Each Thursday (or Friday, since some weeks we seem to be running behind on everything), Needcoffee.com's staff of whackos will wrack our brains to give you interesting and new things to do over the weekend. Books, movies, whatever. We'll throw them out, you do with them what you will. And hey...if you have something you want to recommend--whatever it is--drop us a line.

Incidentally, we've provided links where we can for you to buy the stuff or find out more if you're interested, courtesy of those Amazon types. Hey, come on, we can't be totally selfless in this, can we?

July 4, 2002

We couldn't resist, since it is Independence Day in America, to do a version of the Recommendations that featured bits that we felt epitomized not just America, but freedom and independence in general. Enjoy.

Book of the Week: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein. In the future, the people of the Moon have gotten tired of their absentee rulership and decide to rebel from earth. This book follows the war on every front, including the propaganda wars leading up to it and the efforts after to form a government. Explore the moon of the future as it's overthrown by a technician, a college professor, a revolutionary, and an intelligent computer named Mycroft.

Graphic Novel of the Week: Squadron Supreme by Mark Gruenwald & Bob Hall. If you can find it, nab it. After their world is shattered by the defeat of the Over-Mind, the Squadron decides that the only recourse to getting the world back on track is to take complete and utter control of Earth's government. The reprecussions of this decision play out over the course of twelve issues, with Gruenwald taking what was a blatant Justice League ripoff and forging from it one of the unfortunately forgotten masterpieces of the "tights" genre.

DVD of the Week: The Muppet Movie. From the bayou to purple mountains majesty to the glittering promise of Hollywood, the cross-country jaunt of THE MUPPET MOVIE perfectly encapsulates the American dream. Wide open spaces and limitless possiblity are what this flick is about, and no road trip across these United States would be the same without "Movin' Right Along" playing on the radio. Just be sure to make a left at the fork in the road.

CD of the Week: Rage Against the Machine. This album is the closest thing you'll ever get to having the spirit of a riot caught on CD. Granted, their politics aren't probably something you would completely subscribe to 100%, but the sheer unadultered pissed off desire for freedom over everything else brings this to our list. Damn shame the band self-destructed.

Beverage of the Week: Kosmic Kola. It's hard to think of a drink that screams out Freedom to us, so the best we could do is come up with something that would give you the energy you needed to work on the preservation or acquisition of your freedom. This sucker's got so much stuff in it, Doc remarked that it was a "shotgun approach" to herbal stimulation. Trust me. If I could buy it in two-liter bottles, I would.