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Ed Bagley's Top 25 Poll - Week 8 - It's Teetering at the Top Alabama, Florida, Iowa, West Virginia and South Carolina all needed every ounce of effort to win games and hopefully retain their national rankings this week. Here is my Top 25 for college football's Week 8: College Football - A Season of 2 Games: One Becomes Abject Heartache, The Other Extreme Joy - Part 1 This is a story about the life of a college football team's season in only two games—one was an abject heartache, and the other an extreme joy. The team was the University of Washington this season, and the events that unfolded brought to mind Charles Dickens' novel "A Tale of Two Cities". Find out what really happened, and when. Movie Review - American Film Institute Rates Wilder's "Some Like It Hot" as the Best Comedy Ever In its day, "Some Like It Hot" was a hot ticket, being nominated for six Oscars and winning one. Released in 1959, this black-and-white film also served as the greatest comedy platform for its three main characters—Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe), Joe as "Josephine" (Tony Curtis) and Jerry as "Daphne" (Jack Lemon). Find out why AFI named the film the best comedy ever made. Movie Review - "Last Chance Harvey" Gets Quality Acting, But Suffers From Writer/Director's Effort Is it possible for your two leads to be nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress Golden Globe Awards and yet your magnum opus is average at best? Yes it is, especially if your leads are Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson, and the writer/director of the film is Joel Hopkins. Find out why it happened in the making of "Last Chance Harvey". College Football - Ed Bagley's Top 25 Poll - Week 5 Only 13 teams remain undefeated after 5 weeks of play, and it is time to seriously think about elevating some of them into my Top 25 picks, even if they have played mostly weak competitors. Some such teams are already there—like Boise State. College Football Wrap-Up Week 5 - Only a Baker's Dozen of Teams Still Remain Undefeated Only 13 among the 120 major teams remain undefeated after the 5th week of a 16-week college football season. They are Florida, Texas, Alabama, LSU, Boise State, Cincinnati, TCU, Iowa, Kansas, Auburn, South Florida, Missouri and Wisconsin. Unranked UTEP upset 12th-ranked Houston, 58-41, 17th-ranked Miami (FL) upset 8th-ranked Oklahoma, and unranked Michigan State beat 22nd-ranked Michigan 26-20. Bernard Lagat Fails to Win, But Does Gain Back Some Respect at World Championships Jamaica's Usain Bolt proved his 2008 Beijing Olympic world-record wins in the 100 and 200-meter dashes were no fluke. Bolt lowered both of his world records by taking the 100 in 9:58 (becoming the first man to ever run under 9.6), and the 200 in 19.19 (becoming the first man to ever run under 19.2) at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. Find out how the Americans did. "Varsity Blues" Is Not Your Typical Texas High School Football Film - It Is Much Better Having seen a lot of sports movies that were over-hyped, over-rated and under-performed, it was a nice change of pace to watch "Varsity Blues", a football movie that actually had a message worth watching as well as some good acting along with the usual comedic moments and turf violence. This film is well beyond the usual Texas high school football presentation. Find out why. Something to Talk About - Examines Critical Issues About Trust in Marriage "Something to Talk About" stars Julia Roberts, which immediately makes me think romantic comedy, but trust me when I said that this 1995 film has more drama than comedy as it tackles a subject prevalent in today's modern marriages—adultery. Find out Great Writing, Directing, Acting and Music Make "Steel Magnolias" an Excellent Film It isn't often that a guy could get pulled into a movie about a bunch of women sharing their lives, loves, hopes, dreams, struggles and tragedies in a beauty shop, but Steel Magnolias reeled me in like a bait on a fishhook. This movie is no "chick flick"; it has great writing, great direction, great acting and great music that make it an excellent film. Find out why. "Chocolat" Is Moviemaking at Its Best: A Sweet Story With an Important Message It is rare when you can say that a movie is so warm and wonderful that it can even overcome a manipulative, vindictive authority figure and a husband guilty of spousal abuse, but "Chocolat" manages to do so with some great acting, writing and directing. Chocolat is everything that is right about moviemaking—don't walk, run to this film and warm your heart with a wonderful viewing experience you will remember. College Football Wrap-Up Week 4 - 7 Upsets Turn Top 25 Poll Into a Scramble With Few Survivors No win in College Football's 4th week of action was any bigger than unranked Iowa's 21-10 upset victory on-the-road over 5th-ranked Penn State. Iowa is now unbeaten at 4-0. The Hawkeyes ruined the Nittany Lions perfect 9-0 season last year with a 24-23 victory at home, and proved it was no fluke this year on Penn State's turf. There were 7 upsets this week among Top 25 teams, creating more confusion than clarity. College Football Wrap-Up Week 1 - BYU, Boise State, Alabama & Oklahoma State Are Huge Winners Brigham Young, Boise State, Alabama and Oklahoma State were college football's biggest winners in the opening week of the NCAA