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“Are You Idiots?” Caring for China
June 4th, 2008To see Zhang Ziyi onscreen is to recognize her as a cinematic presence. The star of films such as House of Flying Daggers and (most famously) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is not so much an actress as an iconic figure of the martial arts genre—a feminine beauty that is capable of terrifying strength when the occasion calls. She can dance, yes, but she can also kick. Read More
Other News
Tornado Streams of Consciousness
April 29th, 2008It's amazing how what you've planned to write can change in a few hours. For those of you who haven't heard, at least three tornados have hit my fair state of Virginia, specifically, the area where I live. No one had expected these tornadoes to arrive. Like the rest of the Virginians, I was expecting only a little afternoon rain as I left for work at the Old Dominion University (ODU) in Norfolk. And even when it grew dark and began to rain harder, it didn't seem like anything too out of the ordinary. Read More
Music Musings: Colour
April 23rd, 2008Many of you may not have heard of Andy Hunter, but you may be more familiar with his music than you might otherwise believe. Hunter is a British DJ who specializes in techno music, in various forms from electronica to trance. Though he has recorded only two CDs, Exodus and Life, his music has been used in the TV show Alias, video games Need for Speed Underground and Burnout Revenge, the movie The Italian Job and trailers for The Matrix Reloaded, National Treasure and the upcoming Speed Racer. Read More
Dollar Challenge
April 14th, 2008If you have a Dad like mine, you’ve probably heard innumerable lectures about the value of a dollar. Yet there’s some truth to that today. With just one dollar, you can buy a song off of iTunes or most other online music stores. Or you could get an item off of the value menu at fast food chains such as Burger King or McDonalds. And that’s not even counting the numerous items you can find at the dollar stores. Read More
Archived Stories
Movie Musings: Leatherheads
April 6th, 2008There’s a point in “Leatherheads” where both football teams are completely layered in mud. This poses a great challenge for the sports reporters, who note that they now can’t tell any of the players apart. And that’s the problem with this movie, which wants to be a lavish, romantic and fun period piece about the early beginnings of professional football, with a touch of comedy thrown in for good measure. Read More
Movie Musings: Stop Loss
April 4th, 20083 stars out of 4 The surprising thing about the new film produced by MTV Films Stop-Loss, is how insightful it is in the details of every scene. Though occasional touches such as the music montage slip into the film, it plays more like an insightful independent film than a stylized piece of entertainment, unafraid to depict life the way it really is. Read More
Wiis and Human Nature
April 4th, 2008Several weeks ago, I had the thrill of receiving my first paycheck. I decided to celebrate by purchasing a Nintendo Wii gaming console. My friend had purchased one a few months ago and had warned me that it took him a few days to find one. Read More
Plot, Story and Love
February 17th, 2008Plot is what is done to the characters—the external events that could occur to any individual. Story is what characters do—the internal events that happen only with one particular character: dialogue, behavior, reactions to other characters, etc. And what is love? Read More
The Opposite of Complaining Is Love
February 15th, 2008“Life’s greatest happiness is to be convinced that we are loved.” Victor Hugo. Is it any surprise that many are going to hate their Valentine's Day weekend? Single people will struggle with feelings of loneliness upon not receiving any Valentines. Others may be disappointed by what their significant others do—or don’t do—for them. Read More
Super Bowl-Inspired Philosophy
February 7th, 2008I firmly believe that anything can generate food for thought. Anything. For instance, the Super Bowl. When I read that it was the second most-watched television program of all time, it made me think hard about fandom. Read More