Culture
Culture
Charles Bradley’s debut is a soul-saver
With the recent passing of rhythm and blues master Solomon Burke, the man responsible for classics such as “Cry to Me” and “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love,” Read More
Culture
ABC’s ‘Mr. Sunshine’ is a sitcom with a bright future
Lately it seems as if there is no specific time of year for television to air new shows. In a simpler time, when I was just a naïve television addict, I believed autumn to be the season of pilots. Read More
Culture
Super Bowl ads: commerce at its finest
Super Bowl Sunday is behind us, and with it goes an even larger scale showdown: the Super Bowl commercial-fest. Just about anyone who watches the year’s most-televised event — even those who just watch because they’ve got nothing better to do on a Sunday evening than eat wings and watch monstrous men beat the crap […]
Culture
The Verizon Perspective
Just like my hopes of ever partaking in a ménage à trois or seeing a unicorn, I had long given up on the dream that was the Verizon iPhone. Maybe Steve Jobs felt the need to test the faith of Verizon customers. Would they buy those silly Droid phones? Would they buy iPods and cell […]
Culture
Old vs. new: the war of reception
The Apple iPhone, in its short lifespan, has become a worldwide phenomenon, status symbol and technological feat. In just four years, Apple has gone from producing its very first phone to becoming the second-largest phone manufacturer in the world. It has sold almost 100 million units, showing no sign of stopping, and it did all […]
Culture
Subtlety disappears in ‘Rabbit Hole’
"Rabbit Hole” would be weak in any context, but it certainly didn’t help that a week before seeing it, I watched one of its award season competitors, “Blue Valentine.” That film, about a young couple’s love rescinding into sexual and psychological warfare, burns with true-life intensity. Even though we see the couple deteriorating before our […]
Culture
China Nite 2011 showcases traditions and new acts alike
For the Chinese New Year, the Chinese Students’ Association (CSA) presented China Nite 2011 on Friday, Feb. 5. Celebrating the Year of the Rabbit, the show started at 8 p.m. and ran for about two hours. The performance showcased classic and contemporary Chinese culture — the many acts alternated between displays of dancing, singing […]
Culture
Howie Mandel: a comedian as hilarious as he is bald
I can’t even tell you the agony associated with listening to Larry Hooper sing “Oh Happy Day” on loop for approximately 10 minutes, especially when there is no indication of it ending any time in the near future. This is how Howie Mandel opened what thankfully became a hilarious act on Friday, Jan 29. a […]
Culture
‘Blue Valentine:’ not a date night movie
Even though the “Blue Valentine” poster claims that the film is “a love story,” it might be better defined as “a story about love’s fleetingness.” Read More
Culture
The Oscars 2011: It’s all about ‘The Social Network’
Last year’s Oscar ceremony was, quite simply, about as boring as an award ceremony can get. The winner of every major award was set in stone long before the awards were handed out, and most of the time it had more to do with pure, unadulterated hype than genuine talent. Of course, that’s not exactly […]