December 2008 Archives

Merry Christmas!  As promised, today I name my best Christmas movie of all time.  With only a little-tongue-in-cheek hyperbole, I believe this movie is the best in the history of mankind.  Whenever anyone talks about which Christmas movie is best, generally 1946's "It's a Wonderful Life" is named.  With Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, and Lionel Barrymore, a great story and superb direction by Frank Capra, it's tough to beat.  Even though it didn't win an...

In any review of classic Christmas movies, no one can ignore the weirdest ones.  I couldn't decide the best in this category, so, on this Christmas Eve, I'll name three movies:  First, 1964's "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians", often named one of the worst films ever made.  It is one of the strangest Christmas movies ever, featuring a 10 year old Pia Zadora, who's appearance in this film foretold the rest of her career.  Martians...

This week - best Christmas movies.  I was thinking about my favorite Santa's in these movies over the years.  Everyone thinks of Edmund Gwenn in the original "Miracle on 34th Street"or Sir Richard Attenborough in the modern "Miracle on 34th Street"I'll talk more about these movies tomorrow.My favorite Santa?  You never heard of him.  He is Jan Rubes, a Czechoslovakian who immigrated to Canada after World War II and a character actor his entire career. ...

This was a tough category for me.  I've always loved animated films, and there are great ones for Christmas - Rudolph, Frosty, the Grinch, and, of course, A Charlie Brown Christmas.  But my favorite is 1962's Christmas Carol starring Mr. Magoo.  I loved it as a kid watching it on black and white television and I still enjoy it today even though it doesn't get much play these days.  Here's the Marley's ghost scene:God bless...

This week, I'm talking about my favorite Christmas movies.  Today, what I believe is the best modern Christmas movie - "A Christmas Story" based on the writings of, and narrated by author and radio personality Jean Shepherd.Jean Shepherd The story is based in 1940's Indiana and features a 9 year old boy, Ralphie, who wants "an official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifle (BB Gun) with a compass in the stock, and this thing...

As we enter the home stretch up to Christmas, we've been watching all our favorite holiday movies at my house.  This week, I'll be sharing some of my favorites with you along with my normal political musings.  Today, the funniest Christmas movie ever: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation starring Chevy Chase and Randy Quaid made in 1989.  I've probably see this movie at least 20 times, and still get down in the floor laughing every time...

Word got out yesterday the President Elect Obama has selected Steven Chu as his energy secretary.  Who?  Steven Chu.  Chu is a Nobel Laureate in Physics, holds numerous teaching fellowships and board seats and is director of the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory.  Not political in the  slightest, Chu will bring his scientific approach to a job that normally goes to politicians as a reward.Chu was an early proponent of using science to understand and deal...

Corrupt politicians are nothing new to Americans, and are as familiar as an old pair of shoes to the people of the state of Illinois when it comes to their governors. Consider Rod Blagojevich’s four immediate predecessors. George Ryan (1999-2003) was convicted of 16 charges of conspiracy, fraud, and lying under oath, and now makes his home in federal prison. By the way, the prosecutor who put Ryan in the crossbar hotel was none other...

With all due respect to Timothy Geithner, Lawrence Summers, and the rest of President-elect Obama’s economic team, there is one name I would like to have seen included on that list--that of Nobel prize winning economist Paul Krugman. Here’s why. From a Krugman op-ed piece in the New York Times recently: "A few months ago I found myself at a meeting of economists and finance officials, discussing — what else? — the crisis. There was...