Friday, November 15, 2013

Six Tips for Writing Sketch Comedy

So you want to do improv, do you? Take it from someone who’s been bruised, battered and knocked around for about a year at the Second City Training Center in Chicago, but FINALLY got something on stage. Here’s 7 tips that can help you get on stage.


1. Yes… And
This principle is what makes improv work. It's not just making things up on the spot, it's building off what your fellow performers come up with. If someone comes up with an idea, then you HAVE to say "yes... and", at least in your head. If someone says, "I want to bring my gorilla to the bar", your response is, "Yes, and you can bring your cheetah."


2. Writing is nothing like improv.
Here's the thing about the writing sketch comedy: It is VERY serious. I took one improv class. The rest of my time has been devoted to writing a sketch. It takes serious commitment to figure out what works in these sketches and what doesn’t. Suck it up and get your brain ready. You will have fun in improv, but when you have to write a sketch every single week, you will get stressed out. Speaking of which,


3. Be creative, but smart
When writing a sketch, think about what you're writing. Don't be offensive, it's too easy. Try to be relevant, instead. Even then, there's difficulty. Making fun of a political sex scandal is always relevant. Making fun of some news story that might not be relevant in three months isn't. One thing you can do is make fun of everyday life, like a couple arguing over their love life or even writing a parody of a TV show or movie. Oh, but know this:


4. Be prepared for criticism.
If you can't take criticism, DO NOT write comedy. You need to write a sketch every single week and then bring it in front of someone you trust. They will then critique the sketch based on whether it follows the scene structure, if the characters are realistic, or if this can be staged. Sometimes, the sketch you thought was perfect will be TORN TO SHREDS.


5. Be prepared for rejection, too
And when you are submitting your sketch to an agent, you will need to be prepared for rejection. If your sketch follows the right structure, has human characters and is stageable, it will pass. If not, good luck finding another agent!


6. It's all worth it in the end
You've been working for a year, you've written upwards of 50+ sketches, you've had ideas torn to shreds, but when you get the right one, it will be performed live on stage at The Second City. Now you just have to see if the audience will laugh at your sketch...

Yes, it's blunt, but in this world, perhaps we need to be straight-forward. If you want to have fun taking a class at Second City, take improv. If you want to take writing, go ahead, but good luck. You're gonna need a lot of it.

Monday, November 4, 2013

Good Pitch Chicago

Last week, I had the privilege and honor of being invited to the first-ever Good Pitch Chicago, an amazing day-long event where celebrities can be spotted and documentary filmmakers pitch their films in hopes of getting funding.

The long slog on the El to the Cultural Center, where Good Pitch took place, was worth it because I got a real taste of part of the career I’m building in media and communications.  Enriching? Yes! Enlightening? No doubt! 

Good Pitch is a project by both BRITDOC and the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program. The first Good Pitch event was held in the UK about six years ago. Last year, two out of the five documentaries nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary were financed by Good Pitch.

The directors and producers of the eight documentaries showcased at Good Pitch had about seven minutes to pitch their film in front of a roundtable which is made up of about 8 to 10 people who are already aware of the documentaries’ premises and want to help finance and market the films. The films are also given the chance to be financed by guests in the audience, who volunteered money and support for the films.

The film I was sent to cover, “Becoming Bulletproof”, is a documentary about a camp in Vermont where people with disabilities can make movies. The movie the documentary was about is titled “Bulletproof”, a rip-roaring Western starring individuals with disabilities.

The other documentary that I saw being pitched, which was looked at right before “Becoming Bulletproof”, was a film called “Dreamcatchers”, about a non-profit organization called the Dreamcatcher Foundation, which helps get prostitutes off the streets and into safe houses.
Kim Loningotto, left, and Lisa Stevens, right, pitch their film "The Dreamcatchers"

“Dreamcatchers” was pretty powerful. The film was hard-hitting, emotional and pretty audacious. The women from the non-profit organization Dreamcatchers were risking retaliation by driving up to the prostitutes and (figuratively) pulling them into their car and driving away. There was no music in the trailer that I saw, only raw footage and emotions.

As a result of the trailer, the organization received plenty of donations and audience members donated enough to build solar panels for the Dreamcatchers safe house. I think the “Dreamcatchers” pitch was successful, much to the relief of the filmmakers, who looked rather nervous (which is understandable) throughout the pitch.

“Becoming Bulletproof” was pitched by Theodore James, the producer, and Mike Barnett, the director. They noted that there were only six characters on TV with disabilities, and of those six only one character was played by an actor with an actual disability. The filmmakers intended to use this film to raise awareness of the problem around Hollywood and actors playing individuals with disabilities and they needed $130,000 to finish the film.
Theodore James (left) and Mike Barnett (right) speak to the roundtable on"Becoming Bulletproof"

Their pitch was a good start, but it received some skeptical reactions from the roundtable. The first half of the trailer looked like the kind of movie that would help serve its purpose, but the second half began to slip into the typical Hollywood “inspirational” depictions of people with disabilities. While the trailer was pretty good and I assume the actual movie is better, the reaction to the trailer from the roundtable was… less than ideal.

Much of the complaints to the trailer revolved around the way it was presented. Much of the depictions of individuals with disabilities in media are of the sappy, schmaltzy, sentimental and inspirational type that have become a cliché. Indeed, the filmmakers acknowledged this, saying they made the trailer for a specific reason.

Still, the discussion afterward was rather enlightening. The roundtable included the likes of Jeff Prechter of the Prechter Foundation, who donated $75,000 for the camp itself, Lois Vossen of the PBS series “IndependentLens”, JJ Hanley, the founder of jjslist.com and Emily Smith of the Arts of Life Foundation. Much of the roundtable agreed that the film was a good start, but would have to be improved before it’s shown to the general public.

However, the filmmakers, to their credit, understood that a stamp of approval wasn’t good enough. Instead, they were asking for advice from the roundtable about how to improve the film. One thing they did get though, was a different stamp of approval. They had brought a man named AJ, a man with Cerebral Palsy who was the star of “Bulletproof”. A woman named Emily Verelien Strom was in the audience and she offered to give AJ a meeting with her husband, who is an agent at the Creative Artists Agency.
AJ speaks to the panel and audience.

The filmmakers did not get the $130,000 they needed, but they did come away with some good advice. I took away a sense of direction, if not accomplishment from these filmmakers. Although they’d been constructively hammered throughout the hour-long pitch.

I felt that the filmmakers were treading a thin line with the work they’d already done. As I mentioned previously, most depictions of people with disabilities tend to be of the inspirational, sentimental type which really comes across as patronizing. The thing about the depictions of people with disabilities is that there’s a thin line between accurate, empowering, sentimental and patronizing. The filmmakers honestly want to tell the right story, but they’ll need to improve it until they get the depiction they want to show.

Pictures courtesy of James Richards IV

Update: Here's a story about the Dreamcatcher Foundation from WBEZ. Link here.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Blackhawks-Sabres Recap

Patrick Kane scored a goal against his hometown Buffalo Sabres tonight as the Blackhawks played the second of their back-to-back games at the United Center, winning a surprisingly tight game against the points-wise worst team in the NHL.

Brandon Pirri made his first appearance for the Hawks this season. The long-time Rockford star was due for a chance and it came tonight. He was on the fourth line with Brandon Bollig and Ben Smith.

Part of the reason for the tight score was because of the work of Ryan Miller, the 2010 Olympic MVP, making 38 saves but his team failed to provide any offense until the third period. The Hawks slipped two past Miller though, the first salvo coming from Winston-Salem, NC product Ben Smith, who deflected a Brent Seabrook shot for his first of the season.

The second goal came from Patrick Kane in the second period on a Power Play goal with an assist from Patrick Sharp (who was playing in his 600th NHL game). Drew Stafford got the Sabres closer, but it wasn't enough and the Hawks held off the Sabres for the rest of the game despite a flurry of shots from the Sabres.

We mentioned Ryan Miller earlier, but we cannot ignore the Hawks netminder Corey Crawford. Crow saved 28 shots,showing he's starting to get comfortable in net again. The Hawks also dominated possession and out-shot the Sabres 20-6 in the first period.

