I didn’t see many movies this year…this list includes almost all of the ones I did see, either on the big screen or on DVD, but these are the ones I enjoyed in 2008.

1.  The Dark Knight – What can you say about this move that hasn’t already been said.  Heath Ledger’s performance left me wanting more.

2.  RocknRolla – Guy Ritchie returns.  I saw this one while I was on holidays in Toronto.  Brilliantly written and according to the flash on the screen at the end of the movie, there is a sequel coming.  Nice!

3.  Iron Man – Robert Downey Jr.’s very real and human portrayal of a superhero blew me away.

4.  Juno – Nancy lent me her DVD copy and I was pleasantly surprised.   Canadian actress Ellen Page shines.

5.  No Country For Old Men – Brilliant performances all around, including one of the baddest villains ever as played by Javier Bardem.  This movie made me a fan of writer Cormac McCarthy.  I’m now reading his bestseller, “The Road”, which has a movie version with Viggo Mortensen coming out in 2009.

6.  Shine A Light – I bought this Martin Scorcese documentary that takes a look at the Rolling Stones.  The Stones still rock!

7.  Quantum of Solace – The new James Bond flick did not have the plot or brilliant dialogue of “Casino Royale”(the scene on the train with Vesper Lynd features some of the best lines ever written for a Bond girl), but it did have some of the best action scenes of the year!

8.  Tropic Thunder – Alright, a bit cheesy in spots, but admit it – the cameo by Tom Cruise was worth it!

All the critics are out with their lists of the best of 2008, so I present my list from a fan’s perspective.  Here are my picks for the best rock albums of the year:

 1.  Only By the Night – Kings of Leon - I’ve always been a fan but I think the guys have really grown on this disc.  They’ve always had a good riff or two on each album, but this release has one killer melody after another!

2.  Death Magnetic – Metallica – The foursome returns to rock our faces off!

3.  Viva La Vida or Death and His Friends – Coldplay – Not the best of their career(that honour goes to “A Rush of Blood to the Head”), but a solid release.

4.  Modern Guilt – Beck – His best release since “Odelay”.

5.  Black Ice – AC/DC – The boys return with their best since “The Razor’s Edge”.

6.  Cardinology – Ryan Adams and the Cardinals – He usually releases a couple of albums a year and this one is the keeper of the bunch!

7.  Chinese Democracy – Guns ‘n’ Roses – Even though it’s not really Guns ‘n’ Roses, it’s a damn good Axl solo album.

8.  The Cosmos Rocks – Queen + Paul Rodgers – Brian May lays down some cool guitar and Paul Rodgers does some of his best singing in years.  A little mellower than I was anticipating, but definitely worthy of this list!

In the spirit of Christmas and the Sound of Music classic I decided to come up with a list of the things that I truly appreciate in this life. Some are materialistic, some are absurd, some are silly, some aren’t listed because I’m an idiot and forgot them and some…actually are heartfelt. In no particular order:

-warm quiet rainy days in summer

-a good bottle of red

-finding a bill of any denomination in a piece of clothing you haven’t worn in awhile. even though obviously…I was going to wear it again…without washing it

-my mothers strength

-a really good song

-a scoop of mint chocolate chip in a waffle cone

-mastering something I’ve been working hard on

-making someone laugh

-bbq’ing a steak to perfection

-chocolate…in any form

-a man that doesn’t mind curves

-my father’s sense of humor

-a good sweat

-a good cry

-a good laugh

-friends that really understand me (of which there are a select few)

-losing myself in a really great book

-the difficult times that make me realize I’m stronger than I ever thought I could be

-honesty (though there never seems to be enough)

-intelligence (though there never seems to be enough)

-a soak in the tub with candles, a good book and a nice glass of red

-a foot massage

-dancing till the sun comes up

-good, stimulating conversation

-no line up at the cash register

-a genuine smile

-my amazing co-host (Mitch made me write that, heh heh)

What are some of things that you appreciate? Or maybe you’ll be honest enough to point out those things that you don’t appreciate enough.

I’d like to take this time to wish you all a wonderful Christmas and I hope that 2009 brings all you desire.  Thank you so much for listening.

Everyone is talking about the shoe flinging incident that happened in Iraq yesterday.  An Iraqi reporter threw his shoes at George W. Bush as a sign of contempt for the outgoing U.S. Prez.  For his part, Bush seemed to take it all in stride, showing pretty good reflexes and describing the incident as ” a sign of a free society”.  Bush called it one of the most bizarre things he has seen during his presidency and even joked, “all I can report is that it is a size ten”.  Like the man or not, he had a good sense of humour about the embarassing incident.  What do you think about what happened?

Okay, here by popular demand, well, not really, but a few are curious, is the bologna stew recipe I spoke about on air.  This has always been one of my faves.  It’s a recipe my dad made when he met my mom and then she fancied it up a bit.  Well, as much as you can fancy up bologna and potatoes.  lol.   Great comfort food and a super cheap meal so if you’re on a tight budget…this is a recipe you’ll want in your arsenal.   And if your kids love bologna, they’ll LOVE this!

First…there are no exact measurements for this recipe.  It’s all just kind of seasoned to taste, so I’d say, go easy on the spices the first time around.  And it really all depends on how much bologna and potatoes you are going to cook.

 Bologna Stew

1. Cube bologna and potatoes
2. Dice onions
3. Fry onions and bologna in pot with butter/margarine
4. Add approximately 4 cups of water.  All depends on how big a pot you are making really.
5. Add seasoning salt, pepper, perfect spice, celery seed, 1-2 tsp beef boullion and parsley flakes.
6. Add potatoes and bring to boil until potatoes are cooked.

That’s it.  Easy peezy.  Makes awesome leftovers as well, so make a big pot and feed the fam for a couple of days.

Hmmm, now I have a hankering…..

If anyone else has some great, easy, inexpensive meals…feel free to post them on here. 

This week marks the anniversary of the assassination of John Lennon.  Although I don’t remember exactly where I was when the news broke, I can remember being deeply saddened when I first heard of the tragedy as a young 13 year old.  I can still see the fans holding vigil outside the Dakota, paying tribute to a true rock legend.  To this day he is missed as much for his activism and rebel spirit as for his music.

There have been many tragedies in history that bring us back to the moment that they happened.  For some it may be the assassination of John F. Kennedy or the day of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986.  More recently, many of us remember exactly where we were when that first plane hit the Twin Towers in New York City.   I can recall exactly where I was the day the news of the death of Stevie Ray Vaughan broke.  I was visiting my parents in Ottawa, laying out in the back yard getting some sun when the announcer came on the radio to tell us that Stevie had perished in a helicopter crash the previous night.  I can remember feeling like we had lost one of the greatest guitarists of our generation.

For some that saddest of moments is marked this week with the 28th anniversary of the death of John Lennon.  Thankfully his music lives on to mark the legacy of one of the greatest talents rock has ever known.

That’s a heck of a lot of snow.  Thanks God for new tires.

 ”Quantum of Solace” rocks!  Those are some of the best action scenes I have seen in a while.

Saw a dog the other day jumping up to try to catch snow from a snowblower in his mouth.  Classic winter scene! lol

The Fox/McDonalds/TRG Customer Solutions Toy Drive is next Tuesday.  Let’s come through for the kids again this year!

Those Pittsburgh Steelers are coming on at the right time!

I’m a Habs fan, but the whole NHL All-Star voting thing is a joke.  The guys that deserve to be in the starting line-up should be there, but that’s the way the system is set up. 

The Grammy Award nominations are out tomorrow.  I used to care about these things, now I’m just meh!

“Only By The Night” from Kings of Leon is the album of the year!