Epinions Recent Reviews for janesbit1

Self-Proclaimed Steroids "Guru"

Tue, 7 Aug 2007 03:54:58 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author janesbit1 - "These past few years, all you had to do was turn on a radio or flip to a sports cable channel, and you could count on hearing some blowhard give you his opinion about steroids and baseball and what it says about our society and blah blah blah...

Jean-Benoit Nadeau and Julie Barlow - Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong: Why We Love France but Not the French: Understanding French Mentality

Mon, 2 Jul 2007 17:57:24 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author janesbit1 - For years I've been fascinated by France and its culture—history, literature, cinema, cuisine, etc.—and had often dreamed of Paris. (There had to be some reason for those two years of suffering inadequacies in French courses and the only failing grade I...

Reclaiming the American Dream

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 02:00:11 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author janesbit1 - Is it possible for a "skinny guy with a funny name", whose blood relatives range from some "who resemble Margaret Thatcher and others who could pass for Bernie Mac", to be elected President of the United States? If Americans are ready to judge a man on...

Final Road Trip with Buck O'Neil

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 11:28:55 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author janesbit1 - Finally! A book about the Negro Leagues that actually captures the spirit of baseball as it was played professionally by people of color before Jackie Robinson broke the barrier. I've read a few attempts over the years, but they contained little more...

Bonds, BALCO, and Steroids

Fri, 9 Jun 2006 13:58:30 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author janesbit1 - When Barry Bonds remained one home run behind Babe Ruth's career mark of 714 for over a week, many anticipated the tying blast to take place in the homer-friendly confines of Houston's Minute Maid Park. But fans witnessed something else when journeyman...

Behind the Nicene Creed

Thu, 8 Jun 2006 17:08:14 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author janesbit1 - Like many intellectuals, Princeton religion history professor Elaine Pagels had grown away from the church until tragedy struck: her 2-1/2 year old son contracted a rare terminal lung disease. She then sought and found solace in the church again, yet...

Beating up on Baseball's Goliaths

Wed, 15 Jun 2005 00:44:19 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author janesbit1 - The 2003 major league baseball season culminated in October with arguably the most exciting playoffs in history, and with one of baseball’s “David’s” defeating “Goliath” when the low budget Florida Marlins overcame the storied New...

Beautiful Blue Setting, Silly Fans

Wed, 5 Sep 2001 15:42:58 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author janesbit1 -

For many years I have heard how beautiful Dodger Stadium (formerly called Chavez Ravine) is and have visited the ballpark on a few occasions—mostly to see the Cardinals play because I couldn’t stomach going to see the hated Dodgers. Now that I...

A Park Worthy of the City

Tue, 24 Jul 2001 22:54:21 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author janesbit1 - Back in the early 1990’s I spent an extended weekend in San Francisco for a four game series with the St. Louis Cardinals. Any excuse to visit San Francisco is a welcome one because it is one of the most interesting cities in the U.S.—scenic vistas,...

Cal's Collision Repair Svc: Native Owned service on the Rez

Fri, 13 Jul 2001 17:15:19 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author janesbit1 - Tuba City is a relatively small reservation town 75 miles south of Page, 75 miles west of Kayenta, 75 miles north of Flagstaff, and 75 miles west of the Grand Canyon. If you get into a fender bender or need more serious body work, it's good to know...

Friendly Confines in Paradise

Fri, 1 Jun 2001 14:14:57 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author janesbit1 - If you’re looking for a friendly low-key atmosphere for baseball—with affordable prices, it’s hard to beat Qualcomm stadium. Heck, it’s hard to beat the whole city of San Diego, for that matter. Is there another metropolitan area in the United States...

Very human side of our Founding Fathers

Wed, 11 Apr 2001 04:46:37 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author janesbit1 -

It hasn't been that many years ago that I was team teaching a high school American Studies class with a history teacher. While I find the American Revolution very interesting with the radical ideas of Thomas Paine, the idealism of Thomas...