The only reason the game was as close as it was, was because of the stellar play of Ryan Miller. And yet for Ryan Miller, it's becoming obvious he's not fitting in at Buffalo anymore. Their lack off offense is not helping him at all. It's a shame, since he's a former Vezina Trophy winner and as I mentioned earlier, Olympic MVP. There was once a (horrible) rumor that the Hawks might trade Patrick Kane for Miller, but it's looking less likely, especially since the Hawks have every intention of keeping the Buffalo native.

As for the Hawks play, I have few complaints. After the bad two-game losing streak, it's good to see the Hawks starting to really gel and come together as a team. This should have been an easy win, but Buffalo is better than their record really indicates, since they do have an exceptional goalie. I want to see how the Hawks build on this two-game winning streak as they head to Raleigh to take on the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday.

Friday, October 11, 2013

Blackhawks Vs Isles Recap: About Time!

After two bad wins, the Blackhawks welcomed the New York Islanders to the United Center for the first of two games in two days at the UC. On the night the US Soccer team beat Jamaica and clinched first place in the CONCACAF qualifiers, the Blackhawks recovered from their two-game losing streak to beat the Islanders 3-2.

There was a change in the line-up tonight. One-time Hawks goalie Nikolai Khabibulin was placed in goal, presumably to give Corey Crawford some time to rest. Given how Crawford's had a rough couple of games, I can believe that Crawford appreciated the time off. Quenneville also played with the lines, putting Bryan Bickell on the third line and put Andrew Shaw on the second line. Michal Handzus was also placed on the fourth line at center. Brandon Saad joined Kane and Toews on the first line.

The Blackhawks struck first as rookie Joakim Nordstrom put the Hawks up at 9:32 in the first period. It was the first NHL goal for the Swedish Hawk Mafia's newest member. Then the Captain, Jonathan Toews, put the Hawks up 2-0 a couple minutes later.

But the Islanders took advantage of the Hawks' defensive weakness and scored two unanswered goals near the end of the first period. Josh Bailey and Kyle Okposo both scored 2 minutes and 56 seconds apart and Okposo's goal came with 4.8 ticks remaining in the first period.

Thankfully, the Hawks regrouped and prevented any more goals. Khabibulin stopped 17 of 19 shots total in the game. Michal Handzus put the Hawks up for good at 6:45 in the second period. This time, the Hawks killed every penalty that came afterwards after three games of a bad penalty kill.

This was the game I had been waiting for! The Hawks did not panic after giving up those two goals in the first period. But, they need to stop giving up goals in bulk, so there's plenty to work on. As for Khabibulin, he's still the Bulin Wall of old, and tonight was win t'ree t'irdy t'ree for him. I think this win was a small, but important step towards repeating a Cup championship. They felt like they'd been robbed of three points in the last two games, so to get both points was big. They play the Buffalo Sabers tomorrow night at 7:00.

In other updates, the Hawks have recalled Brandon Pirri from Rockford and sent Jimmy Hayes down to Rockford. Pirri should play tomorrow night.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Bears Recap: NOW We're Talking!

Okay, so after a bad sports weekend and a horrible loss for the Hawks last night, I FINALLY get a good result for my team, and that's... Da Bearsss. The Bears beat the New York Football Giants 27-21 in a fairly well-executed game for a Thursday Night Football national audience. The Giants came into the game with an 0-5 record.

Okay, the defense could have been better, but the offense really stepped up tonight. "Good Jay" was in the building tonight, as he threw for 262 yards, completing a total of 24 out of 36 pass attempts, had a passer rating of 106.5 and connected with Brandon Marshall in the end zone twice. As for the defense, well, it could have been better. Now granted, they were missing Stephen Paea, Henry Melton and Charles Tillman, but SIU grand Brandon Jacobs ran for 106 yards and two TDs.

But, the Bears intercepted a struggling Eli Manning three times, including a Pick-Six by Tim Jennings. So I guess there's a silver lining in that cloud. Jennings' second interception sealed the win with 1:54 left in the game. At one point the Bears were up by 13, but a Brandon Jacobs touchdown cut that lead to 6.

Eli himself threw for 239 yards, completing 14 of 26 passes and a touchdown, as well as those previously-mentioned interceptions. He was intercepted 44 seconds into the game and then on the Giants' second drive, on Jennings' pick-6. Brandon Jacobs then scored on a 4-yard run to tie the game.

But the Bears responded, and Jay and Brandon connected on their first touchdown pass to put them up. But then Rueben Randle caught a 37 yard pass from Eli to tie the game. But the Bears took control, and Cutler and Marshall connected again on a 3-yard pass. Robbie Gould kicked two field goals that in the end, put the game out of reach for the G-Men.

Okay, defense aside (which is admittedly struggling and banged up), this was a good game for the Bears. I always like seeing Good Jay showing up, but I would appreciate it if he consistently showed up. That being said, I thought Cutler did an excellent job after two very bad outings in the previous two weeks. As for Brandon Marshall, those green shoes he wore did the trick. I think he should wear them more often, NFL fines be damned.

It's also pretty surprising these Giants are 0-6. They could have easily won this game, but the Bears definitely took them seriously. It's a step in the right direction for the Bears, and hopefully they'll use the extra three days to figure things out before they take on RGIII and the struggling Washington team.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Blackhawks vs Blues Recap: Oh, Jeez.

The Hawks had a chance to take control of the new NHL Central Division tonight. Instead, they ended up the victims of St. Louis's biggest sports night of the year, losing 3-2 to the Blues on the night the Cardinals clinched a spot in the NLCS. And while it's still only the third game of an 82-game season, this still should have been better.

First, let's start off with the good parts: The Hawks are very dangerous on the Power Play. Both goals came seconds after the Blues scored, and during the Power Play. Also, Corey Crawford, was exceptional, making 31 saves against the Blues. The game itself was a good back-and-forth battle between two very good teams and involved a lot of physical play.

But sadly, the Hawks gave up 3 goals, the last of which they'll want back.

Make no mistake the Blues came to play tonight. They've had to watch the Hawks while they've won the Cup twice in four years and they were no doubt envious of the Hawks' success. They made damn sure every goal the Hawks scored, they earned it.

The Blues opened the scoring on a Vladimir Tarasenko goal on an odd-man rush that beat Corey Crawford. Patrick Kane answered 77 seconds later on the Power Play, which was a dumb penalty given up by the Blues. Then David Backes deflected a Steven Pierangelo shot, which was answered by Toews about 39 second later.

The third period itself was scoreless until 21 second left. The Hawks were going for the jugular against the Blues and looked as if they were about to put the Blues on the brink before a bad Brent Seabrook hit allowed the Blues to go in transition on a 3-on-1 and race up the ice for the score. The Hawks pulled Crawford to no avail and the Blues took the first meeting between the two teams.

Just like with the Lightning game, I'm beginning to wonder if the Stanley Cup Hangover is affecting these players this year. This team has been picked to repeat as champs, yet they keep letting teams get to them easily. If they can't put away opponents, I have a very bad feeling for the rest of the season. The good thing is, it's only the beginning. The bad part is, I want to see them storm out of the gate. Only time will tell, but they had better get their act together, or it's good-bye Lord Stanley.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Blackhawks vs Blues Preview

NBC has been pushing the Blackhawks-Blues rivalry, although it's not without reason or history. With the Red Wings moving to the Eastern Conference, the Hawks won't have chants of "DEE-TROIT SUCKS!" raining down from the rafters as much and they'll need a new rival. That rival is the St. Louis Blues, which essentially makes this the Cardinals-Cubs rivalry with the colors switched.

The Hawks and Blues were big rivals in the old Norris AKA "Black and Blue" Division in the late '80s and early '90s. Their playoff series were tough, physical and heated, their rivalry culminating in a massive series of brawls on St. Patrick's Day, 1991, an event popularly known as the St Patrick's Day Massacre. Six players on each team, which added up to a total of twelve, were ejected. A video of the incident is available on YouTube.

Of course now, the Hawks-Blues rivalry is starting to heat up and tomorrow, the two teams play in their first game of the year. The Hawks are built on speed, quickness, the Blues on big bodies and bruising hits. It looks to be an old Norris Division match-up transplanted into the modern age.

