Source: Pete Souza/The White House, Oct. 26, 2012
I know it is nearly Christmas but I love this photograph Time Magazine posted, showing President Obama playing with the son of a White House staffer – otherwise known as Spiderman.
I love this image.
It is that time of year when I curtail my time spent outside and look for indoor entertainment, because it’s just too cold in Boston. One distraction I’m very much looking forward to is the Institute of Contemporary Art exhibit, This will have been: Art, Love, and Politics in the 1980s,which runs through March 3, 2013.
According to Boston Globe writer, Sebastian Smee, the exhibit is “An ambitious historical overview of the main currents of art-making in the 1980s.” Sounds cool to me Sebastian. According to the ICA website, the exhibition is divided into four sections: The End is Near, Democracy, Gender Trouble and Desire and Longing. It is this fourth section that addresses the emergence of queer visibility brought on by the AIDS crisis that interests me the most.
No plans this weekend or will you have extra time during this last week in December? Check out a local museum / art exhibit. You may be surprised how much you enjoy yourself. If my post has piqued your interest, read more about the ICA’s exhibit here.
I’m enjoying these daily Christmas (man)Candy posts. Today’s post is meant to remind you that packaging counts. How else could you explain the appeal of this beautiful package so nicely wrapped in red?
Readers of this blog know that I have a love for travel. Here are some Christmas photos of a few of my favorite cities. Send me pictures from your home city at bosguymail@gmail.com.
Its a cliche, but I love Paris. Not surprisingly the city of lights lives up to it’s name with this gorgeous photograph of the Champs-Elysee. Off in the distance is a giant lit ferris wheel in what looks to be the Place de la Concorde or perhaps Jardin de Tuileries.
Without a picturesque beach or the view of Sugarloaf in the background, you probably don’t recognize this photo of the tree lighting ceremony in Rio de Janeiro’s Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas.
While I’ve never been to Prague in December, this view of the Christmas market in the city’s Old Town Square is beautiful. When I last visited Prague it was still under communist rule. It is time for me to plan a return trip to this beautiful city.
While Melbourne may feel as if it plays second fiddle Sydney, I’ll always love this city which oozes culture. Melbourne’s beautiful Victorian malls must look absolutely gorgeous right about now.
Merry Christmas
Los amantes pasajeros otherwise known as I’m So Excited is Pedro Almodóvar’s next movie.
According to IMDB, I’m So Excited is set to open in Spain in March 2013 and stars Penélope Cruz and Antonio Banderas.
While I’m no movie buff, this film looks like something I’d enjoy watching. Check out the promo trailer I’ve included below.
This handsome helper is courtesy of an old Christmas Eve post by local blogger, WickedGayBlog. Thanks David.
It is now Friday afternoon on the east coast in the United States, and I thought I’d share this post before I sign off for the day. I hope this makes you smile and gives you a good chuckle.
A few weeks ago Late Night talk show host, Jimmy Fallon, broadcast a video with his band, The Roots, and Mariah Carey singing All I Want for Christmas. Check out Alex in the UK (possibly Mariah Carey’s biggest fan) watching the performance for the first time.
If Fallon’s video made you laugh check out Alex watching the song from start to finish here. Its hilarious.
Senator-elect Elizabeth Warren will be sworn in as a Massachusetts US Senator in January. She won the seat in a hotly contested race from Senator Scott Brown who had an “A” rating and been supported by the National Rifle Association (NRA). While gun control was never addressed during the campaign, in retrospect it seems worth noting this change.
Out-going Senator Scott Brown recently said he now would support federal action to ban assault weapons, but I can’t tell if it is political pandering since everyone expects Brown to run to replace Kerry should he be nominated as the next Secretary of State. Massachusetts has some of the strictest gun control laws in the US so curious that he would get an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association; back-pedaling or change of heart?
Today’s Christmas-themed post published a bit later, doubling as a Santa-themed Furry Friday post. I hope you like it as much as I do.
I stumbled upon this collection of awkward holiday photos, while trolling the internet when I was in NYC. This photograph is my personal favorite. Feel free to check out the others here.
How many different ways can they spin butter, eggs, and refined sugar? The possibilities are endless and calories limitless, unless you take the initiative to control your appetite and be aware of your body and it’s realistic needs. Now the goal here is to not get swept away in nostalgic emotional eating – it is to realize what your body’s nutritional needs are. Odds are you won’t find a cupcake with 50 grams of processed sugar just sitting in the middle of nature, and we wonder why diabetes is a growing problem in America.
“Sweet is the first taste humans prefer from birth” according to Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, a dietitian and American Dietetic Association spokeswoman. Carbohydrates also make us feel good, releasing serotonin and rewarding us for the choice; the taste of sugar alone releases endorphins and relaxes us, somewhat of a natural high. With so many immediate onset incentives to eating these sweet treats no wonder we get carried away. Let’s go over some good ways to control these cravings, instead of letting the cravings control us.
