While I was away this week, someone posted a pretty funny trailer for the movie adaptation of the Mooninite scare earlier this year (yeah, Hollywood works really quickly). Check it out here.
(No, this is not real.)
That’s My Girl!
8 Mar
I’ve been saying for weeks now that Haley Scarnato will go far on this season of American Idol. Well, now she’s made it to the finals, to the top 12, and I couldn’t be happier for her. Sure, I don’t think she’s actually going to win it all (I’m predicting Jordin Sparks will do that), but since her first appearance on the show, people haven’t been giving her much of a shot while I’ve been saying she’s one of the more underrated contestants this year. Her performance Wednesday night (of Faith Hill’s “If My Heart Had Wings”) was one of her best, and I expect at least a couple more good ones from her. I mean, after all, at the very least, she’s better than Sunjaya! So get used to her, America — Haley’s here to stay.
If Only It Was Stop & Shop …
7 MarNot lost on me this week was the big news involving supermarket chain A&P. Now, anyone who knows me knows what one of my favorite jokes of all time is, and for a second there, I thought it had actually come true. Alas, A&P bought Pathmark — not Stop & Shop — meaning my dreams of a store called Stop & P will have to remain just that, dreams. It also means I can keep telling that joke over and over again until it becomes a reality, if it ever becomes a reality. So I’m not too disapointed.
Is This Heaven? No, It’s Florida
7 Mar
So I have to say, the biggest disappointment about my trip to City of Palms Park on Monday wasn’t the Sox losing 2-1 to the Dodgers, and it wasn’t the fact that Jason Varitek didn’t play, and it wasn’t the fact that I never got to see Gabe Kapler when I went to the minor league facility. No, it wasn’t any of those things. Instead, my biggest disappointment was the fact that City of Palms Park doesn’t sell Fenway Franks. They sell the Globe and the Herald, and they sell old World Series champ merchandise, and they play “Sweet Caroline” midway through the eighth inning. But no, the one piece of Fenway I was most looking forward to on this trip to see the Sox in their springtime home, that I was denied.
Otherwise, it was a great time seeing the Olde Towne Team in Fort Myers. The whole thing had the feeling of a reunion: for the fans, it was the first time we were seeing the boys since October, and many seemed quite happy to have us cheering for them again. For the Sox, it was a chance to hang out with Nomar and Grady Little (Rudy Seanez and J.D. Drew made no visible attempts to hang out with their old teammates). Getting to the stadium at 10:30 for a 1:00 game meant we could hang out and see the guys bonding, laughing, reconnecting, enjoying themselves. It was really fun. Hell, people were even asking Grady Little for his autograph, and Nomar received some of the biggest cheers of the day. And it was also amusing that if you wanted to find Dice-K, all you had to do was look for the mob of Japanese reporters and fans. They travel with him around the stadium in a pack, just like his own personal entourage.
And as if that all wasn’t enough, the weather was near-perfect, the PA system was playing “Ants Marching” and “Margaritaville” and other sumertime classics, there was a too-vocal yahoo fan yelling out stupid stuff throughout the game, my dad and I sat right behind the Dodgers’ dugout, and best of all, hope seemed to be in full supply (despite the loss). For a few brief hours, it was finally spring. And it was awesome.
But no Fenway Franks. That would have made the trip perfect. Ah well. I’ll just have to wait until I get tickets to see the team play at home.
ps: A really cool “star” sighting at the park was Keith Olbermann. I asked him if he’d be giving Ann Coulter hell for her comments Friday night and sure enough, he tipped me off that even though he was on vacation, he’d be phoning in a segment for that night’s show. And he also gave me a good laugh when he said Coulter was “more mannish” than John Edwards. I love Keith Olbermann. He’s the man. (And clearly Terry Francona thinks so too; Keith sat right by his side at the top of the dugout throughout the entire game.)
