Gender: Male
Status: Divorced
Age: 55
Sign: Leo
City: CROWN POINT
State: INDIANA
Country: US
Signup Date: 12/13/2006
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June 5, 2008 - Thursday
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Category: Writing and Poetry
NEW INTERVIEWS FROM THE ENTERTAINMENT CRITIC: KAREN ROSE AUTHOR OF SCREAM FOR ME AND EMILY GIFFIN, AUTHOR OF LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH
Please check out the new interview by James Myers, The Entertainment Critic, of NY Times Best Selling and Rita Award Winner Author, Karen Rose, About Her New Top Selling Book, Scream for Me and Emily Giffin, Author of Love The One You're With. This interview is available exclusively on The Entertainment Critic Magazine, found at http://www.theentertainmentcriticmagazine.com.
To listen to the interview: To access the interview, look under the Interview section. Click on the wavy lines in the top right hand corner to stop the music, and then click on the MP3 player in the lower left corner. You'll see the interview listed, click on Emily's and Karen's name in the player, the interview will take a moment to download and then will begin playing Enjoy the interview, and please drop us a line at james@theentertainmentcriticmagazine.com and let us know how you liked the interview and if there is anything we can do to improve our process.
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May 29, 2008 - Thursday
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Category: News and Politics
What Happened
THE ENTERTAINMENT CRITIC BOOK REVIEW, BY JAMES MYERS
www.theentertainmentcritic.com
www.theentertainmentcritic.net
www.theentertainmentcriticmagazine.com
WHAT HAPPENED
By Scott McClellan
Published by: Public Affairs Books, a Division of Perseus Books
Publication Date: May 28, 2008
Price: $27.95
368 Pages
ISBN-13: 9781586485566
Four Star Rating ****
SCOTT MCCLELLAN SERVED AS WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY FROM 2003 TO 2006, BEFORE THAT HE SERVED AS THE PRINCIPAL DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY AND AS TRAVELING PRESS SECRETARY FOR THE BUSH-CHENEY 2000 CAMPAIGN. EARLIER IN HIS CAREER, MR. MCCLELLAN SERVED AS DEPUTY COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR IN THE TEXAS GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND CAMPAIGN MANAGER FOR THREE SUCCESSFUL STATEWIDE CAMPAIGNS. HE IS NOW A SENIOR ADVISER TO A GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY FIRM AND COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIST. BORN IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, HE NOW LIVES NEAR WASHINGTON, D.C
"The University of Texas has always been special to my family and me. My grandfather, the late Page Keeton, was the legendary dean who led its law school to national prominence. I was born and reared in Austin, Texas, where it is located, and earned an undergraduate degree from the university.
I am very familiar with the UT Tower, the main building in the center of campus, with words from the Gospel of John carved in stone above its south entrance: "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free."
Those powerful words have always piqued my curiosity, as a person of faith and as an ordinary human being keenly interested in the larger meaning of life. But not until the past few years have I come to truly appreciate their message.
Perhaps God's greatest gift to us in life is the ability to learn from our experiences, especially our mistakes, and grow into better people. That uniquely human quality is rooted in free will and blossoms in our capacity for knowledge, based on understanding the truth — not as we might imagine or wish it to be, but as it is. And that includes recognizing our faults and accepting responsibility for them. Through contrition we find the truth and the freedom that comes with it, even as we improve ourselves and grow closer to the image that God our Creator has in mind for us to become.
My mother, who began her career in public service as a high school civics and history teacher, likes to say, "It is people, not events, that shape history." She couldn't be more right. History is rooted in the choices made by people — flawed, fallible people.
This is a book about the slice of history I witnessed during my years in the White House and about the well-intentioned but flawed human beings — myself included — who shaped that history. I've written it not to settle scores or enhance my own role but simply to record what I know and what I learned in hopes that my account will deepen our understanding of contemporary history, particularly the events that followed the tragic attacks of September 11, 2001.
I began the process of writing this book by putting myself under the microscope. In my efforts on behalf of the presidential administration of George W. Bush I fell far short of living up to the kind of public servant I wanted to be. Having accepted the post of White House press secretary at age 35 and possessing scant experience of the Washington power game, I didn't fully understand what I was getting myself into. Today, I understand it much better. This book records the often painful process by which I gained that understanding.
I frequently stumbled along the way and failed in my duty to myself, to the president I served, and to the American people. I tried to play the Washington game according to the current rules and, at times, didn't play it very well. Because I didn't stay true to myself, I couldn't stay true to others. The mistakes were mine, and I've suffered the consequences.
My own story, however, is of small importance in the broad historical picture. More significant is the larger story in which I played a minor role — the story of how the presidency of George W. Bush veered terribly off course.
As press secretary, I spent countless hours defending the administration from the podium in the White House briefing room. Although the things I said then were sincere, I have since come to realize that some of them were badly misguided. In these pages, I've tried to come to grips with some of the truths that life inside the White House bubble obscured.
My friends and former colleagues who lived and worked or are still living and working inside that bubble may not be happy with the perspective I present here. Many of them, I'm sure, remain convinced that the Bush administration has been fundamentally correct in its most controversial policy judgments, and that the dis-esteem in which most Americans currently hold it is undeserved. Only time will tell. But I've become genuinely convinced otherwise.
The episode that became the jumping-off point for this book was the scandal over the leaking of classified national security information — the so-called Plame affair. It originated in a controversy over the intelligence the Bush administration used to make the case that Saddam Hussein's Iraq represented a "grave and gathering danger" that needed to be eliminated. When a covert CIA officer's identity was disclosed during the ensuing partisan warfare, turning the controversy into the latest Washington scandal, I was caught up in the deception that followed. It was the defining moment in my time working for the president, and one of the most painful experiences of my life
When words I uttered, believing them to be true, were exposed as false, I was constrained by my duties and loyalty to the president and unable to comment. But I promised reporters and the public that I would someday tell the whole story of what I knew. After leaving the White House, I realized that the story was meaningless without an appreciation of the personal, political, and institutional context in which it took place. So the story grew into a book.
Writing it wasn't easy. Some of the best advice I received as I began came from a senior editor at a publishing house that expressed interest in my book. He said the hardest challenge for me would be to keep questioning my own beliefs and perceptions throughout the writing process. His advice was prescient. I've found myself constantly questioning my own thinking, my assumptions, my interpretations of events. Many of the conclusions I've reached are quite different from those I would have embraced at the start of the process. The quest for truth has been a struggle for me, but a rewarding one. I don't claim a monopoly on truth. But after wrestling with my experiences over the past several months, I've come much closer to my truth than ever before.
Many readers will have come to this book out of curiosity about the man who is a leading character in my story, President George W. Bush. You'll learn about my relationship with him and my experiences as part of his team as you read these pages. For now, let me observe that much of what the general public knows about Bush is true. He is a man of personal charm, wit, and enormous political skill. Like many other people, I was inspired to follow him by his disarming personality and by his record as a popular, bipartisan governor who set a constructive tone and got things done for the people. We all hoped and believed he could do the same for the nation.
Certainly the seeds of greatness seemed to be present in the Bush administration. Although Bush attained the White House only after an extended legal battle over the outcome of the 2000 election, he began his presidency with considerable goodwill. He commanded a rare, extended period of national unity following the unimaginable national tragedy that struck our nation in September 2001.
On paper, the team Bush assembled was impressive. Vice President Dick Cheney was a serious, vastly experienced hand in the top levels of government. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld had already enjoyed one successful run at the Pentagon and boasted a résumé listing a string of business and government achievements. Secretary of State Colin Powell, an able and widely respected military leader, was easily the most popular public figure in the country and could well have been the first African American president of the United States had he been interested in the job. Even Bush's chief political adviser, Karl Rove, had a powerful reputation as a brilliant strategic thinker who was helping to make the Republican party the nation's greatest political force.
I believed in George W. Bush's leadership and agenda for America, and had confidence in his authenticity, integrity, and judgment. But today the high hopes that accompanied the early days of his presidency have fallen back to earth.
Rumsfeld and Powell are gone, their tenures controversial and disappointing. Vice President Cheney's role is widely viewed as sinister and destructive of the president's legacy. And Rove's reputation for political genius is now matched by his reputation as an operative who places political gain ahead of the national interest.
Through it all, President Bush remains very much the same. He is self-confident, quick-witted, down-to-earth, and stubborn, as leaders sometimes need to be. His manner is authentic, his beliefs sincere. I never knew Lyndon Johnson (another Texan with a stubborn streak whose domestic accomplishments were overshadowed by a controversial war) or Richard Nixon (a president whose historically low poll ratings following Watergate have been rivaled only by Bush's). But according to historians, both men were consumed with defensiveness, anger, and ultimately anguish as their presidencies unraveled under the pressure of war and scandal, respectively. George W. Bush is different. He is very much the man he always was — though not quite the leader I once imagined him to be.
It was the decision to go to war in Iraq that pushed Bush's presidency off course. It was a fateful misstep based on a confluence of events (the shock of 9/11 and our surprisingly — and deceptively — quick initial military success in Afghanistan), human nature (ambition, certitude, and self-deceit), and a divinely inspired passion (President Bush's deeply held belief that all people have a God-given right to live in freedom). For Bush, removing the "grave and gathering danger" that Iraq supposedly posed was primarily a means for achieving the far more grandiose objective of reshaping the Middle East as a region of peaceful democracies.
History appears poised to confirm what most Americans today have decided — that the decision to invade Iraq was a serious strategic blunder. No one, including me, can know with absolute certainty how the war will be viewed decades from now when we can more fully understand its impact. What I do know is that war should only be waged when necessary, and the Iraq war was not necessary.
Waging an unnecessary war is a grave mistake. But in reflecting on all that happened during the Bush administration, I've come to believe that an even more fundamental mistake was made — a decision to turn away from candor and honesty when those qualities were most needed.
