Archive | June, 2007

I’m All Out of Love

7 Jun

Almost like a birthday present to myself, Thursday I finally finished reading Love Is a Mix Tape.

I say finally, but it only took me a month to read (which, believe it or not, is really quick for me).

As I’ve said before, I don’t read books. It’s not that I’m against the medium, but I just don’t seem to have the patience for anything longer than a typical magazine article. And maybe it’s because Mix Tape is written by Rob Sheffield, a contributing editor at Rolling Stone, but damn if I couldn’t put this book down. Continue reading →

The Rhythm Came to Get Me

7 Jun

Thought I’d share what Andrew (he of the Miami bachelor party fame) and his fiancee did for me today. At around 10:30 this morning, I was told by our receptionist that I had a visitor, and when I went to the front desk there was a guy in a gorilla suit who proceeded to sing and dance his birthday wishes to me. Suffice it to say, it made an already happy birthday even happier — and it drew a lot of laughs from my coworkers. I said I wanted attention on my birthday, and Andrew sure made good on that. Nice work, my friend, but know that you’ve raised the stakes and one day I will reciprocate. The rhythm is gonna get you, too!

The Day of All Days

7 Jun

One day I’ll outgrow the idea of celebrating my birthday … but not yet.

Today, as I turn the big three-three, I still like making a big fuss about it.

And more than that, I like having other people make a big fuss about it. It’s the one day of the year when I get to act like a 7 year old (at least officially) when it comes to looking for attention. Continue reading →

Get Ready for the Big Bang

6 Jun

According to Wednesday’s New York Times, the meatball universe is expanding. It reminds me of that scene in Annie Hall, where Alvy Singer’s mother says to young Alvy (and I’m paraphrasing here, of course), “What has the universe got to do with it? You’re here in Brookline! Brookline is not expanding!” Still, I’m a bit worried about a meatball universe expanding. That just can’t be good.

Good Yuntiff to Me

6 Jun

Birthday dinner at Masa: Mmmmmmm
Steak frites: Mmmmmmmm
Dos Masaritas: Mmmmmm Mmmmmmm
Dessert at Picco: Mmmmmmm
Good friends to celebrate with: Perfect.
Happy birthday to me!

Cowabunga!

5 Jun

If you, like me, thought a movie about singing, dancing penguins was a wacky idea, then you ain’t seen nothing yet. Surf’s Up is a movie about, yes, surfing penguins, and in concept alone it scores big points. I mean, have you seen the trailer? It rocks. So you pretty much know going in that Surf’s Up is not your average animated flick. For one thing, it’s “shot” like a documentary, and features interviews with the cast, grainy “archival” footage, and other hallmarks of the genre. And that all is done so well that you forget there was a team of animators who had to create it all from scratch. And then there are the colors and the surfing “photography,” both of which are really fun and cool and make you want to walk out of the theater, put on a wet suit, hop on a board, and ride a wave. (I’ve done it. It’s cool. Trust me.) So yeah, Surf’s Up is a totally fun movie.

But let’s not kid ourselves, and that is a pun, folks. Surf’s Up is also a very, very kid-friendly movie. The crowd I saw it with was about 50% kids (or at least it felt and sounded that way), and they loved it. They were laughing at the cute baby penguins, and the physical humor, and the silly Chicken Joe character. Which is not a bad thing, of course. It’s just that I wouldn’t say the film was as sophisticated as, say, Ratatouille looks or even Happy Feet was. Sure, the surfing stuff is wicked cool, and the documentary look is really well done, but I wouldn’t put Surf’s Up in any upper pantheon of animated films. And that’s why I’m only giving it a B — a solid B, but a B just the same.

Not Really a "Best" Buy

5 Jun

So here’s what I don’t understand.

I went to the Fenway Best Buy Tuesday night to pick up Bruce Springsteen‘s latest release, Live in Dublin.

It’s out separately as a 2-CD set and a DVD, or you can buy the CDs and DVD together, with the same track listings.

And I figured, since I had a $5 off coupon and new releases are usually on sale, that I’d spring for the combo pack. After all, the DVD looks great.

Well, the 2-CD set was on sale for $11.99 and the DVD was on sale for $9.99, but the combo pack was still at regular price, $27.99.

When I asked a salesperson why buying the two items separately was cheaper than buying the combo, and why they weren’t just charging the same price (i.e.: $21.99) for the combo, he told me, “You raise a good point.”

So I decided to only buy the CDs and save myself $10. I likely wouldn’t have watched the DVD anyway, despite how good the clips on Amazon.com are.

And what’s more confusing is that on BestBuy.com, the combo is on sale, for just $19.99. Maybe it’s something about moving units and not making money, but whatever it is, I just don’t get it.

Not Singing in the Rain Today

4 Jun

Forget that Garbage song “I’m Only Happy When It Rains.” Today I identify more with the Carpenters, who sang, “Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.”

And when it’s a rainy Monday, that’s even worse — especially after a good weekend. So in that spirit, here’s a list of some of the things on my hate list right now: Continue reading →

Once Is for All

2 Jun

In a sea of big budget blockbusters, how great is it that there is a movie like Once?

The story of a busker and an immigrant girl in Dublin who strike up a musical friendship, Once boasts as its only special effect some great music.

And please, don’t let that understate just how special it is.

When these two characters (and they are identified in the credits only as “guy” and “girl”) sing — particularly in the scene in a music shop when they first explore their musical chemistry — it is nothing short of magical. Continue reading →

Newer Entries →