One member of the Hawks who has an interest in this match-up is Brandon Bollig, a St. Louis native himself. He's said that this is one of the games the Hawks have circled on their calenders, and they should come out swinging against the Blues. They'll need to.

The Blues as a whole have only allowed a total of two goals the entire season. The Hawks will have to get past Jaroslav Halak, who looks to be the Blues' starting goalie on Wednesday. The Blues also added top defensemen Jay Bouwmeester and Jordan Leopold, so expect the Blues to be pretty defensive. But they also inked forwards Brenden Morrow and Derek Roy for some offensive firepower.

Experts have been picking the Blues to be a challenge for the Hawks, so don't expect an easy victory. The two teams will be very evenly matched. The new alignment also adds weight to this match-up, as the top 3 teams in each division move onto the playoffs, and there's the possibility the Hawks and Blues will meet in the playoffs. I expect the Hawks to win, but it will not be easy at all. In fact, it should be fun.

Monday, October 7, 2013

What Are Republicans Doing?

First the government shutdown and now this? Boehner's willing to put the debt ceiling on the line just to deal with Obamacare? Oy vey, this is getting crazy. I thought Republicans were crazy two years ago. Now, I'm beginning to wonder of they're down right insane. This is not a game. They're playing with the economic health and vitality of the United States of America here.

Republicans played this game two years ago during the whole debt ceiling debate. They're pretending that defaulting on our loans won't be too bad. Um, didn't they see what happened when Greece went through a similar crisis? I can't believe how crazy they're getting when it comes to our debt.

The Republicans keep on talking aboutr how they want to reduce the deficit and Obama's the worst thing to happen to it. Here's the thing: I KNOW we have a huge deficit, but it's because the last guy caused it!

When George W. Bush came into office, the US had a $280 billion dollar surplus. Eight years of George W. Bush being George W. Bush gave us the deficit we had today. And while Democrats like President Obama did vote against raising the debt ceiling from time to time, they weren't so stupid as to make a big show out of it just because of one law they didn't like. Yes, that's what all this is about, this is about Obamacare! The Republicans don't want to give Obama a legacy, so they're throwing a fit to get rid of it and this tantrum is economically disastrous.

But getting back to the debt ceiling, you know their antics are getting old when the Chamber of Commerce is telling them to knock it off. That's right, the US Chamber of Commerce, the epitome of evil (sorry, humorous hyperbole) told the GOP to knock it off! If you're thinking about the needs of business and the largest business lobbying group tells you to stop, it's probably a good idea.

Honestly, this whole government shutdown thing was doomed to fail for the Republicans. A PPP poll has already shown that voters are thinking about punishing the Republicans for their behavior. But, given that many of these Republicans come from "safe" districts, don't get your hopes up. And if you can, call your congressman and get them to do something about this, because we're playing with the economic health of our country for crying out loud!

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Sunday Night Quarterbacking: Are You Serious?

Sigh... this hasn't been a good sports weekend for me. The Hawks somehow lost, Northwestern (I didn't go there, but I happen to like them) couldn't keep up with Ohio State and now this. The Bears turned into turkeys today against the New Orleans Saints.

The Saints showed they're one of the best offensive teams in the NFL today. And the Bears, well, they still need some work done. They suffered from multiple pass protection breakdowns and were flagged for 6 penalties while only accumulating a grand total of 12 minutes of possession time.

The offense wasn't real bad, though. Alshon Jeffery had over 200 yards of receiving, a personal record for him, and Jay Cutler was able to protect the ball a lot better. But the Saints defense and big mistakes by the Bears offense combined with Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan's schemes, the Saints stopped most of the Bears' drives. Jimmy Graham had 10 receptions for 135 yards, shredding the Bears offense.

The offense only gained two first downs in their first five series, a product of miscues and the Saints defense. The Saints quickly jumped out to a 13-0 lead, helped in part by the Saints blitz play. It took some time before the Bears could finally get on the board, but they had to play from behind the whole game while the Saints offense get having their way with the defense.

Thankfully, they were able to make the necessary adjustments, but by then it was too late. The mistakes that cost the Bears included a fumble by Matt Forte, three sacks on Jay Cutler and Earl Bennett dropping an easy pass on a 4th down situation with just over two minutes left.

I had hoped the Bears could recover from the beating they took last week against the Lions. In a way they did, but the Saints forced them to make the mistakes I keep talking about. When you only have 12 minutes of possession, there's something wrong. Coach Trestman will have to figure out just what happened and make the necessary adjustments.

He's only got until Thursday when the Bears welcome the New York Giants for a Thursday night game. These mistakes cannot be repeated against the Giants, or else this will be a long season with way too many growing pangs.

Saturday, October 5, 2013

NHL: Game 2: What Was That?

I'm beginning to wonder if these Hawks really are suffering from Stanley Cup Hangover, or maybe I'm just overreacting. Either way, I am not happy with that third period against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Or that performance, for that matter. At the same time, you may just have to give the Lightning credit.

The first period between the Hawks and Lightning went completely scoreless, even though the Hawks completely outshot the Bolts 11-0 in that first period. Lightning goalie Ben Bishop kept the Hawks off the score sheet rather well.

But come the second period, the Hawks seemed to find their offense. Patrick Kane jumped on a loose puck about a minute into the period and flipped it into the goal mouth to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead. About ten minutes later, the Hawks went on the Power Play for hooking. Nick Leddy tried to get the puck on goal with Bishop out of the net, but Brandon Saad took advantage of the empty net to knock it in from the left side.

But the Tampa Bay defense and Bishop ended up tightening their grip after that. Despite a horrid offensive performance, Tampa Bay were able to stay in the game and eventually, Tampa Bay captain Martin St. Louis beat Corey Crawford with a backhander with 9:52 left in the game on a Power Play... seems to be familiar. Then Teddy Purcell scored almost 2 minutes later to tie the game.

The Hawks could not find a way past Bishop and a late rush on goal turned up empty for the Hawks. They could not break through in overtime and in a horrid show, did not score once on Bishop in the shoot-out. The only goal in that shootout came from a former enemy in Valterri Filppula.

Honestly, I'm not sure what happened here. I understand that in a long season, losses are inevitable. Still, if you're gonna lose, I'd rather it be because the opponent were simply better that night instead of you just being bad. The Hawks gave up both goals on the power play and then failed to score in the shoot-out. Look, I know there will be losses, but come on. I'm holding this team to a fairly high standard and the penalty kill needs to be improved and fast.

Of course, on the other hand, I do have to give credit to Tampa Bay. They have a good defensive team and even though they were 0-1-0 coming into this game, they didn't play like a bad team. I expect them to be contenders in the new Atlantic Division in the NHL.

So tonight it was a combination of bad play by the Hawks and good play by the Lightning. The Hawks will need to fix the penalty kill soon, otherwise defending that Stanley Cup will be hard. The Hawks next game is this coming Wednesday at the St. Louis Blues.

Friday, October 4, 2013

Native Bechdel Test: Brilliant!

Okay, first off, for those who don't know, the Bechdel Test is a test, thought up by Alison Bechdel in the comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For. In it, one character comes up with their criteria for watching a movie: 1. It must have two or more female characters, 2. who have at least one conversation, 3. about something other than a man or men. While not the end-all-be-all of strong female character litmus tests, it is a good way of ensuring that your women characters are independent and well-represented.

Now then, on to the focus of this blog post. I was on the website Tumblr recently and I came across this post by a user called wolfpangs, who's come up with that they refer to as the "NDN Bechdel Test". It goes like this: "1. Is there an NDN (Native American) in this work of fiction? 2. Is this set in the 20th or 21st century? 3. Is the NDN character just a regular person livin' life (as opposed to serving the protagonist as a spiritual advisor)?"

I gotta say, I loved it immediately. There could probably be a couple changes (like if there is no Native character), but other than that, I think this might be a great idea to ending common cliches when it comes to depiction of Native Americans.

If you've read my blog you've probably noticed my review of "People of the Longhouse" by the Gear family, where I praise them for their (violently) accurate depiction of Native tribal life. I have also written short stories about the Native character Ritchie Metoxen, whose main focus in life is to be a hockey player.

