The films for the 2007 Roger Ebert Overlooked Film Festival have finally been named. This list really caught me by surprise. I didn't have an inkling that any of these films would be a part of the festival, although Ebert's four star review of Perfume late last year was a good indicator. Wow. First off, I have to say that I am disappointed that there is no 70mm film this year!!! I love Gattaca, but there is no way that film was originally supposed to be the opening night film. What happened? Maybe there was a last second cancellation, which was the reason for the film list being released so late? I keep thinking that Vertigo is going to play the festival. It was originally supposed to open the festival a couple years ago, but the story was that scheduled guest Kim Novak fell off a horse, causing them to replace it with another film.
It is interesting that Paul Cox and Werner Herzog are returning, after already having films at the festival previously. Some people might like a little more variety to the festival, but I like both filmmakers, so their return is welcome.
Except for the omission of a 70mm film I am quite pleased with films this year. I have only seen two (Gattaca and La Dolce Vita). The Weather Man does not excite me very much, as I really can't stand Nicolas Cage.
As everyone knows, Roger Ebert is still recuperating. It still is not clear that he will be participating in the festival as in previous years. But considering the Sunday selection is a film he actually worked on, I think that it is safe to say that he will be at the festival on that day.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Friday, March 16, 2007
A Weasel by Any Name
An addendum is needed for my last post. Some research on Wikipedia reveals that the critter from my last post was probably a weasel. Little did I know that there are several varieties of animals in that particular family. I wish I had taken better pictures of it, but it was running around too fast. The tail was definitely short, which makes me think that it was either a Least Weasel or a Stoat. Whatever it was, hopefully it was a wild animal and not a pet.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Critter Country
With the combination of the warm weather this week and garbage night, encounters with wildlife were in the offing. Before I relate tonight's excitement, I'll backtrack and reveal my brush with three deer. I had noticed three deer feeding in a pasture twice on my way to work. This particular area is forested with a lake, and is apparently teeming with animals. Anyway, I am always careful to go only about 45 in this area. This caution paid off when all of a sudden three deer appeared in the road ahead of me. Luckily I was driving with my brights on, otherwise I don't know that I would have seen them in time. I slowed down almost to a stop. One deer went back to the left of the road, and the other two went ahead and crossed the road to the right. These must have been the same deer that I had seen before.
Then tonight not far from that same area an opossum appeared on the road in front of me. He just stared at me and kind of ran aimlessly on the road. I stopped and waited, and just when I was about ready to give up and try to go around him, he ran off the side of the road. I don't know if my headlights blinded him for a few seconds or what, but he sure didn't seem to be afraid of me.
I got home, and upon sitting down at my computer in the basement I heard a scratching at the window. Uh oh, I wonder what animal it is this time. Last year I had to rescue a baby rabbit and several toads from our window well, and so tonight was no surprise. I opened the blinds, and there was a little critter staring at me. I say little critter because I'm not sure what it was. It reminded me of a ferret, but its adolescence made it difficult to identify (I hope it wasn't a rat!). I've included a picture of it. Butterbut jumped up on the window ledge, and I'm not sure who was more excited, Butterbut or the critter. The critter actually wasn't afraid of Butters, as he even leaned up against the window as Butterbut stared with eyes wide open and tail wagging. At some point the critter climbed up the window screen, but the screen is not high enough to enable him to get up out of the well.
After watching the critter for five minutes it was pretty clear he wasn't going to be able to escape on his own, so I ventured outside. At first I placed a slender board into the well, hoping that the critter would use it to climb out. Not being the smartest of critters, he ignored the board. I gave up on the board and went to my tried and true method of window well animal rescue-the bucket and the stick. I was afraid that the critter might crawl up my leg and bite me, so I wore gloves. I jumped down, and the critter went into the corner and played dead. I then used the stick to tap him out of the corner. This got him excited, and he circled me faster than I could easily follow. I smelled something, so he must have let loose with another natural defense mechanism. He was so fast that I was getting nowhere in trying to coax him into the bucket. But I saw my chance when he climbed up the window screen. I nudged him into the bucket and turned the bucket sideways outside of the well. The critter wasted no time in fleeing the bucket.
Then tonight not far from that same area an opossum appeared on the road in front of me. He just stared at me and kind of ran aimlessly on the road. I stopped and waited, and just when I was about ready to give up and try to go around him, he ran off the side of the road. I don't know if my headlights blinded him for a few seconds or what, but he sure didn't seem to be afraid of me.
