02/24/09 - Miami

	MOVIE - "Jonas Bros" and "Street Fighter" ART - Libby -actorsexpress- LOCAL - Rollergirls -arg-
	U.S. - Cranes, Carbon, Crash MIAMI - Oscars by the pool -raleigh- WEB - Obama me

MOVIE NEWS - "Jonas Bros" and "Street Fight" - Okay sometimes I act that way, but since I'm not actually a 12 year-old girl (nor a 15 year-old video game addict), I shan't be darkening the doorways of any cinemaplexes to view these fine offerings this Friday. Instead...

2/28 - High Museum Japanese Film Series - "Nobody Knows" ... what this film is about, but at least it's not based on Disney or a video game! -high-

...or check-out all the Oscar nominated shorts at Landmark.

ART NEWS - Libby -actorsexpress- The best carbaret performer in town...she once sang the Star Spangle Banner at a Braves game, then came up and sat down behind us. It's the only time I've EVER had someone sign a sports program.

LOCAL NEWS - Rollergirls -arg- The Rough housing Rascals of the Rink are back, this time moving from Stone Mountain to Midtown! Check 'em out at the Shriner's Yaarab Temple this Saturday. Good wholesome fun (except for the wholesome part).

COMPOST! -abg- This is huge! As my reader knows, the Atlanta Botanical Garden and I have differed in opinion over some things, but not with this! You can now bring kitchen scraps for composting to the garden! Why is this a big deal? Because it reduces landfill waste, methane off-gassing, and just general garbage nastiness. Just imagine a world where dumpsters didn't contain food waste...or rats.

U.S. NEWS - Humans help whooping cranes in migration season, during which the volunteers avoid appearing human by donning "crane suits" - white robes with white hoods. Of course the birds migrate - the alternative is to stick around and be chased by these crazy, David Duke-looking wack-jobs! -operation migration-

The U.S. attempted to launch a satellite into orbit that, had it been successful, would have measured CO2 in the atmosphere. If it had gone up, how quickly would if have measured the launch vehicle's own contributions to the problem it was attempting to quantify? -cnn-

Interactive graph comparing home prices in each of 20 U.S. cities to the average for those 20 cities; the bigger they are, the harder they fall. -nyt-

MIAMI - Oscars by the pool -raleigh-

So this year, having traveled to South Beach to visit and relax with an L.A. friend (not an oxymoron, really!), the Academy Awards were going to be different for me. If I was going to watch them away from home and not at an Oscar party with S., then the viewing locale was crucial.

The first 2 bars we hit weren't even showing it. Argh! As the 8:30 start time was fast approaching, I was ready to give up and watch in our hotel room when J. suggested "The Raleigh", a deco hotel on the beach that another friend had pointed out early in the day.

I called.

"Are you showing the Oscars?"

"Yes, we have TVs throughout the hotel lobby and outside lounge."

"Is there room for two more?"

The concierge said "yes" and then some other stuff I didn't hear, cuz I hung up, saying "sorry! The longer I listen, the later I'll be."

It was perfect - an outdoor projection screen TV by the pool; dark, candle-lit banquettes under the branches of a banyan tree strung with lanterns; and adorable Latin waiters. And whiskey sours.

Since I wanted to remember everything, I took notes about the show on my ballot.

Since there were many, many whiskey sours involved, I lost the ballot.

But, because S. and I were apart, we texted back and forth during the ceremony.

After performing "CSI: Cellphone" on my little Nokia, I was able to recreate at least some of our train of thought as the evening progressed (if it's unclear to you, dear reader, about whom the comment was made, no worries - I haven't a clue myself):

08:32:02 - "Cabbing to Raleigh"
08:50:04 - "Congrats P - M Obama wants dress back"
09:05:04 - "Jen, Angelina. Angelina, Jen."
09:07:43 - "Go-bot!"
09:16:57 - "Please welcome to the stage D Craig and ... who cares?"
09:43:20 - "What's that actress who's not Cate Blanchett wearing?"
10:55:04 - "Who's Zack [Efron] with....who cares?"
11:13:08 - "I see dead people"
11:37:12 - "Love the [dress] color...where's rest of it?"
11:44:33 - "Everyone is clapping for our people!"

...and based on the increasing incomprehensibility of the texts...

11:44:34 - Ceremony and whisky sours just about done.

WEB NEWS - Obama me