Now, like the original Bechdel Test, this is likely not the end-all-be-all of depictions of Native Americans. But, it's a great start. If you look at a lot of depictions of Native characters (outside of Native-produced media) they usually fall under the "mystical" Indian or "noble savage". Think Pocahontas.

I hate those depictions.

In their attempts to positively portray Native Americans, writers end up perpetrating another stereotype. If you're going to positively portray a Native character, do like I did and just show them to be a normal, every day average Joe more worried about their grades than whether or not their spirit advisee is succeeding.

So, props to wolfpangs for coming up with this idea. I think more authors and scriptwriters should take this into account when writing Native characters--or any other ethnic character, too! The best way to write any character is just to show them living life as we all do! What's so hard about that?

Thursday, October 3, 2013

NHL Fighting: A Catch-22

On Tuesday, Montreal Canadiens enforcer George Parros got into a fight with Toronto Maple Leafs enforcer Colton Orr. An enforcer in hockey is a guy whose job is to get into fights. Well, these two enforcers did, but something happened.

It was basically a fluke accident, which you usually don't see in hockey fights, but is very much a risk. Parros slipped and crashed head-first into the ice. He was carried off the ice with a concussion.

There is a popular saying "I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out.”  Fighting is a major part of the appeal of hockey, aside from its emotional and physical intensity. But Parros's injury is starting to stir debate among fans and journalists about whether fighting has any place in hockey.

There are already a few heavyweights calling for less fighting in the game. Among those is Tampa Bay Lightning GM and former Detroit Red Wings great Steve Yzerman, who told The Dreger Report that players should get a game misconduct penalty for fighting. Also among these voices are Scotty Bowman, who is one of the greatest NHL coaches of all time, Ray Shero of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Jim Rutherford of the Carolina Hurricanes. Bowmen tweeted that players should be polled as to what to do about fighting.

Those players polled recently went 98 percent in favor of keeping fighting in the game. Since the players have to approve any bans, it's likely not going to be approved. “It’s part of the game. It always has [been], and I think it always will be,” said Ottawa Senators forward Chris Neil.

And of course, there's the fans. While a few fans might not like the idea of fighting being the main draw to hockey, many more casual fans are drawn to the fights and to have fighting banned from the league might push them away.

Basically, the NHL is in a catch-22. They want to ensure the safety of their players, but they know that the players and fans want to keep fighting. Right now, I don't see fighting going anywhere. One thing I know can be done is to manage fighting.

Right now the NHL has already taken steps to manage fighting. They have a new rule that tacks on an extra 2 minutes to the usual five for fighting if a player removes his helmet prior to a fight. A lot of good that did Parros, though it should be noted that from this season on, all rookies entering the league must wear a visor, but anyone who doesn't wish to as allowed to keep going without a visor. Parros was one of those grandfathered players. It's possible a visor could have lessened the impact, but it's rather suspect.

The NCAA already banned fighting. Anyone who gets into a fight is kicked out of the game on the spot. I've watched a couple college hockey games and I must say I rather enjoy it, so perhaps banning fighting wouldn't be the end of the world, but as I mentioned previously, the fans and players won't stand for it.

I personally enjoy fights. But I don't want anyone to get truly, seriously hurt by fighting in hockey. I hope that the NHL and NHLPA can come up with a plan to reduce the risk of fighting in the league or else someone might end up getting in a worse situation than George Parros.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Government Shutdown: Can I Complain?

Trust Congress to screw things up monumentally. Oh, don't worry House Republicans, I'll get to you, but right now, there's enough blame to go around. Actually, you know, what? Forget it, this is all the Republican Party's fault, and for a very good reason. Sure, Senate Democrats should have done a better job negotiating, but when there's only one other option that the Republicans have offered, there's little wonder.

All this is because the Republicans wanted to defund/repeal the Affordable Care Act. They've tried to repeal the act more times than Presidents! And, they couldn't control themselves. Case in point, Republican leadership was reportedly unhappy with Ted Cruz making his nearly day-long publicity stunt about Obamacare.

And speaking of Republican leadership, the Washington Post notes that House Speaker John Boehner isn't even in control of his own caucus (this observation has been made by many an observer, so it's hardly new). Boehner originally wanted to fund the government, but the crazies (Teabaggers) in his caucus made him go along with Ted Cruz's defund Obamacare idea.

Republicans have been complaining about the Government for years ever since Obama took office. They didn't like the idea of a Democrat being in charge, so they started throwing temper tantrums to get what they wanted. It didn't quite work out for much of that period, except when they took control at the state level and well, let's just say the result is pretty hard to decide if it's popular or not.

The last time this happened in 1995, it lasted 28 days. The last government shutdown was because of a budget dispute between Newt Gringrich's Republican party and President Bill Clinton. Given how President Obama is universally hated among anyone right of Neil Peart, I don't feel confident this one is going to end any time soon. Sorry everyone who wanted to visit Yosemite (and bad timing, Google!)!

If you want someone to blame, blame House Republicans. Their stubbornness was too much and they should have just agreed to a simple budget compromise to keep the government running. But NNNNNOOOOOOOOO! They had to be the ones who refused to compromise! Yeah, great work, dummies. We'll see you next November.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

NHL Game 1: Hawks Win!

It seems like just yesterday that the Hawks stunned the crowd in Boston to win the Stanley Cup. My, how time flies when you're waiting for hockey to come back. The Hawks opened their season against an always-stacked Washington Capitals club looking to continue the streak of Stanley Cup champions who lose on the day of their banner-raising. The result was a heck of a game.

While the ceremony itself was beautiful, the game itself was pretty intense. It was a tight, back-and forth game for much of the game. In the end, the score read 6-4, but that was a very indicative scoreline. At one point, the Caps lead 4-3 over the Hawks before three third-period goals saved the team.

Brandon Bollig opened the scoring for the game, season and his career in the first period, before Alexander Ovechkin evened the score showing just how good he is. But Patrick Kane scored an equally-impressive goal that put the Hawks up 2-1 just 24 seconds later. Michael Grabovski took advantage of an out-of-place Duncan Keith to pull the Caps even, but Brent Seabrook, who was left all alone, put the Blackhawks back ahead.

The Caps tied the game again on the PP (seems to be a pattern) but Brandon Saad scored on the Power Play to keep the Hawks in the lead. The Caps eventually took a 4-3 lead, but the Hawks came back and won. Johnny Oduya scored what would be the winning goal on his 32nd birthday!

As for the Hawks play, I thought it was impressive considering how emotionally jacked up they must have been. Considering how the NHL is trying to increase scoring, I thought they responded well each time the Caps scored. Heck, they had a comeback, for cryin' out loud!

The Power Play seems to have improved. Saad's PP goal came on fantastic pass from Marian Hossa. Heck, their Penalty Kill was pretty impressive, aside from the PP goals the Caps (who are the best PP team in the league) scored. The Hawks managed to kill a 5-on-3 Penalty late in the third period and Corey Crawford stood on his head to stop the Caps.

The offense of course, was phenomenal. Brandon Bollig is not known for scoring, but the St. Louis native scored his first NHL goal in a most-fitting way. Patrick Kane, Brandon Saad, Brent Seabrook and everyone who scored did their part.

It's only the first game, but I like what I saw. This is still very much the team that won the Stanley Cup in June and they're looking for a chance to repeat. Whether or not they will is in question, but judging from what I saw tonight, they'll be pretty good this year.

Monday, September 30, 2013

Monday Night Quarterbacking: What the Heck Happened?

I guess that 3-0 start for the Bears was too good to be true. Sadly, Bad Jay showed up again and the Bears just disintegrated against the Lions. The Lions for goodness sake! Weren't we supposed to be dominating the NFC North this year?

 The Bears were bad in all ways this past Sunday. Jay Cutler threw two interceptions, the defensive line could not stop Reggie Bush, and the Lions just made the Bears look stupid all Sunday. It was clear that the Bears were not going to go undefeated this year, but it was so utterly total that this loss might be a template for other teams to beat the Bears.

