Emma’s blog

Ends of the Pendulum

On one hand, we have the awesome repeat of the Lady Volunteers from Tennessee as NCAA Champions.  Candace Parker made her last game count, which is the consensus that  I get from the sources I have read and seen.   I did not have the pleasure of watching  the game because all of the NCAA Women's games (most of women's sports for that matter) air on cable, particularly through ESPN.  There is not Women's "March Madness" on broadcast tv.  No brackets, no relentless cameos of coaches.  At times the NCAA aires commercials that sometimes feature women as they remind us all to support the student-athlete.  Too bad they don't support the programming for the women student -athletes.  Fortunately, I had a friend who has cable tape it for me, so I will have a more complete picture of just how the Lady Vols took down the Lady Cardinals.

On the other hand, we have 'The Bold and The Beautiful,'  which continues to prove that the dreadful quality of the storylines and the pitiful potrayals of womenhood, are not the fault of the scabs that came in during recent Writers' Strike.  Brooke, who was called by her right name by her daughter several weeks ago, has decided to involve herself in her son's and her ex-husband's ex-wife's affair.  I could understand the concern.  Said son was once involved with the woman's young daughter, who kicked him to the curb long ago, but recently decided that she liked him again.  (Yes, she has no clue about the budding relationship between he and her mother, thus setting it up that she will find out in spectacular fashion rather than one or both of them just going up to her and telling her straight out.)   Brooke, whose made a career of collecting me and keeping them on the emotional hook is outraged and interfering.  She's painted this women in a horrible light without much foundation and it does seem to me that a writer had a " deep thought"  that they would give Brooke a taste of what Stephanie Douglas Forrester has gone through these past years.  Again, we get histrionics, men who act as if they know best when they are part of  the problem and the sensible, responsible, self sufficient women are pushed to the back..

Here is a link to some real life sheroes:

http://www.mercury13.com/

Three is a nice number

Well, let me first say that I am surprised that I did not blog more about the NCAA basketball series.  I do get into it.  I like basketball and besides figure skating (well past figure skating) where do you find a tournament with as much drama?

Like many others, I saw the April 7th Final Game between Memphis and Kansas.  Like many others-well most others-I did not see Kansas as winning the game. 

Memphis had the hot hand for most of the year and they slayed some giants-including UCLA, who in the last few years have been reborn,  made the final game in 2006 (and lost to a University of Florida team that also had the hot hand and slayed some mighy giants along their way) and like both Kansas and Memphis, was a #1 seed.

I like many others, should have known something was up when Kansas not only got past the hugely powerful University of North Carolina (holder of the 2005 championship and a storied program in its own right like Kansas), but beat them decisively.  Not a homicide, like some of the games North Carolina and Memphis played in the tournament against some good teams. (My philosophy is when you are down to two minutes in the 2nd half and you are down by at least 15-20 points, it is so time to call it a day.  Any effort you are expending there is really just exercise-you are not going to win, much less catch up.)

Kansas started the way that I would have expected anyone not so favoured (and you better believe Memphis was favoured-even at the Final Four level) they came right out a runnin' and a gunnin'.  Memphis answered with some gunslingers of their own.  The game was close until we reached the half, where Kansas did pull out ahead a bit.  As most analysts surmised, while Memphis had its gunslingers, Kansas was keeping them from making those perimeter shots for which they became known.  They were also not make better use of just taking it into the basket.

The story turned when Derrick Rose hit a spectacular three between the 6 and 8 minute marks and got Memphis into the lead for the first time. And he kept it up and got some great support from his teammates.  During this run, Kansas' coach Bill Self called a timeout that clearly said, " we need to adjust this."  Kansas came back and battled back with less than 2 minutes and one basket away from a tie.  A foul sent Derrick Rose from Memphis to the line and he hit only one of his two free throws (poor free throw shooting would be one of the nails in the coffin for Memphis.  At least twice in the remaining minute of the 2nd half, Memphis could have sealed their win with their free throws, but came up empty). 

Then Mario Chalmers, in the remaining 10 seconds of the 2nd half, made a "hail mary-bam baby" 3 pointer that they are still talking about at this moment.  It's one thing to see if after the fact and rerun out of context as a part of a news item.  It's another thing to see it as it happened.  People take about making the game changing shot-the big play that saves the day.  Well, "Super Mario" made it.  It would say that it even rivals that oft-aired Grant Hill-Christian Laettner lay up of 1991.  Kansas exploded and the game went into OT (overtime)-which I hoped they would. 

