a note about the academy awards

So I'm watching the Pursuit of Happyness right now and did a little research to figure out if Will Smith was nominated for an Academy Award for it...he was. But he didn't win. That was the same year Forrest Whitaker won for the Last King of Scotland, also nominated: Peter O'Toole for Venus, Leo Dicaprio for Blood Diamond, and Ryan Gosling for Half Nelson. That's a talented crowd with some great performances.

I thought about how much I wanted certain people or movies to win when I watch. How I build up my favorite to make it seem like the obvious choice. In hindsight, the competition seems pretty obvious. So I looked back again.

2001: Denzel Washington wins for Training Day. Who'd he beat out? Will Smith in Ali, Sean Penn in I Am Sam, and Russel Crowe in A Beautiful Mind....oh yeah. How bout that year?

1994: Tom Hanks wins for Forrest Gump. Non-winners: Paul Newman in Nobody's Fool, John Travolta in Pulp Fiction AND Morgan Freeman in Shawshank Redemption.

1993: Tom Hanks wins for Philadelphia beating out Liam Neeson in Schindlers List

That's just a few examples.

I guess what it comes to is that while that little gold man statue seems really important, it doesn't diminish the other performances over time. Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain, Robin Williams in The Fisher King or Dead Poets Society, Kevin Costner in Dances With Wolves, Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan, Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting, Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire, Richard Dreyfuss in Mr. Hollands Opus...all nominated, but didn't win. Their performances are still outstanding, none-the-less.

Oh yeah, I was looking up just Best Actor nomination....how bout some women?

2002: Nicole Kidman wins for The Hours, beating out Selma Hayek in Frida and Hours co-star Juliane Moore in Far From Heaven

2005: Reese Witherspoon wins for Walk The Line over Felicity Huffman in Transamerica and Charlize Theron in North Country

1997: Helen Hunt wins for As Good As it Gets over Kate Winslet in Titanic

1987: Cher in Moonstruck beats out Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction

1968: The Academy couldn't even decide and decided that a tie should be awarded for Kathrine Hepburn in A Lion in Winter and Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl

Seriously. For as much hype as these awards get. They don't legitimize a performance at all.

Nothing Profound Here

Just a fun little note about my current obsession with watching Criminal Minds reruns on A&E and Ion channels.

Note 1: Shemar Moore=jaw drop g-g-g-g-g-gorgeous

Note 2: I like Joe Mantegna as an actor. I'm always happy to see him on a show because he's solid, he plays logically flawed characters that are easy to identify with and appreciate for their imperfection. And I like the place his character plays on the show as David Rossi, one of the originators of profiling coming back to lend senior expertise to the group. That said, its hard for me to appreciate Rossi completely because of who he replaced on the show. Mandy Patinkin played Jason Gideon, the previous senior expert, and it was a wonderful performance. Where Rossi can bristle and be brilliant, Gideon was an intuitive and intelligent father figure. Where I appreciate and like Rossi, I LOVE Gideon. So its a mixed feeling when I see Rossi stride on screen, but I'm just happy, like theres something right with the world when Gideon is there.

Anyways, I'm halfway through the last rerun of the evening. I'm going to watch.

Snow

Snow has come again to Plymouth. Like the last time (which was about a month and a half ago), it hasn't quite managed to stick to the ground yet (it's also only been falling for the last hour and a half) which is okay by me. It is however starting to accumulate on the tops of some cars and on the wooden fire escape outside my window and our front door.

I watch this snow slightly terrified of what it means. My roommate, the meteorologist in training says that we could get one or two inches by the end of the weekend, and Wednesday could mean 10-15 more inches. Still lacking in experience behind the wheel, the prospect of driving around in this weather is quite frightening, not that walking is much of a comfort.

Still, amidst this terror I cannot help but enjoy the view. The leaves have long since abandoned their posts on spry tree limbs and have even been robbed of their supposed final resting place on the ground as maintenance crews have cleared most away for reasons I probably may not understand for a while. The New England world and we poor reactionary inhabitants have prepared for snow for weeks now, surrounded by what appears to nature languishing in death without the protective bandage of frozen white water particles.

So perhaps now it may actually start to look like a world at sleep outside my window, with the stubborn coniferous trees pulling their green coats closer about them, vowing that the cold and snow would not be enough to send them into hibernation. I actually have a photo project that I have in mind, which requires a decent level of snow on the ground, so that might be a slight positive as well.

And I think here is where I will end. I've vowed to make cookies this weekend and the dishes need to be washed. Oddly enough, my friend Ryan just informed me that making cookies was highly appropriate because his mother would bake him cookies whenever he shoveled his front walkway. It made the house warm, smell good, and it was a nice thank you present. Cookies it shall be.

Science and Culture

Hello my devoted (or perhaps not so devoted after my long absence) readers.

Life in New Hampshire has been busy and wonderfully challenging. I finally feel like my academic pursuits are actually challenging me in ways that are truly stimulating. I'm asked, not only to regurgitate and analyze, but I'm actually being encouraged to build on research and create new theory. Its really exciting.

While I have wanted to write recently, but I think I was under the influence of my own need to come back with something profound and important. I think I found something that will be sufficient brief commentary.

I've recently fallen into watching reruns of Criminal Minds. As a side note to the rest of what I'm getting to, as much as I love Joe Mantegna, I'm really sad that Mandy Patinkin's character, Gideon isn't a part of the show anymore. Anyways.

What I'm really enjoying is the convergence of scientific exploration enhanced by cultural narratives. When the team creates a profile, it is not uncommon for their rationalization for behaviors be based on mythology or cultural ideas. This converges with certain beliefs I have about the functioning of people which corresponds with how I'm developing my theoretical orientation as a counselor. I believe that the importance of cultural stories and how they create expectations for behavior cannot be discounted in analysis of an individual. So its been really interesting to watch how I see that come out in my casual analysis of the people around Plymouth, in case studies, and now in this television program. My next step is looking at how these stories, these narratives can be used therapeutically. I suppose I'm really appreciating how science and history/language come together to create a better understanding of people, especially since academia has traditionally pitted these two together.

Hm, I guess I kind of expected it to be short. Anyways, I should post and move on anyways, I've got to finish my rough draft, then I really want to set up my Christmas decor tonight, REALLY WANT TO. Its definitely time.

Verbontene Liebe

So in my spare time (which there's a fair amount of in between checking for jobs and going on walks) I've become obsessed with following gay plot lines on soap operas.

