In 1993, Eritrea became an independent nation, and Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia; Bill Clinton became the 42nd President of the United States of America; Ramzi Yousef, Mahmud Abouhalima, Mohammad Salameh, Nidal A. Ayyad, Abdul Rahman Yasin, and Ahmed Ajaj attempted to blow up the World Trade Center; Janet Reno became the first… Continue reading Everything that follows is older than Harry Styles: A look back at 1993
Tag: Bill Murray
The year the towers fell: A look back at 2001
In 2001, American Online and Time Warner merged; Wikipedia launched; George W. Bush became the 43rd President of the United States; Hijackers crashed America Airlines flight 11 and United Airlines flight 175 into the World Trade Center; Nintendo released the Gamecube; Apple introduced the iPod; Microsoft released the Xbox; Enron declared bankruptcy; Mister Roger’s Neighborhood aired… Continue reading The year the towers fell: A look back at 2001
Reflections on 3175, Year of Our Lady of Discord: A Look back at 2009
In 2009: Chesley Sullenberger landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River; Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America; MLB Network launched; ER aired its final episode; John Madden retired from sportscasting; The Yankees won their 27th World Series; Conan O’Brien debuted as host of The… Continue reading Reflections on 3175, Year of Our Lady of Discord: A Look back at 2009
When American turned 203: A look back at 1979
In 1979: The Dukes of Hazzard debuted on CBS and ESPN launched; Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi fled Iran; Michigan State defeated Indiana State in the NCAA Championship game; The nuclear reactor at Three Mile Island suffered a meltdown; Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; Micronesia and Kiribati became independent nations; McDonald’s introduced… Continue reading When American turned 203: A look back at 1979
America entered its twenty second decade: A look back at 1986
In 1986, Pixar Animation Studios opened; Halley’s Comet made its second visit to our solar system in the twentieth century; The The Legend of Zelda was released; A mishandled safety test at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant killed over 4000 people; The Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated 73 seconds after launch; Len Bias died of a cocaine overdose 48 hours after being… Continue reading America entered its twenty second decade: A look back at 1986
Reflections on 3171, Year of Our Lady of Discord: A look back at 2005
In 2005: Saddam Hussein was tried for crimes committed against humanity during his time in power; YouTube launched; Prince Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles; Former FBI agent Mark Felt publicly identified himself as Deep Throat; Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans; The Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published twelve controversial drawings of the prophet Muhammad; Angela Merkel was elected Chancellor of Germany; Logo debuted; Lost… Continue reading Reflections on 3171, Year of Our Lady of Discord: A look back at 2005
Best of the 1990s
Dreams (1990) Nearing the end of his life, legendary director Akira Kurosawa reflects on his childhood and finds inspiration for several beautiful vignettes. After a child stumbles upon a fox wedding during a sunshower, his furious mother demands he apologize. Their surviving commander orders the ghosts of Japanese soldiers returning from the second World War… Continue reading Best of the 1990s
Best of the 1980s
The Shining (1980) Writer Jack Torrance takes a job as a winter caretaker at the Overlook Hotel which was built on a Native American burial ground. Haunted by the numerous evil spirits which populate the hotel, Jack slowly loses his mind and unsuccessfully attempts to kill his wife, Wendy and young son, Danny. Contrary to what… Continue reading Best of the 1980s
Best of the 2000s
The Gleaners and I (2000) Agnes Varda’s beautiful film follows gleaners at work, from people who depend on the practice for survival to hobbyists. She exposes how connected we are and shines a light on our coldness to the needs of others as she pointedly interviews jurists about the seemingly arbitrary French laws which prohibit some forms of… Continue reading Best of the 2000s
The drunken fox is afraid
Drunken Master II (1994) Won Fei-Hung (Jackie Chan) hides ginseng in the suitcase of an employee of the British consulate to avoid paying taxes. This innocent act backfires and Hung is inexplicably involved in a crazy conspiracy to steal a valuable Chinese antique. Chan’s genius was a merger of eastern and western entertainment traditions, combining Chinese… Continue reading The drunken fox is afraid