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

Reflections on 3174, Year of Our Lady of Discord: A look back at 2008

In 2008, Iran launched its first rocket into space; Kosovo declared independence from Serbia; The Summer Olympics took place in Beijing; A global financial crisis dominated headlines; Spotify launched; Satoshi Nakamoto published a paper announcing Bitcoin; Barack Obama was elected as the 45th President of the United States of America; The Marvel Cinematic Universe debuted… Continue reading Reflections on 3174, Year of Our Lady of Discord: A look back at 2008

Blindly washing your giant laundry in traffic

    Ulysses and the Giant Polyphemus (1905) Although it doesn’t really take off until the giant appears in the second half, Georges Méliès’s, interpretation of the story of Ulysses and Polyphemus shows flashes of his astounding creativity.     Creed (2015) I’ve seen all the Rocky films, I love Michael B. Jordan, and Sylvester Stallone was nominated for a Golden Globe… Continue reading Blindly washing your giant laundry in traffic

Everything that follows is older than Hit Girl: A look back at 1996

In 1996, The murder of nine-year-old Amber Hagerman inspired the creation of the AMBER Alert system; Deep Blue defeated Garry Kasparov; Major League Soccer began its inaugural season; The Unabomber was arrested; The Nintendo 64 was released in Japan and the United States; Alanis Morisette’s Jagged Little Pill won the Grammy for Album of the Year; Dolly the sheep, the first cloned… Continue reading Everything that follows is older than Hit Girl: A look back at 1996

She wore Prada to meet Cinderella in the north country

  The Devil Wears Prada (2006) Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway), a graduate of Northwestern’s journalism school, takes a job as a personal assistant for Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), the notoriously difficult chief editor of a famed fashion magazine.  The demanding job challenges her professionally and personally. Hathaway is at her best as the plucky underdog; Stanley… Continue reading She wore Prada to meet Cinderella in the north country