Bill Murray is simply the best of the SNL bunch that migrated from 30 Rock to Sunset and Vine. Most often, Murray plays himself, or to say it another way, the character he crafted Saturday nights on NBC.

Republican vs Democratic debate styles If the disappointment of everyone expecting fireworks at the first Democratic debate exhibited itself as perspiration, we could declare the California drought over. A few soggy matches might have been lit but that was it. Heavy on the smoke: non-existent on the flame.

The problem with an old-fashioned egging is that it lacks political nuance. Last Sunday’s assault on Young Conservatives in Manchester has quite rightly been greeted with universal disapproval by the media and it doesn’t really matter that 60,000 people didn’t hurl eggs. One chose to vent their anger in yolk form and it was wrong, […]

Many of the same people who relish in boasting about how awesome America is also claim that many seemingly highly beneficial goals are too hard to accomplish, even though these very objectives have already been accomplished by less awesome countries.

Written a piece over at The What & The Why on refugees, patriotism and the rise of nationalism.

“Bridge of Spies” – a film review by Gary Chew Seeing Steven Spielberg’s new film as it now opens allows you to compare the current military activity of Vladimir Putin in Syria with the historic and legendary downing of an American U-2 spy plane over Soviet Russia in 1960...

We’ve got a new darling in the GOP presidential race: Carly Fiorina. Being the darling du jour, however, can be dicey — just ask Rick Perry and Scott Walker, two former darlings who are now out of the race, having turned into ugly ducklings by saying stupid things. But Carly Fiorina is smart, sharp-witted...

“Sicario” and “The Martian” – Two film reviews by Gary Chew Baseball season is just ending, but I’ve got a doubleheader on my hands here. Movie number one … Sicario What it is about films set on either side of our southern border that often makes them worth your time? How about drugs, the clash...

Gordon Gekko was wrong: Greed is not good. Get this. And get it straight. Gordon Gekko was wrong. Greed is not good. Greed is bad. Greed eats away the core of society like a golden parasitic leech the size of Manitoba. Or Saskatchewan. One of those Provinces or Territories or Protectorates or whatever they use...

There needs to be crap on TV. If all of it were good, we wouldn’t appreciate most of it, or we’d overappreciate all of it.

“The Intern” – a film review by Gary Chew After making the mistake of installing Windows 10 in my PC and trying to figure out what to do next, I hoped all of my files hadn’t been swept away with a single click. Then I realized I was a reasonable facsimile of Robert De Niro’s...

The Republican debates are more than just long. No, really. To the one-thirteenth of all Americans who watched the latest GOP debate, congratulations on surviving the political equivalent of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. You just climbed Campaign Everest. Strapped to a pair of debates. Or to be more precise; a pair of mind-numbing...

Even if we pretend that he’s as white as he pretends to be, Jindal is still the least qualified person in America to tell immigrants they should assimilate and speak English.

There is a failure in our modern media to take a deeper look at the roots of the problems that ours and other societies are facing in the world. At present a huge wave of immigrants are racing across the Mediterranean to Europe to claim their stake in it. Most are fleeing the conflict...

“Black Mass” – a film review by Gary Chew Without any surprise for me, there’s only one scene in Black Mass that doesn’t contain the use of that old stand by … the F-Word. It’s when, at the dinner table with his young son, notorious criminal Whitey Bulger is teaching his boy a life lesson...

Chris Fontana reflects on the 10-year anniversary of regretfully being right, and juxtaposes his tale of displacement with that of his Treme neighbor, Flex.

Hate! Hate! Hate! It's what fuels Britain's media, you know. There always has to be someone to hate and loathe. Someone to blame all of your problems on.

San Francisco, CA – Art shows are often smug, boring, and crawling with assholes you hope to never meet on the street. A heart-warming story developed at such a show recently, starring a semi-famous band named The Shins.

First, I know it’s probably too late to warn the world, but I couldn’t stand by silently after massive critical consensus lured me into watching this piece of shit of a movie.

Donald Trump: How do you parody a parody? Yeah, I hear what you’re saying. “For all you political comics, Donald Trump must be a dream come true. Manna from heaven. Slam-dunking from a step-ladder. Swimming in a sea of beer.” Oh sure, there are jokes. 1. Trump’s presidential campaign is like a baboon’s butt.