New York Giants :
*Signed (TE)Scott Chandler off Dallas Cowboys Practice Squad

Atlanta Falcons :
*Activated (S)Erick Brock from Practice Squad
*Signed (WR)Andy Strickland/Jaguars to Practice Squad

New Orleans Saints :
*Waived (K)John Carney
*Waived (CB)Marcus McCauley
*Signed (S)Herana-Daze Jones/Patriots

Tampa Bay Buccaneers :
*Signed (WR)Michael Spurlock/49ers
*Waived (WR)Yamon Figurs

Arizona Cardinals :
*Signed (S)Hamza Abdullah/Browns
*Signed (OL)Cliff Louis/Giants to Practice Squad
*Released (LB)Brandon Renkart from Practice Squad

San Francisco 49ers :
*Waived (DE)Baraka Atkins

Seattle Seahawks :
*Re-Signed (LS)Jeff Robinson

Buffalo Bills :
*Placed (QB)Trent Edwards on Injured Reserve
*Placed (CB)Terrence McGee on Injured Reserve
*Re-Signed (QB)Gibran Hamdan

Miami Dolphins :
*Signed (P)Britton Colquitt/Broncos to Practice Squad

Baltimore Ravens :
*Signed (CB)Corey Ivy/Steelers
*Signed (S)Keith Fitzhugh off New York Jets Practice Squad
*Placed (CB)Lardarius Webb on Injured Reserve
*Waived (S)Marcus Paschal

Cleveland Browns :
*Placed (QB)Brady Quinn on Injured Reserve

Pittsburgh Steelers :
*Signed (WR)Joey Galloway/Patriots

Houston Texans :
*Signed (OL)Ephraim Salaam/Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars :
*Signed (DE)Rulon Davis/Broncos to Practice Squad
*Re-Signed (CB)Kennard Cox to Practice Squad

Kansas City Chiefs :
*Waived (WR)Mark Bradley
*Placed (TE)Brad Cottam on Injured Reserve
*Re-Signed (WR)Quinten Lawrence

San Diego Chargers :
*Signed (OL)Eric Ghiacuic/Chiefs
*Placed (OL)Scott Mruczkowski on Injured Reserve

The Epilogue (and, “The Ten Rest of the Prestigious Best.”)

It’s been two and a half months, and yet it only seems like we’ve just started. But, everything must wind down, eventually. That’s the way of things – but, I think it’s all been worth something, and certainly a great experience. We’ve just charted ten whole years of cinema – something that doesn’t sound big, after the fact, but man. And, as mentioned in our respective introductions, for every film on our list, there are at least three others that could take their place – and, here they are. As with the big ten, they’re not ranked in terms of scale, and could be interchanged willfully, depending on the day of the week, or the weather.

11. Primer – Shane Carruth

Shane Carruth’s film, made for $7000, marks him as an intriguing new voice in the sci-fi genre – a brilliantly low-key meditation on time-travel, within a framing that becomes so gradually non-linear that even the audience feels as if they’ve come unhinged in time, somewhere along the road; all compounded by Carruth’s use of digital photography, which contrasts the inherent verisimilitude it brings to the film with its mind-bending subject matter, creating something else entirely. As a fellow Texan, I give him a pump of the fist.

12. Once – John Carney

A low-key musical filmed on the streets of Dublin, John Karney of The Frames gives us a meeting of the minds framed on all sides through song – what initially begins as simple flirtation becomes something infinitely warmer and more soulful, and even truthful.

13. Wendy & Lucy - Kelly Reichardt

A stunningly under-played un-dramatization of poverty whose  potency is increased ten-fold in the current climate, told in a lean fashion by Kelly Reichardt, without even the most minimal extravagance. Only Wendy and her dog, together and apart, again and again.

14. Goodbye Solo – Ramin  Bahrani

The third film from Ramin Bahrani may be his very best, so far – continuing his exploration of the working classes, the immigrant in America, and the temporary, fleeting relationships that spark up between people, and their evolution. He charts the two of them through subtly long takes, and the natural quietude of their conversations, and their eyes – Red’s old and sad, Solo’s constantly alight. And, while the title of the film is never spoken, it informs every word.

15. Wall-E – Andrew Stanton

Pixar’s environmental fable first takes us back to cinema’s silent beginnings, and then into a future of brilliant light. Never one for convolution, WALL-E’s strength is in its simplicity – in the love story through masterful pantomime and exaggeration, in the dazzling use of color and sound in a simultaneously foreboding and foretelling future, and – near the end of the film – in the redemption of the whole human race spawned from the heart of a Chaplin-esque robot and his unending devotion to EVE.

16. A Scanner Darkly – Richard Linklater

Richard Linklater gives us one of the only adaptations of Philip K. Dick to not veer unrecognizably from the source text, utilizing a more pared-down version of the same kind of expressionistic rotoscoping that that made Waking Life so interesting – a strange, surreal trip of disassociation and misidentification, through a shifting kaleidoscope of colors and the constant paranoia that comes from Substance D. But, don’t disregard it completely.

17. The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford – Andrew Dominick

Well, Glenn sums this one up far better than I could have – and so, I will paraphrase him. This is a constantly and intensely lyrical deconstruction of American-Western iconography, from within the relationship between the ostensibly larger-than-life Jesse James and his number one fan. Dominick frames this story within forests, mountain rages and great, dirty faces. By the end, the film has become a tone-poem on that same thought illuminated on so clearly by Aaron Eckhart in my number ten, that of living long enough to see yourself become the villain.

