AltWeeklies Wire
The Seductive World of Home-Improvement TVnew

It's frivolous, it's out of touch, and I can't get enough of it. Why? Because most HGTV shows embody the triumph of style over substance, of beauty over function. And their notions of what looks good in a home are almost as ephemeral as high fashion. Talk about escapist entertainment.
Seven Days |
Margot Harrison |
11-21-2008 |
Movies
'The Double Life of a Rebel' Looks at Poet Arthur Rimbaudnew
This handy, brief biography is published by Atlas & Co. in its continuing series of "Eminent Lives."
The Memphis Flyer |
Leonard Gill |
11-21-2008 |
Nonfiction
Villaraigosa Helps Obama on the Economy ... Why?new
Filled with some of the most experienced business, economic policy and labor leaders in the country, Obama's Transition Economic Advisory Board includes luminaries like Warren Buffett and CEO of Google. And Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. We took to the streets to find out how Angelenos would vet Villaraigosa’s economic qualifications.
L.A. Weekly |
Tibby Rothman |
11-21-2008 |
Politics
The National Civil Rights Museum Plans $10-$15 Million Renovationnew
With the renovation, the museum hopes to make its exhibits more accessible and more interactive.
The Memphis Flyer |
Mary Cashiola |
11-21-2008 |
Culture
Scott Weiland's Candlelit Bluesnew

We talk with the former Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver singer on the eve of his first solo album in a decade.
L.A. Weekly |
Erin Broadley |
11-21-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Judgment Day: Anand Jon Trial Concludesnew
Designer found guilty of 14 felonies and two misdemeanors against seven of the nine women, including one forcible-rape charge and multiple counts of lewd acts upon a child, and faces life in prison.
L.A. Weekly |
Steven Mikulan |
11-21-2008 |
Crime & Justice
The Insensitive Man's Holiday Gift Guidenew

Alas, the holidays are a time when you're supposed to be thankful and thoughtful, reaching out to loved ones with tenderness and affection. In other words, you can't behave like a man. Which presents a rather daunting challenge when it comes to gift buying.
Nashville Scene |
Pete Kotz |
11-21-2008 |
Shopping
'Bolt' is a Starry Dog Storynew
As I laughed my head off, I wondered what it means that children's movies have become the playground for Hollywood's self-loathing.
L.A. Weekly |
Ella Taylor |
11-21-2008 |
Reviews
LA's Digital Billboards Become a Bohemian Blasphemynew

The neighborhoods of Silver Lake, Hollywood, the Valley and Westside are all taking on City Hall's anti-green transformation of Los Angeles.
L.A. Weekly |
Christine Pelisek |
11-21-2008 |
Environment
Len Barron Brings Einstein Back from the Deadnew

Barron has spent the past 20 years trying to exalt Albert Einstein in his one-man show. He just released a DVD, Portraits of Einstein, with clips of his show and other goodies.
Boulder Weekly |
Dylan Otto Krider |
11-20-2008 |
Performance
Shopping for a Gamer or a Tech-Toy Lover? Here are Some Ideasnew
It's that time of the year again: I've been tasked with putting together a gift guide for hard-to-please technophiles who are clamoring for video games and gadgets this holiday season.
Tucson Weekly |
Saxon Burns |
11-20-2008 |
Video Games
Small-Press Books: Reading for Real Peoplenew
As the unemployment rate rises and your friends find themselves out of work, why not comfort them with some small-press books this holiday season?
Tucson Weekly |
Jarret Keene |
11-20-2008 |
Books
Edie Sedgwick Explores Unconscious Connectionsnew
This side project by Justin Moyer, a veteran of El Guapo and Antelope, is lo-fi in its execution but sophisticated in its sassy conception
Tucson Weekly |
Gene Armstrong |
11-20-2008 |
Reviews
Verbana's 'Souls for Sale' is a Rollicking Re-issuenew
By reissuing Verbena's first full-length for Merge, Fat Possum puts back into print a Southern blues-punk gem.
Tucson Weekly |
Jarret Keene |
11-20-2008 |
Reviews
Joel Grind, the Omega Mannew
Toxic Holocaust's thrash-punk provides the soundtrack for a post-apocalyptic world.
Tucson Weekly |
Jarret Keene |
11-20-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews