You know that there is a gay marketing executive somewhere within T.J. Maxx who laughed their ass off when he / she approved these signs to be posted in their store. I mean come on…
I recently realized in 4 weeks it will be Thanksgiving and in 8 weeks it will be Christmas. (((AARGH!!!))) Lately I’ve been very frustrated with both my inability to get to the gym and the amount I’ve been eating. Realizing that the holiday season is fast approaching is enough to make me lose it entirely, say “I give up” and order a half dozen pain au chocolats. 
Fortunately I have a good trainer who can work with me but the trick is scheduling the sessions and getting my butt to the gym between our ‘gym dates’. I try to remind myself that President Obama supposedly works out for an hour every day (for some reason that always ticks me off rather than motivates me).
I suppose the point of this post was to acknowledge I’ve fallen off the fitness wagon and hope this post will be the kick in the pants I need to get back on track. Of course, I’ve added some eye candy to feed my personal insecurities and visually stimulate me into delusions of “I can look like that too.” Anyone else getting frustrated with themselves? It seems like everyone I know is a fitness freak and I’m the only one craving a donut and my couch.
According to the Advocate Magazine, the Seattle Weekly has posted on the Internet a previously secret list of more than 100,000 people who signed a petition that tried to overturn domestic partnerships in Washington. After the contentious vote (which failed), the group that organized the petition, Protect Marriage Washington, tried to keep the petitioners’ names private, but a judge ruled earlier this month the names would have to become public.
This story reminds me of the hateful petitions that turned up in Massachusetts back in 2003 after the State Supreme Court ruled banning Same Sex marriage illegal and conservative groups started petitions to have gay marriage brought to the ballot. A local non-profit called Know Thy Neighbor started publishing the names of people who signed these petitions. Despite the best efforts of conservative groups to try and keep these names secret, every court sided with Know Thy Neighbor.
The morale of the story is, you are entitled to your opinion but your neighbor is also entitled to know because bigotry tends to shrivel and whither by the light of day. So I say cheers to the Washington State court that ruled these names could be made public.
Personal Note: The image above was taken outside the MA State house. I was there – not in the picture, but I was there and met that sick, demented man so I always like to post this photo because it reminds me of what hate looks like.
Many of you may have seen this already. When it first came out I refrained from posting it, but I have to admit the more I watched it the more it made me laugh so I capitulated.
The stereotypes and accents in this video are spot on.
I’d snuggle with him
Last month I included my first “How to survive a Boston winter“ posting. This series (despite my focus on my hometown) is really dedicated to all those guys who live in colder climates where summer is a memory and sweaters and jackets are now necessities rather than fashion choices.
This posting is more economical than my first which you can read here. It’s pretty straight forward, find someone to snuggle with to keep you warm through the colder months. For those currently without a snuggle-buddy, use this time wisely and shop around before you commit. It can be a long winter in Boston.
My favorite t-shirt.
Rumors that Columbus Cafe was sold and would be closing at the end of November in recent months have been so pervasive that one could hear candid (albeit hushed conversations) every time you walked into the restaurant and bar so earlier this month I wrote about the pending close, bemoaning the loss of another great cheap eats in my October 14th post, Columbus Cafe to Close in November.
Imagine my surprise when I see Columbus Cafe issuing a GroupOn valid through early next year! Was the talk of a sale a gimmick? Did the sale fall through or has the place been sold and the new owners plan to retain the name of the popular neighborhood restaurant?
UPDATE: The riff between the owners of Columbus Cafe has escalated and without going into details my source maintains the property has been sold.
At the risk of expanding my waistline, I enlisted two friends this weekend to help me evaluate where the best chocolate chip cookies are sold in the South End.
The result of this sampling which included a weighted ranking system evaluating taste, appearance and size as key factors from three cookie connoisseurs may surprise you. None of the locations were tipped off that this sampling was going to take place and cookies were randomly selected by the unsuspecting purveyors of chocolate chip cookies. The locations included (alphabetically): Appleton Bakery, Flour, Francesca’s, Jaho, South End Buttery, South End Formaggio and Wholy Grain.
Although photos show the cookies labelled, during the tasting the labels were not visible. Without a doubt the absolute best cookie (unanimously agreed upon by all) was from the bakery at Appleton Cafe with a ranking of 79.5. This cookie scored high in all three categories: taste, appearance and size, and was soft with plenty of good chocolate chips. I had to fight the urge to dip it in my milk. The cookie from Flour bakery was the runner-up scoring 71 points. In my opinion the chocolate used in this cookie was superior to all giving it a rich flavoring.
