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AUSTIN POWERS IN GOLDMEMBER -- (Grade: D) The loudest laughs come in the first few minutes of Austin Powers in Goldmember, the third and least creative film starring Mike Myers' time-warped British secret agent Austin Powers. Goldmember's opening joke revolves around a movie-within-a-movie gag involving a Hollywood version of Powers' life story. Each of the blockbuster's surprise celebrity cameos is worth a few chuckles. Afterwards, Powers offers some on-set advice to the film's uninterested director, then breaks into one of his groovy, group dance numbers that's as loony as anything in India's "Bollywood" musicals. Goldmember's downward slide begins after its gag-heavy plot involving Powers' larger-than-life dad, Nigel Powers, played by larger-than-life veteran actor Michael Caine, and a disco-obsessed villain named Goldmember (also Myers), kicks into gear. This time, Powers' comic missteps outnumber his slapstick hits. A relentless parody of long-time Brit spy James "007" Bond, Goldmember faces the same challenges that confront all movie sequels. Basically, it's hard to come up with something original and better than what's been seen before. Like Bond himself, Powers is looking worn and uncreative in Goldmember. The one person who makes Goldmember worth watching is Powers' new girl Friday. As Foxxy Cleopatra, a blaxploitation baby pulled straight out of 1975, Beyonce Knowles flashes a winning smile and firecracker personality that matches perfectly with her long legs and towering Afro. In fact, Cleopatra is the only Goldmember addition that's an improvement on past Powers characters. -- SR (Rated PG-13.)
BAD COMPANY -- (Grade: D) Veteran director Joel Schumacher returns to the screen with the type of formulaic action movie that's derivative at best. Bad Company stars Anthony Hopkins as a seasoned CIA agent paired with Chris Rock, playing a CIA agent and his punk twin brother. In Bad Company, high-concept storytelling means guessing every plot surprise before it happens. Its overly slick photography turns bland and familiar. Supporting player Peter Stormare provides Bad Company with some brief thrills as the creepy Russian villain, but his on-screen time is too short to salvage the movie. -- SR (Rated PG-13.)
BEARS -- (Grade: B) In Bears, a likable OMNIMAX film from the production team at the National Wildlife Federation, the popular myth of the bear meets Mother Nature. The three species of bears found in North America (Black, Brown and Polar) are given the spotlight. The educational focus clarifies some common misconceptions, but the moving images of playful cubs, protective mother bears and the hungry predators fishing for salmon provide a more complete understanding of a bear's complex life. Bears tells an engaging lesson, complimented with low-key humor and the music of Lyle Lovett. -- ttc (Unrated.)
BLOOD WORK -- (Grade: B) One of the most efficient, matter-of-fact suspense dramas you're likely to see this year, Blood Work is further proof of Clint Eastwood's status as one of American film's great directors. Eastwood writes, directs and stars in this adaptation of Michael Connelly's suspense novel. He tackles all three tasks with equal skill. Eastwood plays Terrell McCaleb, a retired FBI agent who returns to work in order to catch a serial killer who has eluded him for years. A heart ailment forced McCaleb's early retirement. With a transplanted heart beating inside him, McCaleb struggles to find the strength to resume his work and catch the killer. Eastwood's gravely voice and gruff demeanor matches perfectly with McCaleb. Unfortunately, Wanda De Jesus, who plays McCaleb's love interest, fails to match Eastwood's screen presence. Blood Work loses a beat whenever she's on-screen. Better support comes from Jeff Daniels, who plays McCaleb's deadbeat neighbor, and Anjelica Huston, who plays McCaleb's cardiologist. My main complaint about Blood Work is that Huston doesn't have more time in the film. In fact, she would have been the better choice to play McCaleb's girlfriend. -- SR (Rated R.)
BLUE CRUSH -- (Grade: B) The one positive surprise in an otherwise predictable summer belongs to director John Stockwell's likable surfing drama Blue Crush. Kate Bosworth is both pretty and believable as surfer girl Anne Marie. More importantly, Anne Marie's relationships with her younger sister Penny (Mika Boorem), and fellow surfers Eden (Michelle Rodriguez) and Lena (Sanoe Lake), are emotionally honest and engaging. The film's core drama revolves around Anne Marie's decision to compete in the Pipe Masters surf competition, a macho contest that's unfriendly toward female surfers. Actually, Blue Crush's drama focuses on Matt (Matthew Davis), a visiting football player who complicates Anne Marie's life with unexpected romance. Blue Crush loses some steps whenever it shifts its melodramatic story in an Officer-and-a-Gentleman-like direction. Bosworth and her surfer costars are too tough for Cinderella labels. Luckily, Stockwell keeps Blue Crush moving with acrobatic camerawork, honest dialogue and plenty of action. Despite an ending filled with clumsy clichés, Blue Crush creates a trio of female heroes who are strong-willed, courageous and exciting to watch. -- SR (Rated PG-13.)
THE BOURNE IDENTITY -- (Grade: B) Here are a few key plot points in director Doug Liman's (Go) smart adaptation of Robert Ludlum's spy novel. There is a body floating in the Mediterranean with two bullets in the back. A top secret safety deposit box contains international currency, fake passports and a gun. At the center of this mystery is a man reborn with no memory. But he has a killer instinct that will aid him on his run across Europe with a beautiful girl (Franka Potente) and her vintage Mini Cooper. What a life. But the question is: Who is Jason Bourne? In The Bourne Identity, Jason Bourne is none other than Matt Damon. The Bourne Identity never gets lost in overly plotted techno-thrills thanks to stellar support from Chris Cooper, Brian Cox and Clive Owen, an actor who should be at the top of every budding spy franchise wish list. Damon's blank, all-American face and intelligent eyes make his Bourne a man audiences will be content to see finally come in from the cold. If this outing is successful, maybe Bourne will get the chance to warm up a bit more in a movie sequel. -- ttc (Rated PG-13.)
CHANGING LANES -- (Grade: D) Imagine a Charles Bronson revenge fantasy with Samuel L. Jackson as the fiery ball of righteous fury. Add Ben Affleck as a Tom Cruise stand-in caught up in a legal/moral logjam à la The Firm. Doyle Gipson (Jackson) finalizes a loan to purchase a house to keep his ex-wife and sons from leaving him as part of a custody plan he has prepared to present. Hotshot Wall Street lawyer Gavin Banek (Affleck) seeks to wrestle sole control of a multimillion dollar philanthropic fund from a community board. An accident on the freeway between Gipson and Banek alters their plans and uncorks their all-too-human rage. In an attempt to restrain it's own lust for revenge, the story succumbs to its own highly implausible pretzel logic. This day-on-the-road-to-hell is too full of good intentions for its own good. -- ttc (Rated R.)
THE COUNTRY BEARS -- (Grade: D) Actors in radio-controlled bear suits are the stars of director Peter Hasting's family comedy. While I admire The Country Bears for skipping digital effects for a more low-budget presentation, there is little to recommend about its story. Beary Barrington (voice of Haley Joel Osment) is a teen-age bear who leaves home after figuring out that he's adopted by his human family. He travels to Tennessee to meet up with his musical heroes, The Country Bears, a Country Western band that broke up years ago. Beary believes reuniting the County Bears for a special concert will bring purpose to his life. It will also stop a villainous banker (Christopher Walken) from tearing down the bears' concert hall.
A pint-sized version of The Blues Brothers movies, The County Bears comes briefly alive during its musical numbers. Unfortunately, there aren't enough jokes to sustain its flimsy story. Walken is only worth a few laughs. Before long, the bear suits also begin to wear thin. -- SR (Rated G.)
THE CROCODILE HUNTER: COLLISION COURSE -- (Grade: F) Director John Stainton's lazy, action comedy has no interest in engaging beginnings, exciting middles or satisfying endings. Content with re-creating "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin's TV documentaries, The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course barely qualifies as a feature film. Writers Stainton and Holly Goldberg Sloan create a lulling plot involving Irwin, his wife Terri, a missing spy satellite and a pair of CIA agents who want the satellite back. Irwin possesses big-screen worthy charisma. His slapstick tussles with snakes, lizards and crocodiles provide the film's few laughs. Still, Irwin's good-ol' boy humor fades quickly without a story to support his aw-shucks personality. Irwin's aimless shenanigans are too moronic for adult audiences. More importantly, the slapstick gags are too infrequent to hold a child's attention. I didn't think I would ever says this, but the awful Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course makes fellow Aussie Paul "Crocodile Dundee" Hogan's comedies look somewhat entertaining. -- SR (Rated PG.)
EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS -- (Grade: D) The only surprise worth mentioning about director Ellory Elkayem's clumsy homage to B-horror movies is how a movie filled with giant spiders fails to pack one credible scare or one loud laugh. Eight Legged Freaks boasts the goofball talents of David Arquette and he twitches admirably as an Arizona mine owner battling mutated spiders. I like the way Arquette mumbles his dialogue and stumbles his way through scenes. Still, Arquette's slackerish persona fails to hold Eight Legged Freaks afloat. Two scenes hint at the film's pulpy potential. Early in the film, a group of boys use their motocross bikes to escape from some jumping spiders. Near the film's climax, the spiders attack the townspeople who have gathered in an abandoned shopping mall. Like many of today's would-be blockbusters, Eight Legged Freaks has too many visual effects engineers and not enough screenwriters. -- SR (Rated PG-13.)
FULL FRONTAL -- (Grade: A) The oddest film Julia Roberts has ever starred in, will ever star in, is director Steven Soderbergh's "unofficial" sequel to his 1989 debut, sex, lies and videotape. Roberts and Soderbergh make a wonderful, unlikely pair. She, the pretty actress with the ear-to-ear smile, gave recent Soderbergh films Erin Brockovich and Ocean's Eleven their commercial clout. He, on the other hand, gives Roberts much-needed, dramatic credibility. Roberts plays things straight in Full Frontal, appearing in two roles no less. In "Rendezvous," the movie within Full Frontal, Roberts plays magazine reporter Catherine, opposite Blair Underwood as her interview subject, the actor Nicholas. Full Frontal's "real" story, a day in the life of actors Francesca (also Roberts), Calvin (also Underwood) and their Los Angeles friends unfolds in the grainy glory of a handheld video camera. These distinct looks help us zero in on the film's flip-flopping story line. For Soderbergh, after taking a creative breather with the breezy fluff that was Ocean's Eleven, Full Frontal is a natural extension of the aesthetic risks he showed in Traffic. In fact, Full Frontal is the chancier, more adventurous film. Traffic might have flipped its story from Tijuana to Cincinnati to Washington, D.C., but its storytelling stayed on a straight-and-narrow path. For Full Frontal, screenwriter Coleman Hough adapts his stage play into two reality-shifting stories that grow more challenging with each subsequent scene. Full Frontal might be hard to follow at times, but there isn't one moment when you regret taking its criss-crossing ride through Los Angeles' show-biz community. -- SR (Rated R.)
