I stumbled across an old advertisement for Gillette; once a prominent Boston-based firm now part of Proctor & Gamble. I think that the adverstisement is a bit frightening. What parent in their right mind would smile back at a small child holding a razor blade to its face? Perhaps those advertising executives at Hill Holiday and Arnold really do earn their money.
Tagged Art and Film, BosGuy, Boston Guy
Boston has been named as one of 68 cities nominated for a place on the new Monopoly board when the first world edition of the classic game goes on sale in the autumn. Hasbro Inc. (maker of the popular board game) is letting people vote among the various cities for a place on the game through the website starting, Tuesday and February 22nd.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston, Boston Guy, Pop Culture
This was said some weeks back by Senator Biden during one of the many Democratic debates, but it is still funny and all the more relevant considering the pending Florida primary, which Giuliani has staked his entire campaign strategy.
“I mean think about it, Rudy Giuliani, there’s only three things he mentions in a sentence — a noun and a verb and 9/11 and I mean, there’s nothing else.”
–Sen. Joe Biden, during the MSNBC Democratic presidential debate
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, Politics
I just returned from the Boston Opera House where I saw the musical, Spamalot. Last year I tried to buy tickets to see the show when it first came to Boston, but I was unsuccessful so I was thrilled when my friend Joao asked me to join him. The musical parallel’s the Monty Python movie which inspired the Broadway show but it does not require one to have seen it to understand or appreciate it.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, Theater
I just finished reading Ken Follet’s book World Without End. The book is a sequel to my favorite Follet novel, Pillars of the Earth.
This morning I drove to Sky Venture New Hampshire in Nashua just off exit 1. The Sky Venture website describes itself as “a new state of the art indoor vertical wind tunnel where you can experience the freedom of flight.” I have been referring to it as a quasi-free fall, because although there is no plane or parachute, you do have the sensation of flying as fans which generate gusts in excess of 100 m.p.h. make you feel light as a feather. Our instructor, Matt, was great and helped each of us steady ourselves, rotate and soar 20+ feet in the air.
My sister, Susan, had previously visited Sky Venture NH and was the best at manipulating the gusts to make the most of her time but even my mother who at the last minute suited up had a great time, despite her fear of falling and heights. For people like me who dislike the cold and can get cabin fever, this is a great weekend activity to try at least once. The drive to Nashua takes about 45 minutes and is absolutely worth it. There are plenty of places to grab a bite or drink after your pseudo-jump to talk and laugh about the experience. We purchased a DVD and if I can figure out how to post it on this site, I’ll be sure to add it later.
“Don’t worry, I’m not watching your figure either.” – CNN anchor Anderson Cooper to Kathy Griffin during CNN’s live broadcast. Griffin had just commented that she wasn’t watching her figure.
I was running a bit late today and did not have a chance to eat breakfast before leaving for work so I opted to stop by one of my favorite bakeries in Boston to grab a cup of joe and muffin.
I was greeted by a letter posted on the front door from the owners of the cafe informing me that the lease had not been renewed by the landlord and the cafe had closed at the end of December. This place had delicious oversized muffins, rich Italian coffee and yummy sandwiches. I love Starbucks as much as the next guy, but come on this was place was a keeper. I loved the hippy-chicks who worked the counter and the handmade signs throughout the coffee shop. Change happens but suffice it to say – I’m bummed.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston, Boston Guy, Dining, South End
A former co-worker and friend who I’ll refer to as J.J. drove to New Hampshire this past weekend to see first hand, the political circus that is the result of the state hosting the nation’s first primary. Growing up in New Hampshire, I recall the insanity that surrounds this event and J.J.’s e-mail telling friends about her experience made me smile. I fondly recall running around to listen to countless stump speeches from campaigns past. So I asked J.J. if she wouldn’t mind if I posted her email on my blog. What follows is J.J.’s e-mail to friends.
I thought that everyone in Nashua/Manchester, NH was into politics. Why wouldn’t they be? This is their time. It’s like not being into the Oscars when you live in LA.
Apparently, the hotel check-in lady could have cared less. Wow… Did I drive two hours for a ho-hum weekend? Moving north on the Everett Turnpike, I quickly realized that no, she was just a dumb anomaly. If you drive down Elm Street in Manchester, you’ll see campaign sign after sign after sign. There’s not any empty spot. Mitt volunteers stood on the corner, screaming “Mitt! Mitt!”, probably for hours on end.
My first three hours in Manchester, I made phone calls for the Giuliani campaign. “Hello, I’m with the Giuliani campaign. I was hoping to get your support this Tuesday.”
This is the second call in ten minutes!”
Next call, “Hello, I’m with the Giuliani campaign. I was hoping to get your support this Tuesday.”
“I’m voting for Osama.”
“Okay then. Thanks for your time.”
“Oh, I meant Obama.”
“I figured that.”
Next call, “Hello, I’m with the Giuliani campaign. I was hoping to get your support this Tuesday.”
“I’m voting for McCain. Take me off your list!”
“Okay, I’ll do that. Thanks for your time.”
Next call, “Hello, I’m with the Giuliani campaign. I was hoping to get your support this Tuesday.”
“Um, I dunno. I don’t know who to vote for.”
“Well, are there any questions I can answer? Can I give you some reasons why Giuliani would be a great president?”
“No.”
“Okay, then. Thanks for your time. I hope we get your support Tuesday.”
“Maybe. I doubt it.”
