Wednesday, September 03, 2003

A little something is born and a little something dies with each season change. Yesterday evening I picked up Eli to go play catch (we didnt think many folks would show up for softball because of the rain, and yup, nobody else did) at Wightman field. School started last week, and I think last week was perhaps the last Tuesday softball game, because despite the rain and mud, there was little league soccer in left field, and girls field hockey in right field. Looks like both organizations have Wightman as their regular practice spot? Does anybody remember from last year how it panned out? Anyways, I'm grateful for a good summer of softball fun, and looks like Sunday softball is still on. Plus, now there's Cathedral lawn soccer on Friday's . . . So something dies, something's born.

Sofia Coppola is not only a subtly attractive woman, but talented and intelligent as well. She's well within my age bracket for chix, trouble is she' maybe married and definitley running in different circles than I do. Anyways, I'll still go check out her upcoming film, Lost in Translation if I can help it. it also has Bill Murray in it. I'm looking forward to seeing him in a role where he is not a loser (Royal Tannenbaums, Rushmore). Maybe it's just those Wilson brothers who like to cast him as a loser.

Tuesday, September 02, 2003

A link describing Stylistic Vices
On another note, here's a good piece from the NY Times on String Theory for all you physics people. It's kind of the Seinfeld of Physics:

Dr. Michael Douglas of Rutgers and the Institute of Advanced Scientific Studies, near Paris, called the plethora of string universes "the Alice's Restaurant" problem.
"You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant," he said. "Is this a theory of something, very many things or nothing? That's what we're trying to establish."


Way to go, Papa!!! Dr. Kevan Yenerall has a new book coming out called Seeing the Bigger Picture. From the Clarion University Newswire, April 30, 2002, a few words about the paper (relevant to the book) he and his colleague Mark Sachleben presented:

YENERALL PRESENTS POLITICS AND FILM PAPER
Kevan M. Yenerall, assistant professor of political science, presented the paper "Seeing the Bigger Picture: Understanding Politics Through Film and Television" at the annual meeting of the Midwestern Political Science Association in Chicago, Ill., April 25-28. The paper was co-authored with Mark Sachleben of Miami University.

"Seeing the Bigger Picture" outlines how the medium of film and the moving image can be employed in the political science classroom. Specifically, Yenerall and Sachleben address the benefits and drawbacks of using film in the classroom, the importance of providing alternative and diverse viewpoints through film, and offer several specific assignments and discussion questions designed to spark critical thinking, discussion and debate in the areas of American politics and international relations. The authors review film and video dealing with globalization, neocolonialism, the presidency, and civil rights and social justice.

Yenerall developed the course "Politics and Film" (PS 301) at Clarion University and also directs an annual Politics and Film series. The second film series will commence in the fall of 2002.


Kevan has a truly distinctive perspective on movies, as evidenced one fine sunday evening at Dee's Cafe when he brought by the movie Gramps starring Andy Griffith.
"That may work in the real world,
but how does it stand up as a theory?"
--Anonymous Frenchman

Sunday, August 31, 2003

Erin and Dan Brown have some great stuff going on at the Renaissance Fair (and who wouldn't want to be King or Queen?) Huzzah!!! Huzzah!!! Huzzah!!! I think this weekend or next, I'd like to go check my pals out at the Renaissance Fair. One of my favorites is the mud show, but one piece of advice, don't sit too close. ;)