Archive | November, 2005

The Guy Is Falling! The Guy Is Falling!

7 Nov

Could Chicken Little have been any worse, you may have asked yourself after reading my review last week? Well, check out this story from Sunday’s New York Daily News and make your own decision: Continue reading →

Quote of the Day

6 Nov

“I’m 30 years old and I’ve finally learned how to talk to teenage girls.”
— Dan Friedell on covering high school sports for his local paper

I hear ya, buddy.

Back in Time

5 Nov

I’m a bit surprised there hasn’t been more news coverage about today’s important anniversary. After all, it was 50 years ago (November 5, 1955) that Dr. Emmett Brown came up with the idea for the Flux Capacitor.

Story goes, Doctor Brown was standing on his toilet, hanging a clock, and he fell and hit his head on the sink. And that’s when he came up with the idea for the Flux Capacitor, which is, of course, what makes time travel possible.

Thanks to Doctor Brown’s important discovery, Marty McFly was able to go back in time, see his parents as high schoolers, and bring them closer together (after he almost made their entire relationship non-existent, of course).

I want you all to celebrate this special day with me, but since I can’t fit every one of my readers in a DeLorean, we’ll have to do it blog-style. Come back in time with me to September 1, 2005, the day of my very first posting on this site.

Now let’s all raise a Tab (“Tab? I can’t give you a tab unless you order something.”) or a Pepsi Free (“You want a Pepsi, pal, you’re gonna pay for it.”) to Doctor Emmett Brown and his groundbreaking scientific discovery!

[For the record, VB on the Fox 25 morning news made a big deal a couple weeks ago, on October 26, that that was the anniversary of Doctor Brown’s breakthrough. Well, he was wrong. See, it was on October 26, 1985 that Marty traveled back in time — to November 5. My assumption is that VB would like to go back in time to correct his mistake.]

Coolidge, I’ve Got You Cornered

4 Nov


So it seems that Brookline is celebrating its 300th birthday — again — next weekend (November 13). And at least according to the Brookline Tab, this must be the actual birthday weekend — not the one on September 19 when the first celebration took place.

As a warm-up to the festivities, this week’s issue of the Tab includes all kinds of cool Brookline historical info, including a great list of the “300 Things You Never Knew About Brookline” and a special magazine-style insert with comparisons of past and present, and a timeline of important dates.

Call me stupid if you will, but one of the things I’ve always wondered about Brookline is which specific corner is “Coolidge Corner.” I mean, the whole area around there is referred to as Coolidge Corner, but there has to be one particular corner that has that name, right? Is it the one where Best Cellars is? Where the Bank of America is? Walgreens? CVS? (That’s assuming the corner is at the corner of Beacon and Harvard streets.) Sure, there are some older buildings in that intersection, but given the passing of time and construction and all, it’s possible that one of the newer buildings could have been erected on the site of the actual Coolidge Corner.

According to the Tab, on their list of the 300 things, number 182 is “Coolidge Corner began as the Coolidge and Brother general store at the corner of Beacon and Harvard Streets.” Well, that doesn’t really provide anything new, but it does confirm the intersection (not that I really thought the corner was at Babcock and Harvard streets).

The Coolidge Corner Theater’s web site discusses the Corner’s history, but doesn’t specifically say where the Coolidge Corner is. In fact, by saying “the S.S. Pierce Building (1898), went up near ‘Coolidge’s Corner,'” it implies that “Coolidge’s Corner” wasn’t actually on the corner!

I think I found the answer on the official Brookline 300 web site, which says: “In 1898, the famous S.S. Pierce Building was constructed at ‘Coolidge’s Corner.'” Which means, I guess, that what I assumed all along is true: the corner of the Harvard and Beacon intersection where the S.S. Pierce Building is, where Walgreens is — that is the true Coolidge Corner. Mystery solved. (I think.)

Anyway, to see the full calendar of events for the second Brookline 300th birthday bash — featuring a performance by Entrain, one of my favorite bands — check out Brookline300.org.

This Should Come as No Surprise

4 Nov

Well I suppose if there’s a Thank You, Theo web site, then it’s not surprising to learn there’s also a Larry Lucchino Sucks site too. And this new site is not just a chance for fans to say how much they love Theo (and by the way, as of 8:10 p.m. on Thursday, 1443 people had done so). It’s a protest site where you can do things like contribute to a top 10 list, email the Sox to air your views, and learn how “Larry Lucchino Ate My Baby.”

And here I thought things would quiet down by week’s end. I guess this is going to last all winter long …

In Mutton-speak: Baa Baa Baa Baa !

3 Nov

Chicken Little is a cute movie. I don’t necessarily say that as a good thing, but it’s not really a bad thing either. It’s colorful, generally fast-moving, and fun.

Strangely, though, it’s not entirely kid-friendly; many of the jokes went over the heads of the many, many, many kids in the auditorium when I saw it last night. (And don’t get me started about THAT!)

And it’s sort of two movies in one, including a very long, what I can only call homage to Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds. So, if forced to give a grade, I’d give Chicken Little a B. It’s not bad, it’s not great. It’s just fine. Continue reading →

Exclusive: Red Sox to Name New GM Today

1 Nov

Unknown described as Theo’s “best pal”


Nov. 1, 1:00 PM (ET)
By Noah Treal

YAWKEY WAY (AP) — In a surprise move that stunned an already shocked Red Sox Nation, the president and CEO of the 2004 World Series Champions announced that he would hold a press conference today to introduce the team’s new general manager, less than 24 hours after former GM Theo Epstein resigned from the position.

“How do you replace someone like Theo?” Larry Lucchino said in a statement released to the press early Tuesday. “You do it quickly.” A press conference was scheduled for 4 p.m. at Fenway Park. Continue reading →

It’s Called Plenty of Rest and Fluids …

1 Nov

Ridiculous news story of the day: Bush to Announce Strategy to Battle Flu

My mother probably has some good ideas for him. Chicken noodle soup, for starters.

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