I got home, and upon sitting down at my computer in the basement I heard a scratching at the window. Uh oh, I wonder what animal it is this time. Last year I had to rescue a baby rabbit and several toads from our window well, and so tonight was no surprise. I opened the blinds, and there was a little critter staring at me. I say little critter because I'm not sure what it was. It reminded me of a ferret, but its adolescence made it difficult to identify (I hope it wasn't a rat!). I've included a picture of it. Butterbut jumped up on the window ledge, and I'm not sure who was more excited, Butterbut or the critter. The critter actually wasn't afraid of Butters, as he even leaned up against the window as Butterbut stared with eyes wide open and tail wagging. At some point the critter climbed up the window screen, but the screen is not high enough to enable him to get up out of the well.
After watching the critter for five minutes it was pretty clear he wasn't going to be able to escape on his own, so I ventured outside. At first I placed a slender board into the well, hoping that the critter would use it to climb out. Not being the smartest of critters, he ignored the board. I gave up on the board and went to my tried and true method of window well animal rescue-the bucket and the stick. I was afraid that the critter might crawl up my leg and bite me, so I wore gloves. I jumped down, and the critter went into the corner and played dead. I then used the stick to tap him out of the corner. This got him excited, and he circled me faster than I could easily follow. I smelled something, so he must have let loose with another natural defense mechanism. He was so fast that I was getting nowhere in trying to coax him into the bucket. But I saw my chance when he climbed up the window screen. I nudged him into the bucket and turned the bucket sideways outside of the well. The critter wasted no time in fleeing the bucket.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Money Changes Everything
Two articles in today's Daily Illini caught my attention. The first article talks about the possibility that the university will be required by law to adopt a book rental program. I agree that such a program might not be feasible for a university as large as UI. But I also believe that something should be done about alleviating student book expenses. Revised editions of textbooks are often nothing more than a way for professors to supplement their income. For example, why do history textbooks need a new edition every three or four years? Unless the subject involves contemporary times, nothing new is happening to warrant a new edition. Maybe every ten years a new edition is warranted, but more often than that is just a money grab. At a university as prominent and large as UI, often the books will be written at least in part by a UI professor. To me this means that the university should have some control.
The second article is about venerable Lincoln Hall. Hopefully this proposed funding for renovations will come to fruition. Lincoln Theater (which seats about 700 and is used for many of the classes that require a large lecture hall) is probably the most outdated and dilapidated part of the quad. The talk about squirrels is not exagerrated; I can remember squirrels inviting themselves onto the stage during lectures, and that was over ten years ago. The seating is very uncomfortable (my note-taking was abysmal in that place-I'm blaming the seating), and an ugly yellow predominates. I do not know how bad the rest of the building is, but hopefully most of the money will be put into the theater.
The second article is about venerable Lincoln Hall. Hopefully this proposed funding for renovations will come to fruition. Lincoln Theater (which seats about 700 and is used for many of the classes that require a large lecture hall) is probably the most outdated and dilapidated part of the quad. The talk about squirrels is not exagerrated; I can remember squirrels inviting themselves onto the stage during lectures, and that was over ten years ago. The seating is very uncomfortable (my note-taking was abysmal in that place-I'm blaming the seating), and an ugly yellow predominates. I do not know how bad the rest of the building is, but hopefully most of the money will be put into the theater.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
All Signs Point To...
Weather.com (aka The Weather Channel) has a ten day forecast. That's right, a ten day forecast, even though they can't get a three day forecast right. I don't know how many times they have claimed a warmup in the last month, only to have it peter out. The third day of the forecast usually shows a high near 40, with the fourth and fifth days warmer than that. Then that gets pushed back the following day...and then pushed back again...and pushed back...it is like they have no ability at all to make an accurate forecast in the winter beyond two days into the future. I could make a more accurate long range forecast based on the averages and current readings. Seriously.
One of my favorite tv weather moments occured the Sunday before Katrina hit. I was flipping through the national news channels (like CNN and Fox News), trying to get the latest on the hurricane's movements, when I realized that the so-called weather experts were just blonde airheads reading off the teleprompter. Everyone was off for the weekend, or on the typical end of August vacation. The biggest weather story, if not news story of the year, and there was no one around to provide any insight into the events.
Stay tuned for part two of my rant about weather forecasting when I will write about the skill that it takes to forecast in the summer a high of 88, with partly cloudy skies and a 20% chance of rain.
One of my favorite tv weather moments occured the Sunday before Katrina hit. I was flipping through the national news channels (like CNN and Fox News), trying to get the latest on the hurricane's movements, when I realized that the so-called weather experts were just blonde airheads reading off the teleprompter. Everyone was off for the weekend, or on the typical end of August vacation. The biggest weather story, if not news story of the year, and there was no one around to provide any insight into the events.
Stay tuned for part two of my rant about weather forecasting when I will write about the skill that it takes to forecast in the summer a high of 88, with partly cloudy skies and a 20% chance of rain.