18. Black Snake Moan – Craig Brewer

A eye-opening poster posed the main attraction for the film, but within its lurid trappings, Brewer’s keenly humanistic story of soulful resurrection takes advantage of doing the unexpected with its choice of actors – Christina Ricci, Justin Timberlake, and a Samuel L. Jackson who doesn’t once spout a catch-phrase the entire film. It remains completely earnest about these characters, and their plight, the entire way through, never trivializing their respective journeys, whether it be bluesy Lazarus’ and his coming to terms with his divorce, or Ray and her gradual awareness of her own sense of grace.

19. Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair – Quentin Tarantino

Lately, Quentin Tarantino’s fallen into a real slouch, with the violence in his films becoming meaningless, and trivial – with Death Proof and Inglourious Basterds, he’s given himself over to schlock and excess completely. More power to him, I suppose. But, at least he managed to eke out these two before he went – a giant homage and pastiche to all those things he considers so holy, from kung-fu films and comic books to Seijun Sezuki’s Tokyo Drifter, with a great deal of respect and visual panache, informed through bright colors and bloody faces, and exaggeratedly violent bullet ballets.

20. Moon – Duncan Jones

David Bowie’s son gives us a film that works on us as slowly and methodically as the movement of the main character out on the surface of the moon, itself. Sam Rockwell gives one of the great performances of the year, playing against himself and the anti-HAL. Jones makes no qualms about veering off in a direction we hadn’t expected – what appeared at first to be a cryptic drawing-room mystery in space becomes a film about the question of identity, within a giant moon base that feels  familiar-yet-underused.

***

It has been my pleasure, and a real privilege, to do this thing with Glenn – a classier act you will not find, out there on the web. Couldn’t have done it by my lonesome. And, if any of you hated our selections – well, it was all his idea. His “rest of” can be found here.

ohh sundance please never stop to amaze me! This is the cutest film that i saw on the past few months.

For those who love music, new places, and believe love has so many different ways, this film is for you!

It’s directed and wiritten by John Carney.

Over the next several weeks, we’re going to look at several different positions (I can’t yet promise all) to identify the best players wearing each jersey number at each position. If this goes as planned, we’ll then compile a list of the best player wearing each jersey number in the league.

If you have quibbles, or want to add someone I forgot, leave a comment and we’ll update this post. And please have patience – this is a big job.

We started this project with wide receivers in this post and then with tight ends in this post and quarterbacks in this post and running backs in this post and offensive linemen in this post. Now we move to kickers and punters, who wear numbers between 1 and 19, although the vast majority sport single numbers.

1 – PK Neil Rackers, Cardinals – Rackers hasn’t shown off the big leg he featured earlier in his career, but he has developed into a consistent threat on field goals. He gets the nod over Dallas’ Mat McBriar, a supersolid punter. Other notable 1s: Pat McAfee, Colts; Matt Turk, Texans

2 – P Dustin Colquitt, Chiefs – He doesn’t get much credit, but Colquitt may be the NFL’s best punter not named Shane Lechler. With 31 punts inside the 20 vs. just four touchbacks, and with an incredibly low average return rate of just 5.2 yards, it’s no wonder that Colquitt is second in the NFL in net punting with a 41.9-yard average. We give him the nod over good placekickers like David Akers of Philly, Mason Crosby of Green Bay, and Rob Bironas of Tennessee. Other notable 2s: Brandon Fields, Dolphins; Nick Harris, Lions; Reggie Hodges, Browns

3 – PK Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots – Gostkowski has developed into a solid clutch field goal kicker as well as a strong kickoff specialist. It’s rare to find a single kicker who does both jobs so well. Other notable 3s: Kris Brown, Texans; Josh Brown, Rams; John Carney, Saints; Jeff Reed, Steelers; Jay Feely, Jets; Matt Stover, Colts; Adam Podlesh, Jaguars; Hunter Smith, Redskins; Matt Bryant, Falcons

4 – P Andy Lee, 49ers – Lee is another underrated punter with terrific averages both gross and net. He gets the nod over long-time placekickers Jason Hanson of Detroit, John Kasay of Carolina, and Adam Vinatieri of Indianapolis, who has missed much of the season. Other notable 4s: Sam Koch, Ravens; Brad Maynard, Bears; Phil Dawson, Browns

5 – P Mike Scifres, Chargers – Scifres’ numbers don’t completely reflect it, but he can be a game-changing punter, as he showed in San Diego’s playoff win over Indianapolis last season. Other notable 5s: Dan Carpenter, Dolphins; Garrett Hartley, Saints; Rhys Lloyd, Panthers; Matt Prater, Broncos; Ben Graham, Cardinals; Donnie Jones, Rams; Chris Kluwe, Vikings

6 – PK Joe Nedney, 49ers – There aren’t dominant kickers or punters at this number, so we’ll give the nod to Nedney, who has long been a solid kicker with a big leg. The fact that he’s about the funniest kicker I ever interviewed doesn’t hurt either. Other notable 6s: Nick Folk, Cowboys; Ryan Succop, Chiefs; Shaun Suisham, Redskins; Chris Hanson, Patriots; Brett Kern, Titans; Thomas Morstead, Saints; Sav Rocca, Eagles

7 – P Jason Baker, Panthers – Few kickers wear this number, so Baker, who isn’t having his best season but has been solid in his time in Carolina, gets the nod. Other notable 7s: Jeremy Kapinos, Packers; Billy Cundiff, Ravens

