I’ve been meaning to write about this technological tool that I read about some time ago in the NY Times – typing expansion software.
The basic idea is that, for words, phrases, or sentences that you use frequently, you can enter brief prompts (hotkey scripts) that will then add in whatever word, phrase or sentence you choose to have it represent. For example, with my hotkeys activated, if I type the letters “H” and “C” I get HollyCornblog. The letters “f” and “f” net me fantasy football. “D” and “C” bring up DaddyCornblog, while “D” and “C” and “D” yields Dick Cheney is a douchebag.
AutoHotkey is the free software that I have been experimenting with. I’d like to have it all set up (and have plenty of practice with it) by the time March Madness rolls around. (That was “M” “M” that I typed.) Won’t it be nice to not have to plow through Connecticut and Tennessee over and over? By the way, you don’t have to include the quotation marks when you type your script (I do, just so that I can keep it from inserting the verbiage). Oh, and you can tell it to capitalize words or not, by how you type the letters. For example, to get “By” capitalized at the start of that sentence back there, I used an upper rather than a lower case “b” in my script.
Does this sound interesting? If there are words and/or phrases that you use a lot, I think you might find it a really cool tool.
I hope you have a great day! (That was “H” “a””n””d”!)
JordanCornblog
PS It’s also a great way to correct for typical typos – for example, I invariably type t-i-n-k then I mean t-h-i-n-k. No – no problem – at least that’s that I think!
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. You know what the worst part of it is?
That this guy was there with his friend Jerry Jones – and that he had a good time.
He should NEVER have a good time.
And speaking of folks who should never have a good time, of course Dick Cheney is perennially on my list (and I suspect that his ood times are few and far between – just look at that snarl).
Then there’s John Edwards. Looks like there’s a new book coming out that covers, among other things, John’s rise and fall. The John and Elizabeth part is a tale of hubris, ego, and emptiness. The Book is titled Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime, is being released tomorrow, and covers the 2008 election … check out the NY Magazine excerpt in St Elizabeth and the Ego Monster. Here’s a snippet that speaks to the “St. Elizabeth” aspect of this cautionary tale:
No one in the Edwardses’ political circle felt anything less than complete sympathy for Elizabeth’s plight. And yet the romance between her and the electorate struck them as ironic nonetheless—because their own relationships with her were so unpleasant that they felt like battered spouses. The nearly universal assessment among them was that there was no one on the national stage for whom the disparity between public image and private reality was vaster or more disturbing.
With her husband, she could be intensely affectionate or brutally dismissive. At times subtly, at times blatantly, she was forever letting John know that she regarded him as her intellectual inferior. She called her spouse a “hick” in front of other people and derided his parents as rednecks. One time, when a friend asked if John had read a certain book, Elizabeth burst out laughing. “Oh, he doesn’t read books,” she said. “I’m the one who reads books.”
During the 2004 race, Elizabeth badgered and berated John’s advisers around the clock. She called Nick Baldick, his campaign manager, an idiot. She accused David Axelrod, his (and later Obama’s) media consultant, of lying to her and insisted that he be stripped of the responsibility for making the campaign’s TV ads. She would stay up late scouring the Web, pulling down negative stories and blog items about her husband, forwarding them with vicious messages to the communications team. She routinely unleashed profanity-laced tirades on conference calls. “Why the fuck do you think I’d want to go sit outside a Wal-Mart and hand out leaflets?” she snarled at the schedulers.
There’s a collection of additional tidbits compiled in The Atlantic … all geared to whet the appetite … and successfully so, IMHO.
About Obama himself the book includes plenty of observations about his manner and temperament, many astute and some original, though no earth-shattering revelations. The chapters about John and Cindy McCain’s relationship are fascinating; the coverage of McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin is mostly familiar ground. There are insights about the way the Bush White House perceived the McCain campaign, although they can be summed up as: not very well.
There are telling anecdotes, such as when Ed Goeas, a pollster for Rudy Giuliani, responds to Judith Giuliani’s query about how she could best help his campaign: “First of all, you’re his third wife. What you should try to be is humble.” (Page 290).
Political scientists aren’t going to like this book, because it portrays politics as it is actually lived by the candidates, their staff and the press, which is to say — a messy, sweaty, ugly, arduous competition between flawed human beings — a universe away from numbers and probabilities and theories.
While I wait for the Eagles’ decisive defeat of the Cowboys tonight to get underway, I thought I’d do a little catching up on the WPS front.
The 2010 season gets underway in April. The Breakers’ home opener is Sundat, 4/18 at 6PM against the Philly Independence – who’ll be bringing Heather Mitts, Kelly Schmedes, Sue Weber, and Amy Rodriguez back to Harvard Stadium for their first game against their former team … pray for an unseasonably warm evening (hey, it could happen)!
