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 Posted February 9th, 2006 at 11:55AM
Last Sunday, February 5th, millions crowded around their TVs to watch one of the most highly anticipated televised events of 2006. The three hour spectacle promised hard-hitting action, and it delivered. The halftime show was an exercise in brilliance: tightly choreographed and packed with dazzling displays of ability and daring. Yes indeed, Animal Planet crafted another masterpiece with Puppy Bowl II.
Broadcasted before, during, and after that “other bowl†on Sunday, Puppy Bowl II was the animal-lover’s extravaganza, featuring upwards of two dozen puppies playing on a miniature football field. Tons of puppy toys littered the field: stuffed animals, squeakers, knotted ropes. Of course, the most exciting thing for the pups was each other. They all varied between two and a half to three months old, and nipped, jumped, rolled, chewed, pawed, humped, sniffed – and occasionally – peed their way through the three hours. (More involved bowel movements warranted a “Puppy Penalty,†in which gameplay was halted and the offending object removed by a referee.) Lest the puppies be tired out through three hours of play, about half of them were always backstage, (which was – you guessed it – a mock locker room) where they had access to food.
On the field, to combat dehydration, lay two bowls of water, one in each end zone. This also gave way to one of the more interesting aspects of Puppy Bowl II – the “Bowl Cam.†The bottoms of the water bowls were plexiglass, with a camera placed underneath. This allowed the viewer to get a firsthand view of the puppies’ wet noses, and their drinking techniques. Some placed a paw inside the bowl, while others were able to get enough grip by leaning over and into the bowl. Captivating.
The only reprieve? The Bissel SpotBot Kitty Halftime Show – a half hour of kittens playing on a cat jungle gym which was lowered into the center of the “stadium.†This was a delight to animal lovers of the feline persuasion, but everyone could appreciate the hilarity of the halftime finale, when confetti was dropped. The kittens were frightened.
By this point, you might be questioning the sanity of the producers of this special, but make no mistake – it was quality programming. At any one point in time, there would be ten or so pups on the field, and the camera would be sure to follow the most action going on, which usually centered around a few choice miscreants. Barry, a three month old miniature poodle, caught a lot of attention, including several slow-motion replays, which were done before each commercial break.
And yes, as befitting any large televised event, there were commercials geared specifically towards the Puppy Bowl. Major sponsor ads were plastered around the playing field, and during commercial breaks, they brought out the ads. Subaru was one such high-profile company, Pedigree was another (and it was what the pooches ate in the locker room). Yet another big sponsor was Brissell, which makes vacuums. Apparently, “Puppy Penalties†are not limited to on-field accidents.
Throughout it all, was cheesy light jazz playing, a crowd roaring, and “camera flashes†from the mini, mock bleachers (judging by which, I’d say that attendance was fairly high this year). There was also an announcer who spoke during specific moments, such as a penalty or replay, or a shot of the locker room. All of this was in contrast to the first Puppy Bowl, which was a bit more spartan in contrast.
Even so, the original Puppy Bowl last year netted over five million viewers. This year is bound to have met, if not topped, that number. Puppy Bowl II was first aired at 3pm, and then re-shown at 6pm, 9pm, and 12am EST. And if you weren’t able to catch it, you can buy the DVD online. Three hours of puppies playing might just be the most innocent and lighthearted fun that many of us have had in awhile. And really – who couldn’t resist?
Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl II website – includes overview, film clips, and the ability to vote for MVP (Most Valuable Puppy).
Posted February 2nd, 2006 at 11:26PM
Munich was a worrying film. Steven Spielberg is a great director, to be sure, but his recent efforts – everything from War of the Worlds to Artificial Intelligence: AI – have been lacking. Spielberg’s true opuses were made in the seventies and eighties. Since then, the emphasis seems to have turned more and more to big budget special effects and name recognition (both his and the stars he regularly employs) rather than expert, engrossing storytelling.
But even more worrying going into it was the subject matter of Munich. The film follows a group of five Israeli Mossad agents, assigned to exact revenge for the killing of 11 Israeli athletes during the 1972 summer Olympics in Munich. Those responsible? A militant Palestinian group named Black September. It’s timely, whether because of terrorism broadly, or the fractured Israeli-Palestinian peace process specifically, and that is what makes it such dangerous subject matter.
