Blogcritics Author: Will Humes

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

The New Kentucky Basketball Coach: Pat Summitt (I Wish)

Will Humes — Mon, 2 Apr 2007 15:24:24 EDT

When Kentucky hired Tubby Smith 10 years ago, Smith became the first black coach in UK's history. Kentucky now has a chance to make history again, not only for itself, but for all Division I men's basketball teams and schools. They could do this by hiring the most successful coach of all time in the history of college basketball: Pat Summitt.While it seems as though Kentucky is biding its time for Florida to finish its season so it can offer the head coaching job to Billy Donavan, purportedly for as much as $2.5 to $4 million a year. I believe that Donavan, even if offered the job, will ultimately decide to remain at Florida. An offer from Kentucky will provide him with the opportunity to collect at least as much money from his current employer, virtually guaranteeing an increase of between $1.5 to $2.5 million in his current salary. UK is, for Donavan, a bargaining chip, and when all is said an done he will probably stay where he is.Who does that leave for Kentucky to pursue? Here is the rundown in my opinion:Rick Pitino has said unequivocally that he is not interested in returning to UK.John Calipari has (thankfully in my opinion) signed a long-term extension with Memphis. One would think this would preclude him from taking the Kentucky job, and that is fine with me, given his troubled past with the University of Massachusetts.John Pelphrey and Travis Ford, though alumni of UK's basketball program and loved by Wildcat fans because of this, are still very early in their coaching careers and are not the marquee coach that UK is seeking or deserves.Pat Riley would probably not leave the NBA for college hoops, though I wouldn't mind him coming to UK. Mark Few, highly successful at Gonzaga, may not be ready or willing to leave a very comfortable situation where he is for the fishbowl that is Kentucky basketball.Rick Barnes, though successful overall at Texas, has never been too successful in NCAA tournament play, and this was one of the knocks against Smith. Tom Izzo is a Michigan native with many strong ties to Michigan State and a salary (counting various outside compensations) that reportedly is close to $12 million.Tom Crean, though undoubtedly a good coach, is still at the beginning of his career and has lost 11 or more games each of the last three seasons (another complaint against "Ten-Loss Tubby" as Smith was derogatorily called by some).I am sure that I have left out a few names, but let's face it, other than a few names mentioned above, no one else, in my opinion, is a great pick for Kentucky. That is why I want to recommend Pat Summitt.Now I know that she may also be a long shot. After all she has been at Tennessee for forever and a day - 32 seasons as head coach. She is also the highest paid women's basketball coach at over a million dollars. She may have no desire to leave Tennessee. But I think that Kentucky should at least consider her as a candidate and even offer her the job. Summitt has more wins than any other basketball coach (men's or women's), currently at 945. Other accomplishments include:14-time SEC regular season champion 12-time SEC Tournament champion 7-time SEC Coach of the Year 7-time NCAA Coach of the Year, and most importantly6-time NCAA ChampionsSummitt has the coaching credentials. She has the prestige. She has the ability to turn around a program somewhat in doldrums, and her hiring would instantly recharge the UK men's basketball program. UK could offer to triple or quadruple her current salary. It could also point out (as if she didn't know this) that one of Summitt's own former assistant coaches is now the head coach of UK's women's basketball team. And then there is the history-making facet of her taking the job as the first woman coach of a NCAA Division I men's basketball team.Some may think this is just a late April's Fools joke, but I am serious. I think Summitt would be a perfect match for UK. It would be great if this could/would happen.

45 year old United Methodist Pastor and lover of films, music, books and UK basketball

Movie Review: V for Vendetta

Will Humes — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 09:02:52 EDT

Back in April, I saw V for Vendetta shortly after its release. I thoroughly enjoyed the film, especially Natalie Portman's character (but then, I have this thing for Natalie Portman). Hugo Weaving, of The Lord of the Rings (Elrond) and The Matrix (Agent Smith), also stars in the film, though we never actually see his face. Weaving plays the mysterious and masked V, a man who is attempting to take revenge upon some of those people who have wronged him in the past. Other stars in the film include Stephen Fry, John Hurt and Rupert Graves.This last week I watched the film again on DVD, and I was struck by one of the overwhelming themes of the movie. am not talking about the obvious connections between the world in which V and Evey (Portman) live and the current situation in Great Britain and America. No, I am referring to the issue of overcoming fear that is central to the development of Evey's character. While I am loath to say much more about this so as not to give away any plot points, I will say that it is in enduring torture and solitary confinement that Evey grows into more a fully human person. Portman has been quoted as saying, "Through her imprisonment [Evey] learns to face her fear, and overcoming that fear is important for her own integrity." Portman, who was required to shave her head on camera, even looks good bald, and there is, in the film (as there is in The Shawshank Redemption), a scene in which Evey symbolically undergoes a "baptism" of sorts in the falling rain.Near the beginning of the film V introduces himself by way of an amazing alliteration, and anyone who knows me, knows I love a good alliteration: "This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, it is vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished, as the once vital voice of the verisimilitude now venerates what they once vilified. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin van-guarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose vis-à-vis an introduction, and so it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V."At another time later in the film, V has another line that I find illuminating. He says, "People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."I highly recommend V for Vendetta for your viewing pleasure and intellectual stimulation. I give it 9 out 10 dancing fish. My sentiments are echoed in a review written by Colin Covert of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune.Technorati : Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman, V for Vendetta, alliteration, movie review, quoteDel.icio.us : Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman, V for Vendetta, alliteration, movie review, quote

45 year old United Methodist Pastor and lover of films, music, books and UK basketball