With temps pushing (passing?) 90 this week, my headline question is not entirely unironic. I mean really, is this kind of heat necessary at this time of year. If it starts dipping under 35 in October, then this summer to winter with nothing in between thing will start feeling really old.
The hell with the weather ... tomorrow the calendar turns to October, and the Red Sox are still playing. All is balanced in the universe! We match up well against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (and is that really the name of a team you want to cheer for?). With Beckett throwing up to twice in that series, I like our chances. The Evil Empire (aka the Yankees) draws the Cleveland Indians in this round. And I like Cleveland's chances. C.C. Sabathia is one scary dude on a baseball mound.
I recently got to two of the best movies since last season. You will hear about these in the next Oscar season. La Vie en Rose is the story of Edith Piaf and the young lady in the lead role is absolutely phenomenal. A very well made film, with maybe too much cutting from past to present. But her performance is not to be missed.
Into the Wild has the makings to be what The Departed was for me last year. In other words, my favorite movie of the year. First, I have to say I adored the book. I read it twice. And I think this movie does it justice. It captures everything it needs to. Sean Penn provides some steady direction. The landscapes are beautifully filmed. Catherine Keener is good in a supporting part, and Hal Holbrook is even better in his supporting part. And Emile Hirsch is brilliant in the lead. After seeing the movie, I am inspired to read the book again.
But I probably won't do that too soon. My reading time is pretty booked at the moment, pretty much exclusively by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville. I am taking an English grad course this fall to keep up my certification. And the reading is intense. I must say I am developing a greater appreciation for Hawthorne, especially as a short story artist. I have always liked The Scarlet Letter, which we're covering later. But there's some powerful stuff going on in the likes of Young Goodman Brown, Ethan Brand, My Kinsman Major Molineaux, and The Maypole of Merrymount. I have never been too keen on Melville, but I must admit, I have never actually read Moby Dick (covered at the end of this course). I was quite taken by The Encantadas, his collection of tales set on the Galapagos Islands.
Meanwhile, the school year is off to a fast start. In my role as an MCAS administrator, I have grown to despise state standardized tests (at least this one) even more. It is the one thing that makes my job as department chair unenjoyable. I used to argue that testing in itself is not a bad idea, but that this method is not the right one. My work on this in my current capacity has led me to change my mind. Not only is this test bad, but the philosophy it is built on is pretty faulty too. In the past, I worked with kids who were assured to pass (even my most standard of standard kids really had nothing to fear). Now I work with the failures. And I use that word because that is how the state labels them. And none of them really needs the anguish that this label is causing them. They come from broken families and the poorest neighborhoods. Most are black and/or have Hispanic surnames. A good number have severe special needs. Each of them is the kind of kid we struggle to get to school let alone keep them there. And then we have to tell them in mid-September that they didn't meet the state's testing requirement, some of them for the third or fourth time. My latest experiences have shown me that these tests make those that should be good look good and those we hope to help look good look bad. Simple as that. Oh, and they keep a few thousand bureaucrats employed too.
Okay, so that's my rant on MCAS. And probably the end of this installment. Cheers.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
A few other movie suggestions...
Hairspray is not as fun as its stage equivalent, but entertaining nonetheless. A lot of toe-tapping and many of the same laughs.
Death at a Funeral had me laughing myself nearly out of my seat in a couple of scenes.
The Bourne Ultimatum is one of the best movies I've seen this year. One thrill after another. Probably a shade better than the two earlier Bourne movies. And a kick-ass chase scene through Manhattan.
In the "oldies but goodies" department ... my southern Italy trip reminded me of two movies I love but hadn't seen in a while. Il Postino was filmed on the island of Salina, where I spent some time in June. And Cinema Paradiso was filmed in Sicily and features some of the same breathtaking scenery. Both are truly great movies. Cinema Paradiso has a rather lengthy director's cut that is worth the time.
Death at a Funeral had me laughing myself nearly out of my seat in a couple of scenes.
The Bourne Ultimatum is one of the best movies I've seen this year. One thrill after another. Probably a shade better than the two earlier Bourne movies. And a kick-ass chase scene through Manhattan.
In the "oldies but goodies" department ... my southern Italy trip reminded me of two movies I love but hadn't seen in a while. Il Postino was filmed on the island of Salina, where I spent some time in June. And Cinema Paradiso was filmed in Sicily and features some of the same breathtaking scenery. Both are truly great movies. Cinema Paradiso has a rather lengthy director's cut that is worth the time.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Photo Interlude
There are more Italy photos. I'm sort of filtering and picking what I like the most. So maybe more to come.
Last week I had a totally cool experience in Nashua, New Hampshire. I was going up to NH to spend some time at a family vacation spot, a tranquil and serene setting up in north/central NH. I stopped in Nashua on the way up for a campaign appearance by Barack Obama. It was outdoors on a school ball field. He spoke about fifteen minutes and then took questions for about an hour. In the time I was there my feeling that he is the best hope we have to get away from business as usual further increased. I'm 100% behind him and look forward to voting for him in the Massachusetts primary. But I think Hillary probably has this Democratic nomination sewn up (I'm going to put it on paper and say we're looking at a Clinton-Romney match up next summer/fall).
His speech and ideology notwithstanding, the coolest part of the experience was shaking his hand and getting twelve seconds of conversation with him. It was akin to a similar moment with Bill Clinton a few years back.
On the movie front:
Talk to Me is a very good film with a great performance from Don Cheadle and an even better one from Chiwetel Ejiofor. Keep an eye out for both of them come Oscar time, and check out the movie now if you can.
This is England is also very good, if difficult to stomach in a couple of places. But it is quite powerful and the kid in the lead role is quite good.
Sunshine was okay, but not quite what I wanted it to be. I am a Danny Boyle fan (director - Trainspotting, 28 Days, The Beach) and also an Alex Garland fan (screen writer - The Beach, 28 Days, plus his own novels, The Beach primarily among them). This one was not up to their usual level, but does manage to make you think a little (always a good thing) and has the one or two requisite scares for good measure.
Last week I had a totally cool experience in Nashua, New Hampshire. I was going up to NH to spend some time at a family vacation spot, a tranquil and serene setting up in north/central NH. I stopped in Nashua on the way up for a campaign appearance by Barack Obama. It was outdoors on a school ball field. He spoke about fifteen minutes and then took questions for about an hour. In the time I was there my feeling that he is the best hope we have to get away from business as usual further increased. I'm 100% behind him and look forward to voting for him in the Massachusetts primary. But I think Hillary probably has this Democratic nomination sewn up (I'm going to put it on paper and say we're looking at a Clinton-Romney match up next summer/fall).
His speech and ideology notwithstanding, the coolest part of the experience was shaking his hand and getting twelve seconds of conversation with him. It was akin to a similar moment with Bill Clinton a few years back.
On the movie front:
Talk to Me is a very good film with a great performance from Don Cheadle and an even better one from Chiwetel Ejiofor. Keep an eye out for both of them come Oscar time, and check out the movie now if you can.
This is England is also very good, if difficult to stomach in a couple of places. But it is quite powerful and the kid in the lead role is quite good.
Sunshine was okay, but not quite what I wanted it to be. I am a Danny Boyle fan (director - Trainspotting, 28 Days, The Beach) and also an Alex Garland fan (screen writer - The Beach, 28 Days, plus his own novels, The Beach primarily among them). This one was not up to their usual level, but does manage to make you think a little (always a good thing) and has the one or two requisite scares for good measure.
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