I kept up with Luke and Noah on As The World Turns for a bit over a year ago because it they were the first gay couple on daytime tv in the US. They're a cute couple but as American soap opera's do, their relationship has an abundance of drama, plus because of what "Americans want" there's a minimal amount of PDA between the two, actual on-screen kisses are months between. And now that One Life to Live has the start of Kyle and Oliver (Fish) I keep an eye on them too, but that plot is just starting to unfold and us poor viewers have to wait for the writers to pick up the storyline from time to time to get more out of it. And Oliver's internalized homophobia is really a drag, he's dating a woman now, threatening Kyle to stay out of his life...everyone knows they're going to end up together but its just a big headache.

But through the glory of youtube and some kind soul across the Atlantic, I am madly obsessed with Christian and Oliver of Verbontene Liebe (Forbidden Love, a German soap opera), perhaps the most adorable couple ever to strike the earth. Their storyline started way back in 2007 perhaps around the same time Luke and Noah did. It began the same as most gay fictional plot lines go. Oliver is a mostly gay man who has known about his sexual preference since age 13, and Christian is dating a woman and is fine with homosexuality as long as it doesn't get too close to him. Of course with heartwrenching honesty and interesting dramatic twists they eventually end up together and their plot line turns to what its like to be the most awesome couple ever. Here's why its easy to love them:

Of course they have spats, they have some big ones, but all of them come from logical and expected places. When they get angry at each other its easy to understand why. The fights are natural and expected fights, most couples need to go through some sort of struggle to figure out the balance of work life and home life, jealousy, pursing dreams, etc. Its HOW they make up that is so wonderful; usually the guy who originally felt wronged is the one who makes the first move and apologizes, making a huge gesture of support.

The message is always that when things start to look rough the answer is to love each other more. Christian and Oliver know that no matter what, their relationship is the most important thing to both of them and they'll do whatever is necessary to make that happen. Does that mean that they both give up on their own dreams? No, they support each other through the changes that need to happen in their lives to make that happen.

Its also flippin adorable how much PDA they get in. Its obvious that they characters really care for each other. As they live in an apartment with other characters in the story, they're often involved in plots other than their own, usually as the ones giving helpful advice on someones love life. This also gives the viewers a chance to see how their relationship is from day to day, what its like when there isn't a crisis. They'll kiss each other whenever they want, give a playful swat, tease each other...constant reminders that they really do love each other and its obvious to everyone who sees them.

Its also nice because as the lowly youtube viewers we get know a little more about a fun group of people they interact with regularly. Christian's brother, Gregor (often a douche, but somehow you still route for him), lives across the hallway and becomes Olli's (Oliver) partner. Christian and Gregor's cousin Stella has moved in with Gregor in recent months. We get to know Olli's aunt, Charlie, and cousin Olivia (a really not so kind individual for the most part, but has some surprisingly human moments). And the roommates Judith and Lydia. Judith has far too many boy troubles over her own, often where she's got two guys she's interested in and can't choose. Somehow it doesn't get old, and the guys are usually there to help her out, like two awesome older brothers. Lydia is in a relationship with Sebastian which has plenty of ups and downs, but the four of them are a great group, and have great comedic timing. Plus they offer great advice to each other.

Its really just a great show (at least what I see of it) and I'm a little sad to be almost caught up with real time now, as I've been pretty spoiled catching up on the last two years. At any rate, they're adorable and I adore watching them. Many thanks to the Germans for putting together a couple gays could be proud of.


Christian is on the left.
Oliver is on the right.

Off Season Buffalo Sabres

So in my spare time I looked up the status of the Buffalo Sabres and their off-season action.

I was happy to see the nhl.com experts mention that their weak finish to last season really started as goalie Ryan Miller went out for 13 games. They also mentioned that this coupled with injuries to top players in every other position really just was too much for anyone to compensate for. Though there is a lot of surprise that GM Regier, Coach Lindy Ruff and most of the players from last year have returned, meaning that no one has been made the scapegoat for a really unfortunate series of injuries. In fact, this years team looks largely like last years team.

Out of the six departures, only one was a consistant player for the Sabres last season as Jaroslav Spacek has gone to Montreal. The rest are relatively unknown and couldn't be considered an impact on the team. This is good news for a team that doesn't have a lot to give away.

Arrivals are a pretty good story too. Steve Montador of the Bruins will add some beef to the Defense, and we'll see what Joe DiPenta (European player) has to offer the team. I'm not sure exactly what Cody McCormick (formerly at Colorado) adds to the offense, but there's bound to be some reason we signed him (though it appears he's going to be on the fourth line? Maybe he'll brign some physical presence to our not so physical team). The BEST move is that we've got Mike Grier back! I LOVE Mike Grier...but you know what? Everyone loves Mike Grier. He's not a guy who will score a ton of points, but he'll sacrafice his body, he's a leader and he's got a ton of heart on the ice. Grier was with the sabres when Briere and Drury (known mostly as supportive stars) captained the Sabres to back to back post season appearances and a Presidents trophy. It possible for a bunch of relatively unknowns to make a huge difference in the league if they're the right group...Grier is one of the right guys to have on your team for a season liek that.

Moves still left: Afinogenov is still a free agent...he's been with the team for ages but has been pretty unhealthy for the past few seasons and hasn't made an impact with the team since his first few seasons. Its time to let him loose. There's a bunch of other free agents who are more no names. With a group of young prospects that the team seems to be much more excited about, its time to get rid of guys who haven't used their time to make an impact and work with the new guys you've decided to invest in.

Free Agents: So there's actually some decent guys still available on the free agent market. To me, there's kind of two categories: guys who can add the heart and leadership that the Sabres are kind of lacking, and guys who can still be consistent scorers.
Scorers: Miroslav Satan (former Sabre who still can put the puck in the back of the net to the tune of about 20 per season, maybe more if the gets on a line with some good chemistry), Petr Sykora (Still nabbing goals per season at 32 years of age), Mike Comrie (coming off a bad season, but is probably still a decent deal), Todd Bertuzzi (has some skills left and wisdom to bring to a younger team).
Leaders: Michael Peca (former Sabre captain isnt' the underrated offenseman he used to be, but he's still hell of a leader and a hitter and was the last guy to captain the Sabres to the Stanley cup finals...I just might die if we were able to bring Peca back to Buffalo, throw him on a line with Mike Grier), Darryl Sydor (has a few Stanley cup rings and brings so much experience and leadership to the table).

