Another one bites the dust

Longtime conservative icon,television pundit, founder of National Review, novelist, journalist, sailor, father of Christopher, the personification of the upper crust, and all-around renaissancy-type guy, died today. He was 82.

Like the corners of your mind

I remember:

• Broadway show tunes
• the names of the states
• Hollywood gossip
• movie trivia
• mama

I don't remember:

• names
• faces
• state capitals
• who was President when
• if I took that pill this morning or not
• the plot of the book I am currently reading
  

What to listen to the day AFTER the day after Valentine's day

• Lyle Lovett's My Baby Don't Tolerate
  
• John Prine's In Spite of Ourselves
  
• Bruce Springsteen's Tunnel of Love
  
• Tina Turner's What's Love Got to Do With It
  
• Loudon Wainwright III's More Love Songs
  
• NPR's Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

Desert Island: The Books

Books that I say I would bring with me to a desert island:

The Bible

War and Peace

The Brothers Karamazov

Crime and Punishment

The Fatal Shore

Books that I would really bring with me:

David Letterman's Book of top 10 lists

Thank You for the Giant Sea Tortoise

Reflexology: a step-by-step Guide

Famous First Facts

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret

What I learned from watching the Grammys

• That Herbie Hancock loves Joni Mitchell almost as much as I do.


• That Amy Winehouse's prodigious talent does not extend to dancing.


• That Tina Turner should maybe start to rethink the wardrobe (sorry, Tina!)


• Natalie Cole? Tall. Tony Bennett? Not so much.


• My new favorite couple: Kid Rock and Keely Smith (you go, girl!)


• That I don't mind so much dinosaur acts resurrecting their old hits, if the dinosaurs in question are Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis.


• Rihanna? Grammys cutest!


• Beyonce? Irreplaceable.

"We won't stop until somebody calls the cops...

...then we'll start again, and pretend that nothing ever happened..."
Juno (2007) the movie is one thing. Sweet and amusing, much like it's heroine. The soundtrack, however, is something else. Studded with obscure indie gems from the likes of Kimya Dawson (who?), alongside rock classics from The Velvet Underground, The Kinks and Mott the Hoople, this is THE must-have disc to own in 2008. Warning: If you're a fan of our current President, you may wish to stay away, as one of the songs takes him on in a tirade which would make your grandma blush!!

"Dos Vedanya, Anna Ivanovna"

I just saw one of the more powerful movies of the past year, Eastern Promises (2007), a stark look at the Russian Mafia, with the always amazing Viggo Mortensen transforming himself into yet another unforgettable character. It also has one of the most memorable fight scenes ever committed to film (one critic called it "spectacularly deployed gore"), and another terrific performance on Naomi Watts resume. If you can stomach a lot of violence, I would highly recommend this film!

Super Bowl XLII Highlights

I absolutely loved the commercial about the guy who was bagging groceries and playing the oboe ("it's a member of the woodwind family") and got drafted for the NFL. Also, the national anthem, as rendered by Jordin Sparks was (dare I say it?) sparkling. As was Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. And I guess you could say the Giants winning was also a highlight.

New Soul

Check out this enchanting (at least I think so) video clip, posted on YouTube, of great new artist, Yael Naim.