Year: 2008
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My Mouth’s Bleedin’!
Today is the day, the only day of the year, when I watch It’s A Wonderful Life. Watching the classic Christmas movie with a bowl of popcorn and a crackling fire on Christmas Eve has become perhaps the longest tradition with my family. Another tradition, getting up at 5 a.m. on Christmas morning and waiting…
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Lovin’ Lincoln
I finally went on the most important pilgrimage a history buff must go on: to Springfield, IL, for the loads of Lincoln lore there. First, I went with my dad to the Old State Capitol where Lincoln worked as a state legislator. Though mostly recreated, the building smacked of authenticity. But the biggest and best…
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Hottest. Cast. Ever.
Yes, even Hurley. It seems a little smaller cast than years previous, but I think it’s definitely the strongest. The fifth and penultimate season of Lost premieres January 21 at 9/8 central. I can’t wait.
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Happy-Go-Millionaire
Hallelujah! It’s Oscar season! I guess seeing Rachel Getting Married was technically my first dive into this year’s plethora of Oscar bait, but tonight I dove down further by seeing Happy-Go-Lucky and Slumdog Millionaire, two small films that are getting a lot of buzz and landing on some critics’ Best of 2008 lists. Naturally, I…
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The Sting
Originally published in the North Central Chronicle in October 2008 as part of a series called “Chad Picks Classic Flicks.” Welcome back to “Chad Picks Classic Flicks.” I was catching up on more recent films over the summer but I’m excited to start a new year of discovering the new in films of old. This…
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Canopy Glow by Anathallo
One of my favorite albums of the year: Over the last eight years they have been making music together, Anathallo’s sound has evolved slowly and subtly. Starting in 2001 with Luminous Luminescence in the Atlas Position and continuing with A Holiday at the Sea two years later, the band had adopted an almost avant garde…
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The War by Ken Burns
I’m still working my way through it, but I’ve already come to appreciate Ken Burns’ seven-part 2007 miniseries The War. Burns explains in the making-of feature that he wanted to show the war not through historians but through average citizens, men and women and children from every corner of the country who endured the front…
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No Direction Home
Just watched Martin Scorsese’s 2005 documentary No Direction Home about Bob Dylan and I loved it. A great, detailed history of the moment and the man. I must admit that I have not really gotten into Dylan that much until recently. I have a few of his records on vinyl—Blonde on Blonde is definitely my…
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Quantum of Solace
Not as good as Casino Royale. It was still quite enjoyable, though. I like the director Marc Forster’s style. Previously he directed Stranger Than Fiction, Finding Neverland, and Monster’s Ball. He’s got quite the range. I find that Roger Ebert’s criticism of the film is accurate, though I don’t hate it as much as he…
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1.21 Gigawatts!?
November 12, 1955. Know the date? Hill Valley, California. The Clock Tower. Struck by lightning. At 10:04 p.m. 53 years today. Oh, yeah. In honor of this historic day in the BTTF world, here is an appreciation I wrote for the school paper: If I were asked to name what I think are the greatest…
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My Halloween
My Modern Europe professor offered two points extra credit on the next exam for anyone who wrote a page on their Halloween experience. Well, I needed the extra credit, so here it is. I must confess that, while I enjoy the perennial American holiday as much as the next Joe Six-Pack, I frequently forget to…
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Gosh! Idiot!
June 11, 2009. It is the first day I will be able to watch Napoleon Dynamite for the first time. When that movie first came out in 2004, it was hyped up so much by my peers. Everybody recited the lines for about six months and I got really sick of it, as did everyone…
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Good Listenin’
It’s been a good two days for me musically. First, I got the debut CD from Carla Bruni, the French First Lady, called Quelqu’un M’a Dit from the library. I can’t understand a word of it, but I love the sexy folk style. Now I just have to find her most recent album. But what…
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A Summer Camp Counselor’s Guide To Good Character
Originally published in the North Central Chronicle on October 10, 2008. This summer I worked at a Bible camp for the third straight year. (Don’t worry, we didn’t praise a likeness of George W. Bush like those crazies did in Jesus Camp did.) The theme for the summer was character. We studied the Book of…
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It Sure Is, Max!
Late Night with Conan O’Brien is the only late-night talk show I watch consistently. I watch The Daily Show and The Colbert Report for the political satire, but I watch Late Night for the utter wackiness. Besides Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, my favorite reoccurring segment is “Small Talk Moment with Max and Conan.” I…