As mentioned previously, Jay Cutler was back to his old self. His throwing motion got worse as the Bears predicament went further south, a problem that was supposed to be fixed by Trestman. Cutler had been dominant in the fourth quarter in the past three weeks, but there was none of that. So what happened? My hypothesis is that the Lions knew this is still Jay Cutler and they took advantage of his mental instability.

And the Bears offense couldn't do anything either! Aside from a Matt Forte run, the Bears mostly had to settle for field goals for much of the game. Oh, and did I mention they were 1-13 on third down conversions? They only third down they had the entire game was with :48 left in the game. Yeah, you're not going to win if you can't convert on third down.

Of course, the defense is not blameless at all her, either. The Lions shredded the Bears defensive line, which was hurting with Henry Melton out for the season and Pat Tillman not 100%. The Lions had 16 plays where they gained 10 or more yards against the Bears. Reggie Bush had 139 yards on 18 carry attempts. Looking at the replay, he made the defense look like idiots.

The worst part is this comes a week before the high-power Saints offense comes to town. The Bears defense will have to watch the game tape, shame themselves and come back. Now granted, they did force a few fumbles (a number of which they could not recover) and they held Calvin Johnson. Also, this bad defense only showed up in the first half. The rest of the game, they were able to contain Bush.

So what happened? The Lions took advantage of the Bears' hiccups, that's what. Cutler picked a bad week to go back to Bad Jay and the Lions made him pay. The defense was still recovering from Henry Melton's injury and the Lions found the gaping holes. Trestman will have his work cut out for him. He'll have to figure out a way to get Jay to drop the "Bad Jay" persona and become the Pro Bowl Quarterback we all know he can be.

There is significant work that will need to be done before Week 5. The Bears offense needs to step up and recover from bad play pretty quickly, or else this will be another year of disappointment. However, before things get worse, I might as well point something out: The Bears are still 3-1. But this game has exposed the Bears flaws. They must be fixed and fast.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

I Want to Travel

Okay, so the subject of this blog post should be obvious. Right now, I'm not sure whether or not I can, but I have my sights set on getting out of my situation and going somewhere, either in the country or out of the country. Right now, my preference would be to leave the country. Part of it is because I want to broaden my horizons, the other part is because I'm getting a little tired of being stuck in my current situation.

If I were to choose where to go, I would go to Europe. I really like watching Rick Steves' travel show and it gives me a chance to look at far-away places. Out of the places in Europe I would like to go, it would have to be Ireland, Britain, France and Germany. Ireland because it's my ancestral homeland, Britain partly because of football (where you use your foot), its own sights, France because it's well, France, and Germany because there's something about that place. I can't really explain.

Okay, so enough about where I want to go. I need to get out of my lousy situation and bad. I have sort of a wanderlust now, but because I'm not sure if I can afford to go, I'm stuck. I want to go and see other places. I want to see Niagara Falls again, maybe go to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, go to Cooperstown, see Boston, etc, etc, etc.

Sadly, I'm stuck in my situation and it doesn't look like I'm going anywhere any time soon, unless something happens. Although I did take a trip up to Wisconsin in June, and aside from the part of the trip I spent in Milwaukee, I felt very underwhelmed with the trip. I guess I could find a way to make my trips better. I found the town I visited to be very dull and I had a rough time with the public transportation. These lessons should be obvious for a future trip.

Until then, I'm stuck in my situation and putting my characters in far-off locales. It sucks, but It's all I can do for now.

Saturday, September 28, 2013

White Sox 2013: What Went Wrong?

Jeez, what a season! And that's not in a good way. It's a good thing Chicago had the Hawks, and will have the Bulls, Bears and Hawks (again) this year, because baseball has been horrendous. The team on the North Side has always been horrendous and thus shall remain irrelevant, so the team on the South Side is the big question. Just what in the world happened!?

While the White Sox did not end with 100 losses, 63-99 is absolutely unacceptable. The problem is not only that they finished with this record, it's how they finished with it. This year was the first year for GM Rick Hahn, who took over for Kenny Williams after the collapse of last year. Hahn didn't really do much in the off-season, and it clearly cost him with this horrible team.

The team's defense is arguably the biggest reason for this team's horrible record. Last year the Sox had the best defense in the Majors, which was arguably a big reason why they led the AL Central for much of the year. Their .9883 fielding percentage and 70 errors were a team record. This year, however, they're ranked 29 in the Bigs with a .980 fielding percentage and 121 errors. You're not going to win very many games of your defense is non-existent..

One bright spot this year was Chris Sale, whose 226 strikeouts was a personal best. Sadly, you're not going to win the Cy Young Award if your defense has more holes than Swiss cheese. Sale finished with an 11-14 record and a 3.07 ERA. Did anyone else see the video of him thrashing the Gatorade cooler?

Oh, but don't think the offense is entirely blameless here. Just like last year, the Sox offense finished second in the Majors, but things fell apart. They had to deal Alex Rios, who despite his billing, did not produce at all during his tenure with the White Sox. The ever-loved Paul Konerko was also invisible, and so was Adam Dunn. They only totaled an average of 3.74 runs per game. The "Hitless Wonders" of 1906 did worse, but the Dead Ball Era made anything possible. It got so bad they had to fire hitting coach Jeff Manto.

So what happens for next year? Well, I think it's obvious: Hahn must spend money. By all accounts, it looks like this might be Paul Konerko's last year on the South Side. He's said he'll retire no later than 2014, but it's not clear whether he'll return. Ventura will certainly return, but who will be back is up in the air after a year like this. My hope is that the Sox find some hitters and fielders both from other teams and within their own farm system. I do not want to see another horrible year, so Hahn better get to work. What do you think the price tag is?

Friday, September 27, 2013

Derrick Rose: Is He Ready?

Getting away from the Hawks and focusing on the other team that shares the United Center, the Bulls have started their training camp and of course, questions about Derrick Rose have once again come up. Rose missed all of last season and drew serious criticism from fans when he was seen playing on the court and yet he did not play a single game, even when they needed him. Naturally, most of this criticism called his dedication into question.

Rose himself said on Bulls media day that he's ready. "The thing that drives me is just winning the championship," he said as quoted by ESPN.com. Rose has said that his refusal to play was because even though he knew he could handle man-on-man coverage, it was the double-team that made him sit out. 

Rose's impact on the court is undeniable. With him, the Bulls were top-seeded in the playoffs in 2012, but there was a mean crash and burn once he injured his knee. He is also the youngest player ever to win the MVP award. Sadly, he has not been able to get over the Conference Finals hurdle. The closest he got was two years ago against the Heat, which the Bulls lost 4-1 after a dominating Game 1.

When asked about the negative criticism, Rose said this, as quoted by ESPN.com: "As a fan, of course I would want my favorite player to be out there. At the same time, the way I look at it, I had to be selfish. ... The thought of me going out and injuring myself again ... I did not want to put myself in that position, and I just tried to stay far away from that and just think everything through and try to stay positive." So his position on the criticism is clear. He understands it, but he's not going to let it get to him. That's a pretty good attitude, if you ask me.

Tom Thibodeau has also responded to the criticism, saying that Rose is loyal to the organization and only sat out because he felt he wasn't 100%. He also mentioned it was owner Jerry Reinsdorf's orders to be cautious about the situation and Thibs followed it as best he could.

Rose has watched the video of his injury at least 20 or 30 times and has said that he should be more balanced now than in the past. From that comment, I'm drawing the conclusion that he thinks he landed wrong, which helped lead to the injury.

What I want to see out of Rose is a better version of his old self. Right now, with the Heat looking for a third-straight NBA title and the Hawks looking like the city's new winter pastime, the Bulls are sitting in an uncomfortable situation. D-Rose will have to play his best and his supporting cast will have to do the same. Do I think he's ready? Yes or no? What do you think?

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Les Miserables (1998)

Okay, so I reviewed the 2012 adaptation of the musical version of "Les Miserables" (available here: http://deechanceyblog.blogspot.com/2013/09/movie-review-les-miserables-2012.html). But what you might not know is that there was another big-time film adaptation of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel. Released in 1998, this version is different, to say the least. How different, you might ask? First and biggest reason: it's not a musical.