season. No. 20 BYU upset No. 3 Oklahoma 14-13, No. 14 Boise State whipped No. 16 Oregon 19-8, No. 5 Alabama beat No. 7 Virginia Tech 34-24, and No. 9 Oklahoma State turned back Georgia 24-10. Read the full results and see whose stock is rising and whose is falling. Back-to-Back Winning Seasons and Bowl Appearances Say Michigan State Is Back When Mark Dantonio became the new Michigan State University football coach two years ago, he came to the East Lansing Campus with a pedigree that shouted success is on the way. He has not disappointed the Spartan faithful. Back-to-back winning seasons and two straight bowl appearances say Michigan State is no longer a pushover. Find out why. Look for Steve Sarkisian to Turn Around Washington's Woeful Football Program When the University of Washington Huskies went winless last year in 12 games and had some of the worst performance statistics among all NCAA teams, I immediately predicted success with the hiring of head coach Steve Sarkisian. Find out why "Sark" is a winner as a player and coach, and how he will surround himself with winners on his coaching staff. "Radio" Is One of the Most Under-Rated and Under-Appreciated Films in Movie History "Radio"—the true story of high school football coach Harold Jones and a mentally-challenged young man named James Robert "Radio" Kennedy—might well be one of the most under-rated and under-appreciated movies in film history. Find out why this movie will tug at your heartstrings, and settle your soul. "Kingdom of Heaven" Sought to Be an Epic Film, But Became a Disaster in Production Unfortunately for "Kingdom of Heaven", what started out as an ambitious epic film about a little known time in history, became an almost disaster at its release and was only average at best. There is probably enough blame to spread around. Find out the nine reasons why Kingdom of Heaven could not cut the mustard as a good film. Even With Sandra Bullock, "Two Weeks Notice" Becomes Only an Average Romantic Comedy "Two Weeks Notice" is just a tad too predictable to be a good romantic comedy, so it must take its rightful place as average when placed against other much better efforts such as "Sleepless in Seattle", "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and " Breakfast at Tiffany's". Find out why this film, even starring Sandra Bullock, does not really impress. Not Being Selected Among the Top 25 in the Preseason Coaches' Poll Is the Kiss of Death It is three weeks to the kick-off of the 2009 college football season, the preseason USA Today Top 25 Coaches' Poll is out, my favorite team is not among the top 25 teams, and has no chance to play in the national championship game. Say, what? Find out why if a team is not ranked in the top 25 poll, they will not play in the national championship game. "Annie" Rates as One of the Most Uplifting, Harrowing and Positive Broadway Musicals Ever "Annie" is certainly one of the most uplifting, harrowing and positive Broadway musicals in movie history. Based on Thomas Meehan's musical score of the enormously successful stage play, and Carol Sobieski's screenplay, Annie was directed by John Houston in his first and last effort directing a movie musical. None of their talent was wasted. Find out why. Henry James Led All Performers at the 2009 Washington State Senior Games' Track Meet Let there be no doubt about who was the star in the Track & Field venue at the 2009 Washington State Senior Games. Henry James literally knocked the socks off of his 50-54 age-group competition in the 400 and 800-meter runs, clocking 55.17 for the 400, and 2:03.55 in the 800. James electrified onlookers with his performance, smashing Bob Prather's 2:11.11 mark in the 800 to set a new Senior Games record. Get the full story. Current USA High School Boys Track and Field Records Through July 2009 - Part 1 Here are the current USA High School Boys Track and Field Records through July 2009. This list gives every high school runner, jumper and thrower an idea of what it takes to become a world-class athlete at the prep level. Check it out. Current USA High School Girls Track and Field Records Through July 2009 - Part 2 Here are the current USA High School Girls Track and Field Records through July 2009. This list gives every high school runner, jumper and thrower an idea of what it takes to become a world-class athlete at the prep level. Check it out. Two Funny Comedies, "Talladega Nights" and "Wedding Crashers", But Only One Is a Good Film There are comedies that can make you laugh that are not good films because they lack any meaningful substance or worthwhile message. Then there are comedies that can make you laugh that appear to have a lack of substance, but slowly pull you into a character as you become emotionally involved with his situation. Find out what makes the difference. Two Action Adventure Films, One Comedy and One Serious, Both Turn Out Average If you want some over-the-top laughs, see Ben Stiller's "Tropic Thunder", a very confused film that can't make up its mind whether it wants to be an action adventure, war story, comedy, satire, mockumentary or wannabe drama. If you want fantasy disguised as action adventure, see "300", a film with more animation than acting. Michael Kiley Most Impressive Performer at New York Prep Track Championships Senior Michael Kiley of Chaminade High School toured the 3000-meter steeplechase in 9:13.92 at the 2009 New York State Track & Field