Funniest Craiglist post of the day

I will trade my sombrero for your kayak.

So, you finally realized that kayaks are work. You would much rather replace all that sweaty paddling with a cool, shady nap under a wide-brim hat dreaming of nachos.

You think about all the space in your garage that kayak's taking up and just start to count how many jars of salsa you could fit on that shelf.

You remember last Cinco de Mayo when you showed up to the big party sans sombrero. Someone threw a bell pepper at your head.

Don't you think it's about time you traded in that kayak for a nice comfortable sombrero?

Okay. How about I also throw in a pinata with 300 dollars worth of loose change?

Think about it...If you no longer need that 10-12 foot sit on top kayak, I have a sombrero that----and I'm not even lying-----would look stunning on you.

You think you look good in that poncho of yours, you just wait until the ladies get a load of you in that sombrero. Meow, indeed.

Call [DELETED] to talk details about what's been missing in your life (my sombrero).

Pedestrian struck, killed by train on tracks

About midnight last night, a person was struck and killed by a commuter rail train along the tracks behind Conway Park.

The crash took place at 11:45 p.m. said Joe Pesaturo, MBTA spokesman. He has been tentatively identified as a 46-year old Somerville man.

MBTA Railroad Operations reported that Commuter Train #438 struck a trespasser at the Park Street Crossing in Somerville. Multiple Transit Police units were deployed along with Somerville Police, Fire and EMS units.

The commuter rail train was near Kent and Park streets, approximately behind Veterans Memorial RInk.

"It happened along the railroad right of way between Conway Park and Park Street. The call came in from the Transit Police at about midnight," said Somerville Police spokesman Paul Upton. "This is a very rare event in Somerville. We haven't had a person struck by a train in several years."

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Passengers on the train were bused to a station while investigators probed the cause of the crash.

"It's not known at this point why the man was trespassing on the railroad," Pesaturo said in an email. "The incident is under investigation by Transit Police and the Middlesex District Attorney's Office (CPAC Unit)."

Yuck

"Californication" star David Duchovny has entered a rehabilitation facility for sex addiction.

In a statement released by his lawyer, the actor asked for "respect and privacy" for his family.

Read the full story (AP)

I'm in love with a mirror

I want/need this.

(not to be a total yuppie or anything...)

Is the B-Side Loung closing?

Yes, according to the Boston Herald and Chowhound.

If so, I say -- WHO CARES. It's the only place this side of New York City I've seen a brunch bagel priced at $10. And sure their cocktail selection is old-fashioned and extensive, but forget going there if you don't like shouting to your friends while standing in someone's armpit.
Besides, if you're the kind of person who has to impress other diners by ordering a sidecar or a gimlet can do that at a host of other places -- Green Street grill, or better yet Highland Kitchen. Or, if you're the martini type, there's Diva's lounge in Davis Square.

The mob ain't what it used to be

Carmen ''The Cheese Man'' DiNunzio was wearing an ankle monitor when he went out to get a newspaper.

Jeffrey S. Sallet, supervisory special agent in charge of the FBI's Providence office and coordinator of the New England division's organized crime program, says La Cosa Nostra, commonly known as the Mafia, "has less of a talent pool to pull from because of ethnic neighborhoods disappearing."

The local Mafia, which traditionally denounced drugs, now tolerates addicts in its ranks.

And some members of the old guard have turned down promotions or become inactive because they fear going back to prison or have lost faith after seeing Mafiosi around the country break omerta, the code of silence, and turn informant or government witness, police said.

The New England Mafia just is not what it used to be.

Beatle boots

Apparently they're making a comeback?
I think they're pretty cool...but not for any guy I know, actually.

Sure, it's almost $2,000....

But HOW fabulous is this jacket?

Just plugging my other blog....

.....since i get paid to do that one.

VISIT IT IF YOU LIKE PROJECT RUNWAY!

'A Biblical Seven Years'

When you see how much modern infrastructure has been built in China since 2001, under the banner of the Olympics, and you see how much infrastructure has been postponed in America since 2001, under the banner of the war on terrorism, it’s clear that the next seven years need to be devoted to nation-building in America.

Saw this on the Today show...

