opinion Tag

Work sucks. I think I’ve mentioned this at least six times before, but it just really sucks. As part of my intense dislike for the job, I’ve decided to dish the beans and spill the dirt on the secrets I’ve learned– and used myself– since starting my minimum wage job. 1. Sometimes when we say the coffee’s fresh, and we say, “There’s a fresh pot in the back” it just means we’re going to microwave the coffee. It’s probably one of the most common lies we tell. There are peopleRead More

Parks & Recreation is literally the best show on the planet. Actually, in the universe. There’s no show that compares to Parks & Recreation because Parks & Recreation is made up of a stellar cast, and therefore a stellar character list, because everyone in the cast is the character they are. Amy Poehler is Leslie Knope, Rashida Jones is Ann, Aziz is Tom, Rhetta is Donna, Aubrey is April, Chris is Andy, Rob is Chris, Jim is Jerry, Nick is Ron and Adam is Ben. We could go on forRead More

Family. Six letters, three syllables. We all have it in some way, shape, or form. Some people say it’s the people who are there from birth until death do you part, amen, forever. Some people say it’s the people who support you and love you. Both sets of people are right, of course, but the fact is that your family isn’t just what they have in mind– that the group of people who buy birthday cakes and hang your picture on their wall don’t have to be the people whoRead More

Okay, I will never be the first person to say that getting a job when you’re allowed to is a bad thing, but I’ll also never be the person to say that getting a job is full of sunshine and rainbows and that it restores your faith in humanity, because it doesn’t– that’s a lie perpetuated by movies and TV and the occasional blogger. Nevertheless, I still have a job, for, y’know, college. To celebrate almost a full year in this particular job– whose nickname rhymes with Rickey Lee’s– I’veRead More

Being the movie junkie that I am, I always find the Oscars particularly enjoyable, so much so that I am able to overcome the smug ass-kissing film and television stars cannot help roll around in these days. (Did anyone do a count on how many times Lorne Michaels was name-dropped at the SNL 40th Anniversary celebration last weekend?) Regardless, there has been plenty of buzz around this year’s Academy Awards presentation, which will undoubtedly yield some fairly predictable elements. 1. NPH greatness Let’s face it, Ellen Degeneres’ hosting gig wasRead More

Phoenix Skylark needs no introduction. As the world’s foremost non-author, he’s made headlines since his first foray into the literary community some 5 years ago. Now, it’s hard to imagine a world without him. Our News Feeds are so cluttered with articles from “10 Reasons Traveling is Right for Your Relationship and You Won’t Believe What I Say” to the “Puppy That Will Restore Your Faith in Humanity” to the tides of BuzzFeed quizzes that the barrage sometimes threatens to overwhelm us. Luckily, pioneers like Skylark have stepped forward andRead More

There has and always will be a lot of talk surrounding any film that attempts to paint a narrative of the United States’ armed engagements over the past decade or so. American Sniper is no exception. My problem? Everyone and their mother has something pretentiously groundbreaking to say about the goals of this film. There’s the, “Chris Kyle is an American hero and his efforts have been glorified with the help of Clint Eastwood,” contingency. Then, there’s the, “This film only points out the inevitable failure of the United States’Read More

Thank you for honoring your oath to protect and serve, and continuing to put on the uniform that sadly has made you a target. Thank you for walking the thin line between life and death to keep our streets, towns, and cities safe. Thank you for doing right by even those who have done you wrong. Thank you for risking your lives to protect ours, and for suffering inconveniences to defend civil liberties. More importantly, thank you for risking your lives for those who misjudge you and villainize you. ThankRead More

The first episode of each Bachelor and Bachelorette season never fails me. It is an event. It’s a fucking holiday. Some lonely hot man or woman is left to meet a batch of potential psychopaths and hopefully his or her life partner is hiding in the rubbish. The arrival of limos filled with women in gowns, the cheesy lines they utter to their future husband, the drunkenness that quickly follows and the accompaniment of stranger drama, jealousy, and crazy eyes… I’m so obsessed. There are a few unwritten rules for theRead More

All men everywhere, I am certain, have wondered at least once what their underwear choice says about them. And let’s not disregard the neurotic women of the Millennial generation that Google-search this exact title moments after Paul, or Greg, or Jeff with the butt-chin has left her sexed sheets on a Sunday morning. Mark Twain insists that one should “write what you know.” After years of observations, demonstrations, and ruminations of friends, landlords, brothers, and a significant others of the straight and semi-straight variety and their chonies I feel confidentRead More

Kudos to AMC for adding those leather (pleather?) recliners I have come to love in my movie theater-going experience. The ticket markup, though excessive to the uninformed visitor, is negligible. Just make sure you eat a cheap meal before you visit, and you’re all set. However, I feel like I truly threw my money away with the latest Hunger Games installment. Was it a terrible movie? Nah, but yikes there was a ton of unnecessary footage in there. After some extensive* research on the book series, I learned that the actualRead More

When Tinder surfaced in my first year of university and quickly became the thing to be on, I was in a relationship. A serious, committed relationship, which I had no interest in endangering by downloading what I thought was the most ridiculous app to ever exist. Perhaps the reason I hated Tinder so was because my perfect, wonderfully committed boyfriend had Tinder. Or perhaps it was because I caught him, not once but twice using the app actively, texting other girls and agreeing to meet up with them without anyRead More

Twenty years removed from semi-cult glory, Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels return with a lukewarm revival of the iconic characters Harry and Lloyd. The sequel fell in between modest attempt and doomed from the start, but my love of the original carried me through the entirety of the film. Unfortunately, there were several key moments that simply proved Harry and Lloyd’s idyllic, moronic behavior lost its pizzazz.     1. Carrey and Daniels lost their chemistry. When living out the formative years of your life quoting every mannerism and facialRead More

Nordguard Book 1: Across Thin Ice is a comic book that tells a harrowing tale of survival, camaraderie and mystery set in the Alaskan tundra circa 1903. It’s got everything. Memorable characters, solid art, an interesting setting. If you love comics you should really read this one. The first time I read it, I gripped the book close to my chest, trying… failing to hide it behind my bag. Inside was a brilliant rendition of a frozen lake, sunlight peaking over majestic, snow capped mountains to reflect on its pristineRead More

John Wick is an action movie that would have been right at home twenty or thirty years ago. It’s a paper-thin revenge story about a retired hit man (Keanu Reaves) taking on the Russian mafia because they killed his puppy. That’s not a joke, it’s the real plot of the movie. The inciting incident of the film is that a Russian gangster (Alfie Allen) kills his puppy. It’s the kind of action film in which the story really only exists to justify the wanton violence on display and I canRead More