Finally- Above Freezing
Averages, that is.
Yesterday the average low temperature for the year at my front door went above 32 degrees F. The average high went above freezing on March 27 and the average temperature for the year cruised above the freezing mark on May 7. There hasn't been a low temperature below 40 since April 15, yet it takes this long- an extra two months- to get the average low up to freezing.

We actually had a slightly warmer winter last year than this past one. So this landmark happened earlier last year- June 4, 2006. But in 2005 it was the same as this year- June 20.

So I ask- who cares? Even if you don't care, it is at least trivially interesting.

Still #1
The American Film Institute has updated their 100 Greatest Movies of All Time list. And, hopefully to no one's surprise #1 is still #1. Citizen Kane. Of course!

Here's the current list:

1 CITIZEN KANE
2 THE GODFATHER
3 CASABLANCA
4 RAGING BULL (up from #24)
5 SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
6 GONE WITH THE WIND
7 LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
8 SCHINDLER'S LIST
9 VERTIGO (up from #61)
10 THE WIZARD OF OZ

Here's the original list from 10 years ago:

1 CITIZEN KANE
2 CASABLANCA
3 THE GODFATHER
4 GONE WITH THE WIND
5 LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
6 THE WIZARD OF OZ
7 THE GRADUATE (dropped to 17)
8 ON THE WATERFRONT (dropped to 19)
9 SCHINDLER'S LIST
10 SINGIN' IN THE RAIN

One thing about the list is how the availability of older movies on DVD and movie channels may have an impact. How else can you explain the huge jump from #61 to #9 of Hitchcock's Vertigo? Or the greater, broader awareness of a director like Scorsese with the rise to #4 from #24 of Raging Bull.

Sadly no movie of the past 10 years was able to make it into the Top 10. Only four of the 43 nominated movies of the past 10 years made the top 100. They are:
2001's "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (No. 50),
1998's "Saving Private Ryan" (No. 71),
1997's "Titanic" (No. 83) and
1999's "The Sixth Sense" (No. 89).

Link to a PDF file of the list.