Category Archives: Free Stuff

Shakespeare on the Common this summer

Posted on February 18, 2012 | 2 comments

The Commonwealth Shakespeare Company will perform Coriolanus for their 17th season of free Shakespeare plays on the Boston Common. Shows will run from July 25 – August 12, 2012 with performances Tuesday – Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 7pm.  Shows will run 2 hours and 45 minutes so plan to smuggle in an extra bottle of wine.

Not familiar with Coriolanus? Neither am I.  According to The Commonwealth Shakespeare Co. website, “the play charts the rise and fall of a powerful general as he battles enemies abroad, and a tide of popularity at home in Rome. While the war hero triumphs in the field, it’s his struggle with politics, responsibility and government that threatens to undo him.”  Seems appropriate considering this is an election year in the US.

2 Comments

Posted in Boston, Free Stuff, Theater

Tagged , , ,

Free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream Feb 14 from 5-8pm

Posted on February 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

I love Ben & Jerry’s not only for their tempting ice cream but for their consistent stand on social issues I think are important.  On Valentine’s Day (14-February) Ben & Jerry’s is kicking off their latest campaign, GetTheDoughOut.org

According to the site, their goal “is to take back American democracy, and over-rule the Supreme Court, with a Constitutional Amendment that will keep corporate money out of our elections.”

They will kick off this campaign, on Valentine’s Day, February 14th from 5-8PM, with participating Ben & Jerry’s shops offering a free scoop of the ice cream inspired by Stephen Colbert, Americone Dream.  In return would you consider signing their online petition here?

 

Leave a comment

Posted in Free Stuff, Poltics

Tagged ,

This post brought to you by: Sir Richard’s Condom Company

Posted on November 14, 2011 | 5 comments

I love SWAG so I’d like to say thank you very much to Sir Richard’s condom company for surprising me with some of their product and a letter encouraging me to try their brand and “WRAP UP MY PACKAGE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON”, which runs from World AIDS Day on December 1 through Valentines Day, February 14th.

At the risk of over-sharing, I’ll admit I have developed a degree of brand loyalty with these purchases and become accustomed to buying a particular brand, but I’m not so close minded that when such beautifully packaged “gifts” arrive at my doorstep I won’t give them a try.  And of course I don’t want to appear rude or ungrateful so I equate this pause to the same sort of advertising NPR does when they take a moment to thank their sponsors.

Intrigued by Sir Richard’s Condom Company?  I was too – this is what I learned.

  • They are made with 100% natural latex (without caein), which apparently makes them vegan friendly – Who Knew?
  • They are available nationally at Whole Foods (that’s where I shop!)
  • Check ’em out online at  www.sirrichards.com, on Twitter @MySirRichards, or on FB at /SirRichardsCondoms

5 Comments

Posted in Free Stuff

Tagged , , ,

47th Head of the Charles: October 22-23

Posted on October 20, 2011 | 1 comment

The Charles River divides Boston from Cambridge and each autumn the Head of the Charles (the largest regatta in the world) occurs.  The two-day sporting event includes more than 8,000 rowers competing in over 50 races and draws more than 300,000 spectators (many of them college students proudly -and somewhat drunkenly- cheering on their school).

The seven bridges that criss-cross the Charles River along the race course provide excellent vantage points, but I’m more partial to viewing from the Cambridge side nearer Harvard University and Harvard Square.

If you are new to Boston or rediscovering the city after many years of calling this place home I would strongly recommend coming out and watching the Regatta. Harvard Square pubs and streets are overflowing with people and the city is abuzz with rowers who have come from all over to compete in this prestigious and largest regatta in the world.

This event is uniquely Boston’s (or perhaps to be fair I should include Cambridge too).  Like the Boston marathon, its an athletic event that falls far outside the purview of mainstream sports, but it is a tradition here that many in the city come out to support and enjoy.  

1 Comment

Posted in Free Stuff, Sports

Tagged , , ,

Boston Book Festival: October 15, 2011

Posted on October 13, 2011 | 1 comment

The third annual Boston Book Festival (the largest literary event in New England) is this Saturday (October 15) in Copley Square.  The event will host more than 100 world-renowned authors, workshops and events.   If you are in the city, check out the festival.

Whatever your interests, fiction, history, science, food writing, sports writing, crime fiction, etc… they have something for you.  You can check out the full calendar of events by linking to their site here and individual event descriptions here.

1 Comment

Posted in Free Stuff, What'cha Reading

Tagged , , ,

Hey Sailor…

Posted on October 7, 2011 | 1 comment

Did you know that starting today the Charlestown Navy Yard will host the  USS Stephen W. Groves?

Size queens are certain to mutter under their breathe that they’ve seen bigger if they visit the destroyer, but you tell them to be quiet.  Should you see sailors walking around Boston do ask and let’s hope they will tell.  Okay – I’ll behave now and stop with all the double entendres.