I must say that I could have lived with either team winning.  I respect both programs though they took out my perennial favorites (I know you'll do it next year UCLA and Georgetown!).  Admittedly, I was pulling a little for Kansas because of the perfect symmetry of their story.  It was 20 years ago that "Danny Manning and the Miracles," coached by Larry Brown (when his hair was brown) brought home Kansas' 2nd championship after a 36-year drought (the last one was won by the grand architect of the Kansas program-the coach oft spoken off in reverent overtones, Phog Allen.) Danny Manning is currently an assistant coach for Kansas-perhaps his presence gave them luck.  I kinda believe in that kind of lucky karma.  I noted that Michigan State's 2000 win might have owed something to the fact that the person that made the 1979 win for Michigan State-Magic Johnson-was there cheering them on.  I noted for UCLA's run in 2006 that Bill Walton was there.  Bill has two wins for UCLA (1972 and 1973), but was handed his only NCAA Final Game loss in 1974 by NC State, a school that would hand another awesome center, recently inducted Hall of Famer Hakeem Olijuwon, a painful defeat in 1983.
I felt that Bill's loss was bad karma and thus UCLA did not win.  (Fear not, this is a running joke I have-Bill Walton is not cursed.)

In OT, Kansas did not throwaway their second chance.  They pulled out ahead and never looked back.  After 5 minutes of OT, it was clear that Kansas, not Memphis would emerge as the champions.

A satisfying game to be sure, where sadly there had to be a "loser."  Memphis had a lot to be proud of and I gotta say, don't know what been put in the water in the Cumberland Gap-Bluegrass area, but they have been coming out with some awesome teams-both men and women's teams. 

Tonight the Lady Vols defend their title against the Lady Cardinals of Stanford.  I may pull a little bit more for the Cardinals.  If they win, they will be able bring home the first NCAA basketball championship for Stanford since 1992. (The men's team had to go back to 1942, when a Cardinal team headed by Jim Pollard and Howie Dallmar brought home the bacon.)  I look forward to seeing Pat Summitt prove why she is the winningest and best college coach around in Division I-that includes both men and women.   

Obama and Rev. Wright's comments:
Please...unfortunately many people will not see this for what it is-someone's way of planting the seed that Barack Obama if elected, will not meet the needs of ALL Americans and that he is one of those "evil" Black Nationalists left over from the 60s and early 70s.

I have often found a certain irony in the fact that I like some tv shows that exclude people that on the surface I would have more in common with than the characters on those shows.

For example, today on hulu.com, I am mining the 'Kojak' archives.  This is still to me one of the more rough cop shows around.  And is quite the posterchild for testosterone. I don't think growing up there was ever a female cop in Kojak's stable and there was no real room on this series for what is usually considered "feminine."  However, I love this series.  My mother and I used to joke that if Kojak and [Steve]
McGarrett were on the case, there would be no crack problem in America.

Most of the soaps that I watch, especially ones that take place in locations like Los Angeles, apparently suffer from a disease where the people of colour have died from some mysterious disease.

Well, I hate to say it, but one of the recommendations from the 'Today Show' paid off.  Hulu.com , a website that seems to house the tv shows and movies NBC Universal owns, has been my thing of late.  CBS Paramount need not worry-I will still go there for my daily soap dose and for the 'Twilight Zone' and  for "Five-0." 

Today I got to "see" 'Benson,' 'Lou Grant,' 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' (an interesting episode with Lorne Greene),  'S.W.AT.,' and of course "The Crow: Stairway to Heaven."  I wish they would show this instead of infomercials in the wee hours or reality shows that have no point to them-especially 'Lou Grant'.  I would say that I wish there was a show like 'Lou Grant,' but then I am reminded that on cable a series like that but gritty in a way I am sure 'Lou Grant' wishes that it been just finished its run-'The Wire.'

• I attended a forum at Harvard's Stem Cell Institute.
  It was an interesting overview of what types of research is going on right now for the use of stem cells in some of the major diseases that are killing us, such as diabetes, and heart disease.  I liked it fine, since that is where my interests lie-gene therapy.  I also got a chance to look at Harvard Dept of Molecular and Cellular Biology-one of the many possibilities for school.

• I realized that tv blows at certain hours of the day.
  I am so not the 'Rachel Ray'-'The View' person and 'Jerry Springer' lost it's entertainment value for me around 2000.  'Maury Povich' basically three programs: "Who's my baby's daddy?", "Amazing Animals" and "Amazing Videos."

• I came to the realization that I need to have my Wednesdays or Thursdays back.

• I found lots of websites that will show full episodes of classic TV.
  A bit like having the radio experience at work. 
  The sites I frequent are: CBS.COM, NBC.COM and now HULU.COM. Oddly enough, two of my favorites moments have come from the dreadful Season Three of 'Star Trek' TOS.  In 'All Our Yesterdays,'  I love the scene where Spock essentially snaps McCoy's whole body and I liked the exchange when he and McCoy really go head to head.  I love reinterpreting some of this dialogue in Ghetto-ese: "Oh hell No!  You are not trying to score while our captain is out there you know where in danger! "  or "you know, you done called me out of my name just one too many times.  Do it again and see what happens..."
  The 'Turnabout Intruder' episode is sexist in the extreme.  For some reason I liked the Spock, Sulu, and Scott speeches (though Scotty's was a little long-we got already that Scott had seen many sides of the captain through the first three adjectives he dropped on us.)  I suppose it was something about the letter "S" in the writers' room that day.
  I have often said regarding the 'Galileo Seven' episode that Spock should have said to McCoy, "You open your mouth one more time and you will be walking home.  See if you don't."

