The U.S. is increasing its Tsunami Relief Aid from $35 million to $350 million. Good.

And now the conclusion of my Year In Review!

September
Had a great time attending the U.S. Open tennis tournament. Had a busy Labor Day weekend – first going to Bartow’s birthday party, then meeting Wendy and Wes at a Yankees game, then attending Blogapalooza – the largest single gathering of our little blog network. It was also at this party that I met someone (a non-blogger) who I would go on to date throughout the month. We had some good times – much better than with anyone I’d met on JDate. I also suffered through my annual experience of going to temple on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. And at work I helped the Managers Team win the annual softball trophy.

October
Celebrated my 27th Birthday with a small get-together in the Upper East Side. One gift was that my second raise of the year at work soon went into effect. I met Ben’s new girlfriend Tracey and started hanging out with them alot, particularly at their Halloween Party where I dressed up as Julius Caesar. I rooted for the Boston Red Sox in the baseball playoffs, particularly the first game of the World Series which was watched at Val and Jon’s apartment. And I followed the presidential campaign very closely, praying for John Kerry to pull it out.

November
Deep sadness and depression after John Kerry failed to pull it out. Saw former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara give a lecture and went to the annual Vassar alumni party in NYC. Switched to GMail for e-mail. Kept going to Trivia. Dated a basketball player – a first!

December
Went to Museum of Moving Image with Astoria friends. Was sick for about a week. Celebrated Chrismukkah at home and at work. Went up to the Catskill Mountains with the family. Resubscribed to JDate. Prepared to ring in the New Year tonight in Hoboken.

So that was 2004. It was a good year with fun times, good friends, and a lot of personal growth. What does 2005 hold in store? Hopefully a new apartment. Hopefully a longer lasting relationship. Hopefully continued good health and happiness.

I wish all of my blog readers a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!

Did you hear that disgraced former NY State Senator Guy Vellela is sharing a cell block on Rikers Island with the rapper Shyne? That has sitcom written all over it.

More fallout from Sunday’s tsunami in South Asia. The death toll is now estimated as 116,000 and rising. 116,000!!! I cannot even fathom that number. Villages were completely wiped out and if that’s not bad enough, it is feared that a high death toll will result from diseases and poor health conditions. This is a tragedy unparalleled in my memory and the wealthy nations of this world must open their wallets to help. Otherwise we condemn the survivors to their deaths. Thus far, the U.S. has pledged $35 million. This is a laughable amount considering that we spend five times that amount EACH DAY in Iraq and that they’re planning on spending $40 million for Bush’s inauguration. We must give more and I am sure that we will. With the United States’ credibility in the world at a recent low (thanks to perceptions over Iraq) we cannot afford to appear stingy in this regard.

And now the Year in Review continues!

May
I worked with Ben and Gabe on the launch of VassarChat.com. After a fast start it quickly fizzled out but we’re considering revamping and relaunching it. One of my co-workers passed away from a heart attack and I attended my first Catholic funeral. Met the famous historian David McCullough. I reunited with some of my co-workers from many years ago at a political fundraiser. I attended Sarah’s birthday party and met the Anonymous Blogger but had to pretend that I didn’t know who he was since he was still anonymous at the time. Our biggest event of the year was held at work – the Coney Island Beach Opening – and Mayor Bloomberg gave me his kazoo.

June
Went to my 5-year college reunion and had a blast. Got a digital camera and started occasionally posting pictures to my blog. Had a job interview for a position that, as of this date, still hasn’t been filled. Became increasingly busy and bogged down at work. made more tolerable by frequent lunch outings. Gave Sarah a tour of Brooklyn including Park Slope and Coney Island.

July
One of my friends from college was killed in a car accident. After posting about her on my blog, traffic increased dramatically and people who knew her from all stages of her life started leaving comments and using it as a tribute page. I also decided that I would start thinking about moving out of my studio apartment into a bigger place. This remains my primary goal for 2005. On my blog, I did my own version of "I Love the 90s" summarizing my life in each year of that decade. I saw a bunch of Brooklyn Cyclones games. On the dating front, after not worrying about it for a couple of months, I did find time to meet up with one other person. And I met many bloggers at a They Might Be Giants concert in Prospect Park.

