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Recent Posts
- “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die”: Our A.I. Future Will Be a Gilded Cage, Maybe
- On Maggie Gylenhaal’s “The Bride”: Bonnie & Clyde in Stitches
- On George Saunders’ New Novel “Vigil”: Jumping the Shark Across the Heavens
- On HBO’s New Series “DTF St. Louis”: Charm & Glory of the Mundane
- On “Dr. Strangelove” 62 Years Later: General Jack Ripper in Charge Now
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Author Archives: williamjcobb
On Timothy Egan's "The Big Burn" & the Obligatory Fall Foliage Photo
I recently finished Timothy Egan’s The Big Burn (2009) and rank it as one of the best nonfiction books I’ve read in the last few years. His analysis of the fight between conservative and progressive politics of the era, which … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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Malcolm Gladwell on Facebook & Twitter, or Making the World Safe for Wall Street Brokers and Their Cellphones
Since I’ve taken several jabs at the Brave New World of Facebook, I feel obliged to post Malcolm Gladwell’s excellent critique of Facebook & Twitter activism in a recent New Yorker. He’s reasonable, level-headed, and not nearly as shrill as … Continue reading
Posted in books, Social Networking
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On Heather Sellers' "You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know," Ken Kesey, & Those Amazing Miners
First off, on this day of all happy days, how can you not be thrilled and chilled by the rescue of the Chilean miners. Like everybody else, I watched on TV and on websites. I was even made proud to … Continue reading
Posted in books, Weird Science
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Another Reason to Hate Facebook & Twitter
Frank Rich in today’s NY Times has a good summation of the role of “social networking” in the current Most Disgusting Midterm Campaign Season Ever: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/opinion/10rich.html?hp Friends (the real kind) tell me I really need to get with it, get … Continue reading
Posted in Politics, Social Networking
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On Witches, Thugs, and Kooks: Or a Politician Near You, With an Apology (of sorts) to Jon Stewart
I noticed two good pieces on the (embarrassing) political choices we face in less than a month, Gail Collins in the NY Times, dissecting the weirdness in Connecticut: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/opinion/07collins.html?hp, plus another piece, which includes Jon Stewart on The Daily Show … Continue reading
Posted in Bad TV, Politics
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On Jon Stewart, Bob Woodward, & Rick Sanchez, et al: or Media Phonies Against Obama
So with yesterday’s news that CNN fired Rick Sanchez over his angry (actually, I heard the thing, and it was more so a Poor Pitiful Me game he was playing) rant against his own network and Jon Stewart, among others, … Continue reading
Posted in Bad TV, Politics
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Timothy Egan in the NY Times on Legalizing Marijuana, or "California Dreamin'"
After my post yesterday of the CNN editorial about the failed War on Drugs, I have to call out Timothy Egan’s excellent op-ed in this morning’s NY Times, under the witty headline “Reefer Gladness.” He even knows the person who’s … Continue reading
Posted in books, Politics, The West
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On HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" & the Current (New! Improved!) Prohibition
It’s two weeks into the first season of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire and I’m hooked: Being a sucker for Steve Buscemi, gangster movies/shows, and a long-time fan of The Sopranos, it’s no surprise that I like Empire, considering it’s done by … Continue reading
Posted in Good TV, Politics
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Review of Joseph Skibell's new novel, "A Curable Romantic"
Here’s a url to my review of Joseph Skibell’s new novel, A Curable Romantic, which appears in today’s Dallas Morning News. It’s a quick review of a rather long (nearly 600 pages in the galley edition), complicated novel. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/books/stories/DN-bk_romantic_0926gd.ART.State.Bulldog.3343f4f.html If … Continue reading
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Sneak Peak at Susan Orlean's new book
So in the shameless-namedropping category I have to dish that this last week I was in the company of Susan Orlean, author of The Orchid Thief (1998) and many others, not to mention being a terrific writer for The New Yorker, … Continue reading
Posted in books/film
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