Most of our elected leaders in Washington, Republicans and Democrats alike, are good and decent people. Yet too many of them today have made a practice of shunning truth and the high level of openness and forthrightness required to discover it. Most of it is not willful or conscious. Rather it is part of the modern Washington game that has become the accepted norm.
As I explain in this book, Washington has become the home of the permanent campaign, a game of endless politicking based on the manipulation of shades of truth, partial truths, twisting of the truth, and spin. Governing has become an appendage of politics rather than the other way around, with electoral victory and the control of power as the sole measures of success. That means shaping the narrative before it shapes you. Candor and honesty are pushed to the side in the battle to win the latest news cycle.
Of course, deception in politics is nothing new. What's new is the degree to which it now permeates our national political discourse.
Much of it is barely noticeable and seemingly harmless, accepted as par for the course. Most of it is done unconsciously or subconsciously with no malicious intent other than to prevail in the increasingly destructive game of power and influence.
Some of it is self-deceit. Those engaging in it convince themselves to believe what they are saying, though deep down they know candor and honesty are lacking. Instead of checking their political maneuvering at the door when the campaign ends, they retain it as part of the way Washington works. The deception it spawns becomes the cancer on our political discourse, greatly damaging the ability of our elected leaders to govern effectively and do what is best for America.
Too many politicians and their followers have become passionately committed to a preconceived, partisan view of reality that allows little room for compromise or cooperation with the other side. The gray nuances of truth are lost in the black-and-white ideologies both parties embrace. Permanent division, gridlock, and a general inability to constructively address the big challenges we all face inevitably follow.
President Bush, I believe, did not consciously set out to engage in these destructive practices. But like others before him, he chose to play the Washington game the way he found it, rather than changing the culture as he vowed to do at the outset of his campaign for the presidency. And like others before him, he has engaged in a degree of self-deception that may be psychologically necessary to justify the tactics needed to win the political game.
The permanent campaign also ensnares the media, who become complicit enablers of its polarizing effects. They emphasize conflict, controversy, and negativity, focusing not on the real-world impact of policies and their larger, underlying truths but on the horse race aspects of politics — who's winning, who's losing, and why.
In exploring this syndrome and the way it helped damage at least one administration, I've tried to contribute to our understanding of Washington's culture of deception and how we, the American people, can change it.
Although my time in the Bush White House did not work out as I once hoped, my optimism regarding America has been strengthened. I've met many, many people who are eager for positive change and are ready to devote their lives and energies to the future of our country. I still believe, in the words of then-Governor Bush, that it's possible to show "that politics, after a time of tarnished ideals, can be higher and better." I'm convinced that, if we take a clear-eyed look at how our system has gone awry and think seriously about how to fix it, there's nothing we can't achieve.
This book, I hope, will contribute to that national conversation."
Scott McClellan, former Press Secretary to President George W. Bush, has written an explosive, new book, What Happened that does not ask the question as much as it supplies the missing pieces of the answer. At the age of 30, he accepted what appeared to bed the job of a lifetime, press spokesman for Texas governor, George W. Bush. Bush was just beginning his candidacy for President. Scott identified with GWB due to his strong record of successful bipartisan leadership, as a compassionate, committed conservative. He was particularly inspired by his promise to restore dignity and honesty to the Office of The President of the United States after the tumultuous years under Bill Clinton's scandalous and partisan administration.
McClellan served the "W" White House for over 7 years as part of the inner circle of trusted advisors to the President, as well as his Press Secretary. From his position and vantage point, he witness the events of the most challenging and contentious periods in American history. He witnessed the day to day operations of the Bush White House, and observed it veer disastrously and irretrievably off course. In this startlingly, candid book, he shares his provocative story with the American people.
What Happened provides a one of a kind prospective of all of the events, policies, and personalities of the Bush administration, including the Iraq War, 9/11, the Valerie Plame leak scandal, Hurricane Katrina and all of the propaganda and marketing campaigns designed to exculpate the White House and mislead the American people.
What Happened demonstrates what President Bush knew or should have known, how the Bush White House operates, and how the goals and priorities of the Bush Administration were shaped and focused. Scott offers completely unique opinions about the roles and personalities of the top advisors including, Karl Rove, Andy Card, Karen Hughes, Condoleezza Rice, and VP Dick Cheney.
More importantly, this book is a true confession of Scott's understanding of exactly how our political culture became so toxic and intolerable. His compelling case against 'politics as usual' in the process of campaigning, governing, or covering politics for the media is the most unique insights offered into modern politics currently in written form. He has also offered potential solutions to make institutional changes to reform the Washington policies of deception that he feels poisoned the Bush Administration for within. He offers sound advice to the American people concerning the selection of a new leader.
This book blows the lid off of the incredibly secretive and manipulating workings of the Bush administration, and comes at a time when the President is still in office. His writing shows the painful truth that the powers to be were ultimately deceiving themselves. It is an often all too painful acknowledgement of what occurred, and his role in it. This is the most open, vivid and disturbing political book so far this year, giving incredible insight into the upcoming Presidential elections. Don't miss this one. It is a political fireball of an eye opener.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJMFs3dUxWA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnEqw4m-PLs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQYHigsPkyU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKlSKlgp1Os
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE9lew1QBfA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdKqi6djb0g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7r7Ki4NHMM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS9Gu5wdwAs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgAL7uflHyA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRItNnF-GRE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYGweWr2YiI
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May 24, 2008 - Saturday
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Category: MySpace
Movie Review: Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull
The Entertainment Critic Movie Review
www.theentertainmentcritic.com
www.theentertainmentcritic.net
www.theentertainmentcriticmagazine.com
In Theatres Now Review
Opened May 22, 2008
By James Myers
Rating: 7 of 10
Directed by
Steven Spielberg
Writing credits
(WGA)
David Koepp (screenplay)
George Lucas (story) and
Jeff Nathanson (story)
George Lucas (characters) and
Philip Kaufman (characters)
Cast (in credits order)
Harrison Ford ... Indiana Jones
Cate Blanchett ... Irina Spalko
Karen Allen ... Marion Ravenwood
Shia LaBeouf ... Mutt Williams
Ray Winstone ... 'Mac' George McHale
John Hurt ... Professor 'Ox' Oxley
Jim Broadbent ... Dean Charles Stanforth
Igor Jijikine ... Dovchenko
Dimitri Diatchenko ... Russian Suit 1
Ilia Volokh ... Russian Suit 2 (as Ilia Volok)
Emmanuel Todorov ... Russian Soldier 1
Pavel Lychnikoff ... Russian Soldier (as Pasha D. Lychnikoff)
Andrew Divoff ... Russian Soldier 3
Venya Manzyuk ... Russian Soldier 4 (as Veniamin Manzyuk)
Alan Dale ... General Ross
Joel Stoffer ... Taylor
Neil Flynn ... Smith
V.J. Foster ... Minister
Chet Hanks ... Student in Library
Brian Knutson ... Letterman 1
Dean Grimes ... Letterman 2 (as Dean L. Grimes)
Sasha Spielberg ... Slugger
Nicole Luther ... Diner Waitress
Sophia Stewart ... Malt Shop Teen
Christopher Todd ... College Brawler 1
Dennis Nusbaum ... College Brawler 2
T. Ryan Mooney ... Teenage Boy
Audi Resendez ... Teenage Girl 1
Helena Barrett ... Teenage Girl 2
Carlos Linares ... Fast Speaking Inmate
Gustavo Hernandez ... Shouting Inmate
Maria Luisa Minelli ... Sanitarium Nun
Nito Larioza ... Cemetery Warrior 1
Ernie Reyes Jr.... Cemetery Warrior 2
Jon Valera ... Cave Warrior
Kevin Collins ... M.P. in Guard Hut
Robert Baker ... M.P. Sergeant
The most anticipated film of the early summer season opened May 22, 2008, to sold out crowds of enthusiastic fans, who wanted to see Indiana Jones again after a 19 year hiatus. George Lucas, Stephen Spielberg, and Harrison Ford did not disappoint with their latest effort, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of The Crystal Skull. This fourth installment of Paramount Pictures wildly popular, fun action adventure series lived up to it's advanced billing, as a vehicle for summer fun in a throw back to the Saturday afternoon serials of the 1950's. This one pits an older and wiser Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) against agents of the Soviet Union, led by Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), in the search for a crystal skull. Indy is aided by his former lover Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), the greaser Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf), and fellow archaeologist Mac (Ray Winstone). John Hurt and Jim Broadbent also play fellow academics.
The film opens in 1957 with Colonel-Doctor Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett) leading a convoy of Communist Russians infiltrating a military base in the Nevada desert called "Hangar 51", where they force Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) to lead them to an object he had previously studied. When the crate holding it is opened, it contains the remains of an extraterrestrial creature that crashed ten years before in Roswell, New Mexico. When Jones attempts to escape, he is foiled by his old partner, George "Mac" McHale (Ray Winstone), who reveals that he is working with the Soviets. Jones then escapes on a rocket-propelled vehicle into the desert, where he stumbles upon a nuclear test town and survives a nuclear blast by hiding in a lead-lined refrigerator. He is brought to a facility where he is debriefed and discovers that because Mac is a Soviet agent, and Jones himself is under investigation by the FBI for his association with him. Jones returns to Marshall College to find that because of the FBI investigation, he is being offered a leave of absence to avoid being fired. As he is leaving, Jones is stopped by Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf) and told that his old colleague, Harold Oxley (John Hurt), disappeared after discovering a crystal skull in Peru.