August
I started attending Tuesday Night Trivia at the Baggot Inn and became closer friends with many of the bloggers who I’d already gotten to know through surfing their sites. I also welcomed Ben back to NYC who had just moved here from Cali. I took some time off of work to recharge the batteries and met up with my uncle who gave me the grand tour of the Empire State Building. I watched some of the Olympics and tried to avoid watching the Republican Convention but I did experience some of it up close while walking though Manhattan. With my mind on other things, I cancelled my JDate subscription.

With three days left in 2004, how should I fill the contents of this blog? I know - a Year in Review! You could browse through my entire archives or you can read this very short summary. Today I'll post January through April, tomorrow May through August, and Friday September through December. Enjoy!

January
I remember that January was cold. I remember freezing and shoveling lots of snow. I got on the John Kerry bandwagon after his back-to-back wins in Iowa and New Hampshire. I went on dates with three different people.

February
I started a blog! "Phil’s Spin Zone" debuted on February 4th. Upon reviewing its archives, I found that February’s contents were heavy on news, politics and entertainment, and little on my life. But perhaps that’s because I was still in the midst of a winter hibernation.

March
Hung out with my nVo crew as we all attended WrestleMania XX. Learned that I would be in Jon and Emily’s wedding party in May, 2005. At work, helped to put together our annual review. Along the way I suffered from a stomach virus. And I dated someone else.

April
Passover fun with seders in Brooklyn and New Jersey. Baseball began and for about two weeks the Mets looked like they actually might be a good team. Learned that I’d be getting a raise at work – the first of two that went into effect this year. At work the special event season started. I saw "Wicked" on Broadway. I ranted a lot on my blog against Bush. And I dated a new person, still looking for that right connection!

First off I need to acknowledge the terrible devastation caused by the tsunami in South Asia. Such a harrowing tragedy and who knows how many perished as a result of it. I just heard that the casualty estimate is 44,000 and rising. Unbelievable that such things could happen in this world.

And now to COMPLETELY shift gears, I’d like to present my Top 10 Television Shows of 2004. I watch lots of TV so I had plenty to choose from. Lots of good programs that I watch (or watched) regularly didn’t even make my Top 10, including "24", "The West Wing", "The Apprentice", "Sex and the City", and "Real Time with Bill Maher." I also just watched the pilot episode of "Desperate Housewives" on Sunday and though I haven’t seen enough of it to put it on the list, it does show a lot of promise. So here’s what I came up with...

1) "The Office" – the show aired last year on BBC America but I caught up with it this year on DVD. It’s "Christmas Special" then aired in October. It’s an amazing mockumentary about office life with great attention to subtle comedic detail. It’s funny, off-the-wall, disturbing, and heartwrenching all at the same time.

2) "Lost" – ABC finally has a hit and TV audiences are flocking to a show that is not about law enforcement or crime scenes. A plane crashes on a mysterious island, stranding its survivors, but something about the island is not quite right. The flashbacks about the characters lives before the plane crash gives the show more layers of significance.

3) "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" – In the insanity of the 2004 presidential election, Jon Stewart was the voice of reason – illustrating the absurdities of not only the campaigns but the media that covers it. As Bush continues pursuing his agenda and as Iraq grows ever more unstable, we’ll need Stewart’s wit and insight to get us through.

4) "Survivor : All Stars" – Take 18 of the most dynamic contestants in the first seven seasons of "Survivor", put them together on one show and you have instant entertainment! Richard, Rudy, Jerri, Ethan, Rupert, Lex, Susan and the others were all up to their old tricks but who would have thought that Boston Rob and Amber would fall in love as they dominated the game?

5) "The O.C." – I’ve never found a primetime soap opera to be so entertaining. Truly this is a guilty pleasure. From love triangles, to convoluted family trees, to fights that break out at pool parties, to Chrismukkah – you can’t turn away.

6) "The Simpsons" – Still a classic and still going strong. Even after all these years, I laugh out loud several times during each episode. "Happy Labor Day, Lenny!"

7) "The Sopranos" – The addition of Steve Buscemi, the whacking of Adrianna and the war between Tony’s family and Johnny Sack’s family made this season a must-see. After previous seasons focused on the Sopranos home problems, the emphasis shifted back to where it belongs - the family business.

8) "Da Ali G Show" – Did I say that "The O.C." was my guilty pleasure? Check that. This one is. Whether Sascha Cohen is playing Ali G – the white hip hop reporter who interviews unsuspecting guests, Borat – the immigrant from Kazakhstan, or Bruno – the gay fashionista, his segments shock and entertain.