THE GOOD GIRL -- (Grade: A) After a season of predictable summer blockbusters, director Miguel Arteta's small-town comedy, The Good Girl offers its share of surprises. In the film, Jennifer Aniston plays a frustrated housewife who tries to boost her life through an affair with a young man (Jake Gyllenhaal). In fact, the film's best surprise lies with Aniston's easygoing comic performance. She brings to Arteta's low-budget film a jolt of real-life drama and heartache. In another movie, Aniston would be the focus of a conventional farce. There would be slapstick gags and broad comedy. But Arteta, reuniting with his Chuck & Buck screenwriter Mike White, makes Good Girl into a human drama with its share of emotional challenges and lifelike storytelling. Good Girl makes you laugh and that's one of the best responses a film can hope for. -- SR (Rated R.)
HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION -- (Grade: F) Director Rick Rosenthal manages only one good scare in this uncreative follow-up to 1998's Halloween: H2O. Part of the problem is that screenwriters Larry Brand and Sean Hood offer nothing original to the long-running horror series. In Halloween: Resurrection, the latest batch of slasher mayhem, bogeyman Michael Myers returns to terrorize a group of teen-agers who win the chance to spend the night in Myers' childhood home and be part of a live Internet broadcast. The film's use of shaky video footage comes from The Blair Witch Project. Its plot about surviving a night in a cursed house borrows heavily from Thir13en Ghosts. Yet, Halloween: Resurrection pales in comparison to either film. Halloween veteran Jamie Lee Curtis makes a brief appearance at the beginning of the film, which means she fares better than the remaining cast members. -- SR (Rated R.)
HEY ARNOLD! THE MOVIE -- (Grade: A) Fans of the Nickelodeon animated series Hey Arnold! can line up for this big screen close-up. Arnold (voice of Spencer Klein), the kid with the football head, takes on Future Tech Industries, which wants to bulldoze the old neighborhood and build a multi-mega mall. His gang comes along for the fight: best-bud Gerald with his long stack of hair (voice of Jamil Smith), the uni-browed Helga (voice of Francesca Marie Smith), who secretly carries a big torch for Arnold, and his wacky grandparents. While the movie sports some famous vocal cameos (Jennifer Jason Leigh, Paul Sorvino and Christopher Lloyd) and a handful of references to other films (Mission: Impossible, Speed and Men In Black), it remains true to its roots. Arnold's animated world is a throwback with its crude hand-drawn style, jazzy score and smart, simple hero who always looks on the bright side. Arnold's a do-right city kid with a spunky attitude. More importantly, he always finds a way to bring out the best in everybody without seeming like a goody-two-shoes. By developing supporting characters through their stories, Hey Arnold! The Movie shows more intelligence, charm and heart than most adult films. -- ttc (Rated PG.)
INSOMNIA -- (Grade: A) A riveting break from teen-friendly blockbusters arrives courtesy of director Christopher Nolan's remake of the 1998 Norwegian thriller Insomnia, a riveting suspense movie that's as tense as they come. Al Pacino is LAPD detective Will Dormer, who's on the hunt for a killer in a remote Alaskan town. Robin Williams plays Dormer's prime suspect. Pacino and Williams shine in the film's large, action sequences. Still, the film thrives on Nolan's storytelling skills. After only three features, I already consider him one of the significant filmmakers working today. -- SR (Rated R.)
INTO THE DEEP -- (Grade: A) A screen that's six stories high by eight stories wide plunges audiences into an undersea forest of kelp that sways and teems with far more life than could be imagined in still photos or in other televised media. Two huge projectors achieve the 3D effect. And thanks to Newport IMAX Theaters' stadium seating, the images stream along above the heads of those in front of you. Curiously, as the beautifully exotic ecosystem expands before your eyes, the sensation is similar to being suspended in a deep-sea diving tank with your face pressed close to the glass. It may take supreme exertion of will power to not reach out to touch the fish or plant life that passes before you. Submit to the visual pleasures first. The commentary can be informative, but Into The Deep is, foremost, a feast for the eyes. -- ttc (Unrated.)
K-19: THE WIDOWMAKER -- (Grade: B) There are the gung-ho heroes Harrison Ford has built a career portraying.
Then, there is someone complex and somber like Soviet nuclear submarine Captain Aleksei Vostrikov. Director Kathryn Bigelow gives her compelling Cold War story, K-19: The Widowmaker, a boost by allowing Ford to step away from his All-American persona. Ford's K-19 performance relies on more than just his believable Russian accent. The soul of Bigelow's military thriller revolves around Vostrikov's tendency to put the glory of Mother Russia above the safety of his own crew. Liam Neeson gives ample support as Vostrikov's kindhearted executive officer. Together, Ford and Neeson make as engaging a pair of leads as you're likely to find in a summertime action movie. K-19 comes to dramatic life after Vostrikov's submarine faces the possibility of a nuclear meltdown while on patrol. An accident could jump-start a nuclear war. Bigelow emphasizes human drama over action pyrotechnics, and K-19 is a better film for it. With Ford and Neeson at the helm, Bigelow understands that there's no need for flashy effects. -- SR (Rated PG-13.)
LIKE MIKE -- (Grade: D) A pint-sized teen orphan Calvin Cambridge (Lil Bow Wow) is given a mysterious pair of old Jordans with the initials M.J. written on the tongue, gets struck by lightning and becomes an NBA sensation for the Los Angeles Knights. This isn't some twisted post-draft story, just every kid's dream since No. 23 laced up his first signature pair of sneakers. Director John Schultz makes routine use of supporting performances from Morris Chestnut, Jonathan Lipnicki, Crispin Glover and Robert Forster, and a who's who of NBA talent, Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitski, Steve Nash and Allen Iverson. A couple of lazy bricks in the story and special-effects departments prevents Like Mike from being a nice basketball fantasy. There's enough solid talent to tell a simple, entertaining tale. That is, if Schultz would only skip the fancy storytelling dunks and just put the ball in the hole. -- ttc (Rated PG.)
LILO & STITCH -- (Grade: B) Bright watercolor backgrounds of Hawaiian life and expressive 2-D images qualify Disney's latest animated feature as one of the more beautiful cartoon features in recent memory. Lilo (voice of Zoe Caldwell) is a 6-year-old Hawaiian girl who adopts what she thinks is a small dog. What she's actually brought home is a six-legged creature from outer space. Lilo is experiencing a hard time adjusting to life without her parents. Meanwhile, her older sister (voice of Tia Carrere) struggles to assume the role of the mother. Stitch, Lilo's pet, adds to the chaos. Director Chris Sanders' Lilo & Stitch is more painterly than recent CG animations Ice Age and Monsters, Inc. Still, its best attribute is a heartfelt story that balances screwball laughs with likable characters and an engaging lesson about the importance of family. Lilo is also an Elvis fan and the six Elvis tunes scattered throughout the film match perfectly with Lilo & Stitch's playful spirit. -- SR (Rated G.)
LOVE AND A BULLET -- (Grade: D) Malik Bishop (Treach) lives the gangsta life. He's a hard thug who steps up to the challenge of joining a crew of professional killers. The money, clothes and action he enjoys are straight-up hardcore. When Bishop develops feelings for a female contract killer and his boss' girlfriend who just might be his next target, it's time for him to give up the gangsta life before he loses his. Love And A Bullet could easily be mistaken for a hardcore Hip Hop track where the best raps are nothing more than the voiceovers of B-movies that play on late night TV. First-time writer/directors Michael McCants and Ben Ramsey try to poke fun at gritty "hood" dramas by flashing plenty of Matrix-style wire-fu effects and showing hired killers going through whole gun clips without hitting a damned thing. The problem is McCants and Ramsey never go completely over the top with the humor or surreal touches. If they had, Love And A Bullet could have been a thug fantasy with a chance to ascend into ghetto heaven. -- ttc (Rated R.)
LOVELY & AMAZING -- (Grade: B) Lovely & Amazing, the new comedy from writer/director Nicole Holofcener (Walking and Talking) provides a welcome escape from a summer season of computer-generated images of heroic figures and the prestigious sheen of beautifully clean gangster fathers. The truly special effects in Holofcener's second feature effort are the fragile emotions of the enormously insecure adult Marks sisters, Michelle (Catherine Keener) and Elizabeth (Emily Mortimer), their black adopted sister Annie (Raven Goodwin), and their mother Jane (Brenda Blethyn). Love, body image, race and age factor into this tragicomic examination of their less-than-perfect lives. Keener shines as the eldest, and possibly most brittle, sister, whose loveless marriage and arrested development leads her to seek comfort in the arms of a geeky teen-ager (Jake Gyllenhaal). Mortimer draws far more attention for submitting to a very naked post-sex evaluation of her body by a shallow, but surprisingly gentle, movie star (Dermot Mulroney). Small wonders never cease to amaze, but the true wonder of Lovely & Amazing is that none of the women's stories feel like a secondary plot line. In fact, there is no plot at all. Just an independent look at the sometimes plain ugliness of real life. Lovely & Amazing, indeed. -- ttc (Rated R.)
MARTIN LAWRENCE LIVE: RUNTELDAT -- (Grade: D) Runteldat is not the most compelling argument in Martin Lawrence's case for his inclusion in the Black Stand-Up Comedy Hall of Fame. The miss-and-hit Runteldat won't secure a spot for Lawrence alongside the likes of Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, and his Life co-star Eddie Murphy, or the reigning clown prince Chris Rock, who has achieved a level of crossover appeal. Black audiences remember Lawrence fondly from his days on the Def Comedy Jam circuit, his television series Martin, and the hit films Bad Boys and Big Momma's House. Unfortunately his current reputation with the mainstream is based on his celebrity mishaps and his recent lackluster efforts (Black Knight and What's The Worst That Could Happen?). The first half of Runteldat, which includes bits about Sept. 11 and the anthrax mail scare, has no bite. But when Lawrence cuts loose with his own E! True Hollywood Story, he is able to mine hard lessons and laughs with his broad brand of humor. If Lawrence had taken this tough self-love approach from the beginning, Runteldat might have helped him leapfrog past the Original Kings of Comedy, who have overtaken him on the comic radar. -- ttc (Rated R.)
