Thirteen Days, or Dr. Strangevoice: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Fake An Accent is the only living document about the Cuban Missile Crisis (I didn't fact-check this, is it?). Starring the illustrious Kevin Costner (who gives the worst Boston/east coast/something accent I've ever heard - jaaaack, tho roshons ahr gohnoh bahm os!) as Kenny O'Donnell, an advisor and close friend to John F. Kennedy (Bruce Greenwood) and his Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy (Steven Kulp of Desperate Housewives). The actors playing Jack and Bobby are both good, and Costner has some good scenes, but most of Costner's scenes are obstructed by his accent. What the film does well though is, in 145 minutes, portray the gravity and the hard decisions surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis. It was interesting and well-done (the production quality was great). It got confusing in parts and the black-and-white bits didn't always work, but the director did a good job.
My score: 6/10
Coming up: Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

I, like many other people out there, spend way too much time on the internet. I am registered at the basic websites: Facebook, Myspace, etc. I also do a lot of movie-related websites (Rotten Tomatoes, IMDB). With that said, there's a very little-known website which does not get enough attention amongst the web-o-sphere. This website is Wintallo, run by two of my friends, Ryan and Joel. They are able to pack in a bunch of addicting games, funny videos, and a very unique collection of wise sayings into one fun and easy-to-navigate website. Ryan and Joel are two high-school students who enjoy the same things as all other internet users. They've put everything they love into one website, and their personalities show throughout the website, which is rare among sites like these.

In addition to this, Wintallo also has the standard forum and chat room, where you can go and chat about whatever you want with some cool people. It's not a focused forum, which is nice. They have a collection of "Great Movies", which is a collection of self-produced videos
blended in with humorous or good videos that they have gotten from YouTube, Myspace Videos, etc. They also have a collection of games which were carefully chosen so that they only have what they believe to be the best games on the internet. But what sets Wintallo apart from other sites like this is the dedication that Joel and Ryan have. It's frequently updated and meticulously taken-care of. They pay great attention to detail so that the website flows smoothly from one page to the other and so that the interface design is appealing and not too in-your-face.

Easily the most unique thing about the website is the "Wise Sayings" section, which includes funny ones; "I was wondering why thebaseball was getting bigger, and then it hit me." (our English teacher said this) and "Why do you press harder on the buttons when the battery in the remote control is dead?" and also includes more serious sayings; "Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused." I assure you that there is no website with a collection of funny/wise sayings as big as Wintallo's. It's a great way to spend an hour or so, just going through a page or two of wise sayings. They'll make you laugh, make you think, and (most importantly) they'll entertain you.

I know that I'm not the only one getting a little tired of Myspace, Facebook and YouTube. If you're looking for something fresh and new on the internet, I'd highly recommend you head over to [url=http://www.Wintallo.com]www.Wintallo.com.

As a sophomore, I was cast in the Company of my high school's production of Miss Saigon! All the main roles went to seniors, a few to juniors. I am really happy to be a part of it. It's going to be amazing. It will, unfortunately, limit my movie-watching abilities, but I will try to get some in.

Welcome back to the list which has been SO popular so far. Maybe my choice for #1 album of the year will garner some attention. Before I do so, I would like to add that I just discovered a lovely artist named Cat Power. I was flipping through my HD channels last night and caught the last 10 minutes of her HD concert special. She was amazing, so I immediately went up and got her latest CD "The Greatest", which would definately be on this list (probably before or after Paris Hilton's CD; I'm going to need to give Ms. Power a few more listens).

Before I give you this years best, I'm going to look ahead into 2007. These are what I anticipate will be my 5 favorite CDs of the new year:

1. Vanessa Carlton - Heroes and Thieves
2. Courtney Love - How Dirty Girls Get Clean
3. Mandy Moore - Wild Hope
4. Maroon 5 - It Won't Be Soon Before Long
5. Dido - TBA 3rd Studio Album

But on to the big grande finale of sorts. Are you ready, ladies and gentlemen? I think you are.

1. Jewel - Goodbye Alice in Wonderland



We made it! We finally did it! I absolutely am in love with CD. There is not a track on this CD which I don't like (everynow and then, I'll skill "Long Slow Slide", but that may/may not be because when it copied on to my iTunes, it skipped a little). It's Jewel's last CD with Atlantic Records and it's her least commercially successful CD. A lot of people say it resembles most her first CD "Pieces of You", but I think it sounds closer to "This Way" (my favorite CD of hers; "This Way" is a masterpiece). Either way, it's certainly a better CD than 2003s "0304" which marked Jewel's debut in dance/pop music. I liked "0304", but "Goodbye Alice in Wonderland" is definately refreshing to hear. Jewel is nothing short of an amazing vocalist and songwriter and this CD showcases it. It has everything, from heartbreaking songs about love to giddy, poppy love songs. Jewel's voice shines and her musical abilities shine even more. This is her CD, and that's apparent (where that was doubtful on "0304"). I am going to do my best to not take this CD for granted - she's said that her next CD will be pure country.
Key Tracks: Words Get in the Way, Only One Too, Satellite
Why it's on my list: I love Jewel with all the love there is to have and this CD is 100% Jewel. She's a brilliant singer/songwriter and I could listen to her CDs til I'm blue in the face. This is the perfect bookend to a great career at Atlantic Records.
Score: 10/10

