Nearing 50-years-old and of small stature, Tom Cruise may seem like an unlikely action hero, but our favorite couch-jumping A-lister seems to slip easily back into the skin of Mission: Impossible‘s titular spy Ethan Hunt. The movie is directed by Brad Bird in his first live action film, following up some superb movies like The Iron Giant and The Incredibles. [...]

It’s getting down to crunch time as far as the Holiday season, and if you are anything like me, you have been too busy to really kick back and enjoy the Holiday season. As we head into the weekend, many of you will be watching Christmas movies in order to help usher in that Christmas mood. In order to save [...]

Recently, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended a nationwide ban on the use of cell phones while driving. At first, I thought this was silly. I’m an adult! You can’t tell me what to do! Except… I totally talk on my cell when I drive. I have texted while driving on occasion. And, most memorably, I’ve been the freaked-out passenger [...]

Diane Keaton was a Millennial before the word Millennial existed. For this reason, though her birthdate places her squarely in the Baby Boomer box, her story and ambition can resonate with those of us waltzing with quarter-life crises. In her new memoir, Then Again, the actress explores this overruling ambition, which eclipsed her complex relationship with her mother and  even those [...]

For just over a century, vinyl records were king. While it has a long, confusing, and unbelievably boring history, vinyl has made up for it by being at the forefront of social change during every decade since its conception (mostly piggy-backing off of the music itself, but let’s not be picky here.) Vinyl made jazz in Chicago available to the [...]

Don’t tell me. It’s Dec. 21, and you still haven’t finished your Christmas shopping? Seriously? What, are you 12? I mean, I’m not judging, here (I totally am), but you’re almost out of time for real. At this point, you’re probably going to have to sink some cash into some kind of super fast shipping option that will cost you [...]

You know what’s gross but actually quite brilliant? Fecal transplantation. This procedure has only been done a handful of times, for various reasons including “it’s pretty gross” and “feces isn’t FDA-approved,” but it’s very effective at rebalancing the human biome. The what? The hundred trillion bacteria that live in and on your body. For reference, you are only comprised of [...]

Between the well-crafted script, the gorgeous cinematography, and the invigorating score, the premiere episode of Sherlock registers more accurately as a full-length film than as part of an installment. Yet, amidst all of these cinematic bells and whistles in Mark Gatiss’ and Steven Moffat’s modern interpretation, characterization is key. “A Study in Pink” begins with John Watson (Martin Freeman) experiencing [...]

I’m taking a break from my normal environmental ranting to cover a story that, for me, captures the true spirit of the Christmas season – sharing a bit of holiday happiness with others. About two weeks ago, a story popped up on my newsfeed about a woman paying off the layaway accounts for nearly 50 families at a Kmart in [...]

I had a problem with the plausibility of comics. I know what you’re going to say. “But, Colleen, we’re talking about a universe where people can fly and turn into green monsters at the drop of a hat!” Ah! Good point. I’ll be more specific. The appearance of women in comics can give me pause. We all know that tiny [...]

Last October I decided to make the change from cable to Netflix/Hulu Plus with the hope of saving some cash and gaining some viewing options. As it turns out the savings are about $10 a month with Xbox live, but it’s like being buried in an avalanche of media. I’m reminded of all of the times I’ve bought a $6 burrito from Chipotle. At the start [...]

Guess what, Ladies and Gents? Christmas is this Sunday! Only 5 days away! Gasp! Have you finished your Christmas shopping? Do you have a gift for everyone? If not, here’s some ideas. DVD New Releases for December 20th, 2011 Warrior. [DVD/Blu-ray] Starring Tom Hardy and Nick Nolte. Trailer Glee: The Concert. [DVD/Blu-ray] Starring the cast of Glee. Trailer Straw Dogs. [DVD/Blu-ray] Starring [...]

Here we are again for another comic review. It was another slow week with only three issues for my review. So, without further ado, here they are: Green Lantern – 5/5 Batman And Robin – 4/5 Suicide Squad -5/5 Now, if you would kindly forget everything that Ryan Reynold’s did this past summer, let’s focus on the comics of Green [...]

Hey, reader, let me throw some facts your way. Ready? Catch: Renal dialysis is the treatment for end-stage renal failure, which is diagnosed in 100,000 new people every year. Basically, a filter is hooked up to your body to clean your blood for a few hours, a few days a week, forever (or until you can get new kidneys.) Or [...]

I’ve been listening to Chevelle since I was in middle school. Back then, they were just a drop in the bucket of what was at the time a fantastic array of Hard Rock and Nu-metal. At the time, I liked those genres, and even if I didn’t, they were worth listening to (I think). Nowadays however, the crap that passes [...]

The evil emperor Andross is up to his old tricks again, just in time for the holidays. Can Starfox and his loyal troops save the galaxy from peril in time for me to wrap Christmas presents? Ok so that’s not exactly the story behind Starfox 64, but it could have been right? Summary In fact, Starfox is about saving the [...]

Who here enjoys freedom? Let me see a show of hands. Just about everyone, then? Good. Let me tell you something that will be disheartening then. This morning, the National Defense Authorization Act was signed into law by President Obama. “Defense authorization,” you say, ” that sounds like a great thing!” Sure it does, but names can be misleading. The [...]

It was 1989. Europe was in revolutionary upheaval. The Soviet Curtain was opening. The Berlin Wall was torn down. The Cold War was ending. The world was becoming a little bit more stable. A little bit better. On TV, Baywatch was being gratuitous, and Seinfeld and The Simpsons began making us laugh. All in all, it was a good year. But, [...]

This week I decided to catch up on How I Met Your Mother. I watched the first four and ½ seasons last fall, and I thought it might be time to get reacquainted. I love this show. I love the flamboyant characters and creative storytelling devices; the show’s recollection format makes some unique possibilities. Even when I don’t like a particular [...]

  I chose Mindy Kaling’s Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me for my first review not because I watch The Office (I should) nor because I somehow relate to Mindy Kaling’s upbringing as a New England offspring of an OB-GYN and an architect (I’ve never met a real architect and I hate going to the OB-GYN). Rather, I like successful [...]