It's easy to look up. In fact, it's easy to look up and click through to iTunes to download. In fact, I'm listening to Patti Page sing "The Tennessee Waltz" right now — that's how old I am. And when you…
NYT film critic Manohla Dargis writes about the movie "Hounddog," saying something that resonates with me: “Hounddog” and the media storm that accompanied its world premiere on Monday expose the contradictions that gri…
The movie "Hounddog" -- about which such a stir was kicked up -- is a dog : "Hounddog" is from the overheated and overacted school of Southern drama, filled with stereotypical characters, pseudo-poetic dialogu…
So here's my email to John (referring to a comment in this thread ): Here's a sentence I just wrote: "The reason Taylor reminds you of Clinton and the reason it was especially noticeable last night is because both m…
What an interesting night! We are down to four, and only one is female. They must want Katharine McPhee to make it through. They've got to want the beautiful woman to survive amid the three less-than-beautiful men. They put K…
I've been asked why I didn't blog "The Apprentice" this week. (And don't worry: I will be blogging "American Idol." It's Elvis week you know.) The thing is, like a lot of people, I'm getti…
It's almost. One more class. Just a little standing, mootness, and ripeness -- with a dollop of Take Care Clause. It's a warm 39° here in Madison, Wisconsin, not counting the sun warmth factor. What? You don't count t…
We see the last 8 women and hear that 2 will have to go this week. Looking at the group, I predict Melissa and Kinnik will be cut. But then Melissa sings a Heart song, and I heart Melissa. Kinnik, though: phew! That was bad! Off…
The view from my window, tonight at nightfall: It seems that every year, there's something that gets us started singing "Blue Christmas." Like last year, it was another photograph: here . Now we're listening to …
Ben Yagoda has a nice essay (in tomorrow's NYT Book Review) about the overuse of subtitles in book titling: I miss the time, not so long ago, when it was possible for a book to go out into the world with only a strong title …
Here's what James Lileks says today about Robert Crumb: Never liked Crumb -- his work always gave off that foreign 60s vibe that was so beloved by a certain demographic of the Stoner-American community, the Loser Whom Time P…
So far, the theme for today's seems to be food, a humble little theme that just accidentally seems to have established itself, so let's continue with it. 1. The big food story of the day is that the astronauts are running…
On the East Side of Madison, not all of the buildings are beautiful: But beauty is everywhere. Turn your head just to the left of that last sight and see this: Down the block, there is the Jamaican Arts & Crafts Shop, where t…
Amish day at the Times--Rumpspringa! (Apparently, I think it is my job to detect repetitions .) First, there's this description of Johnny Depp in a movie review by Elvis Mitchell headlined, "Beware of Amish Hitmen and…