Yearly Archives: 2012

Rumors Orlando Bloom to play Romeo on Broadway

Earlier this month The Sun reported that Orlando Bloom might be headed to Broadway in a new adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. No further information was provided, but this would be Bloom’s debut on Broadway if the rumor is true.

I love this play and have long enjoyed Bloom.  It is not hard for me to imagine him as a Montague.

Source: Broadway.com

Radio BDC

Radio BDCAre you a fan of the Boston rock scene? Do you miss WFNX 101.7 and their music?  Come celebrate with Julie Kramer, Henry Santoro, Adam12 and Paul Driscoll on Thursday, August 16th from 8PM-10PM, at the Paradise Rock Club.

They are joining Boston’s newest radio station – RadioBDC and will be putting on a free show at the Paradise Rock club with Boston’s own Kay Hanley.  Follow @RadioBDC on twitter and register to get on this 21+ party at The Paradise Rock Club this Thursday, here.

Sundead

Check out this conceptual piece,  Argentina-based artist and video director Luciano Podcaminsky created.

The image of a coffin-tanning bed sends a fairly powerful message – akin to the warning labels on cigarette packs.  I’m not sure it would stop people from using these machines but it certainly would make most people pause and think twice about what they are doing.   More images of the “sundead” tanning booth are here.

Source:  booooooom.com

Temptation Tuesday

Temptation TuesdayToday’s Temptation Tuesday post is for all you ginger fans.  This handsome photo has been making the rounds on a number of blogs so I thought I’d hop on the bandwagon.  Enjoy.

Past Temptation Tuesday Posts

Study: Pretending Everything’s Okay Works

CAMBRIDGE, MA—A study released Thursday by researchers at Harvard University’s Department of Psychology has found that the simple act of pretending one’s life is not a complete shambles threatening to collapse at any moment works.

“Even when everything is coming apart at the seams and disaster is almost certainly imminent, putting up a good front for friends and loved ones makes everything better,” said Professor Christine Wanamaker, who explained that smiling a lot and evasive answers were usually enough to get by. “Tell everyone that things are fine, and they will be fine. Just don’t over-think it.”

When asked about her study’s methodology, Wanamaker said the research was rock-solid, had been looked over by a bunch of scientists, and definitely wasn’t anything to worry about.

This story was pulled from The Onion. If you need a good chuckle The Onion is a great site to check out.

Family wedding

This past weekend my younger brother was married on Cape Cod.  The wedding and reception was held by the beach in New Seabury, MA at the Popponesset Inn.  The property’s website does justice to how pretty the setting was for Timothy and Ashley – Popponesset Inn.

Click to enlarge the photos below which Sergio snapped of my younger brother and I just prior to the ceremony and during the wedding. 

Tiffani Faison to referee at Taste of Provincetown

Last week I wrote about The Taste of Provincetown, which will take place on Saturday, August 25th at Provincetown Town Hall.

The event will include Boston Sweet Cheeks chef-owner Tiffani Faison refereeing a cooking challenge by three Provincetown chefs.

Yours truly will join Frank Vasello, chef and owner of Relish to judge the cooking challenge.  Proceeds go to benefit MassEquality so come down and join me at The Taste of Provincetown.  

Purchase your tickets online here.

Sao Paulo phone booth public art campaign

call parade100 completely useless or recently vandalized phone booths in São Paulo, Brazil, were given to talented artists who had free reign to turn them into anything they like as part of an ongoing public art project “Call Parade” sponsored by Brazilian telecommunications company Vivo.  Check out the complete list of phone booths, learn more about the artists who created the public art and find out where the phone booth is on Google Maps here.

Cup of Joe

Bo RobertsActually I should call this post “cup of Bo” since this is the very handsome model, Bo Roberts. I figure if your morning cup of joe hasn’t kicked in yet, perhaps this image of Bo will get your attention.

Much thanks to David over at WGB for posting this on his blog last week. It was just the inspiration I needed.

Garfunkel and Oates

At the start of this summer I posted this video from Garfunkel and Oates.  These two women share their comedy through song.

