I agree with everything Seth Myers has to say about this non-controversy, and oh yeah, leave Michael Phelps alone.
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Fighting H8 in CA and beyond
Saturday’s NY Times article, “Prop 8 Donor Web Site Shows Disclosure Law Is 2-Edged Sword” is an interesting article because it seems to pit political ideals of creating greater transparency with concerns for individual safety, but is this really the case?
The article is talking about the website, eightmaps, which has taken the names and ZIP codes of people who donated to the CA Proposition 8 ballot measure this past November and overlays the data on a Google map. The NY Times article asserts that several of the donors for Prop 8 have received death threats and their privacy has been violated, because of what eightmaps has done.
I think that all reasonable people can agree that threatening supporters of Prop 8 should not be tolerated. However organizing boycotts of businesses that donated to the proposition, raising awareness to educate and change perceptions and engaging the supporters of Prop 8 in reasonable dialog should be encouraged. This is considered political activism and is a virtue – not a vice. The NYT article seems to make such actions sound wrong when they write, “some donors to groups supporting the measure… have been boycotted.” I’m not sure why this is a problem.
While those who crafted the CA Political Reform Act of 1974, which requires all political contributions greater than $100 to be made public certainly never envisioned the power of the internet, it does not mean that the reasons for passing the reform act should be reconsidered as the NYT alludes when they write, “most striking example of how information collected through disclosure laws… may be undermining the same democratic values that the regulations were to promote.”
When MA legalized same-sex marriage in 2004, a website called knowthyneighbor.org, raised the ire of many who opposed gay marriage by publishing their names and addresses. The website actively encouraged Gays and Lesbians (and their supporters) to reach out to those opposing marriage equality in the state – not to threaten them but to engage in dialog. The court of public opinion played a HUGE part in finally legalizing same-sex marriage in MA and the same will be true for CA and the rest of the country.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, Gay, Politics
Shepard Fairey exhibit at the ICA
Fairey’s works have come to the Institute of Contemprary Art (ICA), and I am looking forward to visiting the museum’s West Gallery to see the exhibit entitled, “Supply and Demand”.
The ICA website refers to, Shepard Fairey as “one of the most influential street artists of our time”. However, I like him because of his use of bold colors and iconic imagery. I remember the first time I saw his Obey poster and more recently his Obama Hope image, which was plastered through out Boston and catapulted Fairey’s name into the general public. However, you need not trust my untrained eye or juvenile descriptions of his work, The Boston Globe review of the exhibit is filled with praise. You can read the full review here.
I will admit that I prefer going to Boston’s museums in the colder months because it is a way to forget about the miserable weather and get out of the house. If you’ve never been to the ICA or if it has been awhile since your last visit – check out this exhibit and let me know what you think. The exhibit opened last week and will run through mid-August.
I’mpossible – $100M Grant to Find an AIDS Cure
There has been so much bad news of late, I wanted to share a story currently on Boston.com and The Boston Globe which is reporting that the founder and owner of Cambridge-based, Intersystems, has made a $100M donation to find a cure for AIDS.
The grant will be paid out over the next 10 years in $10M increments and will be shared with other research facilities, including Harvard and M.I.T., but the majority of the donation will be given to Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). To read the full story online link here.
Posted in Philanthropy
Tagged AIDS Action Committee, BosGuy, Boston Guy, Gay, Health, The Boston Globe
4 Days in Puerto Rico
This was the view from our hotel room in Puerto Rico. On this visit we decided to stay at La Concha Resort (a Renaissance property that opened in 2008). I would highly recommend this location for anyone who enjoys nightlife since the hotel lobby bar proved to be one of the most fun and popular bars in San Juan. The DJ plays late into the night great music I would love to hear Boston clubs playing. I’ve included a few photos of the resort and hotel.
Aside from keeping busy doing nothing we also ate very well. Many of our friends on previous visits had stayed in the Isla Verde section of San Juan which has a large beach and is a bit closer to the airport, but La Concha is located in Condado – a 15 minute drive from the airport and a bit closer to Old San Juan. This appears to be an affluent neighborhood with many great restaurants. I won’t go into too much detail with each but if one enjoys Asian cuisine then Budatai which is located across the street is a must. Additionally, we ate at Ummo (an Argentinian steak house), Jam (a funky Caribbean inspired menu) and Koco in the beautiful El San Juan Hotel and Casino. All of these places were worth the visit.
The hotel also had a sandwich shop called Sidewalk and there is a great Puerto Rican restaurant for cheap eats and hearty breakfasts near by called Pelayo which we visited each morning. All of these suggestions were provided by the hotel’s concierge who did a wonderful job of listening to what we wanted and making excellent suggestions.
I’ve returned from our 4-night minivaction feeling refreshed and alive. Now I hope the feeling can last so I can avoid contracting another bout of GetMeTheHellOutOfHere Syndrome.
Walk on by
Boston Real Estate Blog shared that walkscore.com has ranked Boston the 3rd most walkable city in the country.
San Francisco and NYC took the top two spots respectively. I’m not sure that the hills of San Francisco make the city the most walkable but it is a beautiful place to visit.
The website is really pretty cool and allows you to see how various neighborhoods ranked for ‘walkability’. If you would like to check it out, link here. Back Bay, Beacon Hill and the South End led with the highest scores. You can see how deep green these neighborhoods are in the picture below from the website which indicates it is a ‘walker’s paradise’.