Wait, you mean there was a "Les Mis" adaptation that's not a musical!? Why, yes there is! In fact, most of the movie adaptations are not musicals. Said musical only debuted in the 1980s. This particular adaptation stars Liam Neeson, already an Oscar winner for his role in "Schindler's List" and one year away from becoming known as Qui-Gon Jinn, plays Jean Valjean. Aside from him is Geoffrey Rush, five years from becoming better known as Hector Barbossa in the "Pirates" movies, playing Inspector Javert.

Directed by Billie August, this is more of a condensed, SparkNotes version of a 1,000+ page novel affectionately known as "The Brick". Instead of all the subplots, it streamlines the plot to focus on Valjean and Javert's adversarial relationship. Valjean is released from prison before the movie even starts and, in a bit of a departure from the musical, Valjean hits the priest he robs! In a way, this makes his redemption much more heavy-hitting. The rest of the movie zips past, but sometimes you don't even notice because it goes at a relatively slow pace.

In fact, compared to the 2012 film (and by extension, the musical), this one is quiet and... well, subtle. I mean, it's Liam Neeson. Do we have to go over his acting? No, we don't. Even when he's being restrained he's still doing a fantastic job. The court scene where he confesses that he's escaped convict Jean Valjean is far more powerful in this film than in the 2012 movie. We see the man accused of being Valjean humiliated by the court and then we cheer when Valjean confesses.

As for Javert, Rush also does a heck of a job, and yes, he's even better than Russell Crowe! Looking at Rush's Javert, there's a sort of restrained madness and obsession with catching Valjean, although he's shown to be doing other things. Right after Valjean confesses himself, Javert goes from calm disappointment to mad fury as he screams "I KNEW IT!!!"

Also along with them are Uma Thurman, who does a heck of a job as Fantine. Sadly, her performance would be overshadowed by Anne Hathaway in 2012. Claire Danes plays Cosette, who actually manages to outplay Amanda Seyfried! Yes, Claire Danes, with her wide eyes and blank expressions, outplays Amanda Seyfield! How? She has a personality, that's why! Sure, she's a hormonal teenager, but she's pretty rebellious and stands up for herself.

The rest of the cast is more downplayed. The Thenardiers only make a cameo, there's no Eponine and Enjolras's role is greatly diminished. Hans Matheson plays Marius, who takes a more active role in the June Rebellion, this time being the leader of Les Amis de l'ABC. I kinda like this Marius, since he's a pretty passionate guy.

But even though it's a SparkNotes version, I found there to be a bit of an expansion of the plot compared to the 2012 movie. Without all the bit players, we see just how Valjean was able to get out of the town he was mayor of, how he and Cosette got into Paris, and yes, Cosette and Marius courting. It also doesn't go much into the politics behind the Rebellion, but does explain why Les Amis revolted on the day of Lamarque's funeral.

Unlike the 2012 film where it's very stylized, grimy, filmed rather wonkily, all up in your face and kind of weird, this one is more like a production on Masterpiece Theatre. The period piece aspect is more pronounced, although it's not as dirty as the 2012 movie (I say dirty as in, there's a lot of much and grime in the 2012 movie). Also, whereas the 2012 movie goes right for the gut with the emotions, this one is more subdued. Although that doesn't mean that it won't hit you hard when it needs to.

So like I said, I kind of liked this movie. But it's not perfect. It's a shame one of the greatest novels of our time has yet to see a truly great adaptation, but then again, the book itself is so difficult to adapt. It didn't have the same emotional impact that the 2012 movie had, it did what it had to do. This version is, at least as far as I see it, an introduction to the novel for people who want to read it. It's essentially saying, "here's the gist of the novel". The 2012 movie and musical on the other hand, they're their own things. The acting is phenomenal, the pacing is actually pretty good and the characters are all really good. The sad part is, it's not great. But, I'll let you decide what you think.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Can the Hawks Repeat?

Sports Illustrated seems to think so. Of course, among sports fans, the blessings of Sports Illustrated magazine is a curse in disguise. But, perhaps the Blackhawks might have what it takes to repeat as Stanley Cup champions this coming season.

The Hawks still have their major players from last year; Kane and Toews, Andrew Shaw, Corey Crawford, Patrick Sharp, Bryan Bickell, Seabrook & Keith, Michal Handzus, Brandon Saad, Johnny Oduya and the others. However, the Hawks have given up Viktor Stalberg, Dave Bolland, Michal Frolik and Ray Emery to deal with the NHL salary cap. We know the core of talent can certainly perform and win, but it's the guys around them who will have to step it up.

Brandon Pirri is one of the guys vying for a spot on the final regular season roster. Pirri was the American Hockey League's top scorer for the Hawks' farm team Rockford Icehogs last year. Currently he is nursing a lower-body injury that might, if things go wrong, would keep him off the team. But Pirri should get his chance after the season he had last year. The guy can't be denied a chance at the NHL for much longer even if he has to remain on injured reserve.

One name who's been surprising for the moment is Joakim Nordstrom, whom the Tribune quotes as being surprised himself. He's shown strong two-way skills, penalty killing and chemistry with fellow Swede Marcus Kruger. I want to see him on the roster, as well. The other Scandinavian who came into camp, Teuvo Teravainen, will sadly return to Finland for the season, even though he's shown he's got incredible talent. If you ask me, it's a waste. I hope he'll be brought back to the states from his Finnish club Jokerit some time during the season.

What will benefit the Hawks is the new NHL realignment. To put it short, Detroit is gone and the Hawks won't have much competition in their new Central Division. That could play into their hands for a good record. And since it helps for the Hawks to get away from the UC at around the start of the season, the training camp in South Bend might turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

So, do the Hawks have what it takes to repeat? Here's the thing: The NHL is unpredictable. The Hawks could win a second-straight President's Trophy and get swept out of the playoffs. Right now, it's hard to tell, and since I never make predictions, I'm not going to do that. What I will say is that I expect the Hawks to have a successful season and make the playoffs. Sure, everyone is gunning for them, but it looks to be another fun season at the UC.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Movie Review: Les Miserables 2012

Okay, I know I write a lot about superheroes and hockey players, but I'll make a little confession: I saw the 2012 "Les Miserables" movie. First, a little background. "Les Miserables", first published in 1862, is considered one of the greatest literary works of all time. Centering around a convict-turned-Samaritan named Jean Valjean, Victor Hugo's novel about the societal ills of 19th-century France has become a timeless piece of literature, the themes it addresses are still relevant today.

Then, in the 80s, somebody came up with the bright idea of turning this 1,000+ page Brick into a two-and-a-half-hour musical. What could possibly go wrong? Well, not much, apparently. It's widely considered to be one of the most popular stage shows of all time. And then somebody decided to make a movie based on that musical!

British director Tom Hooper directs this star-studded affair, starring Hugh Jackman (AKA Wolverine), Russell Crowd (Gladiator), Anne Hathaway (Catwoman), Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix), Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) and even Colm Wilkenson (the original Jean Valjean). Oh, and did I mention the actors all sang their lines... LIVE ON SET?

The story follows former convict Jean Valjean, hardened by 19 years in prison, as he struggles to rebuild his life while avoiding the determined Inspector Javert, raising his adopted daughter Cosette and being an all-around nice guy. Oh, and there's a rebellion in Paris going on that looks to change Valjean's life. Oh, and his adopted daughter has fallen for one of the revolutionaries and vice-versa. So yeah, real simple to follow (not).

Okay, here's the thing. This is an adaptation of a musical that is an adaptation of a massive book affectionately known as "The Brick". There are a LOT of characters and a LOT of subplots to be stuffed into this thing along with all the socio-political commentary. At times it works, but at times it doesn't. But the first two acts (Valjean's release from prison and his eventual adoption of Cosette) are a little jumpy. Granted, it settles down eventually, but it sort of costs some character development.

Still, the basics are kept. Valjean is a tormented man, struggling to change his life and become better whilst avoiding the long arm of the law, and Inspector Javert is chasing after him every time he comes across the guy. Those two are basically the characters who drive the story. I'll give Hugh Jackman credit for both acting and singing (more on the singing later) and portraying Valjean's confused psyche rather well both in lyrics and in facial expressions. Crowe, however, as many have pointed out, is... stiff.

