Look Who's Talking

Anglican uberhack Rowan Williams uses his credentials as a "theologian" to rebuke U.S.A.'s exercise of sovereign rights and criticize the Western civilization that makes it possible for a clergyman to speak his mind freely. No word as to when Williams might be clipping his owlish eyebrows.

Danish Wisdom

How absurd men are! They never use the liberties they have, they demand those they do not have. They have freedom of thought, they demand freedom of speech.
-SK

Saturday

Thursday

Wednesday

Congrats, NERDS!

Author Weinreb delivers a hard-hitting expose of the chess world after following the players at Bohemigrant's alma mater, E.R. Murrow H.S., around for a year. Winner of the Quill Award and one of Amazon's most recommended reads of the year. Whaaaaa?

Finally, Something to Cheer About

What Jets fans do when they're not hauling cement to Piscataway.

Language Lessons

Young Russian protester comes out of the closet via facepaint. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Renaissance Man

John Mayer is the Leonardo Da Vinci of our generation. Not only is he a competent singer/songwriter, but an amateur comic, enthusiastic designer, avid sports fan, and occasional columnist. Still, despite some females at work comparing him to Frankenstein, the role he'll be remembered for is heartthrob. But do we really need to see him out and about every other weekend? And what's the deal with his bosom buddy sidekick Sherrod Small? Surely he's just hoping for leftover nookie?

hitman

There's a new movie called Hitman based on the video game. I'm not sure if it's been pointed out before but Hitman the video game is some nerd's wetdream re-imagining of the Besson movie Leon. Leon was not a great movie, but it was a cool movie. So cool in fact nerds would use the same motif for other assassin films.

"The "Hitman" is a genetically-engineered, elite assassin known only as Agent 47. His hallmarks are lethal grace, unwavering precision, and resolute pride in his work. But even 47 couldn't anticipate a "random equation" in his life exactitude: the unexpected stirrings of his conscience and the unfamiliar emotions aroused in him by a mysterious Russian woman. "



The protagonist is a shaven more handsome version of filthy frenchmen Jean Reno. The hot chick is an older chris hansen-less version of the mathilda character. Here is a movie that tries so hard to be cool it resembles Marky mark's The big Hit. I don't even think tits can save this movie.
please movie viewing audience i implore you to not watch this movie.

also this movie was produced by vin diesel.

Rap Major

I can't promise this is as entertaining as bitching about grad school, but you can't fault me for trying.

The Farnsworth Invention

The Farnsworth Invention, from talented West Wing creator/writer Aaron Sorkin, is a new play concerning TV's invention and ascendance in the 20th century. Simpsons voicer Hank Azaria plays Russian-Jewish immigrant David Sarnoff, who becomes head of RCA after the requisite struggle to wrap his arms around the American Dream. His chief opponent in the race to invent TV is Philo T. Farnsworth, a Mormon prodigy and grade-A egghead.

Fans of West Wing and The American President will pick up on Sorkin's fascination with television--the great promise and the grim reality. It is in these moments that the play veers into social utopia and grandiloquent monologue. Mostly, though, Sorkin pays homage to an even greater fascination--the urge for exploration and discovery. The highly effective script speeds the story along without excessive exposition or moralizing. The actors are charming and engaging, helping the writer tell his story--a simple--but highly entertaining one.

No More Heinous Crime

Israel's existence might be to the 21st century what being called a Nazi was to the 20th. From Gaza:

"Abbas, who dismissed the Hamas-led government after Gaza's takeover and governs from the West Bank, compared his rival's actions at the rally with "crimes of the Israeli occupier."

See That and Raise

Who knew formulaic right-wing fake news could be so fucking bad? This show might make the Fox News' transcription of The Daily Show look good.

On Thought, Part I

Far short of bringing new insights, getting older reinforces old prejudices. This is evident in every observation or meaningful idea I've had in the last few years of my life. My once fertile mind now populates a little leather-bound journal (ideas book to some) with regurgitations of past suppositions and undeveloped arguments. To some extent, no doubt, this is a direct result of existing outside academia for half a decade. While I could hardly claim more than incidental scholarship during my school days, it must be said that a university environment, at the very least, provides food for thought and fodder for intellectual feuds, no matter how childish. Post-collegiate life, it seems, offers 2 general paths: the path to financial success, and the path I'm on, littered with refuse of vague and receding goals.

Few people left to fend for themselves in the arena of reason and intellectual curiosity have enough motivation and drive to pursue questions beyond immediate concerns: amassing personal wealth, finding a reasonably priced urban apartment, climbing onto a more prestigious perch. Schools show us how to fly on a blackboard, fly patterns, trajectories, aerodynamics and all, then shove us off a cliff before we've had a chance to spread our wings. Reluctant slackers, among whose numbers I must count myself, are left to make gross assumptions about others and form generalized opinions of life in the vacuum of relatively carefree living. Ideas become informed by subway rides and bar crawls; creative energy misdirected at solipsistic trifles and snarky condescension; until a caricature emerges--another wasted mind?...

Old Dogs, New Tricks

Certain as I am that Bohemigrant's esteemed audience is well aware of those corner handicapped seats on the 6-train (you know, the ones that make that slamming sound when released), I offer the following not-so-original observation: people are retarded. Rarely if ever has Bohemigrant seen an actual cripple occupy said seats. Instead, they are usually taken up by a zit-faced teen, overweight laborer, or sleeping woman. Yet that's little matter to gripe. What really gets us steamed is the fact that people still haven't learned how to gently let the motherfucking seat fold up without causing so much as a stir. Instead, 90% of the seats' occupants are content to let it come crashing up with a sharp thud, scaring the bejesus out of me and other sane riders.

Manumission

All year they spit, curse, and hurl distrusting looks on one another. And then, one fine day on the second fortnight of October, they throw their inhibitions out the window. Brotherhood and sisterhood always a pair of horns or cat ears away, a mere viking helmet, Scream mask, or go-go outfit enough to free their minds and loosen tongues. There's revelry. And then, it's back in chains for most of them. Silent and supple, they slip the fetters back around their wrists. See you next year!