9) "The Amazing Race" – The reality genre is filled with a lot of crap but this show shines. Eleven teams race around the globe, fighting to avoid being eliminated by being the last to arrive at certain checkpoints. The scenery is amazing and the twists and turns are compelling as teams struggle, fight among themselves and pass each other as they race to their destinations.

10) "Curb Your Enthusiasm" – Although not as funny as its previous seasons, it makes the list because of its deliberate setup, whose punchline is only revealed in the final episode. Mel Brooks casts Larry David to be the lead in "The Producers". All season long Larry struggles with rehearsals and everyone wonders why Mel would cast him. The reason? Because he was sick of the show and wanted it to close, hence casting an awful actor who would cause it to flop. Which exactly mirrors the plot of "The Producers." But just like the show, Larry excels and is lauded for his performance, hence ensuring the continuance of the show. Very clever.

Christmas in the Catskills!

I have returned from my weekend at the Nevele Grande in famous Ellenville, New York. The heyday of the old Jewish Catskill resorts have long passed and many of them have closed. But the Nevele chugs on. My family used to go there each Thanksgiving but our last trip to the Nevele was way back in 1986. Feeling nostalgic, my mom, dad, brother and I decided to go back for Christmas weekend. And it was fun!

First off, the food was amazing. It's all you can eat for three meals a day. Our favorite waiter, Larry Fell, unfortunately passed away several years ago. The maitre D' told us that he used to be Larry's busboy and assigned us to an equally hardworking waitress. They don't offer 10 different entrees at each meal like they used to, but the 4 that they had were still excellent. And yes, you can order as many different entrees as you want and sample from each of them.

The nightclub was nostalgic in that it looked the same but the acts were a little sad. They used to get great comics like Mal Z. Lawrence but now he's out of their price range. Instead we got Lenny Rush whose ethnic humor was funny but way outdated. The singer was a former member of the Duprees. He sure had all the 50-year old women screaming for him. Oh and there was a juggler too. Yeah, there's a lot of kids who they have to cater to.

During the day there's plenty to do - a fitness room, an indoor pool, indoor tennis and racketball courts, ice skating, skiing, mini-golf, shuffleboard, an old-style video arcade room, Bingo, naps... plenty. The place may not be for everyone - it's great for families and for people who enjoy the Catskill's unique brand of kitsch - but I greatly enjoyed the nostalgia trip. My dad already wants to book reservations for next year!

A few pics are posted below...

The Nevele Tower! It's the resort's most recognizable structure and the very sight of it used to fill me with excitement. Of course it seemed much bigger to me 18 years ago.

How big did the Catskills use to be? LBJ and Lady Bird stayed at the Nevele during his presidency.

Sigh. So much for the old traditions. Starbucks has invaded the Catskills...

Here's me and my mom sitting by a fire in the ski chalet. (Which is designed very similar to Vassar's Noyes House Jetson Lounge.)

It ain't the Catskills without a rousing game of BINGO!

Morris Katz! This guy is a Catskills institution (and looks exactly the same as when I last saw him 18 years ago). He completes entire paintings in less than 10 minutes. He's not only a painter - he's an entertainer!

Here I am with an original Morris Katz painting that my parents bought me.

My office's holiday party was today and it was fun! I realize that I haven't posted pictures in a while so I'll let the pics below speak for themselves.

Commissioner Spiegel cooking Penne ala Vodka

The Spread (Note that my desk & nameplate is located right behind it)

Lobby Decorations - XMas Tree, Menorah (& SpongeBob in the display case)

Chief of Staff singing "American Pie"

Kaceen and Kerry singing "Ebony & Ivory"

The Lucky Raffle Winner

Preparations for the holiday party are underway. Remember that scene in "The Office" where a guy is trying to get work done but a maintenance man keeps getting in his way by trying to put up a disco ball? That’s sort of what’s going on here except I’m not even making the pretense of trying to get work done. The food buffet is being set up in the room where I work so desks are being moved around, computers are being disconnected and there are currently two huge potted plants hovering over my head.

Earlier I was telling my coworker how I’m planning on taking lots of blackmail pictures. To which he replied, "I’m a black male."

