Here’s a nice article from the WPS site about Angela Hucles … and the changes in her life that have come about as a result of the WUSA (and her hard work). I’m psyched to hear she wants to be back with the Breakers!
I had never liked that San Diego trade that was inked just before the WUSA folded! Our season tickets were right near Angela’s parents in the Nickerson Field stands … and we discovered (not long after the Breakers had folded) that we shared an alma mater, as well as a love of soccer!
Anyway … as a reminder of what nearly happened, here’s Angela’s page on the apparently-not-yet-quite-defunct San Diego Spirit website. Interesting stuff … I hadn’t known that she scored the first-ever Breakers’ goal, back in the day!)
In a rain-delayed game that saw the return of Heather Mitts to the pitch … and three goals in the final 6 minutes (including stoppage time) … the USWNT defeated Australia 3-2. It was a wild one (judging from the MatchTracker commentary, and from the write-up on the Matilda’s site, too!) Wondering just how wet it was? Check out the photo of Abby being tackled by Claire Polkinghome #11 of the Australian Women’s National Team yesterday.
Here’s what Pia had to say about pulling out the win … “You are 2-0 up, and then 2-1 and 2-2 and you can see in the body language that we still wanted to win,” said U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage. “When we got the free kick, you could feel it. That feeling is contagious. The goal is just huge, even though it’s just a friendly game, but still that goal is huge. Not only for Carli, but for the whole team including myself, because it gives you the feeling you can win no matter what.”
Here are more great pictures of the game from Getty Images. Player of the Match Carli Lloyd, along with her USWNT compatriots have a rematch with the Aussies on May 3 in Birmingham, Alabama … and this one is actually being TELEVISED! It’s LIVE on the Fox Soccer Channel at 5PM ET. Check it out … you won’t have many other chances in the run up to the Olympics!
So, it’s time to do some catching up on the micro-brewing process underway over there in NY State.Starting on 3/16/08, HollyCornblog wrote about this picture …
The thingy on the top is the airlock. It lets carbon dioxide out, but nothing in. The one in the front that is all cloudy is very active today. That was the one I was worried about yesterday, but it took off last night. I just changed that airlock cause it was foaming out, and I think this one might get all yucky too. Oh well. I hope I am doing this process right or we are going to have a lot of bad beer to drink. I better get moving if I am going to make another batch. This one is a little more involved because it involves steeping some grains. Maybe I will add some coffee to it too, hummmm something to ponder.”
Since March 16th there’s been lots of activity, including: the planting of some hop rhizomes at the end of March, a trip to Philadelphia, a first stab at some peanut butter cup porter in early April, the bottling of some chocolate stout in mid-April, some porter with espresso and an IPA on 4/19 … some more bottling … and the beat goes on.
A peanut butter stout that HollyCornblog started about a week ago seemed to give her some trouble. On 4/21/08 she wrote:
my peanut butter stout is still looking really iffy. it is MUD colored through and through which i haven’t seen before. maybe i overdid it in some area with ingredients. it is still bubbling which is a good sign, but i expected it to be bubbling out of the airlock this morning and it is hardly foamy at all. people were worried about using real peanut butter and head retention, but some brewer in Mass. does it and says it has no effect on the head. one person wrote in and suggested just to get a good porter or stout and buy some reeses cups to eat with it. maybe that is the route i should go 🙂
(Notice the no-caps … the result of HollyCornblog’s broken radius and pisiform – definitely cramps her typing style!) BTW … I asked HollyCornblog if it was okay to post all this and she said it was fine to post the picture(s) but not to use her descriptions … and in true older sister fashion, I am ignoring that, because I like her descriptions (and I, of course, know best). So if this blog goes silent … you’ll all know that she took me down. 😉
First off, don’t forget the USWNT plays Australia at 7PM ET in Cary, NC … on MatchTracker (of course) … not on TV! 😦 And another thing assigned to the “unfortunate” category … if you check out the stats on the USSF site they are seriously out of date. Come on guys!
Last night we were psyched to see a woman officiating the Celtics’ play-off game. This wasn’t a first for Violet Palmer … but it was the first time we’d see her doing an NBA game. Very cool – and we’re sure our friend Paula LR will be interested! Here’s an interview (longish) with Violet.
