Daily Archives: January 28, 2010
A Musical Question On a Thursday Evening
Posted on January 28, 2010 50 Comments
It is: Can “Stairway to Heaven” ever be rescued from the “overplayed on classic rock radio for two full decades” musical purgatory in which it currently resides? While you’re considering this weighty question: Previously noted on Whatever: This, and also this.
From the Whatever Archives: “Holden Caulfield in Middle Age”
Posted on January 28, 2010 145 Comments
On the occasion of J.D. Salinger’s passing, I find it appropriate to exhume from the Secret Whatever Archives this essay, entitled “Holden Caulfield in Middle Age” (also available in Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded, which you should buy, damn you). Enjoy. July 18, 2001 Holden Caulfield turned 50 this last week, and if the […]
J.D. Salinger Dead
Posted on January 28, 2010 24 Comments
At age 91. Somewhere Holden Caulfield is pretending he doesn’t care. I was not a fan (although that’s not the same as saying I didn’t think he wrote well), but I know some of you were. So my sympathies to you, and here, have a thread to talk about it.
State of the Union 2010
Posted on January 28, 2010 110 Comments
One word: Eh. More words: It was a bit weird; the rhythm was herky-jerky and the audience didn’t seem to know if it wanted to applaud or not in places, and basically the whole thing felt like school play with the main character thrown off his game by no one else knowing their lines. Note […]
The Big Idea: Sara Miles
Posted on January 28, 2010 11 Comments
Where is the story of the world being told? It might be in the place you least expect: far away from news cameras and press releases. Sara Miles finds her work in those margins — she is the founder of the St. Gregory’s Food Pantry in San Francisco — but more than that finds the […]
It Is a Good Day To Die!
Posted on January 28, 2010
Over at AMC this week: The pros and cons of being killed by various science fiction film aliens. You’d think it’s all con (because no matter what, you’re dead), but some deaths are more humiliating than others. Read this list, and then rank the ways to go in the poll. And of course, as always, […]
Whatever Everyone Else is Saying