Wilco (the Concert)

Ninth-row seats at Hill Auditorium. Liam Finn and Eliza Jane as the opening act. A 27-song set by Wilco (the headliner). An extra shot of espresso in my Biggby for the ride home. Fantastic night.

Bono on "Rebranding America"

Sure, he's a pompous windbag. But there's something to be said for a man who writes and dreams as big as one of U2's stadium anthems.

(A)n America that’s tired of being the world’s policeman, and is too pinched to be the world’s philanthropist, could still be the world’s partner. And you can’t do that without being, well, loved. Here come the letters to the editor, but let me just say it: Americans are like singers — we just a little bit, kind of like to be loved. The British want to be admired; the Russians, feared; the French, envied. (The Irish, we just want to be listened to.) But the idea of America, from the very start, was supposed to be contagious enough to sweep up and enthrall the world.

Why I'm missing the big game Friday night

One word: Wilco.

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Celebration of the Book at GRPL

No more ArtPrize? Well, dear reader, there's no reason to stay home this weekend. Head to the Grand Rapids Public Library's Main Branch this Saturday for the Celebration of the Book, a free event featuring a handful of authors and some great workshops. I'll be there at noon to see Dave Cullen, author of the powerful Columbine, considered by some to be the definitive account of what happened in Littleton, Colorado ten years ago.

The Taliban in Afghanistan

As we continue to read The Kite Runner and watch Osama, it's important to keep in mind the barbaric restrictions imposed on women by the Taliban at the height of their power in 2001. It's equally important to know that the kites are flying once again in the skies of Kabul.

Olbermann's Special Comment: Health Care

Say what you want about the man, but there's no arguing his ability to construct an effective, engaging, convincing argument:

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Happy Birthday, Monty Python!

The Pythons made their Flying Circus debut forty years ago today. Some of the best comedy ever, and there's no arguing that.

161 games later

Told you so.

70 Years Later - A Munchkin Reunion

A charming interview with five surviving Munchkins. Watch as one dozes off midway through.

The Kite Runner and Afghanistan Today

As we read The Kite Runner in AP Lit, keep an eye on the news out of Afghanistan. Will President Obama commit 40,000 troops to the region? Is it, as some worry, another Vietnam? Or is it a mission we need to see through to the end?