Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Alicia's Story
I wasn't sure how much I wanted to read Alicia Parlette's account of her battle with cancer in the San Francisco Chronicle. Cancer touches everyone's life at some point, it seems, and when my Mom - currently courageously taking on a brain tumor - linked the story to me, I didn't think I was ready for the real down-and-dirty of this terrible disease. Then I started reading. Alicia's account is honest, candid, witty, and eye-opening, and worth the time it takes to read it (It's in seven parts, and is apparently available as a paperback book on the SFGate site as well.) Enjoy.
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Amazing things happen at all levels of sport
Stan Grossfeld may not be the Globe's best writer (my argument: Jackie Mac is the cream of the crop, although Bob Ryan might be better on his best day. He just doesn't have a lot of "best days" anymore.)
However, Grossfeld ALWAYS finds interesting stories. This one is about Alec Siefert, a Duxbury HS Hockey and Lacrosse player who beat the odds medical professionals gave him. Grossfeld writes the story ably, and if you don't find yourself inspired to do something you didn't think you could do after reading it, then try reading it again, and think of what it must have been like to be a kid on the edge of the real world, being told he might never walk again, let alone play his favorite sports.
However, Grossfeld ALWAYS finds interesting stories. This one is about Alec Siefert, a Duxbury HS Hockey and Lacrosse player who beat the odds medical professionals gave him. Grossfeld writes the story ably, and if you don't find yourself inspired to do something you didn't think you could do after reading it, then try reading it again, and think of what it must have been like to be a kid on the edge of the real world, being told he might never walk again, let alone play his favorite sports.
Friday, June 03, 2005
Teaser review of "Cinderella Man"
So, I'm not quite ready to write my "Cinderella Man" review yet, and I think it's usually a good idea to take a day or two before I review anyway. So I'll just say that I liked this movie so much that I'm frustrated it doesn't have a chance at an Oscar, since the Academy certainly won't go for two boxing movies in consecutive years.
I will say this.
Bill Simmons and I have gone our seperate ways idealistically and culturally. I used to only read Simmons' pop-culture stuff, since I didn't give a rat's patoot about the NBA. Now, I can't deal with his non-sports thoughts. His review of "Cinderella Man" explains why. He totally missed the point, as he has on other movies, and if he can't make it relate to his beloved crap-ass 80's sitcoms and half-baked cinema comedies, it's no good. On Ron Howard's Movies: "He has been involved in a whopping seven movies that were cool ideas but left me feeling they should have been better – 'Backdraft,' 'Parenthood,' 'The Paper,' 'Apollo 13' (I thought this was long and pretentious), 'Ransom,' 'The Missing,' and 'EdTV' (a really funny idea that should have worked). But since he has a résumé of 80's comedies ("Night Shift," "Cocoon," "Splash" and "Gung Ho"), as well as an Oscar-winning masterpiece ("A Beautiful Mind")." Seriously, he just whittled Ron Howard's career down to this: The tremendous Backdraft, Apollo 13, and even Ransom sucked, but the likeable-but-severely-dated Michael Keaton Comedies were Howard's HIGH POINTS (oh, and he directed that Oscar Winner too). If he can't make a Karate Kid link, or nobody in the movie does something that rates high on his beloved "Unintentional Comedy Meter," it's not worth his time. One of Simmons' biggest complaints? That the cutting in the unbelievably visceral and brutal boxing scenes was too fast. Get over it, Bill, you're not supposed to be watching a boxing match, you're supposed to feel the frantic pace of a fight. That was Howard's decision. Cripes.
I will say this.