Now, this is not that bad. As one Internet reviewer pointed out, Crowe is a rock singer surrounded by Broadway and West End singers, and his usual acting style is pretty stiff already. And Javert is a hard lawman, determined to uphold the law and anyone who breaks it is evil from the moment he commits his crime to the day he dies, no flexibility! So, with this in mind, he actually does a pretty decent job.

Much of the rest of the cast is a little hit-or-miss. Anne Hathaway I agree did a heck of a job as Fantine and there is a good reason she won an Oscar for her role. Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter play the Thenardiers, two corrupt inn-keepers who abuse Fantine's daughter Cosette while singing a pretty silly song about how they rip off their customers. They're Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter, they always play those types.

As for the rebels, they're certainly memorable. I did like Daniel Huttlestone's rendition of the mischievous 10-year-old Gavroche, who at one points sings both to his friends and the audience about how bad things have been in Paris ever since the first French Revolution. Aside from him, the revolutionary I liked the best was Aaron Tveit as the passionate Enjolras. Eddie Redmayne as Marius was a little on the miss side, but I did like him singing mournfully.

Now then, onto the production. This is a little tricky. Because the actors sing live on set, it can get a little weird. You will hear their voice going flat on occasion but they show the emotions very well. But... that's also because the camera is up in their face about 75% of the time! Look, I know you want to show emotion, but I could see Eddie Redmayne's mustache whiskers for cryin' out loud! I know you want to be intimate, but there is such a thing as too intimate! 

But, it works at times. The "I Dreamed a Dream" scene is where it especially works and you can see Anne Hathaway nail the performance in one take. And yes, it does play on your heartstrings, wonky production aside. There is subtlety, emotion and quiet moments in these movies, just the way a pretty dark and depressing book should be adapted (take notes, Baz Luhrmann!). Yes, I did get a little teary-eyed at moments.

And yes, when you think about it, it does make sense for them to sing live on set. The "Les Miserables" musical is performed almost entirely in song. it would make little sense for the actors to sing their lines in-studio and then come in and try to act. Even the actors have admitted it! 

So what do I think? Well, I think they could have done a little better. The production and cinematography could have been better, but I do think that they were able to fit in as much emotion and social commentary the book held as they could. So basically, I'm split on the movie just like the rest of the critics. If you like it, fine, and if you don't, fine. It's not perfect, but it's not horrible, either. It's just okay.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

USA V. Mexico: We are going to Brazil!

Dos a cero! goes the famous US Soccer chant, aimed at our Mexican arch-rivals. The US beat Mexico 2-0 on September 10 at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, and booked a trip to Brazil 2014 in would could be called a tale of two halves.

It's been 12 years since the first "Dos a cero", a momentous occasion, played out in a frigid Columbus, Ohio night. The US Men's national team beat Mexico's team 2-0, a major victory on their way to qualifying for the 2002 World Cup.

Three more "Dos a cero's", one of which happened in the World Cup, and the US faced Mexico once again on September 10, 2013. The US had an incredible summer, winning 12 straight including the Gold Cup. Mexico... did not. They fired their head coach a day after losing to Honduras in their vaunted Estadio Azteca. They were desperate.

They were in fourth place in the CONCACAF qualification standings.  And here's the thing: Mexico has never won on US soil in World Cup Qualifying in over 40 years, and Columbus is the site of three straight dos a cero matches. It's become about as vaunted in Mexico as Azteca has been for the rest of CONCACAF.

The US had lost not just the game 3-1 against Costa Rica on the previous Friday night, they lost some important players, which included "General" Michael Bradley (a vital member of the US midfield), so there was some nervousness coming in. The USMNT needed a win and either a loss or draw by Panama to clinch a spot in next year's World Cup.

Because they were desperate to salvage their World Cup hopes, the Mexican team came out with a fury. Loaded with talent like Giovanni dos Santos and Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez, they struck first, dominating possession and attacking the US net. Gio Dos Santos was unstoppable on the left wing, making the US midfield look stupid. But the Americans absorbed the pressure and several excellent saves by Timmy Howard kept the score sheet clean in the first half.

Unfortunately, for Mexico, that opening flurry would not last them, especially when the second half began. The USMNT made some necessary adjustments to the midfield and defense, putting in Michael Parkhurst to solidify the midfield.

It only took four minutes for the USMNT to score in the second half. It was a brilliantly set-up corner kick and forward Eddie Johnson used his height to his advantage to put the ball in the back of the net with a brilliant header. It was pretty obvious that the Mexican chances were dead at this point. It was only solidified when Mix Diskerud executed an excellent throw-in that missed Clint Dempsey's foot, but hit the foot of Mexico's sworn enemy Landon Donovan.

Dos a cero.

In the long run, this was unexpected. At times, it looked like the US would not even qualify for the World Cup. Just before the famous "SnowClasico" in Denver, The Sporting News ran an article about discontent in the US camp, questioning head coach Jurgen Klinsmann's tactics and philosophy. This came off a disastrous 2-1 loss at Honduras. And of course, the US had just lost 3-1 to Costa Rica just before the Mexico game.

But Klinsmann's showed why he's one of the best coaches the US has ever had. Sure, there's been a few slip-ups, every one's gonna have a slip-up! But what he did was he learned from his mistakes and made the right changes, both tactically and in personnel.

The Mexicans may have had the better individual players, but the Americans had the best team. They played like a well-oiled machine, stopping whatever weapon the Mexican team threw at them. Midfielder Jermaine Jones was lost and confused against Costa Rica last Friday, but he was solid, shutting down the Mexican midfield on Tuesday. And while there were questions about the defense, they more than held their own and once again held the supposed best striker in CONCACAF, Chicharito, scoreless against the US.

There will be questions about the US in the coming days and months, but right now, the hard part is over. They only have two games left in qualifying, which are essentially a formality. I expect they'll play well, since first place in the Hex will be at stake. But right now, it's time to party because, We are going to Brazil,
We are going to Brazil!
We are going,
We are going,
We are going to Brazil!

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Things I Don't Like: Unnecessary Conflict

Sometimes when I'm watching a movie or TV show, I'll find myself begging the characters not to do anything incredibly stupid. And then I find them doing something incredibly stupid. It just grates on me so much when you see characters who one moment are incredibly smart, but another second cause drama that's completely unnecessary.

Now, we're human. And we're gonna make stupid decisions every now and then. But some of these stupid moments and unnecessary drama can make anyone go "WHAT AN IDIOT!!!" To be fair and honest, I can't think of specific examples. But moments like a jealous lover plotting to off a would-be rival during an emergency can get on my nerves. It's like these characters have no idea what kind of fiction they're in.

This is always the fault of the writers. Sometimes it can be because the author was lazy, forgetting to really foreshadow or set up the drama in the first place. Other times, it's just bad decisions. The lover offing a rival? That's a bad decision on both of their parts. These conflicts have to have a reason to them. You can't just use these conflicts and say, "but it's conflict!" It won't work!

The situation of a lover offing a rival during an emergency can work like this: if the lover is like the Glenn Close character in "Fatal Attraction" and they find that an emergency is the best time to off them. Not because they "had to". It won't make sense at all.

Necessary conflict and drama is a big part of fiction. It's usually one person vs. another person or it can be a group of people vs a group of people, etc, etc. You can't have fiction without necessary drama or conflict. In order to turn an unnecessary conflict or stupid decision work, it has to make sense. Is it within the personality of this particular character? Then it works!

At the same time, a writer can excuse this type of behavior by explaining that yes, people do make bad decisions. But at least make the characters realize they've royally screwed up instead of having them remain totally blind to their failure!

Oh, and another thing, not only can it derail a character, it can derail a plot. When you're engrossed in a plot, you want things to go well. When a character makes a stupid decision that derails the plot, it's not going to go over well.

Your characters are not stupid, and neither are the viewers/readers. Treat both of them with a degree of respect and you'll go very far. If you're going to have personal conflict, it cannot be made by genre blind idiots unaware of what kind of work they're in. I cannot stress this enough, but there has to be a reason for the drama. If it's totally unnecessary, it's not that the audience doesn't get it. You're just a bad writer.

