I know there are a lot of people who are not happy about the US Olympic Committee’s decision to submit Boston to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. I lived through the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and am not unaware of the problems / costs often associated with host city bids, but for the moment I could not be more proud and happy for my hometown.
Over the past 5 years DJ Sean Johnson has been the host of Fur and Gold, an alternative nightlife event for the Boston LGBTQIA community.
Tomorrow’s Fur and Gold will be his final party before he packs his bags and moves to Portland, OR. For more information about Fur and Gold visit their Facebook page: Fur and Gold.
All the fun takes place at 14 Pi Aly located just a couple blocks from Downtown Crossing and also near the State Street T Station. Doors open at 10PM.
In partnership with GoBoston 2030, the Design Studio for Social Intervention is offering five $1000 art commissions to Boston-based artists. The commissions include $500 for a transportation-inspired work of art (any medium…paint, poetry, performance art, song, sculpture, food, etc.) and $500 to spend two days out with your piece with the GoBoston 2030 public engagement truck.
Brief application and work samples are due by January 21st
If selected, artwork must be completed and available by January 28th. Artwork previously completed and used in other contexts is acceptable. GoBoston 2030’s Question Campaign public engagement truck will run January 28th-February 7th, and chosen artists must be available at least two days during that time.
Boston’s SpeakEasy Stage Company’s first production of the calendar year opens tomorrow on Friday, January 9th for a brief run at the Calderwood Pavilion. The world premiere of A Future Perfect is about two couples, Claire & Max and Alex & Elena, who are best friends. That friendship is tested when one couple announces they are expecting a baby and careers start to trump youthful ideals.
Cartoonists from around the world have responded in the only way they can to the tragedy that unfolded in Paris yesterday. The cartoon above is from Washington Post cartoonist, Tom Toles. A collection of cartoons from around the world were posted in the U.K.’s Daily Mail today which you can peruse here.
Below is an image that went viral last night on Twitter showing tens of thousands of Parisians braving bad weather to pour out into the streets with signs expressing their defiance. It is like Tom Toles cartoon says, “but the pen will endure”.
Photo Source: @SaraAssaf
Last week, local blogger, Richard Auffrey, wrote a post on his blog, The Passionate Foodie, that wine lovers in MA need to know about called, Rant: A Plea To Wine Lovers In Massachusetts.
In his post, (which I encourage you to read – use the link above), he explains some of the details of our state’s new Direct Shipment Law. However, what I wanted to focus on was his plea that wine lovers contact their favorite U.S. wineries and tell them you want to be able to get their wines shipped to you. These wineries need to know that a demand for their wines exists and it will be financially advantageous to apply for a Direct Wine Shipper license.
Write a letter or email to your favorite wineries or contact them through your preferred social media outlet and most importantly – get the word out to your friends to do the same.
Nearly fifteen years ago Metropolis Cafe opened in the South End on Tremont Street. The quaint neighborhood restaurant has been a favorite place to grab brunch on the weekends and dinner in the evenings.
If you’ve not visited Metropolis Cafe recently you may want to make a point to stop by. Last fall the restaurant underwent a makeover and the space looks great. A larger white marble bar top and new bar stools are welcome updates as are the new lighting fixtures and color scheme that significantly brightens the restaurant without losing that cozy feel. Alongside the physical changes some tweaks have also been made to the menu and Chef William “Billy” Nurse, continues to crank out consistently delicious meals from what might be the smallest kitchen in the South End.
No plans this weekend? Join Sergio and me as we ride the MBTA in our underwear during the city’s annual No Pants Subway Ride. The No Pants Subway Ride is an annual event started by Improv Everywhere in New York in 2002, that has now spread world wide so if you are not in Boston and this sounds like something you’d enjoy doing check to see if your city is participating.
NO PANTS SUBWAY RIDE BOSTON – DETAILS
Locally this event and other similar programs are organized by Boston’s Society of Shenanigans. If you like this sort of thing, check out their website and join their mailing list here.
I absolutely love this. The marketing is hilarious. My favorite part is the fact that the underwear fits packages of all sizes. It makes me wonder if Norwegian men have exceptionally large testicles where this might be an issue.
Norwegian men are encouraged to contact me directly with any physical evidence they would like to share. I don’t speak Norwegian (I think that is what the language is called) but here is the website.
For the past few years the American dollar has been laughably weak as compared to other currencies, making shopping less enjoyable when we travel abroad. However, the US economy has been on a tear lately and the dollar is significantly stronger than it was a year ago when we were in Brazil.
