The Beantown Bloggery

A question for all the single people in Boston. How would you rate Boston as a city for being single? Pretty good? Not so good? I don't have too many data points other than the fact that I have several friends who were single their entire time here in Boston and then right after they left, they met someone in their new cities. Maybe that's why we're 7th this year in Forbes' "Best Cities for Singles."

I can't believe that it's only Tuesday. I'm sitting at Logan right now staring out a window as it threatens to rain, cursing all this traveling that I do for work. Anyhoo, nothing like planning hump day activities to take your mind of things. Coming up tomorrow and Thursday is an event for the ladies - StyleFixx Girls Night Out.

Stylefixx is an event geared towards ladies and young women that brings together a night of fashion, drinks, pampering & all kinds of girlie fun. Though I am well aware you are not yourself a lady, this night out is of particular importance to men & women alike: This year, Stylefixx has partnered with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to donate 100% of the proceeds from ticket sales generated by the promo-code 'Komen-Style'.

StyleFixx events feature the very things women crave; shopping, swag bags, cocktails and complimentary pamperings such as mini-manicures, eyelash extensions, mini-facials, massages, hair-treatments and makeovers. Guests are able to shop the latest trends at 25% - 75% off retail all while enjoying complimentary Ketel-One / Mixerz cocktails, Lindt Chocolate, tastings by Banq Restaurant , Haru Sushi Bar and more.

The event is at the Boston Center for the Arts in the South End, so note to all the guys - linger around the bars near there tomorrow night (ie: The Beehive) - all the ladies will be in the South End.

Click (here) to go to the Stylefixx website.

Credit goes to Leslie and Matt for this one as well. You miss so darn much when you're on the other side of the world. I tried to keep up by reading the Globe online, but it just isn't the same.

As most of you know, Robert De Niro quit Edge of Darkness in early September (here). Well it looks like they've decided to replace him with Ray Winstone - some of you may remember him as Mr. French from The Departed.

Ray Winstone will replace Robert De Niro in "Edge of Darkness," starring alongside Mel Gibson in the Martin Campbell-directed drama produced by Graham King's GK Films.Shooting began in Massachusetts on Aug. 18. After two days on set, De Niro left the project over "creative differences." Winstone is negotiating to play an operative sent to clean up evidence in the murder of a woman. Gibson plays her detective father, who wants answers after his daughter is shot on his doorstep.

Click (here) for a link to the Variety blurb.

Know of Any Interesting Boston News or Events That You'd Like to Share?
Email me at beantownblog@gmail.com

Many thanks to Leslie and Matt for sending me this tip. Looks like I missed this one while I was off in Asia for work. For more info on The Governess, go (here).

Don't expect to see Jennifer Lopez in Boston before winter. Originally slated to start shooting in the fall, JLo's new film "The Governess" won't get going until December at the earliest, we're told. The romantic comedy, directed by Nigel Cole and written by Kevin Wade and Wendy Braff, is about a professional thief who poses as a nanny to three unruly children of a wealthy widower.

I hope J Lo likes cold weather, because they're basically going to be filming during the coldest months of the year. Maybe it'll be a winter movie.

Click (here) for the Globe blurb.

Those of you downtown are probably familiar with Peapod, the grocery delivery service. Maybe you've seen the trucks parked on the street while making a delivery. Well I tried them out this weekend at their request and it was kind of awesome. I was pretty surprised because I love grocery shopping, and didn't think I'd like shopping for them on the web. Let me start by describing my usual routines:

Sometimes I walk over to the Star Market near the Prudential Center with an empty backpack (45 min), do all my shopping (15-20 min), pack what I can & carry the rest, and then walk to the T and hop on to get back home (20 min).

On other occasions when I go to Costco, I drive out to the one in Avon - they sell alcohol there - (30 min), do my shopping after ogling all the huge tv's out front (20-30 min), drive back to my apartment (30 min), circle the block looking for a temporary parking space (10 min), unload the groceries into my apt (10 min), get back in my car and drive to the parking garage where I park (10 min), park my car and walk home (15 min).

Now let's talk about Peapod. I went to the website and created an account (2 min), surfed through the pages looking for stuff to buy (10-15 minutes), chose a time when I would be home and wanted to have my groceries delivered (2 min), and I paid via credit card (2 min).