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Lawyers' Committe for Better Housing

Lawyers' Committee for Better Housing
33 N Lasalle Street, Suite 900
(312) 347-7600

This past Friday on the Resistance Legal Clinic TV show, we had a guest, Mark Swarz from the Lawyers Committee for Better Housing. Just like the NWSHC, I'll give a short but detailed explanation of LCBH.

Founded by a group of young lawyers in 1980, LCBH "Promotes the availability and access" to the safe, decent and affordable housing on a non-discriminatory basis the website describes. To that end, they have several programs and methods to help homeowners and tenants. For starters, their Tenants Advocacy Project acts on behalf of tenants whose difficulties with their landlords have not yet been taken up in court.

The Committe also provides legal services for low-income families and tenants at no cost to them in the Attorney of the Day Eviction Defense Project (AOD). A similar program, the Tenants in Foreclosure Project, helps tenants who are living in and renting in buildings whose landlords have already been foreclosed on, which are unseen victims of Chicago's foreclosure crisis.

The TFIP also helps provide info regarding tenants' rights during the foreclosure process and helps preserve affordable housing in the city. And speaking of affordable housing, there is also the Affordable Housing Preservation Program, which seeks to help tenants who are living in less than ideal living and building conditions. They provide legal assistance to these tenants, inform them of their rights, negotiate with landlords on behalf of clients and represent the tenants.

There are also fair housing advocacy programs, which helps combat discriminatory practices and supportive services for their more vulnerable clients. They also provide foreclosure information and renters' resources for tenants.

Their website, where much of this information was found, is lcbh.org. Do not hesitate to call them.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

A Message for Andrew Hauptman

Dear Mr. Hauptman,

In 2007, you bought the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, a team with a rich and storied history starting from its first season in Major League Soccer. With an MLS Cup championship, four US Open Cup championships and three CONCACAF Champions League appearances before 2007, the breeding club for US Soccer greats DaMarcus Beasley, Carlos Bocanegra and Josh Wolff, the Fire are known for excellence in every
facet of the game.

Since 2007, however, things have dried up. While teams like the LA Galaxy, New York Red Bulls, Sporting Kansas City and Seattle Sounders have racked up major success and big name stars, the Fire are languishing in the middle of the field, only squeaking into the playoffs once since 2009. Open Cup success has also dried up, with only 1 Open Cup finals appearance 2009, a loss to Seattle in 2011. And just this month, the Fire's undefeated streak in the State of Illinois was ended by DC United in a 2-0 loss.

During that game, fans made their displeasure known with this utter lack of success. Any good owner would not tolerate a showing like that. Unfortunately, Mr. Hauptman, you are not Rocky Wirtz, who is a good owner.

Two weeks after the loss, an editorial by Fire Director of Communications Dan Lobring appeared on the team's website. The editorial criticized fans who he claimed were misbehaving. While soccer fans are obviously not pariahs of good behavior, one can understand the frustrations of Section 8, the supporters group you so desperately need in order to succeed. Indeed, criticizing the fans who show up for every game does not sound like something Rocky Wirtz or Tom Ricketts would do.

You seem to think that you can control the message surrounding the Fire and your ownership when word of mouth from former employees say otherwise. Indeed, you can talk a good game about "consistency", but the Fire have gone through 4 Presidents since you have been here and we currently do not have a President.

And there's another problem. While Fire attendance is certainly impressive and I see quite a few fans in the seats while watching on TV, I hardly see any ads for upcoming home games outside of Fire telecasts. You don't even have a radio presence outside of Spanish radio and while Latinos are certainly passionate fans, you cannot rely only on them. This is similar to, but admittedly not the same as Bill Wirtz's refusal to put Blackhawks games on TV. While Chicago is certainly a saturated sports market, what with the Hawks, Bears, Bulls, Cubs and Sox, but you should be trying to make your mark.

And getting back to the attendance thing. While the Fire attendance is still relatively impressive, we are low in attendance numbers for a league that is seeing record attendance and profits. We can't be excellent if we keep losing seats, Mr Hauptman. In all fairness, I recognize some of that is beyond your control, but there needs to be some effort to communicate with the community.

Which, of course, brings us back to "The Editorial", as it's become known. While the media is staying mostly neutral on it, a few bloggers are not. Quite frankly, Mr. Lobring didn't make any friends with that editorial. Critics are saying that it's a meandering wreck, especially when it doesn't specifically say what the supporters did or said that caused offense. One fan mentioned that he simply called out for you to spend some money to buy someone who can score. What's wrong with that?

If anything, this simply shows what a mess the Fire have become. There might not even be playoff soccer for the third time in four years. Why should fans be satisfied with that? To me, Mr. Hauptman, you seem to consider the Fire a mere 'investment'.

Football and soccer clubs are not mere investments. You remember the "Love United, Hate Glazer" protests over Malcolm Glazer's ownership of Manchester United? No? Fans overseas will chant and hurl obscenities at owners who they feel are not doing their job and spending money. You appear to be taking the fact that American supporters are relatively well-behaved for granted. A few people shouting for you to do your job is not... whatever Mr. Lobring was trying to get at.

It doesn't have to be this way, Mr. Hauptman. All you have to do is move to Chicago, start talking to supporters, start spending money and start winning. That's how Rockey Wirtz was able to revitalize the Blackhawks. See how successful they've become? The Fire can make a dent in Chicago. All you have to do is follow Rocky's lead.

Mr. Hauptman, I am a Fire fan, and I have been so since they were founded back in 1997, when I was just 10 years old. I remember hearing that they were the first team other than DC United to win the MLS Cup and I was excited. I even went to go see the Fire take on Manchester United and I backed the Fire during that match. I love this team, Mr. Hauptman. This is not some "investment", this is a part of the community, a part of Chicago itself. I want to see them win, but so long as you're not doing anything to fix this problem, the criticism will keep coming and it will get louder. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Monday, August 26, 2013

USA Hockey Training Camp: Possibilities

The 2010 USA Hockey team was an underdog. NO ONE expected them to do anything in that Olympics, but they took Canada to the brink before that villain sidney crosby robbed what turned out to be the best team in that entire tournament in overtime.

Still, as the USA invites the players who expect to make it to the USA team in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, there is a big expectation for this team going into their orientation camp. There won't be any skating in this camp, it will only be a way for the players to get orientated and do some work-outs. The team will be decided over the course of the early NHL season and the team will be announced on News Years Day after the Winter Classic.

This is not a so-called "transitional" period for the USA hockey team. They expect to win Gold. Leading that effort is new USA Hockey General Manager David Poile, whose main job is the GM of the Nashville Predators. Just like Brian Burke, who brought together a surprising team in the 2010 Olympics, Poile must find the right players for 2014.

Starting in net, there may be a change. Ryan Miller was the unquestioned star of the 2010 Olympics, where he was named the tournament's MVP. However, Miller's been dealing with inconsistency as of late, so Poile may have to look at LA Kings netminder Jonathan Quick. The man has been incredible during the playoffs these past two years, and was the 2012 Conn-Smythe Trophy winner as playoffs MVP during the Kings' Stanley Cup run that year. I expect Quick to be named the starting goalie while Miller might be named the back-up goalie.

The USA Today reports that Poile might take a slightly different approach that Brian Burke, but they say it's "mostly out of necessity". European hockey uses a wider rink than the NHL does, so the USA will have to use speed and maneuverability, which the USA Today article says Poile will do. At the same time, much like how Brian Burke did and Herb Brooks did before him, Poile will have to assemble a team, not a group of all-stars.

There are obvious names like Patrick Kane and Zach Parise who have been mentioned as being no-brainers for this team. Other names that have been dropped include Brandon Saad, a Calder Cup (NHL Rookie of the Year) finalist. Poile will be using a group of GMs from around the NHL to pick the team. This approach was also used by Brian Burke. The USA will have good wingers and defensemen, but the center might be a bit of a problem.

To put it simply, Poile has his work cut out for him. The Russian team is an easy favorite, since they're playing in their home country. The Canadians are always a threat and there's the little matter that no North American team has won a Gold Medal in a Winter Olympics held outside of North America. I expect a fast team with strong defense and goaltending that, if possible, could break the dry spell.