Life By The Drop

by Jeff Warzecha

 Gas prices are rising and there's nothing anyone can do about it.

A Colossal Waste of Money

By Courtney M.

Jeff Koons, one of the world's most famous living sculptors, has been tapped by Friends of the High Line to construct and install a full-size replica of a 1943 Baldwin 2900 steam locomotive to dangle from a beamed crane in lower Manhattan. The High Line, currently one of New York's biggest attractions, is a public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the city streets. Open to the public, the park is maintained as a revolving community arts space with site-specific installations and exhibitions for the public to engage in against the backdrop of the city.

Deny me thrice...

by Jim Kopetz

 

Deny me thrice,
as Peter did Christ.
And let the cock crow cold,
as a bitter mornings snow.

Temple, Not Twitter

by Jeff Warzecha

Having been raised Catholic, and recovering from having been immersed, I find myself scratching my head at the news regarding Beis Rivkah High School in Brooklyn, New York. The Jewish high school's officials pulled out every member of the 11th grade who had a Facebook account and demanded that they delete their account and pay $100 to the school or face expulsion.

$50, ma'am.

by Jeff Warzecha

It is morally irresponsible for Newt Gingrich to begin charging $50 for photograph.

Victim-Blaming At Its Best: Geraldo Rivera's Useless "Different" Take on a Tragic Murder

By Courtney M.

No, Geraldo. No. An innocent child was not gunned down because he wore a hoodie. It was actually a racist piece of shit who "thought everything would blow over" that murdered Trayvon Martin simply because he was black. 

Hail! President Santorum!

by Jim Kopetz

    No doubt I'm not alone in imagining the nightmare a Santorum presidency would incite. Fortunately, he will not win. Romney has been and will be the Republican nominee. The ides of March have passed and April will provide Romney with the delegates needed to secure the nomination. But what if? What if Rick Santorum sold his soul in a Faustian plea for the presidency? Like Robert Johnson without the soul. What if?

Mad Women: The Women of Mad Men

By Courtney M.

While Mad Men largely centers around the character of Don Draper and his ad executive colleagues as they navigate the social and political upheavals of history's most pivotal decade (the 1960s), there are many, many different ways to approach an episode or even an entire season. Between the central characters and their subsequent story arcs, the pretext and historical context of major plot points, and critical issues circling identity and gender roles, there's a lot to unpack here. The duality of Dick Whitman and Don Draper, alone, is more than enough material to ruminate on for the next one hundred pages. And while each major player contains—at the very least—a magnitude of historical relevance and representation, what makes Mad Men so good is that nothing seems force-fed or heavy-handed; especially not its characters, which is difficult to pull off given this particular period piece. Everything is seamless, natural and (whether it's a good thing or not) relatable. Because once you clear the smoke and strip away the seduction and glamor, viewers quickly realize that not much has changed since the 1960s.

Especially not for women.

Double Feature Friday: Ten Tigers of Kwangtung (1980) & Shaolin Intruders (1983)

by Jim Kopetz

 

    Two classic kung-fu films from the Shaw Bros. If by any chance you're of the unfortunate ones that does NOT know who the Shaw Bros. are, here's a chance to find out.

After Fifty Posts, I'd Like to Share My Mission Statement.

by Jim Kopetz

    After writing for some time I realized that I never introduced myself or what this site is to me. Well, here we go...

Where Do the Sane Fit In?

by Jim Kopetz

    When no one represents the best interest of the country, what are we to do? Do whom do we turn?

A Beneficial War?

by Jeff Warzecha

In the wake of a United States marine viciously slaying 16 unarmed Afghan civilians in a "blind berserk rampage" the citizenry of Afghanistan has abruptly withdrawn their dwindling support for the presence of the United States' military personnel's presence in their country which is, by the day, resembling a post-apocalyptic world.

The "Go-Nowhere Generation" Has Nowhere To Go

By Courtney M.