Championship Meet to set a new national leading time. Find out all of the winners, and who set state meet records and who pulled off upsets. Parkview Boys and Wesleyan Girls Crush Competition for Georgia State Track Titles Parkview High School got wins from Ethan Kasson, Julian Vann, Taron Squires, Davin Nash and Sean Stephenson and rode a bunch of depth in other events to dominate the competition and win the 2009 Georgia State Boys 5A Track Championship. Nine other boys and girls teams won titles. Get the full story and Stephen Hill's amazing 25-08.75 leap in the long jump. Here Is One Reason Why Newspapers Have Become Less Relevant to Readers There was an 8-year period of my life when I owned and operated a community publishing company that published a weekly newspaper, and I made it my business to separate news facts from the opinion expressed in our editorials and by our columnists. Most major newspapers today make no distinction between news and opinion, and this is one reason why fewer people today care what major newspapers have to say. Facing Down Your Worst Threat - How to Handle the Schoolyard Bully It's a funny thing about the lessons you learn in life. Not all of them are learned on the way to school. Some are learned on the way home from school. Here is a lesson I learned about how to handle schoolyard bullies. Politics - Should Failing Major Newspapers Receive Government Bailout Money? Absolutely Not The demise of major American newspapers in our ordinary life could be seen as sad and tragic for a grandparent, and as an excellent opportunity to capitalize on another's misfortune for a plugged in, technological savvy grandchild. The distance in generational gap between the two is not so much a preference as a giant chasm. Learn how and why it happened. Who Should We Really Blame for the Unfair, Excessive Pay of Underperforming Executives? With the collapse of our America economy and ongoing recession, hardly a day goes by without reading or hearing about an underperforming chief executive officer of a Fortune 500 company getting bounced out on his ear. Then the incompetent CEO walks away with millions in compensation while the company is all but destroyed. Why is this happening in America? Youth Track & Field - Where You Can Learn the Best Times Among Middle School Track Athletes I recently received an email asking this question: Is there an Internet site that lists the best times in Washington for youth track and field performances other than high school? My answer was, "Yes there is such a resource." Find out more. Track & Field Heroes - Remembering Finland's Paavo Nurmi, the Greatest Distance Runner of His Era Finland's first great distance runner was Paavo Nurmi, who would do something no athlete had ever done before?win 9 Gold Medals and 3 Silver Medals while competing in the 1920, 1924 and 1928 Olympic Games. Nurmi was also an innovator in track and field, introducing progression runs as a training technique. Learn more about one of track's greatest distance runners. 2009 Boston Marathon - At Last, American-Born Runners Click It Up a Notch Against African Winners The American marketing nightmare that is the Boston Marathon is not going away, but at least two American-born athletes have now offered us a glimmer of hope that we might at sometime in the 21st Century win the race that we own. Learn more about the rise of Kara Goucher and Ryan H all, and why it even matters. Track & Field - 12 Prep Athletes Set 6 New American Records During the Last Week of April Perhaps it was the air, or perhaps the water, or even the fact that high school league, district, regional and state meets are fast approaching, but a dozen superb high school athletes set 6 American records during the last week of April. Yes, There Is Phenom Jordan Hasay, and Here Are the Best Preps of the Rest Jordan Hasty wasn't the only high scholar at the U. S. Olympic Trials last year. Laura Roesler of Fargo South High School in Fargo (ND) was there as well. Roesler (pronounced "Race-leer"), a sophomore, clocked 2:03.08 in an 800-meter semifinal heat. Find out about Roesler and other outstanding prep athletes returning to action this spring. High School Spring Track Features Prep Distance Phenom Jordan Hasay You can call her "Destiny's Child" but the label would be inaccurate. Prep phenom Jordan Hasay understands that she will have to run her way to greatness, and would not have it any other way. Hasay attends Mission Prep in San Luis Obispo, California. Find out why she is the nation's top girls middle distance runner. National Indoor Middle Distance USA High School Track Records - What It Takes to Be the Best Who owns the National Indoor Middle Distance USA High School Track Records? And who went on to become world record holders, Olympic medalists, and national record holders. Find out now. 2009 Simplot Games Showcase the Nation's Top High School Track and Field Talent It was not exactly a record-breaking year but the 2009 Simplot Games at Idaho State University's Holt Arena in Pocatello still showcases some of the nation's best high school talent. The Simplot Games feature the biggest indoor track and field meet in the West and the largest indoor high school meet in the West. Find out who did the best at this year's Simplot Games. An Open Letter - My Prayer for President Barack Obama and the Future of Our Great Nation My prayer for you, President Barack Obama, is that you