Entertainment 2006

• The best film I saw in 2006: United 93 - if by "best" you mean an important film that ought to be watched as a civic duty. But if you're looking for the most enjoyable – I really got a kick out of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. That was a whole lot of silly fun.
• The worst film I saw in 2006: Happy Feet – talk about bait and switch; instead of a cute penguin movie, I got an Al Gore guilt trip.
  
• Films I wish I'd seen in 2006 but will have to rent in 2007 instead: Apocalypto, Children of Men, Dreamgirls, The Good Shepherd, Monster House, The Naitivity Story, Pursuit of Happyness, Rocky Balboa, Flags of Our Fathers, and Letters From Iwo Jima.
• Films I had no intention of seeing in 2006 and may never bother with (and why): Borat (I get all the vulgar humor I need from Hollywood already, thanks), V for Vendetta (terrorists are not super heroes), An Inconvenient Truth (unbiased, just like Michael Moore), Lady in the Water (M. Night Shyamalan has still not made another movie like Sixth Sense), The Da Vinci Code (I had to read the book, no one should have to do both).
• The best nonfiction book I read in 2006: Carnage and Culture, by Victor Davis Hanson (2001). You've never appreciated the history of Western Civilization until you've had Prof. Hanson lay it out in front of you. Fascinating.
• The best fiction book I read in 2006: The Last Battle, by CS Lewis (1956). The final volume of the Chronicles of Narnia was the best in my opinion.
• The worst book I had to read in 2006 as an act of public service: You guessed it, The Da Vinci Code. Not only did I not like it, but it wasn't even well written. It was on the level of a made-for-tv movie that couldn't afford technical advisors and fact-checkers. I'm still shocked that so many people thought it was so good (can you say, "first book I've read since high school"?).
  
• The best TV show that actually made me want to watch something other than the news and documentaries: Heroes. I certainly find some elements objectionable, but as a comic book drama for grown-ups… wow, this show is really intelligent and well done.
• The worst TV show: Almost everything else. I've just about given up on sitcoms and one hour dramas entirely.
  
• My new favorite restaurant in 2006: Longhorn Steakhouse.
• My new favorite game in 2006: No Limit Texas Hold'em (not for money of course - I won't gamble). This variation of poker surpasses other great card games (like Pitch, Spades, Uno, and Phase 10) by a country mile.
• My old favorite game rediscovered: pick-up basketball at the YMCA. It's fun; I'm the token white guy that has no moves but can block out and hit the open jumper!