Welcome to my Best CDs of 2006 list! I'm going to wait til I see enough movies from 2006 before I make a movies list, but I feel like I've heard enough music this year to make a list. I will admit, I was not able to find 10 CDs which I felt worthy of being on the list, but I felt like 5 wasn't enough, so I have 8. I have a feeling some people will disagree with this list. Music is just as objective as film, so I will preface by stating that I can't stand country music. If you expect to see Brooks and Dunn or Faith Hill on this list, turn around and run as fast as you can back to the Vine.

For me, 2006 in music was more about me discovering older acts. This year, I got hooked on Joni Mitchell, Elton John, and Billy Joel. I also started listening to grunge acts from the 90s, especially Hole and Nirvana. I wasn't really in touch with the new music in 2006. But I still have a list. Without further ado, number 8:

8. Emma Bunton - Life in Mono



This is a landmark album for former Spice Girl Emma Bunton. While it was not commercially successful in England, it was released under a major record label. The same can not be said for the other Spice Girls. With a key example being the number 3 single "Downtown", a corny cover of the 60s hit, Emma Bunton establishes a distinct sound. She recreates a 60s pop sound which really suits her voice well. It's sexy, sultry, and easy to listen to.
Key Tracks: Undressing You, Life in Mono, and Take Me To Another Town.
Why it's on my list: I love Emma. She's sexy, she has an easy voice to listen to, and I love her 60s pop throwback sound. I know it's not a very masculine choice, but the orchestral arrangements are lush and the songs are easy to like.
Score: 8/10

7. Shannon Thomas - Brainstorms



Easily the brightest star of Tulsa, Oklahoma's music scene, Shannon Thomas has fans all around the world. This is a weird choice because I'm sure that few people have heard of her. This is my own little way of telling everybody to go out and check her out, because this CD is fantastic, easily the best independent release of 2006 (which means the rest of this list will have familiar faces). You can buy it on iTunes or on her website, which is linked above. With a sound which greatly resembles that of Vanessa Carlton or Natasha Bedingfield, Shannon's voice is sweet when it needs to be, powerful when it needs to be, and her songwriting skills are at a level rarely found in independent music. If this is a just world, she will be signed to a major label in no time.
Key Tracks: Don't Be Beautiful, One or the Other, and Always Never
Why it's on my list: She's one of the best pop/rock artists out there, and spreading the word is the best way to give her the attention she truly deserves. This is a great CD and deserves to be on more lists like this.
Score: 8.5/10

6. Pharrell Williams - In My Mind



Strangely enough, this CD was ranked # 3 on Entertainment Weekly's 5 Worst CDs of 2006. I'm not doing this to spit EW, I liked this album a long time before EW hated it. As a musician myself, I take a lot of inspiration from Pharrell as a producer and musician. I think he's an absolutely brilliant music maker. He can make catchy songs in any genre you want. On "In My Mind", he seems to have multiple personality disorder. Half of it, he's Skateboard P, a bad-ass rapper who gets lots of ladies. The other half, he's an R&B artist who seems a bit more real. Either way, the songs are great. I generally don't like rap, but I like Pharrell because he's an amazing musician and Snoop Dogg because he's a BAMF (which is probably why I like "That Girl". Either way, this is the best rap CD of 2006. Rap gets a bad name, but this is music.
Key Tracks: Raspy Shit, Can I Have it Like That, That Girl, Best Friend
Why it's on my list: Because it's filled with awesome beats, great raps from Skateboard P, and some of the best production you'll ever hear. Pharrell knows what he's doing in front of the keyboard, behind the mic, on the bass, and producing. He's one of the most talented musicians in the business and this CD showcases it.
Score: 8.5/10

5. Nick Lachey - What's Left of Me



After a rough divorce with most disappointing album list-maker Jessica Simpson, Nick made 90 or so percent of this CD, a collection of angsty pop-rock music. I was able to see him in concert in October and it was awesome. This year has been good for Nick. This CD sold more copies in its first week than his debut CD SoulO sold since 2003 (I also own SoulO, haha). Again, this isn't a very manlypick - I think Pharrell and my # 4 pick are my only "cool" picks, but it's a good CD. Nick has a strong voice, and he sure knows how to sing a good power-ballad. He's got a good sound here and I think he should stick to it for his third album.
Key Tracks: Ghosts, I Do it For You, and Shades of Blue
Why it's on my list: Good question. It's a quality pop/rock CD. It may be tailored toward younger girls, but I can see some form of musicianship in it. Nick has a good voice and he writes good music.
Score: 9/10