Daniel makes stuff, and, in his spare time, writes about things like movies, kid culture, and geek stuff.
Esquire's Top Radicals and Rebels Who Are Changing the World

From Esquire Magazine:

The renewal is just beginning — in the White House, on Wall Street, in our war zones, in your doctor’s office. Meet some of the people leading the way, our eighth-annual roster of innovators and renegade thinkers.

I wasn’t expecting such a compelling list, but Esquire’s really put together a top notch group of eclectic and exciting individuals. It’s fascinating to hear what some of them are doing.

Nov 22, 2009 :: Tagged under: , , :: #

Publishers Weekly's Best Children's Books of 2009

Publisher’s Weekly:

From accounts of civil rights heroes, to harrowing (and hopeful) stories about contemporary teenagers, to picture books that perfectly capture friendship, curiosity, or flights of fancy, 2009 held a treasure trove of wonderful reading for children of all ages and interests.

It’s true, 2009 was a very good year for books.

Nov 21, 2009 :: Tagged under: , , :: #

The Best 100 Films of the Decade

The Times considers the best films of the past ten years, from 2000 to 2009. It’s amazingly hard to believe a new decade is set to begin; it feels like half of this list just came out yesterday.

One of the films that I was very, very happy to see included, though, is the 2002 documentary by Nicolas Philibert: “Être et Avoir.”

A rural schoolhouse holding just 12 students and a single ageing teacher in the Auvergne may not seem like a recipe for must-see documentary. Yet Philibert is so finely attuned to the tender relationship between teacher and pupils that the subsequent school year becomes as gripping as any blockbuster.

It really is an intoxicating film – and one made all the more special because it’s these real relationships between the children and their teacher, Georges Lopez, that make it so involving. It’s also a brilliant film to watch in order to see and appreciate the fine sensitivity and respect necessarily involved in honouring children’s lives and working with them well. Any adult who interacts with children can learn from Lopez’s example.

Other notables on the list – at least relevant to children and childhood – are “Children of Men,” “Let the Right One in,” and a handful of Pixar films. All favourites of mine.

Nov 11, 2009 :: Tagged under: , :: #

Kristof Picks the Best Kids Books Ever

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof picks what he considers the best books for kids to read this summer (lest they – heaven forbid – drop those precious I.Q. points that he worries about):

2. The Hardy Boys series. Yes, I hear the snickers. But I devoured them myself and have known so many kids for whom these were the books that got them excited about reading. The first in the series is weak, but “House on the Cliff” is a good opener. (As for Nancy Drew, I yawned over her, but she seems to turn girls into Supreme Court justices. Among her fans as kids were Sandra Day O’Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor.)

Disregarding his compulsion to “make summer productive”, Kristof does know how to put together a good list. He has Twain (“The Prince and the Pauper,” not “Tom Sawyer” – though he considers both good reading) and Harry Potter, Alex Rider and “The Wind in the Willows.” And while he grossly omitted Roald Dahl, he does later make amends on his blog – and includes mention of the wonderful “A Wrinkle in Time” series as well as other classics, like “The Phantom Tollbooth,” “Harriet the Spy,” and “Holes.” His kids chimed in with their own suggestions as well, and he’s inviting readers to continue commenting – in fact, they already broke his previous record of 1,000 comments for a single column, coming in it at more than 2,350.

So, I guess, grab your library cards. That’s a lot of reading to do.

Jul 08, 2009 :: Tagged under: , , :: #

Empire's 100 Greatest Video Games

The 100 best video games of all time, as voted by Empire Magazine‘s readers. The list is a real nostalgia trip: I spent much too much of my life playing #87, #81, #77, #76, #69, #59, #36, #27, #17, #12, #10, #9, #8, and #1 from the list, and yet I am grateful for every minute of it.

Even if you aren’t a gamer, I just think this is a great list to click through – if only to get a glimpse at what so many kids have fallen in love with over the years.

Jun 22, 2009 :: Tagged under: , :: #