These are a few of my favorite things
Television shows
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#1
(NBC)
This has to be the funniest show on non-cable TV. Tina Fey is a genius. |
#2 (CBS)
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#3 (PBS) Intelligent, entertaining, and only slightly biased reporting of weekly events on "The Hill" and at the White House. Hosted by equally intelligent and entertaining Gwen Ifill.
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#4 (Comedy Central) These foul-mouth little guys act out social/political lessons some of which I don't always agree with but they sure are funny (especially when they spoof religion and other self-righteous sorts). New season for 2009! |
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Sports |
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Click on the fan at left to go to the Raiders web site.
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  Howie
Long and Marcus Allen. Two of my favorite Raiders of all time. |
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 Their
best album since "Achtung, Baby!" |
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Books (they share a common
theme)
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 Richard Dawkin's best
selling indictment of religion. It's primarily a defense of Darwin's account
of evolution and how alternative "theories" are justifiably hogwash but it
also includes a well-argued justification for atheism. |
 This
book follows Dennet's suggestion that we study religion as a natural
phenomenon and as a product of human evolution. |
 Another indictment of
religion from an historical, philosophical perspective. The subtitle--How
religion ruins everything--is a good gauge of where Hitchens is coming from. |
 I
just started this book on the political history of religious thinking. |
 I met Professor
Dennett at a recent screening of Richard Dawkin's documentary "The Root of
All Evil." This book takes a look at religion as a natural phenomenon that
needs to studied as are all other human endeavors. |
 My
next book to read in my attempt to better understand the social phenomenon
of religion. If we can understand its origin, the apparent human need for
religion in spite of its irrationality, and how to keep religious thinking
from infecting social and political evolution and the truth seeking of
science, maybe there's hope for the future of our species. |
 Haven't
finished this book yet either. I'm hoping it will explore the notion that
humans are as much a part of nature as other animals and that our behavior
is also subject to analysis as any other animal. Once we understand this, we
can analyze social phenomenon objectively. |
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Movies (contemporary)
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 The
theme should give a hint as to why this is one of my favorite movies of
recent years: "PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID OF THEIR GOVERNMENTS. GOVERNMENTS
SHOULD BE AFRAID OF THEIR PEOPLE." |
 Based
on Hunter S. Thompson's book, the movie is a hilarious look at drug use by a
couple of wild and crazy guys. |
 Brokeback
Mountain is surely one of the great recent movies and the late Heath
Ledger's performance among the best in recent memory. |
 Woody
Allan at his best. Sexy, mature, intelligent modern story telling. |
 An antidote to the
Christian-influenced Narnia movies. In this movie the "Magesterium" (aka the
Catholic Church) are the bad guys, very bad guys. |
 Almodovar
is one of the finest directors in the world. This set contains some of his
best including Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and Bad
Education.
Also check out Volver with the talented and beautiful Penelope Cruz..
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Movies Actors
Actresses
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 Daniel
Craig. Casino Royale, The Mother, The Golden
Compass, |
 Nicole
Kidman. The Golden Compass,
Moulin Rouge, To Die For, The Hours, |
 Julianna
Moore. Penelope
Cruz
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The
Raiders have REALLY sucked the last several years. Will 2009 bring a
change? Apparently NOT!
