I’m writing this review – or set of reviews in the hope of encouraging other iBrattleboro users to do the same. I would like to know what others thought of these movies and others that I didn’t see that are up for Oscars this year. I’m not a critic, I don’t have any background in writing reviews. However, I love to talk about the movies I see – I hope somebody else will join in with their own views and we can go back and forth about them.

The Hurt Locker is one of the movies receiving buzz and nominations that I have seen. The movie has taken in a paltry $16 million since its release in June 2009 yet has enjoyed a lot of buzz lately. I suspect this has more to do with Hollywood politics than the fact that Hurt Locker is a very good movie.

All proceeds to benefit Partners in Health. PIH has been working on the ground in Haiti for over 20 years. PIH brings modern medical care to poor communities in nine countries around the world.

Sponsored by the UMass Fine Arts Center, UMass Office of Student Development, The UMass Springfield Initiative, WFCR/WNNZ, WGBY, Daily Hampshire Gazette, the Valley Advocate, the UMass Department of Music and Dance, the Northampton Arts Council, and the UMass Haitian Student Association.

Come one, Come all!

Join The In-Sight Photography Project on January 23rd at 7:00 pm at the Retreat Meadows to create In-Sight’s first Community Shot! We’ll be using camera flashes, flashlights, and other forms of handheld lights to illuminate the pond during a long exposure to create a stunning photograph collaboratively made by us all. Come join the fun and bring friends, family, co-workers and anyone else. We will have limited light sources to distribute, but plenty of cocoa and fun, so bring your camera flash and other lights to join in.

Together we can illuminate our community!

Learn how to work those heels (and make a REAL difference in the world) by listening to the spectacular ONGINA on last night's "This Show is So Gay!"

Following up on the smashing success of last year’s Mardi Gras extravaganza, Black Sheep Radio, the area’s pre-eminent community media outlet, today announces their second annual Mardi Gras Ball. This year the party gets added momentum from combining its New Orleans Joie de Vivre with the Joie d’amour of Valentine’s Day.

Cajun food will be provided by the fine folks at WOOL; drinks by our good friends at Harvest Moon who will provide a full cash bar bursting with New Orleans specialty drinks, beer, and wine.

Tonight at 6 PM at Mocha Joe's on Main Street, Brattleboro Community Radio WVEW 107.7 FM presents its third Unplugged Open Mic. Poets, writers, acoustic musicians and other performers are welcome.

Last event was so packed Mocha Joe's created a special "radio" drink for this one.

tune in for some toasting --107.7fm..www.wvew.org

WVEW-LPfm..Brattleboro community Radio...10pm to 12am

Local Brattleboro band Jatoba will perform a benefit house concert for Families First on Thursday Jan. 14 2010 at 8PM for a suggested donation of $10. No one will be turned away for an inability to pay, however this concert is limited to 25 people, so call now to make a reservation! The address is 26 Elliot Terrace in Brattleboro. This event will benefit the Families First Peer Group, a group of young adults with developmental disabilities. The Peer Group will staff the event. Fabulous door prizes from local businesses will be given out. Baked goods, wine and beer will be available.

When things are tough, you must laugh. Not laughing helps no one, and maybe even does some harm. Joyless politically informed and active people, (of all political persuasions) are a plague on the planet, despite the good work that they do or try to do.

This "Literal Version" of Bonnie Tyler's video, total eclipse of the heart, made me laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh. It just wouldn't stop being excellent.

That's right, dad. Wig your radio dial tonight to 107.7 FM and pretend it's January, 1960. Ike's got that cold war thing going, Elvis is still in the Army, JFK's ready to announce, and the birth control pill is just six months away!

Samirah Evans and Her Handsome Devils will delight and entertain attendees at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital’s upcoming “Giving From the Heart” Gala on Friday, February 5, 2010. The festive affair will also be a celebration of the Chinese New Year, hosted by the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital Auxiliary in conjunction with the BMH Development Office and will take place at the Putney Inn in Putney, VT. The Putney Inn, noted for its authentic New England charm and superb food, has graciously donated its facilities for the evening and will cater the gala at cost. The Gala event is a benefit for the BMH Cardiac Services, which include cardiac diagnostic services as well as the BMH Cardiac Rehabilitation program.

Brattleboro Community Radio WVEW 107.7 FM is presenting it's third "unplugged open mic" at Mocha Joe's this Friday, Jan. 15 at 6 PM. Come join us and read poetry, prose, or play an acoustic instrument. The last event was packed, and this one promises to be bigger. To sign up in advance, write to bluemonday@wvew.org, or just come down on Friday and sign up. And visit our Mocha Joe's event page on Facebook.

Now vs. Now, LIVE AT THE VERMONT JAZZ CENTER ON January 16th at 8:00 PM

On January 16th at 8:00 PM, the Vermont Jazz Center welcomes Jason Lindner and Now vs. Now, a New York-based trio that has been called electro-groove, prog-jazz, garage-jazz, world-jazz-funk-rock, and hyper-jazz. But in reality it is a group of three, forward-thinking, talented, exceptionally creative musicians collaborating on a brilliant project that gives them a vehicle to manifest their vast universe of skills and knowledge.

Now vs. Now is Jason Lindner (piano and synthesizers), Mark Guiliana (drums) and Panagiotis Andreou (electric bass). Jason Lindner explains, "To me, Now vs. Now is spontaneous musical combustion, being fully in the present moment, action, tension and release, thought-provocation, intense emotion, imagination and creativity. It is global, of the streets of New York - or any major city - but also aiming straight for outer-space, for the cosmos." Fortunately, this heady comment is supported by tastefully displayed musicianship and conveyed through masterfully constructed compositions filled with beauty, rhythmical grooves and a wide variety of fresh and complex textures.

We were THRILLED to welcome Aaron Hicklin, the Editor-in-Chief of OUT Magazine (the U.S.'s largest LGBT publication) to last night's "This Show is So Gay!" - listen in at

http://thisshowissogay.com/?q=node/157

musician (Lovebomb, Itones, Loose caboose etc..) and reggae expert White Ram will be on DJ Pockets "buttahmilk" radio show thursday night from 10pm to midnight

listen in town on 107.7fm

or on the web www.wvew.org