It was good year for entertainment, and also a good year for Milwaukee. Here's a list of some of my personal highlights, from movies, to music to TV and events.

Movie -- I recently went into "Rachel Getting Married" without knowing much about the film and therefore not having many expectations. Sometimes, this is the best way to see a movie. I was blown away by director Jonathan Demme's dramatic, moving picture of the perfect dysfunctional American family dynamic. As Kym, Anne Hathaway evokes tears of sadness and joy and the musical component (TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe stars as Sydney, Kym's brother-in-law to be) is delightful. I'm glad I caught this one at the tail end of the year; I almost had to go with "The Dark Knight" as my No. 1.

Music -- I'm embarrassed to report that I've had such a hectic year that the number of new albums I bought this year is not nearly enough to complete a simple top 10 list. Still, debuts from Fleet Foxes and She & Him do their part to solidify 2008 as a good year for the music world. Now, here are all the '08 records I'll most likely get around listening to in 2009:
Bonnie Prince Billy, "Lie Down in the Light"
Calexico, "Carried to Dust"
Dr. Dog, "Fate"
I'm From Barcelona, "Who Killed Harry Houdini?"
Jenny Lewis, "Acid Tongue"
Jolie Holland, "The Living and the Dead"
Magnetic Fields, "Distortion"
Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, "Cardinology"
TV on the Radio, "Dear Science"

TV -- I'm still making my way through "The Wire" thanks to my trusty Netflix account. I know; I'm always light years behind in this category.

Concert -- Seeing Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds in September at The Riviera was a big one for me. I rarely go to big shows -- or anything costing more than $10 -- these days, but Mr. Cave and his Bad Seeds were worth every cent (and the late-night trek home from Chicago on a Monday night). The band obviously favored material from this year's "Dig Lazarus Dig!!!" which is an album I enjoy, though it did not make my "best of" list for '08. But when they dove into older numbers like the dramatic "Red Right Hand" and gorgeous "God is In The House," Cave was singing to a stilled crowd in awe of his commanding stage presence.

Event -- Being at Burnhearts and Blackbird on election night is something I'll undoubtedly remember for the rest of my life. Both bars were packed with both friends and strangers brought together with a common goal of witnessing history in the making. The positive energy, the tears of joy, the free shots of that mysterious blue liquor made it an incredibly powerful night to be apart of with your community.

Milwaukee resolution -- Last year I mentioned that I'd like to see Milwaukee follow in the footsteps of San Francisco's plastic grocery bag ban and, thankfully, Whole Foods Market did just that on Earth Day this year. It's wonderful to see so many shoppers -- and not just at Whole Foods, but many grocery stores -- opting to carry reusable bags. This year I'd like to see a citywide smoking ban in place for bars and restaurants. It's controversial and might never happen, but I feel like it's time for Milwaukee to get on track with other large cities and get smart about our health.