To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. ― Theodore Roosevelt On March 10, 2003, at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire theatre in London, Natalie Maines stepped to […]
TunesWeek: ’90s video goes political
Part 2 in a series. The Reagan/Thatcher years were marked by an utterly bizarre shiny/happy pastel sheen spread liberally across a decidedly apocalyptic doom. Listen to songs like “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” and “Forever Young” and “It’s a Mistake” (and watch the videos). The aesthetic seemed to be “we’re all going to die […]
Does bad behavior = power and glory?
By Robert Becker My squishy optimism sagged, having just finished Richard Condon’s scathing, witty, mesmerizing masterpiece, The Manchurian Candidate. If you liked the acclaimed ’62 movie, and delight in devilish wit, grab the novel: the satire and drama are darker, amusingly bereft of character redemption and confidence in human advancement. Replace waterboarding with 1950’s brainwashing […]
Unsolicited Theater Review: Enron
Enron, which is packing the Royal Court Theatre nightly before it heads off to the West End at highly inflated ticket prices, is worth it. It’s a bit disenheartening that Lucy Prebble, whose second play it is, can turn out such an accomplished piece of work at such a tender age—she’s all of 28. But […]
Did President Bush believe that Harry Potter was real? It sure sounds that way.
Not that this should come as any surprise, but we now have confirmation that the Bush administration refused to award Harry Potter author JK Rowling the Presidential Medal of Freedom because the books “encouraged witchcraft.” For a second, let’s set aside any arguments over whether or not Rowling’s work merits such a lofty honor and […]
Honoring Helen Thomas, the First Lady of American Journalism
by Dawn Farmer “Be fair, be decent… be honest, tell the truth, be educated, seek a better life and help mankind.” – Helen Thomas, on the values imparted by her parents. This extraordinary woman has dedicated her life to seeking the truth for the benefit of all humanity. Often described as the First Lady of […]
Still not ready to make nice: what does the Dixie Chicks saga tell us about freedom in America?
We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas. – Natalie Maines I don’t even know the Dixie Chicks, but I find it an insult for all the men and women who fought and died in past wars when almost the majority of […]