...thought it looked yummy! I'd have to substitute the cauliflower for the picky one, but otherwise this looks fast and healthy:

Pasta with roasted cauliflower, parsley, and breadcrumbs

Serves 4

Cauliflower tastes surprisingly nutty and sweet when roasted — break it up into small florets to help it cook quickly. We like cavatappi, but any short pasta will work.

INGREDIENTS

• Coarse salt and ground pepper

• 1 head cauliflower (about 2 1/2 pounds), cored and broken into small florets

• 1 medium red onion, halved and cut into thin wedges

• 5 garlic cloves, peeled and halved

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 4 slices white sandwich bread

• 12 ounces cavatappi or other short pasta

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving (optional)

• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS

Prep time: 10 minutes/ Total time: 30 minutes

1. Preheat oven to 475°, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Set a large pot of salted water to boil. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss cauliflower, onion, and garlic with 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast on lower rack until lightly browned and tender, 20 minutes, tossing once.

2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine bread and remaining 2 tablespoons oil; pulse until coarse crumbs form. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake on upper rack until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes, tossing once.

3. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot. Add cauliflower mixture, Parmesan, and parsley; toss to combine. Tossing pasta, gradually add enough pasta water to form a thin sauce that coats pasta. Serve topped with breadcrumbs and, if desired, more Parmesan.

Nutritional information: Per serving: 560 cal; 17.5 g fat (3.6 g sat fat); 18.3 g protein; 84.8 g carb; 6.6 g fiber

AND THIS ONE LOOKS GOOD TOO!

Cuban black-bean stew with rice

Serves 4

If you like, serve this protein-rich vegetarian dish with brown rice to boost the health factor even more. It’s also delicious with chips or tortillas alongside.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 medium red onion, chopped

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), chopped

• 2 cans (19 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 can (14.5 ounces) vegetable broth

• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

• Coarse salt and ground pepper

• Garnishes (optional): lime wedges, fresh cilantro, and sliced radishes

DIRECTIONS

Prep time: 20 minutes/Total time: 30 minutes

1. Prepare rice according to package instructions. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Add beans, broth, vinegar, and oregano. Cook, mashing some beans with the back of a spoon, until slightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Fluff rice with a fork. Serve beans over rice, with garnishes, if desired.

Nutritional information: Per serving: 439 cal; 5.1 g fat (0.6 g sat fat); 13.8 g protein; 81.4 g carb; 10.3 g fiber

Sponsor drops Bard on Common

Shakespeare company says shows will go on

The Citi Performing Arts Center (formerly the Wang) will no longer sponsor a free annual Shakespeare production on the Boston Common, Citi Center officials confirmed yesterday.

Love it

WOOHOO!

Sarasota County commissioners are approving the purchase of more than an acre of land for a spring training stadium to help lure the Red Sox away from Fort Myers.

Commissioners voted 4-0 Tuesday to pay $4.8 million for the 1.2 acres south of downtown Sarasota. Plans call for a 10,000 seat stadium at the site.

Commissioner Joe Barbetta said buying the land was the only way to land the Red Sox. Sarasota is trying to replace the Cincinnati Reds, who will depart for Goodyear, Ariz., after the 2009 spring training season.

Sarasota has been courting the Red Sox for months, but no deal has been reached. The team has trained in Fort Myers since 1993.

If the Red Sox don't move to Sarasota, the land will be converted into a park.

Vitamin D Deficiency May Lurk in Babies

Until she was 11 months old, Aleanie Remy-Marquez could have starred in an advertisement for breast milk. She took to nursing easily, was breast-fed exclusively for six or seven months, and ate little else even after that. She was alert and precocious and developed at astonishing speed, her mother said, sitting at four months and walking by eight months.

But once Aleanie started putting weight on her feet, her mother noticed that her legs were curving in a bow shape below the knees.

Doctors diagnosed vitamin D-deficiency rickets, a softening of the bones that develops when children do not get enough vitamin D — a crucial ingredient for absorbing calcium and building bone, and the one critical hormone that breast milk often cannot provide enough of.

"We’re finding so many mothers are vitamin D deficient themselves that the milk is therefore deficient, so many babies can’t keep their levels up. They may start their lives vitamin D deficient, and then all they’re getting is vitamin D deficient breast milk," said Dr. Catherine M. Gordon, director of the bone health program at Children’s Hospital Boston and an author of several studies on vitamin D deficiency, including Aleanie’s case.