Listed below is the complete ranking of those bakeries and cafes sampled along with the cost of purchase and final score earned by each cookie.
Much thanks to Ben Samson and Ryan Losey two South End residents and chocolate chip cookie aficionados who helped in the blind tasting.
*Amsterdam Cafe, Berkeley Perk, Blunch, Greenlight Cafe, and Stella Cafe were not included either because they were not open or did not have chocolate chip cookies available at the time of purchase.
You can check out @Zac_Miller1 on Twitter for more insightful tweets.
Each Monday I post #MenOfTwitter profiles of men who catch my eye and whom I think you may enjoy following. As always, suggestions for profiles to feature are welcome. If you’d like to follow me on twitter, you can find me @BosGuy. Below are this week’s #MenOfTwitter.
If so inclined, leave them a nice comment and start following on Twitter.
rschulteison7 – Ryan is a local celebrity of sorts since he works for one of the major news channels in Boston. He is often spotted around town, and although I’ve never talked to this Milwaukee native, he has a friendly and easy going reputation. Ryan can thank his attractive and fun colleague Susan Tran for suggesting him as a Men of Twitter. I’m not sure why I hadn’t thought of it previously but he’s certainly worthy – thanks Susan. #HunkyBroadcaster
Ogracia – Oscar first got my attention because his Twitter profile pics tend to show off his muscled torso. However, there’s much more to this guy than washboard abs. He teaches Civil Law at the University of Barcelona, and has a Post Degree in Civil Law. His tweets range from casual conversation to comments about music, politics, technology, and sports. Oscar is very friendly and a great guy to follow. #SexyNSmart
MJKilgore – Originally from Indiana, Matthew is more than just a pretty face. Matthew has performed on Broadway and all over the world. He often tweets about the work he’s doing and things he’s passionate about such as the arts and life in NYC since moving back. He volunteers for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and this week is starting rehearsals for White Christmas at Papermill Playhouse. Want to learn more about Matthew? Check out his online resume. #BlueEyedBoy
My Friday night plans to visit Emporio Armani for their party then dash over to the GLAD “Spirit of Justice Awards” which I described in my Fancy BosGuy post never materialized because of a self-inflicted wound that kept me home and down for the count.
On Friday afternoon I was ravenous but didn’t have the time to go and grab lunch so I made a quick sandwich from whatever I was able to find in my refrigerator (I work from my house), but unfortunately the sandwich meat I used must have spoiled because within a few hours I was defying the laws of physics and frankly grossing myself out as my stomach went to war with the food I ingested. I’m happy to report that 48-hours later I’m feeling much better.
The SoWa Open Market which draws people each Sunday to my corner of the the South End will close down for the season to reopen again next spring. Its always sad to see this close if only because it serves as yet another sign that winter is fast approaching.
The farmer’s market which is part of the SoWa Open Market has been so successful that they have decided to host it indoors starting Sunday, November 13th.
The market will be held every Sunday except December 25th and January 1st through April 29th from 1oAM – 2PM at 460 Harrison Avenue. Want to learn more? Want to participate as a vendor? Visit the Winter Famer’s Market website.
I’m no doctor but a healthy attitude, which includes laughter and smiles can go a long way; not to mention it makes life for you and those around you so much more pleasant.
The fall and spring are Boston’s busy season for fundraisers, balls and the like. Earlier this month I attended AIDS Action Committee’s ARTcetera fundraiser and tonight I’ll be dashing off to attend the GLAD “Spirit of Justice Awards”. GLAD (often confused with GLAAD) is based in Boston and stands for Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders. This was the group that successfully argued and won the Goodridge case in Mass. in 2003 legalizing same sex marriage in Massachusetts (the first in the US).
GLAD’s accomplishments predate and continue beyond this landmark case and their work benefits the GLBT community through out the United States. Normally I’d shy away from a room of lawyers, but this event is more casual than many of the other GLBT fundraisers so I’m looking forward to attending the cocktail reception and dinner tonight.
Why the distracting photo of Cristiano Ronaldo modelling Armani underwear you inquire? Well prior to stepping out to the GLAD fundraiser, I’ve been invited to the Armani reception (not related to the GLAD event – but near by). Yes, I know – I’m quite the fancy BosGuy today.
BosGuy 