FRIDAY FROTH...

Happy 2010! 2010--it has a nice ring to it don't you think? If you've been trying to decide on the proper way to announce our current year--twenty ten or two thousand ten--the San Francisco Chronicle solved your problem on its front page today. Tom Torriglia from The National Association of Good Grammar says it's "twenty ten". Evidently we've been incorrectly pronouncing our years for the last decade. "The '20' should have been pronounced 'twenty' all along," Mr. Torriglia says in the Chronicle explaining, "every year in the 20th century was pronounced 'nineteen something'. Twenty follows nineteen. Two thousand does not." Makes sense to me.

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I took a break from watching football today to see Tom Ford's A Single Man. Mr. Ford is quite the aesthete--whether it's clothes or movies-- he has a way of making things beautiful. The film looks like one long and beautiful fashion shoot (think Calvin Klein although Mr. Ford has never designed for CK). It was visually stunning enough to be worth my time and ten dollars but, the story was the star of the show--poignant and existential. If you don't have to have car chases and pole dances to keep you interested in a film you will appreciate Mr. Ford's efforts. If, however, you need lots of action in your movie going experience...

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...see Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law. This "buddy" movie was so much fun! Mr. Downey and Mr. Law have a great chemistry that made up for a so-so plot. Both are fine actors but Robert Downey, Jr. may just be the most talented male actor working today. Guy Ritchie's direction gave the film a nice pace and an interesting, dark look. I can't wait for the sequel--and yes, there will be one.

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If you follow this blog you know that I have great admiration for the New York Times columnist David Brooks (genuflect). I read his column religiously, email it to friends with enthusiasm, and just may have written Mr. Brooks in for president last year. However, I don't always agree with Mr. Brooks. For instance, Mr. Brooks loves Bruce Springsteen. I don't get why a nice Jewish guy that writes for some pretty high-brow publications is so enamored with The Bruce, a working class Jersey-kind-of-guy. Bruce is okay, but I can think of at least two other musical artist from New Jersey that I prefer.

In his column today "The God That Fails" Mr. Brooks made a profound point that until about 20 years ago was obvious to most of us: "People should be grateful for whatever assistance that government can provide and had better do what they can to be responsible for their own fates." Then the esteemed Mr. Brooks relates his statement to the "Christmas bomber" incident. I am currently busy at work on a blog that challenges his thinking: Is government responsible for our safety when flying the not-so-friendly skies? Stay tuned!