Monday, April 29, 2013
Patch is happy to consider opinion articles for publication. We reserve the right to edit for accuracy, clarity and brevity.
The following opinion column was submitted by U.S. Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va. Moran is a member of the Congressional Autism Caucus. We recognize the month of April as Autism Awareness and Understanding month. Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, is the fastest growing serious developmental disorder in the United States, affecting nearly two million Americans. One in 88 children is on the autism spectrum by age 8, and boys are five times more likely to have an ASD. A new survey by the Centers for Disease Control indicates that the instance of ASD may actually be higher. And here in Northern Virginia, we are experiencing the prevalence of ASD firsthand. Arlington Public Schools released a report showing a 52 percent increase in enrollment of …
Friday, February 15, 2013
Small school athletes struggle with unequipped coaches, indifferent administrators
- OPINION
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Friday, February 15
Fairfax County is home to many award winning athletic programs. Long-standing programs of large schools with experienced talent bases on which to draw attract committed coaches with extensive backgrounds. Smaller schools with more diverse populations suffer from talent bases lacking knowledge of particular sports, family needs around work obligations and childcare. Many programs at smaller schools run basically on fumes: programs are kept barely alive by athletic directors who take the path of least resistance and hire coaches from within their schools who may have no background or desire to learn about a particular sport: in spite of parent concerns and willingness to find experienced coaches and assistants, put together off-season …
Sunday, January 27, 2013
R-rated film released Friday in movie theaters nationwide.
Sometimes a movie is just...bad. We can all watch it and see what they had in mind, how the pitch went, how the director and producers signed on and talked some pretty big stars into taking part. And we can see the whole thing derail through to post production, delayed release, and as we watch the finished product with an ever-dwindling vestige of hope. Such is the case for Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters. Why Cinema Siren is reviewing this movie at all is a fair question. I go on record as saying there is always a chance a good movie will find its way to the multiplex in January. Not the ones that were in limited released in LA and New York in December to qualify for the Oscars….Those are the movies everyone is busying themselves with …
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Director Kathryn Bigelow overlooked for Oscar in Best Director category.
"Zero Dark Thirty," which brought in $24 million in its first two days of wide release, has been lauded worldwide and almost universally as an impressive piece of filmmaking. It's a movie that is anything but formulaic. It is always very different for those of us who live in the Washington area. Our experience of anything political is amplified. The headquarters of the CIA and FBI, not to mention the White House, are all within driving distance. It is nearly impossible not to have heard about the controversy surrounding this film. Sens. Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., Carl Levin, D-Mich., and John McCain, R-Ariz., denounced the film, for its depiction of torture. “We believe the film is grossly inaccurate and misleading in its suggestion that …
Saturday, January 12, 2013
These shrimp pack a big punch.
Monday, December 24, 2012
This quick little twist to a treat for Santa is sure to please.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
See what traveling on Saturday was like through Andre Taylor’s eyes.
More than 93 million people in the United States were expected to travel for Christmas this year, according to AAA. My wife and I were two of the more than 5 million people who took to the air to reach their destination. We left Thurgood Marshall Baltimore/Washington International Airport Saturday and man was it packed. There were kids, families and even a few cats and dogs in carrying cases. We flew from Baltimore to Nashville before arriving in Detroit just after 1:20 p.m. We still have to drive to Ohio to our final destination but so far our traveling experience has been awesome. Check out the video to see what traveling on Saturday looked like through my eyes. Were you on the road or on a plane Saturday, too? Where were you headed, and…
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Great acting makes you join in their crusade.
The film makers want to ask you, "Will you join in their crusade?" After much promotion and fanfare a new musical film interpretation of Les Misérables is opening nationwide. For you non-"Mis" folk, the story is of Prisoner 24601 Jean Valjean, who breaks parole, is hunted relentlessly by Inspector Javert and encounters various troubled and impoverished characters in post-revolutionary France. Based on the 1862 novel by Victor Hugo, it is beloved by generations of musical theatre fans. The musical version of the movie was a risky undertaking, but now promises a huge pay-off to the studio, cast, and crew, thanks largely to a career topping job by several of the lead actors. The endless marketing about the actors singing live has also …
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Cinema Siren's top picks for 2012.
Last year, I offered my top 10 Christmas cartoons for the first time. As an animation art gallery owner of 25 years, and an animation historian, I have been studying and enjoying them a long time. What an uproar I caused! I got a veritable avalanche of emails about the cartoons I "couldn't possibly overlook." While I stand by all last year's excellent offerings, I do have some amendments this year. Here is the list with some considered additions and subtractions. The cartoons listed below are all classics and are wonderful opportunities for holiday viewing with friends and family. You can enjoy them while chomping down highly caloric peppermint bark, or swilling down highly spiked eggnog! #10. Arthur Christmas - 2011 Such a new …
Saturday, November 24, 2012
David O. Russell directs ensemble cast in film garnering Oscar buzz.
Cinema Siren knows mental illness. Who doesn't? Like me, most of you probably have friends or family who struggle with the challenges of bipolar disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder on a daily basis. What makes Silver Linings Playbook so endearing and what will make it so enduring as a new fan favorite is the straightforward, unflinching way it portrays those disorders while maintaining a surprising sense of charm and a great comedic heart. This is a movie worth any movie lover's time and money, and will resonate with anyone who has personal experience interacting with those who live with these diseases. The story, directed and adapted by David O. Russell (The Fighter, Three Kings), follows prodigal son Pat (Bradley Cooper), who …
Liz Nalle
5:51 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
@ Shaun: Sports and academics can SUPPORT each other! I am familiar with the problems Jeny mentions - as a parent at the smallest high school (Falls Church) we have the same issues. But most students who are involved in sports generally do better in school - they learn excellence, and time management, they have supervised study halls, particularly if their grades aren't good. They are under adult… more ›