As a result, Sergio and I opted for some retail therapy when we visited Sao Paulo. I’d strongly encourage anyone visiting Sao Paulo to bypass foreign ateliers where prices are 100% – 300% more expensive due to the country’s idiotic tariffs and fixate on Brazilian retailers where you can purchase items friends back in the US will not have access to.
Sergio splurged on these red shoes from Aramis
While Sao Paulo has many shopping malls (‘the gays’ are partial to Shopping Frei Center and Shopping Higienopolis), but I’d recommend you bypass them and head directly for Rua Oscar Freire. The street is full of retailers you will be unaccustomed to seeing, selling everything from bathing suits to tuxedos. If you get hungry each block has one or two places you can duck into for a quick bite.
A few tips if you go shopping in Brazil:
1) Customer service is taken very seriously. Be prepared to have someone approach you and to bring you multiple items they think you may want to see or try on.
2) Sizes are different and more in line with European designers so don’t enter a store with the mindset that you are a medium or a particular waist size. Clothes in Brazil are much smaller than in the US.
3) If you are serious about making purchases and are buying more than 2-3 items ask them if there is a possible discount they can provide. You are more likely to get a “yes” if you have a Brazilian ask the question. We were able to get 10% off our purchases at one retailer.
4) Avoid purchasing anything from the US or Europe, You will pay significantly more than in the US. Focus your shopping on local designers and chains.
5) The most important phrase of all to learn when shopping, “Quanto Gosto?”, which is acceptable for asking “how much”, although I don’t believe that is the literal translation. It is also good form to know how to say thank you (although this is a phrase you will hopefully use elsewhere as well) “Obrigado”.
Burlington, MA native and Boston College graduate, Amy Poehler, will be returning home at the end of this month to receive the 2015 Woman of the Year award from Harvard University’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals. The celebration is scheduled for Thursday, January 29th and will include (as is the custom) a parade through Harvard Square with Hasty Pudding men in drag and a roast. No word yet who the Man of the Year will be. Last year’s winners were Helen Mirren and Neil Patrick Harris.
Posted in Art & Film, Pop Culture
Tagged Art and Film, BosGuy, Boston Guy, Pop Culture
Late last week Boston Magazine reported that the fate of the MBTA’s late-night weekend service was being reviewed. The one year pilot program that started in April 2014 needs to be extended if late night weekend service is to continue through 2015.
Since service started last April 820,000 customers have used the MBTA’s late-night service between the hours of 12:30 and 3:00 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. According to MBTA spokesman, Joe Pesaturo a recommendation will be made in the coming weeks.
Fingers crossed that late night service will be extended.
Did you know the average temperature in January in Boston is approximately 29 degrees Fahrenheit? If time, money or work have conspired to make it impossible to escape Boston’s brutal winters, I have a few more affordable options on ways you can warm up. I plan on checking out one or more of these options this year and below I encourage you to leave additional suggestions in the comments section for other readers.
Inman Oasis at 243 Hampshire Street in Cambridge is a great option. Warm up in their Japanese-style 2-person hot tub. At $65 for 60-minutes this seems like a fantastic and affordable option. For more information, visit their website at www.inmanoasis.com.
Dillon’s Russian Steam Bath in Chelsea at 77 Chestnut Street has been providing Russian Steam Baths to the Boston community for more than 120 years; making it the oldest steam bath house in the United States.
Tuesday – Sunday Dillons is open for men ONLY. Monday is reserved for the ladies. Admission is very affordable – $23, but for more information visit their website, www.dillonsrussiansteambath.com.
Bikram Yoga Boston allows you to stretch and get more physically fit in their heated studios. Classes at Boston’s only certified Bikram Yoga schools run 90-minutes and will leave you feeling warmed to your core and start at $22 for a single class. Discounts are offered for purchasing multiple classes. More details about Bikram Yoga, when and where these are hosted can be found online at www.bikramyogaboston.com.
Please feel free to share your favorite spots around Boston to fend off the chill of winter and stay warm.
Although on our most recent visit we didn’t have a chance to go to Spot, I thought I should write about this restaurant and bar since it is a favorite. You will find more than a few handsome men at this gay friendly restaurant conveniently located just a block off of Paulista Avenue near MASP.
The first time I visited Spot was probably ten years ago. We arrived at 11PM on a Friday night and asked for a table for four. The handsome host smiled and said the wait was 2 hours, but encouraged us to order drinks from the bar and enjoy the outdoor patio while we waited. We didn’t take him seriously until he came to seat us for dinner at 1 AM (at which point there was only a 30 minute wait).
While the food is good it is the people watching that makes this a great place to either nab a cocktail or have dinner with friends. Main dishes at Spot run from $30 – $50 Reis (with the current US exchange rate of 2.5 that equates to $15-$20).
BosGuy 
