]> http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/ greatmartin's Blog en-us © 21:53:27 Greasy.com All rights reserved. Wed, Feb 21:53:27 8 GMT 30 http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/shut_birthday.html "PROBABLY NOT!" Leap Year Cactus February 7, 2012 3 full blooms 3 half blooms 8 buds There has been a rumor that I may be kidnapped to Key West either the week before or the week after THE day but I have been unable to find out anything about it--meanwhile some of the definite plans have been set and are in motion. Within the 29 days of February I plan to eat in 19 different restaurants of which 5 are favorites, 6 I have wanted to try and haven't gotten to yet or have been out of my budget ... http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/shut_birthday.html#comments Wed, 8 Feb 2012 01:24:21 GMT http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/election_bush_2000.html Appeals court rejects California's Proposition 8 Decision expected to be appealed, likely headed to Supreme Court Author: By the CNN Wire Staff Published On: Feb 07 2012 04:03:07 AM EST Updated On: Feb 07 2012 02:47:20 PM EST Enrique Castro-Mendivil / Reuters SAN FRANCISCO (CNN) - A federal appeals court ruled against California's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage Tuesday, arguing the ban unconstitutionally singles out gays and lesbians for discrimination. In a split decision, a thre ... http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/election_bush_2000.html#comments Tue, 7 Feb 2012 21:41:09 GMT http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/celebrating_leap_year_birthdays--part_5.html It was the Leap Year of Leap Years. It started with Gino and I going to the Curtain Up Awards--the local theatre award show--on February 23, 2004. Two days later Chuck came in from Memphis and we went to The Cheesecake Factory for lunch, afterwards the movies to see "Monster" (and I still think Charlize Theron gave the best performance ever by a female in that film) and then a bite to eat at Hamburger Mary's. On the 26th Bob, Jim, Gino, Chuck and I had dinner at The Old Florida Seafood Hou ... http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/celebrating_leap_year_birthdays--part_5.html#comments Mon, 6 Feb 2012 21:46:26 GMT http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/mother_nature_topped_herself---for.html Six years ago I bought a full flowering white and pink Christmas cactus and every year since then it has started to bloom in November being in full bloom by Christmas. This past November/December/Christmas not a bud. The same thing in January but when I woke up Wednesday, February 1, the first day of my 19th Leap Year month I saw it! There were buds on the plant almost overnight and by Thursday a couple were opening up. Yesterday, Friday, February 3, 2012, Leap Year month the buds blossome ... http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/mother_nature_topped_herself---for.html#comments Mon, 6 Feb 2012 01:40:29 GMT http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/happened_leap_year--1936--i.html A couple of months ago Maria posted the web site whathappenedinmybirthyear.com if you haven't out your year of birth do so as it is a lot of fun FORT LAUDERDALE 2012 In 1936, the world was a different place. There was no Google yet. Or Yahoo. In 1936, the year of your birth, the top selling movie was Camille . People buying the popcorn in the cinema lobby had glazing eyes when looking at the poster. Remember, that was before there were DVDs. Heck, even before there was VHS. People were ind ... http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/happened_leap_year--1936--i.html#comments Sun, 5 Feb 2012 02:09:21 GMT http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/dangerous_method--a_movie_review.html "A Dangerous Method" is Jung (Michael Fassbender) versus Freud (Viggo Mortensen) both involved with Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley), one as a lover and the other her mentor. Knightly has the more showy role and doesn't do a good job showing the arc she goes through starting with her demons sending her to an institution and ending with her becoming a successful psychoanalyst, coming on too strong in the beginning and using her chin for too much emphasis. It is very hard to understand how ... http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/dangerous_method--a_movie_review.html#comments Sat, 4 Feb 2012 03:01:32 GMT http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/19_76_lot_thankful.html So instead of thrilling you with my life story--again! (LOL)--I've decided to just list a few of the things I am grateful for as I approach the age of 19 (76) and not in any particular order. I am thankful that: I woke up this morning I have a great, large one bedroom apartment