In Peru, Jones and Mutt discover that Oxley was locked in an insane asylum until Soviet soldiers broke him out. In Oxley's former cell, Jones discovers clues to the grave of Francisco de Orellana, a Conquistador who went missing in the 1500s while seeking Akator (also known as El Dorado). Jones finds the crystal skull that Oxley hid in Orellana's grave in the Nazca Lines. The skull is elongated in the shape that indigenous peoples formed their own skulls into. The Soviets capture Indy and Mutt and take them to the camp where they are holding Oxley and Mutt's mother, Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen). The Soviets believe the skull is from an extraterrestrial life-form, holding great psychic power. The four escape from the camp, but Indiana and Marion become trapped in dry quicksand. Marion reveals that Mutt is Jones's son. (There is a line of jokes that run through the picture concerning Mutt's education. Before Jones knows he is his son, he tries to tell Marion that Mutt may not be cut out for school, after he finds Mutt is his son, he continually asks her, "How could you let that boy quit school.") After a lengthy vehicle chase, several Soviet soldiers are killed by army ants, and finally Mutt, Marion, Mac, Oxley, and Jones ride a truck over a cliff and down three waterfalls. The four then find the Temple of Akator. While being choked by Jones, Mac reveals that he is a double agent working against the Soviets and goes into the temple with Jones and the group.
After entering the Temple, Jones uses the skull to open the door to a chamber tomb. Inside, thirteen crystal skeletons are seated on thrones, with one missing its skull. When the Soviets arrive, Mac reveals that he lied about being a double agent. When Spalko places the skull onto the skeleton, it begins communicating to the group through Oxley using an ancient Mayan dialect. Jones translates this to mean that the aliens want to give them a great gift. Spalko demands to know everything, and the skulls begin firing knowledge into her eyes, causing her to shake. As a portal to another dimension appears over the room, Oxley regains his sanity and explains that the aliens are inter-dimensional beings who taught the Maya their advanced technology. Indy, Mutt, Marion, and Oxley escape from the temple, but Mac is sucked into the portal. The skeletons form into a single alien who continues to feed Spalko with knowledge. However, the knowledge overwhelms Spalko, causing her to ignite into flames and disintegrate, with her essence being absorbed into the portal above. The temple crumbles, and a flying saucer rises from the debris and disappears. Back home, Jones is made the Associate Dean and marries Marion. In a scene where the torch appears about to pass, Mutt bends down to pick up Indy's famous hat, but Jones takes it from him. Nevertheless, rumors persist that there will be a new Indiana Jones film, and that Shia LaBeouf will play the lead role.
My favorite new character in the film is Mutt Williams, a motorcycle greaser with a thing for switchblade knives. He is a great foil in the picture for Jones, and is action personified. He just looks like a guy you want with you in that dark alley when the fight starts. His leaning curve with Jones make for some of the best scenes in the picture. Cate Blanchett as Irina Spalko is wonderful in this picture. The blonde haired beauty is disguised as a Russian with a few Order of Lenin to her credit in a Dutch boy, black haired, do that has me fooled from the start. It is impossible to take your eyes off of her when she is on the screen. Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood gives a steady performance. It was great to see her again.
The film is well directed and written. The sets were perfect, the customs were right on, and the special effects at times were breathtaking. There are some lulls in the film, but from the Indy hooks up with Mutt until the conclusion, the action is non-stop. This picture reminds me very much of the other Jones pictures and the serial type films that you used to see on Saturday afternoons in the 50's when Flash Gordon left you hanging with a cliffhanger every week and keep you coming back to see how it would come out. According to business reports, the film will need to gross at least $400 million to make a profit for Paramount. Unlike other film franchises, they are only the distributor of Indiana Jones, whose copyright is owned by Lucasfilm, and their original deal entailed they would only earn 12.5% of the film's revenue. As the $185 million budget was larger than the original $125 million estimate. Lucas, Spielberg, and Ford turned down large upfront salaries so Paramount could cover the film's costs. Paramount will only see a profit beyond its distribution fee if it grosses over $400 million. At that point Lucas, Spielberg, Ford, and those with smaller profit-sharing deals will also begin to collect their cut. On its opening day in North America, the film grossed around $25 million, the fourth biggest Thursday opening yet. This weekend it will be interesting to see how the film does. Roger Ebert, who gave the film 3.5 stars out of 4, said it best, "I can say that if you liked the other Indiana Jones movies, you will like this one, and that if you did not, there is no talking to you." This film is worthy of its predecessors and is great way to spend a summer evening.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ60n9DiAEM
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May 14, 2008 - Wednesday
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Category: MySpace
Hold Tight
THE ENTERTAINMENT CRITIC BOOK REVIEW, BY JAMES MYERS
www.theentertainmentcritic.com
www.theentertainmentcritic.net
www.theentertainmentcriticmagazine.com
HOLD TIGHT
By Harlan Coben
Published by: Dutton, a Division of The Penguin Group (USA)
Publication Date: April, 2008
Price: $26.95
416 Pages
ISBN-13: 9780525950608
Five Star Rating *****
HARLAN COBEN (BORN JANUARY 4, 1962) IS A JEWISH AMERICAN AUTHOR OF MYSTERY NOVELS. THE PLOTS OF HIS NOVELS OFTEN INVOLVE THE RESURFACING OF UNRESOLVED OR MISINTERPRETED EVENTS IN THE PAST (SUCH AS MURDERS, FATAL ACCIDENTS, ETC.) AND OFTEN HAVE MULTIPLE PLOT TWISTS. BOTH SERIES OF COBEN'S BOOKS ARE SET IN AND AROUND NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY, AND SOME OF THE SUPPORTING CHARACTERS IN TWO SERIES OF NOVELS HAVE APPEARED IN BOTH. HIS NOVELS ARE MOST POPULAR IN THE UNITED STATES AND FRANCE
LAST 7 NOVELS HAVE APPEARED AT THE TOP OF ALL MAJOR BEST SELLER LISTS, INCLUDING THE NEW YORK TIMES, BOOK SENSE, THE TIMES (LONDON) LE MONDE, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, USA TODAY, & THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
THE WOODS WAS ON THE BEST SELLERS LISTS ACROSS AMERICA AND ALONG WITH PROMISE ME WAS NAMED ONE OF THE BEST THRILLERS OF THE YEAR BY LIBRARY JOURNAL
HIS BOOKS HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED IN 38 LANGUAGES AND OVER 40 MILLION COPIES HAVE BEEN SOLD WORLDWIDE
HOLD TIGHT PUBLISHED IN THE US ON APRIL 15, 2008 QUICKLY ASCENDED TO THE TOP OF THE NY TIMES BEST SELLER LIST THE WEEK OF MAY 1-8, 2008
AWARDS: 2001-TELL NO ONE: NOMINATED FOR EDGAR, ANTHONY, MACAVITY, NERO, BARRY, AUDIE, 1 HARDCOVER ON BOOK SENSE 76 LIST, MOST DECORATED THRILLER OF 2001
2003-NO SECOND CHANCE FIRST EVER INTERNATIONAL BOOK OF THE MONTH FOR BOOKSPAN
SINCE 1995: WON AN EDGAR, SHAMUS, AND ANTHONY ---FIRST WRITER TO WIN ALL 3
ON THE SHORTLIST FOR THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS AUTHOR OF THE YEAR (OSCAR OF THE BOOK TRADE). THE 1ST AMERICAN TO MAKE THE LIST
FILMS: TELL NO ONE RELEASED AS A FILM IN FRANCE IN 2006, GROSSED OVER $32 MILLION; TO BE RELEASED IN US IN THE SUMMER OF 2008; VARIETY CALLS THE FILM, "A SHARP, EFFICIENT PACKAGE."
TELEVISION: FOX TV HAS PURCHASED THE RIGHTS TO THE POPULAR MYRON BOLITAR SERIES FOR A PILOT BY BONES
"The van was white with tinted windows. The back doors were open like a mouth waiting to swallow her whole. And standing there, right by those doors, now taking hold of Marianne and pushing her up inside the van, was the man with the bushy mustache.
Marianne tried to pull up, but it was no use.
Mustache tossed her in as if she was a sack of peat moss. She landed on the van's floor with a thud. He crawled in, closed the back doors, and stood over her. Marianne rolled into a fetal position. Her stomach still ached, but fear was taking over now.
The man peeled off his mustache and smiled at her. The van started moving. Straw Hair must be driving.
"Hi Marianne," he said.
She couldn't move, couldn't breath. He sat next to her, pulled his fist back, and punched her hard in the stomach.
If the pain had been bad before, it went to another dimension now.
"Where's the tape? he asked.
And then he began to hurt her for real."
"HOW MUCH SHOULD PARENTS REALLY WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THEIR KIDS?"---Dutton Publishing
One of the greatest thriller writers in history is back with a provocative new novel, Hold Tight. Harlan Coben weaves of tale that combines intrigue and technology in this incredible page turner. Seemingly divergent plots weave a tale of sex and death in the best edge of your seat story of 2008. Coben has a knack for taking the mundane occurrences in life and turning them upside down into scary thrillers that are among the most compulsive page turners in writing history. He singled handedly has invented what has been referred to as "the family thriller." The family thriller involves tingling situations where ordinary people are forced to confront modern day fears when they are placed in situations that rapidly become beyond their control. You always have that, "but for the grace of God, there go I," feeling when you read Coben's books. His newest effort, Hold Tight is just such a book. Coben boldly expands on the family thriller in this joyride of a book.
Hold Tight asks the simple questions: what would you do to keep your kids safe? Are you willing to spy on your kids to keep them for harm? How far is too far? How far is not far enough? Are there things you do not want to know about your children? In this book, Coben takes unforeseen events and weaves multiple plots into an amazing climax, all the while asking the question: How do you weigh your child's privacy against the parent's right to know? Do parents have 'the right or the duty' to spy on their children to keep them safe? How can you tell what is normal rebellious teenage behavior from an out of control cry for help? In his 15th novel, Coben addresses these questions and scares the dickens out of us, in this well-crafted thriller.