will be able to answer the call of solitude when it beckons. It has been such a tumultuous start to your presidency. You came with an open mind, a clear conscience and a good heart. It may well have been your intention to make every decision in your presidency with right thinking and right motives. You have now discovered that the very people you trust can make it otherwise. Sex and the City Is, Barely, More Than a Fashionable Chick Flick Sooner of later even male movie reviewers who would normally avoid films like "Sex and the City" feel some sense of obligation to see what everyone is talking about. My mistake. Learn why Sex in the City is long on looks and short on substance. America's Best Female Comedian Is Irreverent But Hardly Irrelevant After experiencing a Wanda Sykes comedy routine for the first time, you might ask yourself, "How could a college graduate in a secure position with the National Security Agency degenerate into a foul-mouthed, unladylike joker with no job security. Then again, you might quickly realize that you have just been listening to and enjoying the most original, funniest female comedian in America today. Find out why. Poirot - "The Double Clue" Exposes Hercule's Facade as the Thief Melts His Heart These made-for-TV movies are among the 41 murder mystery novels originally aired by PBS involving the proper, obsessive little Belgian inspector Hercule Poirot. The character of Poirot (played to perfection by David Suchet) was created by the famous British author Agatha Christie, who wrote her first Poirot novel in 1920 at the age of 30 and her last Poirot novel in 1975, 55 years later and a year before her death in 1976. College Football - Despite the Protestations, It Really Was All About Tyrone Willingham He would have made a great Roman soldier, the strong, disciplined, determined, unemotional type ready to go into battle. The problem at the University of Washington was that he went into battle with the responsibility of being a football coach, not a soldier. So Tyrone Willingham received an early retirement from Husky Stadium. Find out what happened to the grim warrior. Final BCS Standings Show Why It's Better to Lose Early Than Late The final, cumulative BCS Standings showed Oklahoma with a BCS Average of 0.976, Florida at 0.948 and Texas at 0.930, with a mere 18 one-hundreds of a point separating Florida and Texas. Learn why Texas became the odd man out. Wisconsin Men, Minnesota Women Win 2008 Big Ten Cross-Country Titles Wisconsin's men won their 10th straight title, Minnesota's women repeated as champs but Nicole Bush of Michigan State won the individual title Sunday (11-1-08) at the Big Ten Cross-Country Championship Meet in Ann Arbor (MI). Nicole Bush toured the 6,000-meter course (3.72 miles) in 20:15.8 to win by 12 seconds over runner-up Gwen Jorgensen of Wisconsin. Michigan State finished 3rd in the womens' competition. Cross-Country - Washington Women Win Pac 10 Title, Set Record Wtih First-Ever Perfect Score In was show time on Halloween at the Springfield (OR) Country Club for the 2008 Pac 10 Conference Cross-Country Championships and the University of Washington women runners showed why the Huskies are the No. 1-ranked team in the country, winning with an unprecedented perfect score of 15. Learn why the Washington women are so good. Northwest Christian in Lacey Becomes a Washington Powerhouse in Cross-Country The Northwest Christian High School Navigators arrive at the starting line ready to not only compete but to win, and win they did Saturday (11-8-08) during Washington State's 2008 Prep Cross-Country Championships at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco, taking home championship trophies in both the girls and boys B (small school) races. Cross-Country - Washington's Gig Harbor Girls Just Miss Another State Title and Chance at History Washington State's 2008 Prep Cross-Country Championships taught the Gig Harbor High School girls' team a really disappointing lesson in knowing just how close is not close enough. After winning 3 consecutive state titles in the 4A state championship competition, Gig Harbor fell 1 point short in the team competition Saturday (11-8-08) at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco, settling for the runner-up spot. Learn what happened. Political Satire - America's Presidential Election Coverage Is Biased and Steeped in Stupidity Those of us who have suspected that the media coverage of the 2008 Presidential Race has not been fair now have a study to validate our suspicions. The Center for Media and Public Affairs spent the past two months monitoring comments by sources, voters, reporters and anchors that aired on evening newscasts at America's three main national networks (ABC, CBS and NBC) and documented what many of us already knew. Learn the full story. Washington's Athletic Director Finally Makes the Right Move - Fires Coach Scott Woodward, the University of Washington's newly appointed permanent athletic director, has made it official that Tyrone Willingham will not be back for another season as the Huskies' head football coach. Willingham will stay on to coach the team's 5 remaining games and then leave with a $1 million buyout. Willingham was in his 4th year of a 5-year contract. Find out what went wrong. College Football - In Just Two Years Nick Saban Has the Crimson Tide No. 1 in the Nation Goodbye Texas. Hello Alabama. It is now the Crimson