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Matt Maul
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Candidate Forum 2016
The videos from the L'Anse Creuse Board of Education Candidate forum held on Wednesday, October 19th are up and available. There are four parts of the video. Please check out the videos and you'll hear each candidate speak on various topics unfiltered and in their own voices. Click HERE. Continue reading
Posted Nov 2, 2016 at Steven Maul for L’Anse Creuse School Board
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Special Board Meetings - August 31 and September 1
I attended both of the special meetings held on August 31st and September 1st for Superintendent Search Firm Interviews. Overall, I was impressed with the quality of the firms and their presentations. Also, I believe our BoE did a solid job of staying on schedule, keeping the discussion on track... Continue reading
Posted Sep 9, 2016 at Steven Maul for L’Anse Creuse School Board
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Summer Board Workshop - August 30, 2016
I attended the Summer Board Workshop on Tuesday, August 30th at the Wheeler Center. It was a full agenda and ran till a little after 9PM. Below are my impressions of the meeting. As always, I encourage everyone to watch the video to see the discussion as it actually happened... Continue reading
Posted Sep 1, 2016 at Steven Maul for L’Anse Creuse School Board
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Welcome
Posted Aug 30, 2016 at Steven Maul for L’Anse Creuse School Board
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Actually, "internet comments" received by blogs are used as fodder for subsequent blog entries all the time.
Thanks for playing. Pick up your door prize on the way out.
Anatomy of a Fanboy
Angry feedback from a fanboy of THE NEWSROOM who goes by the user name "SurroundedById10ts" See. "Idiots" is spelled with numbers. Get it? SurroundedById10ts starts: This show has at least created an audience that wants to learn more about what is really happening, and in the first season it a...
Hey SurroundedById10ts! You made the blog!! Congrats.
We're Number One!
Someone out on what Aaron Sorkin would call "the interweb" made the following comment: Congrats, this is the first google result for "Will McAvoy Hate". I'm embarrased by how late I've been to posting about Season 2 of THE NEWSROOM. I've been riduculously distracted the last two weeks. Lam...
I've been so distractied by other things (read: life) that I've literally seen NO Season 2 episodes. What do you think? Should I?
We're Number One!
Someone out on what Aaron Sorkin would call "the interweb" made the following comment: Congrats, this is the first google result for "Will McAvoy Hate". I'm embarrased by how late I've been to posting about Season 2 of THE NEWSROOM. I've been riduculously distracted the last two weeks. Lam...
Thanks for the heads up!!!
Please stay Tuned. My reaction to the first two episodes of THE NEWSROOM will be up in a matter of hours (still pathetically late, I know).
Meta
Quick shot of the "Why We Hate Will McAvoy" website shown briefly in the preview for Season 2 of THE NEWSROOM (starting July 14th). I'd like to think my blog inspired it. But that would be as self-serious as Aaron Sorkin.
No "list" is definitive and (of course) EVERYONE thinks their list is better.
HOWEVER, I'll argue one point. You said: "Chaplin/Garbo/Ball/Cooper - wrong century (or at least wrong decade) - all predate Elvis - and are not iconic enough to be considered."
Since I was responding to Dr. Hill's list which included William Shakespeare, I didn't feel limited to this or the last century. And, FWIW, the trio are every bit as iconic as those Hill named.
The Other White Meat
Today, Marc Lamont Hill wrote "The 15 Most Overrated White People" in order "to honor the true spirit of Columbus Day" by creating his own "list of overrated white people. Of course, this list is not exhaustive, as there are countless other White people who are equally underwhelming." While I ...
Sorry I was a tad unclear. I didn't have a problem with Arkin per se (as you say ANY actor could have played him).
It was the cherry-picked clip -- that hardly was representative of the actual GOP debates which were rather combative -- leading to manufactured Roth/McAvoy eye rolling moment that rang so false.
A Very Mockable Debate
The main problem with Episode 9 of The Newsroom, “Blackout Part 2: Mock Debate,” is that its central storyline, ACN’s (and Aaron Sorkin’s via Will McAvoy) vision of a “better” debate format is based on two flawed assumptions. First, Sorkin suggests the actual participants in the real GOP pri...
"Don't confuse tabloid fodder with news, my friend. I'm with Will and Mack on that one." Again, a Congressman lying to the press IS a story. Sure, there's a sensational element to the coverage (as with the Larry Craig scandal). BUT it is news. That said, I'm a bit more on board with Will and Mackenzie regarding the Casey Anthony type stories.