overlooking the inter-coastal with cable TV with 65 stations, including HBO and Showtime. for $31 and my electricity and water are included in the rent plus I get a $14 credit on my phone. Trust me when I tell you t ... http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/19_76_lot_thankful.html#comments Fri, 3 Feb 2012 02:25:31 GMT http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/celebrating_leap_year_birthdays--part_4.html On February 29, 2000 I celebrated my Sweet 16 Leap Birthday and divided it into 2 parts. For lunch I took 12 people to The Cheesecake Factory and I ordered a slice of each kind of cheesecake they had. In the evening I took 26 people to eat at The Ark which has a Captain's Buffet table consisting of most anything you could think of to eat.You can see 'scenes' from both The Cheesecake Factory and The Ark in the collage that James made for me--which is a good thing because I am unable to find ... http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/celebrating_leap_year_birthdays--part_4.html#comments Thu, 2 Feb 2012 00:39:45 GMT http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/love_them.html Kermit, Miss Piggy respond to liberal allegations Muppets hold press conference in London Author: By Breeanna Hare, Rose Prouser/Reuters And we thought Miss Piggy got snippy with us for asking if she enjoyed bacon for breakfast. This time, Jim Henson's resident well-dressed diva is firing back at accusations that her latest box office success, "The Muppets," is hiding a liberal agenda within its plot. The assertion was made last year by Fox Business commentator Eric Bolling, who raised the ... http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/love_them.html#comments Wed, 1 Feb 2012 15:31:32 GMT http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/january.html HERE'S SOME OF WHAT I DID. FORT LAUDERDALE BEACH JANUARY 19, 2012 MY CHOICE FOR BEST PICTURE OSCAR BIG LOUIE'S DUFFY'S IHOP LULU'S BAIT SHOP MOE'S POMPERDALE'S ROK BURGER WINGS & MORE TAP42 QUARTERDECK SUBWAY ****************************************************************** February 29th is special... It's the reason that a season comes at the same time every year. If you're born on Leap Day... Welcome Home! Just 28 days to our next birthday! LEAPYEARDAY.COM http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/january.html#comments Wed, 1 Feb 2012 02:21:08 GMT http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/celebrating_leap_year_birthdays--part_3.html 15 years old--60 years old--take your choice HOST FEBRUARY 29, 1996 ON LOS OLAS BLVD. THE INVITATION The invitation was headed "DEATH BY DESSERT" to be held at the ZanZbar restaurant specializing in African food and desserts. There were 5 of us and 16 desserts. Each dessert was homemade and had a hand carved chocolate animal on the top and each was better than the other--I know as I tasted each! Earlier in the day I took Gino to Bobby Rubino's where I got my free birthday baby back ribs di ... http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/celebrating_leap_year_birthdays--part_3.html#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:17:48 GMT http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/gee_lucky_boy_lucky_lucky.html I fell in love with Donna McKechnie one snowy winter night in 1968 when I saw her in "Promises, Promises" but it was in "a Chorus Line" with her commanding the stage in the solo "Music and the Mirror" (see the video below) for 8+ minutes singing, dancing and acting as Cassie that I fell IN LOVE with her. On Thursday, while reading posts on talkinbroadway/allthatchat, I came across a comment that McKechnie was going to be in Malapan, Florida. It appears that new owners were taking over the ... http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/gee_lucky_boy_lucky_lucky.html#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 01:13:15 GMT http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/taps42--gastropub_review.html Going along with the latest fad Taps 42 is a new gastropub featuring beer on tap--yes, here there are 42--$11 burgers, $9 grilled cheese sandwich, basically over-priced food but the food isn't why you come here . There are TVs all around but these are a lot smaller than in other places. There is a large outdoor eating and drinking area and when you enter the restaurant proper there is a long, dark wood bar with the 42 taps in the wall and a full liquor bar. On the opposite side are two lon ... http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/taps42--gastropub_review.html#comments Sun, 29 Jan 2012 01:43:54 GMT http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/iron_lady---a_movie_review.html Meryl Streep is, in all probability, the most awarded, if not financially rewarded, actresses of the past few generations. She is called 'the best