On the one hand, Spielberg ran the risk of dehumanizing the Palestinians, neglecting to show anything but the brutality of the murderers. And he could have just as easily swung the other way, painting Israel with a thick brush. To his credit, he does neither. In an interview with TIME magazine, in response to a scene in which a Palestinian argues the justness of his cause with lead character Avner (Eric Bana), Spielberg said that without that scene, he “would have been making a Charles Bronson movie – good guys vs. bad guys and Jews killing Arabs without any context. And I was never going to make that picture.â€
And he didn’t. While a few scenes such as that one come off a bit heavy-handed, Munich does avoid that first hurdle, of being overly sensational or one-sided. With that fear allayed, how does Munich rate as a film? In a word, sublime. The cinematography works very well with the mood and pace. While the film does weigh in at a hefty two hours, 44 minutes, it doesn’t seem unduly slow. The shots are closely cropped, giving a sort of urgency during the action sequences. And there is action. Disregarding the historical subtext and all of the other human conflicts, Munich has enough explosions and gunplay for anyone interested.
One of the things really going for the film, is that Spielberg does not go with the high profile stars. The two Toms (Hank and Cruise) that Spielberg often use are nowhere to be seen, and this allows the viewer to become more engrossed in the film (provided none of the actors are immediately memorable from another earlier role – unlikely). Eric Bana plays Avner, the leader of the five person squad chosen to take down the organizers of the Munich killings. Bana works the part magnificently; the mission takes a visible toll on his character. There is a visible character arc for Avner and the others on his team. But none of the roles are especially memorable, and none need be. The actors do their jobs admirably, so you’re left believing that they’re characters, and not actors grandstanding in the hopes of award show glory.
Ultimately, Munich is a well crafted, big-budget (rumored to have topped the $70 million mark) Hollywood flick. The operative phrase here being well crafted. The film avoids most of the pitfalls that Spielberg routinely falls into: sentimentality, ham-fisted dialog, being overly dogmatic – or even simply too safe and “happy.†Spielberg took risks, and it paid off. While it might not be groundbreaking, Munich is still an exciting film that’s worth the price of admission, and by most accounts ranks among Spielberg’s better work.
Posted January 29th, 2006 at 10:28PM
Linda Butler
Tributary and Cliff Face, Wu Gorge, 2000
Silver gelatin print
Linda Butler’s latest exhibition, Yangtze Remembered: The River Beneath the Lake, details the dramatic transformation of the Yangtze River in central China, which was dammed and flooded in 2003, resulting in the relocation of more than a million living along its shores. Through her photographs, Butler shows the impact of such a decision, adding an often missing human element to the story of “progress.â€
The initial phase of construction on the Three Gorges Dam was completed in June of 2003, flooding more than three hundred miles of the Yangtze River Valley. Linda Butler traveled to the area eight times between 2000 and 2003 to capture this change in progress. Her black and white images of the river provide a great medium for looking at the effects of the dam. “Tributary and Cliff Face, Wu Gorge†shows a small strip of water, etched into the bottom of a cavernous gorge. Accompanying information tells us that the water is now navigable by boats. In two other photographs, “Wu Gorge Upstream†and “Reservoir, Wu Gorge,†we are given an identical shot, taken before and after the flooding occured. The water level is significantly higher in the second, a path cut into the side of the cliff is now mostly submerged.
That path works to draw one back to the heart of Butler’s subject matter – the people affected by the Three Gorges Dam. We are shown many candids of life in villages which had to be abandoned. The most impactful of these, however, are the large, panoramic views of cities like Wanxian. “Old Town, Wanxian†is a sweeping view of a section of the city, in the midst of being “disassembled.†More than 60,000 will be relocated from here. Other shots show the housing projects which those dislocated are slated to move into – massive, uniform structures jutting out from the surrounding cityscape. The contrast between these buildings and the villages being flooded are apparent. The viewer is left wondering how those moved will adjust.