Island Hopper
6 Mar
I’m back in the States, so I thought I’d check in with a quick report about what I’ve been up to since I last posted something here. Wednesday night I flew down to Florida, and Thursday morning I flew to the Bahamas for four days on a (free) press trip. Not too shabby. The trip was to a hotel in the Abacos, and while it wasn’t the most luxurious hotel I’ve been to, I can say it was the nicest one I’ve ever stayed at in the Bahamas — since this was my first time to that part of the world. There were three other journalists on the trip, all around the same age as me and from varied other publications, so that made it fun.
Anyway, as opposed to, say, Nassau or Freeport, the Abacos are a quieter, more laid-back part of the Bahamas, and the trip’s low-key itinerary reflected that. Thursday night we had a nice dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. Friday we went to Hope Town and walked around there during the day; at night we went out to a couple bars near the hotel for drinks and dinner, and danced with the locals at one place where a great band was playing. Saturday the group of us went island hopping aboard a 20-foot motorboat (easily the best part of the trip), and then at night we had dinner al fresco by the pool. After breakfast on Sunday we headed back to the States, and that was that.
I took about 115 photos while I was there, some really great. I’d have taken more, but Saturday my camera got a bit too wet, and let’s just say it is now on the permanent disabled list. I’ll post a link to more of my pictures when I’m back in Boston, but you can get a sampling here. And yes, I came back with a little bit of a sunburn, like I usually do when I go somewhere warm, and actually, I also busted up one of my toes. But there were good things too, including the fact that I ate stuff like conch fritters, something I’d never had before (and probably never will again). And the times on the boats — Saturday, and the ride back from Hope Town to the hotel on Friday — really were a lot of fun.
I want to add that on Saturday I saw one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen, on Guana Cay (pronounced key). Of course, I saw it after the camera broke, so I have no photographic proof of its existence, but you have to believe me when I say that I’ve never seen sand that pristine or water that clear. There were even dolphins swimming just off-shore. And I came back with a really unusual, really cool shell, which is a great memento. We had a star sighting in the Fort Lauderdale airport on Thursday; David Caruso, from CSI: Miami, was also going to the Bahamas (I think to Nassau). And I loved that the airport in Marsh Harbour was literally two rooms: one for arrivals and one for departures. There was not even an X-ray or metal detector before you boarded the plane, nor was there an actual baggage claim area. (An interesting piece of trivia is that this is the same airport that Aaliyah left from when she died in 2001.)
So, overall, it was a good time. And now I can say I’ve been to the Bahamas. Tomorrow I’ll fill you in on what I’ve been up to since I got back to Florida.
Zzzzzzz …
28 Feb
Thanks to Sara for alerting me to the significance of February 28.
Apparently, it’s National Public Sleeping Day, a chance for people to fall asleep in public — on the T, in the office, at Starbucks, or wherever you may be — and have it be perfectly alright.
In keeping with the holiday, I’m going to take a public nap right here on the Internets.
So check back in a few days. There’ll be nothing new to read here until next week.
Department of Redundancy Department?
27 Feb
Stuff@Night is out with its “Clubs Issue.” I’m just wondering: Isn’t that a little like Playboy coming out with a “Naked Chicks Issue?” Or Newsweek coming out with a “News Issue?”