Lights Out
As I type up this week’s write-up, there’s a Veep marathon running on HBO. Watching it clarifies why I hate The Newsroom. Both shows feature an ensemble cast of flawed office workers wading their way through a tricky maze of modern politics. Yet, Veep, a half-hour comedy, features more int...
There's NOTHING "ironic" (and I'm using BEK's definition from the article) about the captions that won. They are simplistically obvious pig jokes and one even references the escalator in the background (ha ha).
There just had to be three better (and more ironic) entrees in the New Yorker cartoon caption queue.
FWIW, "This conversation is silly" would make a great caption for a New Yorker cartoon. I picture a beret wearing guy sitting by himself at a small table in an Internet cafe typing on his laptop which is next to one of those huge latte cups.
"My Wife Is a Slut" Should Have Won
There was nothing kosher about the results of The New Yorker's 342nd "Cartoon Caption Contest." The cartoon they used was clearly inspired by an old Seinfeld episode ("The Cartoon") where Elaine tries to come up with a caption for a New Yorker cartoon showing a pig at a "Complaints" window (meta...
So, "BEK" picked shitty winners on purpose?
FWIW, as depicted by BEK, The New Yorker editor sure seems like an obtuse elitist to me: http://youtu.be/I1fSMUOzufI
"My Wife Is a Slut" Should Have Won
There was nothing kosher about the results of The New Yorker's 342nd "Cartoon Caption Contest." The cartoon they used was clearly inspired by an old Seinfeld episode ("The Cartoon") where Elaine tries to come up with a caption for a New Yorker cartoon showing a pig at a "Complaints" window (meta...
Well, I stand mostly corrected.
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/cartoonists/2012/07/i-liked-the-kitty-part-iii.html
Just to be clear, the Seinfeld writer was a participating judge NOT the sole selector of the finalists.
Nonetheless, that makes the low caliber of the winners that much more pathetic.
"My Wife Is a Slut" Should Have Won
There was nothing kosher about the results of The New Yorker's 342nd "Cartoon Caption Contest." The cartoon they used was clearly inspired by an old Seinfeld episode ("The Cartoon") where Elaine tries to come up with a caption for a New Yorker cartoon showing a pig at a "Complaints" window (meta...
"Much better?" What are you smoking?
I get NOT finding my mine funny. Humor is a subjective thing. But, besides being unfunny, NONE of the three finalists make an attempt to address the fact that this cartoon was the subject of a very well-known SEINFELD episode.
My only thought is that the staff "The New Yorker" (and I suppose you as well) are such obtuse elitists that they don't even get the pop-culture reference inherent in the cartoon
of a pig at a "Complaint" window?
BTW, just so you know, "My Wife Is a Slut" was Kramer's suggestion.
"My Wife Is a Slut" Should Have Won
There was nothing kosher about the results of The New Yorker's 342nd "Cartoon Caption Contest." The cartoon they used was clearly inspired by an old Seinfeld episode ("The Cartoon") where Elaine tries to come up with a caption for a New Yorker cartoon showing a pig at a "Complaints" window (meta...
RE: McAvoy's "In the Name of Christianity" remark. I do believe Sorkin was deliberately pulling a bait and switch. I watched the exchange a number of times to make sure I didn't miss any qualifications by Will before or during his tirade. He cites the crimes committed "in the name of Christianity" line and then displays a litany of "examples" (complete with graphics). Using Lee Harvey Oswald, Sirhan Sirhan, and Mark Chapman as "proof" was as laughably over-the-top as the positions argued by the woman he was interviewing. And I don't think for a minute it was deliberate irony. Either Sorkin is a propagandist or not as knowledgeable as he thinks he is.
Is there anything I like about the show? Well, it's better than "Franklin and Bash." And I'll give Sorkin credit for throwing more than a few good lines each episode. BUT, even if I take out the politics, there's frankly too much shouting, too much melodramatic he vs. she games, and too much of an overall "ain't I smart" tone exuded for me to jettison the theme of this blog and say anything other than "I Hate The Newsroom." :)
Good Will Hunted
I ran out of time (and energy) this week. So, my recap of The Newsroom might seem somewhat eclectic. But, given how Sorkin handles the subject matter, that's apropos. After Episode 5's pathetic homage to the movie Rudy, I half-expected The Newsroom's 6th episode, "Bullies," to end (like the ...
For the record, I hope I've never overtly or implicitly taken you to task for NOT being critical of Sorkin's sermons. That's entirely your prerogative and your recaps are one of my favorite weekly rituals.