The point in bringing any of these guys in would be to take the pressure off players like Jochen Hecht, Jason Pominville and Tim Connolly to not be leaders on the ice. We've given them plenty of time and I think the organization just needs to realize that they just aren't going to fill that roll.

Keys for the season:
-Connolly, if he stays healthy, could be a point-per-game producer and that would be a huge weapon for the team.
-Miller has to stay healthy, we found out last season that loosing the guy for chunk of the season is just devastating.
-Getting a LEADER...I'm pulling for Peca or Sydor, but would appreciate a Bertuzzi or Comrie too. You've got guys that can score, you're really just missing this link of a real impact leader, the spiritual impact of the team, Grier was a huge step in the right direction. Stay on that track and get another guy in there (pleeeeeease Peca).

The worst thing that has happened to politics...

...is the political theater and absurdity of punditry. As many have quipped, "there are two things you don't want to see made; sausage and legislation" and unfortunately our political pundits don't have anything to talk about unless they talk about how legislation is made.

The problem comes in here: pundits aren't anymore on the inside than we are. And yet when they give us details of what legislation looks like in the midst of its creation our politicians are forced to start responding to a bill that isn't even completed yet. We get worked up about ideas that are simply floated and discussed or have every possibility of disappearing before the final piece of legislation is enacted. Now our legislators can't focus on making any actual change or doing any real legislating without worrying how their EVERY STEP and the step of EVERY OTHER legislator will play out on entertainment television.

Now there's some punditry that I enjoy watching as well, but I think what is important for each of us to think about while we watch this political theater is "what are we not being told?" We have elected these people to do a job and we should let them do it without being backseat drivers.

UPDATE***
ABC news just confirmed today that there's still plenty of language being toyed with in the bills and that the bills in the house and senate are different. The town hall meetings happening across America are for everyone to voice their concerns and discuss with their legislators what they'd like to see their health care be, not attack them and remove everyone's chance at speaking because they're too busy condemning.

New Hampshire

This little apartment that I've spent so much of my past week and a half in just got a little more cozy today as the five boxes of my stuff that my parents shipped me a week ago finally arrived. With little bits of creature comforts and touches of my "home" my room seems a little less desolate.

I have been told that my stuff will be here on Thursday or Friday...which as much as I want to believe it, I'm taking that with a grain of salt. And as much as I want to get upset and raise hell about how it was supposed to be here sooner, I know that wouldn't accomplish what I want. My stuff won't get here sooner just because I want it here sooner. So I might go out and grab a cot or a camping mattress from Walmart when my roomies go again just so that I'm not sleeping on the ground.

New Hampshire has proven to be a tad lackluster, and living in a small and quiet town has been largely what I anticipated it being. One thing that I have truly loved is reflective mood it puts me in as I meander around the streets. That is one of the reasons I came here and I'm happy to report that, at least in that sense, this move is accomplishing what I want.

In other news, the "Watch Instantly" feature of Netflix is earning its worth for my monthly subscription...I'm watchin' all sorts of stuff. Today I watched a movie called "Were the World Mine" which is a movie that I'd been anticipating. Its basically a little gay indie flick that uses Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" as plot and the focus. For the private boys school in a small town, the use of this play shakes up some homophobic reactions and for Tim, our dear lead, it's served to ecacerbate the existing teasing he's gotten. He gets roped into auditioning for Puck and after wow-ing his teacher with his singing talent he is soon delving into what it means to be portray a Shakespearian character. As he's reading the text, the recipe for teh tricksters love potion reveals itself to Tim and soon enough, he's concoting and spreading the potion amongst the town people so that they can see exactly what torture he's been going through.
So you see, we also have "A Midsummer Night's Dream" becoming the plot itself as Tim gives some of his biggest critics a chance to walk in his shoes.

The movie is visually quite rich for what must have been a very small budget, and Tanner Cohen (Tim) has an incredible singing voice to take the wonderful melodies added to make it a musical and really bring the plot to life. As most reviews have said, there's a lot to like about the film. The biggest issue is in the plot itself. The idea isn't really the most original and the content isn't overly surprising. But there is an endearing honesty that speaks to the viewer at points. That is where it's greatest failure lies. There are moments where its is truly breath-taking and moments where it falls right on its face. This movie could have been utterly spectacular, but it really just didn't push itself the entire distance. Worth viewing, but still leaves us wanting.

And so I bid you adieu my dear blog, I'll hope to be back again soon, perhaps not too soon as what I have to report, but soon none the less.

In response to Merton...

MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

- Thomas Merton, "Thoughts in Solitude"

This is my mother’s favorite prayer. I have prayed it many times and it has felt appropriate quite often in my life. Yet right now, it seems to be entirely inappropriate. Thus I offer this prayer as a sort of response to the inadequacy of the great Mr. Merton’s.

My humbling God, I know exactly where I’m going.
What’s worse is I knew exactly what I was getting myself into.
And yet now that the time draws near I feel myself flailing and fumbling.
My logic is lost amongst the reeds of the river of my imagination.
My courage cowers at the lion of my fears.
And my heart aches for the sense of reliability that I knew before I got myself into this mess.
And so my God I ask you this;
To lend my logic the planks of memory and the sail of hope so that my original purpose may always ride out the currents of ill-founded distress,
To embrace the knowledge that my fears will not shrink, and rather my courage must find its own will to fight back,
And to comfort my need for understanding by assuring me that all order begins with a mess, and patience and practice are the only ways to create that change.
My dear God, I knew what I was doing when I started,
And with that full knowledge I pressed forward,
I fear many evils, but know that I encounter them all with you at my side.
And through your faith in me, I will continue to walk into the storm that may lie ahead.

- Kyle O’Neill

It starts to sink in...

One of my favorite topics that the West Wing discusses is the politics of nominating a justice for the supreme court. In the fifth season (generally far more dramatic than the other seasons) the gang really tries to grapple with the fact that the current political struggle between the power of the President and the power of Congress leans that for the most part we will be stuck with moderate and centrist judges who will interpret the law with only what is written and not necessarily considering a bigger picture or a greater responsibility to the living document that is our Constitution. The characters really hope for, and eventually get, the possibility to appoint justices who aren't simply interpreters of the law, but scholars of the law. Justices who will explore the limits and expression of our Constitution and assuring that the law fully protects all whom it governs.