In a recent Op/Ed column from The New York Times, authors Todd and Victoria Buccholz have deemed my demographic (the young, unemployed or underemployed college graduates) as “The Go-Nowhere Generation”—a moniker that, at first glance, I would agree with. At first glance.

Give Us This Day, Our Daily Debate: Your Choice

by Jim Kopetz

    Your call. First one to post starts the topic. Keep my faith in humanity. Voice your opinion. Spread the word.

Government Explained

by Jim Kopetz

    One youtube video aims to explain our government to, well, an alien. From outer space. You'll see.

Give Us This Day, Our Daily Debate: Is Religion Good For the World?

by Jim Kopetz

    An effort to get people to discuss and debate, be civil, on the topics of our time. Fight for your personal thoughts or fight for the other side, to try to understand the opposing viewpoint. Most of all, open your mind and question your own beliefs.

Double Feature Friday: Bug (2006) and Take Shelter (2011)

by Jim Kopetz

 

    Two magnificent thrillers starring Michael Shannon as a man who may or may not be losing his mind.

Instant Netflix Recommendation: The Trials of Henry Kissinger (2002)

by Jim Kopetz

    Based on the book by Christopher Hitchens and directed by Alex Gibney. That should be all you need to know.

Invisible Support

by Jeff Warzecha

Kony2012 is all the rage. There's no denying the copious amounts of social media attention and support that has been inundating your Facebook account, RSS feed and favorite news websites lately, but what's at the core of it is less than noble.

Santorum At It Again, Romney Wallows in Sorrow, Paul Reads Economics Textbook: A Look Back at Super Tuesday

by Jim Kopetz

    The rumor of Rick Santorum's deranged debauchery is still yet to be confirmed or denied, but I suspect the vicious dope fiend lurking behind those eyes will show itself soon enough. He's riding a high wave after a rather impressive display on Tuesday giving Romney a run for his money. But does this strange elf of a man really have a chance at becoming our next President?

Seek Neutrality, Make Up Your Own Damn Mind: Opinion Journalism is Dumbing You Down

By Courtney M.

I resent how inclusive the news media has become.

News websites providing public forums for users to discuss current issues is certainly nothing new—at least not on the internet's landscape. The local news station here (WTNH), however, recently employed a new feature called Voice of The People where viewers call a user hotline and share their personal opinions and long-winded diatribes regarding local, national, and international news stories that are then broadcast towards the end of the evening news.

Rush to get him off the air

by Jeff Warzecha

Rush Limbaugh’s grotesque pandering to the under-educated, misogynistic and gullible must be stopped.

Three Controversial Topics Briefly Discussed

By Courtney M.

Since Jim has successfully implemented a regular Friday Five feature here, I thought I'd try to do one of my own. I do a lot of sleuthing around on the internet and tend to come across a ton of topics and trends that, although they might not warrant a whole post of their own, still make me want to dip my extremities in vats of boiling acid.

Therefore, in addition to my regular contributions, I thought I'd try coming up with a list of 3 controversial issues to address (briefly) each week. I don't know if I'll adhere to a specific day (don't want to steal Jim's thunder), but this particular feature will range in a variety of matters from big to small—from current affairs and social issues to internet etiquette and preferable pizza toppings. Each week might even have a theme or something, I don't know. Everything will remain at least somewhat relevant to the national (and international) discourse, though.

It's important to note here that although we are best friends, my beliefs and opinions will not always reflect Jim's or this particular blog. He's a big boy with his own thoughts and convictions and as much as I try to tell him that Exile on Main Street is hands down the best Rolling Stones record, he regrettably (but respectfully) disagrees. It's a lost cause.

Wanted...

by Jim Kopetz

    Looking for writers.

If Eyes Could Inspire

by Jim Kopetz

If eyes could inspire,
a thousand lines,
and pages of desire.

Israel, Iran, and the End of the World

by Jim Kopetz

    A showdown between two nuclear states, Netanyahu declares that the U.S. will be kept in the dark, and President Obama whips it out and dangles. Is this the prelude to the end of the world?