On the Philly front … the Phillies have won 6 out of 7, the Eagles have an A+ so far in their draft picks (according to MSNBC), the 76ers are one up on the Pistons, and the Flyers are 1:1 against Montreal and heading back to Philly for game 3 tomorrow night. Philly almost feels like Boston, these days! 😉
On the campaign trail … Clinton challenges Obama to an unmoderated debate … which Obama declines (why risk a big lead?) … and the beat goes on.
Meanwhile, my friends, the straight-talking co-sponsor of the McCain-Feingold Campaign Reform Act continues to game the system shamelessly. Forget straight talk … let’s have a little more plane talk, John!
Finally, we’d like to move the spotlight off of Jeremiah Wright and onto some others.
First we have the pastors in John McCain’s life … two very scary characters who are about as shallow, vituperative, and hate-mongering as they come: Pastor John Hagee and Televangelist Rod Parsley (a guy McCain has called his “spiritual guide” and who believes that the purpose of the USA is to destroy Islam).
Then there’s Hillary with her connection to The Family in DC. Come May, we’ll be reading all about it in Jeff Sharlet’s exposé, The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power … but until then, Hillary is keeping very mum … but we’d love to know more about her actual beliefs and her experiences studying the Bible with the likes of Rick Santorum. Interesting that one of her comments in response to the stupid and misleading clips of Reverend Wright was to say that you can’t pick your family … but you pick your pastor. Seems she’s picked both … and I don’t think I’ll like either. 😉
This is scary stuff, folks … very scary stuff. I look forward to reading the book. (Maybe “look forward” isn’t exactly the right locution!)
Check out the USWNT Blog for updates on preparations for tomorrow’s match against Australia … including the return of Aly Wagner, a visit from Lil, Keegan Markgraf’s snack with his Mom … etc.!
And here is a great interview with Julie Foudy … on the Olympics, soccer, leadership, women in sports, emotion in sports, etc. Good job, Jules (as always)!
Bill Moyers interviewed the Reverend Jeremiah Wright last night on Bill Moyers Journal and we were treated to a glimpse of a man of depth, complexity, charisma, erudition, commitment, and faith who lives up to the name Jeremiah without apology. What he has done at the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago is wonderful … and I made an on-line contribution to them this morning. Listening to him reminds me of why I was drawn to major in Religion these many years ago.
Yet Reverend Wright has been vilified in the press and by the Republican spin machine (as well as the Clinton spin machine) in a tireless barrage of misleading, truncated sound bites. And of course, his vilification is more about Barack Obama than it is about Jeremiah Wright. But it also strikes me as being more about us and our culture … and about power and what people will do to grasp it … than it is about either Obama or Reverend Wright.
I come away particularly disturbed by the Clinton campaign’s attacks. It’s my guess that Hillary perfectly well understands and likely agrees with Reverend Wright’s analysis and, in sunnier times, might support his work and relate to the place he is coming from. But in some sound bites she saw an opportunity to gain points against Barack and she seized it … appealing to the worst in us. She may have gained votes in the process – but she lost me entirely.
She knows full well that what Reverend Wright was preaching was not as the sound bites appear … and I realize that I am showing my naivete in expressing my shock at the tactic. But I am shocked. The ugliness of this episode is not that far from many of the ugly excesses of the Bush Administration, IMHO.
Watch the Moyers Interview. Reverend Wright is a thoughtful and interesting person who makes compelling and reasonable points about the behavior of our government … and he is being dressed up as a menace by a woman who has often complained about right wing conspiracies and the misconstruing of facts.
Hillary, you know better. I can only see this as a cold-blooded tactic that might also be used against me, were I or an associate perceived to present a threat to your success … or were it in your self interest to misconstrue my views and pillory me. Come on, Hillary … you should be above that; but apparently you are not.
This sorry story about Dr. Ira Katz’ e-mail cover-up of veterans’ suicide statistics is just disgusting, if true. (And given the track record of this administration, I have to think it’s true. As with the response to Hurricane Katrina … not to mention the Iraq War, someone is profiting and raking in taxpayer dollars … but it doesn’t appear to be the people for whom the dollars were ostensibly intended.)
