Normally I buy my kids whatever the new blockbusters are on DVD. But IMO, there weren’t many good movies this year, so I got my kids (who are all teenagers) mostly cult classics. I think it’s safe for you to assume that my kids would appreciate them more, anyway.
My 15 year old son asked for and received:
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Leave it to band of the decade nominee Stereophonics to capture the moment as this unfortunate decade winds to a close. They are making their case for the brass ring with their new album, very appropriately titled, Keep Calm and Carry On. I especially like the second half of this album, with the closing song “Show Me How” winning me over as the album eases to a melancholy but soulful close. (more…)
In honor of the now past Christmas and just so we could have one more holiday post before next year. What are your favorite presents ever?
Mine, that I still remember well, was my Six Million Dollar Man action figure along with is backpack which was an actual radio (although it had an alligator clip you had to attach to metal for an antenna). I still have fond memories of falling asleep that Christmas listening to the radio with that backpack. And Steve Austin’s arm. You could roll up the skin and see the electronics and actually fix his bionic arm!
Wow. What a great Christmas that was. Nothing ever came as close in my memory.
The top ten films that I saw this year:
10. Duplicity (more…)
AVATAR is a huge gamble — a big special effects work, huge budget, big promises of groundbreaking cinematic work. Does James Cameron deliver?
Yes, he does. AVATAR is an amazing show, an immersive world that is wonderous and wonderful to watch. (more…)
There is a great dichotomy in the world these days; people who watch Jeopardy! and those who don’t. Oh wait, I mean trivia! People who like trivia and those who don’t. Personally, I don’t understand this. I love trivia. I mean, who doesn’t want to know that India’s highest military award is the Param Vir Chakra?
Wits and Wagers is the trivia game that makes trivia fun for everyone no matter how much you know or even how much you care about the trivia itself. (more…)
MCQ asked for it, so here it is. What are your nominations for the best bands of the last ten years?
(As always, links to songs and/or videos are welcome here at KB)
So we’re about to leave “the naughts,” those ten years no one was quite sure how to name. (The 90′s and the 80′s were easy). It’s overall been a pretty dismal period for music — although let’s be honest that goes back to the rise of the boy bands and Disney girls at the end of the 90′s. Still there have been some great music if you looked. But I come not to praise but to condemn.
So here’s the question. Who are the absolute worst bands? The criteria is that they have to have been nationally popular, often played, yet suck horribly.
We have talked about Christmas music before, but I thought I’d try a little different tack this time around. My question is, what’s the one performance you just can’t do without at Christmastime? (more…)
I didn’t think so.
What a great season. John “Trinity Killer” Lithgow was inspired casting [1] and the ending — oh the ending! There are few shows that make me as deliciously uncomfortable as this. I live in constant fear that Dex will be caught. Never have I enjoyed sociopaths — nor wanted them to succeed — this much.
There’s no way he can tell the police about Rita is there? All roads to Trinity lead back to him.
Best thing on US telly.
1. The scene where he made the woman jump from the building was supremely nasty in a good nasty kind of way.
Just so you know, I converted this recipe for Pocky into standard measures below:
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I need to apologize to all those who make a point read my game reviews (both of you) for my prolonged absence. I’ve been wanting to do a poll but am having technical difficulties and got lazy because of those difficulties. So to make it up, I’m providing a 12 Days of Christmas (all in one day! How’s that for thrifty?) Board Game Recommendations for all your holiday shopping needs! (more…)
I’m not going to be able to see tonight’s elimination, so I thought I’d post my thoughts about last night’s performances. I’ll be checking back later to find out who got booted. (more…)
It’s another list of the Top 50 movies of all time. More than anything these critics’ lists tend to show the disconnect between critics and the viewing public. Even I, cinephile extraordinaire, have only seen 37 of these. That said, I have to admit that I really love each of those 37, and my own Top 50 would likely include them. What’s your count?
Ok, it looks like no one else is going to do this so I guess I will, partly because I totally called it last night and partly because I think this is the best season of this show probably ever (I haven’t watched it that much so I can’t say for sure). (more…)
The Gathering Storm, Book 12 of the successful Wheel of Time series was recently released, which is a neat trick, considering the fact that the author of the series, Robert Jordan, passed on some time ago. Jordan’s widow asked Brandon Sanderson, a successful author in his own right, to complete the series. Sanderson intends that the series will be complete with book 14. (more…)
I was very lucky to grow up in one of the greatest music scenes there’s been. Seattle in the late 80s was really something to experience. I don’t think I appreciated how lucky I was back then, but I appreciate it now.
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