How did we get here?

If you’re one of those wondering how we ended up in the current banking crisis, you should take a look at my friend Bill Heisel’s stories on mortgage provider IndyMac. Which, incidentally, was the bank that financed my first house. Now I’m even more glad we sold and paid off our loan before everything went [...]

Conventional Wisdom

Kyle Smith has a lacerating, funny piece on last week’s GOP convention in the Post.
Here’s a sample:
The Rethuglicans tonight squander prime time on the Crusty Ol’ White Guy vote. They indulge in a double dip of the Depends demo: First spake Fred Thompson (R-Cape Fear) and then Joe Lieberman (D/R/I-Apostasy), who together have amassed 132 [...]

What Some of The Folks Back Home Think

For anyone not yet sick of Sarah Palin — anyone? anyone? — my friend Brendan Kelley at the Anchorage Press offers up a whole smorgasbord of information about McCain’s VP pick.

My Science Fiction Twin*

Since I started reviewing movies, I’ve become a fan of Kyle Smith. I don’t know him, but he’s a good writer. And like all good writers, his voice is clear and distinctive. But I can’t shake this feeling that he’s some kind of eerie, parallel-universe version of… well, me.
OK, first let’s overlook the fact that [...]

Protected: Caroline Makes Friends

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

Good Charlotte

After two sad exits, a crappy summer TV season, and the cost of gas rising to a kidney and your firstborn, it’s time for some really good news.
Bill Heisel and Jennifer Heiger have a new baby girl, Charlotte Ray. 8 pounds, 8 ounces, 20 inches long. Born 6/16/08. As anyone who knows the parents will [...]

Shotgun Honeymoon LIVE

Breaking my self-imposed blogging ban once again, this time for a better cause than shameless self-promotion.
Rob Whalen (hubby of everyone’s favorite ex-B!tchling and all-around gal Friday Gretta Parkinson) is at the House of Blues tonight with Shotgun Honeymoon. Print the flyer, bring it to the door, and you get half off the cover. They are [...]

Best. Shows. EVER.

My dawg Steve, in his capacity as an editor at the New York Post, has published a list of “The 35 Best Shows on TV — EVER.”
Naturally, this is bound to generate some controversy, and you might be forgiven for suspecting abuse of over-the-counter cough medicines, especially to explain the placement of “24″ ahead of [...]

Un-Mentionables*

Conspiracy theorist, Mac enthusiast, and all-around good guy John Whalen has the first collection of his DC/Vertigo comic, Un-Men: Get Your Freak On, in stores today. It’s your standard tale of freaks, horrifically mutated genetic experiments, a murder mystery, and the Albino federal agent tasked to deal with all of it. Pick up a copy [...]

The K-Tel Knitter!

This is really just for Jean and Leslie, and maybe Brill. But I bet they will love it.