I’m happy to report that “The Great Clean-up of 2006” continued this weekend.
It was a big day of purging yesterday — and of realizing just how much of a packrat I am, and of rediscovering some stuff I haven’t seen in years and was truly baffled that I’ve hung onto for so long.
For example: Continue reading
I see a lot of movies (my current total for 2005 releases is 59), so I take going to the movies quite seriously.
But maybe I take it too seriously. Someone tell me if I am wrong here: Continue reading
Alternate headline: Advantage Woody
Alternate headline: Don’t Call It a Comeback
With a track record over the past half-decade that includes Hollywood Ending and Anything Else, it seemed as if Woody Allen was off his game. But with Match Point, it’s clear that something has gotten through to Woody, because his latest is a real and welcome change from his lackluster product of late.
Yes, Match Point appears at first to be classic Woody, what with its opening title sequence being the same minimalist style as most every other one of his films. But we’re not in Kansas here, folks, or New York, for that matter. Continue reading
I never did get to see The Constant Gardener when it was in theaters, so tonight I watched the screener DVD that’s been sitting in my apartment for about a month and a half. Despite watching it on my couch — never my preference, compared to in a theater — the movie still had my attention. Rachel Weisz is excellent; the film is full of exotic, African locales; and the story is a well-told political thriller, similar to Syriana but a heck of a lot less complicated. In brief, I really liked The Constant Gardener and would recommend the film for anyone looking for a good rental (it’ll be out on Tuesday). I’m giving it an A.
The Squid and the Whale is one painful movie.
And from that pain it generates some laughs, but it’s not pretty. Right from the get-go you’re embroiled in the thick of a marriage on the decline and you watch as things get worse, the parents separate, and the kids take sides.
Jeff Daniels gives a fantastic performance as the messed-up father whose superiority complex and comments about uncultured Philistines makes you feel like if you don’t like this movie, then you’re one too. Continue reading
There’s nothing like a list to get people talking, and New York magazine’s recent list of the 123 Things to Love About New York definitely has me buzzing.
As a rebuttal, I thought I’d share some of the reasons why I love Boston. Here goes: Continue reading
An old friend of mine from my summer camp days, Doug Gordon, who I’ve mentioned a couple of times on this site, has written a book called The Engaged Groom. Many of my friends are already married (some with child or children), but perhaps there are some out there reading my site who are newly engaged or close to being engaged. If so, check out Doug’s book. If you’re already married, be a pal and click on the link for Doug’s book anyway. And if you’re not even close to being engaged, please still click on the link for Doug’s book. (It’s a contest. If I refer enough people to the web site for his book, Doug will send me an autographed copy.) And if you’re interested, Doug did a chat yesterday on Boston.com. Here’s a link to the transcript.
I found out not too long ago that my blog was quoted again today in The Boston Globe‘s “Sidekick” section.
Now, I’m not one to complain (alright, maybe I am), and I’m really appreciative of the folks at “Sidekick” for quoting me as often as they have, but I wish those responsible would have chosen a different entry this time. The posting they quoted from — just about in its entirety — was the one from Monday where I commented on the Globe‘s story about the increasing number of millionaires in the Boston area. It’s a good plug for the paper, in the paper. Continue reading
Alright, enough with the Florida-related postings, I know. But I have one more topic I wanted to write about. One of the things that really surprised me last week was just how much damage Hurricane Katrina did in south Florida, and how much of it still hadn’t been cleaned up. The area around where my grandmother lives, already depressed and older looking, was marked by crumbling stone signage and a great many tree stumps. You could now see greater distances from one place to another than you ever could. Worse, I think, were the trees that were ripped from the ground; many of the stumps haven’t been righted (which left large holes in the ground) and the spaces had not been cleaned up. Aside from being an eyesore, it was just dangerous. Over by my parents’ place, about 20 minutes away, there were large piles of trees and branches, sitting right off the golf course, just waiting to be ground up into mulch. 
I know that Katrina left a lot of damage in its (her?) wake, but the way the story has been reported, you’d think it was all in New Orleans or the neighboring areas. Sure, life in south Florida wasn’t affected nearly as much as it was in other places, largely because the damage in south Florida — while significant — didn’t compare to that in New Orleans. But considering Katrina hit four months ago, seeing these things, and seeing them just sit there like an accepted part of life, was like a lingering reminder that there’s still a lot of cleanup work to do in more places than most people realize.
According to the Boston Globe yesterday, the number of millionaires who live in the Boston area is expected to surge 50 percent over the next five years. Specifically, this means that the number of millionaire households in the region will increase from 58,000 in 2004 to 88,000 in 2009. Apparently, one in 20 households is already a millionaire. Who knew?
The story says the increase is most likely to affect Baby Boomers, those who work at a financial services company or a law firm, or in the technology industry, and those who have numerous liquid investable assets, so I guess I’ll be staying in my current tax bracket. And something tells me the city is going to get a bit pricier to live in — never a good thing for those of us who aren’t millionaires.
Still, I’m an optimist, and I’d hate to think I’ll be left out of such a development. So I’m hoping that any day now someone is going to appear on my doorstop with a giant check à la Publishers Clearing House. It’s a good thing my apartment is clean.
Martin's Musings 