AltWeeklies Wire
20 Reasons the Earth Will Be Glad To See Bush Gonew
As our 43rd president scrambles to screw further with Mother Nature, we consider the ways our planet will be better off under Obama.
Boston Phoenix |
David S. Bernstein |
12-18-2008 |
Environment
The '08 Election Made ACORN a Household Name, but At What Cost?new
Although ACORN has spent the last 38 years helping low- and middle-income families with problems as big as home foreclosures and as small as neighborhood speed bumps, for many Americans the 2008 campaign marked the first time they’d ever heard of it.
San Antonio Current |
Gilbert Garcia |
12-18-2008 |
Politics
'Yes Man' Isn't Exactly 'Liar Liar,' but It's Closenew
Even though the lesson gets a little heavy-handed, the film is full of goofy, joyful moments, anchored by the sweet chemistry between Carrey and Deschanel as well as a life-affirming message that everyone could use these days.
Washington City Paper |
Tricia Olszewski |
12-18-2008 |
Reviews
'Seven Pounds': Hoping Strategiesnew
Will Smith's latest finds a way to be optimistic without turning him into a ham.
Washington City Paper |
Tricia Olszewski |
12-18-2008 |
Reviews
Bitter Pill: How D.C.'s Pharmacies Fail Womennew
When it comes to birth control, pharmacists may refuse to do their jobs for any reason -- or none at all.
Washington City Paper |
Amanda Hess |
12-18-2008 |
Science
On Broadway, Understudying for a Celeb Can be a Nightmarenew
Understudying can be rewarding, but it can also be a slap-in-the-face kind of gig -- few if any rehearsals, the anxiety of being called to perform at very short notice and the lingering possibility of never performing -- but throw in the fame factor, and "tough" isn't quite the word for it anymore.
New York Press |
Dana Rossi |
12-18-2008 |
Theater
The Essence of Alison Bechdel's 'Dykes'new
Alison Bechdel's former assistant reflects on a quarter century of "Dykes to Watch Out For."
Seven Days |
Cathy Resmer |
12-17-2008 |
Cartoons
Take Back Baracknew
We didn't vote for Obama. We voted for Change. Obama owes progressives his election. We need to take back Barack!
Portland Phoenix |
Jeff Inglis and Deirdre Fulton |
12-17-2008 |
Commentary
Cajun Gems' Ben Whitesides Has a Long History of Bright Futuresnew
Amid false rumors of the Joggers' breakup, Whitesides recently began focusing on the Cajun Gems for the first time in years. Armed with a huge batch of songs, built from "days' worth of riffs and rifflettes" on his computer, Whitesides is now readying tracks for both the Joggers and the Cajun Gems.
Willamette Week |
Michael Mannheimer |
12-17-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
'Seven Pounds' is Agonizing, Incessant and Impervious to Ironynew
Will Smith continues in the vein of his last three movies by maintaining a clenched, anguished, clotted expression on his face. He has completed his transfiguration into the Fresh Prince of Airlessness.
Willamette Week |
Aaron Mesh |
12-17-2008 |
Reviews
'Slavery by Another Name' Examines Post-Civil War Convict Labornew
Douglas Blackmon argues -- passionately, forcefully and convincingly -- that by any measure, blacks in the states of the former Confederacy saw their freedom so warped and constrained in the decades after the Civil War that the overwhelming majority were not in any meaningful way free.
The Texas Observer |
Todd Moye |
12-17-2008 |
Nonfiction
To Shmeat or Not to Shmeat: Carcass Consumption vs. Dr. Frankenmeatnew
PETA argues that fake meat has the potential to eliminate the raising of animals for human consumption, while allowing those with a taste for tissue to continue enjoying their favorite meaty delicacies. Sounds like a win/win, but there are obstacles to replacing meat with shmeat, not least of which is widespread distaste at the very thought of a Frankenfurter or test-tube steak.
San Diego CityBeat |
D.A. Kolodenko |
12-17-2008 |
Food+Drink
How Obama's Ground Game Helped Him Win North Carolinanew
In the run-up to February's Super Tuesday primaries, no one guessed that North Carolina could, in the early morning hours of Nov. 5, become the 28th state to declare for Obama.
The Texas Observer |
Lawrence Goodwyn |
12-17-2008 |
Politics
Is the Reign of Feral Cats Over in the Twin Cities?new
Two years ago, St. Paul Animal Control and Animal Ark formed a unique partnership to implement the controversial Trap, Neuter, and Return program advocated by the Humane Society.
City Pages (Twin Cities) |
Beth Walton |
12-17-2008 |
Animal Issues
Doomtree, Solid Gold, and Vampire Hands Deftly Dot the Twin Cities' 2008 Music Timelinenew
Crack open our Twin Cities Local Music Yearbook and reminisce on an effed-up year.
City Pages (Twin Cities) |
Andrea Swensson |
12-17-2008 |
Music
