armchair cultural observation since 1995

Articles rss

My John Prine Moment 16 Years Ago(0)

April 10, 2020

I blame three of my former newspaper colleagues for the tears I shed when I found out John Prine was in critical condition with coronavirus and again when news broke a week later that he had died. One co-worker who was both an accomplished musician and columnist covered his songs in his live concerts. Another […]

Christian t-shirts and the third baseman for ‘The Bad News Bears’

The Bad News Bears and the sequels it spawned aren’t known for their wholesomeness but one member of the team with an uncanny resemblance to Harpo Marx talked about “the Holy Spirit” and wore Christian t-shirts.

Cast Party event a toast to the podcast universe

Podcasts have been everywhere in the news this year – Serial is still everywhere, President Obama stopped by Marc Maron’s garage to be interviewed for WTF – so it only makes sense that the medium would ride the wave of popularity to the level of a stage show simulcasted to movie theaters around the country. But what exactly […]

Is that Smash Williams playing beer pong in ‘Boyhood’?

If you pay close attention in Richard Linklater’s Oscar-nominated 2014 film Boyhood, you might recognize a familiar face playing beer pong at a party.

Chess-playing IT guy named Jordan Henderson is Twitter famous

As Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson star has risen in the Premier League this season, so too has the popularity of the Twitter account of a Jordan Henderson who lives in Ohio.

Upon Further Reflection: Looking Back on 2014

A review of the music, books, movies, podcasts, TV shows and other cultural artifacts I enjoyed in 2014.

Where is the ‘Wavin’ Flag’ of Brazil 2014?

One of the lasting memories of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa – besides the incredible soccer and game-winning goals by Landon Donovan and Andrés Iniesta – is the K’Naan song “Wavin’ Flag.” Whenever I hear the song, particularly the remixed version that played seemingly during every commercial break advertising the FIFA 2010 World […]

Fictional Bands: Bobby Knight Ranger

I’m still recovering from the shock of its time-jump ending, but one of many memorable and subtle moments in the season six finale of Parks and Recreation was one of the bands that took the stage for the Pawnee/Eagleton Unity Day concert. While Jeff Tweedy’s cameo was obvious and already the subject of a previous […]