I making this point as an analogy to the Catholic Church. Many priests today are simply interpreters of the Bible, looking only as far as they've been taught to look and not being scholars of a living faith. Today may have been my last day celebrating mass with a man who is quite possibly the best priest I have had the opportunity of knowing. He is truly a scholar of the Catholic Faith and strives to challenge all that we've been told, daring us to look beyond where we've been told to look. Fr. Tom Bonnachi is the kind of priest who doesn't stand at the pulpit and preach, but stands amidst the congregation to . I can still remember a certain mass in which the gospel reading was Luke 15, known in certain circles as the "lost and found" portion of the bible where Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep, the woman with the lost coin and the prodigal son. Fr. Tom's homily on this particular day had almost everyone attending in tears because it was so powerful.

He is a kind and gentle soul whom I will miss terribly and who I'd hope to see at Dignity every time I came back to SF over a Sunday.

Its official

I have officially been accepted to the Mental Health Counseling graduate program at Plymouth State University in Plymouth, New Hampshire. Sometime in August I will move to a new town, in a new state and test my wills in a very new environment. To say I'm scared would be an understatement. I would still say I'm excited as well, though I feel like most of my emotions have been beaten back by the rational side of me that knows there are some things that absolutely must get done before I move (like find a new place to live) so that's where my focus is. On the other hand, there are goodbyes to be made, or at least so-long-for-now's...even with the advent of facebook, I know there are a lot of relationships I've made that won't last. There are some that I know can take the distance and there are some that I've already made my peace with letting go of. This is going to be a tough one and I know I can't back myself out of it, but for someone who hasn't strayed far from his family or a close group of friends, this is going to be a big move for me.


So it has come down to a rematch of last year. The Wings and the Penguins for the cup. Chicago and Carolina just couldn't quite compete at their level, and really it appears that the two best teams are playing each other. I watched the first game and was impressed by both teams. Quite seriously one of the best hockey games I've watched in a long time, though I'm really not a big Penguins fan so I'm rooting for Detroit, who I do actually like. They're up two games to none, I don't think Pittsburgh is going to be swept, but I'm thinking that Hockeytown will keep the cup and have at least one thing going for it. So there's my call. Detroit Red Wings repeat this year.

My official record for the playoffs is: 10-4...I didn't pick overly well in the first round only going 5-3, but I have a 5-1 record since.

Prop 8 Ruling

I join many LGBT Californians who are disappointed by the Prop 8 decision though not surprised. Though I can't say how disappointed I really am due to the fact that when I watched a bit of the legal arguments a few months ago. The original ruling on marriage for same-sex couples last May was actually a complete surprise due to the fact that this CA Supreme Court has been known as a more conservative court. I think a lot of the original decision last year was due to a sentiment by the judges that the vote to ban same sex marriage back in 2000 was completely outdated and that the people would have wanted a change. I come to that conclusion because when I watched a bit of the legal arguments a few months ago the judges seem almost astounded that there was a request to overturn the "will of the people" and the 6-1 vote to uphold Prop 8 seems to be far more along the lines of what we had expected from them a year ago. That being said there are a few things I'd like to discuss in the aftermath of this decision.

"Will of the People"
As I mentioned after the elections, I thought that the No on 8 campaign was utterly toothless and a horrible campaign to convey the gravity of the proposition and the precedent it set for the ability for a certain body of people to vote on a certain peoples rights. The campaign should have been more aggressive, should have countered opposition commercials and statments quickly and decisively, and should have done a lot more to really reach the undecided voters in the middle of the block. Do I think this really is the will of the people? No. I think the people were duped by being told that Prop 8 was about certain politicians statements and the "gay adgenda" to take over the world and force everyone to bend to their will. That's the No on 8 campaigns' fault.

"Activist Judges"
I absolutely loathe that everytime a more liberal court ruling comes down there's always a few conservative voices ready to call the individuals "activist judges" which almost seems to negate the validity of their opinions. I get so steamed the "activist judge" card is played...seriously people...just because you disagree with the judges interpretation of the law does not mean that they are incorrect in their interpretation. It just means that you disagree with it. Personally, as much as I may disagree with what happens on a case-to-case basis, I also feel that theres a part of me that just has to trust that the judge has spend quite a bit of time studying the law and precedents set by other cases to come to their conclusion. Shut up about your "activist judge" bias and stop acting like the world is screwing you over when the ruling doesn't really affect you at all.

Yeah...decent rant there.

Another Little Ditty from Bam

Okay, so I've tried to post this thing like a hundred times and for some reason, blogger isn't so happy with formatting, so I'm trying one last time. This piece was from a writing exercise we did where you had describe a scene out a window without using the word "the" and in three sentences. Here's what I came up with:

Brazen blusters follow currents directed by large buildings filled with thousands of untold stories..my eyes can only endure windy torrents behind glacial flows of glass. Here I pay my final respects to summer, an homage to billowed clouds and sunscreen sense. Autumnal colors flourish in response to waning warmth and I look forward to vernal victory over the coming snow.

I dunno, I think my use of an ellipsis is a bit of a cheat and it seems pretty rushed on my part. But I'm relatively happy with it considering the amount of time we had to work on it (like five minutes).

Kris vs. Adam

Okay, non-hockey post, here comes a big ole' beef of mine.

The American Idol juggernaut of Fox has never been a show that I felt the need to follow. Perhaps because there's few things that I despise more than a bad cover song (though I really like good covers), perhaps because of the insane fanatic christening of winners from far too early on, I'm not really certain, all I know is I kind of don't care much.

However, the last two seasons I've gotten a tad interested as its dwindled down to the final two. And as I passively browse some of the "whose gonna win?" pages there's a lot of bashing on the two contestants. On one hand this is the tragic expectation of this variety of television show; somehow we seem to pick one side and start completely trashing the opposing side when obviously both contestants have to have a decent amount of talent to get to this stage. What's even more annoying about this is that half the people picking Kris to win are saying "its sad because the more talented guy is gonna loose, but its going to be Kris."

UGH, can we stop with the Kris bashing? I happen to like him more than dear anointed Mr. Lambert. That is probably because I like the singer/songwriter variety of songs far more than I like the 80s style rock songs. And, well, I melt in the gaze of the boy-next-door guy anyway. In my opinion, Kris's style of singing has a way of honoring the song and using his voice as a vehicle for the song, whereas Adam style feels more like the song is a vehicle for his voice. That makes me like Kris's covers way more than I like Adam's. I mean seriously, Adam's version of "Mad World" isn't haunting or particularly emotional which is what makes the song so powerful when Gary Jules sings it. It sounds like Gary is entirely vulnerable and his world is completely falling apart and he's helpless to do anything about it. Adam didn't capture that at all in my opinion. In comparison, Kris's version of "Ain't No Sunshine" is perhaps the best version of that song I've ever heard, he's vulnerable and aching entirely brokenhearted. And yes I've heard Danny Nozuka's version, he's another one that uses the song as a vehicle for his voice in that instance.