China's gold medals came at a high price

If anybody feels a pang of jealousy over China's haul of Olympic gold medals, they need only pause to consider what the athletes went through to get them.

The only mother on China's team, Xian Dongmei, told reporters after she won her gold medal in judo that she had not seen her 18-month-old daughter in one year, monitoring the girl's growth only by webcam.
Another gold medalist, weightlifter Cao Lei, was kept in such seclusion training for the Olympics that she wasn't told her mother was dying.
She found out only after she had missed the funeral.
Chen Ruolin, a 15-year-old diver, was ordered to skip dinner for one year to keep her body sharp as a razor slicing into the water. The girl weighs 66 pounds.
And Guo Jingjing, a gold medalist in diving who weighs 108 pounds, suffers from health problems related to diving and is said to have such bad eyesight she can barely see the diving board. It is a common hazard for Chinese divers, who are recruited as young as 6.

Cows have magnetic sense, Google Earth images indicate

German scientists using satellite images posted online by the Google Earth software program have observed something that has escaped the notice of farmers, herders and hunters for thousands of years: Cattle grazing or at rest tend to orient their bodies in a north-south direction just like a compass needle.

Where the hiring is hot

Every day seems to bring more bad news about newspaper colleagues around the country losing their jobs.
The auto industry is shedding workers faster than gas-guzzling SUVs.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics says layoffs "were the highest for the month of June since 2003."

Although the economy is in a funk, there is one employer who expects to hire big time in the coming years -- Uncle Sam.

"Most experts agree that the government will need to replace at least a half million federal employees in the near future," says a recent report by the Merit Systems Protection Board.

Police say marijuana found in Newton Fire Chief LaCroix's car belongs to grandson

The marijuana found in Newton Fire Chief Joseph LaCroix city-owned car last week belonged to the chief's grandson, according to Marlborough Police.

“There is no doubt in our mind as to who this belonged to,” said Captain Paul Valianti, after concluding the investigation, Tuesday. “Chief LaCroix was never suspected to have possessed this [with the intention of using it.]”

LaCroix’s grandson, 19-year-old Sean LaCroix, who lives with his grandparents, admitted to Marlborough police that the small amount of marijuana was his. Marlborough police have not determined whether charges will be filed.

The marijuana was found in the LaCroix’s home and, instead of dispensing it there, the fire chief and his wife chose to hold onto it to approach their grandson later.

LaCroix’s wife asked that it be removed from her home. LaCroix instructed her to place it in her car, but she thought he said to put it in his, according to Valianti. The marijuana was placed in the city’s car unbeknownst to the chief and was later discovered by a handful of Newton firefighters.

Today, ABC announced its lineup for the upcoming season of "Dancing With the Stars," premiering on September 22:

• Susan Lucci (soap star)
• Toni Braxton (singer)
• Lance Bass (former 'n Syncher)
• Brooke Burke (model/TV hostess/pinup)
• Cloris Leachman (actress)
• Kim Kardashian (shameless reality star)
• Ted McGinley (eternally-youthful actor)
• Warren Sapp (NFL player)
• Misty May-Treanor (beach volleyball)
• Maurice Green (track & field medalist in the 2000 Sydney Olympics)
• Rocco DiSpirito (chef)
• Cody Linley ("Hannah Montana" star)
• Jeffrey Ross (comedian)

FBI saw threat of mortgage crisis

Long before the mortgage crisis began rocking Main Street and Wall Street, a top FBI official made a chilling, if little-noticed, prediction: The booming mortgage business, fueled by low interest rates and soaring home values, was starting to attract shady operators and billions in losses were possible.

"It has the potential to be an epidemic," Chris Swecker, the FBI official in charge of criminal investigations, told reporters in September 2004.

But, he added reassuringly, the FBI was on the case. "We think we can prevent a problem that could have as much impact as the S&L crisis," he said.

Today, the damage from the global mortgage meltdown has more than matched that of the savings-and-loan bailouts of the 1980s and early 1990s. By some estimates, it has made that costly debacle look like chump change.
But it's also clear that the FBI failed to avert a problem it had accurately forecast.