MASTER OF DISGUISE -- (Grade: F) Audiences leaving ex-Saturday Night Live comic Dana Carvey's juvenile, unfunny comedy will have a new appreciation for veteran slapstick comic Jerry Lewis. In "Nutty Professor" fashion, Carvey unloads goofy accents, Mission:Impossible-inspired masks and outlandish costumes in a tireless attempt to generate some laughs. In director Perry Andelin Blake's Master of Disguise, Carvey plays Pistachio Disguisey, an Italian waiter whose quiet life turns upside-down after he discovers he comes from a family of disguise experts. Pistachio leaps into action after his parents (James Brolin and Edie McClurg) are kidnapped by an oily villain (Brent Spiner) who's intent on stealing the world's most treasured artifacts for an Internet auction. Brolin matches Carvey's bad Italian accent. The normally funny McClurg is completely wasted as Pistachio's mother. Jennifer Esposito, who plays Pistachio's pretty sidekick, stands around and shrugs her shoulders at the mess. As the film's star, Carvey earns the lion's share of the blame for the awful Master of Disguise. He dresses like a "Turtle Man," bounces around in a fat suit and wears a schoolgirl uniform to laughless effect. Toddlers will probably howl at Spiner's villain, a man with flatulence problems. Everyone else will squirm with boredom. -- SR (Rated PG.)
MEN IN BLACK II -- (Grade: B) Director Barry Sonnenfeld's eagerly anticipated sequel, MIB2, shines with the same comic book-style flair and visual fandango that made MIB so successful. Sonnenfeld creates a shiny New York City playground and fills it to the brim with bizarre creatures and colorful characters. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones star as intergalactic crime fighters entrusted with keeping the peace on Earth. Sparks fly as agent Jay (Smith) coaxes agent Kay (Jones) out of retirement and the duo nails the straight man-funny man routine that made the original so funny. MIB2's supporting cast provides great comic reinforcement. Back for a second go-round are Rip Torn, Tony Shalhoub and David Cross. Newcomers Johnny Knoxville, Lara Flynn Boyle, and the understated Patrick Warburton also add some spice to the soup. Still, the film really belongs to Smith as he makes MIB2 well worth your entertainment dollar. -- RP (Rated PG-13.)
MINORITY REPORT -- (Grade: B) The science-fiction thriller, Minority Report, has all the trappings of a blockbuster film, yet its dark, deliberate nature make it anything but a typical summer adventure. Steven Spielberg directs Tom Cruise as John Anderton, the head of a futuristic Washington, D.C., police unit. A clairvoyant trio, the Pre-Cogs, help them eliminate murders within the city. Anderton's loyalties are tested when the Pre-Cogs show him murdering someone he insists he doesn't know. Only a minority report -- questioning the Pre-Cog's validity -- can prove his innocence. Spielberg perfectly executes the details of his latest fast-paced action flick while still not straying from the classic film noir structure guiding Minority Report. -- SR (Rated PG-13.)
MR. DEEDS -- (Grade: D) Adam Sandler's most recent attempt at being not funny is an uncreative remake of Frank Capra's Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936). The story of Longfellow Deeds (Sandler), a small town guy who inherits $40 billion, is too sentimental for Sandler's teen-age fans and too mindless for everyone else. Screenwriter Tim Herlihy fails to capture the physical humor and childish charm that served Sandler well in his earlier films. A few good gags saves Mr. Deeds from complete disaster. Winona Ryder generates her own laughs as Babe Bennett, a street-savvy TV producer who wants to get some dirt on Deeds. The film's biggest laughs belong to John Turturro's screwball performance as Deeds' eager-to-please butler, Emilio. If Turturro had played Longfellow Deeds instead of Sandler, Mr. Deeds would have been a much funnier movie. -- SR (Rated PG-13.)
MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING -- (Grade: A) Forget the standard boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back premise. How about girl meets boy, they fall in love, and boy meets girl's family. That director Joe Zwick ends My Big Fat Greek Wedding with a wedding is no surprise. The surprise will come if Hollywood can avoid prostituting this well-made, boisterous indie film about the marriage of two cultures. When unassuming Greek girl Toula (Nia Vardalos) meets the very non-Greek Ian (John Corbett), you know it's love. The laughs ensue as he will do whatever it takes to make not just Toula, but her large, boisterous family, happy. -- ttc (Rated PG.)
ONE HOUR PHOTO -- (Grade: B) In writer/director Mark Romanek's riveting thriller One Hour Photo, Robin Williams sheds his comic sass to play Seymour Parrish, a middle-aged bachelor who runs the photo-processing section at a discount store. Parrish is obsessed with one particular family, the Yorkins, Nina (Connie Nielsen), her absentee husband, Will (Michael Vartan), and their little boy, Jakob (Dylan Smith). Nina and Jakob are in the store regularly to process their family photos, and Parrish begins to see them like extended family. It's not that Parrish covets the Yorkins' affluence: He just wants to be known as their Uncle Sy. I don't know if audiences are ready to watch Williams in such an unsentimental role. I do know he delivers one of the year's best performances in One Hour Photo. You won't see one glimpse of his funnyman persona, and that's bound to bother people who only want him to play the clown or act in feel-good fluff like Patch Adams. Still, moviegoers willing to accept Williams acting against type will stumble across one of the year's best thrillers.
I don't know if the last scene in One Hour Photo is meant as a homage to Psycho, but it feels that way. Chill for chill, Williams' Parrish is every bit as creepy as Anthony Perkins' Norman Bates. -- SR (Rated R.)
POSSESSION -- (Grade: A) Possession is an intelligent and zesty romance that flits from present-day London to 19th-century England. A.S. Byatt's novel tweaked the boundaries of fiction with its collection of letters, diaries and fairy-tale stories. Director Neil LaBute's Possession is more straighfoward, but no less satisfying. American scholar Roland Michell (Aaron Eckhart) and English professor Maud Bailey (Gwyneth Paltrow) uncover a secret love affair between Victorian poets Randolph Ash and Christabel La Motte, a lesser-known fairy poetess. A stack of hidden love letters sends them on their academic journey. Along the way, they will uncover their own long-repressed feelings about love, life and relationships. The backstabbing world of academic research comes alive with plenty of verve to spare but LaBute saves his best moments for the romance. As a result, a classic novel becomes the source material for one of the most heartfelt screen romances in a very long time. -- SR (Rated PG-13.)
THE POWERPUFF GIRLS MOVIE -- (Grade: C) Landing somewhere between Scooby-Doo's vacant storytelling and Lilo & Stitch's clever comedy are the kitschy cartoon superheroes Blossom (voice of Catherine Cavadini), Bubbles (voice of Tara Strong) and Buttercup (voice of E.G. Daily). Better known as the Powerpuff Girls, director Craig McCracken puts his popular Cable TV cartoon into a flimsy feature-length film that offers nothing different from their TV adventures. McCracken's first mistake is basing The Powerpuff Girls Movie around the Girls' origin. Inevitably, superhero origin stories are always dull. His second mistake is failing to spend more time with Mojo Jojo (voice of Roger l. Jackson), the lab monkey who mutates into an evil genius. Mojo Jojo enjoys the film's biggest laughs. When it comes to gags, it's Powerpuff Girls' monkey villain who beats its namesake heroes every time. -- SR (Rated PG.)
PUMPKIN -- (Grade: C) Equal parts after-school special, teen comedy and feel-good melodrama Pumpkin, the debut film from co-directors Adam Larson Broder and Tony R. Abrams was bound to lose its dramatic balance. Christina Ricci gives an earnest performance as the film's would-be heroine, but even her trademark sass can't make sense of this chaos. Pumpkin tells the story of a wealthy sorority girl Carolyn (Ricci) who befriends a handicapped teenager, Punpkin (Hank Harris) as part of a sorority outreach program. Initially, Carolyn is only interested in helping her sorority become Sorority of the Year. Before long, her relationship with Pumpkin becomes personal. Pumpkin delivers a few laughs but they can't stop the film's lomg, lulling stretches of confusion. Granted, it's hard to edit heartfelt drama and dark comedy into a coherent story. Broder and Abrams try to do something different with Pumpkin. Hopefully, they'll be successful next time. -- SR (Rated R.)
REIGN OF FIRE -- (Grade: D) Let sleeping dragons lie. Reign of Fire takes place in the not-so-distant future (2020) in the English countryside, an ideal setting for this medieval/post-apocalyptic fusion. The sci-fi/fantasy premise promises a low-rent summer escape along the lines of Dungeons & Dragons meets Mad Max, but it lacks the necessary B-movie energy and humor for a truly campy ride. Christian Bale and Gerard Butler are the dour British local heroes protecting a ragtag group of survivors from rampaging dragons. Their lone, spirited act is a re-enactment of the Luke Skywalker/Darth Vader lightsaber battle that shows the power of pop mythology. The best and brightest of the American cheese comes from Matthew McConaughey, a military leader and self-styled dragonslayer. Think Col. Kurtz from Apocalypse Now or Patton with abs and tattoos to die for. McConaughey chews up the film's comic book storytelling, but you never get the sense that he's hungry for action. Neither are the dragons. There's no real fire in their bellies. Thanks to Bowman's (The X-Files) lack of action ingenuity, Reign of Fire claims few suspenseful sparks. -- ttc (Rated PG-13.)
ROAD TO PERDITION -- (Grade: A) Every piece of director Sam Mendes' glossy 1930s gangster epic comes together perfectly. As a result, Road to Perdition, Mendes' second feature film after his 1999 Oscar hit American Beauty, is a film that audiences will remember for years. Tom Hanks is appropriately solemn as hit man Michael Sullivan, who aims to avenge the murder of his wife (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Paul Newman crackles with menacing charm as Irish mob boss John Rooney, a man who's acted like a father to Sullivan. Newcomer Tyler Hoechlin, is believable as Sullivan's oldest son, Michael Jr., who comes to understand his father better. Intelligent, powerful and engaging, Road to Perdition is the one Hollywood film worthy of its epic tag. Inevitably, there will be other notable films released before year's end. Still, I can't imagine them being anymore entertaining than Road to Perdition. -- SR (Rated R.)
THE ROOKIE -- (Grade: C) Dennis Quaid's easygoing performance as Jim Morris, a high-school science teacher and baseball coach who tries out for the Majors as part of a bet with his team, is the best thing about director John Lee Hancock's baseball drama. Told in a matter-of-fact style, The Rookie drapes its heartfelt themes about fathers, sons and second chances around Texas Big Sky country. The Rookie never manages to tug hard on the heartstrings, despite Hancock's melodramatic effort. As the middle-aged rookie, Quaid is looking weathered and more handsome than ever. Watching him in his worn boots and Wrangler jeans makes you wish Hollywood still made Westerns. -- SR (Rated G.)
S1MØNE -- (Grade: A) Writer/director Andrew Niccol makes the most of his star "synthespian," a long-legged blonde who seems too beautiful to be real. The guessing games over the starlet's true identity are part of the fun. Al Pacino is Victor Taransky, a flailing Hollywood director, desperate for a new lead actress after his star walks off the set of his last-ditch movie. S1MONE, short for Simulation One, is the artificial actress who fills the role. As is always the case with Faustian bargains, Taransky gets more than he can handle when the dazzling S1MONE becomes a worldwide star. S1MONE may get all the stares, but Pacino earns all the laughter. Together, they're responsible for one of the summer's best films. -- SR (Rated PG-13.)