According to an 11/06 story about the VA’s mental health services, “VA attention to mental health care has strengthened over the last few years in an attempt to keep up with the health care needs of the newest generation of veterans. In FY 2005, the funding allocated for mental health care in VA was about $2.4 billion. The projected funding for FY 2007 is about $3.15 billion.”
It’s not that I don’t think we should be supporting those who’ve served … just that we ought to be doing it competently and with integrity- qualities that this administration appears to be incapable of mustering (except in their hypocritical, platitudinous way). Platitudinous … is that a word?
Anyway – here’s an article with lots of links at the VA Watchdog Site – for more information on this evolving story.
And finally, I want to share an article about Hillary that HollyCornblog recommends … I’m sure you’ll find it interesting.
Speaking of HollyCornblog – stay tuned for an update on her and Charlie HopBrew’s beer-making exploits this weekend.
Connecticut women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma, left, said the regular-season series against rival Tennessee was canceled because Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt accused the Huskies of a recruiting violation.
The US House of Representatives put a temporary hold on at least one of Bush’s efforts to save money on the backs of the poor and the powerless, while continuing to protect the privileges (and pocketbooks) of his rich buddies. As reported on MSNBC, “Two thirds of the Republicans joined every voting Democrat in the 349-62 vote to impose a one-year moratorium, through next March, on seven rules changes that the administration argues are needed to rectify waste and abuse in the state-federal partnership to provide health care to the poor.”
Of course this isn’t the end of the story … as this measure still needs to move through the Senate Finance Committee to the floor of the Senate for a vote. Charles Grassley of Iowa has voiced opposition to the House approach, saying: “It is an absolute farce for anyone to argue that all of those dollars are being appropriately spent and that Congress ought to just walk away from these issues.”
Chuck – I know you have your fiscal responsibility bona fides in order … BUT I still wish you were as demanding-of-accountability relative to other fiscal issues … like, err … say … war profiteering in Iraq (just to name one small example that springs to mind). How about going after some of THOSE big fish? How about calling THAT farce a farce?
I’m starting off very randomly today … we’ll see if some shape emerges.
First, I see that the Flyers went to OT and won their game 7 (unlike the Bruins … oops) and move on in the Stanley Cup playoffs, where they’ll next face top-ranked Montreal. Rock on, Broadstreet Bullies! (Tells you the last time I followed the Flyers, I’m afraid …)
The Phillies beat the Rockies for the second straight game … as Pat Burrell gave the Phils some more clutch hitting … and they top the .500 mark for the first time this season (and WAY earlier than in recent years).
Here are the deer at the top of our hill … waiting patiently for their morning victuals. We are winding down on the food service … as the fields green up and their natural sources of sustenance come back into play.
In other local news … hats off to Canterbury’s own Brian Collins who ran in Monday’s Boston Marathon and finished an awesome 4,671 overall with a 3:21:53 time. I believe I heard somewhere that this was Brian’s 18th consecutive run at Boston … amazing! Check out his stats …
9448
Collins, Brian J.
52
M
Canterbury
NH
USA
Checkpoints
5k
10k
15k
20k
Half
25k
30k
35k
40k
0:22:57
0:45:16
1:07:29
1:29:56
1:34:53
1:53:11
2:18:23
2:44:32
3:10:09
Finish
Pace
Projected Time
Official Time
Overall
Gender
Division
0:07:42
3:21:53
4671
4127
310
Oh yes … and Hillary won in Pennsylvania where the campaigning had been fierce and the turnout was very high. Interestingly, for example, according to MSNBC, “In Montgomery County, in the Philadelphia area, more than 300,000 new Democrats registered, many of them switching their allegiances from independent or Republican. For the first time, Democrats were the majority in the county; in the past, Republicans held a 2-to-1 advantage.” That is an amazing statistic for Montgomery County, home of the blue-blooded, old-moneyed, clench-jawed Main Line. Sounds like it may be some days before we know how the delegate counts shake out, as some are awarded based on theState-wide vote and others (more, in fact) based on district tallies.
Here’s a nice article posted on CommonDreams by Charles Derber and Yale Magrass about rethinking John McCain’s war hero status. It reminds me of a comment a friend made to me many months ago about how scary he found John McCain … because of the temper he exhibits … and the mountains of unprocessed, unexplored, volatile and explosive anger he must lug around based on his experiences while captive. (Makes you pause and wonder why Cindy looks so robotic, doesn’t it … kinda?)
