AltWeeklies Wire
Mao's Ghost: The Spirit of the Chairman Haunts the Olympicsnew
Americans should ask themselves, is it in our interests that China today holds $1.2 trillion in reserve assets alone, with billions more invested in US financial institutions and other businesses? And while we ponder that question, we should ask ourselves this: is it prudent for the federal government to spend like a drunken sailor with money borrowed from China?
Boston Phoenix |
Editorial |
08-07-2008 |
International
Tricky (Philip K.) Dicknew
Published last spring, the first Philip K. Dick volume in the Library of America series caught this wave at its peak. This second offering might not be so fortunate.
Boston Phoenix |
Peter Keough |
07-31-2008 |
Fiction
Victim, Not Vixennew
Evelyn Nesbit biographer Paula Uruburu makes a convincing case that sexual naïveté plus parental abandonment aggravated by an unearned notoriety based on looks alone added up to certain doom for the most beautiful woman in the world.
Boston Phoenix |
Clif Garboden |
07-31-2008 |
Nonfiction
The Rise of the Minisodenew
I spent 25 minutes with the Minisode Network on YouTube, and realized: The minisode is its own thing, a kind of minimal, calligraphic rendition of the original story, rather illuminating in the spareness of its strokes.
Boston Phoenix |
James Parker |
07-31-2008 |
TV
Political Humor is No Longer Welcome in Academianew
For close to two decades, academia has been in the grips of a political-correctness fury that has strangled the sense of humor that was once the campus's best-known calling card. So if you're wondering why Barack Obama had such a surprisingly negative reaction to that New Yorker cover, consider the Harvard Factor.
Boston Phoenix |
Harvey Silverglate |
07-31-2008 |
Civil Liberties
Why is the Press Playing Along with GOP Smears of Obama?new
The GOP is smearing Barack Obama as a narcissist, hitting him repeatedly with the charge that he has a vanity problem. So why is the press playing along?
Boston Phoenix |
Adam Reilly |
07-31-2008 |
Media
The Election Ain't Over Yet -- Quite a Few Hurdles Remain for Obamanew
In the wake of Barack Obama's triumphant European tour, the political press continues, by and large, to declare the election all but over.
Boston Phoenix |
Steven Stark |
07-31-2008 |
Commentary
The Biggest Story from the Trail Lately: Which Candidate is More Lackluster?new
In the roughly two months since we've known the identity of both major party's presumed nominees, a remarkable thing has happened: neither John McCain nor Barack Obama has done virtually anything to bolster his candidacy.
Boston Phoenix |
Steven Stark |
07-31-2008 |
Commentary
Sid and Marty Krofft Show MySpace How Psychedelia’s Really Donenew
With a movie version of the Kroffts' Land of the Lost (starring Will Ferrell) due out in 2009, Sid and Marty are trying to woo a new demo by partnering with MySpace TV.
Boston Phoenix |
Mike Miliard |
07-31-2008 |
TV
Chicks Who Kick: The Other Kind of Celtic Dancenew

I had to put my hostilities aside this past Thursday night when I headed down to the Roxy for the Boston Celtics' 2008-'09 Dance Team final auditions. After months of training, 40 hopefuls from across the country (and one from Australia) came together to compete for 17 spots (a tribute to the World Champions' 17 titles) on next season’s squad.
Boston Phoenix |
Neely Steinberg |
07-31-2008 |
Sports
McCain's Telemarketers Invade Bostonnew
The McCain team opened phone-bank operations here in Boston on July 14, but has largely focused on New Hampshire, where the race is still within single digits. Volunteers are conducting a combination of marketing and polling.
Boston Phoenix |
Scott Lieber |
07-31-2008 |
Politics
Me and My Tattoos: One Man's Inky Voyage Toward Meaningnew
Ever meet a guy -- an annoying, preening, cocky guy -- who was more than a little self-satisfied about his bodywork? The kind of guy who wants to tell you the back-story to every tattoo he ever got? Yeah, us too.
Boston Phoenix |
James Parker |
07-31-2008 |
Comedy
Tags: humor & satire, tatoos
Where Has All the Gonzo Gone?new
In the first presidential election since the death of Hunter S. Thompson, we finally realize what we've lost.
Boston Phoenix |
Mike Miliard |
07-31-2008 |
Media
State House Sex Scandal Reveals Pitfalls of Reporting on Mental Illnessnew
While the Boston press clearly thinks Jim Marzilli's mental condition is newsworthy, the question of why it's important -- and how it should be covered -- has remained unanswered.
Boston Phoenix |
Adam Reilly |
07-31-2008 |
Media
Can Obama Make Democrats Face Up to Economic Reality?new

There is no doubt that Obama would do a better job on the economy. But during these challenging and worrisome economic times he, and Democrats running for Congress, seem to be promising a lot -- the sky, in fact: less taxes for most people and more services for all. At the moment, it just does not add up.
Boston Phoenix |
Phoenix Editorial |
07-30-2008 |
Commentary