SCOOBY-DOO -- (Grade: F) The idea of someone dumbing down the animated Scooby-Doo for a live-action film sounds redundant. However, director Raja Gosnell does just that. The mystery-solving antics of Scooby-Doo and his human friends aren't meant to be Shakespeare. Still, the TV adventures were never as moronic and unfunny as Gosnell's big-screen adaptation. The cast, including Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar, cannot save the laughless jumble of a movie. Scooby-Doo has been on television for 33 years, and its reruns remain as funny as ever, yet the live action film drowns in a sea of unnecessary special effects and inappropriate violence. -- SR (Rated PG.)
SERVING SARA -- (Grade: C) The great Friends movie experiment continues. The cast members from the hit show have tried to break away from their NBC alter-egos by dabbling in the film business. More times than not, they've failed. Chalk Serving Sara up as another poor showing. It's not that the film itself is bad, although it's certainly not great. It's just that Matthew Perry (as Joe Tyler) never is able to lose his TV character's well-known Chandler-isms. Playing a scummy process server, Perry still softens the hard edges and makes the guy too likeable too early. Elizabeth Hurley plays his target-turned-accomplice Sara Moore, adding little to the film's conventional revenge plot. Director Reginald Hudlin (The Ladies Man) spends a little too much time on the lowbrow humor and hangs on to the intercalary scenes with Cedric the Entertainer a tad too long. Otherwise, the movie moves pretty well and offers a few good laughs. -- RP (Rated PG-13.)
SIGNS -- (Grade: C) Director M. Night Shyamalan fails to provide the sufficient jolts and surprises one expects from a successful supernatural thriller. But that doesn't mean Signs is without redeeming qualities. Shyamalan's story of an ex-reverend (Mel Gibson) who tries to figure out the origins of the mysterious crop formations on his rural Pennsylvania farm combines alien invaders paranoia with Alfred Hitchcock-inspired suspense. To the film's benefit, Shyamalan substitutes elaborate alien spaceship battles with a claustrophobic story set around an isolated farmhouse. The effect is creepy and effective. Gibson is appropriately solemn as the widowed father trying to protect his two children from whatever might be hiding in the cornstalks. Joaquin Phoenix adds some zip as Gibson's younger brother. Still, Signs revolves around Shyamalan's filmmaking. Working with cinematographer Tak Fujimoto, Shyamalan creates one stunning scene after another. Signs never ceases to dazzle. With the exception of its final moments, Signs never manages to scare us as often we'd like. -- SR (Rated PG-13.)
SPIDER-MAN -- (Grade: C) As Spider-Man's costumed nemesis, the Green Goblin, Willem Dafoe's creepy grin is more entertaining than all of Spider-Man's explosions and digital effects. Tobey Maguire is given the body-hugging Spider-Man costume, and it looks good on him. As the boy hero of director Sam Raimi's sloppy blockbuster, Maguire is getting all the attention. Still, actioners like Spider-Man are all about its villains, and Dafoe is the best thing in an otherwise disappointing film. Spider-Man's best scene occurs early in the movie, when Parker loses control of his newfound super powers in his high school cafeteria. Later in the film, Spider-Man's origin story breaks down while Raimi crams in as much action as possible. Stylish images turn cluttered. The action becomes chaotic instead of engaging. Making dramatic matters worse, Maguire's emotional depth plummets every time he puts on his Spider-Man mask. -- SR (Rated PG-13.)
SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON -- (Grade: B) Director Kelly Asbury tells the story of a mustang (voice of Matt Damon) who comes of age in the American West of the late 1800s. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is one of the more gentler of recent animated features, recapping Spirit's life from birth, his relationship with a tribe of Lakota Indians (Daniel Studi is the voice of one of Lakotas), an encounter with the U.S. Cavalry (James Cromwell is the voice of the Calvary leader) and a climactic adventure at the construction site for the Trans-Continental Railroad. I admire Spirit for intentionally walking away from the Disney method, choosing to tell a straightforward story free of comical best friends and musical extravaganzas. As a result, its story remains lifelike and heartwarming. More importantly, the painterly qualities of Spirit's hand-drawn images are beautiful. A high-tech hybrid of traditional hand drawing and computer-generated effects, Spirit dazzles when a bald eagle swoops through canyons. Later in the film, when Spirit outruns an out-of-control locomotive, the images leave you breathless. -- SR (Rated G.)
SPY KIDS 2: THE ISLAND OF LOST DREAMS -- (Grade: D) Less rousing than the first Spy Kids movie, adolescent spies Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara) and his big sister Carmen (Alexa Vega) are the highlights of writer/director Robert Rodriguez's haphazard sequel. Sabara and Vega are likable as junior James Bonds intent on regaining their spy parents' (Carla Gugino and Antonio Banderas) good reputations with an undercover mission to a secret island. Steve Buscemi offers few laughs as a nerdy scientist responsible for the island's strange monsters. Alan Cumming, the first film's villain, makes a meaningless cameo as crazed kids TV host Fegan Floop. Veteran actors Ricardo Montalban and Holland Taylor are underused as Juni and Carmen's grandparents, who, of course, are also spies. Spy Kids 2's best scene occurs early in the film, when Juni and Carmen race to save the president's teen-age daughter on an out-of-control amusement park ride. Their array of spy gadgets and underwater submarines are as clever as ever. The letdown occurs when Spy Kids 2 begins its chaotic plot about double agents and a plot against the president. By the time Juni and Carmen figure out their island mystery, Spy Kids 2 loses much of its sense of adventure. Filled with fast-paced stunts and flashy special effects, Spy Kids 2 is more polished than its predecessor, but it's half as much fun. -- SR (Rated PG.)
STAR WARS: EPISODE II --ATTACK OF THE CLONES -- (Grade: B) Attack of the Clones stays close to the pulpy spirit of 1930s space hero serials like Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, and is better off for it. Free of the extended setup that bogged down the recent blockbuster Spider-Man, Attack of the Clones dives straight into its boy's life adventure, set 10 years after the most recent Star Wars film, The Phantom Menace. Two stories divide Attack of the Clones equally. One is the growing romance between Jedi-knight-in-training Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and Queen-turned-Senator Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman). The other is a more straightforward adventure where Obi Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) discovers a plot by enemy forces to attack the Republic with a clone army. To say anything more would give the impression that Attack of the Clones is more Robert Louis Stevenson adventure than a collection of lavish cliffhangers. Like most Star Wars movies, in-depth storytelling is not Attack of the Clones' greatest asset. -- SR (Rated PG-13.)
STUART LITTLE 2 -- (Grade: C) The meeting of humans and a mischievous mouse named Stuart Little (voice of Michael J. Fox) is as eye-popping as ever in director Rob Minkoff's sequel to his 1999 family adventure. What's missing is a solid enough story to connect the action sequences and special effects. Stuart drives a miniature sports car to school, flies a toy airplane and plays soccer with the big kids. In-between, the plucky house mouse befriends an injured bird named Margalo (voice of Melanie Griffith) and battles a vicious falcon (voice of James Woods). Hugh Laurie and Geena Davis provide flesh-and-blood support as Stuart's worrisome, human parents. Stuart Little 2 is a busy movie, intent on holding the attention of its child audiences. Still, it's clear that Minkoff has substituted action effects for the fairytale-like whimsy found in E.B. White's classic Stuart Little stories. Some tweaks are expected when a children's story is adapted to film, but Stuart Little 2 possesses even less heart than his first screen adventure. -- SR (Rated PG.)
THE SUM OF ALL FEARS -- (Grade: B) Few films are as closely aligned with world affairs as director Phil Alden Robinson's fast-paced adaptation of Tom Clancy's 1991 military suspense novel. Disbelief is no longer a factor for a film about terrorists smuggling a nuclear device into the United States, because anything is possible in today's chaotic world climate. Ben Affleck's engaging performance as CIA hero Jack Ryan turns out to be The Sum of All Fears' best surprise. Morgan Freeman keeps the storytelling intelligent and credible as Ryan's politically connected mentor, Bill Cabot. Still, the film's newfound realism, because of the Sept. 11 attacks, makes Clancy's story even more tense, exciting and suspenseful. -- SR (Rated PG-13.)
SUNSHINE STATE -- (Grade: C) Angela Basset, playing a grown daughter trying to reestablish a relationship with her elderly mother, and Edie Falco, who plays a frustrated woman trying to manage her father's Florida motel, are the best things in filmmaker John Sayles' hit-and-miss, multi-layered drama. Developers and local politicians want to turn their Florida beach community into another nondescript resort town. The battle between the deep-pocket developers and the locals provides the drama that connects Sunshine State's impressive, ensemble cast. Timothy Hutton, still looking as boyish as ever, enjoys some nice moments as an architect who falls for Falco's motel manager. Alan King plays the oily developer with gusto. Sayles gives King the film's funniest line when he describes golf courses as "nature on a leash." Sayles' uses the Florida real estate boom as the context for Sunshine State's anti-big-business sentiment. Its strong political voice is the film's next best thing, right after Basset and Falco's rich performances -- SR (Rated PG-13.)
TADPOLE -- (Grade: B) Aaron Stanford grabs our attention in director Gary Winick's clever, coming-of-age comedy Tadpole. Sanford plays Oscar Grubman, an uptight prep student who returns home to his New York family of academics for the Thanksgiving holiday. Sanford is infatuated with his stepmom (Sigourney Weaver), but it's a family friend (Bebe Neuwirth) who complicates his life. Co-writers Niels Mueller and Heather McGowan mix a lively Manhattan setting, engaging lead characters and breezy storytelling into a teen-age love story that's smart, sensitive and surprisingly humanistic. Winick has directed and produced other independent films: Out of the Rain, The Tic Code and Sam the Man. Still, Tadpole looks to be the film that introduces him to larger audiences. Weaver and Neuwirth are engaging, but it's Stanford who grabs our attention as the cerebral Oscar. His snobbish personality makes him all the more believable. Later in the film, when Oscar comes to accept people who might not share his own passion for Voltaire, his personality change feels credible and true. -- SR (Rated PG-13.)