Teaching books that don't stack up

Do English classes alienate teens with dry reading lists, fact-based tests and an inflated reliance on the traditional classics? This essay argues that, to reach a generation which is widely reported to be the least likely to read for pleasure, teachers must re-evaluate how literature is taught, what books make up reading lists, and how knowledge in English classes is tested.

It's worth a look.

Wow

Speaking on ABC News' "Good Morning America" in her first interview since announcing her diagnosis earlier this month, the "Samantha Who?" star said she had a double mastectomy three weeks ago. She'll undergo reconstructive surgery over the next eight months.

"I'm going to have cute boobs 'til I'm 90, so there's that," she joked in the interview, which aired Tuesday. "I'll have the best boobs in the nursing home. I'll be the envy of all the ladies around the bridge table."

The 36-year-old actress elected to remove both breasts even though the disease was contained in one breast. She said she is now cancer-free.

College presidents seek drinking age debate

They are calling on lawmakers to consider moving age back to 18

College presidents from about 100 of the best-known U.S. universities, including Duke, Dartmouth and Ohio State, are calling on lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18, saying current laws actually encourage dangerous binge drinking on campus.

Groom-to-be: My love is like a Lyndell’s cupcake

Somerville residents Jay Bell and Robin Rubenstein went for cupcakes on their first date in May 2007.
Then they discovered Lyndell’s and became regulars there. Cupcakes have since become a special part of their lives.

As they walked past their favorite bakery one recent Saturday, imagine Robin’s surprise when she saw a marriage proposal -- “Will you marry me Robin?” - written across six cupcakes in the display window.

After Robin read the cupcakes, Jay led her inside, knelt down on one knee and proposed to her.

Lyndell’s staff and customers applauded as Robin accepted and Jay slipped a diamond ring on her finger.

Bonuses boost council staff pay

Salaries exceed ranges authorized by city statutes

The Boston City Council has been awarding large bonuses to members of its staff, quietly boosting the pay of some political appointees to levels that are well beyond the salary ranges authorized for those positions in city statutes, according to a Globe review of public records.

Under the guidance of City Council president Maureen Feeney, the council paid the council's staff director, Ann Hess Braga, $108,000 in 2007, including two bonus checks totaling $23,700.

At the time, the salary range set by city ordinance for the position was $65,000 to $85,000 annually. Six other council staff members also received bonuses that pushed their pay beyond statutory limits.

This is alarming

Preteen girls get leg, bikini waxes

Waxing body hair — from the simple shaping of an eyebrow arch to the painful transformation of the bikini line — has long been a rite of passage for adult women. But now, more mothers around the U.S. are taking their tweens — kids 10 to 12 years old and some even younger — to salons to get body hair removed.

Philadelphia aesthetician Melanie Engle, whose specialty is eyebrow shaping, is no stranger to odd requests. But nothing prepared her for being asked by one client to book a bikini wax appointment for her 8-year-old daughter.

“The first thing I had to do was try and stay calm, and not yell ‘What are you thinking?’ ” said Engle. “This wasn’t about the girl developing hair early — it was the mother’s obsession with wanting her daughter to be a supermodel.”

A beautiful place to die

Cellphones, energy bars, and GPS watches have turned day-trippers and curious tourists into mountain-trekking thrill seekers. The problem is, the treacherous trails of the White Mountains are no place for rookies.

White House Christmas ornament unveiled!

The 2008 White House Christmas ornament honors the administration of President Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901), the twenty-third president of the United States.

Serving one term from 1889 to 1893, Harrison was a centennial president inaugurated 100 years after George Washington.

Inspired by the Harrison family's Victorian Christmas tree, this 24 karat gold finished ornament interprets the first recorded tree to decorate the White House.

The tree, laden with baubles and garland, is a canvas for all sorts of treats and toys.
Beneath the tree are the presents the Harrison grandchildren received: a toy train and a wooden sled await Benjamin, Mary's rosy-cheeked doll sits on a tricycle, and nearby is Marthena's much wished for dollhouse.

A three-foot-high Santa Claus completes the season's spectacle.

Your Photos, Off the Shelf at Last

If you, like millions before you, have a collection of prints somewhere, it’s probably crossed your mind that they really ought to be scanned — converted into digital files, both for protection and for ease of displaying.

