Animated sci-fi sitcom Futurama made its triumphant return last week in the form of a direct-to-DVD movie. Kevin Nguyen discusses the show’s brilliance and its critiques of our modern world.

For a liberal arts graduate, life after college can be fraught with undesirable options. In his Bureau debut, Drew Gemmer ruminates on the society that cultivates such malaise.

Holiday shopping can be a frenzy, motivating people to extreme ends just to buy presents at a discount. Caitlin Boersma discovers that people’s behaviors are at their most Darwinistic come Christmas season.

Spam emails seem to be an insurmountable problem of the digital era, but there may be a solution. Former U.S. Ambassador to Paraguay Jeff Merrion pens a diplomatic letter to spammers, informing them of their misconceptions regarding certain aspects of his life.

The CouchSurfing Project is a site connecting young travelers around the world. In an uncharacteristically adventurous move, Kevin Nguyen sleeps on a stranger’s couch in Barcelona.

Often called indie rock’s Tim “The Toolman” Taylor, Nick Martens provides an in-depth guide on finding, experiencing, and surviving live underground music.

This is the eighth installment in a series of essays by globe-trotter Kevin Nguyen, who is currently studying at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. Kevin’s family arrives in Prague, and he finds that the usual annoyances are not mediated by glorious architecture or goulash.

The Bureau staff presents their choices for President of the United States.

Major record labels are expanding their agreements with their artists. Instead of just making money on CD sales, labels want in on the touring and merchandising revenue as well. Nick Martens looks at the artistic impact of these deals in an attempt to divine their overall effect on the industry.

Indie socialite Caitlin Boersma chats up Thomas D’Arcy, frontman of the electronic pop group Small Sins. Topics discussed include the band’s new record Mood Swings, tire-changing, guns, and handclaps.