Weekend Adviser

All weekends are special; this weekend is especially so since it marks the official arrival of spring.
I say official because metereorological spring starts on March 1. Astronomical (traditional) spring begins on the Vernal Equinox (March 21) and ends on the summer solstice (June 22). That's in the Northern Hemisphere, of course, It's reversed in the Southern Hemisphere.

Most people like spring. Look forward to spring. Spring means the end of winter's icy grip. A season of rebirth. Spring Break. March Madness. Spring Training.

Lovers like spring. And, poets. Well, most poets. There is T.S. Eliot's famous line from The Waste Land: "April is the cruelest month." I'm not sure exactly what he means—I'm not sure exactly what any poet means—but I think it must have something to do with the ambivalent nature of birth/rebirth: at once painful and joyful. Anyway . . .

Just because the weatherman or the calendar says it spring doesn't mean Mother Nature will cooperate. Especially here in the upper-Midwest where I've seen blizzards in mid-April. All weather is local, so check your forecast and make your plans accordingly. If the weather keeps you indoors, there's plenty to keep you busy.

Everything else this weekend takes a backseat to March Madness. Second-round games will be contested on Saturday and Sunday, and by sunset on Sunday, the original 65-team field will have shrunk to a Sweet Sixteen. With any luck, the games will be close and a few will be decided by buzzer-beaters like Dukester Christian Laettner's dramatic game-winner against Kentucky in 1992. That's an iconic Madness moment, but my favorite of all time is NC State coach Jim Valvano's exuberant dash onto the court after his Cinderella Wolfpack won the 1983 tournament. Check your local listings for games in your area.

The World Baseball Classic semifinals at Dodger Stadium will likely get overlooked in the round ball hoopla. The U.S. squad assured itself a spot in the semis with a dramatic come-from-behind win over Puerto Rico Tuesday night. The other semifinalists are Japan, Korea, and Venezuela. Semifinal games will be televised on ESPN and MLB.TV. The final will be Monday, March 23.

For you basketball widows, there are a couple of new movies debuting at the cinemax that look promising. First, there's "Duplicity," a steamy crime drama with Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. Then, there's "Knowing," a Nic Cage sci-fi featuring an artifact that predicts natural disasters. If your taste runs to the sophomoric, you might want to check out "I Love You, Man," a new buddy comedy with Paul Rudd and Jason Segel.

If March Madness isn't your thing, maybe Midnight Madness is. That's what will be happening at lots of retail outlets tonight when the DVD for the vampire romance "Twilight" will be officially released. Many merchants are staying open late and some have special events planned for the launch. To find a "Twilight" release party near you, go here: http://www.twilightthemovie.com/

"Twilight," of course, is director Catherine Hardwicke's screen adaptation of novelist Stephanie Meyer's best-selling eponymous franchise.

The movie stars Kristin Stewart as Bella Swan, the moody new girl in a dreary Pacific Northwest town, who falls for a handsome fellow student—and closet vampire—Edward Cullen (played by Robert Pattinson). Edward's got a secret, of course, and initially he plays hard-to-get, but what's a drama without conflict? A romance without a chase?

I've never been a fan of vampires—in literature or on film—but they are exceedingly popular these days. Besides Meyer's string of Twilight best-sellers and Hardwicke's blockbuster film—it grossed some $200,000,000—there's also HBO's hit series "True Blood." So, maybe it's me.

Anyway, I'll be watching the two-hour finale of the Sci Fi Channel's hit series "Battlestar Galactica" tonight. This is the final episode of the critically-acclaimed series, but it's not the final word. Stay tuned. I'll blog about "Battlestar" next week.