Bill Simmons and I have gone our seperate ways idealistically and culturally. I used to only read Simmons' pop-culture stuff, since I didn't give a rat's patoot about the NBA. Now, I can't deal with his non-sports thoughts. His review of "Cinderella Man" explains why. He totally missed the point, as he has on other movies, and if he can't make it relate to his beloved crap-ass 80's sitcoms and half-baked cinema comedies, it's no good. On Ron Howard's Movies: "He has been involved in a whopping seven movies that were cool ideas but left me feeling they should have been better – 'Backdraft,' 'Parenthood,' 'The Paper,' 'Apollo 13' (I thought this was long and pretentious), 'Ransom,' 'The Missing,' and 'EdTV' (a really funny idea that should have worked). But since he has a résumé of 80's comedies ("Night Shift," "Cocoon," "Splash" and "Gung Ho"), as well as an Oscar-winning masterpiece ("A Beautiful Mind")." Seriously, he just whittled Ron Howard's career down to this: The tremendous Backdraft, Apollo 13, and even Ransom sucked, but the likeable-but-severely-dated Michael Keaton Comedies were Howard's HIGH POINTS (oh, and he directed that Oscar Winner too). If he can't make a Karate Kid link, or nobody in the movie does something that rates high on his beloved "Unintentional Comedy Meter," it's not worth his time. One of Simmons' biggest complaints? That the cutting in the unbelievably visceral and brutal boxing scenes was too fast. Get over it, Bill, you're not supposed to be watching a boxing match, you're supposed to feel the frantic pace of a fight. That was Howard's decision. Cripes.
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Things I appreciate
In the spirit of absolutely nothing whatsoever, I've decided to write this links-heavy entry with a theme: Things I appreciate, and things I don't appreciate.
I really do appreciate Paul Lukas' Uni Watch Column on ESPN, because I'm a bit of a dork about uniforms and stuff. I get all fired up when I hear someone talking about the "new-look Blue Jays" or whatever, and then terribly disappointed when I find out it's just a different roster. However, I don't appreciate an entire column on stirrups. Seriously, this guy needs some hobbies that don't involve hosiery.
I appreciate very much that W. Mark Felt has been identified as Deep Throat, and I appreciate Bob Woodward's account of how the former FBI Assistant Director and the legendary journalist became friends. I don't appreciate the Washington Post sending me a "News Alert" email (like the ones they sent on 9/11, when someone important dies, or when Felt was first identified) to point me to the column. Especially after Executive Editor Len Downie used a paragraph in his column (for which I cannot find a link) yesterday to advertise the piece. Look, Post, it sucks that you had to get scooped on this whole thing, but to turn it into nothing more than a banner to wave for your paper is ridiculous. People will want to read the Post this week because it's a good paper and because it's closest to the story, you don't have to send out a breaking news email every time a Post staffer writes the words "Deep Throat" or "Mark Felt" in an article.
I appreciate very much my Mach3 Razor, and although it scares me, I would probably appreciate the Mach3Power one too. Further, I appreciate the patience of a judge who is willing to sit through this madness and come up with a coherent decision, even if it rules against Gillette. Hey, Schick, give it up, you guys lost. Now stop trying to put more blades in your razors, before they start looking like props out of a low-budg horror movie!!
I also really, really, REAAAALLY appreciate my Scrubs Season 1 DVD. I've been howling with laughter for the last 48 hours, and haven't really watched any TV - in any free time I get, I'm watching one, two, or 10 straight episodes.
I DON'T appreciate that NBC is going to try it's damnedest to kill the show by moving it to Sundays next season.
I also don't appreciate the fact that "Ed," which is getting my attention every day at noon on TBS, has not come out on DVD yet. The SECOND AND THIRD SEASONS of that god-awful Nick and Jessica Simpson show are available on DVD, but not one of the smartest shows to fall victim to bad ratings in the last 5 years. What is the world coming to?
On a totally unrelated note, Bruce, who clearly taxed all of his cognitive ability in doing so, came up with six more names to add to the list of great young actresses that I came up with after my Natalie Portman heralding was challenged. I'm going to hold off on inserting these names, and instead, I'm giong to use this as a test balloon to see who else is reading. So, either comment on this site, or email me at andrew dot merritt at gmail dot com. For the record, I had considered a few of these names, but left them off for reasons I'll explain later.