Brr! It is so freaking cold outside! How cold is it? I gave our intern some money to fetch me some lunch. Don’t look at me like that. She was going out anyway!!!

Our big office party is scheduled for Wednesday. I hear stories from friends about how nice their office parties are – how they’re at some hotel or some other nice place. On the other hand, my office party will take place in... the office. Which I thought was kind of cheap until I watched the program "The Office" and saw that they did the exact same thing. One room will have the food, another will have the booze, another will have a DJ. And I’ll have my digital camera to take plenty of blackmail material.

Now where is the intern with my lunch? Is she not back yet?!?

This time next week I’ll be off to the Nevele in the Catskill Mountains for a Jewish-style Christmas! I’d call it "Chrismukkah" but Hanukkah came too early this year. I’m looking forward to a weekend of eating, sleeping, eating, playing mini-golf, eating, playing old style video arcade games, eating, sleeping, and... oh yeah, eating. One thing I will NOT be doing – horseback riding. (A reference to what turned out to be nothing more serious than a very inflamed muscle strain.)

"Chrismukkah" is a holiday made for me. Although recently popularized by "The O.C.", I’ve been celebrating it for many years, combining the Santa Claus aspects of Christmas with the menorah and dreidel fun of Hanukkah. Last night on "The O.C." they took it a step further by introducing "YarmuClaus" – a red yarmulkah with a Santa Claus white puffball on top of it. I’m not about to buy one though... yet.

Back to work today! All I can say is thank heavens for anti-inflammatory medications.

The retooling of the Mets resumed with the signing of Pedro Martinez. Although I learned long ago not to get too excited about any acquisitions, I think this is a good thing. Pedro is a solid and reliable pitcher. Is his character suspect? Sure but the Mets can use some life in the clubhouse, any kind of life. Is his salary too much? Sure but the Mets can afford it. Their coffers are loaded and too often they choose not to spend it. (i.e. A-Rod & Vladimir Guerrero) So let’s just hope that Pedro stays healthy and pitches well at Shea. The next step is to improve the offense because that has long been the Mets’ weakest area.

I watched "Camp" yesterday, a very enjoyable indie film about teenagers attending a performing arts summer camp. Good performances from the young actors, funny bits about two drama queens sabatoging each others performances, and a surprise cameo from Stephen Sondheim!

I'm sure everyone is wondering about the lack of a blog posting yesterday. Virtually unheard of for "Phil's Spin Zone."

The truth of the matter is that I had a bit of a medical scare. Everything is OK though. I went to my doctor yesterday and then saw a specialist this morning. All seems to check out fine and I'm already feeling better.

I'll say this though - never underestimate the importance of your health! We spend so much time obsessing over dating, relationships and our jobs but the bottom line is that nothing is more important than your health. So if you think anything may be wrong, don't hesitate to get it checked out.

And now I have the rest of the day to nap - yay!

Yeah, you think I know "Survivor" pretty well? In Friday’s blog entry I wrote, "Barring an immunity win, Eliza will go first. Then if Chris wins immunity, he’ll vote off Scout – making the final 2 Chris and Twila which Chris will win." And that’s exactly what happened. The next installment will come from Pulau and will have 20 castaways. 20! I think that’s way too many.

Last night was a family Hanukkah dinner. Mom made the best pot roast. So soft and tender, drool...

Lots of sketchy stuff is coming out about Bernard Kerik and the reasons he withdrew as Homeland Security Chief. First there was the illegal immigrant nanny. Then there were the unreported gifts. Then there’s the affairs. Apparently he was having two extramarital affairs simultaneously, one of which was with publishing guru Judith Regan. The Daily News identifies Regan today as having "studied literature at Vassar." Woo hoo – props to my alma mater.

It’s so funny how partisan the New York Post is. The tabloids always jump on these juicy, gossipy stories. Naturally, the Kerik story is perfect for the frontpages, i.e. the Daily News and Newsday have been all over it. But wait, Kerik is a Republican! And he’s been vouched for by Rudy Giuliani, the Post’s darling. So is Kerik on the cover today? No! What is? A story about Bill Clinton and Marc Rich. Unbelievable! Hence the motto of the Rupert Murdoch media empire - when the heat is on our guys, distract attention by attacking Clinton.