• I could just throw some dates on the calendar and see what sticks.
  One that I will do is combine this with dinner afterwards:
  http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/berkmanat10/2008/03/stone

• I have started being more conscientious about my blogging
  I did take up the pledge to blog 365 and I want to keep it.

• I learned that apparently the W3 Foundation offers free web building tutorials that go beyond HTML                                                                                                                                                           Look what I found in an email digest from the asklizryan group: http://www.w3schools.com/
   
• I found out that People R Stoopid
  I think that now former Governor Spitzer should have watched "American Gangster" and have heeded Frank Lucas' admonition about the loudest one being the weakest link if he wanted to getaway with it.
  I also think that I love that this guy got caught because I bet that this is the more typical profile of the john that gets involved.

• I learned that American needs to make or get off the pot when it comes to math and science.                I've been listening to the 'Two Million Minutes' interview on 'On Point.'                                                                Totally homeschooling my future children now.  There is also a blog about this at their website: http://www.2mm.typepad.com/
  

When did you really get to make a difference for someone else? 
Submitted by bodhibound.

For me that is when

What work of art (film, book, record, whatever) changed your life?
Submitted by bodhibound.

Films

-Film: Say Anything
It was the first film that I can truly say that I fell in love with John Cusack

-Film: (TV)
I don't Like it here Anymore
A film that starred Talia Shire and Burt (Adrian and Paulie from the Rocky movies) that introduced me to the concept of death and that kids can die if they run out in front of a car...

-Film: (Holiday-TV)
Dark Night of the Scarecrow
The first tv-film that truly gave me nightmares.  I still find it creepy today as desensitized to gore as I am these days.

-Film: (Holiday)
The Amityville Horror
The first film that truly gave me nightmares.  I still remember my mother being upset with my aunt for taking us wee ones to it.  I also remember finding out that Siskel and Ebert of then "Sneak Previews" said that this was not a film for children and so being a long love affair with the reviews of these two gentlemen, who sadly have been hit by cancer-Gene Siskel succumbing to it and Roger Ebert battling back to it.

I also have to mention Scrooge, starring Albert Finney.  The songs in this are plain fun but they also speak to Dickens' themes more than any other production I have seen.

-Animated Film (US): The Rats of Nimh
Don Bluth hit it out of the park with this film that introduced me to the voice at least of John Carradine, David, Keith and Robert's dad.  A story simply told with a mom (albeit a mouse) as the hero and not shown nearly enough.  It does justice to the book, which is Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.  When I look back at the animated movies put out by the US that were and are good, this one comes to mind immediately.

-Animated Film (US): The Last Unicorn
I saw this recently and it still holds up (though I can see how the soundtrack by the group 'America' could get on your nerves if you are not a fan of folk/filk/soft rock).  Peter Beagle, the author of the story the movie is based on, did the script and it works well alongside of the compelling imagery.  This was one of if not the best of Rankin-Bass's fantasy output (those guys who were responsible for the holiday cartoons that we skewer every year along with things like the Thundercats, which a work like The Last Unicorn foreshadows a bit as a signal for the direction this company takes in the stories it decides to tell-less holiday and music groups and more fantasy and action).  This is the other film I hold up when I say that there were some good animation of the 80s from the US.  I always remembered one of the themes of this movie, which is that people see what they want to see and not  what is really there.  I've been better about seeing what is there.

-Animated Film (Japan): The Wings of Honnemaise
I saw this as a young adult.  It was made in the 80s and had a lot to say about faith and science.  People generally cite "Akira" as the great Japanese animated film of the 80s, but I think that people should look at this one too. 

I also have to mention here the Robotech series as it is known in the US.  There had been other Japanese imports before and since but if there was ever one that could play with the big dogs in terms of sweeping tv miniseries epics, it's this one.  More mature than anything shown on broadcast tv at the time and somewhat since, this series focused not just on the battle and good vs evil but on all the thorny issues that foreshadowed the writing on series like Firefly, some episodes of Star Trek: DS9, and the rebooted Battlestar Galactica.

One of the biggest strengths of the writing in this series are the little moments.  To this day, one of my favorite scenes is when soldier Scott Bernard blushes as he zips up the dress of the beautiful and quiet Marlena 2.0 (she was given the name Marlena after his dead fiancee when she was found.  She later turns out to be an alien and one of the enemy and her name is Ariel-aren't they all named Ariel?) in a sequence that leads up to what becomes a romantic outing for two of the last people that you'd suspect would be attracted to each other.