8 – PK Ryan Longwell, Vikings – Longwell has long been one of the NFL’s most reliable kickers, and he’s 18-for-19 on field goals this year, including 2-of-2 from 50-plus. That gives him a slight nod over Buffalo P Brian Moorman. Other notable 8: Dirk Johnson, Buccaneers

9 – P Shane Lechler, Raiders – Lechler is on his way to a record-setting season. As Bill Simmons pointed out on Friday, Lechler has a chance to break the single-season record of 51.4 yards per punt (held by Hall of Fame QB Slingin’ Sammy Baugh). Lechler is currently averaging 51.7, and his net average of 44.7 yards is nearly three yards better than the single-season record, which Lechler already holds. He’s the best punter in the league and might be the best punter ever. Other notable 9s: Josh Bidwell, Buccaneers; Michael Koenen, Falcons; Jon Ryan, Seahawks; Daniel Sepulveda, Steelers; Steven Weatherford, Jets; Robbie Gould, Bears; Rian Lindell, Bills; Lawrence Tynes, Giants

10 – PK Nate Kaeding, Chargers – Kaeding has had his playoff problems, but he’s been a reliable regular-season producer. That gives him the nod over Seattle’s Olindo Mare, who is having a good season but has been inconsistent in recent years. Other notable 10s: Connor Barth, Buccaneers; Josh Scobee, Jaguars; Kevin Huber, Bengals

11 – PK Sebastian Janikowski, Raiders – The kicker also known as Sea Bass (think Dumb and Dumber) has a powerful leg and has the distinction of being one of the very few kickers to be a first-round pick in the NFL draft.

15 – P Craig Hentrich, Titans – Hentrich hasn’t played this season, but we’ll recognize his strong career as a punter in Green Bay and Tennessee here. Other notable 15: Dave Zastudil, Browns

17 – PK Shayne Graham, Bengals – Graham has developed into one of the most solid kickers around. Although his consistency this season has been lacking, Graham remains a good threat for Cincy. Other notable 17: Mitch Berger, Broncos

18 – P Jeff Feagles, Giants – Feagles has been punting in the NFL forever, but he still has a roster spot. He’s one of the few practicioners of the art of directional punting left in the league as well. Other notable 18: David Buehler, Cowboys

#29.  Once[2007]: As a musician, I’m always intrigued by other musicians, the lives they lead, and the music that defines them.  Unfortunately,  movies about musicians don’t always work.   For every Almost Famous, there’s a Rock Star (all due respect to Jennifer Aniston and Mark Wahlberg).  As a result, I’m always leery of that genre of film.   So it was a pleasant surprise when I had occasion to watch Once. Although I had read all of the accolades, it wasn’t until my good friend Jenny Green demanded that I watch the movie that I actually did so.

The story centers around a struggling musician played by Glen Hansard who befriends fellow musician/pianist Marketa Irglova (referred to simply as “Girl”) while playing on the streets of Dublin for loose change.  The two strike up a conversation that leads to both a personal and musical relationship.  Although the romantic chemistry between the two is palpable, the movie focuses more on their relationship as musical collaborators.  Although the relationship takes a few twists and turns, the result of the musical union between the two is beautiful.  There is a scene in the movie where Hansard and Irglova step into a music store that she often frequents that allows her to play the piano.  Hansard plays one of his original tunes (the Oscar-award winning song “Falling Slowly) for Irglova and the two proceed to play it together.  In that one moment, there is more musical authenticity and emotion exhibited between the two than any other film you’re likely to see about musicians or the practice of making music, short of a documentary.  This is in part why the movie works.  Its simple, its short, and its real.

In fantasy football, there are times when you can do no wrong, and there are times when everything you do will blow up in your face.

A week after a 30-point win over the Houston Wreckin’ Crew the People’s Pigskin finds itself trailing the Hawaiian Surfriders by a score of 69-36. The Surfriders have Laurence Maroney and John Carney in the Monday night matchup between the New Orleans Saints and the New England Patriots. We have Jeremy Shockey. It’s not an entirely lost cause, but it is certainly time for a Hail Mary.

We’ll be back tomorrow to review this game and get ready for the next one.

Wakefield, Massachusetts votes itself a new tax

The 2009 Regular Town Meeting proved to be a taxing one – and not just for those who hung in for the entire three and a half hours. Town Meeting backed two new local taxes: one that will bring the tax on a restaurant meal in Wakefield to 7 percent and another that hikes the hotel occupancy tax from 4 to 6 percent. So it was a taxing Town Meeting even if you didn’t sit through it.

Over the years, Wakefield voters have shown themselves to be reliably frugal when they go to the polls, handily voting down Prop. 2½ overrides and outsized budgets. Town Meeting, on the other hand, has tended to be looser with the public purse strings.

So this week, Town Meeting approved a .75 percent local option meals tax that will be added to the present 6.25 percent meals tax that was just increased from 5 percent last August 1. At the same time, the state hiked the sales tax from 5 percent to 6.25 percent.

The state also decided to give cities and towns the “option” to levy an additional .75 percent local meals tax, making it 7 percent in communities that approved it. Wakefield is now one of those communities. The state will collect the additional .75 percent along with its own meals tax and then return the local funds to the town on a quarterly basis.

But not everyone at Town Meeting was on board with the new tax.

“The state does not honor its commitments,” Former FinCom Chairman Marc Luca said, pointing to Chapter 70 local aid and the Quinn Bill as examples. He also noted that the state had just hiked alcohol and tobacco taxes. “The taxes just don’t end,” Luca observed, and most would be hard-pressed to prove him wrong.