Tia and Mike Baye have a normal family, (kinda like Ward & June Cleaver) complete with an 11 year old precocious daughter, and a hockey loving teenage son. But sixteen year old Adam suddenly becomes distant and sullen after his best friend, Spencer Hill suddenly commits suicide. The parents become more and more concerned. Finally, out of desperation, they install a spyware program on Adam's computer, the will appraise them of every e-mail, IM, and text message he sends and receives. When a message comes to their attention, "Just stay quiet and all safe," they are jolted. Spencer Hill supposedly died alone, but Spencer's mother, Betsy Hill, discovers that Adam may have been with Spencer the night before his death. Before anyone can get to the bottom of just what Adam knows about Spencer's death, Adam disappears. Mike Baye, a doctor and Tia Baye, a lawyer, are not the types to just sit around, so action is taken to find Adam. Long hidden secrets in the neighborhood and among its children begin to surface. At the same time, one woman is found dead and another is missing, and somehow the police suspect all of these matters are connected to Dr. Baye and his missing prescription pads. This could cost Dr. Mike everything.
As if Mike Baye isn't dealing with enough, he also learns that Lucas Loriman, the sweet kid who grew up next door, is in urgent need of a kidney transplant. As the boy's doctor, Mike suddenly finds himself in possession of an explosive secret that threatens to rip the Loriman family apart.
Eleven year Jill Baye is sticking by her best friend Yasmin after a teacher at school made such a devastating remark to her, that her classmates have teased her to the point where Yasmin and her hard-luck, single parent father are considering moving away. This is something Jill does not want to happen.
Mike's best hope is to track Adam by using the GPS on his phone. Somehow Adam is connected to a strange teen club in Manhattan and a killer who is on the loose named Nash who takes a little too much pleasure in his work. Randomly, yet selectively killing women in the neighborhood, the police seem to think these women knew each other. "We're not even sure what he's trying to accomplish: just that he's very, very good at it; and very, very scary." Nash is the scariest character I've read so far this year.
This is by far and away Coben's best book to date. He spins several plotlines that at first seem disconnected and then slowly weaves them into a tale that is frightening, and intriguing at the same time. In this book, we are witnesses to a master storyteller who takes us on a giant thrill ride from start to finish. This is the freshest family thriller of 2008, and Coben is clearly at the top of his game. Don't let anyone interrupt you when you read this one. There is too much going on to answer the phone. Gripping and thrilling, this one is masterful. Harlan, clear off a few spots on that award shelf at home, you're about to collect some more hardware. Nearly a perfect book, this one is almost a 6 star effort. The inventor of the family thriller is at the top of his craft, and if you read only one book this summer…
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May 10, 2008 - Saturday
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Category: MySpace
BEST NEW RELEASE
The Host
THE ENTERTAINMENT CRITIC BOOK REVIEW, BY JAMES MYERS
www.theentertainmentcritic.com
www.theentertainmentcritic.net
www.theentertainmentcriticmagazine.com
THE BEST NEW RELEASE
THE HOST
By Stephenie Meyer
Published by: Little, Brown & Company
Publication Date: May 6, 2008
Price: $25.99
624 Pages
ISBN-13: 9780316068048
Five Star Rating *****
ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR AUTHORS IN THE WORLD
HER TWILIGHT SAGA HAS SOLD OVER 5 MILLION COPIES IN THE UNITED STATE ALONE
WON NUMEROUS HONORS, INCLUDING:
A NEW YORK TIMES EDITOR'S CHOICE
A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
AN AMAZON.COM "BEST BOOK OF THE DECADE...SO FAR"
A TEEN PEOPLE "HOT LIST" PICK
AN AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION "TOP TEN BEST BOOK FOR YOUNG ADULTS" AND "TOP TEN BOOKS FOR RELUCTANT READERS"
HER BOOK, TWILIGHT HAS BEEN MADE INTO A MOVIE THAT WILL BE RELEASED IN DECEMBER OF 2008
TRANSLATED INTO 20 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
THIS IS HER FIRST BOOK WRITTEN SPECIFICALLY FOR ADULTS
LITTLE BROWN HAS PRINTED A FIRST RUN PRINT OF 750,000 COPIES JUST TO MEET THE ANTICIPATED DEMAND
STEPHENIE IS ON A 10 DAY TOUR STARTING IN MAY OF 2008
IT IS THE FIRST OF A TRILOGY
ANOTHER NEW BOOK, BREAKING DAWN, WILL BE RELEASED IN AUGUST OF 2008
"Melanie squirmed, figuratively, in the recesses of my head as I tried to consider it rationally. Maybe I should give up…
The words them selves made me flinch. I, Wanderer, give up? Quit? Admit failure and try again in a weak, spineless host who wouldn't give me any trouble?
I shook my head. I could barely stand to think of it.
And…this was my body. I was used to the feel of it. I like the way the muscles moved over the bones, the bend of the joints and the pull of the tendons. I knew the refection in the mirror. The sun-browned skin, the high, sharp bones of my face, the short silk cap of mahogany hair, the muddy green brown hazel of my eyes-this was me.
I wanted myself. I wouldn't let what was mine be destroyed."
Stephenie Meyer is the most popular writer of fiction for young adults in the world. In just 3 short years, her books are the most anticipated events of the publishing season. The Host is her first book written specifically for adults. Her eagerly anticipated adult debut will be one of the best selling books of 2008, and may very well be the best new science fiction thriller written this year. It is more than deserving of my highest rating.
Sometime in the future, our world has been invaded by an unseen parasitic enemy. Humans become hosts for the invaders; their mind is taken over while their bodies remain intact, and they continue their lives unchanged. Most of mankind has been taken over. Only a few humans remain, untouched by the hosts. One of those untouched humans is a young woman, Melanie Stryder, who fell down an elevator shaft trying to avoid the Seekers, a group of invaders who relentlessly pursue their prey. Melanie's body may be broken but her spirit is not. Her memories refuse to fade away. When Wanderer, an invading soul is installed in Melanie's body, she finds her memories, emotions, and senses are intact and powerful. So powerful, that many of Melanie's feelings and life experiences become the Wanderer's own. Wanderer encounters one other insurmountable problem, Melanie refuses to give up her mind.
In probing Melanie's thoughts to locate other possible uninfected humans, the Wanderer finds her mind is filled with thought of the man Melanie loves, Jared, a human who with her brother Jamie is still in hiding. Wanderer is unable to separate herself from Melanie's feelings for him, and she (Wanderer is also female) also longs for Jared. The powers to be tell Wanderer that because she is unable to subdue Melanie, that the want to remove her from Melanie's body and send her somewhere else in space. Both Melanie and Wanderer, want desperately to see Jared, that they trick the Seeker assigned to the Wanderer, and set off to find Jared, who happens to be somewhere in the Arizona desert living with Melanie's Uncle Jeb.
After a life threatening trek across the desert, they find Uncle Jeb has established an underground colony, and they locate a hostile and unforgiving Jared and Jamie. At first little Wanderer does not fit into the group, but Uncle Jeb takes her under his wing and she (they call her 'Wanda') and Melanie become an accepted part of the community. A pattern in all of Stephanie Meyer's books then becomes complete; there is some underground society in all of her books that threatens human beings (like vampires) and an impossible love triangle arises. As Wanderer/Melanie become more accepted and needed by the group, Melanie is jealous of Wanderer's attraction to Jared, and Wanderer attracts a man of her own Ian. The love triangle adds just the right touch of tension and hopelessness that mark all of Stephenie's' books. To complicate matters, the Seeker assigned to Wanderer finds her, threatening the safety of the entire underground community. Meyer resolves all issues in a surprising, but satisfactory manner. As with her first 3 books, this is the first of a trilogy for this group of characters. The book is well written, with great prose and interesting detail. The storyline in this book as with all of her books is among the most intriguing you will ever read. Quirky plots and fascinating characters are Meyer trademarks and The Host get high marks for both. This book personifies the phrase "edgy and unpredictable." The reoccurring theme in this book about the potential for destruction stemming from violence and the infinite capacity of love as the salvation of man, gives the book just the right tension for interest. Deep and beautiful, the story is told with a certain haunting grace that makes this book one in a million. A riveting charmer, The Host is miraculous.
This marks Stephenie's first foray into the adult market, and it is a soaring, memorable event that is not to be missed. I picked this book for the Best New Release of this quarter. Don't be surprised if at the end of the year, this book is one of the year's best sellers. This one is Science Fiction for everybody! There is a rare understanding of complex human emotions that make this book totally unique. Meyer's talent and appeal have not hit their peek yet, but this is one of 2008's very best books. You read it here first: when the ball drops in New York to mark the start of 2009, Stephenie Meyer will be the most popular writer on the globe. I gave this one my highest rating, and I think you will too.
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May 10, 2008 - Saturday
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Current mood:  tired
Category: MySpace
Hollywood Crows
THE ENTERTAINMENT CRITIC BOOK REVIEW, BY JAMES MYERS
www.theentertainmentcritic.com
www.theentertainmentcritic.net
www.theentertainmentcriticmagazine.com
HOLLYWOOD CROWS
By Joseph Wambaugh
Published by: Little, Brown & Company
Publication Date: March, 2008
Price: $26.99
343 Pages
ISBN-13: 9780316025287
Four Star Rating ****
JOSEPH ALOYSIUS WAMBAUGH, JR. (BORN JANUARY 22, 1937, IN EAST PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA) IS AN AMERICAN WRITER KNOWN FOR HIS FICTIONAL AND NON-FICTIONAL ACCOUNTS OF POLICE WORK IN THE UNITED STATES.
SERVED 14 YEARS IN THE LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
WAMBAUGH'S UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON THE REALITIES OF POLICE WORK LED TO HIS FIRST NOVEL, THE NEW CENTURIONS, WHICH WAS PUBLISHED EARLY IN 1971 TO CRITICAL ACCLAIM AND POPULAR SUCCESS. THE SUCCESS OF THE EARLY BOOKS HAPPENED WHILE WAMBAUGH WAS STILL WORKING IN THE DETECTIVE DIVISION. HE REPORTEDLY REMARKED "I WOULD HAVE GUYS IN HANDCUFFS ASKING ME FOR AUTOGRAPHS." SOON TURNING TO WRITING FULL-TIME, WAMBAUGH WAS PROLIFIC AND POPULAR STARTING IN THE 1970S, MIXING NOVELS (THE BLUE KNIGHT, THE CHOIRBOYS, THE BLACK MARBLE) WITH NONFICTION ACCOUNTS OF CRIME AND DETECTION A.K.A. "TRUE CRIME" (THE ONION FIELD). LATER BOOKS INCLUDED THE GLITTER DOME (A TV-MOVIE ADAPTATION STARRED JAMES GARNER AND JOHN LITHGOW), THE DELTA STAR, AND LINES AND SHADOWS.