In that case, you, like millions before you, have probably even decided when you’ll do all that scanning: someday.

Because let’s face it: scanning hundreds or thousands of photos yourself, one at a time, on a home scanner, is a time drain the size of the Grand Canyon.

You could send them away to a company that does the scanning, but that’s incredibly expensive; most charge 50 cents or even $1 a photo.

You’d be forgiven, then, for raising an eyebrow at the offer made by a California company called ScanMyPhotos.com. It says it will professionally scan 1,000 photos for you, the same day it receives them, and put them on a DVD for $50.

So what’s the catch?

Actually, no catch, but lots of fine print.

A shout out to Dale and "Make"

If the do-it-yourself trend is a revolution, then Dale Dougherty (left) and Tim O'Reilly (right) are its Tom Paines.

Their three-year-old quarterly magazine, Make, is the DIY manifesto, urging readers to unleash their creativity with little more than a screwdriver and a soldering iron. Want an electric guitar? Start with a cigar box. Need an aerial picture of your house? Try rigging a camera to a kite.

The playfulness of Make, however, disguises a provocative and potentially disruptive trend: giving individuals the power to change hardware just like they do software. "Why can't I do to my car what I do to my computer?" asks Dougherty, Make's publisher.

Anybody with me on this?

I fail to see why this child was considered unsuitable to sing "Ode to the Motherland" at the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. She's just adorable. I have to say I don't understand this situation at all.

Read more here.

Yes, She Can

Hillary feels no guilt about encouraging her supporters to mess up Obama’s big moment at the convention, thus undermining his odds of beating John McCain and improving her odds of being the nominee in 2012.

In a video of a closed California fund-raiser on July 31 that surfaced on YouTube, Hillary was clearly receptive to having her name put in nomination and a roll-call vote.

Looking to veg out?

Google “Vegan restaurant Boston,” and the results probably aren’t too surprising: a venue in Allston, a few links for Pan-Asian cuisine, and suggestions to visit CitySearch.com or BostonVegan.org for more guidance. It’s easy to assume Boston isn’t very Vegan-friendly, at least not for anyone hoping to dine out.

This month, one couple in Malden is hoping to change all that.

This has been driving me crazy all week

I find it hard to believe nothing can be done about this. I believe the Chinese team earned their gold last night; we sucked, no doubt about it. But if everyone is going to tout the games as evidence that China has changed, the IOC shouldn't turn a blind eye to widespread assumptions that the team flouted age restrictions for its gymnasts.

Amid pre-Olympic hand-wringing over why the birthdates of He Kexin, Jiang Yuyuan and Yang Yilin didn't jibe with other registration materials that showed they might be as young as 14, China swore on its stars' passport stamps that the tots are the legal tumbling age of 16.
But while the tiny trio helped their nation whisk the gold medal away from a suddenly clumsy U.S. group in the team competition, it was impossible to deny the visual evidence of something unjust in China.

You're telling me this kid is 16? I don't even believe she's 12!

What really bothers me is that the IOC isn't saying it's NOT suspicious, it's saying they "don't want to offend the host country." If China wants to be treated like a world power, they need to cut the shady crap, and be held to the same standards as everyone else.

Read a July New York Times investigation that found -- using reporters who can speak and read Chinese, I'm sure -- Chinese provincial records dating from earlier competitions this year which showed two of the gymnasts ages as 14.

Patrick to set new curbs on police details

Governor Deval Patrick is planning to release new regulations this morning that will take on powerful police unions by limiting construction details on nearly all state-owned roads, say several people who were briefed on the regulations.

While the plan will not force municipalities to adopt the regulations, it is the most aggressive step yet to end a cash cow for police officers that critics have long called a waste of taxpayer dollars.

The plan, which will be developed by the Massachusetts Highway Department, will delineate when police details should be used and when civilians in bright vests with flags will suffice. Some roads - generally those with speed limits above 45 miles per hour and with more than 4,000 vehicles per day - will still rely on sworn police officers to monitor traffic.

How pretty is this clothing?

WearSense.com

"Stand up to Russia"

Sending troops to help Georgia is out of the question, but the U.S. must do more than issue strongly worded statements.