I placed my order Thursday night and chose delivery on Saturday morning. I figured on a Saturday morning, there was a 99.9% chance that I'd be sleeping in so it wouldn't be a big deal to open the door to receive some groceries and then go back to bed.

A few of things do still bug me though. One, I'm a bit of an impulse shopper so I like to see things on the shelf. Second, I felt a little bit like I was waiting for the cable guy when I had to choose a delivery time. My original window was 7:30am-11am, which Peapod then narrowed down to 9am-11am. My guy ended up showing up a few minutes after 11. And third, the minimum order amount is $60. As a single guy I don't usually spend $60 at the grocery store in one sitting.

Overall though, Peapod was kinda awesome. It saved me so much time and effort. I don't think I'll completely get rid of regular grocery shopping, but I think I might be adding Peapod to the routine for those times when I'm just really busy or when it gets really cold out.

My suggestion - try it out for yourself and see what you think. To make things better, the folks at Peapod gave me a $20 promo code to give you guys so you can try it out. When you log in to Peapod, on the lower right hand part of the screen, there is a box for promo codes. Use: BLOGPOST11 to to get $20 off your order.

Try it out and let me know what you think. Or for those of you that already use it, any helpful hints for the rest of us?

Click (here) to go to the Peapod site.

Anyone else go to the Belgian Beer Fest this past weekend (here)? It was a great opportunity to see some old friends, make some new ones, and sample a lot of great beer. And the sugar waffles were DELICIOUS!

Forever 21 has always been a mystery to me. I had female friends who shopped there in highschool, and nowadays I bet there's even middle school kids shopping there. What are kids wearing these days?!? But once my friends hit college and beyond - and I would assume reach the age of 21 - I'm pretty sure they all stopped shopping there. Thus, the name Forever 21 doesn't make sense to me. Anyway, for better or for worse, they're expanding into MA.

Simon Property Group is set to open five Forever 21 clothing stores to area malls over the next year, the company said on Friday. The Boston office of Simon Property Group (NYSE: SPG) plans to open the first Forever 21, a retail brand known for its affordable price-point and youthful styles, at the Auburn Mall on Sept. 2O. The other stores will open at the Arsenal Mall in Watertown in December, 2008; the Northshore Mall in March 2009, the Cape Cod Mall in June 2009 and the Burlington Mall in October 2009.

Unless I'm hallucinating, I think the article from the BBJ was wrong, cause I'm pretty sure I snapped a pic of a Forever 21 the last time I was at the Natick Mall (pic above). Can anyone confirm?

Many thanks to Kathleen for the wonderful tickets to the BSO's opening night on Wednesday evening (although I should say "ticket" because all my friends are uncultured heathens and so I ended up going alone - the other seat went unused). It was an amazing Russian-themed performance.

The evening started with a cocktail reception. Some sparkling wine & some Russian food and then came the music.

The concert started with Glinka's "Overture to Ruslan and Ludmila" followed by the "Letter Scene" from the Tchaikovsky's opera "Eugene Onegin," featuring Latvian soprano Maija Kovalevska. And then they finished off the night with Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition."
Most notable was the comeback of James Levine - after a hiatus as he recovered from kidney surgery.

I'm not a music critic, so I don't know what else to say other than this - if you don't have tickets yet for this season's BSO - get them now! It was a great night.

Funny story for you. When I was a kid, the Mavericks kinda sucked and the seats were usually pretty empty. Tickets were abundant and cheap. After Mark Cuban bought them and reinvented the team, good luck trying to go to a game.

Fast forward to a little over a year ago. I'm not a huge sports guy, but the celtics were not doing so well and I asked a buddy of mine if it was smart to try to buy season tickets as an investment. He said no, so I didn't do anything. A couple months later, the Celtics signed KG and the rest is history. Oh well, I guess you win some and you lose some - emphasis on the "lose some."

The defending NBA Champion Boston Celtics will go on sale for their 2008-2009 season this Friday. Please be aware that the following ticket guidelines will be effect: 3 game maximum purchase per customer 4 ticket limit per game, per person 2 ticket limit on tickets priced $10.00 for the first month of sales.

Tickets go on sale today, Friday 9/26 at 10am EST.

Click (here) to get your tickets.

The Globe is reporting that Justin Timberlake and his girlfriend (they're officially dating right?) Jessica Biel were both in town over this past weekend. Anybody know why there were here?