It never ceases to amaze me how many, self confident, attractive women seem to snap after they turn 30.  This video pokes fun at that phenomenon.  Note that this video is not safe for work (NSFW).

Colorado is the least obese state in the U.S.

absLast week Gallup released a study about obesity in the U.S. They also ranked each of the 50 states from least obese to most obese.

For the second year in a row Colorado had the lowest obesity rate.  The study also examined levels of high blood pressure and diabetes, and found that, like last year, these lists look similar to the list of the most obese states, with both obesity and chronic disease clustered among Southern and Midwestern states.

Curious to see how your home state ranks?  Here is the list of most and least obese states.

Sunday morning

I love to sleep in on Sunday mornings.

Bodyscapes: Allan Teger

bodyscapes

Bodyscapes by Allan Teger

Earlier this summer I featured artist / photographer Lee Castoro who created RAW Fine Art – a collection of intimate photographs to address addiction.  The work of Allan Teger is more whimsical.  He captures everyday human activities using the naked form as his landscape.

If you love photography as I do, check out his website to learn more about Allan Teger and his collection, Bodyscapes.

Restaurant review: Ai Fiori

ai fioriAi Fiori menu focuses on cuisine from the Italian and French Riviera.  Chef and owner, Michael White, has created a beautiful space for a special evening of dining.  When you walk onto the second floor restaurant at The Setai Hotel you are warmly greeted by staff and find yourself in the restaurant’s large bar and lounge.   The restaurant makes the most of its location with many tables lining Fifth Avenue and 35th Street, but the restaurant is so beautifully designed that if you don’t happen to have a table by a window you need not worry.

ai fiori nycThe waitstaff encourage diners to enjoy a four course meal so I obliged.  The four course prix fixe is $89 and includes the following courses: cominciare / pasta or risotto / pesce or carne / dolce.  For those looking to truly indulge there is also a seven course chef’s tasting menu for $125.  My colleague and I opted to forgo our usual cocktails and try Pernod Absynthe for the first time.  If you enjoy anise you will enjoy this with notorious liquor with water.

abysntheMy first plate was the Insalata di Pomidori (shown bottom left) which included heirloom tomatoes, stracciatella, basil pesto, balsamic dressing.  It was a fantastic choice – light to eat and beautifully plated.  For my next course, I selected a house favorite, Trofie Nero (shown bottom right), which included ligurian crustacean ragu, seppia, scallops, spiced mollica.  While I enjoyed the plate, I preferred my colleagues choice (not shown below), Tortelli comprised of ricotta & mascarpone ravioli, sottocenere cheese, red wine glaze.  The cheese ravioli was smooth and creamy and the glaze was delicious.

Although service was generally superb, there was an obvious miscommunication, because it was nearly a half hour between when we finished our second plate and received our third.  This did not bother me nor detract from our dinner since we had planned a leisurely meal, but it did strike me as an odd issue for a restaurant, which clearly encourages the four course meal.  The third plate proved worth the wait, and I thoroughly enjoyed the Capesante, sea scallops, fennel, leeks, uova di trota, and shellfish sabayon.

ai fioriThough I was quite content by the time I had finished the scallops, I had ordered the Torta di Olio for dessert – a ligurian olive oil cake, strawberry, pine nut, and rosemary yogurt gelato. It was served on two plates; the first the warmed cake with a side of strawberry jam and the second plate with the flavorful gelato, pine nuts and strawberries that complimented the the cake beautifully.

ai fioriAi Fiori is set up perfectly for a power dining dinner or to have a special meal with close friends and family. The formal atmosphere is not stuffy and enhances the dining experience.  I would certainly come back again with colleagues if the opportunity presented itself – and I hope it does.

Ai Fiori’s dining menus are available online here.  Reservations are strongly recommended.

Ai Fiori (Setai Hotel) on Urbanspoon

Devotion by Robert Frost

My brother is getting married later today so I thought I’d share a poem befitting the occasion.

Devotion

The heart can think of no devotion
Greater than being shore to ocean –
Holding the curve of one position,
Counting an endless repetition. 

Devotion was written by American Poet, Robert Frost, and first published in 1928. I love the simplicity of this poem and the imagery he evokes to describe such a personal and intimate concept.