"I ain't threatening nobody, and I ain't pointing a gun at nobody. This is Texas."

The Stanford Theatre is a Bay Area treasure and a Palo Alto landmark. If you live in the Bay Area and you've never been there, go. If you're visiting the Bay Area and want something to do (as if there's a shortage of things for a tourist to see), go. It's a magical place, reminiscent of a bygone era in which going to the movies was itself an experience. Adorned with a massive big screen, a Wurlitzer organ that rises from below the floor, "Persian" art, two floors of seats, and plenty of vintage movie posters (including an original Japanese poster for Hitchcock's North by Northwest), the Stanford Theatre is a beautiful relic, a fitting tribute to Hollywood's Golden Era, that makes me giggle like a kid in a candy store everytime I go. After re-opening only a week ago, this summer's line-up is a good one, having recently featured The Philadelphia Story and The African Queen. Coming up is Nosferatu, All About Eve, Citizen Kane, Bride of Frankenstein, Sunset Boulevard, and many other greats.

Onto soccer...

MLS' Eastern Conference is beginning to heat up. Four teams are all within four points of one another (New England, Chicago, D.C., Kansas City), with one team still fighting desperately for a playoff spot (Metrostars). In the West, things are beginning to cool down. The Colorado Rapids slowed down the surging San Jose Earthquakes, tying, leaving the Earthquakes with a three point cushion on top of the West, as F.C. Dallas failed to get three points at home for the second straight week, losing to New England 2-1. LA lost again, and the bottom two teams aren't even contending for playoff spots. Fortunately, for the bottom five, help may be on the way, as the summer transfer window opened today.

Help should be on the way for F.C. Dallas who will soon announce the signing of former Middlesborough midfielder Mark Wilson. Wilson should definitely give Dallas a much needed boost in the form of consistency on the left side of midfield. For the last two months, Dallas has continued to run out a 4-3-3 formation, using all sorts of spare parts in the midfield and at forward. With the exception of Mulrooney, Dallas is now mostly healthy (although Johnson still does not seem fully fit), and would perhaps be best served by running a 4-4-2. This should lend their defense a little more help, and should give the line-up some consistency.

New England is on the verge of signing Panamanian international forward Ricardo "Paton" Phillips. Speedy with a nice touch, Phillips should give the team much needed depth at forward and in the midfield. Along with the signing of Daniel Hernandez last week, New England is making the moves to be a contender down the stretch run.

MLS Power Rankings:

1. New England Revolution: Leads the league in points (42) and played a very solid game against Dallas on Saturday, and absolutely dismantled Real Salt Lake in the mid-week fixture.
2. D.C. United: United has found their form of late (they won on Saturday without Freddy Adu, Jaime Moreno, and Alecko Eskandarian), and should only improve with the signing of Argentian defender Facundo Erpen.
3. San Jose Earthquakes: While they may have hit a snag playing uninspired soccer Saturday night, they have opened up a three point lead on Dallas in the West, and seem well poised for the stretch run.
4. Kansas City Wizards: The Wizards have been shocking opponents lately, coming back from 2-0 on the road in Chicago to win last Wednesday, and destroying Real Salt Lake 4-2 on Saturday night. They may even had Jamaican international Jermaine Hue to add some flair and creativity to their midfield.
5. Chicago Fire: Chicago won against a suprisingly aggressive LA Galaxy on Saturday, but they dropped a precious three points against the Wizards in midweek.
6. FC Dallas: After a tremendous start, Dallas has hit a bad spell of form at the wrong time. Hopefully, the addition of midfielder Mark Wilson should give them a much-needed spark. Ruiz is also returning to fine form.
7. Metrostars: They've started getting much-needed points, but unless they purchase a defensive midfielder and a strong central defender, they won't have the tools necessary to win a playoff spot.
8. Colorado Rapids: They did get a point on the road in San Jose on Saturday night, but Clavijo's strategy was a disgracefully violent and thuggish one. They committed 25 fouls (and many more that weren't called), disrupting the flow of play, and making it an impossibly ugly game to watch. 9. LA Galaxy: Sure they beat Chivas on Wednesday, but they've lost on the road again. How long now before Sampson is gone?
10. Columbus Crew: No more playoff hope with Kansas City and D.C. United surging. Now the question is: Do we stick with the status quo next year?
11. Real Salt Lake: At least they've been apart of two MLS milestones in one week (5000th goal, Kreis' 100th goal).
12. CD Chivas USA: Help is on the way!

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