Mmmm! What’s that devilish flavor, Midge? It’s got a base of frowning judge and overtones of cold marble and concrete, sprinkled with arbitrary traditions and with subtle hints of collective punishment! Wait, I know — it’s austerity! Yes, it’s the hot new lifestyle trend that’s sweeping Europe, and it’s coming to America, …
Status update: LeonardPierce.com is on temporary hiatus while the proprietor crawls around a Nazi dungeon collecting health boosts. Regular updates of short humor, cultural commentary and political whatnot will return on Monday, October 29. Thank you for your continued support of this site, and if you’d like to send a …
On July 12 of 1990, an hour-long comedy-drama created by Josh Brand and John Falsey debuted on CBS. Entitled Northern Exposure, it followed the humorous fish-out-of-water encounters with rural Alaskan culture of New York doctor Joel Fleischmann, as portrayed by Rob Morrow at the beginning and the end of a promising …
Of all the issues over which Republicans and Democrats have butted heads in recent elections, none have proven as shockingly polarizing as health care. When President Obama managed to pass a health care reform bill, it so enraged the opposition — despite the fact that it was a monstrously compromised …
Most Americans — and I hope to excuse the broadness of this claim by absolutely, unreservedly including myself — are really, really bad with money. This is not to say that they are simply stupid about their finances, or that when they are, it’s their fault. As has been widely …
The recent cultural fisticuffs over Amanda Palmer’s initial decision to hire local musicians to play for her in exchange for the non-negotiable instruments of “beer and hugs” has rippled far beyond Palmer herself, becoming a talking point in a larger conversation about what it means to be an artist in …
One of the great losses of the Internet age is the legendary quality of the you-had-to-be-there moment. Once upon a time, it was possible to evoke the unrepeatable glory of some event, some concert or performance or speech, and assure your audience that it was a thing of transcendent greatness, …
One thing needs to be addressed right off the bat when discussing Rian Johnson’s excellent new sci-fi drama Looper: yes, its time travel narrative doesn’t make any sense. Congratulations on spotting this well-concealed flaw, so integral to the essence of the film that Johnson was blowing it off as largely …
Blame is a tricky thing in politics. For one thing, you have to be particularly careful about the entire notion of blame — for blame, after all, implies agency and power, which can easily backfire. People who say that the current administration is responsible for all the woes of the …
