I recently watched Act of Valor, an action film about Navy SEALs in which the soldiers were played by actual Special Forces operatives. The movie, marred by stilted acting and a shallow plot, currently has a 30% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. SEALs may not need stunt doubles, but they certainly need acting ones. While some … Read more
Each era is defined by the great rivalries to which it bears witness. Intractable, riveting clashes where neutrality is not an option, and the side you take reflects not just your preference, but the contents of your soul. In 21st century America, the fate-of-the-world-deciding-conflict-du-jour is even color-coded for convenience. It is, of course, that trusty … Read more
Trans.: We’ll shut our eyes To what’s happening under our noses And pretend that everything’s alright We’ll bring out a beer from the fridge And drive off to a different channel How much longer? The Boston-based expats swoon; these lyrics are their life. Since the release of its first album in 2000, the band HaDag … Read more
“I’m so glad you’re askin’ me these questions,” Sarah Palin says to Steve Schmidt and Mark Salter, Senator John McCain’s campaign manager and speechwriter, during their initial meeting to discuss making her the Republican vice presidential nominee. “It’s important that you know exactly what you’re getting.” This comment, made ironic by the complete lack of knowledge … Read more
Take Care: Track by Track Drake understands melody, a topic a lot of rappers are not yet quite well-versed in. Over My Dead Body (9.5/10) Displaying his prowess as one of the best melody rappers in today’s hip-hop scene, Drake raps over a dreampop-type piano hook on the opening track. The featured female voice of … Read more
Pushing the Envelope in “Spring Awakening” Harvard FML, the addicting symposium of academic and sexual frustration, shows that not much has changed in the 120 years since Frank Wedekind’s “Spring Awakening” was written. There are posts about pregnancy scares and abuse. There are frustrating questions submitted to the void about not knowing if Harvard is … Read more
Jeffrey Sachs’ bestselling book The End of Poverty argued for eradicating extreme poverty in the third world through foreign aid. Previously, the author made his academic reputation as an economic advisor to former Soviet Bloc countries. Thus, it is a gloomy irony that Sachs’ most recent book, The Price of Civilization, is his attempt to … Read more
Warped Passages Lisa Randall Ecco. 512 pp. $27.95. Einstein was legendarily larger-than-life. He revolutionized modern physics while employed as a clerk in a patent office in Switzerland. He was photogenic in a silly sort of way, setting the prototype for the twentieth century’s depiction of mad science. He was quotable: “only two things are … Read more
American Neoconservatism Jean-Francois Drolet 256 pp. Columbia University Press. $30. Jean-François Drolet’s American Neoconservatism, a concise blend of political theory, intellectual history, and contemporary politics, marks one of those rare occurrences of highly relevant academic literature. Drolet’s aim in the work is to challenge the neoconservative hearkening for a moral, united America by uncovering the … Read more
Two years ago on a family vacation to India, our taxi was pulled over by a policeman demanding to see the driver’s license. The policeman took the proffered license and told the driver to come to a Delhi police station the next day to retrieve it and sort the matter out. We drove off, my … Read more