Today’s the end of the road of 2016 movies I never reviewed earlier… Miles Ahead…Don Cheadle used Kickstarter to get his labor-of-love film financed (something people apparently do even when they can afford to finance it themselves), and I wish this Miles Davis biopic had done a better job of explaining why Miles was such a jazz…
Sole Complaint with Obama: He Didn’t Pardon Don Siegelman (Why it Matters)
Most of the complaints about President Obama are ridiculous (“he didn’t tear down the military industrial complex?” “War criminal!”), untrue (“he’s weak on defense” when he actually made us safer at home and abroad), or perhaps things that weren’t his problems to solve (“why didn’t he heal the divide between black and white Americans?”). The…
And No, Hillary’s Campaign Wasn’t Bad
Aside from the myth that Bernie could’ve won, we also hear that Hillary’s campaign was bad. This is the second persistent myth that basically lets the American voter (and the media) off the hook. The thinking probably goes “hey, our country’s not really dumb enough to vote for Trump against a good candidate, it’s gotta be Hillary’s fault!” It…
No, Bernie Couldn’t Have Beat Trump Either
One of the widespread myths of the 2016—and there seem to be many—is that Bernie Sanders could’ve beat Trump where Hillary failed. This myth usually runs parallel to the myth that Hillary ran a bad campaign, a convenient theory that lets the voters (and the media) off the hook without acknowledging history, demographics, just how…
Episode 48–Is America Still Great?
For our last episode during Obama’s presidency (sniff, sniff, I’m not crying–it’s just raining…on my face), we look into globalism. What’s America’s place in the world now and how do we stack up militarily, economically, environmentally, technologically, and education-wise? The results may not be all good but at least we have Meryl Streep. Suck it, France. By…
The Most Likely Candidates to Fill Jeff Sessions Senate Seat…
Will Jeff Sessions be confirmed as Attorney General? Sad to say—and despite a noble effort from Corey Booker to block it—but yes, he probably will be. And that means that there is an open senate seat in Alabama for the first time in almost thirty years. Gee, who can believe Alabamians have won the Turd Lottery…
It’s Actually Next Friday I’m Afraid Of…
Sure, Friday the 13th is a terrifying time. The more superstitious among us barely want to leave the house, and all day long most people may be looking for confirmation-bias to suggest the day is unlucky: “Damn, I specifically said no mustard on this sandwich, and look–mustard! I knew this day was cursed.” But it’s…
Why “Weiner” is the Best Film of 2016 (and “Hacksaw Ridge” the Worst)
Following up on my “Best of 2016” rankings, I didn’t post proper reviews of “Weiner” or “Hacksaw Ridge” before the listings in order to keep things a surprise. I thought I would expand a little bit on both… Hacksaw Ridge: It’s true that I may stand alone among critics in listing this as one of…
Oscar Predictions: Who Will Be Nominated…AND Win
Note: I can usually predict about 4 out of 5 nominees and 2/3rds of winners, for whatever that’s worth in your Oscar betting pool. The rankings are how sure I am they’ll be nominated (so the 4th or 5th placers may very well not make the cut) and the top choice is who I think will…
The Reason White Racists Love FX’s “Atlanta”
Opening Defense: I know the pushback I’ll most likely receive is “but wait–black people love ‘Atlanta’ too.” Sure, but this year saw a variety of black-starring and created TV shows from “Loosely Exactly Nicole” to “Insecure” to “Luke Cage” to “Queen Sugar” and none of them received the universal adoration from white critics that “Atlanta” did….
Episode 47–Brody and Michael Save The World
The biggest of the “big,” it practically makes Trump look travel-sized. We take on no less than every big issue we can think of and answer questions from our listeners. How can interracial couples solve racism? How is automation a bigger economic threat than immigration? [Plus how to fix it.] Which Democrat is going to save us…
300 at 30: Episode 18–Your Authority Figures Were Wrong, It’s Ok to Throw Away Food
A PAINFUL episode as I throw away perfectly good junk food.
300 at 30–Episode 17: Do Milestones Matter?
Does it matter that I regained all the weight I lost in 2016? How to get back on the weight-loss-horse even after regaining, and talking about New Year’s Resolutions. Happy 2017 everyone! We’ll re-lose last year’s weight together.