Here’s an interesting article about Jen Nobis and the upcoming Breakers’ season:
Nobis’ performance during the latter half of the 2009 WPS season impressed Boston Head Coach Tony DiCicco and his staff so much that they put Nobis on their list of protected players for the WPS Expansion draft, meaning that the two new teams, the Philadelphia Independence and Atlanta Beat, could not select her in the draft. Nobis also wasn’t declared a free agent, indicating that the Boston coaching staff have big plans for Nobis in 2010.
“I was surprised they saved me, but I’m glad they did,” Nobis said. “They see something in me for this season. I know what’s to be expected this year. I’m ready.”
But to earn a spot on the pitch, Nobis said she has to put in an extra effort. That’s why she’s training six days a week, working on ball skills every day, and conditioning herself to the point she knows her body will be 90-minutes fit.
“It’s awesome to be here and getting prepared for the season,” Nobis said. “I’m working really hard with my training and practicing different things. You’ll definitely see a different Boston Breakers team. I think it will be a good improvement.”
The WPS draft will be held this coming Friday (the 15th) at 10AM with the Breakers’ having the #2 and #11 picks (that’s 2 picks in the first round). They (the Brakers) have invited fans o take part in a mock draft … if you have the time and inclination.
I’m surprised to see that the LA Sol have traded Camille Abily to FC Gold Pride. She was one of my favorites in the fledgling league … glad I’ll still get to say her name … and hope she’ll help the Pride to realize their potential.
Here’s a nice installment in the “Getting Silly” series. This interview is with the Breakers’ (and USWNT’s) Secretary of Defense, Amy Lepeilbet.
I had unsettling dreams last night and woke up maybe just a tad cranky. This cheered me up, however:
More than 80 percent (81 percent) of Democrats now say they disapprove of the job Lieberman is doing with only 14 percent approving. Among Republicans, 48 percent disapprove of the senator with just 39 approving. And among independents, 61 percent disapprove of Lieberman’s antics with just 32 percent approving.
“It all adds up to a 25% approval rating with 67% of his constituents giving him bad marks,” the study concludes. “Barack Obama’s approval rating with Connecticut Republicans is higher than Lieberman’s with the state’s Democrats.”
Now, if only Harry Reid et al would kick him out of the caucus and let him be truly independent … I’d feel like 2010 was getting off to a good start.
In other cheering news (from JordanCornblog’s perspective) another Texas team lost last night … this time to Alabama. May that trend continue for the Lone Star State, at least through tomorrow night. (And I do hope that Dubya, wherever he is, is sentient and cares about this.)
Maybe I’m numb, but all the flap over the near-disaster over Detroit continues to bug me. There’s now a report, and the Senate is going to hold hearings, and I am sure the GOP will be calling for firings and all … zzzzzz …
You know what? I really wish that they would put their energies toward problems that are solvable and that affect thousands upon thousands of people. Wouldn’t that be amazing?
I really wish they would stop clamoring for “foolproof” answers to this whole terrorism thing … when it looks to me like a crapshoot. From the article …
Analysts take pieces of information – like the disparate threads available before Christmas – look at them, correlate them, and then make a “very strong leap in order to reach a decision,” Allen said. “It takes experience.”
Note that very strong leap! I would add “luck” to “experience.”
We, as a people, have gone way overboard in terms of how safe we expect to be in this world (especially given our behavior as a world citizen). And it’s beyond crazy – how we expect the government to protect us and keep us alive.
The government should (according to the GOP):
Protect us from terrorists when we board a plane; but
Not over-regulate the airline industry with silly safety standards and such; and
Not keep us alive by addressing unnecessary deaths with something rational like a national healthcare system; but
Continue to propogate the illusion that they can somehow keep us safe be identifying the one in 10-million America-haters who might actually do something about it.
I am so tired of the lack of logic and intellectual honesty in the great minds of the GOP
All night, snow, then, near dawn, freezing rain, so that by morn-
ing the whole city glistens
in a glaze of high-pitched, meticulously polished brilliance, every-
thing rounded off,
the cars submerged nearly to their windows in the unbroken drifts
lining the narrow alleys,
the buildings rising from the trunklike integuments the wind has
molded against them.
Underlit clouds, blurred, violet bars, the rearguard of the storm,
still hang in the east,
immobile over the flat river basin of the Delaware; beyond them,
nothing, the washed sky,
one vivid wisp of pale smoke rising waveringly but emphatically
into the brilliant ether.
