Inside Microsoft HQ’s weird, wonderful swag store

REDMOND, Wash.—Microsoft doesn’t generally let its customers and fans show up and see where the Windows and Xbox sausage gets made. Should you wish to visit most of Microsoft’s campus buildings a few miles east of Seattle, you’ll need to arrange an official tour in advance, which typically requires being invited in a professional capacity. […]

The FBI Once Thought ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ Was Communist Propaganda

It’s a Wonderful Life is an all-American staple of the holiday season, a profoundly inspiring film about a downtrodden man finding meaning and the will to live through the people he has connected with throughout his life. But the FBI once considered it un-American. For 10 years after the film’s release in 1946, J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI […]

‘Christmas in America’ Celebrates Weird and Wonderful Holiday Traditions

“Cowboy Kringle,” church parking lot Santa, and holiday Elvis are just a few of the quirky “characters” who make appearances in the award-winning photo series Christmas In America: Happy Birthday, Jesus by LA-based artist Jesse Rieser. “Initially inspired by the absurdity of a four-story inflatable Santa who appeared to be guarding a tree lot, I […]

2018 Nissan Frontier In-Depth Review: A Wonderful Work Truck, but That’s about It

– Despite obsolete equipment and outdated styling, the Frontier still sells well. The geriatric mid-sizer has standard pickup-truck abilities (see towing, hauling, and off-roading), but it can’t match the features and finesse of modern rivals. Instead, its configurable cargo box and off-road-ready add-ons appeal to tradesmen and adventurers. An optional 261-hp V-6 and a sturdy […]

The ‘Twin Peaks’ Season 3 Blu-ray is a Wonderful Package for 2017’s Greatest Piece of Narrative Entertainment

David Lynch‘s stunning Twin Peaks season 3, also known as Twin Peaks: The Return, comes to Blu-ray as a must-have box set loaded with fascinating and revealing looks behind the production. Just as they did so many years ago, David Lynch and Mark Frost have created a TV event unlike any other before, and probably unlike anything […]

Blue Planet 2 review: Wonderful work with an exploration of The Deep

If you expected a “sea of eternal gloom”, it was anything but.  I was most impressed with the transparent headed fish.  You can be sure he/she is a whiz with a selfie.  Then we had a walking fish, dragging itself across a “mile thick of mud”.  Finally, we were treated to the “Venus Flower Basket”, […]