Luca also pointed to the number of restaurants on Water St. alone that have failed recently, notably Toody’s and Dettorre’s. “I just don’t see the economic environment being able to sustain new businesses at a higher tax rate,” he said.

Several speakers in favor of the local option meals tax suggested that consumers “wouldn’t notice” an additional 37 cents on a $50 restaurant bill or even 75 cents on a $100 tab. But let’s not forget that just last August the state hiked its portion of the meals tax from 5 to 6.25 percent. It’s easy to say that you won’t notice one or the other, but these increases do not exist independent of each other.

Wakefield’s meals tax has now increased 2 percent since last August. That’s $2 on a $100 restaurant bill. Will people notice that? Maybe it won’t matter to the childless yuppie couple with the six-figure income, but what about the blue collar working class (assuming they’re still working in this economy) family of five? Will they miss the $2?

Grafton St. resident Dan Brown noted that the meals tax in Massachusetts had its genesis as a “temporary” tax. He also reviewed the history of other “temporary” taxes and fees in the state. On the question of whether a local option tax could be repealed if the state failed to give all the money back to Wakefield, Brown did not mince words.

“Hell will freeze over before this or any other tax is repealed,” he said.

When the Board of Selectmen held its public hearing on September 14 on the local option meals tax, no residents showed up, despite the fact that the hearing was well-publicized, including a front page story in the Wakefield Daily Item. Then, at Town Meeting, Wakefield citizens made a decision to vote themselves a new tax.

Will the day come when the residents of Wakefield, Massachusetts will decide that they are paying enough taxes? Maybe. But as of this week, that day has not yet arrived.

[This column originally appeared in the November 19, 2009 Wakefield Daily Item.]

Once

Música da Trilha sonora:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoSL_qayMCc

“Falling Slowly”
Escrita por Glen Hansard / Markéta Irglová
Interpretada por Glen Hansard / Markéta Irglová

Veterans Day 2009 in Wakefield, Massachusetts

As featured speaker at yesterday’s Veterans’ Day exercises, US Army veteran Sam Stella delivered his remarks in an auditorium lined with the photographs of Wakefield soldiers who died in battles fought in distant places long ago. He focused his comments on the roles that United States servicemen and women played in World War I and World War II.

“They did what they were supposed to do,” Stella said of the veterans of both World Wars, “and that’s the reason why we’ve been able to continue in this country. When people get together and do things in unison, the job gets done.”

Stella is a Wakefield native who attended St. Joseph School and graduated from Wakefield High School in 1962. He is a Past Commander of the Cpl. Harry E. Nelson American Legion Post 63 of Wakefield. A Vietnam era veteran, Stella commended those who came out yesterday to participate in Veterans’ Day.

“You are here to take part in this function,” Stella said, “and it means so much to all veterans.”

American Legion Post 63 Commander Thomas Collins got yesterday’s Veterans’ Day program underway promptly at 11 a.m. in the auditorium at the Galvin Middle School, named for Wakefield native Gen. John Rogers Galvin.

After leading the Pledge of Allegiance, Collins introduced Rev. Glen Mortimer of Wakefield-Lynnfield Methodist Church for the Invocation. The National Anthem was sung by the Wakefield High School Chamber Singers.

In what has become a moving Veterans Day tradition, the WHS Wind Ensemble played “American Heroes: A Salute to the Armed Forces,” arranged by Carl Strommen under the direction of Thomas Bankert. The medley includes the themes from each branch of the armed forces: the US Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. As each theme song was played, veterans in attendance from that branch of the service stood to the applause of the crowd. The veterans had another chance to stand and be recognized later in the program when the Wakefield Choral Society sang its “Armed Forces Salute.”

Vietnam era veteran John Carney, the current chairman of the Board of Selectmen, spoke on behalf of the town. He first recognized his fellow board members in attendance: James Good, Betsy Sheeran, Patrick Glynn, Paul DiNocco, John Encarnacao and Albert Turco.

Carney talked about the disproportionately large percentage of military veterans, in particular Vietnam veterans, who are among the homeless population in the United States today.

“These numbers are telling and a somber reminder that the afflictions of war continue long after the conflicts have ended,” Carney said. “I implore our state legislature and Congressional delegation to right this wrong.” He called upon those in attendance to support the American Legion and other organizations that assist veterans in need.

Carney commended the work of the World War II Memorial Committee as they raise funds to replace the aging monument on the Common, and called for public support of their efforts. Carney also recognized soldiers in attendance from the 26th Yankee Brigade out of Camp Edwards who recently volunteered their time and effort performing repairs and refurbishing the World War II Monument in preparation for Veterans’ Day.

Robert Smith, Chief of Staff for Rep. Mark Falzone, reported that the state legislature had just passed a major increase in the Commonwealth’s commitment to benefits for veterans. “It is fitting that this should be done at a time when we honor our veterans,” Smith said.

Rep. Katherine Clark noted that her own sons and most of the students present at yesterday’s ceremony “only remember us as a nation at war.” She observed that many servicemen who have lost their lives were only a few years older than the high school students at yesterday’s observance.

“It is the young that we ask to defend our nation,” Clark stressed. “All of the veterans here made a very profound decision when they were young. They made a decision to serve their country, and if asked, would give their lives for our nation to protect our liberties. It is a very important decision, but one that is made quietly and without fanfare by our veterans.”

Following the Veterans’ Day exercises, members of the American Legion and town officials visited the World War II Monument on the Common along with the soldiers from Camp Edwards who performed the recent facelift and restoration of the memorial.

Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover) and Amy Adams (Drop Dead Gorgeous, Enchanted) are in talks to star in Fox 2000’s dramedy Town House, which Once director John Carney is to direct.

According to Variety, Ridley and Tony Scott will produce through their Fox-based Scott Free banner.

The story is loosely based on Tish Cohen’s debut novel of the same name, which centers on an agoraphobic man, who lives with his teenage son in a historic Boston townhouse that he inherited from his rock star father. With royalties from his father’s work dwindling, the man is forced to come to terms with his life. A call girl strikes up a friendship with the man. Doug Wright and Carney adapted the screenplay.

Fox 2000 will start production sometime next summer.

By The Associated Press

SCOREBOARD

Monday, Oct. 26

Philadelphia at Washington (8:30 p.m. EDT). The Eagles look to rebound after last week’s loss to the  Raiders as they meet the turmoil-filled Redskins in an NFC East matchup.

STARS

Passing

— Brett Favre, Vikings, was 34 of 51 for 334 yards in Minnesota’s 27-17 loss to Pittsburgh, its first of the season.

— Tony Romo, Cowboys, was 21 of 29 for 311 yards and three touchdowns in Dallas’ 37-21 win over Atlanta.

— Tom Brady, Patriots, finished 23 for 32 for 308 yards and two touchdowns in New England’s 35-7 win over Tampa Bay.

— Carson Palmer, Bengals, was 20 of 24 and 233 yards and five touchdowns in Cincinnati’s 45-10 win over Chicago.

— Peyton Manning, Colts, was 23 of 34 yards for 235 yards and three touchdowns in Indianapolis’ 42-6 win over St. Louis.

Rushing

— Cedric Benson, Bengals, had 37 carries for a career-high 189 yards and a touchdown in Cincinnati’s 45-10 win over Chicago.

—Ryan Grant, Packers, had 27 carries for 148 yards and a touchdown in Green Bay’s 31-3 win over Cleveland.

— Shonn Greene and Thomas Jones, Jets. Greene ran for 144 yards and two scores, and Jones had 121 yards and a touchdown in New York’s 38-0 win over Oakland.

— Steven Jackson, Rams, finished with a season-best 134 yards in St. Louis’ 42-6 loss to Indianapolis.

Receiving

— Miles Austin, Cowboys, had six receptions for 171 yards and two touchdowns in Dallas’ 37-21 win over Atlanta.

— Vincent Jackson, Chargers, finished with five receptions for 142 yards and a touchdown in San Diego’s 37-7 win over Kansas City.

— Sidney Rice(notes), Vikings, had 11 catches for 136 yards in Minnesota’s 27-17 loss to Pittsburgh.

— Owen Daniels, Texans, finished with seven catches for 123 yards and a touchdown in Houston’s 24-21 win over San Francisco.

— Chad Ochocinco, Bengals, had 10 catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns in Cincinnati’s 45-10 win over Chicago.

Special Teams

— Percy Harvin, Vikings, ran back a kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown in a 27-17 loss to Pittsburgh.

— Nick Folk, Cowboys, was 3 for 3 on field goals in Dallas’ 37-21 win over Atlanta.

— Nate Kaeding, Chargers, made three field goals in San Diego’s 37-7 win

Defense

— Calvin Pace, Jets, had three sacks in New York’s 38-0 win over Oakland.

— Darren Sharper, Saints, returned an interception 42 yards for a touchdown in New Orleans’ 46-34 win over Miami.

— Jairus Byrd, Bills, had two interceptions in Buffalo’s 20-9 win over Carolina.

—Brandon Meriweather, Patriots, had two interceptions and ran one back 39 yards for a touchdown in New England’s 35-7 win over Tampa Bay.

STREAKS

The Colts beat the Rams 42-6 for their 15th straight regular-season victory and set a franchise record with their eighth straight road victory. The Colts are 6-0 for the fourth time in five seasons. The Rams (0-7) lost their 17th straight regular-season game. … The Tampa Bay Buccaneers also fell to 0-7 on the season and saw their losing streak extended to 11 games overall. … The Chargers won their third in a row in Kansas City for the first time since 1981. The Chiefs have lost 10 straight at home. … The Browns have scored just four offensive touchdowns and 72 points all season.

MANY FOURTH-QUARTER RETURNS

The Vikings-Steelers game was the first in NFL history to feature three return touchdowns of 75 yards or longer in a fourth quarter. All three scores— two by Pittsburgh, one by Minnesota—came in the final 6 1/2 minutes of Pittsburgh’s 27-17 victory. LaMarr Woodley returned Brett Keisel forced fumble of Brett Favre 77 yards to push the Steelers’ lead to 20-10 with 6:23 remaining. Percy Harvin answered 14 seconds later with an 88-yard kickoff return. The Steelers completed the frantic fourth quarter by scoring on linebacker Keyaron Fox 82-yard return of an interception with one minute remaining.

MILESTONES

After gaining 318 yards rushing last week, the Jets became the sixth team to top 300 in consecutive games, and first since Buffalo did it in 1975. … San Francisco’s Michael Crabtree started in his NFL debut and had five receptions for 56 yards. … Cleveland’s Josh Cribbs (7,214) moved into 18th place in career return yards, passing Bruce Harper (7,191). … Saints PK John Carney became the fourth NFL player to score 2,000 points.

