AltWeeklies Wire
Defending the Polkanew
What's the difference between an accordion player and a terrorist? Terrorists have sympathizers.
Houston Press |
Chris Gray |
06-23-2009 |
Music
Tags: Grammy Awards, polka
Richard Scrushy Now Broke and Bustednew
At the end of one of the few remaining court battles in the HealthSouth saga, a Jefferson County circuit court judge saw what 12 jurors in criminal court did not - he found the former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy guilty and liable for the massive accounting fraud at the company.
Birmingham Weekly |
Kyle Whitmire |
06-23-2009 |
Business & Labor
Birmingham's Outdoor Dining Scenenew
While chandeliers and decorated walls are nice, nothing beats the twinkle of a cityscape as the backdrop for an impeccable dinner. Luckily, there are plenty of places to dine al fresco in Birmingham.
Birmingham Weekly |
Molly Folse |
06-23-2009 |
Food+Drink
Tags: Birmingham, food & drink
NCAA Puts Alabama Football Back on Probationnew
The NCAA has levied a three-year probation against the University of Alabama athletic department and forced the school's football team to vacate 21 past victories as punishment for a wide-scale scandal involving student-athletes and textbooks.
Birmingham Weekly |
Matt Hooper |
06-23-2009 |
Sports
Forget Trying To Make Nice With The Priests & Kingsnew
Author and columnist Lionel Rolfe calls on President Obama not to allow progress to stall in the name of bipartisanship. The stakes in the battles that are being fought on health care and other issues are far too high to allow it.
Random Lengths News |
Lionel Rolfe |
06-23-2009 |
Commentary
Tags: bipartisanship, Obama
Half Healthcare, 100% Dead: Why Obamacare Isn't Selling
There is no true middle ground on healthcare. The most civilized and efficient approach, tried and tested by the rest of the industrialized world, is fully socialized medicine.
'My Sister's Keeper' Turns on the Waterworks
Nick Cassavetes' three-hankie weepy lurches during moments of music-video sequences, and gratuitous voice-over narration from members of the Fitzgerald family as they struggle with their terminally ill daughter Kate (well played by Sofia Vassilieva).
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
06-22-2009 |
Reviews
Greeting Society's Collapse with a Smile and a Shovelnew
Transition was launched when one Rob Hopkins recognized that modern Western society cannot continue at its current pace of life as fast access to oil begins to dwindle. Global warming and economic meltdown are the two other principle drivers of the Transition movement, but in an ideal "Transition Town," society would be ready for such changes.
North Bay Bohemian |
Alastair Bland |
06-22-2009 |
Environment
'The Last International Playboy': Peter Pan as Serial Daternew
Starting like Girls Gone Wild and finishing more like Jay McInerney, this indie tale of a rake's progress is considerably sweeter than the marketing and early scenes would indicate.
Seattle Weekly |
Brian Miller |
06-22-2009 |
Reviews
'Food, Inc.': Michael Pollan Tells Us How to Eatnew
Problem is, no matter how much many viewers will (inevitably) agree with all the eat-local, food-miles, and change-big-agribusiness arguments here, we've already had a stomachful from prior books and films. Who else is this movie trying to reach?
Seattle Weekly |
Brian Miller |
06-22-2009 |
Reviews
Les Claypool Spins Stories of Pigs, Puke and Pinotnew
After a two-year gestation period, Claypool is getting ready to release the first few cases of Purple Pachyderm Pinot Noir, his initial venture into the boutique-wine business and his seventh solo release, Of Fungi and Foe.
The Georgia Straight |
Alexander Varty |
06-22-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Daedelus Embraces a Quiet, Close-Listening Approachnew
Since his 2001 debut, the prolific Santa Monica native has sampled literally thousands of records for his own releases, but his producer's work ethic has yet to translate into the lifeless tracks that run rampant in the computer-music scene.
The Georgia Straight |
Martin Turenne |
06-22-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Isis Balances the Ferocious and the Serenenew
Wavering Radiant's quieter passages are transcendent enough to suggest that singer-guitarist Aaron Turner is just as happy lost in the middle of nowhere as he is soaking up the maddening roar of modern civilization. That turns out to be exactly the case.
The Georgia Straight |
Mike Usinger |
06-22-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Special-Effects Guru Behind 'Transformers' Sees the Field Morphingnew
The computer-generated side has thoroughly taken over from hands-on engineering, which is what John Frazier studied back at the start of his long career. "The last movie we did that was all mechanical, other than maybe one visual-effects shot, was Speed," he says.
The Georgia Straight |
Ken Eisner |
06-22-2009 |
Movies
How Jackson Hospital's Mental Health Unit Fails Miaminew
Many tragedies have plagued the deeply troubled unit of the nation's third-largest public hospital. After an exhaustive review, New Times has uncovered the following: rushed patient releases, inadequate supervision, undocumented use of restraints, and possible civil rights violations.
Miami New Times |
Natalie O'Neill |
06-22-2009 |
Science
