Does this sound familiar? I was driving in my car and talking on my mobile phone, using a hands-free device of course. When I do this I usually place my phone on my lap. Once I arrived at my destination I turned my car off, opened the door and stepped out of my car. I think you know where this is heading....

Many bands talented (and lucky) enough to end up in the public spotlight will undoubtedly be scrutinized for their failure to be truly original when compared to their predecessors. Originality has numerous faces, and occasionally similarities can serve to benefit an act. Boston born and bred quintet...

Unlike any other artist that comes to mind, when I listen to Elvis Costello I feel like “I was there.” Costello’s songs offer vivid portrayals of complex characters and situations. This is certainly the case in his newest release, Secret, Profane, and Sugarcane, released three weeks ago today. Secret,...

For the most part, I don’t like listening to the radio.  Typically, there are too many commercials and too much music that, frankly, isn’t very good.  Satellite radio has come along and helped those issues out a little, but it costs money.  I wanted to find something free, something that...

Being in graduate school, I have a fair share of “required” reading on my plate at any given time. My pleasure reading, then, usually takes the form of some combination of Wired magazine, various film blogs, and ESPN.com. I enjoy following several regular columnists on ESPN, including Bill...

Summer is now in full swing, and with summer comes occasion for poolside barbecues, evenings on the patio and other such outdoorsy get-togethers. Typically, alcoholic beverages are a staple for such activities providing the social lubricant for anyone above twenty-one years of age. The most common summertime...

As his list of important works continues to grow, James Loewen is making a name for himself among America’s reading community as something of a naughty historian. A frequent contributor to The History Channel’s History magazine and professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Vermont, he...

The fashion world seems to have forgotten a fairly good-sized demographic: the not-super-skinny demographic.  With the current pants trend getting slimmer and slimmer, it’s extremely hard to find a pair of trousers that fit the legs, don’t bunch up around the waist and don’t taper...

If you have children, you have undoubtedly experienced the joy of seeing at least one Disney / Pixar film since the pair first released Toy Story into theaters 14 years ago. The Disney / Pixar partnership has enjoyed unprecedented movie-making success both critically and financially; their films have...