Plus really now, do we honestly think that no matter who wins that both aren't going to end up putting out a CD? Come on, if you want to look at American Idol trends, the last two both get contracts, someone else swoops in and signs the second place contestant. Really, what we're competing for is that HORRIFIC AI song the winner will have to put out first and overcome with their second single if they can ever get past it (seriously, can we let David Cook write some of his own music and put something else out?) With that in mind, I hope that Adam wins so we don't have to deal with Kris bashing through next season and Mr. Allen can get onto writing the kind of CD that he actually wants to put out that's not under the watchful eye of Fox executives.

That being said, I think Adam is a very talented musician who has impeccable control of his voice which is not an easy thing to accomplish and I wish him the best of luck in his career and love life.

PS...something that totally steamed me, though I'm not blaming Adam for it. I stumbled onto a blog where some chic managed to state that she fully believed the gay marriage decisions in Iowa and Vermont were because of Adam Lambert being so out in the public eye...shoot me in the face. Like the Iowa Supreme court happened to notice this flashy guy on television, decided he was gay and they all thought to themselves, "hmm...we should let this boy, who must be gay by the way he acts, get married in our state...oh and the rest of his kind can come too"...and in Vermont some senators kids were watching AI and they happened to just be inspired to run the next morning to introduce a bill into their legislative branch to allow gay marriage just for Adam...COME ON. These decisions were giant victories for the gay community who has been fueling a movement that really gained its first healthy dose of momentum in 1969 at the Stonewall Riots. The decisions came because some people presented sound logical arguments to a governming body and the body decided that the promise of their state in its non-descrimination articles must cover the right of same-sex couples to wed under civil law.

Enough of a vent for y'all? Hmmm. My phone interview was today...I think it went really, really well. I was told that if I check back in by the end of next week that I should have an answer, so that's what, 9 days? Nine days until I could possibly be turning my world upside down.

Up Late...twiddling my thumbs

Note: HGTV has its best shows on late night Saturdays...who knew? I'm eating this up.

My interview for Plymouth State is on Wednesday at 10:30 AM. I'm pretty excited and nervous. I'll start looking at what I think I might be asked and forming answers on Monday.

Lots of grand times with friends coming through, though I'm a tad worried because my last unemployment check from the government hasn't come yet...and I could definitley use the money. Seriously stoked for the Tahoe trip in two weekends, it's going to be phenomenal.

Hockey: As the conference finals begin tomorrow I figure I should give my predictions as well. As a rule for these playoffs, watch for Chicago and Carolina to impress and shock. These two teams are going to make the conference finals a real battle for last years Stanley Cup contenders. We've been treated to a lot of fantastic series this year, like seriously hard fought series, and its going to continue into the next stage.

Detroit vs. Chicago: Its hard to bet against Detroit ever. As we saw in their game 7 win over the ducks, their top contributors didn't put in a single goal, rather their lesser known players were able to find the back of the net. The Red Wings know how to win and they usually find a way to make it happen. The Blackhawks should also not be taken lightly. They put away a Calgary team that though it just might be their year and a Vancouver team who had been picked by many analysts. There's a real sense that when they're on their game and making quick transitional break outs that they could score at will. Both teams have a penalty problem coming into this series...and both teams are the kind that will make other pay dearly for those immature mistakes. Khabibulin had a good series against Vancouver, but he didn't have a great series. For Chicago to have a fighting chance, the Bulin Wall will need to be solid. He needs to have a great series. Osgood will have to be every bit of the amazing goalie that he has been for Detroit, every bit, Chicago can really score goals (Luongo, arguably the best goalie in the game, was shamed by them, utterly shamed). Keys for each team:
-Chicago could win if they play their fast style of hockey. I don't think any team has the speed and devistating transition power of the Blackhawks when they're playing their game.
-It's Detroits series to loose and they know that Chicago will take advantage of every opportunity given to them. The greatest threat to the Red Wings is letting themselves get into a shootout with the Blackhawks, the Wings can score, but its highly debatable if they can score as much as Chicago can. Vancouver lost that bet in game 6.

I'm going to predict Detroit, but this series could be really amazing to watch and if Chicago has its way, we're going to watch the dismantling of a dynasty so that a new one can begin. There's a lot of people who are really excited about this series, count me waaaaaay in.

Pittsburgh vs. Carolina: I'm not a fan of Pittsburgh. Perhaps because of the annointing of Crosby and Malkin and this fetishizing in passive hockey fans making the Penguins the fastest growing merchandise team in all of sports. But I do enjoy that Dan Bylsma has injected new life into the team and really disciplined them into a formidable team that can dominate and devastate (game 7 versus Washington). I really like Cam Ward of the Hurricanes, who has yet to loose a playoff series. He's not amazing, but a lot like Osgood of the Redwings, you can actually see this guy fighting for every save. He's not perfect by any means, but having a goalie that has that much raw will to win is not common. Eric Staal of the 'Canes is a legitamate star on a bit of a slump and I think without Boston's Chara on his back, he'll make a lot more of an impact in this next series. Key's for each team:
-Pittsburgh built some great momentum out of the last series, winning four of the last five games and simply devastating the Capitals in the final game. Really they can win by doing more of the same, trusting in their game and executing.
-Carolina has been dubbed the "cardiac kids" for their ability to win in completely nailbiting (and by nailbiting, I mean watch out cuticles because we're chomping that far back) fashion, can they keep doing that? Yeah, I think they can, but that means that they've got to keep the score close so they can continue to give all of their fans heart attacks.

Pittsburgh might be on the way to develop a dynasty of their own. As much as I think Staal and Ward can fight enough for the entire Carolina team (not to say they won't fight at all on their own) the depth of the Penguin bench will probably be too much for them in the end. I'm predicting the Penguins (though I'd loooooove to see them be eliminated).

Time Ticking By

Predictions in the East...

Carolina vs. Boston: The series is tied 1-1...I think this is where Boston meets their match. Carolina seems to be the most underestimated team still left in the playoffs and guys like Ward and Staal are in this for the long run and I think Carolina takes this series.