Justin Timberlake was in Boston over the weekend but apparently did not attend the party. JT and girlfriend Jessica Biel arrived Friday on a flight from LA and ate lunch Sunday at Daedalus in Harvard Square. Biel, who briefly attended Tufts before dropping out to pursue an acting career, ate a burger while Timberlake had a Cuban sandwich. Yes, the cute couple are good tippers.

Just vacationing perhaps? Anyone else spot them this weekend?

Alec Baldwin is in town tonight to read from his new book "A Promise to Ourselves." Here's the official "summary" on the book:

Award-winning actor Baldwin--whose split from wife Kim Basinger and subsequent custody battle surrounding their child exacted a heavy toll on all involved--makes a powerful case for reexamining and changing the way child custody is decided in this country.

Methinks I'm not the target demographic for this book, but if you're into celebrity sightings and/or autographed books - be sure to swing by the Borders in Downtown Crossing tonight at 6pm.

I remember hearing the voicemail he left for his daughter on one of those gossip tv shows like Extra or what not - and I guess it's a relief to know that it's a book on divorce and not on raising kids.

Click (here) for more info on the Borders page.

While I was at the Thrillist event last night (here), I met and spoke with a couple of folks from Equinox. As many of you know, I'm a member of the Sports Club LA but last night I received an invitation to go check Equinox out again via a VIP Pass.

When I swung by for the tour over a year ago, Equinox had just opened and was a little sparse on the free weights. The VIP pass is good for one whole month - I think I just might have to check it out.

During my conversation with Colin (membership advisor @ Equinox), I mentioned that I have a blog and that I was sure my readers would also appreciate a chance to check out Equinox. So, what did he do? He handed me a nice stack of additional VIP cards so that I could hook you guys up.

If you're itching to join and don't need the month pass to check it out, you're also in luck. They're running a $17 initation promo right now if you join during the month of September.

When you get there, just ask for Colin Saad - he'll take care of you.

For those of you that would like a VIP card, email me your name/address with "Equinox VIP Card" in the subject line and I'll put one in the mail for you. The VIP cards expire by 10/15/08 so get 'em while the gettin's good.

Congrats to Flavie and the rest of the Thrillist team on an incredible Boston launch party last night at Foundation Lounge. It was just three short months ago that Thrillist launched their Boston edition (here) and from the looks of the packed Lounge last night, they've been kicking ass and taking names.

The Becks beer and Skyy vodka was flowing freely last night, but the definite highlight of the evening was the "Miracle Fruit."

Aside from the usual ass-kickerry that is to be expected from all Thrillist events, this one is going to have a special bonus in store for attendees...we will have Miracle Fruit at the event. Miracle Fruit is a small bright red berry, which, when eaten will turn all sour/bitter tastes to sweet ones allowing one to eat a slice of lemon or lime without wincing.

The marvelous aroma and inherent sweetness of the citrus remains but the sourness is almost completely covered. Additionally, it rounds out and removes all harshness from liquor, bringing forward the undertone flavors of the spirit. The effect remains for approximately 30 minutes.

This Miracle Fruit was CRAZY! I really was chewing on lemon slices like they were Skittles.

Good times, when's/where's the next launch party? NYC? Miami? I have half a mind to travel there just to attend another Thrillist party.

Oh and if you haven't subscribed to Thrillist yet, go (here) now.

It's getting a bit chilly out nowadays, which is always unfortunate. But there's always one great thing about the coming of Fall - Opening Night for the Boston Symphony which is coming up this Wednesday - 9/24.

Under the baton of BSO Music Director James Levine, the Boston Symphony Orchestra opens its 2008-09 season with an all-Russian gala concert at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 24, at Symphony Hall. Latvian soprano Maija Kovalevska, a rising star in the international classical music scene, makes her BSO debut singing the “Letter Scene” from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin in a program that also includes such Russian orchestral masterpieces as the Overture to Glinka’s Ruslan and Ludmila and Ravel’s orchestration of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.

Many thanks to Kathleen for the invitation to attend this event. I'm psyched because I was just thinking about looking for tix to the BSO as I sat on my twelve hour flight back from Tokyo to Detroit (just 1 of the 3 flights it took to get home) - while listening to my favorite Yo Yo Ma CD - the one where he plays the music of Ennio Morricone - best classical cd ever. I'll see you Wednesday!