HIS TRADEMARK IS GRITTY POLICE CHARACTERS THAT HAVE HEROIC FLAWS
MANY OF HIS BOOKS WERE MADE INTO FEATURE FILMS OR TV-MOVIES DURING THE 70S AND 80S. THE BLUE KNIGHT, A NOVEL FOLLOWING THE APPROACHING RETIREMENT AND LAST WORKING DAYS OF AGING VETERAN BEAT COP "BUMPER" MORGAN, WAS MADE INTO AN EMMY-WINNING 1973 TV MINISERIES STARRING WILLIAM HOLDEN AND LATER A SHORT-LIVED TV SERIES STARRING GEORGE KENNEDY. HIS REALISTIC APPROACH TO POLICE DRAMA WAS HIGHLY INFLUENTIAL IN BOTH FILM AND TELEVISION DEPICTIONS (SUCH AS HILL STREET BLUES) FROM THE MID-70S ONWARD.
WAMBAUGH WAS ALSO INVOLVED WITH CREATING/DEVELOPING THE NBC SERIES POLICE STORY, WHICH RAN FROM 1973 TO 1977. THE ANTHOLOGY SHOW COVERED THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF POLICE WORK (PATROL, DETECTIVE, UNDERCOVER, ETC.) IN THE LAPD WITH STORY IDEAS AND CHARACTERS SUPPOSEDLY INSPIRED BY OFF-THE-RECORD TALKS WITH ACTUAL POLICE OFFICERS. AT TIMES THE SHOW'S CHARACTERS ALSO DEALT WITH PROBLEMS NOT USUALLY SEEN OR ASSOCIATED WITH TYPICAL TV COP SHOWS, SUCH AS ALCOHOL ABUSE, ADULTERY, AND BRUTALITY. THE SHOW HAD A BRIEF REVIVAL ON ABC DURING THE 1988-1989 SEASON.
WAMBAUGH WAS ALSO INVOLVED IN THE PRODUCTION OF THE ACCLAIMED FILM VERSIONS OF THE ONION FIELD (1979) AND THE BLACK MARBLE (1980), BOTH DIRECTED BY HAROLD BECKER. IN 1981, HE WON AN EDGAR AWARD FROM THE MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA FOR HIS SCREENPLAY FOR THE LATTER FILM. THIS WAS AFTER THE CHOIRBOYS FILM ADAPTATION HAD MET WITH VERY POOR CRITICAL AND AUDIENCE RECEPTION A FEW YEARS EARLIER. INTERESTINGLY, ALL THREE FILMS FEATURED PERFORMANCES BY THEN YOUNG UP-AND-COMING ACTOR JAMES WOODS.
ONE OF WAMBAUGH'S MOST FAMOUS NONFICTION BOOKS IS THE BLOODING, WHICH TELLS THE STORY BEHIND HOW AN EARLY LANDMARK CASE INVOLVING DNA FINGERPRINTING HELPED SOLVE TWO MURDERS IN LEICESTER, ENGLAND, RESULTING IN THE ARREST AND CONVICTION OF COLIN PITCHFORK.
IN 2003, FIRE LOVER: A TRUE STORY BROUGHT WAMBAUGH HIS SECOND EDGAR AWARD, FOR BEST CRIME FACT BOOK, AND IN 2004 HE WAS THE RECIPIENT OF AN MWA GRAND MASTER AWARD. HE RETURNED TO FICTION WITH HOLLYWOOD STATION (2006), HIS FIRST BOOK DEPICTING LIFE IN THE LAPD SINCE THE DELTA STAR (1983). HOLLYWOOD STATION WAS HIGHLY CRITICAL OF CONDITIONS CAUSED BY THE FEDERAL CONSENT DECREE UNDER WHICH THE LAPD HAD TO OPERATE AFTER THE RAMPART SCANDAL.
IN THE 2000S, WAMBAUGH ALSO BEGAN TEACHING SCREENWRITING COURSES AS A GUEST LECTURER FOR THE THEATER DEPARTMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO.
"Dude, you better drop that long knife," the tall, suntanned cop said. At Hollywood Station they called him "Flotsam" by virtue of his being a surfing enthusiast.
His shorter partner, also with a major tan, hair even more suspiciously blond and sun streaked, dubbed "Jetsam" for the same reason, said, sotto voce, "Bro, that ain't a knife. That's a bayonet, in case you can't see too good. And why didn't you check out a Taser and a bean-bag gun from the kit room, is what I'd like to know. That's what the DA's office and FID are gonna ask if we have to light him up. Like, 'Why didn't you officers use nonlethal force?' Like, 'Why'd that Injun have to bite the dust when you coulda captured him alive?' That's what they'll say."
"I thought you checked them out and put them in the trunk. You walked toward the kit room."
"No, I went to the john. And you were too busy ogling Ronnie to know where I was at," Jetsam said. "Your head was somewheres else. You gotta keep your mind in the game, bro."
Everyone on the midwatch at Hollywood Station knew that Jetsam had a megacrush on Officer Veronica "Ronnie" Sinclair and got torqued when Flotsam or anybody else flirted with her. In any case, both surfer cops considered it sissified to carry a Taser on their belts.
Referring to section 5150 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, which all cops used to describe a mental case, Flotsam whispered, "Maybe this fifty-one-fifty's trashed on PCP, so we couldn't taze him anyways. He'd swat those darts outta him like King Kong swatted the airplanes. So just chill. He ain't even giving us the stink eye. He just maybe thinks he's a wooden Indian or something."
"Or maybe we're competing with a bunch of other voices he's hearing and they're scarier," Jetsam observed. "Maybe we're just echoes."
They'd gotten nowhere by yelling the normal commands to the motionless Indian, a stooped man in his early forties, only a decade older than they were but with a haggard face, beaten down by life. And while the cops waited for the backup they'd requested, they'd begun speaking to him in quiet voices, barely audible in the unlit alley over the traffic noise on Melrose Avenue. It was there that 6-X-46 had chased and cornered him, a few blocks from Paramount Studios, from where the code 2 call had come.
The Indian had smashed a window of a boutique to steal a plus-size gold dress with a handkerchief hemline and a red one with an empire waist. He'd squeezed into the red dress and walked to the Paramount main gate, where he'd started chanting gibberish and, perhaps prophetically, singing "Jailhouse Rock" before demanding admittance from a startled security officer who had dialed 9-1-1.
"These new mini-lights ain't worth a shit," Jetsam said, referring to the small flashlights that the LAPD bought and issued to all officers ever since a widely viewed videotaped arrest showed an officer striking a combative black suspect with his thirteen-inch aluminum flashlight, which caused panic in the media and in the police commission and resulted in the firing of the Latino officer.
After this event, new mini-flashlights that couldn't cause harm to combative suspects unless they ate them were ordered and issued to new recruits. Everything was fine with the police commission and the cop critics except that the high-intensity lights set the rubber sleeves on fire and almost incinerated a few rookies before the Department recalled all of those lights and ordered these new ten-ouncers.
Jetsam said, "Good thing that cop used flashlight therapy instead of smacking the vermin with a gun. We'd all be carrying two-shot derringers by now."
Flotsam's flashlight seemed to better illuminate the Indian, who stood staring up white-eyed at the starless smog-shrouded sky, his back to the graffiti-painted wall of a two-story commercial building owned by Iranians, leased by Vietnamese. The Indian may have chosen the red dress because it matched his flip-flops. The gold dress lay crumpled on the asphalt by his dirt-encrusted feet, along with the cut-offs he'd been wearing when he'd done the smash-and-grab.
So far, the Indian hadn't threatened them in any way. He just stood like a statue, his breathing shallow, the bayonet held down against his bare left thigh, which was fully exposed. He'd sliced the slit in the red dress clear up to his flank, either for more freedom of movement or to look more provocative.
"Dude," Flotsam said to the Indian, holding his Glock nine in the flashlight beam so the Indian could observe that it was pointed right at him, "I can see that you're spun out on something. My guess is you been doing crystal meth, right? And maybe you just wanted an audition at Paramount and didn't have any nice dresses to wear to it. I can sympathize with that too. I'm willing to blame it on Oscar de la Renta or whoever made the fucking things so alluring. But you're gonna have to drop that long knife now or pretty soon they're gonna be drawing you in chalk on this alley."
Jetsam, whose nine was also pointed at the ponytailed Indian, whispered to his partner, "Why do you keep saying long knife to this zombie instead of bayonet?"
"He's an Indian," Flotsam whispered back. "They always say long knife in the movies."
"That refers to us white men!" Jetsam said. "We're the fucking long knives!"
"Whatever," said Flotsam. "Where's our backup, anyhow? They coulda got here on skateboards by now."
When Flotsam reached tentatively for the pepper-spray canister on his belt, Jetsam said, "Uncool, bro. Liquid Jesus ain't gonna work on a meth-monster. It only works on cops. Which you proved the time you hit me with act-right spray instead of the 'roided-up primate I was doing a death dance with."
"You still aggro over that?" Flotsam said, remembering how Jetsam had writhed in pain after getting the blast of OC spray full in the face while they and four other cops swarmed the hallucinating body-builder who was paranoid from mixing recreational drugs with steroids. "Shit happens, dude. You can hold a grudge longer than my ex-wife."
In utter frustration, Jetsam finally said quietly to the Indian, "Bro, I'm starting to think you're running a game on us. So you either drop that bayonet right now or the medicine man's gonna be waving chicken claws over your fucking ashes."
