Listen to the Lion

Music from the first quarter

A roundup of some of my favorite CDs from 2008 so far, from the Examiner.

So You Wanna Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star

On the misuse of a term commonly used to describe Obama, from the Examiner.

John Adams on HBO

My Examiner column on the John Adams miniseries on HBO starring Paul Giamatti.

Not a 'Uniter'

Does anybody really believe someone like Obama doesn't know his black liberation theology well-enough to make an informed decision about being in such a church until now?

And, for all the times the Big O says he wasn't in church when Wright said this or that, we can probably conclude he isn't such a great parishioner. Until it's time to write a check or return a political favor.

Oh well, here's some more measured comments from my Examiner column.

The end of The Wire

I didn't care for the final episode of The Wire, but it doesn't change the fact that it was and will always be one of the very best and most socially relevant TV shows ever made. From my Examiner column.

Once at the Oscars

Not much to comment on about the Oscars Sunday night. Without question, Cate Blanchett should have won the supporting actress award for playing Bob Dylan in I'm Not There.

And No Country for Old Men, rightly, won for best picture, director(s), adapted screenplay and supporting actor and should have won for its cinematography, which was by far the best I've seen in as long as I can remember. (There Will Be Blood, which won, looked great too, to be fair.)

The one thing that made me glad I watched was the duo of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova from Once. They performed "Falling Slowly," which was nominated for best song, and soon thereafter won.

Both were so happy, and Hansard's acceptace speech was the definition of gratitude. Irglova got cut off by the music leading to a commercial, but Jon Stewart, in a truly classy move, brought her back out after the break and gave her all the time she wanted.

No Country and Once were my two favorite films of 2007, one dark and bleak, the other hopeful and real.

Here's my June 6, 2007 column for the Baltimore Examiner written a day or two after I saw Once.

Not Dead Yet

I'm really enjoying Hillary's long, slow death, politically speaking, of course.

No matter if Obama or McCain is the next Prez, conservatives have a huge opportunity. From my Examiner column.

Being There with Barack

Some thoughts on Barack Obama, whom I have officially endorsed for the Democrat nomination, and his resemblance to a great Peter Sellers character.

2008 Grammys

A Grammy preview from my Examiner column.

Thoughts on Heath Ledger and Tom Brady

My Examiner column written a day or two after Heath Ledger died.