From the USSF Site, here are Pia’s, Carli’s and Chalupa’s reactions to the USWNT draw. Pia sounds focused, and upbeat, and like she’s breathing a small sigh of personal relief … “This is a very unique moment in that a Swede will be helping represent the U.S. in an Olympic tournament. I am very excited about both the U.S. team and the Swedish team and I guess it turned out well that Sweden is not in our bracket!”
Meanwhile, the USWNT travels to South Korea in mid-June for the Peace Queen Cup. There, they’ll get a chance to play Brazil again … for the first time since the World Cup debacle. (Sure hope someone has the wherewithal to televise this!) Here’s the draw and the tentative (as of 4/1/08) match schedule:
2008 Peace Queen Cup Draw – Suwon, South Korea
Group A
A1 – South Korea
A2 – North Korea
A3 – Canada
A4 – Argentina
Group B
B1 – USA
B2 – Italy
B3 – Brazil
B4 – Australia
2008 Peace Queen Cup Tentative USA Match Schedule (Kickoff Times TBD)
June 15 – USA v. Italy
June 17 – USA v. Brazil
June 19 – USA v. Australia
June 21 – Championship Game (Group Winners)
And finally, the biggest news today … HBD, BJ!!!!!
Licorice Pizza: I'm starting anew here and have now been, twice, to Vax and Snax at Red River. These are Thursday night movies for vaccinated and masked folks, and you can get POPCORN! But I digress...Licorice Pizza was a sweet, coming-of-age in The Valley in the Seventies sort of movie that managed to include waterbeds and Jon Peters and two new stars -- Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman (son of Philip Seymour Hoffman).
If Beale Street Could Talk: Quiet, beautiful, heartfelt, devastating. America wears many masks. This movie strips a few of them away. It shines a light on quite a lot of ugliness. As well, it illuminates dignity and resilience in the face of a system built on the abuse of privilege and power. A perfect movie to see on the eve of what is hopefully Donald Trump's last SOTU.
Shoplifters: A beautifully honest, quiet movie that is at once uplifting and devastating. Universal questions are raised and left open for pondering. What is a family? How do people survive in our world today? And how do we judge their choices?
Green Book: Very enjoyable movie and yet deeply flawed. The white guy comes across as the hero in ways that are typical for the American movie industry, and comfortably misleading in terms of the realities of our culture. Especially in the current socio/political atmosphere, can't we do better than this?
On the Basis of Sex: We applauded, we cried, we felt so glad that RBG was as prescient as she was. And I felt personally glad that her love of opera clearly predates her connection with Scalia. What an inspiring woman -- and a good movie about her early years as a student, professor, and attorney.
The Favourite: Did I say that being a queen was no fun? This definitely seems to have carried forward to Queen Anne's reign. Strong performances again, and more belly laughs than you'd think. And right along with it, grief, emptiness, ambition, and gouty excess.
Mary Queen of Scots: Being a queen was no fun in the 16th century. Excellent, complex performances in this one. I found Elizabeth especially compelling. Very unclear who actually wins out in this one.
Another Year: Loved this one! It's about a couple, and their friends, and their lives – painful in spots, and wonderfully everyday and enriching, to my mind. Great performances – and who knew there was so much wine being drunk in England!?
Tiny Furniture: A young woman (aka Lena Dunham) comes home after graduating from college and tries to find herself – or not. A character study that I found humorous and touching – and sometimes a little disturbing and/or self-indulgent. It's definitely a privilege to have the leisure to "find oneself." After this..."Girls."
Rabbit Hole: Painful/powerful movie about loss and grieving. Hard to watch but well worth the effort, with a strong cast and an especially on the mark performance by Nicole Kidman. I continue to be glad to see that she is clearly outstripping Tom Cruise as an artist. You go girl!
The Kids Are Alright: Very enjoyable movie with great performances and an excellent cast. Two kids whose moms are lesbians decide they want to find out something about their "father" – and everything moves on from that point.
The King's Speech: Warm, funny, inspiring – and apparently a bit of a rewrite of history, to boot! Colin Firth puts out an amazing performance – and was well rewarded for it. Everyone else is great too, and if you're one of the few people left who hasn't seen it, it's definitely worth a look!
