Since my parents basically live in Florida, going down there is more like going home than going on vacation.
That said, going down to Florida with my niece, Abby, makes it a vacation. And that’s exactly what I was doing last week.
We all went down for our first full family vacation with Abby. The first half she was with my sister, brother-in-law, and his family, and the second half they were with me and my folks. Continue reading
When it was released in November, I had very little interest in seeing The Blind Side.
But then Sandra Bullock started winning all kinds of awards (including the Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice, and SAG) for her performance in the film, and she’s a sure shot to be nominated for an Oscar, so I kind of figured I had to see the movie just to see what all the fuss was about, and to find out if she’s really that good.
The pleasant surprise is that she is good. Really good. Not quite as good as Carey Mulligan or Gabourey Sidibe, but Bullock’s sheer will, her determination, and her total investment in the role make The Blind Side worth seeing. (Another reason: She looks great.) Continue reading
One of my favorite albums of the past few years is Corinne Bailey Rae‘s self-titled debut. Songs like “Put Your Records On,” “Trouble Sleeping,” “I’d Like To,” “Breathless,” and “Call Me When You Get This” have a nice new-soul/pop/jazz sound that Bailey Rae sings with an equally gentle and modern voice. This is a fantastic Sunday brunch or easy summer afternoon kind of album, the kind you don’t feel embarrassed to have playing in your car with the windows down on a nice day. It’s like the album Macy Gray always wanted to make, but never could because her voice wasn’t as pleasant as Bailey Rae’s.
It’s been a rough couple years since that album came out — Bailey Rae’s husband died as a result of an accidental drug overdose — but she’s back today with a new collection of songs, called The Sea. I found the album on the interwebs over the weekend, have been giving it a good listen, and while I like it, I can’t rave just yet. So far, the songs have a different, heavier sound (other reviews I’ve read are calling it “intense”) that reflects the recent events of Bailey Rae’s life. But then there’s a song like “I’d Do It All Again” and I realize that no matter what challenges she’s dealt with, Bailey Rae is still the talented and captivating singer I originally fell for.
The Sea is out today. Support a still up-and-coming artist and grab yourself a copy. (For the record, even though I downloaded it gratis this weekend, I’m going to buy it anyway.)
Truth be told, I wasn’t planning to vote today. And that’s a real shame, because just 14 months ago, voting was an activity I got really excited about. This election just didn’t engage me. I didn’t vote in the primary back in November, and I felt no real attachment to the candidates as we were approaching Election Day today. Frankly, I just didn’t care. Continue reading
In all the years I’ve lived in Boston (that’s 13, if you’re wondering), and with all the winters that my mom has spent in Florida, my dad has never come up by himself for a “Boys Weekend.”
At least, that was the case before this past weekend. Continue reading
Friends: It’s that day again … the anniversary of the Great Molasses Flood of 1919, a.k.a. one of my favorite days of the year. (No kidding.) Rather than write the same old blog post again, I’ll link to my original post about the flood, where I explained why this day means so much to me.
You know, it’s funny. I’ve been keeping this blog since September 2005, and in the four years that this day has come along, there has only been one where I remembered on my own, on time. (To wit, here are my posts from 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009.) Today, were it not for Universal Hub and his Tweet, I would have totally forgotten again. So thanks to Adam over at UHub and Happy Molasses Flood Day to the rest of you!
About halfway through the new film Crazy Heart, as Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) plays a brand-new song for Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal), she tells him that she thinks she has heard it before.
Bad replies that the good ones always sound familiar.
That exchange stayed with me long after the film was over because this one — with its story of an older, down-on-his-luck, washed-up musician who finds love and one last chance at artistic redemption thanks to a younger woman — is both familiar and good. Continue reading
I rode the B line downtown today, and with all the students still away and most folks staying indoors to avoid the cold, it was a rather pleasant ride. I was able to sit and read my latest issue of The Improper Bostonian in peace and relative quiet.
That is, until we pulled into the Harvard Ave. station, and a guy got on with his portable stereo, sat down two rows behind me, and proceeded to turn it on and blast Madonna’s “Dress You Up” for all to hear. Turns out he had his radio tuned to 93.7, so we were also treated to a mix that included Journey’s “Lights” and Thompson Twins’ “Hold Me Now.” (When Crazy Town’s “Butterfly” came on, though, he flipped around to find a “better” station.)
At first, I was like, how rude! Doesn’t this guy have any common decency? I thought about asking him to turn off his radio, but I’m more passive aggressive, so other than shooting the guy a couple “Are you kidding me?” glances, I decided to blog about it way after the fact instead of saying something at the time. Also, I was kind of enjoying the music and no one else seemed to mind (or at least, no one else was complaining), so in the end I figured it wasn’t such a big deal. After all, someone who blasts their music on the T without regard for others clearly has no sense of it being the wrong thing to do, so saying something to him would have been pointless.
I know the T is public transportation, so I don’t expect it to be quiet. But I think bringing a stereo onto the train and playing it that loudly is a bit excessive. It often surprises me just how divergent my thoughts and behaviors are from those of others when it comes to public settings. My inbound ride today was just the latest example.
Like it or not, January and 2010 are both here.
Among other things, that means it’s time to stop looking back and start to look forward.
In most cases, that also means coming up with some resolutions for things to change in the new year.
Generally, I don’t make New Year’s resolutions because I’m never able to keep them.
But this year I’m going to publish my list of resolutions here, and I’m hoping that the public declaration will help me stick to them.
So with that in mind, I resolve to … Continue reading
There was a lot to like this year, entertainment-wise. For example, it was inconsistent and frustrating at times, but when it was great, there were few shows I enjoyed as much as Glee. I didn’t read as many books as I have in years past, but I thought Steve Knopper’s Appetite for Self-Destruction: The Spectacular Crash of the Record Industry in the Digital Age was very good. I picked the winner of American Idol as far back as February. Lily Allen, U2, Jamie Cullum, and John Mayer all released great albums. And of course, there were a bunch of impressive movies too.
As of this writing, I’ve seen 48 of the year’s releases (down from 53 a year ago), and if pressed to rank my favorites (not necessarily the best ones), here are the top 10:
1. Up in the Air
2. In the Loop
3. A Serious Man
4. Up
5. Star Trek
6. Precious
7. The Girlfriend Experience
8. Two Lovers
9. Fantastic Mr. Fox
10. Where the Wild Things Are
What were your favorite movies, albums, TV shows, books, etc.? I’d love to know.
Martin's Musings 