Over 50% of my calls were voicemails and another 25% were disconnected services. If I was a New Hampshirite, I wouldn’t answer my phone either. Down the street from the Giuliani headquarters, Clinton volunteers had began their chant. “Hillary! Hillary!”
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, Politics
I visited Fort Lauderdale, FL for the New Year holiday so I could start 2008 with a smile rather than chattering teeth. This was my first vacation to southern FL in nearly 10 years and my first time visiting Fort Lauderdale. First impressions were mixed because of the dated strip malls and tired looking buildings making the drive along Rte 1 seem cliche. However, the warm weather, accessible beaches and friendly residents more than made up for this.
The coolest part of town is Las Olas Blvd and the surrounding canals. Driving along Las Olas you can get up close views of the many Fort Lauderdale mini-mansions that line the canals. Wilton Manors – which is home to many of the gay bars in town I thought very forgettable. It is dotted with strip malls and wide boulevards and one street looked identical to the other. The bars (of which there are many) were very friendly and filled with guys, but all the smoking was a major detractor and something I had not realized would bother me so much.
Fort Lauderdale, FL lived up to its reputation as a gay-favorite holiday destination. The gay beach between the St. Regis Hotel and Casablanca Restaurant was as busy as P-town in late July. For that reason alone, I would prefer lodgings on the beach to provide convenient options between the pool and ocean. Staying further from the ocean would likely mean needing to drive to the beach and I liked having the option to walk back and forth.
Dining:
While staying in Fort Lauderdale, we had several very forgetable meals but there were three restaurants in particular that I really enjoyed and would suggest anyone visiting check out. Note that none of the restaurants (either the hits or misses) were particularly affordable. I’m sure there are plenty of cheap eats (the South’s reputation for affordability is legendary), but I found everything comprable to Boston prices ($20-$30+ entrees).
Four Rivers – Despite its strange location in a strip mall on N. Federal Hwy (Rte. 1), the restaurant offers delicious Thai cuisine, excellent service in a beautiful setting. If I only had one meal in Fort Lauderdale, I would make a bee-line here.
Kitchnetta – I arrived 15 minutes before the restaurant closed (note I arrived at 8:45pm so this place closes early), but fortunately I was able to grab a delicious Italian meal. The service was lacking, sizes were huge (even the single portions) and the restaurant very loud, but the food made it worth the visit.
Tommy’s – This was the last meal that I had before leaving Fort Lauderdale. I was unable to check out the dinner menu as it was lunch when I ate here but the decor and vibe of the place definitely added to the delicious lunch and made me want to add this to my list of places to try when I return.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, Dining, Travel
A year ago, I was piling into an Amtrak train with a handful of friends, preparing to ring in 2007 in New York City.
A year later, I am packing to leave for Fort Lauderdale, FL, and while away it is highly unlikely that I will add anything to my blog so I wanted to extend my wishes for a happy, healthy and peaceful 2008 to all who read this.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, Travel
I love the new French President, Nicolas Sarkozy. I’m not sure what his politics are like, but I love the press he generates. Yesterday he was seen arm-in-arm with his model/singer girlfriend, Carla Bruni, landing in Luxor Egypt for some rest and relaxation.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, Politics
Today I came back to the office after being out for the past few days to celebrate the Christmas holiday.
The sheer gluttony I showed overeating at nearly every meal the past couple of days is sickening. Suffering from chronic food coma, I have come back to the office seeking solace from my refrigerator which has so much food it could feed an entire African village.
We hosted our first Christmas Eve dinner party tonight. The company was excellent, and I could not have been more pleased with how delicious everything turned out. If there was a criticism it was that we purchased far too much meat and fish. No doubt most of the salmon will be tossed and we will be eating pork loin for the rest of the week.
In honor of the Christmas holiday, I thought I would end tonight’s blog entry with an excerpt from one of my favorite holiday tales…
…The Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood
puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came
without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and
puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he
hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store?
What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?
Victoria’s Diner is one of my favorite places to grab breakfast on the weekend.
Recently this diner in a doublewide was remodeled, menu revised and hours extended (open now 24-hours on the weekends). The waitstaff told me that a male couple who recently bought the diner were responsible for the changes. Aside from the change in decor in the front room (which still is a bit off in my opinion), there must have been a change in the kitchen as well because everything being served looks far fresher and has much more taste.
Because the new owners have not changed the affordable prices and large portions Victoria’s regulars can still be seen lining up in the cramped foyer of the diner waiting for a seat every weekend. Lines tend to get a bit long by 10:30am but everyone always seems to be quite friendly about the wait. Victoria’s clientele boasts a large cross-section of Bostonians. On any given weekend you are likely to see young, old, gay, straight, latino, black and asian. My favorite patrons are the African-American women who come after church decked-out in their Sunday finest. They add a touch of elegance if not over the top fashion ‘a la roxbury’ which I never was exposed to growing up in the suburbs.
An added bonus previously not mentioned if you happen to be a 30- or 40-something is that the music played during weekend brunches is 80s only. I’m sure for the younger clientele, this retro feel fits in just fine with a dining room in a trailor but for someone like myself who grew up during the 80s it is an unexpected and pleasant touch not overlooked and definitely appreciated; brunch always tastes better listening to the likes of Prince, Madonna, and Cindy Lauper.
How to get to Victoria’s
Victoria’s is located on Mass Avenue on the Dorchester / Roxbury line, at 1024 Massachusetts Avenue. It is easily accessible off of I-93 and as the address indicates, on Mass Ave.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston, Boston Guy, Dining, Restaurant Review