Thora Birch (82)
Jena Malone (84)
Kate Bosworth (83)
Bryce Dallas Howard (81)
Ziyi Zhang/Zhang Ziyi (79)
Kirsten Dunst (82)
1st ADD -- Jim's favorite baseball player has a column on ESPN.com, and I wasn't necessarily going to link it - athletes tend to write on a 4th-grade level when they're given these "daily diary" things, usually all-positive, and really simplified - but Street's lead definitely hooked me:
"Every kid who has dreamed of being a baseball player has stood in his front yard with a bat and said to himself, 'Bottom of the ninth, Game 7 of the World Series, the bases are loaded,' and then envisioned hitting a home run to win the game. My job is to shatter that dream."
(I'll admit, I'm a bit of a Street fan too. First player from the 2004 draft to play in the majors, and just snatched the A's closer job from the dreadful Octavio Dotel.)
I really do appreciate Paul Lukas' Uni Watch Column on ESPN, because I'm a bit of a dork about uniforms and stuff. I get all fired up when I hear someone talking about the "new-look Blue Jays" or whatever, and then terribly disappointed when I find out it's just a different roster. However, I don't appreciate an entire column on stirrups. Seriously, this guy needs some hobbies that don't involve hosiery.
I appreciate very much that W. Mark Felt has been identified as Deep Throat, and I appreciate Bob Woodward's account of how the former FBI Assistant Director and the legendary journalist became friends. I don't appreciate the Washington Post sending me a "News Alert" email (like the ones they sent on 9/11, when someone important dies, or when Felt was first identified) to point me to the column. Especially after Executive Editor Len Downie used a paragraph in his column (for which I cannot find a link) yesterday to advertise the piece. Look, Post, it sucks that you had to get scooped on this whole thing, but to turn it into nothing more than a banner to wave for your paper is ridiculous. People will want to read the Post this week because it's a good paper and because it's closest to the story, you don't have to send out a breaking news email every time a Post staffer writes the words "Deep Throat" or "Mark Felt" in an article.
I appreciate very much my Mach3 Razor, and although it scares me, I would probably appreciate the Mach3Power one too. Further, I appreciate the patience of a judge who is willing to sit through this madness and come up with a coherent decision, even if it rules against Gillette. Hey, Schick, give it up, you guys lost. Now stop trying to put more blades in your razors, before they start looking like props out of a low-budg horror movie!!
I also really, really, REAAAALLY appreciate my Scrubs Season 1 DVD. I've been howling with laughter for the last 48 hours, and haven't really watched any TV - in any free time I get, I'm watching one, two, or 10 straight episodes.
I DON'T appreciate that NBC is going to try it's damnedest to kill the show by moving it to Sundays next season.
I also don't appreciate the fact that "Ed," which is getting my attention every day at noon on TBS, has not come out on DVD yet. The SECOND AND THIRD SEASONS of that god-awful Nick and Jessica Simpson show are available on DVD, but not one of the smartest shows to fall victim to bad ratings in the last 5 years. What is the world coming to?
On a totally unrelated note, Bruce, who clearly taxed all of his cognitive ability in doing so, came up with six more names to add to the list of great young actresses that I came up with after my Natalie Portman heralding was challenged. I'm going to hold off on inserting these names, and instead, I'm giong to use this as a test balloon to see who else is reading. So, either comment on this site, or email me at andrew dot merritt at gmail dot com. For the record, I had considered a few of these names, but left them off for reasons I'll explain later.
Thora Birch (82)
Jena Malone (84)
Kate Bosworth (83)
Bryce Dallas Howard (81)
Ziyi Zhang/Zhang Ziyi (79)
Kirsten Dunst (82)
1st ADD -- Jim's favorite baseball player has a column on ESPN.com, and I wasn't necessarily going to link it - athletes tend to write on a 4th-grade level when they're given these "daily diary" things, usually all-positive, and really simplified - but Street's lead definitely hooked me:
"Every kid who has dreamed of being a baseball player has stood in his front yard with a bat and said to himself, 'Bottom of the ninth, Game 7 of the World Series, the bases are loaded,' and then envisioned hitting a home run to win the game. My job is to shatter that dream."
(I'll admit, I'm a bit of a Street fan too. First player from the 2004 draft to play in the majors, and just snatched the A's closer job from the dreadful Octavio Dotel.)
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