Linda Butler’s Yangtze Remembered: The River Beneath the Lake is being shown at Cornell’s Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art from January 21st till March 26th. Hours are from 10a.m. to 6p.m., Tuesday to Sunday. Admission is free, for more information call 607-255-6464.
Posted January 4th, 2006 at 12:36AM
In an effort to make a ‘motoring’ category worthwhile, I decided to add another post to it.
Background
How did I come to own a Honda Accord? A few months ago, when I was in Germany, I learned that my mother had “something to tell me”. I had no idea what this was, but soon found out – my grandfather was finally giving up driving, and wanted to pass his car onto me. I was expecting this, since I’m the “chosen grandson” for some reason. A few years ago, I would have been ecstatic. However at this point in time, I was about to order a new MINI Cooper, so this threw a wrench into my plans. Regardless, I wasn’t about to look a gift horse in its mouth.
It’s a 2000 Honda Accord Special Edition, gold, with less than ten thousand miles on the clock (when we collected it). It’s an automatic, and the special edition model means the 2.3L 4-cylinder, an uprated interior with splashes of wood, and other trivialities, like heated mirrors.
The First Thousand Miles
The odometer hit 10,000 on a trip to Ithaca last week, and I’ve put nearly a thousand miles on it in the two weeks that I’ve been home (coming back from NYC and a roundtrip to Ithaca helped). My first impressions? I could live with the thing.
Handling-wise, I must admit it is better than my last car, a 1986 Saab 9000 turbo. Of course, this is to be expected, and not very fair for the 19-y/o Saab. The Honda has a supple ride and it goes over rough patches easily. Quite smooth, yet it is also remarkably flat in the corners. I have yet to really test its ‘tossability’, but am hesitant since it doesn’t initially feel that nimble (it’s also a decent-sized vehicle, another thing that stops me from pushing it).
Taking it to its limits produces a plowing feeling; surely it would eventually understeer like a mofo, but it doggedly resists.
The steering itself is fairly vague, rubbery and imprecise. In this sense, it’s not nearly as engaging as my previous two Saabs, or my father’s current Subaru. The amount of input that you get from the steering and pedals is pretty limited, to be expected from a mid-sized sedan not marketed or designed as a “driver’s car”.
The 2.3L inline four is rated for an HP number somewhere in the “blah” range for a car of this size (160-ish? Haven’t checked). But the automatic is definitely the limiting factor here. Although I must admit it’s one of the smoother automatics I’ve driven. You be smooth with it, it rewards you. Power delivery is very linear. Especially when compared to my 9000 turbo, which had pretty substantial turbo lag (but really hauled after 3.5k-4k RPM). At the end of the day, the Accord is slower than the 9000 turbo, and certainly feels it according to the butt dyno. But the actual difference is pretty inconsequential – it is definitely speedy enough for everyday driving. Passing is done with ease. As the engine winds out, sound increases, but is never very loud (or sexy for that matter). The powerplant runs out of breath a bit at the upper RPM range, nothing serious or too bothersome.
The interior brings new meaning to the word spartan, even taking into consideration the wood and chrome bits. It’s a drab, mundane tan color, which matches the drab, mundane gold exterior. Cloth seats, which are pretty uncomfortable on long trips. The various gauges all switch and flip perfectly – the layout of the dash is simple and nice.
Ultimately
The trunk is massive, we brought home some kitchen cabinets the other day. Ultimately, it’s a perfectly decent vehicle. However, it is a bit too much basic transportation and not enough performance for my liking. It’s the perfect car for the elderly, but when I see half a dozen other gold Accords on every trip, I get a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I’m only 21, it’s not time yet to sell out to the man.
I hope to sell this Honda next summer, and get the MINI as originally planned.
Posted August 7th, 2005 at 10:41PM
Background
Where: Keeler MINI, Latham, NY
When: July 20th, 2005, 4pm-ish
What: 2005 MINI Cooper S, red with white top, manual six-speed, sport package, leather seats, anthracite interior, limited slip differential.
