An old-fashioned movie
The cinema exerts so powerful and personal an effect on the senses and the spirit that viewers often feel an intense emotional connection with particular movies, especially from their own pasts, far exceeding their reactions to other kinds of art and perhaps even to life itself. In part because of the sheer physical act of…
A ‘Whale’ of a film
It has won audience awards at film fests from Rotterdam to Sundance, but no trophy is more impressive than the one Whale Rider earned at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival. In the seven years I’ve been attending Toronto, the audience has only abused its power once, for 1997’s The Hanging Garden (it had the…
A 30-year Journey
Any band that has survived career ups and downs, fickle music trends, and its own personal obstacles to achieve a certain degree of rock ‘n’ roll tenure has done so by making no distinctions between the past and present. Journey guitarist Neal Schon considers it all, well, one big journey: a journey where the…
The test tyranny
I’ve been hearing the term “high-stakes testing” for several years, but my brain had just filed it away with a ton of other education jargon. Made little sense. Had little relevance. Then I read about the Regents math test, and I got it. And just retched. One of our children — now grown…
News briefs 7.2.03
The treasure that lies buried “We’re all looking for that big treasure,” says John Howard. “It’s the thrill of the hunt. You don’t know what you’re going to find.” Howard is president of the Genesee Valley Treasure Seekers, a group of about 50 people that gets together on a regular basis to metal detect.…
Reader Feedback 7.2.03
Brainy wrestlers, fighting spraying, downtown development
Fighting terrorism with drug money
County Executive Jack Doyle wants to use grant money designated to help fight the drug war to help fight the war on terrorism when that fight shifts to the PGA Championship at Oak Hill County Club this August. In a May 5 referral to the County Legislature, Doyle wrote that the PGA Championship “is…
The XX Files
I confess to feeling more than just a little freaked out by all these stories lately about violence against women. I’m not alone; a recent poll shows that the top priority of women, over abortion and equal pay, is finding a solution to domestic violence. When they’re not abducting or raping, men seem to…
Return to Stratford
The last three plays of Stratford’s opening week were less spectacular but more unusual than the opening three. Two are seldom seen onstage, and I wish I could say that about the third. Although the smaller musical’s title might evoke a show as lovable as The King and I, its French belle époque amorality comes…
Alan’s angels
Part one of a two-part series. Read Part two here. Alan Hevesi holds a deceptively low-key position in state government. As New York’s comptroller, he oversees the pension fund for state and local government employees. His office also serves as the state’s auditor and bookkeeper, and as such, it analyzes the budgets of municipalities,…
Finger-gnawing fun
Last time out. Montreal (8-3-3, 27 points) had its full complement of ex-Rhinos on the field (Martin Nash, Mauro Biello, Eduardo Sebrango, and Gabriel Gervais), but that dog refused to hunt as Rochester (8-4-2, 26) denied the Impact a third straight win, netting a 2-0 victory at Frontier on a lovely Saturday night. Montreal’s loss,…