Movies I’ve Seen (2006 edition)
26 Feb(click on the link for my review)
2. GAME 6
4. DAVE CHAPPELLE’S BLOCK PARTY
7. UNITED 93
9. POSEIDON
11. THE BREAK-UP
12. KEEPING UP WITH THE STEINS
13. THE LAKE HOUSE
14. CARS
15. CLICK
16. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN’S CHEST
17. SUPERMAN RETURNS
20. MY SUPER EX-GIRLFRIEND
21. SCOOP
25. THE ILLUSIONIST
26. TRUST THE MAN
28. THE LAST KISS
30. HALF NELSON
32. THE DEPARTED
34. BORAT …
35. FAST FOOD NATION
37. THE PRESTIGE
39. CASINO ROYALE
40. SHUT UP & SING
42. BOBBY
43. HAPPY FEET
45. THE HOLIDAY
46. THE HISTORY BOYS
47. BLOOD DIAMOND
49. DREAMGIRLS (2x)
50. ROCKY BALBOA
51. WE ARE MARSHALL
52. THE QUEEN
53. CHILDREN OF MEN
55. BABEL
Actually, I Need to Wake Up Too
26 Feb
I guess it was an enjoyable Oscars show. I’ll probably always enjoy it. Perhaps that’s the ultimate in denial, because this year’s show was really safe, slick, slow-moving, and not too exciting or surprising overall. And for a change, it felt long. That said, it had its moments:
I was shocked that Alan Arkin actually won Best Supporting Actor (though let it be said that I predicted that). Somewhere Jeffrey Wells is gloating, and elsewhere, Dreamworks/Paramount is regretting releasing Norbit before the Oscars … Celine Dion still sucks. I wish she’d stayed in Vegas, where we didn’t have to hear from her … J.Hud won and gave a nice, genuinely emotional speech — and gave me the chance to say for the last time (I promise) that I interviewed her months ago (I even scooped Barbara Walters) … I liked the opening Nominees film, by Errol Morris … I thought Ellen’s monologue was good, but I think she was probably a little too quirky for the Oscars … 
Good for An Inconvenient Truth, but I thought there was a little too much Al Gore, even if I do like him … A definite highlight was Apple’s commercial for the iPhone … Why was Jack Nicholson bald? … Does anyone else remember when Chris Connelly was cool? … The Dreamgirls musical number was good — if you don’t include “Patience” — but Eddie Murphy was missed … Jennifer Lopez: whoa! … So WTF were those shadow dancers?? … I still wish Judi Dench had won Best Actress … You know, say what you will, but I do sorta feel bad for Eddie Murphy. Were it not for Norbit, that award would have been his, and he seemed, in the end, to really want it (too little, too late, I guess) … Did Ellen really vaccuum?? That was ridiculous … Best acceptance speech: Forest Whitaker’s. Second best: the guy who won for West Bank Story, the Best Live Action Short Film … I’m happy Helen Mirren doesn’t have to feign surprise anymore … And while I thought Little Miss Sunshine would win Best Picture, I’m happy The Departed actually did. After all, it was my favorite movie of last year … 
Oh, and I can’t believe the three Dreamgirls songs actually cancelled themselves out and Melissa Etheridge won Best Song; that may be a bigger surprise/upset than Alan Arkin’s win because I thought “Listen” was a sure thing. (A complete list of winners is here.)
I guess that’s it. It’s past Abigail Breslin’s bed time. On to next year!
A Not-so-Wonderful Night for Oscar?
24 Feb
For all the unpredictability that accompanies this year’s Best Picture nominees, the rest of the major categories look to go according to plan. As a result, there’s not so much interesting about an Oscar predictions post this year. I’ll say I hope The Departed wins Best Picture, but I expect Little Miss Sunshine to actually win — which is fine, because Sunshine is a great movie. Otherwise, Scorsese, Hudson, Whitaker and Mirren will all win (though I’d rather Judi Dench take Best Actress). And The Departed and Sunshine will win the screenplay categories. Perhaps the only surprise might come in Best Supporting Actor, where Jeffrey Wells has convinced me that Alan Arkin might actually win, not Eddie Murphy. So I hope Ellen DeGeneres does a great hosting job, because the show is not shaping up to be a suspenseful one. (And by the way, if you need a ballot to keep track of the winners, here’s one.)
Either way, the show has to be better than the one in 1989, when Snow White and, yes, Rob Lowe opened the show by singing, among other things, “Proud Mary.” If you’ve never seen it, here’s your chance. The year after this debacle, Billy Crystal hosted and all was right with the world. But this is a great reminder of how bad the Oscars can be. So at 12:30, when the show is still going on, remember: it could always be worse. (And thanks to David Poland for the tip.)
Martin's Musings 