And for those of you reading who'd like to go:

There are a limited number of $20 rush tickets available on Wednesday beginning at 4pm at the Symphony Hall box office.

PS. Did I mention I used to play the piano and cello - and so I love the symphony?

Many thanks to Don for sending this email my way. Sorry that I couldn't post it up sooner, I just got it yesterday and the jetlag kicked my butt so I wasn't checking email. I removed the number from the bottom of the letter so that the Locations Dept doesn't get a million calls. They probably wouldn't be too happy with me.

September 19, 2008

Dear Resident,
We are currently in production for the feature film titled EDGE OF DARKNESS – a crime drama starring Mel Gibson. We are currently filming in and around Boston this summer/fall. More information about this project can be found online at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1226273

We will be filming in your neighborhood on Monday Sept. 22nd, 2008. In order to facilitate our production we will be parking some equipment vehicles on streets surrounding our filming locations. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Filming Location:
Boston Redevelopment Authority Property
1st Ave/16th St.
Charlestown, MA

There will be parking restrictions on:
1st Ave- (200ft both sides- 16th St. end)
***Note: See Postings*****

In addition: In accordance with FAA, our filming will involve a helicopter landing.
-On Sunday Sept. 21- (10am to 2pm)- We will be doing a rehearsal (landing the Helicopter several times)
-On Monday Sept. 22- (8am to Noon)- We will be filming (landing the Helicopter several times)

We look forward to filming in your neighborhood, and will do what we can to minimize the impact of our presence on the area. If you have any questions or special concerns, for instance moving or construction plans, please contact the Locations Department at XXX.XXX.XXXX or come and speak to one of us on location.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Regards,
The Locations Department

It's gearing up to be an eventful week, I'm glad I made it back form Asia in one piece. Coming up tonight at The Estate is the Sex & The City Fashion Show celebrating the DVD release of the movie.

Leah Larson from Sharon, MA is a finalist in a Wells Fargo competition to win $100K to help make her dream of running a magazine come true.  She's already won $10K and is now one of five going up for the final prize.  Here's a little more background:

Darn it!  The Island Creek Oyster Festival is this Saturday and I'm going to miss it.  The 3rd Annual Island Creek Oyster Festival is taking place on Saturday 9/20 from 4pm - 11pm and will be held at Duxbury Beach Park. 

The festival is being sponsored by Harpoon Brewery, so you know the beer will be good.  Also, they'll have a few chefs from local restaurants:  KO Prime, Lineage, and Green Street Tavern as well as live music. 

I love oysters.  It's a shame I'm going to miss this festival, but hopefully I will be able to goto the one in Wellfleet in October.  In the meantime, I'll just have to settle for a kickass meal at B&G Oysters when I return to Boston.  Who wants to come with me?

Click (here) for more festival info.  And get your tickets too. 

Interested in a little old school rock & roll?  Or maybe I should be calling them hard rock or heavy metal.  Who knows?  Anyway, AC/DC is coming to Boston to perform at TD Banknorth Garden on Sunday Nov 9th and tickets go on sale today, 9/19/08, at 11am EDT. 

I spotted this at the bar in the basement of the hotel I'm staying in while I'm in Hong Kong. I found it to be rather humorous.

What happens when Boston bans trans fat? I flee the country. Ok, just kidding. It was purely coincidental that I hopped on a plane bound for Hong Kong right as the trans fat ban went into effect late last week.

Beginning today, the city’s 5,600 restaurants, grocery stores and other food establishments must begin eliminating oils, shortenings and margarines containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oil as a spread or for frying, sauteing or grilling. Six months from now, the ban will also apply to baked goods, mixes, partially fried items and all other foods containing artificial, artery-clogging trans fat.

Has anyone noticed if stuff tastes different? Or if there's certain foods you can't find anymore? Anyone in the restaurant business want to voice any complaints on what this ban might do to your costs? Just curious.

My opinion pretty much hasn't changed since I last blogged about this in January (here). I still don't like the idea of the government telling me what I can and cannot eat. But overall, I don't think this is going to effect my daily life. Penny for your thoughts?

Click (here) for a link to the Herald article.

Double Agent has launched its next covert operation --- a city-wide search to find the newest Boston area Double Agent recruits. The search, which is running through September 21, 2008, comes as Trojan® condom and Double Agent, prepare to come to Boston for an event hosted by Joel and Benji Madden of Good Charlotte as a part of the Trojan Evolve tour this fall.