The greatest writer of cop stories is back. Joseph Wambaugh has written his 18th novel, Hollywood Crows, completed with greedy business owners, lusty wives and conflicted cops. The femme fatale in this one is Margot Aziz, the beautiful stripper, soon to be ex-wife, of Ali Aziz, owner of a strip club on Sunset Boulevard. Margot firm desire is to be rid of her husband and all of his shady business deals. She wants his money and that's all. Aziz wants her dead. Margot has his fortune in hand and custody of his son. The issue in the book is how far will the lady go to get what she wants, since it is very apparent that she knows how to use what she has to get anything she wants. Because she suspects the husband wants to take their 9-year-old son out of the country to live, the stripper is planning to kill her husband. She connives to try to get a CROW to kill her husband by seducing the cop and setting him up to be the fall guy.
Nate Weiss, nicknamed 'Hollywood' is a cop "hungry for stardom and looking for love." He and his partner Bix Rumstead, think Margot is just a socialite going through a divorce that is a little messy. They don't know she is setting them up. They don't know that outside forces are at work to eliminate them. Nate wants Margot, but then again who doesn't? He works with a squad of surfer cops, tough women, and a few veterans known as the 'Hollywood Crows.' The title refers to a special division, the community relations officers, whose members are called the CROWS by the police in other divisions. They deal with calls like noisy neighbors, domestic disturbances, parking problems and other minor crimes. Spouses that want to kill each other are just a little bit out of their league. Typical of a Wambaugh book, Crows delves into love, passion, and deception with the men in blue, trying to protect and serve while trying to stay alive. Bad guys are indeed evil, but incurably careless, practically arresting themselves. Are the new cops up to the task? Is the old guard a better group? The writer leaves it to the readers to figure that one out.
Wambaugh's style reads like a screenplay. Lots of gritty realistic dialogue and twists and turns fill up this realistic modern police novel. Lots of nasty police dialogue. Lots of nasty police situations. Lots of gruesome, gross scenes and descriptions. Revisiting the cops he introduced in his warmly received 2006 Hollywood Station, this sequel lives up to its advanced billing. Plenty of old Wambaugh characters parade through this one, full of plot twists and turns that cannot help but to hold your attention. The master and the inventor of the modern police novel, Hollywood Crows is gritty truth, bawdy humor, brilliant characters, cool plotting, and irreverent humor that mark all of his books. The rhythm of this book about cops has the realistic feel that mark of all of Wambaugh's efforts. Nobody knows or writes cops better than Joseph Aloysius Wambaugh. A vivid cop tale, this is the best police story of 2008; it is impossible to put down.
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May 6, 2008 - Tuesday
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Current mood:  artistic
Category: MySpace
Home: A Memoir of My Early Years
THE ENTERTAINMENT CRITIC BOOK REVIEW, BY JAMES MYERS
www.theentertainmentcritic.com
www.theentertainmentcritic.net
www.theentertainmentcriticmagazine.com
HOME: A MEMOIR OF MY EARLY YEARS
By Julie Andrews
Published by: Hyperion
Publication Date: April 1, 2008
Price: $26.95
352 Pages
ISBN-13: 9780786865659
Four Star Rating ****
JULIE ELIZABETH ANDREWS, DBE (BORN JULIA ELIZABETH WELLS ON OCTOBER 1, 1935 IS AN AWARD-WINNING ENGLISH ACTRESS, SINGER, AUTHOR AND ICON. SHE IS THE RECIPIENT OF GOLDEN GLOBE, EMMY, GRAMMY, BAFTA, PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD, THEATRE WORLD AWARD, SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AND ACADEMY AWARD HONOURS. ANDREWS ROSE TO PROMINENCE AFTER STARRING IN BROADWAY MUSICALS SUCH AS MY FAIR LADY AND CAMELOT, AS WELL AS MUSICAL FILMS LIKE MARY POPPINS (1964) AND THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965).
ANDREWS HAD A MAJOR REVIVAL OF HER FILM CAREER IN THE 2000S, IN CHILDREN'S FILMS SUCH AS THE PRINCESS DIARIES (2001), ITS SEQUEL THE PRINCESS DIARIES 2: ROYAL ENGAGEMENT (2004), AND THE SHREK ANIMATED FILMS (2004-2007). IN 2005, ANDREWS MADE HER DEBUT AS A STAGE DIRECTOR WITH A REVIVAL OF THE BOY FRIEND, IN WHICH SHE ALSO MADE HER BROADWAY ACTING DEBUT IN 1954.
ANDREWS IS ALSO AN ACCOMPLISHED WRITER OF CHILDREN'S BOOKS, AND IN 2008 SHE PUBLISHED AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY, HOME: A MEMOIR OF MY EARLY YEARS.
"I am told that the first comprehensible word that I uttered as a child was 'home.'
My father was driving his secondhand Austin 7; my mother was in the passenger seat beside him holding me on her lap. As we approached our modest house, Dad backed the car to turn onto the pocket-handkerchief square of concrete by the gate and apparently I quietly, tentatively, said the word.
'Home.'
My mother told me there was a slight upward inflection to my voice, and not a question so much as a trying of the word on the tongue, with perhaps the delicious discovery of connection…the word to the place. My parents wanted to be sure they heard me correctly, so Dad drove around the lanes once again, and as we returned, it seems I repeated the word.
My mother must have said it more than once upon our arrival at our house-perhaps with satisfaction? Or relief? Or maybe to instill in her young daughter a sense of comfort and safety. The word has carried enormous resonance for me ever sense.
Home."
The voice, once lost, that brought us some of the landmark musicals of the 20th Century, The Sound of Music, Camelot, My Fair Lady, and Mary Poppins, has returned in this wonderful memoir. Julie Andrews's new book, Home: A Memoir of My Early Years, is a richly detailed, wonderful book that takes us inside all of the ins and outs of her early life, both personal and professional. Born into a marriage of two horribly mismatched parents, her father the teacher, her mother a performer, the mother eventually left the father to marry a successful vaudeville singer, and Julie went with her mother. Julie gives us a vivid description of the war years in England, in a household full of strife and full of music.
Julie's professional life began when she was only 12. The family became dependent on her income for their survival. In 1948 she became the youngest solo performer to ever participate in a Royal Command Performance before the Queen. Julie sang all over the country, and she performed weekly on the BBC, living in rented rooms with older female chaperones, and an abiding longing for family and home. At on the age of 18, she left the UK for the USA to make her Broadway debut in the musical The Boy Friend. This was the beginning of her meteoric rise to Hollywood and Broadway stardom.
Home is filled with stories and anecdotes about working on some of the biggest musicals in history like, My Fair Lady with Rex Harrison, in Camelot with Richard Burton, and Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins. It cover a career that soared over seven decades including The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Hawaii, 10, and The Princess Diaries. This book also features over 50 personal photos, many of which have never been seen before. She includes long, detailed discussions about her award winning television appearances, multiple album releases, concert tours, her international humanitarian work, best-selling children's books and her work to improve literacy.
As we all know, towards the end of the Broadway run of Victor/Victoria, she lost her singing voice, and despite operations, she never recovered it. She has undergone a revival of sorts recently in the 2000's with The Princess Diaries I and II, a made-for-television movies based on the Eloise books, a series of children's books by Kay Thompson about a child who lives in the Plaza Hotel in New York City. The same year, Andrews made her debut as a theatre director, directing a revival of The Boyfriend, the musical in which she made her Broadway debut, at the Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor, New York. Her production, which featured costume and scenic design by her former husband Tony Walton, was remounted at the Goodspeed Opera House in 2005 and went on a national tour in 2006. From 2005 to 2006, Andrews served as the Official Ambassador for Disneyland's 18 month-long, 50th anniversary celebration, the "Happiest Homecoming on Earth", travelling to promote the celebration and recording narration or appearing at several events at the park.
In 2004, Andrews performed the voice of Queen Lillian in the animated blockbuster Shrek 2 (2004), reprising the role for its sequel, Shrek the Third (2007). Later in 2007, she narrated Enchanted, a live-action Disney musical comedy that paid homage to classic Disney films such as Mary Poppins.
In January 2007, she was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Screen Actors Guild's awards, and stated that her goals including continuing to direct for the stage, and possibly to produce her own Broadway musical.
Home, has been published as part one of the memoirs/celebration of her life. Well written and detailed with glaring honesty, I cannot wait to read part two. This is a great book about a remarkable life, whose influence has spanned many generations. The voice of a great performer is back. One you should not miss this summer.
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May 5, 2008 - Monday
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Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
Movie Review: Ironman
The Entertainment Critic
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In Theatres Now Review
Opened: May 2, 2008
By James Myers
Rating: 9 of 10
Director: Jon Favreau
Writers (WGA): Mark Fergus (screenplay) &
Hawk Ostby (screenplay)
Genre: Action | Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller more
Cast:
Robert Downey Jr ... Tony Stark / Iron Man
Terrence Howard ... Jim Rhodes
Jeff Bridges ... Obadiah Stane / Iron Monger
Gwyneth Paltrow ... Pepper Potts
Leslie Bibb ... Christine Everhart
Shaun Toub ... Yinsen
Faran Tahir ... Raza
Sayed Badreya ... Abu Bakaar
Bill Smitrovich ... General Gabriel
Clark Gregg ... Agent Phil Coulson
Tim Guinee ... Major Allen
Will Lyman ... Award Ceremony Narrator
Marco Khan ... Insurgent 4
Kevin Foster ... Jimmy
Garret Noel ... Pratt
Rated: PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and brief suggestive content.