Tide that have become the No. 1 coveted target in the nation for big-time college football programs in America. The Texas Longhorns, who were No. 1, took on their 4th top-ranked team in consecutive weeks and came up short to No. 6 Texas Tech 39-33. Read the full article. Boise State and Ball State, Both 11-0, Are Really Unbeaten But Untested, Overrated Top 25 Teams Both Boise State and Ball State are 11-0 so far this season and have earned some bragging rights. After all, they are 2 of only 4 teams that remain undefeated among the 119 Division 1-A schools at this point in the college football season. Utah is 12-0 and Alabama is 11-0. I do not have any problem with Alabama and Utah's national rankings, but I do have some serious problems with Boise State and Ball State being ranked so high. Let me explain. Tulsa the 19th Best Team in the Nation? You Must Be Kididng and Here Is Why Entering college football's 10th week of play there were 8 unbeaten teams remaining—Texas, Alabama, Penn State, Texas Tech, Utah, Boise State, Ball State and Tulsa. Everyone paying attention knew that either Texas or Texas Tech would suffer their first loss as they were playing each other at Texas Tech. Few knew just how vulnerable Utah, Boise State, Ball State and Tulsa were to suffering their first defeat. Waking Ned Devine by Kirk Jones Is the Best Comedy I Have Ever Seen - Part 2 - Sooner or later one has to come clean. When pigeonholed about what is my favorite comedy, I said some time ago that "Meet the Fockers" was the best comedy I had seen in a long time. What I did not say was what is the best comedy I have ever seen. So let me say it here and now: as of Sunday, March 11, 2007 the best comedy I have ever seen is "Waking Ned Devine" and it is not even a close call. Find out why. Waking Ned Devine by Kirk Jones Is the Best Comedy I Have Ever Seen - Part 1 - Sooner or later one has to come clean. When pigeonholed about what is my favorite comedy, I said some time ago that "Meet the Fockers" was the best comedy I had seen in a long time. What I did not say was what is the best comedy I have ever seen. So let me say it here and now: as of Sunday, March 11, 2007 the best comedy I have ever seen is "Waking Ned Devine" and it is not even a close call. Find out why. A Jewish Family Flees Germany and Settles Only Walter could see it coming. His extended family in Germany could not see that Adolph Hitler would turn on his own German citizens who were Jewish. Walter was a professional, a judge and a German citizen, not a Jew who happened to be a German citizen. He would leave Germany and take his family to Africa in 1938. "Nowhere in Africa" is his story. Friendly Persuasion - Finds a Pacifist Quaker Family in the Middle of a War If "Friendly Persuasion" was produced 52 years after its original release in 1956, it might have won some of the 6 Oscar nominations it received, such as Best Sound and Best Writing, not to mention Best Picture and Best Director. The technical advancements in moviemaking today are light years ahead of where they were when William Wyler directed this simple film about a simple family in a very complicated situation. Forest Gump - Teaches Many Lessons, and Tom Hanks Earns Best Actor Oscar Everything that happens in "Forrest Gump" is worth seeing, and much of what happens through its central character Forrest Gump teaches us important lessons in life. This is a love story, a story of relationships and the story of one person in a very big world that is sometimes almost impossible to understand. Forrest Gump won 6 Oscars and another 7 Oscar nominations and remains one of the most successful films ever made. Find out why. The Silliness of Major League Baseball's Stupidity with Payroll Richie Sexson of the woeful Seattle Mariners is simply the latest example of the silliness of Major League Baseball's love affair with high-priced superstars whose production is pathetic. Sexson's lousy 30 RBIs this season have cost the Mariners $290,226 for each and every paltry one. Learn how stupid this policy is. Meet the Illinois Fighting Illini - The Most Overrated Team in the AP's Top 25 Poll Coach Ron Zook's Illinois team took the Big Ten by storm last year, tying with Michigan for the runner-up spot at 6-2, and going 9-3 in the regular season. All of last year's fight and hype moved Illinois into this year's AP Top 25 Poll. Find out why Illinois should not be in the current AP Top 25 Poll. Forbes Touts Alabama's Nick Saban as the Most Powerful Coach in Sports So who is the most powerful coach in sports today? Nick Saban of Alabama according to Forbes magazine (9-1-08 issue). Forbes wastes no time in anoiting Saban as the best of the best and ahead of the rest when it comes to being the most powerful sports coach in our time. Find out why. Phelps' 8 Gold Medals Could Net Him $100 Million in Future Income Sports agents that should know decided some time ago that winning a gold medal in the Olympics could be worth $12 million in appearances and endorsements. Michael Phelps' 8 golds at $12 million apiece works out to $96 million in possible income. Phelps' agent, Peter Carlisle, agrees, but will Phelps be a success or a failure as a marketable personality for companies seeking his services? America's Middle Distance Running Disaster at the 2008 Beijing Olympics Despite all of the United States' great success in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, there was