STATS

The Saints overcame a 21-point deficit to beat Miami 46-34 and remained the only unbeaten team in the NFC. They are off to their best start since 1991 … The Colts’ Dwight Freeney ran his sack streak to seven straight games—three off the NFL record. … Darren Sharper has 11 career interception return touchdowns, the second-most in NFL history behind Hall of Famer Rod Woodson’s 12. Sharper has three interception return touchdowns this season. … Pittsburgh hasn’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in its past 25 regular-season games. … Buffalo won its second straight despite being outgained 425-167 against Carolina. … The Bengals improved to 5-2 for the first time since 2005.

NO-FLY ZONE

Arizona’s 24-17 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday night was just the Cardinals’ third in 18 games at the Meadowlands. It was the Cardinals’ last regular-season visit to Giants Stadium, which will be replaced by a new Meadowlands stadium next season.

SIDELINED

New York Jets running back Leon Washington broke his right leg in the first quarter against the Oakland Raiders and underwent surgery after the game. Washington went down on his only carry when a defender rolled up on his right leg after a 6-yard run. Teammates said the bone broke through the skin, and it was visible on the field. Washington was helped off the field by two trainers and then taken away on a cart. He was diagnosed with a broken right fibula and underwent surgery immediately after the Jets’ 38-0 victory. The team said he would be out indefinitely. … Houston wide receiver Andre Johnson bruised his chest in the Texans’ 24-21 win over San Francisco, and coach Gary Kubiak said he was taken to a hospital to be examined. … New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis was forced from the game against Miami because of a sprained right knee.

SPEAKING

“I think it’s a privilege to come over here and get to enjoy this type of experience. It will probably never happen again for us, so we’ll retire 1-0 internationally.”—Patriots QB Tom Brady, whose team beat Tampa Bay 35-7 in Wembley Stadium.

“I don’t think we could have beaten an Oakland high school team today.” Raiders defensive lineman  Richard Seymour after a 38-0 loss to the New York Jets. Earlier in the week, Seymour said the Raiders would make the playoffs.

Crítica de Cinema – Texto publicado originalmente no Judão, em 24/04/2008.

O mais legal nesse negócio de doido que é fazer cinema é que você não precisa necessariamente ter grandes recursos, apadrinhamento de grandes estúdios, astros e estrelas de renome e efeitos visuais de última geração para gerar trabalhos contundentes e significativos. Na verdade, precisa-se de muito pouco. E vez por outra, surge um filminho pequeno, escondido, que comprova a máxima imortalizada pelo cineasta brazuca Glauber Rocha, “uma câmera na mão e uma idéia na cabeça”. Nas mãos das pessoas certas, uma historinha simples, bem escrita e bem interpretada pode simplesmente destruir qualquer um emocionalmente e martelar na mente do público por um bom tempo, mais do que aquele longa-metragem de 752 milhões de dinheiros visto por 752 milhões de espectadores que, em sua maioria, esquecerão do que assistiram em duas ou três horas após a sessão.

Sendo assim, se você é como este que vos escreve, louco psicótico capaz de gostar de viagens intergaláticas, suspenses sangrentos, serial killers, documentários do Animal Planet e comédias românticas água-com-açúcar da Meg Ryan na mesma proporção (!), é bom preparar os nervos para Apenas Uma Vez (Once, 2006), drama musical irlandês que precisou de menos de uma hora e meia de projeção para se tornar o melhor filme independente do ano (até agora, claro). E se você é como este que vos escreve, masoquista sem vergonha alguma na cara, prepare-se para querer ver (e sofrer com) esta fitinha de novo e de novo e de novo, com direito até a comprar o DVD na ocasião de seu lançamento. Pois é, gente doida é assim.

E pelo visto, tem muito masoquista por aí, já que o longa, totalmente rodado com duas pequenas câmeras digitais, conquistou prêmios bem importantes, dentre eles o título de Melhor Filme Estrangeiro no Independent Spirit Awards e o Prêmio do Público no último Festival de Sundance, além do Oscar 2008 de Melhor Canção para a excelente Falling Slowly – e o fato inédito de a Academia permitir que um premiado retorne ao palco para concluir seu discurso, interrompido pela orquestra por ter extrapolado o tempo. Uau, hein? Isso é que é moral.

Toda essa babação de ovo justifica-se. O caso é que Apenas Uma Vez surpreende por apresentar uma série de pequenos elementos que propiciam uma identificação imediata do espectador. Em sua linha de enredo aparentemente rasa, trata de rejeição, carência paterna, exclusão, sonhos não realizados, resistência às barreiras lingüísticas, culturais e financeiras impostas pela sociedade, abandono, traição, frustração profissional e pessoal… tudo isto embalado em 85 minutos de uma tocante história de amor bem aos moldes de Luzes da Cidade, clássico de Charles Chaplin, protagonizada por belíssimas canções de folk-rock e personagens tão reais, tão tridimensionais, que poderiam ser seus vizinhos. É bom porque poderia acontecer com você mesmo, e você sente isso na pele.

E como toda e qualquer boa e RELEVANTE história de amor que se preze, tem tudo prá dar m%#@& no final. Será? :-D

O enredo de Apenas Uma Vez é aparentemente simples, direto ao ponto: temos duas personagens, cujos nomes nunca são ditos e são identificados pelos créditos apenas como “o cara” (Glen Hansard) e “a garota” (Marketa Irglova). O cara saiu da Inglaterra em direção à Irlanda para cuidar do pai após a morte da mãe e ajudá-lo em uma pequena lojinha de consertos de aspiradores de pó – mas sabe-se que a verdadeira razão da fuga do sujeito foi o galho sincero que ganhou de uma namorada, história narrada nas músicas que o cara toca em seu violão pelas ruas da cidade em troca de algumas moedinhas. A garota veio da República Tcheca com a mãe e a filha pequena; abandonou o marido em busca de oportunidades na terra do Bono e do Daniel Day-Lewis (!), mas encontrou uma realidade bem diferente da proposta e, para sobreviver, vende rosas pelas mesmas ruas.

