Is it pure whimsy that makes something like "Callin' Oates" appealing?
If you pick up your phone and call 719-26-OATES — at least as of this writing — you'll get a computerized woman's voice telling you what numbers to press to hear one of four Hall & Oates songs.
Matt Damon gets up close and personal with one of his new four-legged family members in We Bought A Zoo.
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The young journalist Tintin (Jamie Bell, left) and the permanently drunk Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis) go on a global treasure chase in The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn.
After being force-fed a steady diet of Oscar hopefuls for almost a month, I may just be ready for empty-calorie time at the cineplex. But I have to confess a sense of relief this week, as I watched entertainments that didn't seem to want to do anything other than show an audience a good time.
The body of Kim Jong Il, the deceased leader of North Korea, now lies in state in the capital, Pyongyang. His sudden death has raised concerns about possible power struggles. But so far, all outward signs suggest that the North Korean leadership is lining up behind his son, Kim Jong Un.
Eric Weiner's most recent book is Man Seeks God: My Flirtations with the Divine.
Surveys show religious people are happier than the secular? Why is this? Is it — as an atheist friend quipped — that "ignorance is bliss?" Not long ago, that's what I would have concluded. Like many people of my ilk — cerebral East Coaster, highly skeptical, and, yes, latte drinking — I reflexively viewed the religious as less sophisticated. And, if I'm brutally honest here, somehow less intelligent, or at least more narrow-minded. I don't feel that way anymore.
The new interim coach of the Montreal Canadiens is being rejected by fans of the hockey team. Not because of a losing record — but because he doesn't speak French. Robert Siegel speaks with Stu Cowan, sports editor of the Montreal Gazette.