THIRTEEN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ONE THING -- (Grade: D) Thirteen Conversations About One Thing, director Jill Sprecher's lulling, metaphysical, ensemble drama, fails to make much sense out of its complex storytelling, stark backdrop and solemn characters. All the members of its impressive cast -- John Turturro, Amy Irving, Clea Duvall, Alan Arkin and Matthew McConaughey -- give noble efforts. Unfortunately, their earnest performances are squashed by the film's sluggish and unengaging plot (co-written by the director and her sister). McConaughey is believable as an egoistic lawyer whose life turns upside-down after an accident. Arkin, who's always reliable, manages to make an impact as a bitter insurance adjuster unhappy with life. But Turturro and Irving generate little friction as an unhappy married couple. Duvall's hardworking housekeeper, the only upbeat character in the film, quickly suffocates under the film's overwhelming doom and gloom. By creating this web of New York stories, Thirteen Conversations tries for something complex and challenging. Instead, a series of undeveloped subplots makes its story uninteresting, incoherent and routine. Cinematographer Dick Pope does manage to re-create Manhattan into a grim, fairytale-like setting. Thirteen Conversations has its share of beautiful images. Of course, its sleek photography no longer matters after its epic tale of human misery completely breaks down. When that happens, Thirteen Conversations loses whatever bond it made with its audience. -- SR (Unrated.)
UNDERCOVER BROTHER -- (Grade: B) The Blacksploitation resurrection continues in sassy fashion as Undercover Brother (Eddie Griffin) battles The Man, aka Whitey, and his secretly funky flunky Mr. Feather (Chris Kattan). The Man has brainwashed a famous general, (Billy Dee Williams) planning to take the funk out of funky. What's a brotha to do when he meets the White She-Devil (Denise Richards)? He'll need help from Sistah Girl (Aunjanue Ellis), Conspiracy Brother (Dave Chappelle), and even his white intern (Neil Patrick Harris). Director Malcolm D. Lee (The Best Man) borrows old school attitude, spoofs contemporary action flicks and makes sure everyone's in on the jokes. -- ttc (Rated PG-13.)
UNDISPUTED -- (Grade: C) Wesley Snipes plays the cool-headed boxer who spends his time building towering pagodas out of toothpicks and glue. Ving Rhames is the Mike Tyson-inspired hothead who gets to bluster and bully his way through the movie. When they meet in prison for a boxing match, the result is meant to be explosive. Instead, veteran director Walter Hill manages to make Undisputed one of the more predictable action movies in recent memory. The story is fast-paced and appropriately gritty. Still, without any surprises, Undisputed fails to hold one's attention, despite its potential to be a modern-day exploitation picture. -- SR (Rated R.)
WHO IS CLETIS TOUT? -- (Grade: F) Who is Cletis Tout? I'm not sure writer/director Chris Ver Wiel even knows or cares. He's too busy imitating the fractured time shifts and story lines of Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction and Tarantino clone The Usual Suspects (which was a smart kissing cousin of Reservoir Dogs). Who is Cletis Tout? is a collection of borrowed ideas passing themselves off as a story. Personally, I can't believe a studio could have given this film a green light.
Ace hit-man Critical Jim (Tim Allen) is a film-quoting fanatic assigned to rub out Cletis Tout (Christian Slater) who is actually Trevor Finch, an escaped convict on the trail of a fortune in stolen diamonds from a long-ago heist. Of course, there's a beautiful girl (Portia de Rossi) and lots of ineptitude surrounding Cletis Tout's mistaken identity plot. Imagine True Romance minus the style and brains. Ver Wiel is no match for Tarantino when it comes to pulp storytelling. Cletis Tout also flashes its limited resources with a cast that claims Slater as its leading man and and brief appearances by Richard Dreyfuss and RuPaul. Speaking of Tarantino, when is he going to finish Kill Bill, so we can enjoy the work of the original instead of knockoffs like Who is Cletis Tout? -- ttc (Rated R.)
XXX -- (Grade: C) An uncreative plot spoils Vin Diesel's action-hero debut in writer/director Rob Cohen's spy thriller XXX. Diesel, as brash and he is muscular, plays Xander "XXX" Cage (Vin Diesel), an extreme sports athlete recruited by the U.S. government to join their team of covert spies. Diesel puts his gruff voice, multiracial complexion, tattooed arms and neck, wide chest and shaven head to good use. He's the bulkiest spy boy around. But a stale plot involving a Russian crime ring based in Prague offers few surprises. Basically, Rich Wilkes' uncreative screenplay, a reheated Bond adventure, is a punch in Diesel's wisecracking mouth. -- SR (Rated PG-13.)
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text:
Jelena Ristic was in the stands this weekend to watch boyfriend Novak Djokovic win his first Masters Cup title in Shanghai.
It seems they're still going strong even after all the rumors and speculation about Nole and his love life this year. Let's hope he keeps those to a minimum next season for her sake, though it doesn't do me any good.
What would I write about then? Oh well.
(images via Getty)
Monday, November 17, 2008
PHOTO OP: Jelena in Shanghai stands, watches Nole win Masters Cup
Labels: Jelena Ristic, Masters Cup, Novak Djokovic, photo op, tennis
18 comments:
- AnonymousNovember 17, 2008 at 7:55 AM
love her sweater - wonder who makes it?!ReplyDelete
- johanneNovember 17, 2008 at 8:26 AM
Damn she's hot! Well done, Nole!ReplyDelete
- CristinaNovember 17, 2008 at 9:02 AM
She a little cutie!ReplyDelete
- rafabotNovember 17, 2008 at 9:07 AM
Wow, she's pretty. But I mostly like how she looks as if she's really into watching Nole's match. It's kind of refreshing.ReplyDelete
"love her sweater - wonder who makes it?!"ReplyDelete
- it looks really warm and comfortable. i've seen pringle make sweaters similar to that one.
she's very pretty - he better be good next year!
- johanneNovember 17, 2008 at 9:49 AM
Hey Rich what were the rumors? I guess I missed that...ReplyDelete
johanne: where do we start? the first half of the year was dominated by rumors about nole + shrieka especially during march madness (indian wells, miami).ReplyDelete
then, he supposedly hooked up with paraguayan javelin-ist leryn franco during the olympics.
he's been with jelena for a long time, even before he became a top baller, but he's definitely a playboy. where there's smoke, there's FIRE!
- CristinaNovember 17, 2008 at 10:20 AM
Arent all athletes players? (no pun intended)ReplyDelete
cristina: certainly they have every opportunity to be one with adoring fans all over the world clamoring to get a piece.ReplyDelete
there are some like fed + rafa who are most likely faithful. besides, i've never heard rumors about those two and they've been in the spotlight longer than nole.
i swear nole's a man-whore.
Well that explains it! I didn't discover your wonderful blog until recently, and apparently I didn't have a good source for juicy tennis gossip...wah waaaah.ReplyDelete
Thanks for the recap and keep up the good work! :D
johanne: hehe - thanks! the off-season is actually a good time for gossipy stuff too. good times!ReplyDelete
P.S. There were a few (relatively harmless) rumors this year about Rafa and Ana Ivanovic and then Rafa and that up-and-coming Dane, Caroline Wozniacki (can't remember if that was a rumor from this year as well)... Anyways, Rafa and Caroline both denied it and said they were just good friends. Although I got the feeling that she would be down for it, I mean, if Rafa wasn't attached. Who wouldn't be though? Sigh...ReplyDelete
yeah i def heard about those items but he's been with xisca for a while and i never believed those rumors.ReplyDelete
with nole, he was seen spending time with shrieka + leryn and photographed and filmed with them. he was even filmed sneaking into shrieka's suv after they left (separately) from the baller party in miami this year. why the need to sneak around if nothing's going on?
Yeah, nothing against Nole, but I could def see him workin' the ladies. He seems like more of a party animal than any of the other top ballers. But let's not forget, he's only 21! Not that that excuses being shady with your lady, but sometimes I forgot how young all these players are. Even the "old" ones like Davy and Fed and A-Rod. They're still young!ReplyDelete
seriously, at that age and traveling most of the year with no time to spend with your bf/gf why would you want to be in a serious relationship?ReplyDelete
when i was 21 i was broke and the only traveling i did was to and from my college classes and the subway (oh and late night runs for pizza.) i still didn't want to have a serious relationship.
Wow, she looks really stunning there. Love her outfit as well.ReplyDelete
I gotta agree with you guys, I could also totally see Nole fooling around with other girls on the tour... he seems like such a skirt chaser to me, haha!
But then, cheating on that lady would be totally stupid - she's extremely beautiful and also seems to be really sweet, cheering him on like that and stuff.
However, it is right though that Nole is still very young and this probably wasn't his last girlfriend...
BTW Rich your little anecdote about your "salad days" was really cute. ;)
sonja: or my "pizza day" as it were - thanks!ReplyDelete
she is really beautiful. maybe they have a "don't ask, don't tell" agreement. you never know what goes on behind closed doors!
wow, she's gorgeous. definitely prettier than shrieka. and it's nice to see tennis players significant others excited (ahem mirka)ReplyDelete

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Many Protesters Are Still Demanding That Others Be Charged in Case
March 10, 2013
STEUBENVILLE (AP) — Two football players go on trial this week on charges of raping a nearly passed-out-drunk 16-year-old girl during a night of partying in Steubenville....
Rape is a terrible crime, it leaves a haunting scar on the victim. She will live with the flashbacks forever in her mind. Punish those found guilty to the fullest extent of the law. I believe if you were present and did nothing to stop the crime you should be held responsible just as well.
0 Agrees | 0 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
This is just one of so many communities that tries to hide or ignore rape. San Diego and Los Angeles are just as bad but there are so many more rapes there it's easier to hide most of them. And lets not forget colleges that do the same thing.
The only thing that stops this is putting them on the spot and holding them accountable like the rapist. The fact that only 2 guys are on trial is a disgrace.
Ohio is full of this attitude. Just go on Craigslist in Ohio and Akron/Canton has harassed victims and those who support them.
Ohio is a haven for military and those are the same guys getting away with rape while serving so this being the attitude in Ohio isn't surprising.
0 Agrees | 0 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
I suppose the girl getting drunk to the point of unconsciousness bears no responsibility. Of course the rape is dastardly, however, it may not have occurred if the girl had not presented the opportunity. Everyone is guilty and should get their due, even the ones who observed the crime and didn't stop it. I wouldn't wish such a crime as this on anyone.
1 Agrees | 2 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Steubenville is one of the Ohio 'prep schools' for Ohio State football. How's that university's football team doing? Oh...my bad, are they still outlawed from post season play due to CORRUPTION??
Oh, and who is USA Today's NUMBER ONE pick for 2013 NFL Quarterback draft? Why it's Gene Smith! Surprise, Surprise! WVU, more than a 'party school'. Be smart. Be safe. Send your daughters there.
2 Agrees | 0 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
hoopie..where have you been? you can't trust any of these morons to make an educated comment on here. look at the past lol.
0 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
hefner..we can only hope this happens to a female loved one of yours. you wouldn't have the balls to say that if you didn't turn tail and get run out of wheeling. people like you that can't make it here make me laugh. losers run.
1 Agrees | 0 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
I just wonder how they determine which articles you can make a comment on. Some local article just give one idea or one side and does not allow you to make a comment. I would think the Wheeling would allow comment on everything but it seems politics has got to the press.
