Boehner’s 2012 Challenges Highlighted By Payroll Tax Misstep

When the histories of the current 111th Congress are finally written, maybe it all will become clear. But for right now, there seem to be many more questions than answers. For instance, why did House Republicans ever think it was a good idea to stake out a position on the payroll-tax issue that would leave [...]

Senator Finds Government-Funded Food Waste Far Beyond The Compost Bin

As Eater reported this week, some politicians believe this country is awash in food waste. But this isn’t the stuff in the garbage — it’s the way we pour money into building restaurants, promoting American food products abroad, and encouraging the purchase of local foods. Every December, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) puts a Wastebook together [...]

Flick’s Favorite Memories From ‘A Christmas Story’

The holiday season means family, food, friends — and a slew of holiday films. The 1983 comedy A Christmas Story has become one of the cult favorites of the season, in heavy rotation on television screens across America each year. The quirky film follows a boy named Ralphie and his misadventures with his parents, friends [...]

Pop Culture Happy Hour: Our Favorite Moments Of 2011

It’s our last show of the year, and before we hurry off for a week away, we wanted to offer some of our defining — and just plain favorite — pop culture moments of 2011. Whether it’s Stephen’s fond memories of a favorite performance in our offices, my great love of a good discussion between [...]

Must-Watch Television: Tonight, ‘Wait Wait’ Comes To BBC America

There are some ideas that just sell themselves. “You should watch this radio show on television” is not one of them, necessarily. But! But! In this case, in fact, the opportunity to watch Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me! on BBC America tonight at 8:00 p.m. is one you should not miss. Why? Because you [...]

‘Nobbs’: A Woman, Trapped In A Man Of Her Making

“Such a kind little man.” The object of this offhand remark, delivered from the lofty height of 19th-century British aristocracy, is Albert Nobbs, a Dublin hotel waiter flattened so unobtrusively against a wall it’s a wonder the noblewoman noticed him at all. In the opening scenes of the warm and likable new indie drama Albert [...]

‘Blood And Honey’: In Bosnia, In The Enemy’s Arms

More than a decade after filmmakers from the former Yugoslavia began depicting that country’s savage early-’90s dissolution, two Western women directors have turned to the subject. Both Juanita Wilson’s As If I Am Not There, Ireland’s entry for this year’s best foreign-film Oscar, and In the Land of Blood and Honey, from actress-activist Angelina Jolie, [...]

What A Good (If Slightly Weird) Boy Wants For Christmas

Homer Simpson knows the problem. What do you give to someone who lives abnormally? Outside ordinary categories? Well, English muffins are always welcome, but since we’re about to hit the weekend (and I’m permitted to play) I’ve come up with a short list of gifts that would satisfy somebody like…oh…me. 1. A Paleolithic Telephone It [...]

What’s Sharing An Egg (Or Sperm) Among Friends?

Though there are more ways today to create a baby than ever before – with help from a friend or stranger’s sperm, egg, embryo or womb, just to name a few—questions continue to swirl about what and when to tell the resulting children about how they’re related to whom. Even plans that seem firm before [...]

We Still Love: ‘Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas’

A few years ago, I got my picture taken with the original Ma and Emmet Otter puppets from Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas. For me, this was roughly equivalent to being a screaming teenage girl in 1967 who got her forehead signed by John Lennon. For as long as I’ve been able to talk, you see, [...]