Idol Chatter

I’m not in any way a gearhead. Give me spirituality over sparkplugs any day of the week. But I do love listening to National Public Radio’s “Car Talk.” So, yesterday when the Tappet brothers, Tom and Ray Magliozzi, said that they had a very interesting letter from Sanjay Shah (a Hindu listener from California) my…

I’ve no doubt “The Last Mimzy” will keep you glued to your seat. Yes, it’s a hokey premise–people from the future send a box of “toys” (and in particular, a stuffed rabbit) for two children to find in the past–and it only gets hokier from the moment Emma and Noah find these treasures on the…

Since I returned to watching the screwball medical comedy “Scrubs,” with new-found appreciation last season, I have learned to never underestimate the intelligent and touching ways in which the show tackles big questions about the meaning of life. Last night’s episode was no exception, as the show took the glib cliché, “everything happens for a…

Remember the days when “Ally McBeal” was only kind of quirky… before the dancing baby? Can you recall the name of the show that became the scene-chewing extravaganza known as “Boston Legal?”* Remember the thought-provoking “Picket Fences?” Apparrently, the producer of all those shows, David E. Kelly, doesn’t, judging from his latest foray into the…

Sports and passion have always gone hand in hand. Indeed, what makes any sport fun to play and watch is the passion with which we do so. When our team wins or loses, our happiness or disappointment can go along with that, which is fine as long as we retain a grip on the fact…

Everywhere I turn I run into an advertisement, commercial, or preview for “Reign Over Me,” the latest of a series of films related to 9/11, but decidedly unlike others released so far–like Oliver Stone’s “World Trade Center” and Paul Greengrass’s “United 93.” It doesn’t focus on the events of that awful day but on how…

Nearly 24 hours later, I am still thinking about last night’s episode of “Lost.” It’s official: My favorite show is back. After a rocky mini-season, I was almost ready to give up for good, but this particular string of great episodes has gotten me hooked all over again. And what would an episode of vintage…

There are two kinds of people in this world: Old Testament prophets and New Testament apostles. Johnny Cash, particularly the Man in Black of recent memory, was strictly OT. His lined crag of a face projected righteous lament, matching a voice that boomed from somewhere beyond the clouds. “Ultimate Gospel,” a posthumous collection of Cash’s…

It recently charged past the video game behemoth known as “Madden NFL ’07” to the number one spot in sales on Amazon.com. But could “Who Rules?”: The Almighty Edition be enough to cause a group of 30 somethings to huddle around the television for trivia night? And Christian trivia, at that? It took several tries,…

Despite being a heavily scientific show, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation can surprise viewers once in a while by delving into issues of faith, redemption, and forgiveness. Last night’s special airing of CSI (otherwise known as a re-run) focused on the ongoing investigation of an officer killed by friendly fire during a shoot-out between police and…

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