Black Swan: This is a disturbing movie that I really loved – and in case you haven't noticed, I do have a tendency to like disturbing movies. What's real and what isn't? You be the judge. Also, be on the lookout for Winona Ryder – you'll never recognize her!
Blue Valentine: A couple in trouble – how they started and how they got to where they are. A good movie with excellent performances that left me wondering, especially in Michelle Williams' case, whether she was thinking about what's his name (her partner who died suddenly – the guy who starred in Broke Back Mountain – for some reason I can't remember his name – oh yeah, Heath Ledger).
Shutter Island: A dark period piece that has the creepy feel of the 1950s (creepy to me at any rate) and has stayed with me more than I would've thought. A movie with surprises – definitely worth a look.
Cyrus: I don't remember this one so well, but have a vague recollection of walking out of the theater feeling not so enthralled. I believe it's supposed to be funny – but as you can tell it didn't really make an impression.
I Am Love: Really beautiful, sumptuous movie that made me hungry, just watching it. A keeper!
The Girl Who Played with Fire: The second in the three part series involving the girl with the dragon tattoo, this movie was much harder to watch than the first, as Salander's triumph isn't quite so clear at the end. Painful, painful, painful.
Scott Pilgrim Versus the World: I loved this comic book take on young love. Went to the movie on a whim and came away very happy to have seen it! Quite a few laugh out loud moments – and touching, as well.
Going the Distance: A very lightweight romcom that kinda left me feeling like I had just spent an hour and a half reading People magazine. In other words, pretty much a waste of time.
Never Let Me Go: Wow! This was an amazing, stark, and moving movie about kids who are basically raised to become organ donors. Very much worth seeing.
The Town: Ben Affleck's movie about bank robbers. It's okay. Not great, but okay. It does make me curious about Charlestown – will have to go there one day.
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger: A Woody Allen movie that I honestly don't remember very well. It's pretty much about adults behaving badly – something that Woody knows a little something about.
The Social Network: The movie about Facebook. I found it very interesting and well done, and was especially fascinated/disturbed by the window on the incredible privilege and elitism still thriving at undergrad Harvard.
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest: Number three in the Dragon trilogy. I found this, in many ways, the weakest of the three movies – although that's not to say that it was weak. Perhaps my enjoyment was affected by the fact that I hadn't read the book. Anyway, it's a great trilogy and I was sorry to see it come to an end.
Fair Game: The movie about the Valerie Plame affair. One of the things that I found most interesting was how it uncovered my own biases, as she was clearly a very serious and talented agent, but because of her blonde haired beauty, I pretty much assumed that she was a lightweight in real life. I appreciated, also, the depiction of her husband as a bit of a media hound, which was how he seemed to me at the time. And of course, there are the despicable characters of the Bush administration. Glad they were on display in all their glory!
City Island: This was a fine, if predictable, movie about a family in which everyone has a secret and is telling lies. I mostly loved it because it gave me a glimpse of where my friend CB lives!
Winter's Bone: Wow! Unrelenting, stark, and ultimately uplifting – at least to my mind. This is a painful movie about life when you're the daughter of someone who runs a meth lab. Winter's Bone is a perfect title. J-Law is amazing!
Please Give: Quirky, sweet, slice-of-life movie. I loved the low-key character development and good humor of it all. Enjoyable, with a great cast and few false notes.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo: Tho' parts of the book were missing, this was an excellent rendition of an excellent book. Not for the faint of heart, tho'! Lisbeth Salander is an Emma Peel for the 21st Century (watch for more from Noomi Rapace - I will be)!
Me and Orson Welles: Or was it Orson Welles and me? (If Orson had anything to do with the title, I'm guessing the latter.) I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, even as it reminded me of why the world of the theatre holds absolutely no appeal for yours truly! Nice to see Claire Danes back ... still have to finish watching Temple Grandin, too!
Crazy Heart: I left this movie thinking ... "Eh?" but it has stayed with me. Jeff Bridges does give a wonderful performance. The amount of smoking and drinking was nauseating - as I guess it was supposed to be - all in an understated, Jeff Bridges sort of a way.
