Since I have nothing of interest to add to the political discussion, I’ll stick to what I know.
Best Movie I Saw: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. There’s nothing like a Holocaust movie about children to get you in the Christmas spirit, eh? This one is told from the perspective of a young boy whose father is a German soldier. They live close to a concentration camp, and he secretly befriends one of the boys. The most poignant parts of the story involve the boy and his mother as they discover the truth about his father’s job.
Looking Forward to: Slumdog Millionaire and Doubt, two extremely opposite movies that both previewed at the Striped Pajamas showing. Slumdog is about a boy who goes on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and Doubt is the story of a priest suspected of child abuse.
Best TV Show I Watched: I’m in mourning that Pushing Daises isn’t getting renewed. It’s gorgeous, clever, touching, funny. Plus, it stars Lee Pace. Sigh…
Most ARGH TV Moment: The frat boys making it to the final 3 of The Amazing Race. Has there ever been a less deserving team in the finals?
Best Thing I’ve Read: I’m working through some of the young adult novels mom has bought me in the past, and the best so far is Number the Stars, a story that takes place during the Holocaust. What is it with me and the Nazis? I also like to reread Little Women every Christmas, so hopefully I’ll start that soon.
Best Thing I’ve Heard: I haven’t heard the entire She & Him album, but I’m definitely looking forward to it.
Hungry Hungry Hippos 
December 1, 2008 at 7:10 pm |
Oops. Sorry about that, MrsP. I should’ve refreshed my view of our main page before I went off and wrote a new post. Oh, well. Mine isn’t really intended to draw comments, anyway.
I have seen/read/heard exactly none of those movies/shows/books/albums. Nor any new movies, shows, or albums. I did see an old classic, though. Sullivan’s Travels. It’s a romantic comedy about the Great Depression. You know. Topical. It’s also the first movie I’ve seen with Veronica Lake in it. Hubba hubba.
I’ve read a couple new things. One, I finally finished Denis Johnson’s Tree of Smoke. Meh. I get its greatness, but I can’t say I like it. Second, Ivanhoe, which provides an interesting insight into just how bad the novel (the literary form, that is, not just this particular novel) was, early in its life. Right now I’m reading The Three Musketeers, which continues that same lesson. I started Don Quixote a while back, but lost interest before I got very far. (Far enough, though, to recognize that Cervantes was a much, much better novelist than his early followers were. See above.)
Nonfiction-wise, I’m reading Jane Mayer’s The Dark Side, which is very well written, and recently finished James Wood’s How Fiction Works, which is excellent excellent excellent. It’s really about how the novel works, though, not fiction in general.
December 1, 2008 at 7:56 pm |
Hey, I have something to contribute! I read/own “Number the Stars,” and talked my daughter into reading it, too. Great book.
I was interested in it because it was from Lois Lowry. I knew of Lois Lowry because Urbino told me long ago to read “The Giver.” My daughter just got an A+ on her book report on The Giver at Malibu Middle School.
If I keep talking, I’ll get around to Kevin Bacon somehow. Or maybe run into him here around town (but I’m not allowed to leave the library until finals are over). 😦
December 3, 2008 at 2:36 pm |
Al, I’m so proud that you had something to contribute to the pop culture discussion! See, you’re still the same cool Coach Al character.
JU, for some reason I think you’d really like She & Him. Give ’em a go!
December 3, 2008 at 2:44 pm |
I thought Tree of Smoke was wonderful….I think we talked about that over the summer, JU. Currently reading: Housekeeping, by Marilynne Robinson; Oh the Glory of it All, by Sean Wilsey. Can’t wait to read the Woods’ book that JU mentioned.
Listening to: well….I’m always behind the times, music-wise. I’m catching up on some Wilco — other than when riding in JU’s car when I’m home on breaks, I’ve never listened to anything but Yankee whatever whatever. So I’m catching up on Summerteeth and A Ghost is born. And as always, listening to too much Radiohead.
Watching: 30 Rock is just about the best tv show in forever.