A música (e a idéia de vencer na vida através dela) unirá estas personagens meio que sem querer: ele toca violão, ela é pianista e ambos possuem nítida afinidade profissional. Aos pouquinhos, quase imperceptivelmente, não conseguem enxergar-se longe um do outro. Compõem músicas, fazem duetos, tomam café, revelam alguma coisinha sobre suas histórias pessoais, e por aí vai.

E então… bem, todo mundo já deve imaginar o caminho que a bandinha vai tocar, certo? Como diria Lex Luthor, WROOOOOONG! É aí que o roteiro do irlandês John Carney, também diretor da fita, revela-se mais do que aparenta: evitando ao máximo todos os clichês do gênero, Apenas Uma Vez injeta seriedade, imprevisibilidade e até originalidade na trama ao preferir focar não em um suposto relacionamento entre os dois, mas sim na tortuosa dúvida silenciosa que surge a partir daí. Afinal, tanto o cara quanto a garota têm sonhos e é bem provável que não haja espaço para o outro nestes sonhos, embora a paixão seja de fato inevitável (ou não). O que fazer? Entregar-se a um amor que pode ou não ser correspondido? Não arriscar e deixar ir embora aquele(a) que pode ser sua definitiva cara-metade?

A melhor forma de desabafo segue nas canções executadas pela dupla durante a fita – canções aterrorizantes, compostas em grande parte pelos próprios atores, Marketa Irglova e Glen Hansard (músico profissional, integrante da popularíssima banda irlandesa The Frames e também ator de um dos filmes mais legais dos anos 90, The Commitments – Loucos Pela Fama, de Alan Parker). Sério, algumas das músicas são de cortar o coração, ainda mais analisando a perfeição do contexto das cenas na qual são utilizadas… e masoquista que sou, já tenho até o CD da trilha. Céus!

Bem, para não entregar o jogo todo (o texto está ficando longo demais e, de qualquer forma, se quiser saber mais, vá ao cinema, oras!), basta dizer que Apenas Uma Vez é um daqueles trabalhos curtinhos, sem rodeios, mas de sensibilidade ímpar, que se constrói – e destrói, hehehe – com base em sugestões, na leveza dos diálogos, de seqüências marcantes e das personagens brilhantemente defendidas por Hansard e Irglova. Um filme que te deixa a sensação de ter sido esmurrado, estraçalhado, amassado e atropelado por um trator (!), e tudo isso com um tremendo sorriso no rosto. Veja o filme, compre a trilha, pegue seu violãozinho e saia por aí soltando o gogó! Só escolha bem o repertório. Nada de “quando Deus te desenhou” ou troços do gênero, ok? Nossos tímpanos, comovidos, agradecem.

Em tempo: na seqüência do passeio, o cara faz uma pergunta à garota, que responde em seu idioma natal e, ignorando a súplica do sujeito, não dá qualquer tipo de pista sobre o que aquela resposta significa. Daí fui forçado a procurar o significado nas Internets da vida… pra quê? Só me deu mais raiva ainda! Cacetada!

ONCE • IRL • 2006
Direção de John Carney • Roteiro de John Carney
Elenco: Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova, Hugh Walsh, Gerard Hendrick, Bill Hodnett, Danuse Ktreskova, Alistair Foley, Geoff Minogue.
85 min. • Distribuição: Imagem Filmes.

There’s a new bounty hunter in town, and it’s not Clint Eastwood from the legendary western film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Rather, it’s John Carney from Clusterstock who is keeping the bold bears honest, even though they have received their heads handed to them in this supposed “sucker, bear-market rally.” Perhaps, the bears will ultimately be proven right, but in the mean time, these tape fighters are losing blood by the quart.

Music from what Quentin Tarantino calls the best-directed film of all-time.

I find the existence of accountability sheriffs in the business media world rejuvenating since these roles are sorely lacking. Too often, so-called pundits spout off bold assertive predictions and industry commentators make no effort to review the track records of those prognosticators. I commend many of the industry practitioners for putting their necks out on the line, but viewers need some sort of historical batting average to judge the odds of forecast reliability. The game of predictions is no science, but there can be some objective responsibility instituted by media researchers and commentators. Media outlets provide carte blanche to predictors without doing homework on the guests. Unfortunately, time-strapped viewers have little to no time to research commentator track records.

Typically how it works, especially in the massively fragmented media world (which I admittedly participate in on a relatively small scale), you have countless voices making extreme predictions across the broad economic and financial globe. Eventually, some forecasts will be right, including those correct for the wrong reasons – just think back to your statistics class where you learned about the “law of large numbers” or the family living room where the broken clock provides correct time twice a day (see my other article on bold predictions). Since any human likes to be associated with greatness, these future-seers are strolled into media studios, put on a pedestal and asked to share their brilliance, all without critically reviewing the past record of the purported expert.

