No Worse Than Head Coaches

It seems that the three-time Pro Bowler has developed a keen interest in interior decorating and launched a firm to express that interest. Committed to his aesthetic principles, [Keyshawn] Johnson must battle difficult clients who don't understand the importance of contrast or the potential of wallpaper.

They Draw The Line At The Journey Tribute Band

Ordinary writers, by contrast, especially authors of literary fiction, would cut off their right arms to go on a cross-country book tour. They’d love to stay in fancy hotels and order room service and hawk their wares at a well-attended event every night. They wouldn’t complain if the interview was canceled or the TV host said, “Love to keep chatting, but now it’s time for the Foghat tribute band.”

Important Distinctions

In a telephone interview, Ms. Finke said the stories about her thuggish ways were just that. “I don’t bully and terrify people,” she said, cheerfully adding, “I’m not mean, I just write mean.”

Critical Knowledge

I'm supposed to tell you to check your local listings, an advisory that seems slightly superfluous: If you are neither working during the day nor too busy trying to keep Junior from teething on a box of fabric softener, then you know damn well what is on television, probably better than the people who input the local listings.

It's More Possible Than Being A Starship Captain In Thirty Years

It is possible, of course, that 30 years from now, a nominee for the Supreme Court will identify the ditzy “Ally McBeal” or Denny Crane, the sleazy defense lawyer played by William Shatner on “Boston Legal,” as childhood inspirations.

Just Try Limiting Our Thank Yous To Forty-Five Seconds

And the Oscar for the best animated short film goes to ... an Internet community?

Why Not? Movie Studios Do It Every Friday

People used to be warned not to pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel; in the age of the Web, it’s probably advisable not to piss off the people who make their living by distinguishing junk from genius.

Literary Commentary - Another Way To Say Phony

The term "unauthorized sequel" is J.D. Salinger's (or his lawyers'), but it's not a particularly accurate description of 60 Years Later. Author Frederik Colting, who writes under the pen name John David California, claims instead that it's a "literary commentary on Catcher and the relationship between Holden and Salinger"—which is closer to the truth.

Great Moments In Casting

The male lead [of Zabriskie Point], envisioned as an avatar of inchoate rage, was a bigger challenge. An audition in New York's East Village drew more than 1,000 hopefuls. Eventually Frechette, a carpenter who had spent time in psychiatric hospitals and belonged to the cultlike commune of the folk musician Mel Lyman, was found by casting scouts who saw him screaming obscenities at a bus stop in Boston. ("He's 20 and he hates," they reportedly said.)

I'll Let You Insert The Billy Beane Joke

I, for one, would love to see the Book of Mormon adapted by Steven Soderbergh and starring Brad Pitt as the prophet Moroni.

No One Cares If Transformers Suck

It is even possible to imagine an unscrupulous producer buying up all the prequels to a project like, say, Watchmen IV: This Time the Film Won't Suck, and then sabotaging the project in order to goose the value of the prequels. Obviously, if Watchmen IV did get made and didn't end up sucking, the prequels would be worth nothing. On the other hand, the chances of Watchmen IV: This Time the Film Won't Suck not sucking are microscopic, especially if Zack Snyder directs it.

Movie Critics Are All Friends

When Mr. Sarris married Molly Haskell, a fellow critic, in 1969, they invited Ms. Kael, Mr. Sarris said. “That’s O.K.,” she replied. “I’ll go to Molly’s next wedding.”

The Era Of Making Money From Newspaper Classified Advertising Is Dead

Francis Fukuyama, an erstwhile motorcyclist and furniture maker as well as a political philosopher, ended his recent admiring review of “Shop Class as Soulcraft” by lamenting, “I put my power tools away a few years ago, and find now that I can’t even give them away, because people are too preoccupied with updating their iPhones.” After the review ran, Fukuyama got two offers to buy the tools. Who says newspaper classified advertising is dead?

Especially When The Old Age Is Going Strong

After all, the last thing a business author wants to suggest is that we’re entering a new age of amateurism.

Canadians Are Just Lost

Colin Ellard, a behavorial neuroscientist at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, probes this and other shortcomings of human spatial intelligence in his delightfully lucid book “You Are Here.” (The Canadian version of the book is titled “Where Am I?” Apparently, Americans don’t like asking for directions.)

Is There A Twelve Step Program?

Checking Facebook begins as something you do between everything else — answering the phone, writing e-mail, actually working — until one day you realize you spent an entire afternoon fitting everything else between your time on Facebook.