Runtime: 126 min
Country: USA
Language: English
Color: Color
Aspect Ratio: 2.35: 1 more
Sound Mix: DTS | SDDS | Dolby Digital
Certification: Canada: PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) | Australia:M | Norway:11 | Hong Kong: IIA | South Korea:12 | UK:12A | Canada: G (Québec) | USA:PG-13 | Germany:12 | New Zealand: M | Singapore: PG | Sweden:11 | Iceland:12 | Finland:K-13 | Netherlands:12 | Malaysia: U | Canada:14A (Manitoba) | Ireland:12A | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Brazil:14 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | USA:126
Filming Locations: Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA
Company: Dark Blades Films
This summer's movie season is upon us, as May 2, 2008 marked the premier of the first summer blockbuster, Ironman. The movie in its very first weekend is a runaway smash, with a box office gate of $100.7 million, the second highest ever premier gross in motion picture history. Robert Downey, Jr., is perfectly cast as the arrogant, rich, superficial, playboy arms genius, Tony Stark, the moving force behind Stark Industries, an arms manufacturer that makes the very best in rocket warfare. Tony is the second generation Stark in this business as his father started the business with his original partner, Obadiah Stane, (you won't know who the actor is until he begins to talk; it's Jeff Bridges, with his head shaved!). Tony is an arms genius, who as the movie opens is in a Hummer with scotch in hand, the ice clinking in the glass, making wisecracks with army personnel. The film then flashes back to a test sequence that Tony conducts of his new weapon, "Jericho Missile", an extremely destructive, multi-warhead weapon system that Tony is showing to the Air Force and his old friend, Colonel James Rhodes (Terrence Howard), a serious jet pilot. This sequence shows the genius of Stark and the destructive power of the Jericho Missile. Downey is near perfect as the missile separates in to multiple warheads in the mountains of Afghanistan in the far off distance, arms outstretched as the precise time the bombs detonate with such force that the blast knocks the hats off of the pilots. Tony grabs his drink back from the stunned serviceman says, "...here's to peace," and walks to his vehicle. It is a brilliant, central scene in the picture, and from then on the audience realizes that this guy might be flaky, but he's very good at what he does.
We flash back to Hummer, which is attacked and overtaken by a terrorist group, who calls themselves, The Ten Rings. Ironically, Tony is injured by shrapnel from one of his own weapons. Led by the evil and sadistic, Raza (Faran Tahir) they capture Tony, and force him to make a Jericho Missile for them. With the help of fellow captive Dr. Yinsen (Shaun Toub), Tony takes the next 3 months to build crude but strong power armor, powered from a miniature arc reactor. The arc reactor supplies energy to an electromagnet which protects Stark's heart from the embedded shrapnel in his chest. Unfortunately, in the escape attempt, Yinsen is killed. This is the second pivotal scene in the picture, as he lies dying, he tells Stark, …"to do something to help others" and not to waste his life. Stark escapes and is rescued, eventually returning home safely to Stark Industries, where he announces that Stark will not longer build arms, but will take steps to help it's fellow man. The stock plunges and Stane is not pleased. He then leads a coup with the Board of Directors to bar Tony from their meetings.
Back at his home in Malibu, equipped with all the state of the art computer equipment, including his virtual assistant, Jarvis, Stark goes about the task, with the help of his assistant, Pepper Potts (played perfectly by the beautiful and capable, Gwyneth Paltrow), of perfecting his Ironman exoskeleton. The second best line in the picture comes from the hilarious sequences tracing Stark's failure to make the contraption fly, when he tells her, "…you caught me doing stranger things than this." The test sequences of flying in the suit are the funniest in the picture.
Once the body armor is complete, and Stark leans of insurgent activity in Afghanistan by his old nemesis, The Ten Rings, the first mission of Ironman begins. He saves the people of the village and stops the insurgents, but he strengthens the resolve of Raza to build and possess one of the Ironman suits from the prototype Tony left behind. The flying sequence on his way back to the US is hilarious, too. Chased by the Air Force, Tony gives them a run for their money, while talking to his buddy Rhodes the whole time.
Realizing that Obadiah Stane has been dealing with the insurgents under the table, Tony is determined to stop him. He has Pepper retrieve files relating to the sale of those weapons and his agreed to kidnapping from the computer in his office. While hacking into the system she discovers that it was Stane who hired the Ten Rings to kill Stark, but they had reneged on the deal when they realized who the target was. She also discovers that Stane has recovered the power suit prototype (Iron Man Mk I), and has engineered his own version, Iron Monger, an oversized, beefed up version of Iron Man.
Stane, upon realizing Pepper's discovery, steals Stark's arc reactor from his chest to power his new suit, leaving Stark for dead. Using his first reactor, which was not designed to power the suit, Stark does battle with Stane in Los Angeles, defeating him when the larger arc reactor that powers Stark Industries is deliberately overloaded. Stark barely makes it out alive when his reactor almost fails completely, but reactivates, causing a terrific explosion, killing Stane as Iron Monger.
The movies ends with Tony at a press conference, initially denying he is a superhero, then in a sudden reversal, and contrary to what the government has told him to do, announces to the world, that he is Ironman. Ozzie Osborne plays the Ironman theme and the credits roll, but don't leave your seat quite yet. As with all the Marvel Comics movies, there's more! Throughout the film, Clark Gregg appears as Agent Phil Coulson of Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.) trying to arrange a meeting with Stark. Following the credits, Samuel L. Jackson appears as their head, Nick Fury, telling Stark about the "Avenger Initiative". So there is a guaranteed sequel, and the buzz is that there will be 2 more Ironman pictures, with this cast.
This movie is surprising well-casted and directed. Directed by Jon Favreau (you may remember him from the movie, Swingers), he does an amazingly good job of having the right people in the right places, with the right dialogue at the right times. Downey and the rest of the cast had a tremendous amount of input into the script and the dialogue, ala Robert Altman; the film has a realistic feel in its dialogue and the relationships between the actors. The special effects and the amazing interaction between characters, (the sexual tension between Stark and Pepper is reminiscent of Bonds and Moneypenny), and Robert Downey Jr bringing his incredibly cohesive talents to this summer blockbuster, make this picture an absolute "you can't miss this one" film. In a summer that will bring us Batman, Indiana Jones, The Hulk, Hellboy, and a new Star Wars picture, Ironman is a great kickoff to a summer season of blockbuster films. An explosion of summer fun, Ironman is a must see this summer.
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May 4, 2008 - Sunday
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Category: News and Politics
Indiana, go with Obama
May 4, 2008
Not since Robert F. Kennedy's short-lived presidential campaign has the first Tuesday in May mattered so much. That's cause for excitement in Indiana, a state that is typically an afterthought in presidential primary politics. With the race between Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton threatening to last until August's national convention —and the candidates running neck-and-neck in Indiana—Hoosiers have a big role to play in picking the 2008 Democratic nominee.
In February, when Illinois voters faced the same choice, this page urged them to support Obama. "He is the Democrat best suited to lead this nation," the editorial said. We remain convinced of that as our Indiana readers head to the polls on Tuesday.
One benefit of the prolonged primary campaign is that Americans have had a better look at the candidates than in most years. In a race that many Democrats believe should have been conceded long ago, Obama has maintained his composure against an opponent whose desperation strategy is to hang in there and lob spitballs at the front-runner long enough to do an end-run around voters.
At times, the historic contest between the first viable female presidential candidate and the first viable African-American has threatened to devolve into just another ugly race between ordinary pols whose positions on the issues are largely the same. But in recent weeks, Obama's personal and political mettle have been sorely tested— and have been proven.
Inflammatory statements made by Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama's pastor for 20 years, raised questions about the candidate's long association with a man who views America as irredeemably racist. Obama sought first to make this a teaching moment: In a remarkable speech in Philadelphia, he spoke with grace and eloquence about our nation's racial divisions, defended the minister's right to speak his mind and suggested that understanding the source of such pain is essential to healing.
But Wright's rants only escalated. Obama was forced to publicly denounce the man who presided at his wedding, baptized his daughters and supplied the title for his book, "The Audacity of Hope."
By putting him in this difficult position, Wright may have unwittingly done Obama a favor. Moved to passionate restatement of his beliefs, Obama reminded a lot of people of what they found so appealing in him in the first place.
By contrast, look what we've seen from Hillary Clinton's campaign in recent weeks. Her embellishments about the purported danger of a 1996 trip to Bosnia. Bill Clinton's statement that the Obama campaign "played the race card on me"—and Clinton's later, laughable denial that he had used those words. We've seen a campaign that has sought to tear down its opponent and pander to voters. The Clinton campaign is playing just the kind of politics that Americans say they detest.
We need a president who can forge consensus and compromise among ideological foes. Barack Obama is that kind of Democrat; Hillary Clinton is not.
In our original endorsement, we noted that "the professional judgment and personal decency with which he has managed himself and his ambition distinguish Barack Obama." His performance in the three months since that editorial have only reinforced that opinion.
Indiana Democrats, your choice should be clear: Barack Obama.
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April 25, 2008 - Friday
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Current mood:  adventurous
Category: Sports
Standing Tall: A Memoir of Tragedy and Triumph
THE ENTERTAINMENT CRITIC BOOK REVIEW, BY JAMES MYERS
www.theentertainmentcritic.com
www.theentertainmentcritic.net
www.theentertainmentcriticmagazine.com
STANDING TALL: A MEMOIR OF TRAGEDY AND TRIUMPH
By C. Vivian Stringer
Published by Crown Publishing, A Division of Random House, Inc
Publication Date: March, 2008
Price: $24.95
304 Pages
ISBN-13: 9780307406095
Four Star Rating ****
C. VIVIAN STRINGER IS THE HEAD COACH OF THE RUTGERS UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM.
A MEMBER OF THE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME NAMED NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR THREE TIMES BY HER PEERS
FORMERLY THE HEAD COACH OF THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM AND THE CHEYNEY STATE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM
THE ASSISTANT COACH FOR THE GOLD MEDAL–WINNING 2004 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM
AN ASSISTANT FOR THE BRONZE-MEDAL 1980 USA JONES CUP TEAM
ALSO HAS HAD EXTENSIVE HEAD-COACHING EXPERIENCE IN THE NATIONAL PROGRAM, LEADING THE 1982 U.S. OLYMPIC FESTIVAL EAST TEAM TO A BRONZE MEDAL, THE 1984 U.S. WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES TEAM (KOBE, JAPAN) TO A SILVER, THE 1989 U.S. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFYING TEAM (SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL) TO A GOLD AND A QUALIFICATION FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR'S FIBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, AND THE 1991 PAN AMERICAN GAMES TEAM (HAVANA, CUBA) TO A BRONZE MEDAL.