2 Agrees | 0 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Who/What rules Steubenville? The media, football, the cover-ups, the police, the sheriff? Answer-- All of the above..
1 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
I heard that the football coach threatened a reporter and his family one time i read it. And for some reason it has never been mentioned again. Who runs that school the mafia. I think that The coach should lose his job. Some kids were told to delete evidence by coaches. what if your daughter is next. If football is that important to this town i hope you lose every game. Every team that plays steubenville will be looked at with disgust because of your coach.
3 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Including the girl? Really??? And who did this girl violently rape, demoralize and then memorialize the whole incident on youtube??? You are disgusting.
5 Agrees | 0 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Who really cares about this trash? Have the trial,lock everyone up for life, including the girl, and move on. The fact this story is front page news exposes the sorry moral state of our nation.
0 Agrees | 4 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
The eyes of the whole COUNTRY are on Podunk Valley this week.
Lets see how you Hoopies act when bright lights are shining on Valley.
1 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
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January 1, 2011 to December 1, 2011 – Home We are finally going to start for number 2 and I am so excited! Organized by Jacqueline Cutlip | Type: baby, making!
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tc- I'm sorry you didn't get better news. Let us know what happens.
Hope everyone else is doing well.
posted at 4/1/2013 9:38 AM EDT
tc- I'm sorry you didn't get better news. Let us know what happens.
Hope everyone else is doing well.
Re: APRIL 2013 TTC
posted at 4/1/2013 11:07 AM EDT
Hi ladies,
I hope you all get good news this month!
I wanted to know what clinic you are using/recommend? I currently use FCNE out of Reading MA. They are good so far but I have had 2 failed IVF cycles :( They don't really know what's wrong. I am doing a third cycle in June... (they keep changing the med protocol each time but after this cycle they said to get a second opinion).
Just wondering if there's any other place we should be considering...
Re: APRIL 2013 TTC
posted at 4/1/2013 12:02 PM EDT
Sally - I didn't have very good luck with FCNE either. I did have a better experience at MGH. I saw Dr. Sabbatini at the Danvers office. I didn't have to go the IVF route so I can't speak to that, but I did really appreciate her knowledge and she had a much better bedside manner or whatever you call it. I felt like FCNE had a standard treatment plan that they follow where MGH treats you as an individual.
Re: APRIL 2013 TTC
posted at 4/1/2013 1:35 PM EDT
In response to Chiclet831's comment:
Thanks for your comment Chiclet. You are right in that FCNE has a standard protocol that they do. I will look into MGH (especially since they have an office in Danvers)....I'll be interested to hear other's comments.
Ps- I am in the Reading area so something closeby for the bloodwork would be great.
Re: APRIL 2013 TTC
posted at 4/2/2013 12:39 PM EDT
Insurance approvals finally came through, so we can start our IVF cycle. I'm surprisingly nervous about it. We met with the doctor a couple weeks ago and went over our treatment plan and it's a little overwhelming. All those shots (shudder).
DH has to go out of town in two weeks for work and I am not looking forward to tackling being a hormonal wreck while dealing with a willful three year old on top of it. Thankfully, my sister's going to come stay with me for a couple days to help out. The delay in the insurance approval probably was a good thing since it ensures DH will be home in time for the egg retrieval and not traveling.
There's never a good time, though, for anything, right? Eventually you just decide what your moments is.
Re: APRIL 2013 TTC
posted at 4/2/2013 9:15 PM EDT
Sally, I've been going to Boston IVF in Waltham (they have many locations) and have been happy with it generally.
Good luck KMM! that's so nice that your sister is going to help out. My sister is a nurse and she helped with my first injection- it got much easier after the first few and I had a serious phobia about needles (these are tiny so really don't hurt).
AFM, bad news today, my beta # is dropping so it's basically a chemical pregnancy. I'm sad that we can't have a biological sibling for DS but trying to keep in mind how lucky we are to have a child at all. Not sure if we'll look for another egg donor but I don't think I'm ready to accept that we're done. At least I can have a glass of wine as I contemplate our future...
Re: APRIL 2013 TTC
posted at 4/3/2013 10:38 AM EDT
KMMZ- Best of luck to you in your upcoming IVF cycle. I'm glad you got the insurance stuff all figured out.
tc- I'm sorry for your loss. I hope you find peace and answers in the future.
Well....BFP for me. I got a faint line on a Wondfo at 10 dpo Monday. It was an official line on the FRER last night. I'm excited but have to temper expectations knowing the possibilities. We'll likely have a viability u/s @ 7 weeks. Not going to call the dr until Monday. Just going to enjoy it for the weekend. :)
Re: APRIL 2013 TTC
posted at 4/3/2013 10:46 AM EDT
TC - I'm so sorry for your loss. Do enjoy that glass of wine... or 5!
Wolff... yay! So exciting - Congrats. Definitely enjoy the weekend... but will you go in for beta levels next week?
Re: APRIL 2013 TTC
posted at 4/3/2013 12:56 PM EDT
Thanks IPW. You know that is a good question. We had only discussed doing an early u/s. I think I'll ask about the betas and if there is a reason for/against next week.
Re: APRIL 2013 TTC
posted at 4/3/2013 1:10 PM EDT
Sorry to hear your news, tc. You definitely deserve a glass of wine tonight.
Congratulations, MW! Sending you sticky vibes.
Re: APRIL 2013 TTC
posted at 4/4/2013 8:49 AM EDT
I'm sorry for your loss TC.
MW--congratulations on the BFP! I have everything crossed for you. FWIW, my OB doesn't recommend betas unless you have a history of ectopic pregnancy or were undergoing fertility treatments. If you want them, you should ask for them, but I think many doctors would say they aren't "medically necessary". It can be reassuring to see the numbers go up though, but I guess it can be one more thing to worry about too.
Re: APRIL 2013 TTC
posted at 4/4/2013 9:07 AM EDT
Thanks jlei and siena!! I thought about the beta thing over night and I think I'm going to pass. I don't want to stress out about it. I know they can be not doubling quite right and things can still be ok. I think I have enough to worry about without that!
Re: APRIL 2013 TTC
posted at 4/4/2013 9:52 AM EDT
tc, so sorry for your loss.
MW, I think POAS tests get darker and darker in early pg if you want to go the qualitative route.
Re: APRIL 2013 TTC
posted at 4/4/2013 12:24 PM EDT
There are a lot of things that could make a POAS more or less dark, increasing HCG in your system is only one of them. If you think the betas would make you crazy, I would definitely not start up with the daily peeing, which will make you crazy without giving you real information.
Re: APRIL 2013 TTC
posted at 4/4/2013 2:26 PM EDT
True, urine can be more or less diluted. Generally, if you poas with fmu it gets darker, but you can definitely skip it all if that would drive you less nuts. :)
Re: APRIL 2013 TTC
posted at 4/4/2013 8:37 PM EDT
So sorry for your loss TC.
Congrats on the BFP, Miss Wolf! We need a few more of those!
KMMZ, I am glad you got your approvals. My DH has become very good at giving me shots! I can't do it myself, so he does it for me. I had to do it once and it took forever to get up the nerve.
AFM, this is the second month we had to take off. We were out of town for Easter when day 3 arrived. Kind of frustrating because we still have the clomid challenge that insurance is requiring and then we need to get the approvals for IVF after that, so I am not expecting to get to the first IVF round until July. I am still thinking about it though, it really makes me nervous that they play to put 3 eggs back, I don't think we could handle triplets!
Good luck to all.
Re: APRIL 2013 TTC
posted at 4/5/2013 9:19 AM EDT
Omg, you have no idea. My friends (spontaneous) triplets are 9 months old, and I recently helped her with their 9 mo wellness appt. It's no joke what she goes through every day. Do not do that to yourself on purpose please, please, and triple please.
(I don't mean don't do ivf or get medical help, just saying that 3 is not fun.)
Re: APRIL 2013 TTC
posted at 4/5/2013 12:40 PM EDT
Wed - sorry about another skipped month. I am sure that is frustrating. But without sounding cliche... July is just a few months away (thank goodness as I am ready for warmth!!)
Saw the heartbeat today - and they dated me at 6 1/2 weeks. So it really is real. We are still freaking out. I guess I was getting way too comfortable and happy with us having an only... that now I'm really nervous. Well... lots of time to get used to it... estimated due date two days before Thanksgiving. We host our families of about 25-30... so I guess we'll have to take this year off.
Re: APRIL 2013 TTC
posted at 4/5/2013 3:52 PM EDT
Congrats, MW! IPW, that's such great news! You should sit back this Thanksgiving and let the delicious food come to you :)
Wed, sorry you had to take off more time than you wanted. That's sooo frustrating.
Re: APRIL 2013 TTC
posted at 4/7/2013 10:24 AM EDT
wed--sorry about the delays! how frustrating!
IPW--hooray for a great u/s! I'm so glad things are looking well.
Re: APRIL 2013 TTC
posted at 4/8/2013 2:42 PM EDT
IPW that is great!
Unfortunately for me it was just a chemical...not 100% surprised really. Sad.
Re: APRIL 2013 TTC
posted at 4/8/2013 3:34 PM EDT
Sorry, MW, that's so hard...I can relate.
Re: APRIL 2013 TTC
posted at 4/8/2013 4:29 PM EDT
I'm so sorry for your loss, MW.
Re: APRIL 2013 TTC
posted at 4/10/2013 12:44 PM EDT
I'm so sorry to hear that, MW. Thinking of you.
Re: APRIL 2013 TTC
posted at 4/10/2013 10:12 PM EDT
So sorry to hear your news MW, that's so disappointing.
IPW, that's so great that you heard the heartbeat, such an important milestone- congrats!
Good luck everyone, hoping for some good news around here!


text:
About Shaddix.Babe
Hello, my name is Corrie! Yes, that's really my name, it's not short for anything and no, my parents didn't name me after Coronation Street.
Read my profile, post a comment, send me mail, add me! I don't bite!
So I guess I shall tell you a bit about myself, but only if you're interested. So where to start...
Guess I should start with what music I like. Ever heard of that band Papa Roach? Yeah me neither. (For those people confused right now, that was my attempt at sarcasm). I like rock and metal. I have a tendency to listen to older bands like Iron Maiden, Metallica, Bon Jovi etc etc. I like Rammstein, The Defiled, Avenged Sevenfold, In This Moment and stuff like that. The list is endless really.
Well, you know Saw? Well I have watched those movies countless of times occasionally analysing them... Freak? Huh? What?
I really like movies though. Saw is one of my many favourites alongside Tangled, Shutter Island and Thor.
I adore art! I like painting and drawing, and if you are curious about my art, I have the link to my DeviantArt on my profile! I would be so grateful if you had a little look.
I like superheroes. What's not to like about them? They're heroes, and they're super about it.
