MaxNoSleeves: How to cut the sleeves off your T-shirt
Max is originally from the Boston area but now lives out on the left coast. In the summer I post this as a guide how to make your own tank tops.
I know some will not be pleased with my continued advocacy for legalization of marijuana and my frustration with Massachusetts stonewalling the opening of shops for medicinal sales.
This week Coloradans raised a lot of eyebrows when it was reported marijuana tourism is creating an economic boom for Colorado ski towns with some reporting that as much as 90% of the recreational pot being purchased is coming from tourists. In April Reuters reported Colorado expected to bring in $98 million in revenue, exceeding the state’s expectations by 40%. Now numbers of more than $100 million in new tax revenue are expected.
I’m not being naive about potential problems with full legalization of marijuana, but since the state seems so enthralled with legalizing gambling, I figure one vice is as good as another and at least with the case of marijuana one might expect to see a rise in tourism. Sorry Revere, MA but no matter how amazing you make your casino (and I doubt that it will actually be amazing) I find it hard to believe it will help increase tourism to the state. There are regional casinos in mediocre towns through out the US already, but full legalization of marijuana remains quite rare and would provide a unique distinction. If legalized, I’d propose following 4th of July and before Bear Week in Ptown they create a new theme week called “Pot Week in Ptown”. I bet Spiritus Pizza would have a banner week. 😉
Click on the comic strip to enlarge.
ADAM & ANDY is set in the fictional New England town of Woodfield, CT. You can learn more about this strip by visiting, adamandandy.com.
Bear week in Ptown officially concludes tonight. I hope everyone who visited had fun and I look forward to hearing all your stories. I’m bummed Sergio and I were not able to partake this year.
No plans on Sunday afternoon? Come down to Randolph Country Club from 12PM – 8PM. You can purchase your tickets here.
Today the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit affirmed the January 2014 decision from U.S. District Judge Kern in Bishop v. Smith that Oklahoma’s constitutional amendment that forbids same-sex marriages is unconstitutional.
The state of Oklahoma now has the right to appeal before the full bench of the Tenth Circuit or it can do as the State of Utah did for the Kitchen case few weeks ago and appeal directly to the U.S. Supreme Court. Either way, an appeal of some sort is to be expected but this remains great news for marriage equality advocates. Oklahoma is one of America’s most conservative states and if marriage equality is legal here – it can and will be legal everywhere (and quickly too).
Read more about this here.
Although many will stay in Provincetown through the weekend and parties will continue, Bear Week concludes Saturday morning so Friday night is the last hurrah for Bear Week 2014. Here are a couple of suggestions for the last night out.
By Day: Make the most of your last full day. If you’ve yet to peruse Commercial Street – take the opportunity to grab a snack at Relish in the West End and walk through town, deep into the East End.
There are more art galleries and unique shops and boutiques you could ever hope to walk through. Ptown is as pretty as a post card. Make sure you snap some of your own pictures to remind you how special Provincetown really is.
By Night: What would a gay theme week be without a Fireman’s Ball? No worries – Ptown has it covered.
This party at the Town Hall auditorium includes special guest DJ/ Producer, John La Page, and VJ Tom Yaz and raises money for Ptown’s Fireman’s Association.
More information and tickets to the party can be purchased from the Crown & Anchor box office or online here.
Are you contemplating what to bring with you when you head out of town for vacation? Whether it is for a long weekend or a week long break, there are two new LGBT books that provide just the right mix of humor and entertainment to make them perfect options for summer reading.
NYC blogger, Kenneth Walsh, earlier this year released his memoir, Wasn’t Tomorrow Wonderful? which I wrote about in May, here.
Kenneth’s first novel reminisces about what life was like for a gay Midwestern teenager coming of age in the 1980s and 1990s before the advent of the Internet, mobile phones and apps.
Miami-native and former Boston resident, Johnny Diaz is back with another fiction novel Looking for Providence – this time set in Providence, RI. Diaz has written several novels (some set here in Boston) all are easy, enjoyable reads and perfect for bringing to the beach.
Earlier this month he posted an interview with the main character, Ronnie Reyes, that provides some insight into the main character and nicely shows his easy writing style.
While you can easily purchase these books at your favorite online shop, I would like to encourage readers to visit Boston’s sole remaining LGBT bookstore, Calamus Bookstore at 92B South Street in Boston or call them to order a copy at (617) 338-1931.
So who wants to get hitched in Key West?
Today Monroe County Circuit Judge Luis Garcia ruled against Florida’s constitutional amendment banning marriage equality. Garcia wrote in his ruling, “This court concludes that a citizen’s right to marry is a fundamental right to the individual.” The ruling was stayed until Tuesday, July 22, at which point same-sex couples in Monroe County can begin obtaining marriage licenses, unless a stay is requested by the state attorney general and granted by the state court of appeals or Florida State Supreme Court.
I think it is safe to assume some form of protest by those opposed to marriage equality is likely but this is a great first step. Hopefully couples in Monroe County will not be blocked from seeking marriage licenses on Tuesday. More info here.
This weekend more than 350,000 people are expected to come down to Revere Beach to see the National Sand Sculpting Festival that will take place Friday thru Sunday 10:00 am – 10:00 pm.
A few years ago Sergio and I went down to check it out and I have to admit the sculptures were really impressive. More information about this free event can be found here.
In honor of Donna Summer, who was born and raised in Boston, the city in collaboration with Together Boston will host a Donna Summer Roller Disco Tribute on Friday, July 18 from 6 to 10 p.m in City Hall Plaza.
Adding to the Donna Summer celebration will be two of Boston’s loved drag queens, Frieda Fries and Nicholle Pride of Perestroika who will model the late disco queen’s iconic styles.
Rollerskates and blades can be rented on Friday free of charge at the event, and if you don’t want to skate, you can just come and dance to the classic disco tunes played by Dorchester DJ Kon and friends.
Earlier this summer Uber briefly test-marketed a water taxi service in partnership with BHC and according to their blog post on Tuesday, the program was a success. In the image below (I swiped it from Uber’s blog), arrows point to UberBOAT district destinations. The thicker the arrow, the more trips took place.
Uber’s blog shares a number of findings from this test run but the stat that impressed me was they say demand was about 7x greater than supply and remained consistent through out the trial period. Based on that stat, it would seem to me that there is a good possibility this service could return on a more permanent basis. You can read more about the trial run here in Boston in Uber’s blog post, here.
While Bear Week isn’t over – the end is within sight so make the most of these last few days. Here are a few suggested activities you may want to consider for Thursday during Bear Week.
By Day: Bears on bikes from 9 AM – 12 PM. Bring your bicycle and meet at Gale Force Bikes for a 2 to 3 hour bike ride on the paved trails at the Cape Cod National Seashore. President Kennedy preserved the natural beauty by making this a national park and it is a beautiful bike ride.
By Night: Head over to the Crown & Anchor for Bearmania w/ Horse Meat Disco – doors open at 10PM.
Pre-sale tickets you can get from the link provided are cheaper than at the door and ensure you can attend the party if it sells out.
Note: Arrive early and grab a drink or two at the fun neighboring Wave Bar and catch a few videos while sipping a drink or two.
BosGuy 