Double Agent is an online intelligence agency providing men with lifestyle advice and tips from "double agents" -- smart, sexy women on the ground and in the know. Double Agent and the Maker of Trojan® Condoms are throwing a party in Boston on September 25, 2008 at the Roxy nightclub in honor of the newest recruit. The event will be hosted by Good Charlotte band members Benji and Joel Madden, who will also be performing a special DJ set.

Who wouldn't want to go to a party hosted by a condom company and an agency of smart, sexy women? The line outside Roxy on 9/25 is going to give Gypsy Bar a run for its money.

Oh, and the search ends on 9/21 so you only have a few days left to sign up and start collecting points. Better get to it, there's a couple of girls who already have over 300K points.

Click (here) to go to the Double Agent site.

The Globe reported last week that Bloomingdale's is in talks to set up shop in the Prudential Center area.

Bloomingdale's is in talks with Boston Properties to be the retail centerpiece of a proposed Prudential Center tower, according to a local official briefed on the matter. Bloomingdale's said the company does not comment on prospective locations. Andy LaGrega, of Wilder Cos., a Boston development firm, said Bloomingdale's, which already has a store in Chestnut Hill, has been trying to open a store in Boston since 2004, when the old New England Life building was being transformed into The Newbury. The developers could not accommodate the space Bloomingdale's needed, but the clothier remained interested in moving to the city. The Prudential Center has more than 75 shops and restaurants including Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor, and Sephora.

From the sounds of it though, if it's going to be part of a "proposed" tower, that means it's probably going to be a handful of years before this actually happens. God knows zoning, licensing, construction - and all that jazz - takes forever here.

You know what they should do? They should just take over Louis Boston's space in 2010 when their lease is up (here).

I got an email about a week ago asking about this movie, but I was so caught up with Edge of Darkness that I forgot to do any research on this other movie that's filming in Andover called Don McKay.

The Letourneau's Pharmacy owner wanted to make sure her loved ones had a cameo in the latest film to hit the Merrimack Valley — "Don McKay".

The dark drama, starring Thomas Haden Church and Elisabeth Shue, is shooting in the area through mid-September.

The crew has been using a foreclosed house off of Route 114 in North Andover as their main backdrop, and also have shot scenes at Lawrence High School and Palmer's restaurant in Andover.

Does anybody have the scoop on this movie? The Eagle Tribune has a pretty comprehensive article from a couple weeks ago. Are they still filming?

Click (here) for a link to the Tribune article.

Too bad I was in Chicago last Thursday, otherwise I would have been at the new CBS Scene bar/restaurant in Foxboro (here) for the unveiling of the new 2009 Patriots Cheerleaders calendar.

Finally, the Patriots faithful have something to smile about: The team's cheerleaders released their 2009 swimsuit calendar at a fan meet-and-greet at CBS Scene in Foxborough last night. The squad also screened "Patriot Girls, Making the 2009 Calendar," the behind-the-scenes video of the ladies' Punta Cana and Dominican Republic photo shoots.

I wonder when they were in Punta Cana. I was just there in July for a wedding. For those of you that haven't been to the Dominican Republic before, it was quite beautiful. The resort we stayed at was quite nice and the beaches were great.

We took a day trip out to Cap Cana which is a new area that's currently being developed so it was a little more secluded and private. And let me tell you, I felt like I was in my own private Corona commercial.

Here's a few pics from the calendar shoot and also from the event last week:




PS. I'd never really paid attention to the Pats cheerleaders before, but Dinna Yap is quite the looker.

The Globe had a few more details as to why Robert De Niro left Edge of Darkness. Those involved with the movie are sticking to the "creative differences" story.

Why did Robert De Niro really leave "Edge of Darkness"? The gossip mill's been churning since the Oscar-winning actor abruptly left the Mel Gibson cop drama last week. Both sides insist the parting was mutual and did indeed stem from "creative differences," as first reported. Still, "there's been a lot of erroneous stuff floating around," said producer Graham King, including chatter that De Niro was fired from the set-in-Boston flick. "We couldn't fire Bob De Niro. I mean, c'mon," King said.

De Niro and director Martin Campbell just saw his character, a CIA crime-scene operative, too differently, King continued. Campbell sees the character as humorous, while "Bob saw it as more of a dry character," King said.

