Thanks to WGB for sharing this video clip. Meryl Streep does a ‘wicked good job’ playing Julia Child.
Although Julia Child was born in CA and lived in Europe for years, she really became quite famous when she started her cooking show here in Boston on PBS affiliate, WGBH. The Smith College grad settled in Cambridge and through her cooking show became a local and international icon for decades. Check out the movie trailer – it is worth the two minutes of your time.
Tagged Art and Film, BosGuy, Boston Guy, Pop Culture
The Rathskeller (known as The Rat for short) was a live music venue for more than two decades in Boston’s Kenmore Square. The Rat was Boston’s version of CBGBs – a dingy place best known for hosting up and coming punk and rock bands. During their years of operation bands like The Cars, Pixies, Police, Ramones, and Talking Heads played here.
However, both the music scene and Kenmore Square changed by the late 90s and so the Rat finally closed its doors for good in 1997 (the year I moved back to Boston).
Now occupying 528 Commonwealth Avenue is the Hotel Commonwealth’s restaurant, Eastern Standard. According to wikipedia, in recognition of the Rat’s place in Boston’s punk rock history, the restaurant’s bar offers a cocktail named after the concert venue, which consists of fernet branca and coke.
For those feeling nostalgic you can check out The Rat’s myspace page at www.myspace.com/rathskeller
Today’s surprise announcement from Senate Republican, Arlen Specter, that he is changing his party affiliation brings the number of Democrats in the U.S. Senate to 59. Specter will likely remain a conservative Democrat not necessarily aiding many of Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid’s, pet projects, but it remains both a surprise and a blow to the Republican Party.
Today, Sen. Specter said that he did not leave the Republican Party – rather the party had left him. These are sentiments that have been voiced for the past few years by many moderate Republicans and most recently by Sen. John McCain’s daughter, Meghan McCain. Perhaps this will serve as a wake-up call for the Republican Party – but I doubt it. Obama’s appeal to moderates and the Republican Party’s continued embrace of the far right mimics a trend that saw the same thing happen to the Democrats in the 1980s when Specter first came to the U.S. Senate. Then, several high profile (mostly Southern) Democrats switched their party affiliation.
6pm Update:
I am posting an update to my initial entry which is above, because of comments I’ve since read on the Huffington Post which validate my thoughts.
Sen. Snowe from Maine issued a public statement saying that the news of Specter’s departure was devastating. You can read more by linking here.
By contrast Repubican Party Chairman Steele derided Sen. Specter’s decision saying he only did this because he would not win the Republican Party Primary in his re-election bid in two years; essentially calling him a RINO – a derogatory term that means, “Republican In Name Only”.
Not to be out done, and because all ego maniacs crave the spotlight, Rush Limbaugh made it a point to say good riddance, and then he suggested that Sen. John McCain and his daughter Meghan McCain (see her mentioned above in my initial posting) should also join the Democratic Party. So much for the Republican Party’s leadership taking this seriously.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, Politics
There is a rumor that the restaurant space occupied by The Dish until it closed in January of this year, has recently been sold. The Dish was a popular neighborhood restaurant on the corner of Shawmut and Milford Street but it’s tiny size probably worked against it during the colder months when their street patio was not available for patrons. I’m hopeful that another eatery will open in its place. Perhaps a delicious sandwich shop or bakery to compliment Formaggio’s across the street.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston, Boston Guy, Dining, South End
Signs of spring started to appear in Boston about two weeks ago, and last Friday, April 17th, when Boston cracked 70 degrees for the first time many of the magnolia trees lining Commonwealth Avenue went into full bloom.
However, starting this past Friday, April 24th, when Boston hit 80 degrees the city erupted. Everyone (myself included) has been dining al fresco, joining friends on their roof decks and patios for cocktails and walking around the city just to be outside enjoying the warmth.
Spring has sprung, the non-stop chirping of birds and the trees now covered in leaves have done more to fend off any possible relapse of GetMeTheHellOutOfHere Syndrome until next winter.
Current weather conditions in Boston: 83 degrees and sunny
Tuesday’s weather predictions in Boston: highs nearing 90 degrees!
And I am happy.
The Red Sox and Yankees meet for the first time this season at Fenway Park tonight. To draw some inspiration and to help keep the Red Sox 7-game winning streak alive, I thought I would post this photograph from October 20, 2004 when the Red Sox did the unimaginable and rallied to make the greatest come back in sports history; defeating the NY Yankees in a best of 7 series after dropping the first 3 games and earning their victory on enemy soil.
Good luck Red Sox and happy memories to Red Sox Nation with this flashback.
Marathon fever hit Boston earlier this week and the street’s of Boston’s BackBay neighborhood are filled with excited runners, visitors and enthusiasts to watch the world’s oldest annual marathon. Unfortunately, the good weather we have enjoyed the past few days appears to be on its way out so I’ll keep my fingers crossed for the marathoners and the 500,000+ people the city expects to come in and cheer on runners.
Marathon Monday (held each Patriots’ Day) is a unique holiday universally celebrated in Boston but little known beyond the city limits. Tomorrow I will not be blogging. Rather I will visit a local bar to watch the Red Sox game which begins at 11:05am before I walk over to Mass. and Comm. Ave. to cheer on those running in the 113th Boston Marathon.
Having lived in Boston for more than a decade, this weekend has a lot of meaning and is a wonderful time to be in the city. I would love to welcome people to come and experience Marathon Monday once in their life. It is a fun and unique experience that illustrates Boston’s fierce pride and tradition as well as the city’s love for sports and athletes in general.
If you would like to learn more about the 26.2 mile route or the storied history of the world’s oldest annual marathon, The Boston Globe has a great spread which includes: an interactive guide that breaks down the course mile by mile, photo galleries and videos as well as a spectators guide. To read more link here.
About the Boston Marathon:
Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon and ranks as one of the world’s most well-known road racing events. It is one of five members of the World Marathon Majors, which also include: London, Berlin, Chicago and New York City.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston, Boston Guy, Sports, The Boston Globe
It has been nearly a month since my last ‘work out’ entry. At that point, I had just completed my initial trial pack, and I re-signed for another 10 sessions with my trainer, Stu. I mentioned that my clothes were starting to fit me better, and I noticed subtle changes in my physique. Since then, I have remained fairly faithful working out regularly. 
Today Stu focussed on working out my legs and now that I’ve been out of the gym for several hours I can feel the fatigue. Stu had me run through a series of circuits for 90 minutes that included weights, plyometrics, crunches, suicides and several other exercises that kept me gasping to catch my breathe. I’ve noticed that as I’ve gained strength, Stu has increased the intensity of our work outs. I suppose I should look at this as getting more value for my money – after all the workouts now make my introductory sessions seem pretty pathetic. When I think back to some of my earlier entries like “My Aching Muscles”, I’m almost embarrassed by how out of shape I had allowed myself to get. To the casual observer I don’t think people realized how weak I was both with regards to muscle tone as well as cardio. Fortunately the regular visits to the gym, which started mid-February, have really made a difference.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, Fitness, Health
Hooray! The Boston Globe is reporting that after the April 9th announcement by the Massachusetts Turnpike that the Zakim Bridge would no longer be lit at night due to budget cuts, there was a huge public outcry and enough donations have come in to ensure the bridge can and will remain lit at night. The familiar blue lights will reappear starting tonight.
Photo from The Boston Globe and staff photographer, Evan Richman.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston, Boston Guy, The Boston Globe
Earlier this week, four significant memos written by the Bush administration between 2002 and 2005 on the interrogation of terror detainees were released. Among the interrogation documents released, was a list of 13 techniques authorized by the Justice Department for use by the C.I.A. on high-level suspects. The NY Times details some of the methods in their article on Friday, “Interrogation memos detail harsh tactics by the CIA”. However, the reason I am writing this entry is not to dwell on techniques approved by the Bush administration and applied to unsavory characters, but to revisit a blog entry I wrote in November 2007, “What are Values?”.
I know that many Americans have no problem with the thought of the U.S. torturing individuals or using any necessary means to secure the greater good for the public. Although I think I can make a strong argument that torturing people is not an effective way to get reliable information, I wanted to respond to the news of these memos for a different reason. When I think of men torturing people, I conjure up images of communist Russia and China or rogue nations like Chad, Syria and Iran – these are places where liberty is unknown. For reasons rooted in our Judeo-Christian culture and our founding political ideals (the very things that make us such a unique and special country) I can not imagine an America that would engage in serious dialog about ‘acceptable torture techniques’.
There should be nothing acceptable about torture. Are we a nation that hold our ideals true or do we only speak of these values (i.e. sanctity of life, rights of all individuals, etc…) when we are correcting our children or in our respective houses of worship? I expect our country to walk the talk and lead by example – not footnote exceptions for torturing individuals when our very ideals become inconvenient. I can not reconcile the image of a United States that condones torture with the image of my country when we are at our best. Martin Luther King appealed to the better side of Man in his “I have a dream” speech. I have chosen this excerpt which I think better expresses my fears and hopes for a better America.
“In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.”
Martin Luther King – I Have a Dream, 1963
Friday – April 17th is The National Day of Silence. The purpose of this day is to bring attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment, and I have decided to participate in my own way.
On Friday, I will not post on my blog, answer personal e-mails or log on to twitter. I understand that many people might not understand the point of this day. However, to those who would read my blog and feel that way all I can say is that I identify with this issue on a very personal level that I would rather not discuss in such a public forum. And if this is how this movement wants to draw attention to this problem then I want to show my support.
Want to learn more? Link here.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, Gay, Politics
Few have the looks of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt but it does not stop people from making snap judgements on an individual’s ability based on how they present themselves.
Check out Susan Boyle, a contestant from Britain’s Got Talent. Susan’s rather homely presentation belies a voice that belts out Les Miserables “I dreamed a dream” like a pro – amazing. Check out the video by linking here.
Tagged Art and Film, BosGuy, Boston Guy, Pop Culture
Every year the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater comes to Boston for one week of breathtaking performances and each year I purchase my tickets to see one of the performances. This year I am going to see the show on Thursday, April 30th and I can hardly wait. If you’ve never seen the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, do a search on YouTube or Google Videos. I think even on the small screen the music and dance will capture your imagination.
If you’ve never been – consider spending some of your hard earned cash to come down and see the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater at the Boston Opera House. Tickets can be purchased online here.
About Alvin Ailey:
Alvin Ailey was an African-American choreographer who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York. Ailey’s career as one of the nation’s most prominent choreographer’s was cut short when he died from AIDS in 1989. His choreographic masterpiece Revelations is believed to be the best-known and most often seen modern dance performance. You can see this beautiful dance if you link here.
Tagged Art and Film, BosGuy, Boston, Boston Guy, Theater
Ryan Landry has been cranking out one parody after another and his latest creation, Willie Wanker and the Hershey Highway, will open April 24th and run through May 24th. You can buy tickets online here.
The twisted take on the Ronald Dahl classic, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” is sure to be filled with witty and sarcastic dialog. You can read more about the show, the cast, and the Gold Dust Orphans by linking to their homepage here. If you’ve never been to a Ryan Landry show or if it has been awhile – check it out and stop by the Ramrod Center for Performing Arts for a show. All performances start at 8pm.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston, Boston Guy, Theater
BosGuy 