Whatever the details of the clash that began last week between Georgia and the breakaway, pro-Russia province of South Ossetia, there can be no excuse for Russia's invasion.

Putin does appear to have more than a passing resemblance to lesser autocrats such as Mussolini and the Japanese generals of the 1930s whose aggression nevertheless had tragic repercussions. Indeed, two other historical analogies that come to mind are the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931 and the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in 1935.

Both set the stage for World War II by revealing the impotence of the League of Nations and the unwillingness of the great powers to respond forcefully to aggression.

Summer in the city

Taking shots at ShotPaks

ShotPak alcohol pouches are marketed “for a social setting” such as tailgate parties at sporting events, beaches or while boating —situations where people don’t want to cart glass around.

The pocket-size alcoholic pouches appeal to teens, some worry. The makers say they're filling a niche.

(Forget teenagers. I'll tell you what niche this enables: budding alcoholics).

Happy golden empire

China's upbeat conformity may look strange to us, but it's part of a powerful tradition.

Chinese culture reveres social "harmony" over individuality and dissent. From the time of Confucius, Lao Tzu and the dynastic emperors, and continuing through the communists, Chinese authority figures have preached the value of family, hierarchy, social cohesion and getting along without rocking the boat.

Obama without his script

Judging by his reaction to the Georgia-Russia crisis, Obama's make-believe presidency isn't ready for prime time.

By Monday, both Bush and Obama were playing catch-up to Sen. John McCain, who seemed to have grasped the gravity from the get-go and whose support for Georgia is long-standing. He took the lead from the outset, demanding on Friday morning an emergency meeting of NATO and Western aid to the fledgling democracy.

Michael Phelps' victory dance is innate, scientists say

A study finds that blind athletes strike the same exuberant poses as their sighted counterparts -- as do other primates.

Chimps do it. Gorillas do it. Michael Phelps does it too.



The exuberant dance of victory -- arms thrust toward the sky and chest puffed out at a defeated opponent -- turns out to be an instinctive trait of all primates -- humans included, according to research released Monday.

Longtime Republican voters are airing new views

Many struggling families in the normally comfortable cul-de-sacs outside U.S. cities are thinking of switching parties.

Cheap mortgages and cheap gas built this sprawling landscape of tan and gray stucco homes, iron gates and golf course communities in Wesley Chapel, Fla.

And the people who flocked here over the last decade -- upwardly mobile young families in pursuit of lower taxes and wholesome neighborhoods -- emerged as a Republican voting bloc crucial to President Bush's 2004 reelection.

But listen to Anna Rodriguez and her neighbors who gather nightly on lawn chairs to unwind, and a change comes into focus that could shift the national political landscape in 2008 and beyond.

The boom that turned swamps and pastures into a suburban mecca has stopped dead. Now the talk is about plummeting home values, rising food costs, and gas prices that make the once-painless half-hour commute to Tampa a financial strain.

It's enough to give some here the sense that maybe, this time around, the Republicans do not deserve their votes.

GOOD

Governor Deval Patrick last week quietly vetoed a pension increase for retired teachers and state workers that would have boosted benefits by $120 per year, a major stand for a governor to take against unions that helped elect him.

Fiscal watchdogs had warned that the benefit could cost the state more than $3 billion over the next 20 years, but retirees argued that they desperately need a cost-of-living increase as costs for everything from groceries to gas are on the rise.

The governor had been largely supportive of the pension boosts - and was expected to sign the legislation - but requested that the cost-of-living increases be restricted to workers with pensions less than $40,000.
He argued that would make the plan more affordable for the state, while providing pension boosts for those who need it most.

Art sale worth your time

As many of you know, I cover lots of arts stories for the Malden-based newspaper which I edit.
I recently had the pleasure of covering a show at the artSPACE@16 gallery in Malden -- or what USED to be the gallery, anyway. The founder and curator, Sand T, has put the gallery's future on hiatus to pursue her own art career, and so far it's off to a bangin' start with a solo show at a prestigious venue in her native Malaysia.

To help her raise funds for the supplies she needs to make her labor-intensive works, she's opening up the gallery to sell some of her past works.
I've just learned she extended the availability, and the selection (and prices) of works, through Aug. 31.
Sand is lovely and her gallery is well worth a visit.