Second, Sorkin's infusing of politics into the story-lines -- even going as far as naming REAL people by name when it suits him is a part of the show's fabric I can't ignore. I'm not wired that way. If it makes you feel better, I get just as upset by sci-fi stories that totally ignore the laws of physics. :)
Which leads to my third point. At the risk of beating it to death, based on McAvoy's own stated intentions in the pilot episode, I was expecting The Newsroom to not be a parallel universe (like The West Wing) but, instead, an actual venue to deal with real current events and put those facts into their proper context as a way to contribute to the proper education of the voter population. This turned out NOT to be the approach Sorkin intends to pursue. Either, he gave up on that approach by episode 3 or he never had that in mind in the first place. So, I'm left to judge each show on it's entertainment value. And, unlike West Wing, The Newsroom falls sort. It's His Girl's Friday writ very, very, very small.
Perhaps my complaint about how the show didn't address the Rudy "myth" is a reflection of being frustrated screenwriter. Linking the Rudy legend, his later stock crimes, and the subsequent financial meltdown storyline seemed like a great way to approach the material. THAT would be an episode I'd enjoy. AND it would really put Mac's "3 I's" to good use.
Finally, it is worth repeating that Sorkin totally ignoring the Lara Logan assault BUT including a tamer version involving a show character is borderline despicable. I had originally written as much in the first draft of the post, but decided to back off.
FWIW, the idea of a "hate" blog came from mine out in the blogosphere. While we don't share the same politics, we're pretty much the same page regarding The Newsroom.
BTW, I just saw my comments on your site and I apologize for all the typos. Egads!
Print The Legend
During a July 17th interview on NPR's Fresh Air, Aaron Sorkin characterized The Newsroom as aspirational and "meant to be a fantasy set against very real and oftentimes very serious events." Of course, I had come to that conclusion a while ago. And its latest installment finally removes a...
As I'm sure you've gathered, most of my "Random Notes" are tongue in cheek musings which don't deserve TOO much thought. :)
That said:
- An improperly uncleared chamber is a MAJOR mistake made in the climactic scene of RED ROCK WEST.
- Sucking up or not, the "faux smiling" reaction shots are starting to get to me. :)
- Reese ranting or not, the celebration at the end left a baaaad taste in my mouth.
And thank you for YOUR recap (and no "faux smiling" here).
The Newsroom: Apex Predators
Aaron Sorkin is a gutless narcissist. Yes, that's strong language. But the manner in which Sorkin tackles the real-life tragedy brought about by Jared Lee Loughner's shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrille Giffords in January of 2011 makes that a possibly apt description. Crammed in as ...
As I said, I loved Citizen Kane which, during its first act, pointedly portrays the title character as heroic for his embrace of Progressive/Reform politics (his "Declaration of Principles" for instance). BUT, the artistry Welles employed in doing so makes it impossible to view with a partisan eye.
Sorkin is equally (if not more) pointed in making The Newsroom's addressing of specific political arguments an integral part of the show's fabric. But, he does so in a manner which makes it impossible for me to NOT judge each show on the merits of those arguments. Especially when, in two of the last three episodes, he has the news crew applauding triumphantly (and, by proxy, applauding Sorkin himself) on their "good work" after each (contrived) broadcast.
There's nothing substantial about how Sorkin handles the material (IMHO). He piles on point after point, yet he does so in a manner that will only convince the already convinced. So, once I take out the flawed political arguments, I'm left with a bunch of mostly shallow characters in cliched situations. Accidentally emailing an entire distribution list or flouting new boy/girlfriends in front of old ones are not only unoriginal plot devices -- they're somewhat hacky plot devices. The result is miles short of The West Wing, certainly a Liberal leaning show that I loved for most of its run (the over-the-top Zoe kidnapping plot is where they lost me).
The Newsroom: Editorial Comment
A virutal friend of mine (and you know who you are) suggested that I start "hate-blogging" The Newsroom. It's a tricky business because I open myself up to the very valid criticism that IF I hate a show so much, WHY do I watch it? But, I trust my friend's assurances that "hate-blogging" is t...
My guess is that the app will do a simple scan of the profile info, various pics, text/email messages, past driving pattern, etc. stored on your device -- thus ensuring a smarter ad placement algorithm and resulting in you getting more pertinent spam, er, I mean driving directions. Feel better? :)
Misdirection?
I get WHY it's an issue. However, in the actual patent application, Microsoft never specifically calls a GPS feature that's designed to guide drivers away from high crime areas (and bad weather) an "Avoid Ghetto" option. So, the quotation marks "journalists" have been using in most of the stori...
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