No one is out yet but Catherine, who closes the door behind her
and starts up the street.
————–
Sudden change. A storm comes upon us, and everything is different, forevermore.
Here comes the sun, as the bare trees on the eastern horizen try to snag it … to no avail. It’s gonna rise into a crystal clear January sky anyway.
It doesn’t care that the Cowboys embarrassed the Eagles. It doesn’t care that healthcare reform is being knocked off track by lobbyists and plain old greed. It doesn’t care that big bank CEO’s and Wall Street insiders continue to reap gargantuan rewards for being bad stewards.
It’s just gonna keep rising up. Here it is, shining into my eyes as I type. Boy is it bright – and it’s only a little ways up!
And I’m thinking that’s what we need to do, too. Just rise, no matter what. The rest will be what it is. Guess that’s my resolution for the new year – to rise – whatever that means in the particularity of my moments. (I suspect it will mean more exercise, among other things.)
Here’s what the world looked like over at HollyCornblog’s and CharlieHopbrew’s, yesterday afternoon.
They had a bit more of that white stuff than we did here in NH (much to our disappointment).
I bet the cold January sun looks beautiful, rising into the clear sky over those snow-covered hills this morning …
… so here’s to January 2010.
May it be a month of rising for you … for all of us!
I awaken this morning to thoughts of Conrad Aiken … a poet I discovered in high school in an old book, right around the time I discovered Walt Whitman (also in an old book). Similar in the vastness of their voices and terrains, Aiken – urban and urbane – appealed to my cerebellum while Whitman spoke to my heart. Not really that simple, but, if I had to describe how they functioned in my adolescent life, I’d say that Aiken gave my fears and sadnesses a universal context, while Whitman called me to set them all aside, pick up a walking stick and step outdoors for some exploring. Needless to say, both were bracing and vital.
And both wrote in language that I still find breathtakingly biblical in its scope and rhythms. Their words and images still carry me, wave upon wave, toward whatever shores they think I ought to explore. I am happy to go along, even if I am still unsure about just where they are heading. It’s always an interesting trip!
So Conrad Aiken’s Preludes for Memnon is what I think of this Sunday morning, as the wind blows from Arcturus. That’s a LONG way for the wind to blow. Much further than Portland or Portsmouth!
It lends some perspective to think of this as I surf the web and warm myself and sort out my day, sipping coffee and looking out my window. I think of the wind blowing from Arcturus … all the way to our spinning planet. In the yawning universe, my worries and concerns (Will the Eagles beat Dallas and get the bye?) are as the fleeting as the “keen sparkle of frost” on my sill. Yet at the same time, somehow, in the vastness of space, it’s easier to see the singular as universal, as in this passage from the Preludes … one of my favorites:.
Winter for a moment takes the mind; the snow
Falls past the arclight; icicles guard a wall;
The wind moans through a crack in the window;
A keen sparkle of frost is on the sill.
Only for a moment; as spring too might engage it,
With a single crocus in the loam, or a pair of birds;
Or summer with hot grass; or autumn with a yellow leaf.
Winter is there, outside, is here in me:
Drapes the planets with snow, deepens the ice on the moon,
Darkens the darkness that was already darkness.
The mind too has its snows, its slippery paths,
Wall bayonetted with ice, leave ice-encased.
Here is the in-drawn room, to which you return
When the wind blows from Arcturus: here is the fire
At which your warm your hands and glaze your eyes:
The piano, on which you touch the cold treble;
Five notes like breathing icicles; and then silence.
And here is a passage from Walt, throwing his wide arms open to the world and all its everyday wonders … in Song of Myself …
14
The wild gander leads his flock through the cool night,
Ya-honk he says, and sounds it down to me like an invitation,
The pert may suppose it meaningless, but I listening close,
Find its purpose and place up there toward the wintry sky.
The sharp-hoof’d moose of the north, the cat on the house-sill, the
chickadee, the prairie-dog,
The litter of the grunting sow as they tug at her teats,
The brood of the turkey-hen and she with her half-spread wings,
I see in them and myself the same old law.
The press of my foot to the earth springs a hundred affections,
They scorn the best I can do to relate them.
I am enamour’d of growing out-doors,
Of men that live among cattle or taste of the ocean or woods,
Of the builders and steerers of ships and the wielders of axes and
mauls, and the drivers of horses,
I can eat and sleep with them week in and week out.
What is commonest, cheapest, nearest, easiest, is Me,
Me going in for my chances, spending for vast returns,
Adorning myself to bestow myself on the first that will take me,
Not asking the sky to come down to my good will,
Scattering it freely forever.