If interested, the USS Stephen W. Groves will be open for public tours on Saturday from 1pm-4pm, Sunday from 10am-4pm and Monday from 10am-4pm.

1 Comment

Posted in Boston, Free Stuff, Gay

Tagged , , ,

Boston awakes after its sleepy summer slumber

Posted on September 19, 2011 | Leave a comment

There is nothing better than autumn in Boston.  For those from tropical climates the weather may be a bit brisk for there liking, but there is no doubting that this town comes back to life each fall.  After a sleepy summer where students say so long and residents slip away each weekend to the Cape, Islands and Coast, the fall injects life back into Boston.  As a result, each weekend is chalk full of activities.  This past weekend is the perfect example.

Boston Freedom Rally – Held the third Thursday of every September on the Boston Common is The Boston Freedom Rally which is the second largest rally to legalize marijuana in the United States.  Although official numbers are not available easily more than 100,000 come to enjoy the rally each year.  The photo above provides an idea of the size of the crowd.

MixFest Concert at Hatch Shell – This past Saturday a local radio station hosted a free concert along the Charles River to welcome students back to Boston.  Artists included Lifehouse, Michelle Branch and a host of others, and attracted tens of thousands to the esplanade.

South End Open Studios – The 25th annual celebration which occurred this past Saturday and Sunday included more than 250 artists in Boston and drew tens of thousands of art enthusiasts visiting local artists in their studios and neighborhood galleries which were open especially for the occasion.


Leave a comment

Posted in Free Stuff

Tagged , , , ,

Free stuff to do in Boston this Friday

Posted on August 4, 2011 | 1 comment

Although I’m off to Gotham this weekend, that doesn’t mean I’m unaware of all the fun things happening in Boston. If you don’t have plans this Friday or if you are tired of doing the same thing, consider one of these options.

Shakespeare on the Common Once again this year, The Commonwealth Shakespeare Co. is providing free performances. This year they are performing All’s Well that Ends Well through August 14th down by the bandstand on the Boston Common. Invite that special someone to join you Friday evening under the stars and enjoy some great local theater.
ICA Boston Thanks to the Highland Street Foundation, this Friday (August 5th) Boston’s premiere contemporary art museum is free to the public as part of their FREE FUN FRIDAYS series. Be sure to check out their “The Record: Contemporary Art & Vinyl” exhibit. For a small cover charge after taking in the exhibit you can partake in their waterfont dance party “DJs on the harbor: Classic DJ Throwdown”.
Of course there are more options such as First Fridays Open Studios, Boston Guerilla Queer Bar which will be overtaking a straight bar in the theater district this month, or joining guys for a drink at Fritz Bar in the South End to watch the Red Sox kick off a hometown series against the Yankees.

1 Comment

Posted in Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Free Stuff

Tagged , , , , , ,

Trojan ‘food’ truck to dispense toys in NYC

Posted on July 27, 2011 | 2 comments

According to Eater.com, condom brand Trojan is coming to New York next week with its “good vibrations” food truck. The truck will hand out free condoms, Trojan vibrating rings, and will be promoting a new product with the dubious name of “vibrating Twister.”

You can find the “good vibrations” truck around Manhattan, Brooklyn and Montauk next Thursday, Friday and Saturday, promoting sexual health awareness.
Hey Trojan, how can we convince you to drive up to Boston and Provincetown this summer?
Thanks SerbianDejan for the tip.

2 Comments

Posted in Free Stuff

Tagged ,

Zipcar: Low-Car Diet 2011 SWAG

Posted on July 26, 2011 | 4 comments

Usually “Free Stuff” is code for “crap nobody wants”. Clearly I’m not accustomed to the classy outfit that is Zipcar because today I received a basket of goodies including:

-MBTA Charlie Card
-Whole Foods gift card from Symphony store
-Urban AdvenTours perks
-Boloco gift card
-LogMeIn SWAG
-Jabra pair of sport headphones
-Bags and bags of PopChips
-New England Aquarium movie passes
All this was sent to me because I was fortunate enough to be selected to participate in the Zipcar Low-Car Diet campaign, which you can read more about here.
Earlier this week I wrote about the start of the program which you can read here. I plan to post periodic updates about the 30-day challenge on my blog. If you are a Zipster (apparently that is what Zipcar users call themselves) let me know. For those not familiar, Zipcar is a car-sharing service that operates on numerous college campuses and in many cities in North America and the United Kingdom.
This particular challenge from Zipcar focuses on ways we can use alternative forms of transportation (e.g. Metro, biking, walking etc…) I plan on riding my bike to the Whole Foods Market at Symphony Hall later this week and use the home delivery service. I know I’ll be using most of the items that the generous corporate sponsors provided and I want to say “Thank You” to Zipcar for selecting me and to the cool sponsors for lending their support and name to promoting the Low-Car Diet.

