Soccer gets almost as much attention in America for its flopping as it does for its beautiful play. Sadly, World Cup 2014 probably won’t be any different. Here are some players to keep your eye on. The 2014 World Cup is upon us, and casual American fans are eagerly awaiting their chance to bitch about all the diving in soccer. Before
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Read moreGodzilla ain’t the only hardcore badass from Japan. I’m not the Japan expert around here – that distinction falls to blogger, poet, photographer and Japanophile extraordinare Dan Ryan – so I won’t pretend that I know anything about J-Pop. It just felt like a nice day to do something a little different for SVR, and I’ve been thinking about Dir
Read moreHot Nun, Veronica Falls and Fish released wonderful CDs last year that belong on my top albums of the year list. As noted some time back, there are always CDs I don’t get around to during the year in which they’re released, and with the great ones I accordingly fail to include them in my year-end mentions. I’ve already done a
Read moreWhile New Belgium‘s transformation through the years from kick-ass Colorado craft brewer to pretty big time national brewer resulted in a predictable decline in quality of the product, it must be acknowledged that the Trippel remains a not-half-bad Belgian for your basic no-special-occasion drinking pleasure. 1554 isn’t bad, either. I wish Fat Tire was what it was back in 1993,
Read moreIt’s Hold Your Breath Season. At least three World Cup dreams ended today and the USMNT plays tomorrow. For the 32 national football sides heading to Brazil for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, pre-tournament friendlies are a necessary evil. Necessary because competitive tune-ups are essential if they hope to be in top form for their opening matches. Evil because players
Read moreThe yips plague athletes in many sports, and even musicians. Hopefully sports psychologists can find a cure. Golfers know all about “the yips.” If they’ve never experienced it themselves, they’ve probably played with someone who has. And they certainly know the stories of famous golfers whose careers were challenged, if not devastated by the phenomenon. This list includes Tommy Armour, who
Read moreBad first impressions linger, but perhaps it’s time I read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Angelou reciting her poem “On the Pulse of Morning”, at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration, January 1993 It’s shameful how many authors and books that I “should have read” I haven’t yet gotten around to. Especially given that I hold an MA in English and
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Read moreBlack Stars vs. Die Mannschaft was my prediction for Brazil after Copa 2010 in South Africa, but a lot has changed. Four years ago, in the aftermath of Spain’s World Cup win, I ventured a bold prediction for the 2014 Copa final: Germany vs. Ghana. Making these kinds of picks that far out is always a shot in the dark –
Read moreThe best way to honor our fallen heroes is to make sure there aren’t any more of them. Today I honor our war dead, but I’m mad as hell that our leaders, corrupt and sociopathic as they so often are, have killed so many without cause. I’m enraged that some of these deaths are regarded by our society as less worthy of
Read moreLandon Donovan was left off the World Cup team and American soccer fans are up in arms. Everyone needs to calm the heck down and think about the big picture for a minute. Yesterday US Men’s National Team manager Jurgen Klinsmann announced the 23-man roster that will represent America in this summer’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil. That roster didn’t include
Read more“Hiring managers” say only apply for jobs you’re qualified for. Fine. Now, here are some things HR needs to do in return. I subscribe to a number of industry mailing lists and content services as part of my work, and periodically they’ll publish stories aimed at helping job seekers – how to find opportunities, how to network, résumé tips, that sort of
Read moreThe bad news is that we’re hurtling toward the abyss. The good news is that we’re not hurtling toward the abyss any faster than we were! McConnell crushes Tea Party challenger Sen. Mitch McConnell decisively shut down a primary challenge to his 30-year tenure as the Republican choice for Senate in Kentucky.
Read moreOh, I love that song. How many times have you been talking about music and somebody says hey, what’s your favorite tune by [fill in the blank]? I have no idea how many times I’ve asked or tried to answer that one, but many. Many many. I thought it might be fun to do a little post where I confront
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