So you've actually read all my profile? Or have you just skipped to the last line..? Either way, thank you for reading my profile and feel free to talk to me!


text:
Need Help? Call 1.866.472.4001
Roll Over Image to Zoom
Oxford Bedside Table
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Make sure it fits! Use our interactive room planner to design your floor plan.
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- Overall: 20" wide x 17" deep x 27" high
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- MDF is an engineered wood that lends exceptional strength and ensures structural integrity over time.
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Please allow approximately 5-7 business days for delivery. Delivery estimate includes monogrammed and gift-wrapped items.


text:
George Hohmann: Minimum wage hike facts
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- President Barack Obama's State of the Union call for Congress to increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $9 an hour prompted a flurry of press releases and online comments.
According to a White House fact sheet, an increase in the minimum wage would directly boost the wages of about 15 million workers.
In 2011 -- the latest year for which figures are available -- 34,000 of the 462,000 workers in West Virginia who were paid hourly rates earned the federal minimum wage or less, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The White House fact sheet pointed out that Obama also proposed raising the minimum wage for tipped workers, "which has not been increased for over 20 years."
Asked how many tipped workers there are in West Virginia, Courtney Sisk, spokeswoman for WorkForce West Virginia, said, "Many occupations receive tips, but we focused just on servers who receive a server wage and rely on tips to compensate for the difference. As of third quarter 2012, there were 12,110 waiters and waitresses (servers) reported in our survey."
Here's another factoid: The White House said raising the minimum wage to $9 an hour "would restore the real value of the minimum wage to what it was in 1981."
According to a study of the federal minimum wage by Oregon State University, the first federal minimum wage was 25 cents an hour, set in 1938.
A couple of the study's noteworthy findings:
* * *
Mining giant Rio Tinto's 2007 purchase of Alcan for $38.1 billion was the subject of a review in Tuesday's Wall Street Journal.
"The premium-priced deal came at a cyclical peak -- aluminum prices were at a 20-year high," the newspaper said. "That was before aluminum prices crashed as China produced more than expected and consumer demand for everything from cars to cans plummeted with the financial crisis."
Dick Evans, the former CEO of Alcan, was quoted as saying Rio Tinto's decision to acquire the aluminum company was one of the "worst decisions ever ... "
The results have been dramatic:
Reach George Hohmann at email@example.com or 304-348-4836.


text:
Welcome Davros!
I already commented on the Profantasy forum, so I am not going to repeat myself here. I am sure others will come along and comment.
I gave you some reputation for posting your first map over here.
I have had the cartographer for a while, but haven't had the time to devote. i've decided to make the time, but before I did, I wanted to get the communities thoughts to see if my basic mapping looks ok, and to take any suggestions. I am basically using the Annual World.
The Land of the Prydyn is a semi arctic area, meant as a rugged and dangeorus place. its sparcely populated, and the real world analog for them is a cross between the mountain men, and the celts. Please let me know what you think, and what I can do to improve it before I begin on the rest of the world.
originally posted a the CC3 forum, but a very helpful member suggest this forum as a good place.
Last edited by Davros01; 07-17-2009 at 07:18 AM. Reason: conform more to site
Welcome Davros!
I already commented on the Profantasy forum, so I am not going to repeat myself here. I am sure others will come along and comment.
I gave you some reputation for posting your first map over here.
Check out my City Designer 3 tutorials. See my fantasy (city) maps in this thread.
Gandwarf has fallen into shadow...
This looks nice so far. Would love to see a larger/higher rez version of it though before I try to make any meaningful suggestions, etc.
My Finished Maps | My Challenge Maps | Ghoraja Juun, my largely stagnated campaign setting.
Unless otherwise stated by me in the post, all work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.
Looks good, and a wonderful start!.
Daniel the Neon Knight: Campaign Cartographer User
Never use a big word when a diminutive one will suffice!
Any questions on CC3? Post them with CC3 in the Subject Line!
MY 'FAMOUS' CC3 MAPS: Thunderspire; Pyramid of Shadows; King of the Trollhaunt Warrens; Demon Queen's Enclave
I think it looks great. I don't know the first thing about CC3 but this looks like it could have been done in something else which means it's really cool.
If the radiance of a thousand suns was to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the Mighty One...I am become Death, the Shatterer of worlds.
-J. Robert Oppenheimer (father of the atom bomb) alluding to The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 11, Verse 32)
My Maps ~ My Brushes ~ My Tutorials ~ My Challenge Maps
Looking good. What template are you using? The rivers seem a bit off at their connection with the sea.
Glad to see your map posted over here as well. Can't wait to see how it evolves with the additional input you'll get.
thanks for your comments and encouragement.
I've added another bit, although i'm not happy with it yet. Its the malwa empire. a tropical nation. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Based on several comments, i'm going to change the rivers to reflect a bit more blue (and fix some of the connection issues)
Please continue the comments. I am definitely trying to incorporate much of it.
thx again,
I think the rivers look in general better now. There's a little icon in CC (I don't have a copy at work) that looks like a line with a point on it. If you click it while drawing your rivers (or roads or whatever) and then the line you want it to connect to it will "stick".
Something else I noticed is that your tributaries to the "main rivers" look a bit off in that their direction seems to go against the flow of the main body (i.e. the main river goes to left, and the river flowing into it goes to the right) which is rather unusual in real life.
Ehm don't use bmp's, please, they are terribly large. Try to use PNG instead, at least.


text:
Take the bus to Summerfest
Freeway Flyer Service:
For a fast and easy way to the Summerfest Mid-Gate, park free at any of the eight Park-and-Ride lots (noted below) and hop on a Freeway Flyer to Summerfest.
--College (Route 40) College Avenue, at I-94 (both lots)
--Holt (Route 47) Holt Avenue, at I-94 (west of)
--Loomis (Route 47) Loomis Road south of Coldspring Road
--State Fair Park (Route 44) State Fair Park at South 76th Street and West Kearney Street
--Whitnall/Hales Corners (Route 43) I-43, east of south of 108th Street
--Ryan Road (Route 41) Ryan Road, at I-94
--Burleigh/Mayfair Collection (Route 45): Just north of Burleigh Street, east of U.S. Hwy 45 at 114th Street
--Brown Deer East (Route 49): Brown Deer Road, west of I-43
Freeway Flyer round-trip cash fares: $6.50 for adults, $3 for children (ages 6 - 11), seniors (65 and over) and persons with disabilities with proper ID. Children under 6 ride free when accompanied by an adult. Pay full amount of fare when boarding to Summerfest. Exact fare required.
Weekday Schedule:
--11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.: Half-hour service from Park-Ride lots and Summerfest
--5 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.: 15 minute service from Park-Ride lots and Summerfest
Weekend Schedule (Saturday and Sunday):
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 a.m.: Service every 15-20 minutes from Park-Ride lots and Summerfest.
Downtown Shuttle Service:
The Shuttle operates downtown from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. every day during Summerfest and provides service to the North Gate. Bus service runs every 10 minutes. Buses operate in both directions along Wisconsin Avenue. When traveling to Summerfest, the Shuttle stops between North James Lovell Street and North Jackson Street, then proceeds directly to the North Gate. Stops are made at all bus stops marked with the Summerfest smile logo. Several downtown parking lots near Downtown Shuttle stops will be offering discounted special event rates. Details are available at RideMCTS.com. Round-trip adult cash fare is $3 or use an MCTS M•CARD and pay only $2.50 in Stored Value. Children (6-11) pay a cash fare $1.50 round-trip or use an M•CARD and pay only $1.25 in Stored Value. Riders may also use a Weekly or Monthly Pass or an M•CARD 1-, 7- or 31-Day pass. Passengers pay when boarding the Summerfest Shutle.
Waukesha Service:
The shuttle originates from the Nagawaukee Park-Ride in Delafield (Highway 83 and I-94). Other pick-ups include the Meadowbrook Park-Ride lot (I-94 and County Highway G) and Goerke's Corners Park-Ride lot (I-94 and Barker Road). The shuttle drop-off and pick-up at Summerfest is located west of the Mid Gate on Chicago Street. The shuttle operates every day of Summerfest beginning at 11 a.m. with the last shuttle departing Summerfest at 12:15 am. Round-trip tickets are $10 and purchased at point of origin. Children under 12, who are accompanied by an adult are $5 when they purchase a roundtrip ticket prior to 3 p.m. Call 262-542-8861 or visit www.wisconsincoach.com for more information on how to get to Summerfest without traffic and parking hassles.
Racine and Kenosha Service:
Wisconsin Coach Lines will offer eight northbound and southbound trips weekdays, and four weekend/holiday trips per day, as part of their regular service to serve Racine and Kenosha Summerfest attendees. Call 262-542-8861 or visit www.wisconsincoach.com for route and fare information.
Ozaukee County Express Bus:
Operated by Milwaukee County Transit System, Ozaukee County Express provides service every 20 minutes from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. each day, starting at the Saukville Walmart (Highway 33/Green Bay Avenue). The bus will depart 13 minutes later from the Target/Home Depot (Highway 60) in Grafton. On weekdays and Saturdays from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m, and Sundays from 1 to 6 p.m., service increases to every 15 minutes. After 6 p.m. and before 1 p.m. on Sundays, buses leave every half hour. Fare is $7 in cash round-trip for adults and $3.50 in cash round-trip for children (6-11), seniors (65 and older) and persons with disabilities with proper I.D. For information on the Ozaukee County Express bus service to Summerfest call 414-344-6711 or visit the MCTS web site at www.RideMCTS.com.
Washington County GO Riteway Summerfest Shuttle:
Park your car for free, relax and ride GO Riteway's shuttle to Summerfest from two convenient locations in Washington County: the Washington County Fair Park, Highway 45 and Pleasant Valley Road; and the Life Church parking lot, in Germantown Center, Mequon Road and Squire Drive. Daily round-trip service is offered throughout the day from each location beginning at 11 a.m. from Washington County Fair Park and 11:30 a.m. from the Life Church parking lot in Germantown. Return service from Summerfest is offered hourly from 4 p.m. with the final bus departing Summerfest at 12:30 a.m. GO Riteway's shuttle drop off and pickup location at Summerfest is the North Gate. Round-trip fare is $15 for adults and $5 for children under 12. For more information, call Riteway Bus Service, Inc. at 262-677-3282 or visit www.ritewaybus.com.
Greyhound Bus
For specific information on schedules and fares, call 800-231-2222 or visit www.greyhound.com.
Badger Bus Madison Service
Badger Bus will offer special service from Madison to Summerfest five times a day during the festival. Departures on those days will be from UW-Madison-Chazen Museum at 10:45 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.. The bus will drop off at the Wisconsin Coach stop at East Michigan and Jackson Street, four blocks from the Summerfest North Gate. Passengers will be picked up at the same location for return to Madison four times each day - 5:45 .pm., 8 p.m., 9:20 p.m. and 11:55 p.m. Purchase tickets online at Badgerbus.com/summerfest. Round trip fare is $25. A one-way ticket is $12.50.
