Lists

In honor of the New Year, let's have some lists:

Some Movies I liked in 2008

The Dark Knight - although I was grief-stricken halfway through because Heath Ledger will never appear in another movie.
Wall-E - because it showed us where we're going if we don't turn off our tv sets pretty damn soon.
Iron Man - because it was so deliciously tongue-in-cheek.
Twilight - because it recalled those tangled teenaged emotions so accurately.
There Will Be Blood - because Daniel Day Lewis is stunningly good.
Traitor - because Don Cheadle is stunningly good.
The Duchess - because it does a wonderful job of laying out the case for women's rights, and by extension for the rights of every disenfranchised group.

Some Books I Read in 2008 - which were not necessarily published in 2008

Wuthering Heights, E. Bronte - I was finally ready to enjoy this, after three aborted attempts.
World War Z, M. Brooks - to please my daughter, and I'm glad she insisted. This is a very compelling book, and yes, it's about zombies.
Grendel, J. Gardner - again, to please my daughter, and again, I'm glad. This book is a treasure.
The Worst Hard Times, T. Egan - wow. This makes the Great Depression personal and accessible for those of us (most of us, now) who missed it. The parallels to current events are inescapable.
Careless in Red, E. George - once a Lynley fan, always a Lynley fan. (As in Inspector Lynley. You know, mysteries?)

Favorite Political Moments of 2008

The election of Barack Obama to be our 44th President - and his acceptance speech. Wow.
The shoe incident - and the truly bizarre expression of delight on the (so-called) president's face as he received the deepest insult the Arab world knows how to deliver, proving once again that he is an unreconstructed doofus.
The arrest of Rod Blagojevich - the man's been an embarrassment for years.
The defeats of William Jefferson of Louisiana and Ted Stevens of Alaska - two more embarrassments. To the showers, you two. You're done.
Sarah Palin's Thanksgiving interview with turkeys being slaughtered in the background - another doofus, and thanks be that this one remains on the fringe where she belongs.
The resurgence of intelligence - as Obama announces cabinet members and advisors for the new administration, all of whom are smart. Hurray.

Things I Hope to See in 2009

Peace.
Dick Cheney and Karl Rove in the docket, and George Bush exiled to whatever country is willing to take him.
A thoughtful energy policy put in place, which takes into account both the importance of energy independence, and the climate change crisis.
Thoughtful health care reform legislation signed into law.
The restoration of our right to privacy. And, yes, I mean no more tapping of phones and reading of emails without proper court supervision.
The end of the global gag rule. In the midst of the AIDS epidemic in Africa, this rule has restricted access to birth control. One hopes this was an unintended result. One is not certain, though.
The end of the laughable (and yet not funny) policy regarding liquids on airplanes. Puh-leeze.
The end of the No Fly list. Ted Kennedy? Countless children? Eighty-year-old ladies? Give us a break, please.
The repeal of No Child Left Behind - one of the stoopidest laws ever passed.
The economy healing, the unemployment rate dropping, and hope reigning supreme.
My children all happy, healthy, and thriving. And yours, too.