Pittsburgh vs. Washington: There's a lot of people saying that this is the less exciting series to watch but people are going to tune into it because of the star power in it. Here's what I say, the Washington Capitals are one of the most exciting teams to watch in my opinion. Not because they've got "stars" but because they move the puck really well, and they've got this guy named Sergei Federov (old star of the league) who knows a thing or two about winning the cup who is apparently a great leader for all of their young talent, plus he's still impossible to guard one on one. Plus in the battle of the stars, I'm going to pick Ovechkin (reigning MVP) anyday, he'll probably win MVP again because he is the one guy in the NHL that gets everyone on their feet when the puck is on his stick. I don't think the Penguins can keep up with them. I'll pick Washington here.

After watching San Jose die a slow painful death in the first round, it might be easy for Sharks fans to just be done with the playoffs. I would urge you to pay attention at least to Washington and Chicago. These two teams are young, gutsy, and don't realize that they aren't supposed to be having this much success. They play the kind of hockey I like to watch. Fast, crisp, exciting hockey. If Chicago is down a few goals, don't you dare turn the TV off, they've gone into the third period down 3-0 before and tied the game up. Their last game in Vancouver had them down 2-0 early on, the game ended with a score of 6-3 in favor of Chicago. And like I said above, Ovechkin has been on the NHL highlight reel for the past two years because he scores goals from impossible angles, and awkward positions, on his back, it doesn't matter...the only thing that opposing teams know is that they don't want him to have the puck. And Alex the Great is not the only scoring threat for Washington.

In other news:
My application for PSU is done...there's a slight issue with turning it in immediately, but at least I don't have any more work to do. I'm starting to firm up what I would do if I was accepted, like moving plans, etc. Still terrified, still excited.

The Setting in the West

So the Sharks were eliminated tonight by a very good Anaheim team. Hats off to the Ducks for doing what San Jose has been unable to do; play like they want to move onto the next round.

The East will remain undecided until the New Jersey/Carolina and New York Rangers/Washington series have been decided tomorrow...if you were wondering, I'm still sticking with New Jersey and Washington.

Granted I haven't seen much of the East coast play, but I don't know how anyone is going to be the Western teams advancing here. These two series should be a lot of fun to watch, and I won't be surprised if it takes seven games in both series to decide the conference finalists. Here's my predictions for the next match-ups in the west:

Detroit vs. Anaheim: If the Ducks keep up this level of play the Wings are going to have some problems. Jonas Hiller is looking pretty damn good in net, though as this last series went on, he gave up quite a few more rebounds than were maybe necessary. Plus unlike the Sharks, the Wings are always out to win in the playoffs. Hiller can't expect shutouts against guys like Lidstrom, Hossa, Franzen, Zetterberg and Datsyuk. Anaheim capitalized on San Jose's mistakes and sloppy play, while San Jose was unable to do the same on Anaheim...Detroit won't allow them that luxury. Guys like Holmstrom and Maltby and Draper that will get their sticks free for the rebounds, and will create a huge distraction for the young Hiller. That is just one reason why they are the current powerhouse dynasty. These are the last two cup winners, the cores of those teams are there, they aren't mortal enemies but they are familiar with each other...well, there's the possibility for this to turn into a heinous rivalry with this series. I'm gonna say Detroit...most people are going to bet on Detroit.

Vancouver vs. Chicago: I'm gonna say this series goes to whoever can figure out how to score on their opposing goalies. Khabibulin and Luongo are two world class goalies. I haven't watched either team play much, but there's a part of me that loves guys like Teows, Kane, and Campbell. Campbell is getting on in age, and I'm hoping he's got a few more seasons in him, because I think Chicago is gearing up for something phenomenal on their own. It's really a toss up, but I think Chicago is going to make a big statement by taking this series and giving Detroit some trouble in the conference finals.

In other news, Plymouth State University is still accepting applications for next fall's graduate programs...I like them, but they're loosing points for asking for a personal statement that is 350 words max...I'm verbose...I like myself that way...350 to describe my intentions for graduate school and beyond...oy

Hmmm...

I don't think I'll be the only one to think this is some serious news:

Meghan McCain (senator's daughter) and Steven Schmidt (Chief Strategist for McCain's presidential campaign) have both stated they for gay-marriage...in fact, they've both more than hinted that its time for the non-religious and moderate voices of the GOP to rise up and force their way into the conservative debate.

Perhaps its just because I'm watching the West Wing but that seems to me like that's something that would cause a lot of peoples ears to perk up...yes its just two people, but the Chief Strategist for the last Republican Presidential Nominee and the Nominee's daughter who has found something of a political stage in the last year...those are two people whose words can carry some weight.

I dunno, I'm going to keep my eye on them now. I'm not talking a political switch because thankfully my ideologue alliances are multifaceted and thus not decided by one issue, but I think that debate of political issues can always use more voices...our country is at its best when all minds are comfortable expressing themselves, when the reason of the people is put to the test.

NHL Playoffs

For the second season in a row my dear Sabre's have not made it to the playoffs. Some fans are calling for the firing of GM Darcy Regier and Head Coach Lindy Ruff...I have faith in Lindy, there's a reason he's the longest standing head coach at one organization currently in the NHL. I think the biggest problem is that the Sabres were plagued by injury at the worst time in the season, loosing top goalie for a month and getting him back for the final seven games of the season? Loosing top goal scorer Thomas Vanek for a couple months and then have him come back unable to get back into any rhythm didn't help. Not to mention injuries that caused veterans Tim Connely and Teppo Numinen to loose some games here and there. There was a lot that didn't go well for them, key players gone at a key times, I'm impressed that they actually made a run at the end of the season. As I said earlier, what they need is a stronger leader, a real captain that will be the heart of the team. Anyways, onto the predictions on the actual playoff match ups:

Boston vs. Montreal: Boston won the season series, Montreal is riding a great end of season. If Montreal plays their best for seven games (or less), I think they could knock Boston out. That's a big "if" and well, I don't have a ton of faith in Montreal's ability to hold a streak into the playoffs. I'm picking Boston and hoping for Montreal here.

Washington vs. New York Rangers: The Rangers limped through the second half of the season, Ovechkin and the Capitals, while riding a bit of a loosing streak, are still a great team. The Rangers won't make it past the first round, Washington wins this one.

New Jersey vs. Carolina: Martin Brodeur is still an amazing goalie, perhaps still the best in his position, Carolina is going to have a hard time with him in the playoffs. Kudos to Carolina for getting this far, I think this series might actually be fun to watch, but New Jersey is going to win, probably in 6 games.

Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia: Pittsburgh figured out how to play again thanks to Dan Bylsma at the helm, Philly has been good, but I don't think they're good enough to beat Malkin and Crosby at their best. Pittsburgh takes this one, maybe in 5?

San Jose vs. Anaheim: San Jose has been attrocious in the playoffs, loosing the will to win and such, but we'll see how they fare this season with a coach who has lots of playoff winning experience. They haven't been as strong the second half of the season, but the pace they were keeping the first half was just impossible. Kudos to Anaheim to battling their way into the playoffs, San Jose takes this one, maybe sweeps it.

Detroit vs. Columbus: Great praise to Columbus for making it into the playoffs for the first time in their history, they'll nab one or two games. Detroit is a powerhouse. They are a dynasty...the reality is that they could win the cup every year, they're taking this one. Bad first match for Columbus.

Vancouver vs. St. Louis: Wow, St. Louis came out of no where, best second half of the season of any team, hands down. Vancouver hasn't been having a bad season either. This might be the best series of this round of the playoffs, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say St. Louis pulls this one out, maybe in the final hour of the seventh game.

Chicago vs. Calgary: Chicago has been great this season, I mean seriously great this season. One commentator mentioned that the biggest problem they have is that they always run into a red or teal wall, Detroit or San Jose. I think the series will be fun to watch, but Chicago is going to win.

Well friends, that was fun. Hmmmm, my sister is turning 21 tomorrow...awwwweeesome!

June 30th

I found out last Friday that I was not being offered a contract at the Drew School for the following year. My position is being restructured with either more accounting or database experience and will no longer be a full-time position, but a seasonal one. My contract ends on June 30th, so here's to changing life plans again.

I've been trying to keep a good face on it, and really there's a lot of benefits that I can find, truly a lot, but I cant deny that there is a certain amount of depression-type feelings that surround that situation.

I dunno, I'm pushing through and looking at other things. I can still apply to grad school at USF for the fall, but I'll also need to figure out how to pay for it.

Even within the sadness and the loss, I feel more like myself, I'm working on controlling the self-destructive behavior that I know comes from life changes as this.

And oddly, I'm having a problem with feeling entirely unwanted. Every once and a while someone will make me feel pretty special, but damn, I've never felt so unnecessary at life as I have in the past month or so.

Looking forward to this passing.

A little poem

I wrote this little ditty at some point over the summer with BAM...and I've been meaning to post it here but kept loosing it in piles of paper until I founding it my most recent room cleaning and am now quite excited to show it.

The writing exercise that I gave them asked them to use a phrase and a picture to do a creative writing piece, the phrase was "This is the face of..." and then there was a picture of a ship in a harbor. Looking back, it's not as awesome as I had thought it was, but I think perhaps I was more excited to have busted this out in ten minutes than about the quality itself.


This is the face of briny brilliance,
A salty serenade to lives lost and hemorrhaging memories,
The crisp crack of crustacean claws,
Clamoring for safety,
A last cry for help,
And its then that I know these mysterious creatures of the sea are not so different from ourselves,

This is the face of seaweed sinews,
The kind that survive the tirades of waters meant to brutalize brick wals,
These limbs have clung to the edge,
Whil i vocalized my own version of click-clacky claws,
Grasping only for the hope,
Of a rope made of synthetic substitutes,
For the fibers of festering fragility,

This is the face of rocking resilliance,
The calcium carbonic manifestations of structures not meant for 9 to 5 chains,
I've made my bargain with my make,
My reckless abandon for the favor of fresh catch on our deck,
This sea and I, we breath the same salty scourge and know we are inevitable.

Halfway Hockey

Thankfully the all star game has passed and the joy of the playoffs now seems much closer. Each game has significance, and we experience the phenomenon of "must win" games. I for one have really enjoyed watching this season's conference standing fluctuations. Here's some of the really exciting bits:

A) Number 1: The battle between the Sharks and the Bruins, the best of the conferences. With the presence of a new head coach to polish an already good team, San Jose got a lot of the early recognition as the leagues best team. Boston surprised everyone by actually doing really well. As a poor to mediocre team in the past few years, a meteoric rise and a decent schedule has had them play more games than the Sharks and attain more points in the process. This all came to a head when the two met recently, with the Sharks prevailing in the end. Both teams have been slumping as of late, but we can expect that they'll pull out of it. Boston still has more points and more games under their belt, I'll be interested to see how this all shakes out in the end.

B) Detroit sneaking in: Detroit hasn't had a bad season either, in fact, they currently find themselves one point behind the Sharks in the west, though they have played three more games. Detroit is a dynasty these days. They've won a lot of cups in the past twelve years, and they have a way of pulling together great talent. Both Osgood and Conklin have been notable this season, but once they're both healthy, they'll need to figure out which one is going to be number one.

C) Even with Boston atop the east, most recent standings indicate that the final four places for the play offs are taken up by teams with 66 points, a four way tie for fifth place between the Rangers, Sabres, Canadiens and Panthers. I think we have our 8 teams from the east at this point. Pittsburg is realizing that Malkin and Crosby aren't enough to create a repeat, let alone a playoff birth, Carolina could play spoiler but I doubt they have enough to get in on their own, Ottowa is 13 points outside of the playoff hunt...they won't be able to get it together this season, and no one positioned below them will be able to either.

D) The rising of the Kings. Seriously, as much as it has been a surprise to watch Boston be a team leader, lets just chat about Los Angeles season. After being dismal for seasons, I mean really dismal, last in the conference and/or league for many years, something just clicked during the past month. They're making a run for it, and I think they're going to sneak in. The West is still relatively close.

Shall we talk about chances? To win the cup a team has to have a few things:
1) Solid goaltending: if you cant count on your netminder to make up for a few of your mishaps, well, look out for when the teams your playing are fighting to continue on in the playoffs.

2) Balanced approach: everyone says defence wins championships. I say that's bullshit. Defense is really important, because you can't expect your goalie to stop everything that comes his way, and it would be awesome if the goalie didn't have to stop a shot after every offensive push, but you cant win a game if you cant score goals. The more lines that you have that can score, the harder it is for an opposing team to figure out how to defend you. Its that simple. Each player has to have a sense of purpose and understand everyone elses purpose.

3) The go to guy: When you're in a tough spot, you need to know who is going to get you out of it. These guys are the "stars" because they can handle stressful situations. They change the momentum of games. It's teams with these players who will get into and deep into the playoffs.

