A Very Good Birthday, Indeed

8 Jun

Not to get all girly or anything, but … not being married and not having kids, I’ve always put a bit of a special significance on my birthday.

My thinking goes that my birthday is the one day when it’s all about me for a change, so people should show me a little attention.

I mean, is that really asking so much?

And truth be told, I’ve kind of kept a tally over the years; each year, I remember who didn’t call or email or somehow get in touch.

I joke, and I know it’s petty, but I do. Continue reading →

Happy Birthday?

7 Jun

Here we are again.

It’s my birthday.

Number 37.

The Day of All Days.

Let this blog post serve as my traditional “taking stock” blog post, even though this year, truth be told, I’m not all that sure how I’m doing on this most special of days.

I know I’m doing better than I was last year, and I think I’m happy — but you shouldn’t think you’re happy, right?

You should know.

This year, I just don’t know how I feel. Continue reading →

After Midnight

6 Jun

I’ve always been a sucker for nostalgia — looking through old photos, rereading old journals, watching old home videos, remembering “good ole days” gone by.

And it’s this time of year when I get especially nostalgic, what with my birthday just days away, the anniversary of my college graduation just passed, and me taking stock of how my present compares to my past, and if I’m better off now than I was.

So you might say that it was more than appropriate timing for me when I saw Woody Allen’s very enjoyable new film, Midnight in Paris, a modern-day fable that celebrates nostalgia. Continue reading →

A Reunion I Could Watch

2 Jun

It may be hard to believe — I know it is for me — but this year marks 15 years since I graduated from Brandeis University.

In less than two weeks, members of my class will gather on campus for our 15-year reunion. Of course, if you’re a longtime reader of this blog, then you won’t be surprised to learn that I have no intention of attending any of the events.

Not after the great time I had at our 10-year reunion (munch munch munch).

Still, I’m a sucker for nostalgia, so over the Memorial Day weekend, I got out my home videos from senior year and watched them, start to finish.

That’s right: I have video footage (shot on a hi-8 camera that I got for my 21st birthday) of those so-called “good ole days.” It includes orientation, graduation, some BBQs and parties, random wandering around campus, lots of silliness in my mod, midnight buffets, and much more. Continue reading →

Living Here in Alan Town

31 May

In the classic Murray Head song, there’s the lyric “One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble.”

That’s the basic plot of The Hangover Part II, in which the Wolfpack, in Thailand for Stu’s (Ed Helms) wedding, wake up in Bangkok and can’t remember anything that happened the night before.

If you’re thinking, “Isn’t that basically the same exact plot as the first Hangover movie? How could that happen again?” then you’re right. But if you like the characters and the movie’s funny, then the plot’s not exactly important.

So let’s move on, then, shall we? Continue reading →

My Summer 2011 To-Do List

30 May

Last week, one of my Twitter pals published her summer to-do list, and I thought to myself, “Self, that’s a great idea. Why didn’t I think of that?”

So, in the spirit of “Memorial Day is the first day of summer,” here are some things I’d like to do before the weather turns cold, in no particular order: Continue reading →

Livin’ Aqua de Vida

23 May

You always hope it’s great when beloved characters return to the big screen after an absence.

Remember how good it felt to see Woody and Buzz again last summer in Toy Story 3?

Well, when Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow — excuse me, Captain Jack Sparrow — reappears on screen at the start of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the first Pirates film in four years, you can’t help but smile.

His creation is so full of whimsy, style, and swagger, and while Depp’s performances in the series have always been fun, the movies themselves have been hit and miss, with none able to recapture the delight of the first, The Curse of the Black Pearl. Continue reading →

Maid of Dishonor

12 May

Like going to a friend of your girlfriend’s wedding, the movie Bridesmaids goes on too long and it’s filled with all kinds of jokes that she may find funny, but at which you barely crack a smile.

Produced by Judd Apatow and co-written by star Kristen Wiig, the film tells the story of Annie, a single woman whose luck only gets worse when her best friend from childhood, Lillian (Maya Rudolph), gets engaged. Forced to deal with a motley group of fellow bridesmaids (including an ultracompetitive one who wants to be maid of honor), Annie finds herself and Lillian drifting apart.

Chick flick? You betcha. And as noted, the film just goes on waaaaaay too long. Thankfully, this review will keep it short.

I’m giving Bridesmaids a C–.

Leave It to The Beaver

11 May

It would be tempting to see The Beaver and want to draw parallels between the film’s plot and star Mel Gibson’s last couple years.

After all, the film tells the story of a man who reaches bottom and finds an unusual method of snapping out of it and reconnecting with friends and family. But that would be too easy … and perhaps more importantly, I’ll bet even Mel Gibson, crazy as he is, wouldn’t go so far as to talk through a hand puppet.

Yes, that’s the plot here: Walter, a depressed husband and father (Gibson), finds a beaver hand puppet in a dumpster and adopts it as his sole means of communicating with those around him. (Yes, really.) Continue reading →

Lucky Man

10 May

The truth is, life is pretty good for me these days.

I’ve got two young nephews and a niece who just turned 3 years old.

I’ve been busy, I’m happy, and the weather is turning nicer.

Oh, and last week at this time I was in Captiva Island, Florida, on another trip for work.

Already this year I’ve been to Las Vegas and Key Biscayne for conferences.

And this was the second time I’ve been to Captiva for this particular conference. Continue reading →

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