Lookin good Mike. For more 5-minute videos keep an eye on DIY channel.

It would be better to use Electrical tape, some duct tape contain metal strips and/or their adhesives conducts electricity and would either cause a short or increase resistance between the pole thus reducing battery life.
Also be careful of hotglue, some hotglue can conduct electricity as well.
Wouldn't the resistor also reduce the life of the battery; creating resistance(small short/heat), it be better to use a series of leds that wouldn't require a resistor that way all the energy would go into making light from the leds instead of spending some energy in the resistor?

I remember seeing the article by Wallich in the Aug '06 PopSci. I never did the project, but now I am tempted. You should have added the Web site where all of the parts can be found. Three things that would really make this project killer:

- adding a part (photoresistor?) to make the candles turn off in light
- adding a part to make the lights flicker
- adding a photocell to recharge the battery during the day

Keep up the great projects!

Compassman