Copyright 2015 by WISN.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
Talladega, AL (Sports Network) - Kasey Kahne claimed the pole for the Good Sam
Roadside Assistance 500 -- the fourth race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup
championship -- after posting the quickest lap in Saturday's qualifying at
Talladega Superspeedway.
Kahne, who is one of the 12 drivers in the Chase field, turned a lap at
191.455 mph for his third pole of the season and the 25th of his Sprint Cup
Series career. It will be the first time he starts up front for a race at this
2.66-mile superspeedway.
"It's fun to get my first pole at Talladega," Kahne said. "It's a tough track,
and I've never done that. (The car) felt good, and we'll see how it runs
tomorrow. It ran great (in practice) yesterday and really well today."
Ryan Newman, who is not in the Chase this year, secured the outside pole with
a lap at 191.145 mph.
Title contenders Clint Bowyer, Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle and Jeff Gordon
qualified third through sixth, respectively. Bowyer has won the last two fall
Sprint Cup races at Talladega.
Carl Edwards, Trevor Bayne, Martin Truex Jr., a Chase driver, and Sam Hornish
Jr. completed the top-10.
The remaining Chase drivers and their starting positions include: Dale
Earnhardt Jr. (12th), Matt Kenseth (15th), Jimmie Johnson (17th), Kevin
Harvick (21st), Brad Keselowski (22nd) and Denny Hamlin (23rd).
Keselowski currently holds a five-point lead over Johnson and a 16-point
advantage over Hamlin. Bowyer is 25 markers out of the lead, while Stewart and
Kahne both trail by 32. Keselowski has won two of the first three Chase races.
He also won the spring event at Talladega in May.
All 43 drivers who attempted qualifying made the starting field for Sunday's
500-mile race at Talladega, which is scheduled to start just after 2 p.m.
The Sports Network


text:
Awesome pics! Your girl looks a little nervous in that third pic.
My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives.
Nice sails!! I love to billfish!! Looks like you had a great trip.
Nice fish. Used to do a lot of billfishing in Baja when I owned a business in Cabo. It is addictive, especially with light tackle!
Colorado Cowboy
Cowboy Action Shooter; Endowment Life Member-NRA
The Original Rocket Scientist-Retired
"My Father always considered a walk in the mountains as the equivalent of church going."
Aldous Huxley


text:
SOFTBALL: Huge Third Boosts Magnolia Past Weir
May 11, 2012 WEIRTON — The Magnolia softball team put nine on the board in the bottom of the third inning to erase an early deficit and went on to best Weir High, 11-7, on Thursday in a West Virginia Class AA... more »»
BASEBALL: Oak Glen 10-13, Weir 5-2
May 11, 2012 NEW MANCHESTER —Oak Glen eliminated Weir and set up a rematch against Magnolia by sweeping the Red Riders and claiming a sectional title for the second straight season. more »»
Steub. Catholic Softball Edges Weir
May 4, 2012 Steub. Catholic 5, Weir 2 STEUBENVILLE — Steubenville Catholic exploded for five runs during the fourth and fifth innings in besting Weir. more »»
BASEBALL: Weir 5, Indian Creek 4
May 3, 2012 WEIRTON — Ryan Duke had two hits and an RBI as Weir defeated Indian Creek. Josh Russell and Matt Cessna each had an RBI for the Red Riders. more »»
SOFTBALL: W.Va. Class AA, Region One, Section One Weir 12-17 Oak Glen 11-2
May 3, 2012 WEIRTON — Weir swept Oak Glen and advanced to the regional semifinal where it will play host to Magnolia next week. more »»
BASEBALL: Brooke 12 Weir 4
May 2, 2012 WELLSBURG — Paul DiPasquale hit a pair of singles and drove in three runs as he led Brooke past Weir. Heath Hildreth added three singles and two RBI for the Bruins (13-13. more »»
Weir Softball Blanks Big Red
April 25, 2012 Weir 10, Steubenville 0 STEUBENVILLE — Abbie Pratt threw a four-hitter — all singles — and Taylor Gianangeli singled twice, doubled and drove in three runs as Weir shut out Steubenville (5-17). more »»
SOFTBALL: Magnolia 10, Weir 0
April 20, 2012 NEW MARTINSVILLE — Jordan Babe was 3-for-3 with three RBI as Magnolia dropped rival Weir. Mallory Chapman went the distance, allowing two singles and striking out nine for the Blue Eagles (20-3). more »»
BASEBALL: Toronto 8, Weir 2
April 19, 2012 TORONTO — Spencer Sninchak hit a double among two hits and drove a runner home as Toronto defeated Weir. Austin Lucas added two hits and two RBI for the Red Knights (11-4). more »»
BASEBALL: Burgettstown 7, Weir 4
April 19, 2012 WEIRTON — Matt Cessna hit a home run and drove in three but it wasn't enough as Burgettstown broke open a tie game with three runs in the sixth to beat Weir. more »»
Martins Ferry Softball Wallops Weir
April 18, 2012 Martins Ferry 11, Weir 1 MARTINS FERRY — Martins Ferry scored in every inning in besting Weir (4-10). more »»
Kinnick's Slam Helps St.C. Blast Weir
April 18, 2012 St. Clairsville 17, Weir 6 WEIRTON — Matt Kinnick belted a grand slam and two singles and finished with five RBI as he led St. Clairsville past Weir. more »»
Bruins Batter Riders
April 17, 2012 WEIRTON — The Brooke baseball Bruins pestered four Weir pitchers with 13 hits and they took advantage of eight Red Riders errors in an 18-5 victory at Ed Bowman Field on Monday night. more »»
Central Softball Blanks Weir
April 17, 2012 Wheeling Central 8, Weir 0 WHEELING — Brittany Miller scattered four hits and Sydney Bennington hit a pair of home runs as Wheeling Central blanked Weir. more »»
SOFTBALL: Madonna 10, Weir 9
April 15, 2012 WEIRTON — Madonna scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to top rival Weir. Emily Hvizdak hit two doubles and a single and added an RBI for the Blue Dons (5-6). more »»
Steubenville Softball Takes Down Weir
April 13, 2012 Steubenville 9, Weir 3 STEUBENVILLE — Kayla Marker doubled, singled and knocked in three as Steubenville topped Weir. more »»
Boys' Tennis: Oak Glen Routs Weir
April 13, 2012 Oak Glen 6, Weir 1 CHESTER — Zach Brown defeated Chad Hensley, 9-7, in a thrilling No. 2 singles match as Oak Glen topped Weir. Tyler Brown, Josh Lehman and Addison Sayre also picked up victories. more »»
Girls' Tennis: Oak Glen Blanks Weir
April 13, 2012 Girls Oak Glen 7, Weir 0 CHESTER — Anna Crawford posted a shutout at No. 1 singles for Oak Glen and the Golden Bears cruised from there. more »»
Weir Gets Revenge on Bishop
April 13, 2012 Weir 6, Bishop Donahue 5 WEIRTON — Weir scored three runs in the seventh to rally and avenge last week's loss to Bishop Donahue. more »»
BASEBALL: Malesky Does the Damage, Buckeye Sweeps Weir
April 8, 2012 CONNORVILLE — Josh Malesky doubled among four hits with three RBI in Game 2 as Buckeye Local swept Weir. The Panthers won the first game 3-2, before taking the nightcap 11-4. more »»
SOFTBALL: Union Local 15, Weir 5
April 8, 2012 MORRISTOWN — Ashten Butler had a double among two hits and two RBI as Union Local beat Weir. Olivia Minamyer had five hits while Alexis Brahler added two hits and three RBI for the Jets. more »»
Top Jobs


text:
I an using ZDesktop 0.90 Build 1251 on Leopard 10.5.4, server is Zimbra Network Pro 5.0.8
When I am creating appointments I have 2 tabs, Appointment Details and Find Attendees. I never see the Schedule tab that allows me to view free/busy times. The feature list for ZD claims that I should be able to see this, also some of the other threads that I have read elude to this functionality that exists in the web client, but not in my ZD client.
Is this a configuration option, or is this functionality not available?
Thanks for any advice,


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Lineups: Minor League Award Winners
Royals (57-72) host the Detroit Tigers (71-60) tonight, 7:10 start. Right-handed rookie Brian Bannister (10-7, 3.28 ERA) takes the mound for us, while Wichita native Nate Robertson (7-10, 4.80 ERA) is on the hill for Detroit.
Before the game today, Media Relations released the names of the Royals Minor League Award winners for 2007. Check out their stats, bios and details of their upcoming visit to Kansas City here.
- OMAHA – RHP Billy Buckner and INF Mike Aviles
- WICHITA – LHP Dusty Hughes and 1B Mike Stodolka
- WILMINGTON – LHP Rowdy Hardy (Did your read this?) and OF Jose Duarte
- BURLINGTON (IA) – RHP Mario Santiago and Joe Dickerson
- IDAHO FALLS – RHP Greg Holland and 1B Clint Robinson
- BURLINGTON (NC) – LHP Anthony Bradley and OF Wilson Tucker
- ARIZONA – RHP Matt Mitchell and 1B David Wood
- DOMINICAN – RHP Giancarlos De La Cruz and SS Angel Franco
One Last Note: You still have time to sign up for the Royals Small Business Day at the K on Thursday, Aug. 30. Tickets are still available for the event, which includes a pre-game networking reception featuring General Manager Dayton Moore at 11:30 a.m. Contact the Royals Group Sales department at (816) 504-4473 if you are interested.
Alright, here are today's lineups…
For the Royals:
German – LF
DeJesus – CF
Grud – 2B
Butler – DH
Brown – RF
Gload – 1B
Buck – C
Gordon – 3B
Pena – SS
Bannister – P
For the Tigers:
Granderson – CF
Polanco – 2B
Perez – LF
Ordonez – RF
Guillen – 1B
I. Rodriguez – C
Casey – DH
Inge – 3B
Santiago – SS
Robertson – P
1 Comment
There is a great pitching prospect at class A burlington, Iowa, Henry Barrera's ERA in august is 0.57, he hasnt given up a HR since June, and has been clocked at 96 MPH, he is also an extremely nice young man, my wife and I are his host family here in SE Iowa


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Intelligent Mechatronic Systems Inc. (IMS) is a leader in Connected Car™ technology that enables drivers to be safer, smarter and greener. We are a privately held technology company founded in 1999 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada – the heart of Canada's Technology Triangle. Our unique approach of converging in-car infotainment, automotive telematics and wireless technology has resulted in an impressive range of solutions. From insurance and government, to fleets and everyday drivers, our technology revolutionizes industries.
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