Eat regularly: Having a balanced and healthy diet with proper intervals of eating will keep your blood sugar more level and reduce the risk of craving sweets, and over indulging.
Drink water, stay hydrated: If 80% of Americans are dehydrated daily, then odds are you are dehydrated. Which can be mistaken for hunger, even if your needs are fulfilled. So next time you crave a cupcake or cookie, drink some good old calorie free tap water.
Go natural, eat fruit: If you crave sweets indulge in some chocolate covered strawberries, or have an apple. This will be a lot easier and efficient for your body to break down and will also have some nutrients to go with the calories.
Take a walk: Stop obsessing and get your mind off by getting outside. Change the subject of your mental conversation and often your cravings will subside.
Work brought me to New York City this week and unlike most business trips, I actually had a few hours on Tuesday evening to enjoy by myself. The City looked very festive and no matter where I went, there were plenty of lights, wreaths and all the other decorations you would associate with this time of year.
Shown above is Grand Central Station on 42nd Street. This and the neighboring Chrysler Building are two of my favorite in NYC. The first time I came to NYC, I emerged from Grand Central, walked out to the streets of Midtown, looked up and saw the Chrysler Building. I’ve been in love with New York City ever since.
The skating rink at Bryant Park (shown above) might be less famous than Rockefeller Center’s, but it is larger and far more fun. Earlier this year I tweeted a photo of hundreds on the park doing yoga after work. No matter the time of year I always enjoy stopping by Bryant Park.
Excluding Times Square, I cannot think of a more crowded destination for tourists than NYC’s than Rockefeller Center. The ice rink and Christmas tree below always looks pitifully small under the soaring art deco sky scraper, but that doesn’t deter the crowds who come to get their photograph taken.
Here is today’s installment of my gratuitous handsome Christmas-themed posts. I don’t really care what he’s selling, because if Santa’s elves look like this I’ll move to the North Pole.
The following review was written by Michael Constantinides.
Yakitori Zai promises a culinary experience off the beaten path on the South End’s most favorite intersection, says lifestyle contributor Michael C.
IT’S THE CORNER OF SHAWMUT AND UNION PARK or officially, 315 Shawmut Avenue. For almost two years, we walked past this address and it pained us to see the most incredible commercial spot in the South End sit vacant and unutilized – After Joe V’s closed, we thought of the many a wasted summer evening when, with what pleasure, we could have been sitting on the bumpy patio enjoying a civilized dinner and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc or the many a January night when we could have been parked by the fish-bowl windows watching people walk by outside in the snow, Edward Hopper-style. If only there was a restaurant there. It was a crime.
Since last June, lo and behold, there is new hope for this beloved spot, courtesy of Yakitori Zai. It’s not like it didn’t take the owners forever to actually open and it’s not like they weren’t abysmally clueless when they decided to initially offer only “tasting reservations” at around $120 per head (I suppose they were very savvy in the art of shooting oneself in the foot).
Anyway, all that’s behind us now! The menu is extensive, interesting and reasonable and the whole concept of yakitori, fascinating – here’s how it works: the bite-sized pieces of meat, seafood and vegetables are simply grilled and flavored with sauces, glazes, crusts and other accoutrements that cause explosions of taste in the mouth – not a single part of that chicken going to waste (yes, of course you only order the parts you can handle).
I had dinner at Zai the other night with a friend – a rather sophisticated gentleman – and, granted I had just stepped off a plane, I don’t think it was mere hunger that caused us both to really enjoy the experience. The chicken breast, prepared in three different ways melts in your mouth like marshmallow, the duck is tender (not an easy feat), the chicken and egg rice bowls and noodle soup hearty, the okra not slimy and, above all, the portions are controlled (if you want all-you-can-eat, try the buffet at Yangtze River in Lexington, MA – no joke – it’s worth the drive).
However, a tip for the management: please get rid of the hideous yellow/brown walls, which, if I am not mistaken, may be a relic from Joe V’s – seriously?! Consider a sultry dark gray or a funky hand-painted wallpaper (think Devon’s in P-Town) to complement your fine fare with that subtle touch of ambiance that’s oh-so-important to a South End dining establishment – in other words, get with the program.
Admittedly, Zai is not the cheapest place you can get dinner on a Thursday night but, contrary to rumors, the place is not hideously expensive (anymore). Think of it as halfway between your authentic noisy Chinatown eatery and the nationally famous Oya in the Leather District – a good balance of culinary delight and affordability. And all this at the most beautiful, charming location in the South End, people! So give it a shot. Support this new culinary idea that’s landed smack in the middle of our beautiful neighborhood. Don’t let 315 Shawmut go empty again. Be a South End culinary vigilante.
Yakitori Zai, 315 Shawmut Avenue, Boston, MA – www.yakitorizai.com
About the author: A former banker, Michael C offsets the sobriety of his professional life with his passion for design, music, the arts and anything beautiful.
© Michael Constantinides 2012 – all rights reserved
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