Apr 25 – May 1, 2007
Vermont Veterans Share Their Anti-War Stories; A Tell-All Bio From Warren Zevon’s Ex; Judith Levine Judges a Supreme Decision; Dining With Migrants
Eddie & Me
[image-1] God knows I’ve resisted blogging because it seemed like such an ego trip, but now that I know my buddyLJ is on board and it’s clear that ego tripping is normal, off we go. When I started doing the Jazz show on Vermont Public Radio in August of 2001, Eddie Palmieri was already set…
NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM**1/2
Ben Stiller stars in this comic effects-fest about a bumbling security guard who accidentally activates an ancient curse that brings the displays in the Museum of Natural History to life. Owen Wilson and Ricky Gervais costar. Shawn Levy directs. (108 min, PG) Web: http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/nightatthemuseum/
THE QUEEN****1/2
Helen Mirren stars in this look behind the scenes at the life of Elizabeth II and her relationships with, among others, Tony Blair and the late Princess Diana. With Michael Sheen, James Cromwell and Sylvia Syms. Stephen Frears directs. (103 min, PG-13) Web: http://www.apple.com/trailers/miramax/thequeen/
DEJA VU***
Denzel Washington plays an ATF agent guided through a crime investigation by mysterious messages from the past in this supernatural action adventure from Crimson Tide director Tony Scott. With Jim Caviezel, Val Kilmer and Bruce Greenwood. (128 min, PG-13) Web: http://www.apple.com/trailers/touchstone/dejavu/
CODE NAME: THE CLEANER**
Cedric the Entertainer stars in this comedy about a mild-mannered janitor who develops amnesia and becomes embroiled in a deadly government conspiracy. Lucy Liu costars. Les Mayfield directs. (91 min, PG-13)
Grapes on the Vine
Since Monday is the big deadline day here at Seven Days, it’s not a good day for deep and meaningful posts. Instead, I offer you a pretty picture. I took this shot in Yountville, California at The Villagio — a beautiful hotel and luxury inn. My sweetie and I were taking a walk before heading…
Eva’s Interview of Me
I was honored in January of 2007 to be interviewed by everyone’s favorite vlogmeister, Ms. Eva Sollberger. (Check out her 7D Vlog, “Stuck in Vermont.”) I think she did a wonderful job, in four short minutes, of capturing the many facets of my fabulous personality. But, you be the judge . . .
Weekend Fun & Games
Well, it was a typically busy Burlington weekend. End Time is approaching for the students, and they were out partying in numbers, final exams be damned. As Saturday night rushed towards last call, I began thinking, “Wow, I’m doing pretty good tonight; let’s see if I can finish up with a flourish.” Can you jinx…
Eddie Palmieri
[image-x] I saw Eddie Palmieri perform in duet with Brian Lynch last summer at the Newport Jazz Festival, and that show was one of the highlights of the whole festival for me. Donald Harrison, an alto player who came up through Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in the 80s, was at the festival with McCoy Tyner,…
Off to a Start!
[image-x] What a great kickoff for the 2007 Discover Jazz Festival! Eddie Palmieri has been a personal favorite for some years–if someone had bootlegged his cradle sounds, I’d have to have a copy–and his return to the Flynn mainstage is long overdue. With the excellent Brian Lynch (trumpet) and Conrad Herwig (trombone) up front for…
Flavor Danger
I came across a scary article on MSNBC today called Food-Flavoring Workers at Risk for Lung Disease. Basically, workers in plants that manufacture artificial flavors are at risk for a lung disease called bronchiolitis obliterans, which is irreversible and can be fatal. The disease seems to be caused mainly by a chemical called diacetyl, which…
Spiced Beef Tongue Recipe
Yesterday afternoon, Ruth Horowitz informed me that she would be eating leftover tongue for lunch. Although I’m the resident food writer, my co-workers don’t usually drop by my desk to tell me what they’re eating, but Ruth knows that I’m particularly interested in the American discomfort with chowing down on “variety meats.” She found the…
Gusanoz Mexican Restaurant in Woodstock
Since we don’t have a “story chat” feature on the Seven Days website (yet), I thought I’d create my own version for food stories. So — Here’s a link to the recent story “Doing the Salsa.” It’s about Gusanoz, a Mexican restaurant in Woodstock, VT. There’s a notorious lack of good south-of-the-border cuisine in this…
The Muse Arrives
Under the category, “Hackie Unplugged,” I will be chatting about the Hackie column, which appears fortnightly in Seven Days and also (well, at least the three most recent columns) on the 7D website, from the perspective of the back-story or sometimes the after-story, if that’s a word. From emails I’ve received through the years, it…
The Gilmore Girls – Am I the Only One?