A Single Man: One of the best movies of the year in my book. Haunting, beautifully acted and filmed ... marred only by an unnecessarily heavy-handed ending, IMHO. That was the only flaw in an otherwise brilliant bit of artistry. Colin Firth was perfect, and this was an amazing writing/directing debut for Tom Ford! See it!!!
Young Victoria: I am eternally grateful to have not been born the heir to a throne. Life was confusing enough! This was an enjoyable, tear-jerker of a movie that left me wanting to know more about the details. Perhaps a bio for Bookeaters?
Precious: Wow, wow, wow. Two weeks in a row - another amazing movie at Red River. This is a challenging and important movie ... about life in America ... every single day ... everywhere.
The Messenger: Wow, wow, wow. This is one of the best movies I have seen in quite some time. Its focus is on two men who notifiy NOK (next of kin) when a soldier dies. It is a raw, wrenching, unflinching and uplifting journey - not to be missed. Seriously
Damned United: This was a study in soccer, ambition, and friendship. For soccer buffs who actually know the players (I'm a late-comer to the game) the movie would be that much better. I loved it, though - and recommend it highly.
A Serious Man: The Book of Job envisioned by the Coen brothers evoked the early sixties and suburbia with humor, pathos ... and a slightly nauseating quality that tells me they pretty much hit the nail on the head. As one of the goyim, I am sure there were hundreds of nuances that were lost on me ... but I loved it (nausea aside) nonetheless!
Cold Souls: The premise of this movie is deeply strange, yet it is presented in an entirely believable way. It's by turns very moving and then hilarious (in ways that, in retrospect, are hard to capture/explain). The ending leaves a puzzled feeling - but that's not really bothersome. In many ways, puzzled is the appropriate way to walk out of the theater after "Cold Souls." Check it out!
Adam: Nicely done! Not a movie that will stay with you for a long time, but I liked it. The father (Peter Gallagher) seemed a tad overdone -and unnecessarily so. Unmemorable soundtrack - but since I mention it, does that make it memorable? Now I'm starting to feel like Steven Wright - not necessarily a bad thing!
Taking Woodstock: Even going in with low expectations, this offering from Ang Lee just wasn't good. Vilma was a high point in an otherwise shoddy effort. Harsh, eh? And watch out, world - it's only 6:30 AM!
Julie and Julia: I was not as bothered by Julie as some reviewers were - maybe because I liked seeing a blogger hit the big time. Meryl Streep was amazing as Julia .. and this is definitely not a movie to see on an empty stomach! Never have I enjoyed watching people eat as much as I did watching this flick!
500 Days of Summer: I think I wasn't supposed to, but I loved it. Engaging characters and script, great soundtrack. Not as quirky and lovable as "Away We Go" - but not far behind, either.
Whatever Works: People either like or hate this latest offering from Woody Allen. I must admit that it's a little weird to see this May-December relationship on-screen, feeling so creeped out by Woody's real-life choices. But I'd say he pulls it off. There are some really great lines throughout the movie, and while not entirely believable, I didn't mind being along for the ride. A pleasant diversion for sure.
Goodbye, Solo: Interesting movie that basically contrasts life energy and death energy, IMHO. Solo is the epitome of resilience - love him! Meanwhile William seems bent on being miserable, for reasons that the movie leaves mysterious. I didn't find him very a likable or compelling character - but Solo makes up for it.
Moon: I hesitate to write this one up, as I was tired when I saw it - and missed portions. But form my bleary vantage point, this seemed an intriguing movie set on the moon and exploring themes of identity, isolation, etc. It was not my usual fare - and I wasn't up to snuff - but at least had the wherewithall to be able tell that it was quality work!
Cheri: I liked this a lot better than Easy Virtue - maybe because I went into it having already seen EV and had my expectations lowered. Michelle Pfeiffer and Kathy Bates are fun to watch as always - and I liked Rupert Friend in the title role. It all got a little too serious at the end - a tone-shift that didn't quite fit with the bulk of the movie. Still - a pleasant diversion on a rainy July evening!
Away We Go: This was an excellent movie in every regard. Great dialogue and plot line, endearing cast/characters, heartwarming/funny story that avoids tipping over into overly-sweet territory ... and great soundtrack, to boot! See it, if you haven't already.