Rather than make bold predictions about market direction, which is virtually impossible to predict with accuracy on a sustainable basis, I choose to look at the market with a perspective similar to the greats. For example, Peter Lynch who earned +29% per year from 1977 – 1990 (achieving about double the market return) says it’s best to “assume the market is going nowhere and invest accordingly.” Realizing your fallibility is important also. Even with Lynch’s incredible track record, he knows “you’re terrific in this business [if] you’re right six times out of 10.” According to Lynch fretting about the market direction is also useless: “If you spend more than 14 minutes a year worrying about the market, you’ve wasted 12 minutes.” Interestingly, even Warren Buffett, arguably the greatest investor of all-time, never comments on short-term directions of the market, despite being hailed as the “Oracle of Omaha.”

Predictions and forecasts will never go away, but I will sleep better at night knowing sheriffs like John Carney are keeping track of the good, the bad and the ugly. Who knows, maybe he’ll even take me on as a deputy.

View John Carney’s Full Article

Wade W. Slome, CFA, CFP®

Plan. Invest. Prosper.

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Delawind receives a state loan. John Carney, who is running for Congress, is head of Delawind. Some are putting two and two together and getting their signals crossed to say Delaware is loaning Carney money to run for Congress..

Now I disagree… and the basis on that disagreement is solely due to my prejudice in the last syllable of John Carney’s company. …… wind…. To be honest, were Republicans giving loans to a Republican, I would follow the same tack… unless that Republican too was head of a company that either dealt in bringing offshore wind power to Delaware, or improving our state’s educational system.. The two basic areas our state needs action in right now….

One of the saddest events not covered in recent times is that fact that Delaware after reaching a historic agreement to get the first offshore farm started, got melted by the Republican Depression that brought America to its knees…. Those visionaries who study numbers, KNOW offshore wind will one day line the Atlantic coast from Florida to Cape Cod. Just like visionaries in 1809 KNEW that railroads would one day connect both of America’s oceans.

Delaware cannot afford to let any other state get there first. WE MUST BE THE ONE, if we wish to have any quality of life whatsoever. We must be the one….

And with the loss of our prime sponsor, Babcock and Brown, we must look elsewhere for investors to plug into the future of the eastern seaboard… That will take money…

And that money needs to get loaned…. even if its to the only company out there that is trying to do the right thing…. Even if the head of that only company trying to do the right thing is running for Congress….

Delaware has no choice but to go offshore wind in a huge way.. We have to be first. We have to get it done. We have to do something now… It’s a damn good thing that someone is out there doing something to make it happen… We need jobs. We need to be the center of the next generation. We need the Eastern seaboard’s equivalent of Silicon Valley somewhere here in these three counties… We need that source of revenue.

Otherwise we will have no choice but legalise prostitution, just so we can tax it for much needed revenue…..

Dublin-born musician Glen Hansard is perhaps best known as the leading man in Once, a low-budget film that won the best song Oscar in 2008.

Made in just 17 days, John Carney’s film saw Hansard play a busker who falls for a young Czech immigrant, played by Marketa Iglova. In real life, Hansard and Iglova – who collected the Academy Award for their song Falling Slowly – write and perform as The Swell Season.

Nearly two years on, Hansard is back with another Swell Season album, a European tour and a perspective on his rise to fame. What did you and Marketa do after winning your Oscar?

Having I guess won one of the biggest prizes in the world, you’d expect that we’d break open a bottle of champagne, go on holiday and get some perspective. In fact what we did was go on tour, because opportunities came in and we took them. So we found ourselves very, very busy afterwards, even more busy than we’d been before.
Was that a necessary step, to go back to how things were?

Me and Mar graduated into being more than friends at one point, but I feel that rather than stepping backwards we went forward again – we became better friends, deeper friends.

Now when we tour and play music together, thankfully all that magic is still there in terms of what I’ve always loved about her, what she has brought to my music and hopefully what I’ve brought to hers. There’s a deep caring there – I’d lie in the middle of the road for her if it came to it. It’s a rare thing to find friends that you feel that close to.

Nice.  For a word that has as it’s 5th definition “pleasing, agreeable, appropriate, fitting” (frankly I’m surprised that’s the 5th definition!  The first one is “wanton, dissolute” who knew?) it’s almost become a not so good thing to say about someone.  But I do believe that niceness wins out.  The other night I was running an errand when the news came on with a story about a very talented NFL player who was – surprise, surprise – unhappy where he was playing and was dropping hints he’d like to make a team switch.  This player is on his 4th team so far and he was looking to add a 5th if anyone would take a flyer on him.  The thing is, even though this player is immensely talented, the response from possible teams was underwhelming, at least in the press I was hearing.  The player has a reputation for being difficult, selfish and polarizing.  In short, not very nice.  His schtick is wearing thin.  He is now a veteran of over a dozen years, his age is starting to catch up with him and teams are no longer interested in paying his non-monetary price for skills that aren’t as sharp as they once were.  He isn’t nice to be around and they no longer need to tolerate him as new players had risen to the top.  Now I’m making some really huge assumptions here based on press reports and reported behavior.  I don’t know this person nor do I know anyone in the NFL.  Although I do have “aging veteran” John Carney’s college jersey from Notre Dame as I once had a crush on him.  It kills me when they call him that-I’m older than he is.

Anywho, back to the point at hand.  I don’t know if this player will end up at another team or make peace where he is.  But the facts of the story illustrate that people will tolerate genius without courtesy for only so long.  The almost-as-good person that is great to have in the locker room, part of the sales team or on a set will have a much longer and more lucrative career than flash in the pan man who’s only out for himself.  I try to keep that in mind whenever I go in for an audition or a meeting.  I may not be as skinny, talented or pretty as some of the other ladies, but I know I can be one of the nicest and most professional.  That way I can hopefully have a 22 + year career just like John.  Only I hope I keep all my hair.  Sorry John.