Mitt Romney may have won the New Hampshire primary last night on his way to a pretty easy roll through the Republican primary field, but did you know that by donating $100 to Rick Santorum’s campaign you can get one of his mystic, much ballyhooed sweater vests? I certainly do, thanks to alert reader, Rachel “My… Continue reading ‘Get a Rick Santorum Sweater Vest–Only $100!’
I knew yesterday’s RedEye column on having an intervention for Ron Paul fans was a bad idea, only because I didn’t have the word space to fully articulate everything that goes overlooked in his weird, fanatical policy coalition. Again, to reiterate, I find great value in Paul’s critique of the military-industrial complex, American imperialism, and… Continue reading ‘Gold Bugs Wreck the Amazon’
With the Republican primary season under way, it’s time for an intervention for my fellow young people who have decided to support the cult of personality that is Ron Paul. Once considered a curiosity, Paul’s most radical views have increasingly edged into the mainstream in a pathetic Republican field. Even if, like me, you sympathize… Continue reading ‘An Intervention for Ron Paul Fans’
Because all of my friends in Chicago or hyper-hip music nerds, I will say upfront that I don’t abide criticism of my musical taste in any capacity whatsoever because I hang out with them and hear enough about what a musical neophyte I am from those rhododendron-heads (slam!). The difference being that I have a… Continue reading ‘Markley’s Favorite Albums of 2011′
This past year, I had the privilege of interviewing Steve James and Alex Kotlowitz, the filmmakers behind the harrowing documentary, “The Interrupters,” which focuses on a year in the lives of the violence mediation program called CeaseFire here in Chicago. Now it turns out that “The Interrupters” will be ineligible for an Academy Award nomination… Continue reading ‘‘The Interrupters’ Gets Screwed’
I’ve got some bad news for the giddy punditocracy: Mitt Romney will almost certainly be the Republican nominee. The recent Rick Santorum surge (kids, please Google “Santorum surge” for an anatomy lesson that will delight you) in Iowa only highlights just how badly the Republican electorate wants to vote for almost anyone else, and Santorum… Continue reading ‘The One Possible Non-Romney Scenario’
This coming Tuesday, Jan. 3, I’ll be participating in the reading series “Tuesday Funk” at the Hop Leaf in Andersonville. Even if you’ve already heard me read from “Publish This Book” (as most all of my friends have at this point; when I tell them I’m reading somewhere now they look at me like I… Continue reading ‘Reading at ‘Tuesday Funk’ at Hop Leaf’
Continuing with my week of extremely half-assed blog posts while I enjoy the last days of my self-imposed vacation I will now address a frequently asked question I’ve heard in various forms over the past two years. Q: Markley, how do you maintain that lustrous coat of chest hair we see poking out of the… Continue reading ‘‘Publish This Book’ Now on Kindle’
I’ve written previously about how the week between Christmas and New Year’s should really be a whole holiday week because nobody actually does anything on those days even if they’re sitting at their cubicle or flying that airplane or immersed in firefights in Afghanistan. It’s just a lazy week, you know? Rest assured next week… Continue reading ‘This Week I’m Still on Vacation’
“Uh, I just watched #TheDarkKnightRises trailer, and I feel like my erection might be visible from space.” Or so I tweeted from the dazed fugue state I found myself in following the two minutes and change I spent at the height of guy-movie arousal for Christopher Nolan’s third (and final?) Batman movie. Yes, feel free… Continue reading ‘It’s Going to be a Good ‘Knight’’