In a physical sense, this has been a very uncomfortable week. I strained a groin muscle, not by doing anything in particular – it just happened. The good news is that it’s feeling a bit better after some heat compressions. Hopefully I’ll be able to ride out the pain soon. If not, it’s off to the doctor to make sure it isn’t anything more serious. This also means that I’m going to stay local this weekend and not travel anywhere or do anything too strenuous.

Another good night of TV last night. On "Survivor", Julie was voted out meaning the Final 4 is Chris (the last remaining male), Twila (the uneducated highway worker), Scout (the 59-year old lesbian) and Eliza (the 21-year old pre-law student). The finale is Sunday night. Barring an immunity win, Eliza will go first. Then if Chris wins immunity, he’ll vote off Scout – making the final 2 Chris and Twila which Chris will win. If Twila wins immunity, she’ll vote off Chris – making the final 2 Scout and Twila which Scout will win. If Scout wins immunity, she’ll also vote out Chris – making the final 2 Scout and Twila which Scout will also win. So in other words, the Scout-Twila alliance is tight to the point where Chris and Eliza will need to win immunity to break it up. And the other certainty is that Twila won’t be able to win a jury vote. She’s universally despised.

Then on "The Apprentice", it’s down to the final two – Kelly and Jen. Kelly seems to be the superior candidate but you never know what Trump is thinking. Jen’s compensated for her faults in the projects with her superb arguing ability in the boardroom. And on "The O.C.", the soap opera continues. Turns out Caleb’s illegitimate daughter is the same girl who just happens to be dating Ryan! If you’ve never watched the show, you’d have no idea what I’m talking about. But if you do watch the show, you can understand why I yelled out "Holy Shit!" upon that revelation.

Great television last night with killer episodes of "Lost" and "The West Wing." On "Lost", a search ensued for the kidnapped Charlie and pregnant Claire. Although Claire is still with the kidnapper, Charlie was found hanging from a tree! It looked for a long time that he was dead... amped up by the soaring music and sobbing characters... until he started coughing at the very last minute. Then on "West Wing", President Bartlet’s multiple sclerosis acted up, paralyzing parts of his body, and forcing him to use a wheelchair – quite the visual! And the politicing is heating up as Alan Alda joined the cast as a liberal Republican presidential candidate. It’s shaping up to be a battle between him and the Democrat played by Jimmy Smits!

And speaking of presidential elections, it’s never too early to think about 2008. On "Imus in the Morning", Senator Joe Biden mentioned that he is considering a run. Others who are already thinking about it include Kerry, Edwards and McCain. And don’t forget about Hillary, Giuliani, Frist and Jeb Bush. It’s a Who’s Who of politics! Maybe we’ll even get Arnold.

Happy Hanukkah to all the Jews (and non-Jews) reading this! Don't forget to plug in your electric menorahs. And enjoy downing bottles of Manischevitz as you play strip dreidel. Actually that gives me a good idea for a party...

In the tradition of naming "Top 10" Movie Lists, I went back and looked at all the movies I saw in the past few years and put together my personal favorites for 2001, 2002 and 2003.

2001

1. Moulin Rouge
2. A.I. : Artificial Intelligence
3. A Beautiful Mind
4. Shrek
5. Ocean's Eleven
6. Rat Race
7. Legally Blonde
8. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
9. The Royal Tenenbaums
10. In the Bedroom

2002

1. About Schmidt
2. Chicago
3. Road to Perdition
4. Bowling for Columbine
5. Adaptation
6. Gangs of New York
7. My Big Fat Greek Wedding
8. Spider-Man
9. Barbershop
10. 8 Mile

2003

1. The Lord of the Rings : The Return of the King
2. Mystic River
3. Lost in Translation
4. Big Fish
5. Finding Nemo
6. Seabiscuit
7. Bend It Like Beckham
8. Kill Bill - Volume 1
9. A Mighty Wind
10. Love Actually

I've been thinking about my "Best of 2004" Movie list. It's a work in progress as there are several films I haven't seen yet such as Closer, The Aviator, Ocean's Twelve, The Phantom of the Opera, Sideways, Troy, Napoleon Dynamite and more. But judging from what I have seen so far, I've compiled the following Top 10 List.

1. Hero
2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
3. Spider-Man 2
4. Super Size Me
5. The Incredibles
6. Ray
7. Kill Bill - Volume 2
8. Garden State
9. Fahrenheit 9/11
10. Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban

Honorable mentions go to The Terminal, Mean Girls, Finding Neverland, Miracle, Team America : World Police and Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.