HOLDS ONE OF THE BEST WIN LOSS RECORDS IN THE HISTORY OF WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
THIRD WINNINGEST COACH IN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HISTORY, BEHIND ONLY TENNESSEE'S PAT SUMMITT AND FORMER UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS COACH JODY CONRADT
THE FIRST COACH IN NCAA HISTORY TO LEAD THREE DIFFERENT WOMEN'S PROGRAMS TO THE NCAA FINAL FOUR: RUTGERS IN 2000 AND 2007, THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA IN 1993, AND CHEYNEY STATE COLLEGE (NOW CHEYNEY UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA) IN 1982
NAISMITH COLLEGE COACH OF THE YEAR FOR WOMEN'S BASKETBALL IN 1993
NAMED THE 1993 COACH OF THE YEAR BY SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, USA TODAY, CONVERSE, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES AND THE BLACK COACHES ASSOCIATION
THE 2000 FEMALE COACH OF THE YEAR BY THE RAINBOW/PUSH ORGANIZATION, A GROUP FOUNDED BY REV. JESSE JACKSON
THE DISTRICT V COACH OF THE YEAR IN 1985, 1988 AND 1993; THE DISTRICT I COACH OF THE YEAR IN 1998
THE BIG TEN COACH OF THE YEAR IN 1991 AND 1993; THE BIG EAST COACH OF THE YEAR IN 1998 AND 2005; AND THE 1998, 1999, 2000 AND 2005 METROPOLITAN BASKETBALL WRITERS ASSOCIATION COACH OF THE YEAR.
WINNER OF THE 1993 CAROL ECKMAN AWARD, WHICH ACKNOWLEDGES THE COACH DEMONSTRATING SPIRIT, COURAGE, INTEGRITY, COMMITMENT, LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE TO THE GAME OF WOMEN'S BASKETBALL.
A FINALIST FOR THE NAISMITH NATIONAL COACH-OF-THE-YEAR AWARD FIVE TIMES DURING HER TENURE "ON THE BANKS"
HONORED BY THE U.S. SPORTS ACADEMY WHEN THE ORGANIZATION DECIDED TO NAME ITS ANNUAL WOMEN'S COACHING AWARD IN HER HONOR. THE C. VIVIAN STRINGER MEDALLION AWARD OF SPORT FOR WOMEN'S COACHING WAS HANDED OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN JULY OF 2002.
IN 2003, SHE WAS RECOGNIZED BY SPORTS ILLUSTRATED AS ONE OF THE "101 MOST INFLUENTIAL MINORITIES IN SPORTS," AND DURING THE SUMMER OF 2004 SHE RECEIVED THE BLACK COACHES ASSOCIATION'S LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD.
IN ADDITION TO HER EXTENSIVE COLLEGIATE EXPERIENCE, STRINGER ALSO HAS SUCCESSFULLY TESTED HERSELF IN THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA. AN ASSISTANT COACH FOR THE GOLD-MEDAL 2004 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM, HER FIRST USA BASKETBALL EXPERIENCE CAME AS STRINGER
A NOTED ADMINISTRATOR, STRINGER WAS ONE OF THE KEY PLAYERS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION. SHE CURRENTLY IS A VOTING MEMBER OF THE WBCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE AMATEUR BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE NIKE COACHES ADVISORY BOARD.
STRINGER HAS SERVED AS A MEMBER OF THE KODAK ALL-AMERICA SELECTION COMMITTEE AND WAS ELECTED TO THE WOMEN'S SPORTS FOUNDATION ADVISORY BOARD.
LAURA TUCKER HAS CO-AUTHORED BOOKS ON A WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS. SHE LIVES IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, WITH HER HUSBAND AND DAUGHTER.
"I am the last stop before the young women I coach take their place in society, and it is a responsibility I take seriously. My goal is to give them confidence to dream big and the skills to overcome any challenge they face, whether it's under the basket or in the boardroom….For thirty years, my mission has been to create the next generation of leaders…'It's more than a game; I'm teaching life lessons here.' My hope is that they will come to share my fundamental and unshakable faith: that each and every one of us has the ability to triumph in the face of adversity, to lift ourselves up and succeed, no matter what trials we encounter…You have to stay true to yourself and to what you believe. The minute you allow disappointment or tragedy to stop you in your tracks, you have stolen from yourself, something more precious than you can imagine: your dreams…real success is achieved when you set your own worth, fulfill your own destiny, and stand up for what you know to be right."
"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it." Maya Angelou
C. Vivian Stringer has written an inspirational memoir about her life, called Standing Tall. Although she is a renown basketball coach, the book has very little to do with the mechanics of how to play basketball. It is more a spiritual journey of the exploration and the explanation of her life. Over and over and over again, she has demonstrated the old maxim that once you are knocked down in life, "you pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again." Her incredibly strong resilience is demonstrated in this soaring book time and time again. Born a coalminer's daughter in the small town of Edenborn, Pennsylvania and the eldest of 6 children, Stringer's meddle was tested early in her life. Despite being poor and making due, Ms. Stringer's family endowed her with a sense of self-worth and tenacity to overcome the obstacles of life. The first test of her resilience was in high school. A natural athlete in her own right, V.I. as her family calls her, tried out for cheerleader at the Germantownship High School. She originally did not make the team. A member of the NAACP approached the family about protesting the decision, since he felt Vivian was the best out there and no other black girl had ever been named cheerleader. Her father put it best, "This isn't just about you, V.I. Perhaps it's not even for you, but for future generations of young women who deserve to be given an opportunity. There comes a point in your life when you must stand, because if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." Vivian went to the meeting. She and another girl became the first black cheerleaders of Germantownship High School.
This was not the last time that Vivian overcame adversity in her life. Her freshman year at Slippery Rock University, she failed out of school and lost her scholarship. She got help from her sister, slept in her room, washed dishes, and swept floors as a janitor, but she made sure she was one of the two or three minority students to graduate in her class.
Her first basketball job out of college was at "a small, poor, historically black school near Philadelphia," Cheyney State College. She and Bill Stringer were married and she started her life's work. She coached basketball there for 11 years without receiving a paycheck for it. When she first took over the Lady Wolves, they "stank". The program had no budget, zero dollars a year, no staff, no cleanup, no meals, and no trainer. Almost single-handily, Coach Stringer made that team better. She and the great John Chaney (men's coach) put their players together for practice. This made Coach Stringer's teams very tough to beat. With a 251-51 record, Coach Stringer made the women's team winners. Her character, strength, and perseverance was evident throughout her stay at Cheyney State.
Her character was tested again when her second child, Nina at the age of 14 months developed spinal meningitis. The doctors told her that her little girl would never walk or talk again. They told her that her child was brain dead. For six months, Vivian lived in the hospital with her child day and night. She had to be fed by the nursing staff and one time John Chaney physically carried her to the cafeteria. 7-8 months later, Nina came home, but she required round-the-clock care, and feeding her through a rubber tube. She remained partly comatose for almost 3 years. A big part of the reason Coach Stringer took the job at Iowa was the medical care and treatment they offered to Nina.
Iowa was a basketball crazy state, with a very poor women's team. Once a gain, Coach Stringer worked her magic and the Lady Hawkeyes went to the top of the basketball world. Again, while at Iowa, Vivian encountered tragedy. Her forty-seven year old husband, her college sweetheart, died in her arms from a massive heart attack. There are multiple descriptions in the book of their life together, and it is obvious from her descriptions of their marriage that this was the true love of her life and life partner. She lost the navigator in her life, and almost gave up coaching basketball. Her children talked her into returning. That season, Iowa beat a Pat Summit coached Tennessee team at the buzzer to take Iowa to the final four. The memory of her husband haunted her so much, that despite recruiting the best class in the country, she felt she had to leave Iowa. She then took her current position at Rutgers.
Once again, Coach Stringer had to start over in a school dominated by men's sports and football. Iowa was a place where Midwesterners had made the Stringer's feel welcome, back east racial pressure was different. Rutgers has that largest media market in the world; they are "routinely covered by ESPN, and the New York Times," with as many as ten newspapers all at once. Coach Stringer was given a contract that was greater than the football coaches. The pressure for her to win in the Big East was tremendous. Again, she had less than the best team to work with. Again, she made them winners. And yet again, she was confronted with a life-altering challenge; she developed breast cancer. She had surgery and underwent a course of radiation. She told no one but a close, chosen few. Not even her children. She was bounced around in the press as being aloof. She writes in her book, "I think there's a life lesson to be learned: that life does get disrupted, no matter what you do or how careful you are. Yet even when you get pushed down, you have to pick yourself up and go on, believing that other good things are in store for you."
In 1998, the Rutgers women went to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in its history. In 2000, they went to the final four. Another test came for Coach Stringer after the final four. Her son Justin was seriously injured in a car accident. The doctors told the Coach he had suffered a brain injury. Miraculously, Justin has made a full recovery.
In 2007, with a young team, after suffering a 45 point loss to Duke during the regular season, The Scarlet Knights went on to the NCAA championship, only to loose to Tennessee. Shortly after the loss, Don Imus made his infamous statements. At a press conference, one by one, Coach Stringer's athletes stepped up to the Dias and addressed the media with grace and class. The dignity and class that they had learned from their coach was obvious. Imus apologized the both the Coach and the Team. Shortly after that, Coach Stringer and the team were honored in Yankee Stadium in New York.
This book should be on every bookshelf in America. It is not a basketball book as much as it is a book about the human spirit. It is a book that recognizes that all of us get knocked down in life; it is not the getting knocked down that matters. It is the getting back up and moving forward that is important. C. Vivian Stringer is a shining example of that and her new book, Standing Tall is the most inspiring and empowering books that I have read in 2008. Her ability to stand tall has made a difference; one that merits you attention to this soaring book.
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