A Few Recommendations

Here are a few recommendations I've been meaning to post for awhile:

Movies and TV:

The King of Kong: A Fist Full of Quarters - 9/10 stars. Absolutely great movie.
Dan in Real Life - 7/10 stars. Good date movie, light-hearted but funny. I'm a Steve Carrell fan, and he does a good job in this one.
Blood Diamond - 6/10 starts. Pretty good plot and good acting by Leo, but I think the film's real value was in the increased awareness it brought me about the atrocities that have been committed in Africa.
Ax Men - 8/10 stars. This is a reality show on The History Channel, and it follows loggers from Oregon. A really great show, especially for someone from the Northwest.

Books:

Blue Like Jazz - 10/10 stars. I'd heard so much about this book but had resisted reading it for such a long time, and I have no idea why. Just a ridiculously great book. I've been meaning to write a full book review of this for some time and haven't gotten around to it. One can dream. I HIGHLY recommend this book.
Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith - 9/10 stars. The only reason I don't give this book a PERFECT 10 is that I'm still reading it and so I can't pass judgment on it just yet. So far, though, it rivals Blue Like Jazz as far as readability and being able to describe profound thoughts simply.
Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills - 10/10 stars - I received this book as a Christmas gift, and I immediately spent the next three or four days pouring over it. If you have any interest in mountaineering or serious backpacking, this book is a must-have.

Music:

Sleep Through the Static by Jack Johnson - 8/10 stars. A solid album from Jack Johnson. As with all of Jack Johnson's music, it has a good summertime vibe.

Blogs:

Close to Home by Bob Welch - An interesting blog from my favorite Register-Guard writer.