I would like to add that these people obviously conducted their survey during warmer months, because right now when I am walking to get my coffee paradise is not how I would describe the experience. The children’s game “Slip ‘n Slide” would be more appropriate.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston, Boston Guy, South End
Say NO to Rep John Rogers for Speaker
Many people know that State Speaker DiMasi will be stepping down as Speaker of the House. However, I did not realize that majority leader Rep. John Rogers from Norfolk, MA is the inside favorite to replace the North End Speaker.
Although Rogers has come around and now supports Gay Marriage. Rogers is hardly a progressive politician when it comes to social issues. A strong friend of Thomas Finneran – a convicted felon and enemy of the GLBT community – Rogers is a social conservative who has a very short record when it comes to supporting GLBT rights. I’m writing this blog entry hoping it will encourage others in MA to pick up their phone and flex some political muscle. Let your State Representative know that electing John Rogers to the Speaker of the House is BAD for the GLBT community and that you would rather they support someone else. Rogers has a long track record voting against many GLBT issues citing his conservative values as the reason.
I don’t know much about the other ‘favorite’ to fill the shoes of Speaker DiMasi. Local papers all seem to agree that it is Rep. Robert Deleo from Winthrop. If you have anything to share about him, please leave a comment here for readers to see. I will be calling my State Representative from the South End tomorrow to voice my dissatisfaction with Rogers as the next potential Speaker of the House, and I would encourage you to do the same. You can find out who your State Representative is and how to encouarge them by linking here. I remember what it was like when Tom Finneran ran the State House, and I do not wish to return to those days.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston, Boston Guy, Politics
InterNOT with Verizon lately…
How many of you have found yourself in the past trying to figure out what is happening with your internet service provider? We have had Verizon Avenue (a subsidiary of Verizon) that serves our apartment complex in the South End. For nearly 5 years we have hardly had an issue but starting two weeks ago, the internet service has become unreliable.
Our internet service keeps dropping for 1+ hours and the only reason provided when I call to ask what is contributing to this problem is that Verizon is having “issues with their equipment”. If this was a Ryan Landry satire I would laugh at the entendre but the inconsistency comes after I was told I should sign up for a 6-mos. commitment to Verizon Avenue so I feel like I’ve been duped.
Anyone else have battle scars dealing with Verizon or Verizon Avenue’s internet service? I’m contemplating switching to cable but I’m torn because I don’t know what to expect from Comcast internet service.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy
Rise of the new America
Like the mythic phoenix rising from its own ashes, I feel like America is once again reborn. The rise of the new America comes from a feeling that the political landscape is shifting again. The lessons learnt from previous generations are there for us, but this president and our generation are not encumbered by their hang-ups and generational perceptions that have shaped and sometimes shaded political opinion.
Part of this stems from the fact that what it means to be an American and what an American looks like is truly being redefined. The First family is a tangible example of this, but it goes beyond simply black and white. Today’s Politico.com has an interesting article “Latinos fight for political recognition” by Gebe Martinez.
In the article Martinez reminds us that Latinos voted 10million strong in the November 2008 presidential election and more importantly, they represent significant populations in key states like Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado and California. Martinez points out that “there remains a gap between the power they (Latinos) have earned and the Washington elite’s perception of their power.” This provides the newly sworn in President (and his party) the opportunity to reach out and work more closely with this important constituency to help empower them. Closing this gap of perceptions is important, because perception can be misconstrued as reality if not called out.
It probably will not be long before we swear in our first Latino president and when that day comes – it will be just as moving because we will have redefined (yet again) what the office of President means and how people relate to that position of power. Obama’s swearing in really does signify a dawning of a new day. I hope that we can harness this energy and enthusiasm to continue to engage all Americans and welcome them into the political process. Apathy serves nobody in a democracy.
Snow dumping – isn’t it bad for the environment
Is dumping snow into Boston harbor legal?
Wherever you go in the city you see signs cautioning you to think before you potentially dump anything toxic because the sewers lead directly to Boston harbor. Yet all winter long I have watched salted and dirty snow piled high in parking lot across from my apartment on Harrison Avenue dump melted snow into the city’s sewers. I understand the problem and empathize with the landlord. GTI Properties has done a magnificent job of turning SOWA from a lonely outpost in the South End to a great neighborhood. However, watching them melt and dump gallon after gallon of dirty snow into the drains to make way for the needed parking must be harmful to the harbor.
http://www.youtube.com/get_player
Tagged BosGuy, Boston, Boston Guy, South End, SOWA
SpeakEasy Stage presents "The New Century"
Starting this past Friday (January 16th) The SpeakEasy Stage opened their latest production, The New Century. The 90-minute show at the Calderwood Pavilion runs through Valentine’s Day and is described on the SpeakEasy Stage website as an “hilarious collection of four short gay-themed comedies. A wealthy Jewish matron with at least three gay children, a flamboyant public access TV host and a Midwestern scrapbooker/competitive cake decorator each have their say, then meet, in this outrageous look at where society is headed in the new millennium.”
I’ve purchased tickets for their final performance on Saturday, February 14th. If you have not had the chance to check out the peformance or would like to find out a bit more about the show the SpeakEasy Stage website has a video trailer you can link to view here.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, Calderwood Pavilion, Gay, SpeakEasy Stage, Theater
Australian Open 2009
The Australian Open starts today where it is already tomorrow (Monday, January 19th) in Melbourne. The tournament draws the most talented tennis players in the world and is the first Grand Slam tournament in 2009.
The draws for the 2009 tournament can be viewed here.
ESPN2 will be broadcasting most of this tournament again and while they start tonight at 7pm (which is channel 850 in HD if you have Comcast in the Boston area), you can view the complete broadcast schedule by linking here.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, Sports
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