The Week in Blogdom

Taking a page from Balls, Sticks, & Stuff, today's post is a review of some interesting things I found online this week: Monday -- Tom at Balls, Sticks, & Stuff posts about his trip to Citizens Bank Park for Sunday's game against the Brewers. . . . I purchased and consumed my first Schmitter. If it weren't for that glorious sandwhich, I may not have had enough stamina to survive the day. Burrell and Utley hit homeruns and Lidle pitched great, but that sandwhich was the MVP of the day. I couldn't agree more, Tom. Tuesday -- Jason at Beer Leaguer posts a review of the Phillies pitching situation. I couldn't agree more about Terry Adams, though it does make one wonder what the hell Ed Wade was thinking signing him in the first, er, second place. Wednesday -- Tom at Shallow Center checks in with his take on the new Jimmy Rollins contract and the situation that has developed in the starting rotation due to Randy Wolf's injury. Thursday -- Jeff at Minutiae swoops in with an excellent review of Batman Begins: The greatest thing about Batman, as a superhero, is that he has no powers. He's just a man. He's real. Director Christopher Nolan taps into this big time, crafting a Gotham that feels more real than in any other Batman movie and characters that seem like real people, something that can be hard to do with a comic book. . . . The acting is superb, as you can gather from what I've already said. Nobody disappoints. I heard people suggest that Bale's deep growl for the Batman voice was weak, but I think it was outstanding. Oldman plays Gordon perfectly for the story, getting stronger as it progresses. Holmes, too, is great - though it doesn't hurt that she's beautiful. And if you need to be introduced to what Batman villains are like, look no further than Murphy's Scarecrow. Good work, Jeff. You're spot on about Cillian Murphy. I loved him for his "He's here - the Bat-Man." line, let alone the rest of his work in the film. (I heartily recommend the only other thing I've ever seen him in, 28 Days Later.) I'd also like to throw a spotlight on one Tom Wilkinson, playing Gotham's mob boss Carmine Falcone. Wilkinson's work has ranged from solid -- see In the Bedroom and The Full Monty -- to spectacular -- see Shakespeare in Love -- over the years, but nowhere does he perform with such obvious joy than in Batman Begins. All in all, I give the movie 3 stars out of 4 and agree heartily with Jeff that "it feels too early to tag anything with 'best movie of the year,' or even of the summer. But I've had a night to sleep on this after seeing Batman Begins, and I can't help but give it high praise." Friday -- Eric at Off Wing Opinion posts quotes from and links to two other blogs discussing rampent racism in the MSM coverage of missing persons.