Notes to a screening of "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian"

Of everything you could think of, who'd a thunk Ben Stiller would end up a family film star??
Well, I snark and I shouldn't as I laughed a whole lot more than I expected at the above movie, that is pretty damn amazing considering that the director, Shawn Levy has a long rap sheet composed of lame sequels.
Let me also single out Hank Azaria who is particularly hilarious with a real gift for redeeming mediocre material. His pouncey evil Pharaoh character neatly bookends his more heroic "Blue Rajah" routine from the unjustly overlooked "Mystery Men". I wish someone would write him some a-list material, th' man has a real talent for comedy.
Oh and forgive my Geek Bona Fides but I'd swear that Amy Adams' sexy tomboyish Amelia Earhart characterization could easily serve as a audition to play Cousin Pat Savage in a notional Doc Savage motion picture?
But the real good news is that the Tri Town Drive in out in Fitchburg has recently repaired and power-washed it's GIANT outdoor screen giving new life to this last of the almighty outdoor movie venues. If you have a big budget action comedy or fantasy film you have to see this summer, honestly it's worth the mishaugas to see it at the Tri Town...it's like they have a whole new screen....hell I'm in love all over again.

Sat next to a woman on the Red Line from Alewife this morning

who was delicately sipping her morning coffee out of what appeared to be an old fruit jar.

So from that I deduce that we haven't quite hit rock bottom in this recession.

A Proclamation:

That hereafter the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend be known henceforth as "Squalus Day" set aside as a remembrance of all those members of the United States Armed Forces who died during peacetime.

They too, paid the ultimate sacrifice and the Commonwealth is hereby encouraged to remember those soldiers and sailors in their thoughts and prayers.

Duly proclaimed under my authority as a Marshal of the Commonwealth (self anointed) on this day the 24th of May in the year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Nine.

Long Live the Republic
Long Live the Commonwealth

My new Hero(ine)

Rachel Alexandra, the filly what just won the Preakness, first time in eighty five years a girl-horse has won that race and from the post position of doom, unlucky #13.
Calvin Borel, that shameless showboat with the golden gut for picking winning long shots, rode her to glory and back, he is still playing to the crowd as I write this...Just an amazing run, man and horse.
Oh and Mine that Bird (the Derby's improbable 50 to 1 winner) came in second finishing in the money and dispelling all that "lucky fluke" snarkage quite nicely.
Great race, of course, my horse Pioneerof the Nile" ran in the opposite direction when the bell rang...but that is triple crown par for the course with me. I couldn't pick a winner if one horse was running.

If the Green Line (Inbound) from Copley to Park Street

ran any slower during afternoon rush hour, alert science minded riders could actually visually discern Heisenberg's uncertainty principle in action.
Ever since that cockamammie accident last Friday night, the T's response has been to slow down the Green Line to the point of suspended animation. Honestly what are these Morlocks thinking? One of these days service levels will decline to the point where passengers will mutiny and attempt to seize the train, trolley or bus...mark my words on this.
I've said it before and I will say it again, I rode passenger trains from Tallinn Estonia to Leningrad at the height of the stagnation days under Yuri Andropov, and you could set your watch to those sonsabitches!
For that fact, I was in NYC last week I rode the #6 train and N train and spent precious time languishing stopped in tunnels for "schedule adjustments".

50 to 1

It is always a victory for the rest of us when an obscure horse with an unknown trainer lands in the roses at the Kentucky Derby. Such is the case with "Mine that Bird" a race horse bought for $9,500.00 and taken to glory by jockey Calvin Borel who is still whooping like Geronimo and playing to the crowd even as I write this.
My horse..."Hold Me Back" (a reputed mudder)...Lived up to his name...i'm not sure he even left his stall when the horn blew.

Th