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Reading this article about the Chris McCandless story brought a strange measure of relief to me. The McCandless story seemed like some kind of idealistic golden fleece. The book by Jon Krakauer had had a profound effect on my thoughts about possessions, life, and what seemed an impossibility to achieve for any kind of purist. …

I’m not much for banning books, but, in this case, I can support burning them: Volunteers have reported that ‘a large number’ of elderly customers are snapping up hardbacks as cheap fuel for their fires and stoves. … Workers at one charity shop in Swansea, in south Wales, described how the most vulnerable shoppers were …

I dragged my brother and friend to Avatar. I’d been wanting to see it since I’d first heard about it months and months ago. It wasn’t a movie they really wanted to see but we went anyway. I took much ribbing after we left the theater, and I protested with what I could come up …

I found the dog I want. This is amazing, since I do not like dogs. Let me restate that: I do not like other people’s dogs, but I liked our family’s dogs. Other people’s dogs are like other people’s kids (except the kids don’t stick their noses in your crotch which, sadly, for some people’s …

I went to see Michael Moore’s latest film, “Capitalism: A Love Story.” I confess to sneaking a few candy items into the theater, in my pocket. It seemed like a non-capitalist thing to do. The film was typical Moore; entertaining, some good stuff, a lot of overly simplistic and artfully tweaked mistruths at times. Still, …