Something new for this year, each Saturday in '07 I'll be posting a list of the top three "best things" for that week. They can be animal, vegetable, or mineral; book, music, or movie; TV star, news article, or product promotion.

Best things for January 6th '07:

1. "An Incomplete Education - Third Edition" by Judy Jones and William Wilson. The tagline for the book is, "3,684 things you should have learned but probably didn't." Ever watch Dennis Miller and completely miss 2/3 of his cultural references? This is the book for you. It's got everything from which verse of Robert Frost to memorize to create the most impact when quoted as a refreshing pick-up line in a bar, to a condensed and understandable definition of chaos theory, to a five-topic breakdown of "philosophy made simplistic" (be the first Epistemologist on your block!). My favorite chapter so far, "A Night at the Opera: Manners and Morals for the MTV Generation."
   
   The book is written very clearly and amusingly, using very casual language that can break down the most intimidating topics. I wouldn't recommend reading it from cover to cover, but it's fun to flip open at random and see what the authors have to say on a particular subject.



2. Discovery HD Theater. Shark ultrasounds? Got that. Pub crawls of Ireland? Got that. A show dedicated to the sunrise? Got that. Really REALLY cool cinematography and photography? WAY got that. Plus, in HD, which makes it look like you're looking out a window at Mt. St. Helens erupting in your backyard. I have a lot of respect for the Discovery Channel, their messages of conservation and cultural respect, and the entertainment value of education. We invariably turn to this channel when there's "nothing on".



3. Wolfmother. This is a new band out of Australia that has gone back to the jangling roots of hard core rock-n-roll. They remind me heavily of Led Zeppelin but they manage to make the old school sound seem fresh. Their music makes a good impression and is well timed and executed while completely avoiding being technical or over-produced. Their CD kind of gives the impression that each live version of their songs would be performed slightly differently while remaining completely recognizable. Very unpretentious, you can tell these guys play just for the joy of it. My new favorite band.

Labels: best things

Posted by Laura on Saturday, January 06, 2007 at 11:57 AM | Permalink