Best of 07

I hope you like Vin Diesel representing 2007! (If you have any questions let me assure you it is there for comic relief)

I've never done a "Best Of" list so I thought of things that people seem to be interested in. Off the top of my head came, movies, music, sports and some other random things. Some e things maybe didn't come out in 07 but I discovered them this year so for me they make the "Best Of" list!

Maybe I'll get more creative and think of other categories later on. Honestly I have a hard time thinking back to the beginning of 07, it has been a long year! :)

Best Movie in Theatre: Dan in Real Life

I just saw this in the theatre about a month ago. It was surprising, well written, clever, and clean. I saw a lot of movies (thanks to my roommate working at AMC and a Cinema class at Seminary) but this one stands out.

Best Movie I didn't See in a Theatre: Stranger than Fiction.

I love the idea behind this film. Will Ferrel does a good job acting and the script is just written really well.

Best Scholarly Book I read (For a class, I don't read this stuff on my own!): Christianity in a Pluralistic Society by Leslie Newbigin.
This book tackles how Christians live in a post-modern world where truth is relative and religion has no credibility. It is a hard read but well worth it for scholarly pursuits.

Best Ministry Book I read: Engaging The Soul of Youth Culture by Walt Mueller.
This book surprised me because it isn't just about teenagers. It is a cultural look at the Western world and specifically the influence of media on youth. Mueller also engages the role of the church in transforming the culture through shared life.

Best Sports Moment: (3 come to mind)
College Football: Boise State Upset 2007 Fiesta Bowl
This game is utterly ridiculous. Huge underdogs end up beating Oklahoma 43-42 in overtime. They go for 2 points instead of the tie and win. If you aren't familiar with this than use YouTube.
College Football: Appalachian State upsets Michigan
This game set the tone for the entire college football season. It was a crazy year where the parity of college football dominated and the need for a playoff system became obvious

MLB: Players use Steroids (Shocking, I never would have thought!) Surprise, surprise, MLB players used steroids! You mean Barry Bonds didn't go from a leadoff hitter to home run champ by hard work and discipline. I can't believe it! Next your going to tell me Michael Vick was involved in dog fighting and Pete Rose bet on baseball.

Best Band I discovered this year: Sleeping at Last and Anathallo
Sleeping at Last is local for me, Wheaton, Illinois. I had one of their cd's lying around and finally listened to it on my way up to camp this summer and was hooked.

Anthallo is also local, based in Chicago. I'll admit I'm not the biggest fan but I saw them live 3 times this year and by far they are the best live band I have ever seen.

Best Music Project: Denison Witmer Happy Birthday Denison
I'm a big DW fan. On his 30th birthday he put out 30 tracks for free on http://www.happybirthdaydenison.com/ That is a generous and creative. Better yet all the proceeds, (gifts for his birthday) went to charity.

Best CD:
Sleeping at Last: Keep No Score.
Umbrellas: Illuminare.

Best Song:
Cool Hand Luke: The Balancing Act off of the CD The Balacing Act

Best Website: http://www.pandora.com/
This is a great site for listening to music where you make your own radio stations. Pandora polled people about their music tastes. So for instance if you like Denison Witmer you can make a radio station with Denison Witmer as the "root." It will then play other similar artist like Denison Witmer based on the massive amounts of people interviewed. The next artist to come up might be Sufjan Stevens. If you like the song/artist you can add Sufjan as another "root" for the radio station.

Best part is they play original and unique songs. I was listening to some Pedro the Lion and they were playing a track from a 2000 EP. It isn't like they only play the artist/band's well known songs, they play the entire gamut.

2nd Best Website: http://www.mapmyrun.com/
Too cool. Want to know how far you ran just map it out.

Best Blog: Colossians 3:16 http://www.colossiansthreesixteen.com/
I started to read more blogs this year. This guy is a machine, pouring out a blog entry everyday almost. It is described as a "Collision of theology, culture and Music." Right up my alley