Easy Virtue: Not my cup of tea - but I suspect it would have helped, going in, to know that this was a movie based on a Noel Coward play. The characters felt stilted and unbelievable to me, as it was - and I couldn't muster much concern for what became of them. All things considered, I'd rather have been in Philadelphia!
Sugar: Sugar is a baseball flick that is sweetly and realistically done - and definitely like no Hollywood film on the subject. The characters are real and the life is hard - and the film depicts it all in a matter-of-fact way that brings the realities home more surely than something more "dramatic" ever could. Two thumbs up on this one!
Sunshine Cleaning: Director Christine Jeffs has a winner in this tale about the hard times and resiliency of the Lorkowski family. Amy Adams, Emily Blunt and Alan Arkin shine in this movie about a bio-hazard clean-up company. Yes, that's correct. And the movie had the potential to cross the line into sappiness several times but demurred. For that I am eternally thankful. (Okay, eternally may be a little over the top.) Darn good flick, though - check it out.
Milk: Sean Penn deserves an Oscar for his amazing portrayal of Harvey Milk. It actually didn't even feel like a portrayal - more a channeling. Such a loss - that yet another creative and energetic and good leader, was senselessly murdered all those years ago. Fear, hatred and guns - why don't we remove at least the last ingredient in the tragic mix?
Doubt: Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman are amazing, and Viola Davis is a heartbreaking revelation in this battle royale. I was left with less doubt at the end than some of my compatriots ... but that took nothing away from the experience. Meryl Streep deserves an Oscar, IMHO ... and I definitely want her on my side, always!
Slumdog Millionaire: Just a great movie, start to finish. Magical,epic, and a nail-biter (even though you know what's going to happen ... pretty much. The dancing at the end did my heart good - and having M.I.A. in the soundtrack didn't hurt, either!
The Secret Life of Bees: Or was it The Secret Lives of Bees? Anyway, whatever - I want Queen Latifah to be my mother!!! (What was Bill Clinton thinking, throwing her under the bus all those years ago?) The movie was entertaining but not a home run by any means. Too predictable ... but Alicia Keys was wonderfully cranky-verging-on-scary and the Queen was queenly and the honey looked delicious and it was nice hearing India Arie in the soundtrack!
Happy Go Lucky: I think I was supposed to like this more than I did. Perhaps it suffered by being seen pretty much on the heels of Rachel. I found Poppy to be a sometimes intriguing and sometimes annoying character. The relentless joking and "upbeatness" felt distancing and unnecessary. I didn't hate this movie by any means - but something was missing for me.
Rachel Getting Married: Jonathan Demme and an amazing script and cast just blew me away with this effort. The characters are fascinating and complicated and most every interaction in the film left me engaged and wanting to know more! Debra Winger was stupendous - although it's been so long since I've seen her that I kept trying to find the bull-riding Urban Cowboy persona within the steely, distant mother of this wedding movie. (She's not there.) Margot at the Wedding was very good - but Rachel puts her in her place. I highly recommend this to everyone!
Religulous: Bill Maher skewers the rampant "illogic" of religion in this free-wheeling film. His wit is right on target and as barbed as you'd expect. I found myself squirming every once in awhile. I don't mind you picking on the Pope, Bill ... but same as with Michael Moore ... sometimes when you set up "common folks" to look like fools, I cringe. Still, Religulous is worth a look for sure. The best point Bill makes? That conservatives of a religulous bent are about finding answers - while liberals are about asking questions. I can go with that!
Roman de gare: This was an intriguing, surprising, suspenseful, funny, quirky movie that I thoroughly enjoyed. The characters and plot lines are deftly developed. You should definitely check it out if you get the chance!
Young at Heart: YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS MOVIE! It's a documentary about a choral group of octogenarians in Northampton, MA. Very inspiring ... definitely something to check out!
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day: Enjoyable, light fare with a stellar performance by my favorite police chief, Frances McDormand!
The Visitor: Now this was an excellent movie ... from start to finish. It was similar to Smart People in that it had an academic as the main character. However, all similarities ended pretty much right there. In this warm, funny, and wrenching movie, the characters are well and subtly developed, the plot is (unfortunately) believable ... and there are no false notes. I would urge you to see it - you won't be sorry!
