13.1 Treehouse of Horror XII I enjoyed this rendition of the annual tradition because of the second segment: “House of Whacks.” A robot house (Pierce Brosnan) falls in love with Marge and schemes to eliminate Homer from the picture. I love Pierce and I love the parody of 2001: A Space Odyssey. “Hex and the… Continue reading Stuck at Homer(r): Season 13
Everything that follows is older than Chance the Rapper: A look back at 1992
In 1992, Boutros Boutros-Ghali became the sixth Secretary General of the United Nations; President George H. W. Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin declared an end to the Cold War; The Maastricht Treaty established the European Union; The acquittal of four police officers accused of beating Rodney King sparked a series of riots in Los… Continue reading Everything that follows is older than Chance the Rapper: A look back at 1992
Welcome to the world, Department of Homeland Security: A look back at 2002
In 2002, The euro was introduced; Queen Elizabeth II celebrated fifty years on the throne; The 2002 Winter Olympics were held in Salt Lake City; East Timor gained independence; John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo killed seventeen people in the DC sniper attacks; The SARS epidemic began; The Department of Homeland Security was created;… Continue reading Welcome to the world, Department of Homeland Security: A look back at 2002
Stuck at Home(r): Season 12
12.1 Treehouse of Horror XI The show continued its momentum from the end of season eleven in one of the better Treehouse episodes. The first segment, a parody of the Bill Cosby vehicle Ghost Dad, is harder to watch now because of what the ensuing twenty years did to Cosby’s reputation, but still works. The… Continue reading Stuck at Home(r): Season 12
LL Bean turned 100: A look back at 2012
In 2012, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her diamond jubilee; Dressed as the Joker, James Holmes opened fire on a crowd during a screening of The Dark Knight Rises; The Summer Olympics were held in London; Curiosity landed on Mars; The Innocence of Muslims prompted protests around the globe; Felix Baumgartner became the first person to break… Continue reading LL Bean turned 100: A look back at 2012
Best of the 2020s
Hamilton (2020) This filmed performance of the original cast of the most iconic Broadway musical of the young twenty first century somehow exceeded my lofty expectations. My only quibble is Anthony Ramos as the younger Hamilton in the second act. He’s very good as Laurens in the first half, but as Phillip Hamilton his… Continue reading Best of the 2020s
Learn to live with the unimaginable: A look back at 2021
In 2021, Supporters of US President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol to delay the certification of Joe Biden as President; The COVID 19 pandemic continued to wreak havoc; Hideki Matsuyama won the Masters Tournament, becoming the first Japanese player to win a major golf championship; Space X and Blue Origin launched space tourism flights;… Continue reading Learn to live with the unimaginable: A look back at 2021
Class of 2021
In 2021, Supporters of President Donald Trump attacked the US Capitol to protest the result of the 2020 US Presidential election; SpaceX launched and landed a Starship prototype; Benjamin Netanyahu lost his bid to continue as Prime Minister of Israel; Blue Origin launched its first commercial space flight, The Games of the XXXII Olympiad were… Continue reading Class of 2021
Camelot was just beginning: A look back at 1961
In 1961, The United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba; John F Kennedy became the 35th President of the United States of America; Barbie’s boyfriend, Ken, debuted; Adolf Eichmann’s trial took place in Jerusalem; Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Kuwait declared independence from the UK; Alan Shephard became the first American in space; Newton Minnow… Continue reading Camelot was just beginning: A look back at 1961
Stuck at Home(r): Season 11
11.1 Beyond Blunderdome After an early preview of Mel Gibson’s new remake of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is poorly reviewed, Homer is hired to rewrite the ending. He gives Mel what he thinks he wants: an ending where Mr. Smith opens fire on Congress (which plays differently in 2021), but studio executives hate the… Continue reading Stuck at Home(r): Season 11