Lets talk about chances:

The Bruins have done well this season, but they did loose to the Sharks. I don't care about the argument that they didn't need the win like the Sharks did, whatever. When you play the team your battling for the presidents trophy with, you show up to play. Sharks were better, hands down. I don't know if Boston really has their go-to guy either. Chara deserves a ton of credit, but he hasn't historically been a game changer. Washington is impressive and as Ovechkin matures they'll have everything they need, the question is can they pull it together this year or will it take a while. My guess is that it will take a while. Teams know how to shut Ovechkin down and building a team that will support him doesn't happen over night or even over a season. Philadelphia has been plagued by injuries and I doubt that they can muster enough team spirit to go far, New Jersey has to figure out how much it can trust Brodeur when he's healthy again, Montreal isn't as impressive as last season but is a real contender again, Koivu and Kovalev are some serious vets that help the team take a lot of heart. The Panthers are showing up again as are the Sabres but I would imagine they're both lacking their go-to guys, their game changers. And the Rangers will probably figure out how to hold on for a playoff birth and be eliminated after the first round.

In the West, Calgary will play spoiler but eventually be eliminated. Chicago should be immensely commended for their progress but we all know Teows and Kane are still a bit young to lead them to the promised land, even with the addition of Campbell to their defense (and offense). They're good, but they can't top Detroit or San Jose in a series. Sundin in Vancouver could make their playoffs pretty interesting. Dallas will hang on and be eliminated before the conference finals, who knows if Edmonton and Columbus can hang on through April. The Ducks can easily pull together a playoff run and the Kings will probably find their way in. At the end of the day, the conversation comes down to Detroit and San Jose. Both are fantastic teams, both have the necessary ingredients, Detroit has plenty of experience in winning the cup and San Jose has too much experience loosing to early. I'd say San Jose is a little more hungry for it but Detroit knows exactly what it takes. I think its between these two teams. I'd love to see the Teal and Red do a Western Conference final then meet whomever from the East, maybe Boston, maybe Washington. It really doesn't matter, in my opinion, at this point in the season its the Sharks or Wings cup to loose.

The wonderful thing is, there's plenty more games to go, no one has clinched a playoff birth yet, and the trade deadline hasn't past either. There's a lot left to go and a lot of developments left that we probably don't even see coming. Now is when the exciting hockey starts.

My beef with television...

Okay. So I'm a big fan of TV channels that are educational. PBS is fine, but hook me up to the Food Network, Travel Channel, Discovery Network, History Channel...etc, I'm totally in...

However, I am quite saddened to say that there are some channels having an identity crisis. The Food Network has stayed the course on all things food...but the Travel Channel is fairly certain that it's the Food Network. The Travel Channel has marathons of three shows regularly...and by regularly I mean almost exclusively...Man vs. Food, Bizzare Foods with Andrew Zimmerman, and No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain. All three are shows about food. Now, I'm not opposed to the travel channel having a show or two about eating in other countries, but its hard to flip on that show and find something other than worldly foods to watch. I was so excited when I fell asleep watching an informative show about Austria the other night. I mean seriously! Austria is awesome! I'm lovin it those kind of shows, just a little tour of an awesome area, a viewing of the sites, travel tips and a bit of culture.

The History Channel seems to think it can run shows that have anything that's NOT historical...what? How does that makes sense?

The Discovery Chennel is doing good. I like what they have on.

Anyways, that's my current rant. Mind thy name channels!!!

Milk

I finally saw the great Gus Van Sant's biopic today of the late Harvey Milk. It has taken me a while to see this film because of the insanity of the holiday season...and because I knew that I would need to be emotionally prepared for this movie. Unlike Brokeback Mountain, this is a non-fiction movie and I knew what the ending would be.

Some have said that it would have been better for the gay rights movement had Milk been released before November 4th, perhaps Prop 8 would not have passed. I choose to not look retrospectively and rather embrace Harvey's great activist spirit as a message for those of us living unhappily in a post-Prop 8 California. Milk invites the gay community and all our supporters to take stock of the strides that we have made since the late 70s. But more than that, Milk guides our actions to not only re-obtain our right to marry in California, but to spread that right to our nation. When opposition grows strong, we must dig in our heals and fight back.

As far as the movie, Sean Penn's performance is every bit as legendary as has been publicized. However, I would wager that his creation of the character of Harvey Milk is only one example of many great character creations in this fine film. James Franco wonderfully moved from intoxicating, young, rights fighter to stately, sweet activist. However, my favorite performance may have been turned in by Emile Hirsch. From the moment he flounced on screen with the exact air and flamboyance of a cocky yet scared-shitless gaybie he had nailed a character. Can I say whether or not it was truly Cleve Jones, I was not alive to know the man and haven't met him in his older age, but I did believe Hirsch's character throughout the film. In fact, when I did finally cry, it was not during the the actual shooting scene, but when Anne an Scotty walk out towards castro street from the practically empty memorial at City Hall to see the epic candle procession coming up from market street. It was exactly as the camera focused on Cleve's (Hirsch's) face with a perfectly displayed mix between utter despair and stoic leadership that my eyes began to well up.

Alison Pill, who played Anne Kronenberg, was also quite wonderful as the strong lesbian who came in to revitalize Milk's campaign. Her character absolutely moderated the tone of the story in the way only a woman's spirit could.

I am also quite thankful for this film as a very important piece of coming gay history textbook. Everyone who has worked with a minority group is well aware of the fact that as individuals come to find their place in their community they ache to know about the struggles that their people have endured. In high school, I learned about White History, and Black History, and to less of an extent Latino and Asian History, but there was no Gay History. My knowledge of my people has been pieced together over years of researching small bits and pieces of events. I know that there is still a lot for me to learn. What Milk has done for us is bring Gay History to the general public. Now my peoples history can be included in our history. And what I think is most exciting about this history is that some of these icons are still alive. Cleve Jones and Anne Kronenberg are still fighting today. It is not out of the realm of possibility to meet them and work with these giants. When TR Knight went on Ellen's show after coming otu to the public, he thanked Ellen for her bravery coming out in the 90s. Everyone in the audience "awwwww"ed appropriately, but I wonder how much they truly understood that one of the great strengths that the gay community can draw from, is that a lot of the heros of the gay rights movement that our history will immortalize are still alive and readily available to us.

Everyone who I know has seen it has said that they've left the theater feeling empowered and hopeful. This was to be Milk's legacy. The final quote on the previews for this movie is "You gotta give them hope," and it seems that Milk has done just that by wonderfully capturing a man who continues to be an inspiration for young LGBT people everywhere and is finally becoming a hero to those who are not a part of that community.