‘Pink Floyd: The Story of Wish You Were Here’
Over the weekend, I was surprised to hear that another of our nephews is a huge Pink Floyd fan. Of course our nephew Elliot, 25, has been smitten with Dark Side of the Moon for years — to the point of buying import copies on vinyl, getting a Dark Side of the Moon...Hawaii missionaries: Sarah Vowell’s ‘Unfamiliar Fishes’
Unfamiliar Fishes is the product a very fortunate convergence. Author Sarah Vowell has a delicious appreciation for the peculiar coincidences and ironies produced when cultures clash and combine into the slaw of American history — and Hawaii, our 50th state, is a...‘Exporting Raymond’: ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ in Russia
Have you ever found yourself in a meeting, attempting to communicate what you know to be a sound and worthy idea, and yet every point you make is blunted and deflected by your collaborators? Perhaps there is some friction with their corporate culture, or a difference...‘Cedar Rapids’ (Ed Helms, Anne Heche movie, 2011)
It’s the quirks and surprises that make an offbeat movie like Cedar Rapids enjoyable. The basic story is strictly conventional: Naive insurance agent Tim Lippe (Ed Helms) is unexpectedly catapulted from his routine life in the Wisconsin hinterlands to the bright...Jonah Lehrer: ‘Imagine: How Creativity Works’
Update, July 30, 2012: On Sunday, July 29, Jonah Lehrer resigned from The New Yorker over reuse of his own material in his New Yorker blog posts, and after an article in Tablet magazine — “Jonah Lehrer’s Deceptions” — revealed that he had fabricated quotes...How to replace a toilet: First, break the old toilet
A couple of days ago, I successfully replaced our toilet’s flapper assembly. However, something was still not quite right. The flush handle was bumping into the tank lid, and it clearly needed a small adjustment. So on Thursday afternoon, I grabbed an adjustable...Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker compares self to Vince Lombardi
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, quoted in an AP story Wednesday afternoon, is now imagining himself as legendary Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi. Walker recalls the Packers’ 1-10-1 record for the 1958 season, and he cautions that head coach Vince Lombardi...Solitaire, patience, and creativity at work
Solitaire — the pastime of playing cards alone — is often regarded with disdain. Solitaire players are viewed as slackers wasting time when they should be doing something productive. Solitaire is even seen as a pathetic pursuit — a game for outcasts and loners of...Racine on TV: ‘Around the Corner with John McGivern’
For a few months now, we’ve been watching Around the Corner with John McGivern on Milwaukee Public Television. It usually airs Thursday nights at 7:30 on WMVS Channel 10, and Friday nights at 8:00 on WMVT Channel 36. The show is a breezy half-hour tour of a...