It’s my intention to go through the TV shows I regularly watch, and discuss same on this blog. This should take, say, a couple of years. I am a TV addict. I’m not proud of this truth, but nor am I ashamed. That’s the great thing about middle-age: you start accepting and stop apologizing for who…
Imus in the Evening
I have a regular taxi customer who weighs in at about 6’2”, 200 lbs. For his size, he’s not svelte; he’s not flabby. Beefy is the word. I’m not quite sure of the relevance of his appearance to this story, but nonetheless. A couple nights ago, he calls for a trip to the downtown bars.…
My Tirade Policy
So, I think it’s time to elucidate my policy on whining and complaining. It’s actually pretty simple… I won’t complain about a restaurant or food-related establishment unless 1) whatever went wrong is so egregious that I just can’t help myself OR 2) I’ve brought my beef to the management and was unable to reach a…
Nutrition Guidelines for Schools
This morning, the Institute of Medicine released a report called Nutrition Standards for Food in Schools: Leading the Way Towards Healthier Youth. The document was commissioned by Congress in an effort to fight the obesity epidemic in our nation’s youngsters. It’s a set of guidelines for schools around foods which “compete” with school lunches. Think…
News Quirks 04.25.07
Curses, Foiled Again Police investigating a motel robbery in Kingsport, Tenn., got a detailed description of the suspect from the desk clerk. Minutes later motel guest Christopher T. Carroll, 18, entered the office, claiming to have seen the robber flee and given chase. He said he had recovered some of the stolen money, which he…
Chuch, Juarez
(Self-released, CD) Burlington can claim its fair share of Americana acts, most of ’em on the mellower, acoustic side of the fence. That’s not the case with Chuch, a defiantly rockin’ quartet that has enjoyed a fair amount of acclaim, locally and otherwise, since coming together a few years ago. The band’s blue-collar work ethic…
A Stylish Crêpe Recipe
Last week, one of my co-workers asked me if I knew of any good crêpe recipes. Although I can’t remember where I got the one I used most recently, I found the version below in The French Menu Cookbook (the 2002 ed. of a book from 1970) by the late Richard Olney. The American ex-pat…
![Mail Art [SIV22]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sevendaysvt.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/episode22.webp?resize=400%2C300&ssl=1)
Mail Art [SIV22]
Studio Place Arts is having three art openings on each of its floors this Friday, April 27th in Barre Vermont. One of the floors will be devoted to items that have been shipped through the post, thereby transforming themselves into mail art. Gabrielle Dietzel and Delia Robinson have been sending mail art for…
![WRUV’s Exposure [SIV21]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sevendaysvt.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/episode21.webp?resize=400%2C300&ssl=1)
WRUV’s Exposure [SIV21]
Dedicated students and community members make up the volunteer team who run WRUV, UVM’s college radio station. EveryWednesday from 8-10pm, local VT bands play on a show called Exposurewhich has been running in one form or another since the 80s. Exposure is currently helmed by Jeremy Ayers and Scottum Rosenblum and attracts a wide variety…
SMOKIN’ ACES***
Ben Affleck, Jeremy Piven and Ray Liotta head an ensemble cast in this Tarantino-esque action-comedy, in which a Vegas magician turns state’s evidence against the gang and is targeted by an irate mob boss. Andy Garcia costars. Joe (Narc) Carnahan directs. (105 min, R) Web: http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/smokinaces/
NOTES ON A SCANDAL****
Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench are paired in director Richard Eyre’s big-screen version of the Zoe Heller bestseller concerning two schoolteachers locked in an escalating battle of wits. (92 min, R) Web: http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/notesonascandal/
THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND***1/2
From Touching the Void director Kevin MacDonald comes this fictionalized political drama centering on the barbaric antics of real-life Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. Starring Forest Whitaker and James McAvoy. (121 min, R) Web: http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/thelastkingofscotland/
THE HISTORY BOYS***1/2
From Nicholas Hytner comes this adaptation of the popular stage production about an unruly class of bright history students competing for a place at Oxford or Cambridge. Starring Frances De La Tour and Stephen Campbell Moore. (104 min, R) Web: http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/thehistoryboys/
FREEDOM WRITERS**
Hilary Swank stars in the inspirational saga of a high school teacher who inspires inner-city kids to change their lives with the help of a writing project. Imelda Staunton costars. Richard LaGravenese directs. (123 min, PG-13) Web: http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/freedomwriters/
Oak, EP 1 & EP 2
(Self-released, CD) Burlington trio Oak are one of the most interesting and musically talented groups I’ve ever heard locally, and I don’t think they’ve been together for even a year. The band, which features multi-instrumentalists Sara-Paule Koeller, Toby Aronson and Chris Kunitz, play a near-indescribable form of music that bears similarities to avant-garde classical, prog-folk…