next to nothing to cheer about its middle distance runners in the track and field competition. If it was not for Shalane Flanagan's third-place finish in the 10,000, the United States would not have won a single medal in the middle distance events. Her 30:22.22 clocking was good enough for the bronze medal and an American record. So How Long Has Michael Phelps Been Training to Be a Champion? Stories about teenage phenoms winning gold medals and setting world records at world-class swimming competitions are legion. The list is long and you can add Michael Phelps' name to the list. Find out what Phelps had to do, and how he did it to get where he is today. NFL Football Preview - Here Come the Seahawks: Stumbling and Bumbling into Holmgren's Last Year Just when Seattle's Mike Holmgren is entering his last year as head coach, his Seahawks are now stumbling and bumbling their way into the regular season. After dusting off the Minnesota Vikings 34-17 in their first 2008 preseason game on the road in Minneapolis, the Seahawks narrowly escaped defeat in their home preseason opener against the Chicago Bears, winning 29-26 in an error-prone display of ineptness. "For a Few Dollars More" Establishes Leone as a Master of Creating Emotion After the unexpected, smashing success of Sergio Leone's direction in "A Fistful of Dollars" with the newly-found presence of Clint Eastwood as the gunfighter who would become The Man With No Name, Leone 's direction in "For a Few Dollars More" was even more successful, artistically and financially. Learn why a film that could not garner a single award in its day has become a classic western film with a faithful following. Kathryn Martin Dominates on the Track at the 2008 USATF National Masters Meet The shining star in the prime running events at the 2008 USATF National Masters Meet in Spokane (WA) was Kathryn (Kathy) Martin, who won 5 national titles in the 800, 1500, 5000 and 10,000-meter races, and set an American record in the 2000-meter steeplechase. The 56-year-old from Northport (NY) was virtually unstoppable in the 55-59 age group competition. Get the full story. Could the Way Food Looks Give Real Clues as to What Is Really Healthy for Us to Eat? The next time you sit down to lunch or dinner, you may be surprised to learn that many of the foods that we eat look similar to vital organs in our body, and in fact provide nutrients that actually help the organ in question function. Carrots, tomatoes, grapes, oranges, figs, walnuts, kidney beans and onions are just a few examples. Find out more. How to Attack the Lakers "Triangle" Offense? Run Smack into the Celtics "Angle" Defense The Boston Celtics recent NBA title effort capped an amazing turnaround. A year ago the Celtics finished at 24-58 and dead last in the NBA Eastern Conference. This year they went 66-16, won the Atlantic Division title and the Eastern Conference title before disposing of the Los Angeles Lakers, 131-92, to win their 17th NBA title. Should We Be Concerned About the Apparent Violence of Our Children? Two incidents in the United States in recent days have caused me to wonder if we should be more concerned about the apparent violence among our children. Both sets of young women in both incidents had a choice to make. The difference between the two choices is clear: you can choose to be self-centered or other-centered. What caused some young women to make a great choice and others to make a poor choice? Find out why. Several Track and Field Girl Athletes Prove Their Great Sportsmanship and Substance Two separate events recently showed once again how incredibly impressive our young women in American can be—one an instance of pure sportsmanship at its best, and the other an instance of pure desire, determination and substance. Find out how Nicole Cochran and Bonnie Richardson become the centerpieces for these extraordinary events. You Must Answer Three Questions to Find Your True Purpose in Life There have been times in my life when I have sat down and wondered: What is the meaning of life? Why are we here? Is this what my life is going to be? To find my reason for being, I was forced to answer in writing these three questions: Who am I? What am I meant to do here? What am I trying to do with my life? USA High School Track & Field Records and the Best 2008 Prep Performances Eight high school athletes set 6 new records during the 2008 track and field season. The shinning star of the boys had to be German Fernandez of Riverbank (CA) High School, who set 2 new records and led all boys by taking the top spot in 5 of 6 middle distance races—the 1,500, 1,600, 3,000 and 3,200-meter runs and the 2 mile. Read the complete article and get all of the facts and times. Potential Hires Who Are Quick to Judge May Be Quickly Eliminated by Interviewers Female executives who are bold and aggressive do not rise up the corporate ladder as quickly as you may think. Female executives who use a self-confident but much softer, indirect approach do not highlight or reinforce any pre-conceived notions that they might be too bold, too aggressive or too judgmental for a higher position. Learn why it matters in dealing with male executives. What Is the Most Critical Career Choice Graduating Students Make? After reading The Tao of Warren Buffett, I discovered that Buffett had some very valuable information on what students should know when selecting their first job after graduating. According