The list is subject to variating as I change my mind!

It was a weekend of watching movies and learning how they were made.

The former was on Saturday as I saw "Ray." It’s one of the best biopics I’ve seen in recent years. Jaime Foxx is amazing as Ray Charles and is certainly headed for a Best Actor nomination. The film shows moving flashbacks of Ray’s childhood when his brother tragically drowns in a washtub and how he first learns to cope with blindness at the age of 7. The movie then concentrates on the time period of the late 1940s to the early 1960s. Over the span of two and half hours, the years slowly crawl by, to the point that Sarah was wondering how many hours later it would be until we got to the present day! But the last 40 years of Ray’s life are glossed over in the film’s final minutes. The music was great – "I’ve Got a Woman", "Night Time is the Right Time", "Georgia", "Hit the Road Jack"... all mimed by Jaime Foxx while Ray Charles’ real voice plays in the background. And was Ray ever a player! The film shows his marriage and his two mistresses, one of whom he had a child with. In actuality, he had multiple wives, divorced the one shown in the film in the 1980s and had about 9 children out of wedlock! All in all, a very good film that I’ll put on my year-end Top 10 list. Or as I said to Sarah when it was over "It’s too bad Ray didn’t live to see the completed film." Get it? SEE the film? Ha!

Then on Sunday I visited the Museum of Moving Image in Astoria with Ben, Tracy and Lisa. Or as Brad calls it, the MoMI. I enjoyed the old presidential campaign commercials, the Loews theater exhibit, the Star Trek action figure display, the costumes from Chicago, the merchandising items made for older films, and the displays on older technologies including BETA videotapes! I also liked the videogame exhibit even though the Ms. Pac Man machine ate my tokens. Instead I played Space Invaders and that Dance Mania game. Upon leaving I bought all the scripts from "The Office" in the gift shop. Now I’m ready to finally write that mockumentary!

Random Friday tidbits...

I saw "Spider-Man 2" last night. Oh my god, it was amazing!!! I liked the first one but couldn't get over how good this one was. It might even be my favorite film of 2004 thus far. When the year ends, I'm going to have to sit down and compile my Top 10 list.

Jason Giambi got caught taking steroids. Or he got caught saying so in his grand jury deposition. No shocker there. What about all of the other ballplayers who haven't been caught though? I support severe discipline against Giambi but it will seem hollow if he takes the fall for the rest of the league. Is it fair that Giambi's contract be terminated but Barry Bonds gets lauded for breaking Hank Aaron's home run record? Where's the consistency?

Bernard Kerik, former NYC Police Commissioner, was appointed to be the new head of the Homeland Security Department. I guess it could be worse. They could have picked Howard Safir.

"Lost" was great on Wednesday night. At the end of the episode, they learned that one of the people living among them on the island wasn't even on the plane when it crashed. And he has evil intentions. The tension and dramatic twists keep intensifying.

The reality programs have also been entertaining as of late. "Survivor" and "The Apprentice" are both entering their home stretches. On "Survivor", Chris is the only male standing but he's in the best position to win as the remaining women bicker amongst each other. On "The Apprentice", it's down to the final four. The best reality show though is "The Amazing Race". The first team eliminated was two Jewish guys from Brooklyn. The second team eliminated was two Italian girls from Queens. Among the remaining teams are a married pair of pro wrestlers! Now that's entertainment.

Have a good weekend!

Have nothing in particular to say today. But it bothered me not to have any blog entry at all. I just have to write something. So I did. So there.

It's December and if you don't believe me, just go outside and feel how cold and windy it is.

I was feeling pretty crummy when I woke up this morning so I called in sick. Fortunately I was feeling better by the early afternoon so I decided to throw stuff out! Among the casualties were 2 and a half years worth of "Entertainment Weekly" magazines. That's my goal for the winter - to get rid of things in anticipation of a move in the spring.

"Spider-Man 2" arrived in the mail today from Netflix. I never got around to seeing it when it played in theaters so I'm excited!

"Finding Neverland", a movie that I thought was very good if not great, was deemed to be great today by the National Board of Review. They gave it their Best Picture prize, the first of the awards season.

Tom Brokaw signed off tonight from NBC Nightly News. I always liked ol' Tom. Even though 6:30 isn't a very convenient time for me to watch a newscast.