a concert is a chance to experience music…
-
The Birdcage: Some Thoughts 25 Years Later
I have been thinking about the Birdcage, the 1996 film starring Robin Williams1 and Nathan Lane, since someone mentioned it at work a few days ago. I hadn’t reflected on the film since it came out 25 years ago, and I was surprised to realize how much I resent it…