Date this, not that
We’ve all seen those little segments on fluffy morning “news” shows or the similar comparative layouts in fitness magazines — those ones that urge you to substitute one high-calorie meal for a delicious but healthier alternative. Eat this, not that, they say. You can have a black coffee, sausage sandwich and an orange for the … Continue reading
The newspapers of yore
I love newspapers. When I was a kid we got two on weekdays — the Detroit Free Press and the Lansing State Journal — and every morning I started off with the comics (the Free Press was way better in this regard, and many others, than the Journal). On Sundays, once they finally began delivering … Continue reading
An old favorite in new hands
For me, the mark of a great book is that I don’t want it to end. When the number of pages in my right hand dwindles down to nothing and I just want one more page, one more line so I can stay in the book’s world, I know I’ve found a favorite. Sometimes the … Continue reading
On faking it: Dinner etiquette with a picky eater
If you’ve read this column for any period of time you’ll know that onions and mushrooms are my sworn enemies. People who aren’t picky eaters tend to think I’m just being stubborn, and that they are the one who will convince me to drop my sword and end the fight. No, I don’t like onions, … Continue reading
January 9-13, 2012
Joe Wright’s 2011 film Hanna begins and ends with the same line, and near-identical acts of violence committed by a 16-year-old girl. Kevin Mattison fills you in on the middle bits in “Little girl lost”
Why is it that outdoor hockey seems to hold such a nostalgic appeal when the modern game was actually invented on an indoor rink? The history may not hold up, but that doesn’t mean that hockey in a baseball or football stadium isn’t awesome. Read “Outdoor allure: Why we love the Winter Classic” by Yael Borofsky
Actor, writer, producer, villain, vampire, and coach, Neil Jackson has appeared in films such as Push (2009), Quantum of Solace (2008), Alexander (2004), and on TV in Blade: The Series, the BBC’s new Upstairs Downstairs and ABC’s Make It or Break It. He’s also an active screenwriter and the founder of the film, television and theater company Paper Dragon Productions. Read Rosemary Van Deuren’s “Interview with Neil Jackson”
The Friendly Foodie makes a last-minute pilgrimage to visit Julia Child’s kitchen at the Smithsonian, and discovers one of the possible secrets behind her irrepressible joie de vivre in the kitchen and in front of the camera. Read “Julia’s kitchen”
Little girl lost
I just missed your heart. Hanna (2011) begins and ends with that line, but it doesn’t feel the same way the second time. When Hanna first utters it she is standing over a deer she has just hit with an arrow. Its breathing is panicked and frightened. She quickly (and somewhat coldly) puts it out … Continue reading
Outdoor allure: Why we love the Winter Classic
It started to flurry sometime in the middle of the second period of the 2012 Bridgestone Winter Classic. Just a few wispy, genuine flakes swirling down across a baseball field covered in cottony, fake snow and temporary ice. More than an appearance by The Roots, an array of what appeared to be flaming white trash … Continue reading
Interview with Neil Jackson
Actor, writer, producer. Villain, vampire, coach. Neil Jackson has worn many faces. In America, he’s known for his performances in Push (2009), Quantum of Solace (2008), Alexander (2004), Blade: The Series and ABC’s Make It or Break It. His British acting resume is equally rich, including such series as Heartbeat, Ultimate Force, Silent Witness, Dream … Continue reading
Julia’s kitchen
My enthusiasm is usually a good sign that something is on the way out, and in fact by the time you read this, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History will have started to take down its display of Julia Child’s kitchen. Originally planned for an 18-month exhibition in 2002, and tucked away out of … Continue reading
January 2-5, 2012
Alabama and Louisiana State will meet up (again) on January 9 to play for the NCAA Division I National Championship. Maurice Pogue looks back at another BCS rematch that never happened — Michigan and Ohio State in 2007 — and how another Michigan team has suffered in the sordid world of football rematches and BCS romance. Read “The B(s)CS strikes again”
The Idler has resolved to not make any resolutions, but if Ana Holguin were making resolutions, here’s what they’d be. Read “Things I should resolve to do in the new year but probably won’t”
What are you doing with your New Year? Daniel J. Hogan is watching Bond, James Bond on Netflix streaming. Where should you start? Find out in “Bond, James Bond”
Kelly Hannon has started a lot of books that she’s never finished, but there’s no better way to make sure that she won’t read a book than telling her that she has to. Read “Procrastination, or, Why I don’t belong to a book club”
Jill Kolongowski cooks a bit of Christmas comfort. It all goes wrong, but somehow turns out right. Read “Homemade chicken and dumplings soup“