Nostalgic Look at Baseball's Last Innocent Decade

Thu, 29 Mar 2001 14:06:06 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author janesbit1 - HBO's When it Was a Game 3 nostalgically examines the decade of the 1960's when baseball entered with a purity and innocence and exited with turbulence, both socially and economically. The 1960's is the last decade of baseball's innocence, when...

Archived Web Services Reviews: Top Ten Epinions Reviews (IMHO)

Sat, 3 Feb 2001 03:31:13 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author janesbit1 - When "my brother" elerad first extended an invitation to participate in a write off on your favorite 10 epinions, I thought it sounded great. After all, I had taken part in cmuir's write off on your favorite epinions writer, had seen that project...

Predictable Carnival Sideshow

Tue, 23 Jan 2001 18:39:20 GMT

rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author janesbit1 - What a piece of donkey dung The Gift turned out to be. I walked into the theater with some hopes of decent entertainment since Sam Raimi (A Simple Plan and Dark Man) was directing, Billy Bob Thornton (One False Move and...

America's Best Sports Writer Pens Another Winner

Sat, 20 Jan 2001 05:07:20 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author janesbit1 -

"To play the game is great . . .

To win the game is greater . . .

But to love the game is the greatest of all . . ."

(Plaque in the front lobby of the Palestra in Philadelphia)

Many who follow college...

A Worthwhile Historical Myth

Thu, 18 Jan 2001 13:14:49 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author janesbit1 -

After years of practicing silly Duck and Cover drills in elementary school and indoctrination that the Soviet Union was bent on destroying us with repeated video clips of Khrushchev banging his shoe at the United Nations, I was among many who were...

For Hawks and Doves?

Tue, 9 Jan 2001 15:39:36 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author janesbit1 -

In a voiceover at the end of Patton actor George C. Scott relates the tale of the ancient conquering Roman hero who tempers his victory with a slave who whispers in his ear the warning that all glory is fleeting.

That could well...

Does Your Heart Beat Cardinal Red?

Tue, 9 Jan 2001 03:08:47 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author janesbit1 -

What is it about baseball that brings so much past history and fond memories back so strongly? My copy of Cardinal Memories just arrived in the mail this afternoon, so I took it with me to wait my turn at the local hair stylist and ended up...

Not your ordinary Thriller

Mon, 8 Jan 2001 13:14:18 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author janesbit1 -

If you’re a fan of action film, and you’re not horrified at the sight of blood (as in Sam Peckinpaw doesn’t turn your stomach), you need to head on over and check out the Hong Kong films of director John Woo. Coming late to this genre, I have just...

Translating a Writer's Life to Celluloid

Sun, 7 Jan 2001 15:34:27 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author janesbit1 -

Before Night Falls depicts the life of the gay Cuba poet/novelist Reinaldo Arenas and shows us a rare look inside Castro's Cuba. That reason alone makes Julian Schabel's film worth viewing, as about the only glimpses we generally get of Cuba...

Going Through Heaven and Hell on the Night Shift

Sat, 6 Jan 2001 23:37:18 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author janesbit1 -

The fourth collaboration between Martin Scorsese and screenwriter Paul Schrader brings out similar aspects to their work in Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and The Last Temptation of Christ. Once again in Bringing Out the Dead, we...

Indy Teen Dreams in Carolina (or Home Movie Goes South)

Fri, 5 Jan 2001 13:18:46 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author janesbit1 -

Another subtitle that I didn’t have space to include: Does Zenny’s movie review formula work? This is an experiment to see if I can give a serviceable review to a movie that I don’t have a lot of feeling for, using ZentropaJK’s formula listed...

Worth the Flight!

Thu, 4 Jan 2001 17:07:38 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author janesbit1 -

When was the last time you applauded during a movie? Was it during Gene Kelly’s magnificent dance number in Singing in the Rain, or immediately after the truck chase sequence in Raiders of the Lost Ark?

Don’t be...

Enjoy the Journey

Thu, 4 Jan 2001 03:20:44 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author janesbit1 -

Granted, my sense of humor doesn't match everyone. Sometimes it seems that only a handful of "us" are laughing at dark and offbeat humor while the rest of the audience sits in shocked silence, but last weekend during a movie watching...