First Impressions
Small. It reminded me of my late 1984 900 Saab – a low vantage point, with the feeling of the windshield ‘wrapping’ around you in the front. The seats (“sport” option, standard with sport package) were firm, well-fitting and provided much support. Way too much lumbar support; however, this was adjusted as such by the sales employee who accompanied me. I didn’t bother adjusting it myself. There was plenty of head space, and I’m 5’11″. I felt comfortable.
The viewpoint out was good, as you would sort of expect from a small car. Blind spots were practically nonexistent. I did not get to drive in too much traffic, but it did feel slightly unsettling pulling up behind large SUVs at stop signs.
Fit and finish seemed superb, but with some oddities. The center console overall seemed a bit cheesy. A lot of shiny plastic. The toggle switches felt solid, but the look overall.. Interior doors, chrome, require you to pull them twice to open. Odd, unnecessary. Another thing I noticed, which isn’t important, but annoyed me to no end: the turn signal stalk. It was short, stubby, and grey. Out of place with the rest of the vehicle, and looked like it would be more at home on a… child’s play thing, rather than a BMW-made mid-$20k hot hatch.
The doors and hatch closed with a solid clunk, again reminding me of my old Saab, and not of the Toyotas and Subarus that I drive today. Despite it’s size, the MINI felt solid, and I wasn’t overly concerned for my safety while driving it. My only worry was visibility for other vehicles. And that’s only because they were all ass-clowns in three-ton SUVs.
Having the speedometer in the middle of the dash was odd, and something that I would pass on.
The steering wheel was pretty damn thick, perhaps a mite too large. Which leads me into the next section…
The Ride
The most startling thing during my test drive? The weight of the steering. It was damn heavy. The steering wheel only goes 2.5 turns from lock to lock, and with the weight coupled with the thickness of the wheel, it was an odd sensation. Unless you’re accustomed to F1 racers, it would take you awhile to get use to the steering.
However, all of this also helped to create the killer handling characteristics, which I barely scratched the surface of during my short drive. No matter if I braked before the turn or in the turn, accelerated into it, during or out of it, the MINI clung to the road with ferocious tenacity. The car stayed level without a hint of body sway, and it was point-and-shoot the entire time. Truly enjoyable and completely secure handling.
Acceleration was adequate, but not quite awe-inspiring. The supercharged engine was slothly at lower revs, but once it got rolling, had usable punch throughout the RPM range. Quite adequate. The gearing was fairly high. I only got up to maybe fifty-five at the most, at which point I put it into sixth gear. And I was absolutely dogging the thing at that speed. First gear had a usable range apart from launching, which was a new experience for me.
The ride, a point of concern after reading through all of the reviews, was firm but not jarring in the least. I could feel each imperfection in the road, but it was not ass-numbing. After driving only beaters and SUVs/trucks, the ride was actually quite nice, an improvement. All of this despite the 17″ rims and the handling I previously mentioned.
Braking was secure and linear. All of the peddles felt correctly placed and weighted.
The clutch was super grippy, and my shifts were entirely too slow – the engine hit idle and stayed there for what seemed eternity while I navigated the shifter. This was not the car’s fault, but mine – I’m not use to such a ride. The shifter was smooth – knotchy but not overly rubbery. It was, what I imagine, the sort of shifting you’d feel right before you die. My launches were heavy on clutch, and I just about died from embarrassment when I prompty stalled it in the parking lot (it was in third, not first. I was worried about putting it into reverse, which is on the left-hand side of the H, instead of the right).
The Experience
I was happy with the test drive, although that was to be expected. More surprising, was Keeler MINI. Doing a limited amount of research, they seemed to be a competent car dealership. But they were still that — a car dealership. I expected to be either bum-rushed off the lot, or pressured into buying something (more likely the former). But I walked around the lot a bit, and wasn’t approached. I eventually had to enter the building and talk to the employee seated at a desk. He was a friendly chap who was more than eager to give a test drive. It was actually a pleasant experience.
Final Thoughts
I need one. Hopefully next spring, a ’06 S, manual, perhaps blue with a white roof and bonnet stripes. Sport package, limited slip differential, and the computer option that moves the speedometer next to the tach, behind the steering wheel (where it belongs).
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