Opinion and Commentary
War on Women: Why the GOP is Obsessed With Your Uterus
February 4, 2013 | Eric ShapiroFor those who think the Catholic Church and social conservatives’ objection to Obama’s new offer on birth control coverage is based on “conscience,” I have God’s first iteration of the Ten Commandments to sell you.
The Joy Formidable: Wolf’s Law “This Ladder is Ours” Review
January 31, 2013 | Eric Shapiro“This Ladder is Ours” Review Originally Published on indie shuffle
Alternative rock seems to be making a comeback. With releases like Cloud Nothings’ Wasted Days and the Menzingers’ On The Impossible Past (both released to much acclaim in 2012), a genre that discredited itself with endless sub-par Nirvana and Pearl Jam ripoffs is sailing onto the indie rock radar with the winds of 1990s nostalgia at its back. Read More
Congressional Gun Control Hearing Reveals Folly of NRA and Red State Dems
January 30, 2013 | Eric ShapiroFollowing the tragic Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, all the stars seemed to be in alignment for the implementation of common sense gun control. But you can always trust the Democratic Party to snatch at least a partial defeat from the jaws of victory.
Brooklyn Nets Turn Up The Heat: A History, Part 2
January 29, 2013 | Flatironhot ContributorBy Wyatt Erchak
After joining the NBA in 1976, the New York Nets lost their star player, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, to heavy-handed association politics (some would say extortion). In their first season in the new organization, the team finished with the worst record in the league after their other big player, Nate Archibald, was injured. Fortunately, new talent, particularly in the form of European star Dražen Petrović, would help the Nets reclaim some of their former glory.
Stand-Up With an Edge: A Taste of Cringe Humor at The Stand Comedy Club and Restaurant
January 25, 2013 | Paul HerzichOriginally Published in Town & Village
Southern Manhattan is not lacking in full-time comedy clubs and bars.. Until now, however, it has not had a stand-up venue quite like The Stand Restaurant and Comedy Club. This thoroughbred comedy club was sired by Patrick Milligan, founder of Cringe Humor, which garnered the reputation of presenting excellent stand-up comedy shows in several NYC comedy venues as well as colleges around the country.
Rap Retrospective: The Best Hip-Hop Tracks of 2012
January 23, 2013 | Flatironhot ContributorBy Brandon Sanders
10. No Lie (Feat. Drake) – 2 Chainz: Many thought 2 Chainz leadoff single would be a smash and once this hit the airwaves, they were proven right. With Drake on the … Read More
With Second Inaugural, President Obama Lays Out Broad Vision for Progressive Change in Second Term
January 22, 2013 | Eric ShapiroObama’s second inaugural address was, in turns, more modest and bolder than his first. On the one hand, gone were the calls for bipartisanship and, by implication, the idea that an opposition party dedicated solely to thwarting his aims can be counted on as a viable negotiating partner. Changing the political culture in Washington, it seems, is not within the power of the President. John F. Harris and Jonathan Martin of Politico point out that “Obama made no mention of transforming the political and governing process in his speech.”
Nothing But Nets: Brooklyn Nets’ History & Why Knicks Rivalry is More Than Clash of Boroughs
January 21, 2013 | Flatironhot ContributorBy Wyatt Erchak
Where Brooklyn at? It’s BK, all day, currently in Nets Nation. As Barclays would have you know, sports and entertainment have been brought back to the borough after 55 long years, following the legendary Brooklyn Dodgers’ sad departure. As someone who would be a Dodgers fan if they were still residents of the Empire State, it warms my heart to see a team take up the mantle.
Furthering the Legacy: How President Obama Can Live up to MLK’s Dream in His Second Term
January 21, 2013 | Eric ShapiroDespite the re-election of an African American president, it is ludicrous to claim Martin Luther King’s social philosophy, a historically-rooted mix of political and theological precepts that combines the best of the liberal American tradition with Ghandhian non-violence and civil disobedience, has been fully realized.
Justified Season 4 Premiere: Recap/Review
January 16, 2013 | Eric ShapiroSeason 4 of FX’s Justified starts out just as long-time viewers of the series should expect it to: with a bang (in both senses of the term) and a whole lot of style. At this point in the TV show’s lifespan, the writers and the actors have nailed every character down to the most minor vocal cadences. It’s a credit to the amazing talent behind Justified that its season premiere can hook us while offering no more than a few tantalizing hints about the overall narrative direction. Elmore Leonard couldn’t ask for a better adaptation of his novels.