December 3, 2008 at 5:40 pm |
Wow, just look at all the love I’m getting in this thread. Take me as your paradigm of hope, Pete.
I’ll give She&Him a listen on iTunes, Mrs.P. It’s been forever since I bought any new music, so I’m overdue.
Yeah, I remember you liked Smoke a lot, Mikey. The characters are all very real and whatnot . . . I dunno . . . I just didn’t find it very satisfying. (Which, I understand, is perhaps sort of the point of a novel about Vietnam, but still.) It seemed like he could have done something better with the last few chapters.
I like Summerteeth a lot, though I haven’t listed to it in a while. Ghost is good, but not one of my faves, Wilco-wise. Have you tried Sky Blue Sky? I think you’d dig it.
December 3, 2008 at 5:49 pm |
I forgot to mention Sky Blue Sky, but yes. It’s maybe my favorite Wilco album, actually.
December 3, 2008 at 10:18 pm |
You just have a hankerin’ for Tina Fey, Mikey. But I agree that 30 Rock is hilarious. It’s one of the few shows that makes me laugh out loud.
I probably sing that “she fell in love with the drummer” song at practically every concert I attend. That has a drummer in the band, of course.
December 3, 2008 at 10:40 pm |
Cute story about that song. On the documentary about the making of that album, Tweedy asks his son, who’s probably 5-ish, if he likes any of the songs on the album. The kid starts drumming out the rhythm of that song on his thighs, “Dum-Dum-Da-Da” style, and gets it right enough that Tweedy actually recognizes it.
Who doesn’t have a hankerin’ for Tina Fey? (Though I’ve never seen 30 Rock.)
Sky Blue Sky is awfully good. I mean, the songs are good, but aside from that, something about it just feels right.
December 3, 2008 at 10:42 pm |
Oh, and that first album of Woody Guthrie songs they did with Billy Bragg is pretty good, too. Not great, but fun.
December 4, 2008 at 8:38 pm |
But, JU, at the end of A Ghost is Born, there are some live tracks. And those are great. And Sky Blue Sky….I love every song. Most especially Either Way and Please Be Patient With Me.
Yes, Mrs. P., I have a thing for Tina Fey. Even so, it really is a fantastically funny show.
December 4, 2008 at 11:09 pm |
30 Rock was especially hilarious tonight. “Rich 50 is middle class 30!”
I’ve never been able to sit through the Ghost album long enough to make it to the live songs. Maybe I’ll break it out again and skip ahead.
December 4, 2008 at 11:52 pm |
Ghost is more of a high-effort listen, definitely. “Handshake Drugs” is catchy as can be, though. I bought the album so early, my version doesn’t have the live songs.
My favorite on Sky Blue Sky, I think, is “Impossible Germany,” but “Either Way” is probably second. It’s a great first track. Pulls you right in.
December 5, 2008 at 2:48 am |
Just looked up She&Him on iTunes. It turns out I have heard them. They were on The Late Late Show several months ago. I don’t remember which song they did, but I liked it. There’s something about M Ward that I like, but I haven’t liked any of his albums enough to buy them. His cover of “Green River,” though, is the bomb.
December 12, 2008 at 5:19 pm |
And She&Him now live on my iPod. Along with the new Loudon Wainwright album.
December 12, 2008 at 9:49 pm |
Niiice.
December 15, 2008 at 9:49 pm |
Good call, Mrs.P. This is excellent stuff. I’ll start using you for all my music recommendations.
December 16, 2008 at 3:17 pm |
What an honor!
December 16, 2008 at 7:35 pm |
With great power comes great responsibility, though.
December 26, 2008 at 2:04 pm |
Looking to return the favor, have you heard Ollabelle? They’re sort of a collaborative everybody-gets-a-turn band, but their unofficial leader is Levon Helm’s daughter. I haven’t bought any entire albums, but they’ve got a lot of really good tracks.
December 30, 2008 at 4:09 pm |
I hadn’t heard of Ollabelle, but I’m listening to them on myspace right now. Thanks for the recommendation!