Ever run across a phrase that causes you to back up and re-read, then re-read again, trying to figure out what exactly the writer meant to say? Consider this sentence, taken from the bio of The Stratford Four at eMusic.com. Alt-popsters the Stratford 4 consists of members Chris Streng (vocals, guitar), Jake Hosek (guitar), Andrea Caturegli (drums), and Sheetal Singh
Read morePolitical correctness elevates sensitivity over truth. – Bill Maher You Americans can be so silly sometimes. Take the latest flare-up of political correctness in your sports world. Kelly Tilghman, the Golf Channel anchor who during Friday’s broadcast from the Mercedes-Benz Championship said while discussing Tiger Woods’ dominance that young players on the PGA Tour should “lynch him in a back
Read moreIn a NY Times op-ed today, prominent social analyst Gloria Steinem weighs in on America’s persistent gender and politics problem: Gender is probably the most restricting force in American life, whether the question is who must be in the kitchen or who could be in the White House. This country is way down the list of countries electing women and,
Read moreSomething big happened a few nights ago in Iowa. Barack Obama began the evening as one of the top two contenders for the Democratic nomination and by the time people went to bed he was John F. Kennedy. This might sound like hyperbole – and to be sure, the race is far from won – but if the results we
Read moreOne of the great things about the Internets is that there’s a whole world of stuff out there you don’t know about, never imagined, that’s just insanely amazing. And periodically somebody will send you a link, as fellow Scrogue Mike Sheehan did this past week, saying “hey, check this out.” And it will be so feckin’ amazing it will just
Read moreI recently raised some questions about Rev. Huck in a piece on parenting skills, and now an old colleague – the Pulitzer winning John Hanchette, no less – looks at some of the same issues and declares the candidacy dead. The pattern usually repeats itself every four years: Obscure candidate announces, and is at first an after-thought, unknown to most
Read moreOur friend Sara over at Orcinus is one of those people who gets it. Big picture, long view, and a perspective that’s as deep as it is broad. Her latest examination of our collective predicament is a great example. As long as that core vision holds — as long as people in the group remember who they are and what
Read moreWell, it sure looked that way. In case you missed it because you were partying the night away, Australian Robbie Maddison jumped a motorcycle over a football field last night to set a new distance record. The attempt came 40 years to the day after Evel Knievel’s famous (and ill-fated) attempt to jump the fountains at Caesar’s Palace. Since he
Read moreThe CD of the Year In the mid-1970s Graham Parker was portrayed as a quintessentially Angry Young Man®, a pub rocker with an attitude who helped shape the British New Wave (a movement that remains perhaps the most creatively vital five years in recent rock history). 15 years later he had matured into a Responsible Adult®, with 1991’s Struck By
Read moreWelcome to the fifth and final installment of the Scholars & Rogues year-end wrap-up. Today we tackle the dirty, but oddly riveting world of politics. We’ll take a couple shots at the even dirtier world of media that makes it all possible. Let’s start at the top, shall we? George Walker Bush: I’ve been telling my Republican friends for five
Read moreWelcome to the final SVR of 2007. Let’s drum the old year out and the new one in with some of the year’s best drumming video finds, shall we? First off, somebody get this kid a contract.
Read moreHi. I’m Sam Smith, and I’m running for President. The discipline question is one of the most difficult ones facing this campaign, and even as we construct the strategic platform plank we’re sobered by the tactical realities that must be faced. Some schools are dangerous places. A lot more are significantly less effective than they should be because of disruptive
Read moreHi, and welcome to day four of our 2007 review. Today’s topic – the year in sports. And what a year it was – great competition, exciting on-field action, outstanding team accomplishments, and all of it trumped by off-field drama. Barry B*nds: The real homerun king is Hank Aaron, and don’t you forget it. It wasn’t a pretty summer in
Read moreWelcome to part three of S&R’s first annual year-end round-up. I’ll begin by apologizing for my colleagues, who have wasted a lot of their time (and yours) yammering about “important” issues. Of course, I admire their intellectual gravity, but let’s be honest – that sort of seriousness is really misplaced when the intended audience is the American public. As we
Read moreWhy does the RNCC make Baby Jesus cry? Thanks to Andrew White for the tip.
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