So it goes … all the other news of the day, I think, will need to wait ’til tomorrow, or later today.
I have, at times, been accused of following my heart instead of listening to the facts of a situation. Given this history, I determined that it was necessary to look into additional resources to see if my opinion of universal health care was fact or fiction. Below are some interesting and, frankly, disturbing facts about our current system.
First, a breakdown of the facts (information courtesy of Health Reform Watch):
Because Ronald A. Williams is clearly the most obvious target with his $1.2 million dollar raise from 07-08, let’s take a realistic look at the man who lost $13 million dollars, H. Edward Hanway of Cigna Health Insurance.
Even at the highest tax bracket (35% as can be seen here), Mr. Hanway still made approximately $8 million for 2008. This works out to $153k per week. Oh, and when he announced that he would be leaving, he received a small “thank you” in the amount of $73.2 million dollars for his efforts of delaying and denying claims over the past five years as head of Cigna. But, I digress…
As if those figures are not enough to send the gag reflex into overdrive, let’s consider part of how Mr. Hanway was paid. I am one of the very fortunate and very rare members of this society who still has 100% paid health insurance through my employer. So, I consulted another party on what he pays monthly for his health insurance. Mind you, he is part of a “nonprofit” health care program so these figures are not a direct reflection of what Cigna charges. In fact, I would venture to say that even more of his income would be going to his health coverage if it were Cigna.
After a bit of back and forth discussion and some very crude economic calculations, we determined that 30% of his potential salary was going towards his health insurance coverage. Mind you, this coverage also carries a $2k deductible and $30/visit co-pays which were not included in the analysis. What really brought it home for me is that he is, essentially, paying the likes of Mr. Hanway nearly a 1/3 of his entry-level salary in order to support the multi-million dollar lifestyles for these high power, greedy CEOs. This would mean, under a universal health system, his federal tax burden would need to be 45% of his income in order to equal what he is paying now for both his income tax, social security and health insurance premiums. 45%!!
What does one really do with $8 million dollars per year? I can’t even imagine what I would do with $8 million dollars in my lifetime. And let’s not forget that this was a salary cut for the man. And, to add insult to injury, Cigna announced in the beginning of ’09 that they were going to be cutting 4% of its workforce or 1100 jobs due to “tough economic times”. How about we just consider another paycut, Mr. Hanway? What about that nice $73.2 million dollars you’ll be walking away with? How many jobs could you have saved with that?
Who are these people and when did it get this bad? How much of my money is being used to lobby against my patient rights? Those figures are quite startling, as well.
Although I started off on this journey to confirm a hunch, it has evolved into an absolute fear about the system that many of us so blindly follow. Fear that is based on facts, not feelings or emotions or indigestion or whatever else the insurance industry would want you to believe. Perhaps the darkest side of this whole fucked up story is the fact that there has been such little information publicly released to make this whole health care debate laughable. We can’t even throw Sarah’s death panel comment back in her face as the industry has done a magnificent job of hiding its denied claims information from the public over the years!
Just read the facts, people. Put democracy to work by giving yourself a voice and an option – contact your elected officials and tell them that you deserve better than what the status quo has given us. As Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once said, “Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.”
Waking up to snow here in NH, and the big decision is when to go do the food shopping. (Never is not an option.) Rather than answer that burning question, I just lost myself for @ half an hour noodling around on the web looking for things to write about. I landed amongst a bunch of Phillies’ videos on YouTube – celebrations of the 2008 World Series win, the late Harry Kalas calling the win, stuff about the work Chase Utley and his wife Jen do for the SPCA, etc. But this was my favorite …
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4wcXmoIQU4
Fuck yeah – and here’s to doing it again in 2010! (But first the Eagles …)
That took me to an interview I recently heard on MLB Home Plate with Doug Glanville … former player and now occasional Op Ed Writer for the Times. Of course, I immediately liked him because he had played for the Phillies (it’s nice to be able to simplify one’s likes and dislikes in that way – great time-saver, if you ask me).
The interview was about a piece he had written on Tiger Woods’ downfall – kinda the inside scoop from a pro athlete’s point of view. I was impressed, both with the interview and the op-ed. Gonna keep my eye out for more from Doug … and as the snow falls, I find myself also looking for a good book about baseball. Any suggestions?
Speaking of snow … check out the Wovel instead of a snowblower. We’re on the bandwagon. Who knows, maybe we’ll do a video one of these days – let you see how it’s done!
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!
That this guy was there with his friend Jerry Jones – and that he had a good time.
And speaking of the USWNT, 
Here’s what the world looked like over at HollyCornblog’s and CharlieHopbrew’s, yesterday afternoon.
JordanCornblog 