to Buffett, one not only needs to learn what kind of business to invest in but what kind of business to work in. Learn why. "Pretty Woman" Rocketed Julia Roberts into Becoming Hollywood's Sweetheart Read more of my other reviews on romantic comedies, including "Four Romantic Comedies That Will Not Stress Your Emotions", "Mystic Pizza", "Something's Gotta Give", "The Holiday", "What Women Want", "Failure to Launch" and "For Love or Money". If You Are Looking for Leeches, Skip the Pond, Go to Your Credit Card Company Two seemingly unrelated stories caught my attention yesterday. One was about corporations stockpiling cash and the other was about consumer savings rates, which moved into negative territory for the first time according to the U. S. Commerce Department. Credit card companies have no legal limits on what they can charge for interest and fees. Famous Quotes by Lou Holtz During Football's Annual Bowl Season College football's annual bowl season is full of surprises and spectacular moments. Famous coaches have had some memorable remarks about American's most popular sport, and here are some of them by Lou Holtz, who some consider to be the best of the best college coaches and for good reason. Find out why. Famous Quotes by Knute Rockne During Football's Annual Bowl Season College football's annual bowl season is full of surprises and spectacular moments. Famous coaches have had some memorable remarks about American's most popular sport, and here are some of them by legendary Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne, who many consider to be the best of the best. Famous Quotes by Vince Lombardi During Football's Annual Bowl Season College football's annual bowl season is full of surprises and spectacular moments. Famous coaches have had some memorable remarks about American's most popular sport, and here are some of them by legendary Green Bay Packer coach Vince Lombardi, who many consider to be the best of the best. "Coach Carter" Sends an Outstanding Message About a Coach with Integrity, Honor and Goodness Samuel L. Jackson plays Coach Ken Carter in a good sports drama with an outstanding message for today's high school basketball players who see playing with the pros as their only objective in life. Carter believes that a basketball scholarship and ethics should go hand in hand. This is an incredible story of a coach who will not compromise his values by not compromising his integrity. Four Average Movies That Do Not Get Any Better the Second Time Around Here are four average movies that do not get any better the second time around: Anger Management with Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler, The Emperor's Club with Kevin Kline and Emile Hirsch, The Fast and the Furious (a totally mindless guy flick about macho wannabe men street car racing), and Five Easy Pieces with Jack Nicholson and Karen Black (both Oscar nominees in a depressing film about a guy going nowhere 1,000 miles an hour). "To Kill a Mockingbird" Exposes the Destructiveness of Bigotry Gregory Peck won a Best Actor Oscar in this adaptation of Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about white lawyer Atticus Finch defending an innocent African American man accused of raping a white woman. This is a story that illuminates everything that is wrong about hate, prejudice, bigotry, ignorance, stupidity, lack of backbone and lack of a heart. "Tipping the Velvet" Is First Alternative Lifestyle Film with an Educational Message - Part 2 Based on Sarah Waters' acclaimed debut novel, Tipping the Velvet was adapted by Andrew Davies, an Emmy award-winning British screenwriter who has also written "Doctor Zhivago", "Bridget Jone's Diary", "Sense and Sensibility", "Vanity Fair" and "Pride and Prejudice". Davies is a very talented heavyweight. "Tipping the Velvet" Is First Alternative Lifestyle Film with an Educational Message - Part 1 "Tipping the Velvet" is what some viewers would consider a terrible film about a sinful, raunchy lifestyle, and what I would consider an excellent film despite any apparent raunchiness. The BBC brought this controversial movie to a 5-millon strong mainstream television audience in England. Tipping the Velvet is an incredibly unusual firm because you rarely, if ever, see an alternative lifestyle movie with a happy ending. "The Quiet Man" Is a Love Story Set in the Emerald Isle of Ireland No one ever said that filmmaking was easy, only that it could be very good and sometimes enduring, as in "The Quiet Man", starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara with legendary Director John Ford. The Quiet Man was the first American feature to be filmed in Ireland's picturesque countryside. Ford earned his 4th and last Best Director Oscar for The Quiet Man in 1952. See the film and understand why this love story will touch your heart. "Nanny McPhee" - An Excellent Movie with Magic and a Message for Children In an entertainment world full of trashy and violent video games and movies, Nanny McPhee is everything good about movies for children. You and your children can watch this film without fear of unpleasant and unwanted garbage rooted in sensationalism for ratings and greed. Nanny McPhee is an excellent film with a wonderful message for all children to recognize and understand. "A Lot Like Love" Is Light Enough to Fly Away and Never Be Missed "A Lot Like Love" chronicles the indecision of two young adults who are