Smart People: Looks like we're getting back on track with our Tuesday night movie schedule ... for the time being. Smart People was enjoyable but left me unenthralled. (It probably didn't help that we ran into a totally enthralled movie-goer on the way in who was seeing it for the second time. High expectations may have killed this one for me.) Overall, I found the characters exaggerated and mildly unlikeable ... the dialogue stilted and self-conscious, perhaps just the way smart people talk. But then the lessons about loosening up and being less self-absorbed weren't exactly ground-breaking. Overall, it wasn't a wasted evening ... but not a movie I'll be putting at the top of my list, either.
4 luni, 3 saptamani si 2 zile (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days): Winner of the Palm D'Or at Cannes, this film by Romania's Cristian Mungiu certainly deserves the accolades it receives. It's a realistic and emotionally unflinching story of a woman who helps her friend obtain an illegal abortion in 1987 Romania. The story is harrowing, the acting wonderful, and the cinematography amazing. This film makes Juno look like Disney pablum!
Taxi to the Dark Side: This was a harrowing and eye-opening look at what our country has become under the leadership of Bush/Cheney after 9/11. The "road taken" has definitely been a trip to the dark side. Disgusting and important to see ... as we make our way back toward the light!
Michael Clayton: What an excellent movie! Engaging, engrossing, well-acted. Tilda Swinton certainly deserved an award for her protrayal of what I have to think must be the secret, inner life of Condi Rice.
Persepolis: This animated memoir is an engaging, heartbreaking, uplifting, realistic look at life in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Go see it! It humanizes what our current regime so consistently tries to dehumanize. An important movie, Persepolis is based on the book by Marjane Satrapi.
Margot at the Wedding: Dark, funny, tough to watch and very well acted.
I'm Not There: Bob Dylan's not my favorite, but this was a fascinating movie to watch (albeit long) and since he wasn't there, I couldn't very well feel annoyed by him. Cate Blanchette was just amazing - and I loved the surreal, Fellini-esque feel of the Richard Gere parts.
Atonement: Lush, compelling, painful - I especially loved Vanessa Redgrave's starkly powerful 5 minutes - and the Fellini-esque (can you tell I love Fellini?) flavor of the scenes of the evacuating troops on the beach - complete with ferris wheels - somehow depicting the disorienting horror of war in ways that blood and gore never could. Great movie!
Juno: Well, I went to see it. I totally agree with my friends who found the clinic scene extremely misleading, off-base, and gratuitously negative in its depiction of the women's health movement and its workers. In an otherwise nice movie, this was a thoughtless lapse ... and I was sad to see so many women in Juno's age group in the theater (one of them actually pregnant) ... who'll be coming away with a false impression that could so seriously affect their lives!
The Savages: Wow, what a good movie! Philip Seymour Hoffman has had an amazing run this year between this, "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," and that other movie with Tom Hanks ... the name of which is escaping me at the moment ... Charlie Somebody's War. Anyway - he and Laura Linney are just wonderful as siblings dealing with their aging/ailing father. Painful and real ... and set in gritty, wintry Buffalo ... in perfect contrast to Sun City. (The latter looks like a setting that would do David Lynch proud.) Check it out if you haven't seen it!
Here’s a nice article from the WPS site about Angela Hucles … and the changes in her life that have come about as a result of the WUSA (and her hard work). I’m psyched to hear she wants to be back with the Breakers!
In a rain-delayed game that saw the return of Heather Mitts to the pitch … and three goals in the final 6 minutes (including stoppage time) … the 
So, it’s time to do some catching up on the micro-brewing process underway over there in NY State.Starting on 3/16/08, HollyCornblog wrote about this picture …
Since March 16th there’s been lots of activity, including: the planting of some hop rhizomes at the end of March, a trip to Philadelphia, a first stab at some peanut butter cup porter in early April, the bottling of some chocolate stout in mid-April, some porter with espresso and an IPA on 4/19 … some more bottling … and the beat goes on.
A peanut butter stout that HollyCornblog started about a week ago seemed to give her some trouble. On 4/21/08 she wrote:
Check out the 
She knows full well that what Reverend Wright was preaching was not as the sound bites appear … and I realize that I am showing my naivete in expressing my shock at the tactic. But I am shocked. The ugliness of this episode is not that far from many of the ugly excesses of the Bush Administration, IMHO.
Click the link to read more!
JordanCornblog 