actress of several generations' and holds the record for the most Oscar nominations and received her 19th for "The Iron Lady". She is acclaimed all over the world and, recently, starred in, and carried, 4 major pictures. In "The Iron Lady" she gives a master class in acting, showing how to use an accent, wardrobe and make up to impersonate, not ... http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/iron_lady---a_movie_review.html#comments Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:46:40 GMT http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/smarter_fearful_trusting.html PHOTOGRAPHED IN APARTMENT JANUARY 2012 Though it is not usually my frame of mind I am very down on myself for something I did yesterday. I am mad at myself for going against my instincts and yet, at the same time, I am questioning what I did because it involved trusting another person. I have always trusted people, including strangers, until they showed they weren't trustworthy. I know it is not a smart thing to do but over my 76 years I have had more positive results doing that than negat ... http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/smarter_fearful_trusting.html#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 01:17:51 GMT http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/celebrating_leap_year_birthdays--part_2.html It was 1988 and I was celebrating my thirteenth Leap Year birthday. I was thinking of having a bar mitzvah but I wasn't ready to go through the Hebrew lessons again so instead I had a party at The Golden Spike restaurant which had a fantastic buffet including a really tasty carrot cake--and is no longer in business. I have a whole album of pictures from that evening. In addition I do have my diary notes and a copy of my master charge credit card receipt and The Golden Spike receipt for 25 ... http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/celebrating_leap_year_birthdays--part_2.html#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:54:25 GMT http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/regrets.html PHOTOGRAPHED JANUARY 5, 2012 Sue worked as an accountant at the 1 Fifth Avenue restaurant in Greenwich Village right off the Park. We had been friends even since she walked into in Weight Watchers class on East 72nd street. From the first day she talked about waiting for retirement so she could get her Social Security and using the money she saved open a small antique shop on Third Avenue. The day she got her first check she called me--I was living in Memphis by then--and told me she had f ... http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/regrets.html#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:29:05 GMT http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/celebrating_leap_year_birthdays--part.html WHITE BIRD OF PARADISE There is something about waiting 3, what seems very long, years to celebrate a birthday but I have always done that and looked forward to my Leap Year celebration. Sometimes the party was elaborate, like the one I spoke of in the last blog, while other times they were modest and most depended on my financial condition. (The Sandpiper is now closed.) I had moved back to Florida in 1979 and within a short time met Michael and Gino. I lived around the corner from a rest ... http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/celebrating_leap_year_birthdays--part.html#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:41:46 GMT http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/born_february_29.html Born on February 29th NameOccupationBirthDeathKnown for Joss Ackland Actor 29-Feb-1928 White Mischief Karl Ernst von Baer Biologist 29-Feb-1792 28-Nov-1876 De Ovi Mammalium Morarji Desai Head of State 29-Feb-1896 10-Apr-1995 Prime Minister of India, 1977-79 Jimmy Dorsey Musician 29-Feb-1904 12-Jun-1957 Popular bandleader and swing musician Dennis Farina Actor 29-Feb-1944 Ray Barboni in Get Shorty Ken Foree Actor 29-Feb-1948 Dawn of the Dead Arthur Franz Actor 29-Feb-1920 17-Jun-2006 The Sn ... http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/born_february_29.html#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:51:47 GMT http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/feb_29_years.html Edit This Post     February 29, 1288 It becomes legal in Scotland for a woman to propose marriage to a man. February 29, 1504 Christopher Columbus uses a lunar eclipse to frighten hostile Jamaican natives into providing his crew with food. (And I went to Christopher Columbus High School in the Bronx 444 years later!) February 29, 1504 Columbus uses a lunar eclipse to frighten hostile Jamaican Indians February 29, 1528 "Patrick Hamilton, student of Parid, Louvain, St Andrews, Marburg, Abb ... http://my.greasy.com/greatmartin/feb_29_years.html#comments Sun, 22 Jan 2012 01:51:25 GMT