Here's the invitiation to her open studio.

Happy browsing!

The new GW mascot

I am not a fan.
The old one is the friendly-looking one at left.
Hi George!

Meh!!

The Franklin Park Zoo has announced that two Chilean flamingo chicks have hatched there in the past two weeks.

The zoo has exhibited flamingos since the 1920s, but these are the first that have hatched there. One hatched July 25; the other on Aug. 1.

With the new additions, the zoo now has 31 Chilean flamingos in its collection.

The animals' nests are mounds of mud, which can be two feet tall. A single egg is laid and is incubated by both the parents, who also raise the chick, the zoo said in a statement.

The pale pink birds grow to be four to five feet tall and prefer shallow, salty lakes and lagoons, the zoo said.

Or there's this one....

Or both? They are very close, just one weekend apart.

Hub On Wheels lets you tour Boston like you've never done before. For one day the city is all yours—it's an experience you'll never forget.

Proceeds from Hub On Wheels help Boston Public School Students get the technology and the skills they need to succeed in today's world.

• Sunday Sept. 21
• Leave city hall in Boston at 8 a.m.
  
• Choose a course: 10, 30, or 50 miles
• Registration is $45
• Discounted parking (only $3) available

I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike:

Please support Special Olympics by riding in one of the most enjoyable fundraising events on the Special Olympics Massachusetts calendar.

Bring your family and friends out to Topsfield Fair Grounds and ride our Metric Century 62-mile course, 20-mile course or the 12-mile Family Fun Ride.

This event is a wonderful opportunity to support your local Special Olympics athletes as well as get to know some of them as you ride the course alongside accomplished Special Olympics Massachusetts cycling athletes.

This fully supported race follows a picturesque north shore route that allows you to enjoy the fall weather and colorful foliage while raising funds and awareness for very deserving Special Olympics athletes.

Big mess at the T

These should be glory days for the MBTA.

Astronomical gas prices finally have done what longtime public transportation evangelists like Mike Dukakis couldn't: Legions of motorists are ditching their cars and riding the T.

Record ridership should be spawning seriously upgraded services across the system, so that all of those gas refugees get hooked on a gorgeous, reliable system and hang around, even if prices at the pump drop. That would ease traffic on the roads, reduce pollution, and transform this state.

But if the revolution is afoot, the T isn't ready. In fact, the MBTA is so not ready that chief Dan Grabauskas is talking about a "hefty," rider-repelling, fare hike come 2010, cuts to services, and delayed upgrades.

This is because the T's finances, which Grabauskas inherited, are a gargantuan mess. One quarter of its $1.5 billion annual budget goes to servicing its $8.1 billion debt, the largest carried by any transportation agency in the country.

Its workers have extraordinary and ridiculously expensive deals: lifetime pensions after 23 years of service, no matter their age. And, for some, free healthcare until they hit 65.

Current fares don't even come close to keeping the T alive, let alone funding improvements and extra services.

So, instead of a world class system, we are left with the prospect of one with major problems - crowding, crumbling infrastructure, and too much debt to fix inevitable problems.

Actress from Newton hopes games alleviate cultural tensions in China

Newton South graduate Kerry Brogan has appeared in about 40 Chinese films and television shows. At 28 and fluent in Mandarin, she is described by a local magazine as "the hottest western face in China."

But five years into her career as a full-time actress in Beijing, she still struggles with roles that play off Asian stereotypes of Western women (pampered, promiscuous, or pious), or that cast her as the "foil" to a heroic or virtuous Chinese lead.

She sees herself as working against something like the racial typecasting that affected Sidney Poitier and Bruce Lee decades ago in the United States.

And she hopes the Beijing Olympics can do something about that.




If the games do not go well?

"The country could become more closed off," said Brogan, sitting on a pink couch in her living room last weekend in one of Beijing's high-rise buildings. "Actresses like me might be asked to play more stereotyped roles."

Fare hikes a-comin'

See as if color blind

Anyone out there who designs a Web site, take note of the fact that to anyone with color blindness (of any kind) sees your site totally differently.
Want to see how it looks to someone with any type of color blindness?
Type the URL into the box on this Web site, and it'll show you any site through the eyes of the color blind:

http://colorfilter.wickline.org/