Exercises in Vitriol
‘Love Guru’ and the Delicate Art of Disgust
Opinion writing can be a tricky business, particularly when it comes to criticism. A bad review can put a restaurant out of business, or a scathing editorial can write a candidate’s political obituary. And then there are movie critics who, every so often, come across a film they detest so much that it becomes a competition to see who can write the most scathing, vitriolic and humorous review. Such is the case with the latest Mike Myers comedy, “The Love Guru,” premiering this weekend. So, for your reading pleasure, I present to you the choicest excerpts from our culture’s top film critics lambasting the “Guru.”
[read more]Strip Clubs and Food
Zoning Naked Sushi in Billings
In Billings, nudity inquiries have sent city officials into a minor panic. You see, evidence suggests that someone plans to open an adult-oriented business downtown. In response, the council there quickly called a meeting to consider an emergency zoning ordinance. The problem is councilors don’t appear to know what they are zoning against: table settings, naked waitresses, sushi?
[read more]An Ode to Penny, Our Daily Stress Reliever
The Dog Days of the Beacon
A story in the Christian Science Monitor discusses the growing trend of dogs in the workplace. My dog, Penny, is probably unaware that she is part of a national trend since she chooses to focus on matters local to her, like the floor or dog biscuits. But indeed, she is a working dog, showing up to the Beacon everyday. She is currently licking the right shoe of designer Stephen Templeton. This is part of her daily job: doing random dog things that we all chuckle at for a few precious seconds.
[read more]Boston Globe blog uses photos to their best potential
The Big Picture
When it comes down to it, sometimes a photo really is better than a thousand words. And few things show this better than The Boston Globe’s new blog, The Big Picture. The photojournalism blog uses high-quality photos from different news services around the world to focus on current events, lesser-known stories or “just about anything that comes across the wire that looks really interesting.”
Helena's Enviable Problem
Urban Deer Panic
Despite my fatigue, I tossed and turned last night. Sleep eluded me and anxiety persisted, as I worried about how Helena plans to handle its problem with urban deer. Some Montana cities grapple with growth, others with taxes or poverty or drug abuse. But in Montana’s capital city, the panic over urban deer exceeds Missoula’s nervousness over the impending arrival of the Hell’s Angels. A little perspective is in order.
[read more]New Montana Driver's Licenses
An Ugly Answer to Real ID
The state unveiled its new driver’s license design this week. It includes a hot-pink sky, trio of grizzlies and 1970s-era disco font that will undoubtedly help prove which Montana motorists are terrorists and which are not. This is our elected officials’ answer to complying with the federal Real ID law that asked each state to abide by a variety of Homeland Security anti-fraud measures. We opted to ignore the feds, and came up with our own solution – an ugly one to boot.
[read more]