4 Comments

Posted in Free Stuff

Tagged , ,

Shakespeare on Common starts

Posted on July 26, 2011 | Leave a comment

Free performances from The Commonwealth Shakespeare Company begins tomorrow, Wednesday, July 27th. Every year The Commonwealth Shakespeare Co. hosts free performances open to the public on the Boston Common. This year’s play is All’s Well That Ends Well and will run from July 27th thru August 14th. No performances are held on Mondays, from Tuesday through Saturday performances start at 8PM and on Sundays performances start at 7PM.

All’s Well That Ends Well is a story of how far one woman will go to win the heart of her beloved. With boundless wit and tenacity Helena pursues the object of her desire, Bertram, from Paris to Florence and through a maze of obstacles.
Will Helena find true love with Bertram? For those familiar with Shakespeare’s plays, I think you know already, but come down and see a performance. Support the local art and theater scene by helping to spread the word and planning an evening with friends down on the Common. Local Pizzeria’s (e.g. Upper Crust in Beacon Hill) will deliver orders to the show and its easy to smuggle a bottle or two of wine, making an impromptu picnic on the Common.
For more information about the program, The Commonwealth Shakespeare Co. website.

Leave a comment

Posted in Free Stuff

Tagged , , ,

Get your gay card

Posted on June 22, 2011 | 15 comments

A bunch of guys on Twitter have been chirping away about a fun and free online quiz entitled The Official Gay Card.

The online quiz asks “So you think you’re gay? Prove it!” Its free and takes all of two minutes to complete.

I’ve taken the quiz twice. The first time I took it I scored a 60. The second time I scored a 68. I can’t recall what I could’ve answered differently, but I think a 60 or 68 rating makes me sound more bisexual so for the record, I’d like to set the record straight (LOL)… I’m 100% gay.

Take the quiz and share your score with me. I’m curious to see what kind of rating you get regardless of whether you are ‘gay’ or not.

15 Comments

Posted in Free Stuff

Tagged , ,

Guerrilla Queer Bar and First Friday options for you

Posted on June 2, 2011 | Leave a comment

No plans this weekend or looking to try something different? The first Friday of each month Boston Guerrilla Queer Bar overtakes a traditionally straight bar and fills it with gay men. Since the Boston bar scene can sometimes seem somewhat restricting, Boston Guerrilla Queer Bar gives Boston gay men and women the opportunity to break out of their routine. Curious which bar will be overtaken on Friday? Check in on the group’s facebook page or its website, www.BostonGuerrilla.com

Is the bar scene not really your thing? Looking for something to do that won’t break the bank? More of the Artsy-Fartsy variety? Then come over to my neighborhood in Boston’s South End and join the thousands of others who will participate in First Friday. This event which runs from 5:00pm – 9:00pm at 450 Harrison Avenue allows you to walk through the many, many working art studios, view art and artisan crafts and chat with the artists. Its a great way to mingle and meet people and after you are done, there are literally a half dozen or more excellent restaurant options within 2-3 blocks to either grab dinner or enjoy some light bites while sipping your favorite beverage. Friday’s forecast is low-to-mid 70s and clear skies so it should be a beautiful night to stroll about.

Leave a comment

Posted in Free Stuff

Tagged , , ,

SoWa Open Market

Posted on May 1, 2011 | Leave a comment

SoWa Open Market returns starting today, Sunday, May 1st from 10AM – 4PM at 460 Harrison Avenue. Through the past few years, I’ve watched this Sunday market grow both in size and variety. A couple of years ago the market grew so large and popular they moved it up Harrison Ave to where it currently resides.

Each Sunday, the market includes scores of artisans; food trucks selling all sorts of tempting food ranging from the savory to the sweet; a farmer’s market; as well as many unique boutiques that line Thayer Street.

The market which runs every Sunday through the autumn (excluding holiday weekends) draws thousands now and is worth checking out.

Leave a comment

Posted in Free Stuff

Tagged , , , ,

How F*cked is the T?

Posted on April 13, 2011 | 5 comments

How F*cked Is The T? is a new website application that provides real-time MBTA transit data and offers commuters using the Orange, Red, Blue and Green lines with useful information such as wait times and when trains are approaching T stations.

I give the creators bonus points for the cheeky name and its ease of use. According to the Boston Innovation site which first published the story, the application was created by Joey Brunelle and Goose Rock Design. A San Francisco firm that describes itself as a full-service web design & development company that excels at collaborating with small businesses and start-ups to create attractive, intuitive, awesome websites.

Want to check out the application? Click Here.

5 Comments

Posted in Free Stuff

Tagged , ,