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November 2008

Leisure

Critical Voices: Kanye West , “808s and Heartbreak”

Much has been made of Kanye West's transformation from gloating hip-hop megastar to brooding synth-popper. Would 808s and Heartbreak be a disposable gimmick or a real artistic statement? Surprisingly, the answer leans more toward the latter.

By November 20, 2008

Leisure

Gaming for a girl

The Who Wants to be a Millionaire? song used to mean so much to America. The lights went down, Regis Philbin spun in his chair, and we were thrilled by the beginnings of reality TV. Most of all, though, the song heralded promise-the promise that by spending an hour in Philbin's spaceship of a studio, a regular person could use luck and determination to win a whole lot of money. Slumdog Millionaire, a movie based around the Indian version of the show, asks us to believe in that innocent hope-and a whole lot more.

By November 20, 2008

Leisure

A shaky, not stirring, Bond in Quantum of Solace

Avid James Bond fans were once skeptical about Daniel Craig's abilities to pull off one of the most iconic cinematic characters of all time. Complaints ranged from his apparent lack of debonair charm to rumors that he could not drive a stick shift Aston Martin. Casino Royale, however, proved to be one of the most acclaimed Bond movies to date, inspiring comparisons to Connery and exclamations that Craig had managed to do the impossible-reinvent Bond for the better. Unfortunately, not only does Quantum of Solace not measure up to Casino Royale's standard of cinematic excellence, this time around, Craig's Bond is Bond in name only.

By November 20, 2008

Leisure

Fritz Scholder’s American Indians, past and present

"Indian, not Indian," an exhibit of Fritz Scholder's work at the Smithsonian Institute's National American Indian Museum, challenges the very idea of who the American Indian was while demonstrating how Scholder revolutionized the depiction of the American Indian, replacing the classical romantic depictions with a modern, pop-art realism.

By the November 20, 2008

Leisure

Critical Voices: The Samuel Jackson 5, “Goodbye Melody Mountain”

When a band names themselves after both Samuel L. Jackson and the Jackson 5, we expect great things. Perhaps the name of The Samuel Jackson Five speaks to a love of both ferociousness and pop sensibilities, which is exactly what Goodbye Melody Mountain has to offer. A breath of fresh air, they have taken the stale tendency of post-rock towards sleep inducement and made it something worth listening to.

By November 20, 2008

Editorials

SmarTrip opens doors to the District

Georgetown students can blog, text, Google, Twitter, Facebook, and video chat with the best of them, but they seem to be largely in the dark when it comes to one... Read more

By the November 20, 2008

Editorials

For add/drop period, eight days is weak

Students registered for Professor Kathleen McNamara’s Inventing Europe seminar next semester will be faced with a dilemma about a week into spring semester: should I stay or should I go?... Read more

By the November 20, 2008

Editorials

Ensure Lauinger’s manifest destiny

Think Lauinger Library’s ugly exterior is bad? You’ve probably never been inside the library during finals, when its limited space is on full display. Students pack like sardines into every... Read more

By the November 20, 2008

Leisure

Chug a-long

With the onset of blustery snow flurries, chafed cheeks, and depressed economic conditions, this drinking columnist, like so many others at this time of year, cannot help but yearn for her home on the shores of Lake Erie. And while not everyone is so fortunate as to hail from the crown jewel of the Rust Belt, all of us put on our underpants on one leg at a time (with the possible exception of Mormons, who, I believe, must actually gird their loins before leaving the house), and we all know that the comforting concept of home is much more than a physical locality. It is a collection of unique intangibles. For me, it means a certain sound, a musical expression dear to my heart, veritable poetic food for the soul: the drinking song.

By November 20, 2008

Leisure

As Justin sees it

For my last column of the semester, some predictions and superlatives. Lil Wayne released his Dedication 3 mixtape last week, and it's pretty bad. Whether you like auto-tune or not, Weezy has clearly become so infatuated with himself that he considers even his turds worthy of release. The whole mess is uninspired and not worth your time. It's sad to say it, but it's looking more and more like he peaked with 2006's Da Drought 3-I predict he'll never make anything that exciting again.

By November 20, 2008