Articles from July, 2007

personal 07.30.07 The Mormon and Me

Given the faith’s association with polygamy and kidnapping, it’s easy to cast off Mormonism as a cult. Perspectives shift when Kevin Nguyen meets a Mormon on the train.
opinion 07.27.07 The Many Similarities of Apple and Nintendo: Part III, Neglecting Fans and the Future of Touch

Apple and Nintendo are more alike than you may realize. In the last of a three-part series, Nick Martens examines why the companies ignore their adoring fanboys and how simple touch controls outclass more elaborate control schemes.
travel 07.27.07 Taiwan: A Political History

This is the fourth installment in a series of essays by jet-setter Jordan Barber, who is currently studying Mandarin at Donghai University in Taichung, Taiwan. This time, Jordan takes a step back to assess the country’s political climate, spurred by its historically fickle relationship with China.
personal 07.25.07 Smart Design

Bad design is frustrating, and in this day and age, we are constantly surrounded by it. In spite of it all, Kevin Nguyen meets the team behind Boston’s new Accessible Sailing Program and finds that the right thought and dedication can still produce brilliant results.
arts 07.25.07 Of MySpace and Mediocrity

MySpace is a popular platform of free self-promotion for the unsigned musician, but how many of these bands are even worth your attention? Apparently very few. Resident sweater model Jeff Merrion embarks on an epic quest to find good music on MySpace.
arts 07.23.07 Busting the ‘Myths’: An Interview with the Klaxons

Or one Klaxon, if you want to be technical. Rock star magnet Caitlin Boersma catches up with James Righton, keyboardist of the Pynchon-referencing “New Rave” outfit.
travel 07.20.07 Taiwan: He Mama’s Ice

This is the third installment in a series of essays by jet-setter Jordan Barber, who is currently studying Mandarin at Donghai University in Taichung, Taiwan. Adventurous as always, Jordan reports on the good, the bad, and the ugly of his experiences with Taiwanese cuisine.
squid 07.20.07 Staff List: Final Meal

Morbid and pensive as always, The Bureau Staff imagines their last dinner before walking the green mile.
arts 07.18.07 ‘Bible’ Talk: An Interview with Nick Gurewitch

The Perry Bible Fellowship is one of the most popular and refreshing comics published online. The Bureau’s Kevin Nguyen and Nick Gurewitch, the series’ writer and illustrator, discuss Garfield, Tagged, and Hillary Clinton.
arts 07.18.07 British Humour for Smegheads

For the average person, television’s graceful transition to DVD means being able to watch Friends on your leisure; for those with an acquired taste for cult shows and obsessive-compulsive tendencies, it eliminates any reason to ever leave the house. Netflix junkie Caitlin Boersma discusses her newest passion, British sci-fi comedy Red Dwarf.
arts 07.16.07 Good Morning, Captain

Slint’s 1991 release Spiderland is considered by many to be a seminal post-rock album. Nick Martens examines the album’s brilliance and the band’s track-by-track performance of it at this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival.
travel 07.13.07 Taiwan: Small Talk

This is the second installment in a series of essays by jet-setter Jordan Barber, who is currently studying Mandarin at Donghai University in Taichung, Taiwan. Traveling to rural XiTou, he finds that having a limited knowledge of Mandarin often makes it difficult to converse about anything other than the weather.