misguided and muddled in both their careers and love life. They haul off and do nothing with themselves and then wonder why they are not happy. No wonder they are confused about love. They deserve each other. See this film once and move on. Movie History: If You Thought Titanic Was the Largest Grossing Film in the U. S., Think Again A lot of moviegoers think that "Titanic" is the largest grossing domestic film of all time, topping $600+ million in revenue following its release in 1997. Titanic, while No. 1 in actual dollars generated, is only No. 6 when adjusted for inflation. Learn the real No. 1 largest grossing domestic film in moviemaking history in this article. A Disturbing Trend in Our Society: The Lack of Trust in Our Institutions - Part 2 The lack of trust for institutions in our society may be reaching epidemic levels. A recent survey shows trust in banks and financial institutions has dropped from 35% to 28% in 40 years, major companies from 26% to 17%, the nation's press from 24% to 9%, educational institutions from 36% to 27%, and organized religion from 35% to 24%. Learn why this is happening. A Disturbing Trend in Our Society: The Lack of Trust in Our Institutions - Part 1 The lack of trust for institutions in our society may be reaching epidemic levels. A recent survey shows trust in banks and financial institutions has dropped from 35% to 28% in 40 years, major companies from 26% to 17%, the nation's press from 24% to 9%, educational institutions from 36% to 27%, and organized religion from 35% to 24%. Learn why this is happening. "Lost in Translation" Makes the Meaning of Life Sound Elusive "Lost in Translation" was written and directed by Sofia Coppola and won enough awards to fill a grocery cart. Seeing this film, I would not have guessed it would have won so many awards. I gave this film an average rating rather than a good or excellent rating. I wanted real substance in this film and I was left wanting. Learn why in my review. Facts About the Second Most Controversial Topic in America - The First Is Abortion Many who read the title to this article might think that the second most controversial topic in America today is whether the United States should continue its war in Iraq. Those who thought that would be, in fact, dead wrong. This article is really about facts, not about our involvement in trying to make Iraq and its people adopt a democratic society, but to revisit the place God occupies in our public institutions and in our society. Nancy Meyers Comes Up With a Winner: A Romantic Comedy that Really Works Christmas is coming soon and everybody is busy getting ready for another holiday season. A movie can be great comic relief. We want to be entertained and interested by a story that keeps us attentive and has a happy ending. Nancy Meyers delivers what we need as the writer/director of "The Holiday", a romantic comedy with Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black and Eli Wallach. "Breakfast on Pluto" Is Really Not About an Alien from Outer Space "Breakfast on Pluto" is a gender preference movie about a boy who really wants to be a girl, and settles for being a transvestite trying to find a place in a world that curses his very existence. I endured Boys Don't Cry and Transamerica and am pleased to say I did not have to endure Breakfast on Pluto. I think that Neil Jordan is the reason why. This film is worth viewing for its message: to thine ownself be true. Want a Six-Figure Income Without Getting a College Degree of Any Kind? Here Is How I have a client making $350,000 a year with a high school diploma. I have another client making $144,000 who is a high school graduate with two additional years of technical training. A third client is making $250,000 with a high school diploma only. If you are a high school graduate and have zero interest in getting a bachelor's degree at this point in your work career: go into sales if you have any people skills or personality. "Transamerica" Transsexual Tale Misses Opportunity to Inform and Educate Viewers There are easier films to review than productions involving alternative life styles, and Transamerica is an example. It is one thing to make a comedy or romantic comedy with no other purpose than to entertain viewers, it is quite another to tackle a difficult, controversial subject without assuming some responsibility for making its presentation a positive, productive impact upon viewers. To do less is entertaining but useless. Who Has Had the Greatest Influence on Your Life and Why? A lot of us remember our mother, and for good reason. I would never hesitate to talk about the most important person in my life, my mother. She was the biggest backer that I ever had. She was not a movie star, she was not famous, and she was not rich. She simply had the most important job in the world, she was a mother. There will be no greater calling, and there will be no greater reward. You Cannot Forget Captain Jack Sparrow, But National Treasure Is One Heck of a Hunt It took an inordinately long time for movie land to bring us a modern day treasure hunt worth watching, but Director Jon Turteltaub delivered big time in National Treasure, the story of a secret treasure that crosses the centuries. National Treasure is full of obscure clues. National Treasure stays focused on the clues with the actors not upstaging the treasure hunt story line.
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