Does he really go by Bob De Niro? Well it's not like Bob needs the paycheck or anything. Any word yet on who's replacing him?

Click (here) for the Globe blurb.

Know of Any Interesting Boston News or Events That You'd Like to Share?
Email me at beantownblog@gmail.com

I was just talking to one of my friends last week about how I haven't gone to a museum or any art exhibits in quite some time. I used to be part of the museum council at the MFA, but work got so busy that I ended up never having time to make it over there. On top of that, the ICA has been open for like two years now and I still haven't made it over there. Sad.

And as I was sitting there renewing my vow to get some culture back into my life, I got an email about a new art exhibit that will be opening this week.

The relationship between art and fashion receives fresh treatment in David Alsdorf‟s new exhibit, which makes its world premiere in Boston on September 19 th in association with Boston Fashion Week and South End Open Studios. Alsdorf‟s new collection This is Not Fashion redefines fashion photography, pushing people to examine the nature of this category of imagery and to confront its meaning.

This is Not Fashion opens for Boston Fashion Week on Friday, September 19, with a reception at Turtle (619A Tremont Street, Boston) from 5-7 PM. The opening continues during South End Open Studios, Saturday September 20 – Sunday September 21, 12-5pm. The exhibit will remain on display through Sunday, October 19

.

.

12 September 2008

GREETINGS!

I am pleased to announce that L'Espalier is now open at 774 Boylston Street!

L'Espalier will open its doors for dinner this evening at 5:30pm. We are extremely excited to introduce our new space and greatly look forward to serving you in a new (and improved!) way.

Reservations are not required, but call us now to reserve an extra special table for this evening at 617-262-3023. Cheers! Frank McClelland Chef and Proprietor

Happy dining everyone, if anyone does go tonight or sometime this weekend, let me know how you liked it compared to the old L'Espalier. As for me, I'll be at Grill 23 tonight chowing down on a steak the size of my face. yummm ... steak.

Anyone want to grab a drink tonight before I jet off to Hong Kong tomorrow?

Ok all you liberal arts majors. Here's your time to shine. The fourth annual 100 Seconds Film Festival is currently holding a call for entries with a deadline of November 15th. So for those of you that haven't even gotten started yet, you've still got some time.

The 100 Second Film Festival is an unique yet accessible universal collaboration. Launched in 2005, this evolving anthology of videos embraces the raw creativity from producers of all skill levels and backgrounds, encouraging them to submit their best work. Works from all genres are welcome adhering to the common constraint of 100 seconds or less in duration.

We've all had plenty of practice uploading our crazy home videos on YouTube, here's your chance to take it to the next level.

Click (here) to go to the 100 Seconds website for official rules and also to see some of the videos from past festival.

All I ever walk around town with when I'm snapping photos for the Bloggery is my iPhone, so pictures are never great quality, they're just good enough to get the job done. Luckily for us, there are others like Joe from EKS Productions who walk around town with a digital SLR and a 50mm lens.

Many thanks to Joe for leaving the comment about the photos he took during the 9/5 Edge of Darkness filming at Boston Common.

Remember my post on the casting call for Mel Gibson look-alikes (here)? Go to Joe's site, go to the bottom where it says "Celebrities" and then near the top of page 4 of his EoD pics, there is a picture of what I assume is the person they ended up casting.

Click (here) to go to Joe's site.

PS. He's got also got some great pictures of Scarlett Johannson and Mark Wahlberg from when they were in Boston.

I may have answered my own question from earlier (here). On the way to the airport this morning (at 4:30am) the cab was driving down Summer Street just past the new convention center and I spotted one of the telltale "EOD" signs.

I'm in Chicago for the day, but if anyone wants to investigate - I believe it was the intersection of Summer St and D Street where I snapped the image above.

Did I mention that I really loathe waking up at 4am to go to the airport? Have a good day everyone.

Know of Any Interesting Boston News or Events That You'd Like to Share?
Email me at beantownblog@gmail.com

The Globe is reporting that Edge of Darkness was supposed to be filming in Framingham today, but scrapped the plan. Anyone know where they're going to be filming instead?

We're told that "Edge of Darkness" director Martin Campbell has scrapped plans to shoot a scene tomorrow at the Framingham Service Plaza on the Mass Pike. Campbell is coping with the sudden departure of Robert De Niro, who up and quit last week. (The actor's spokesman cited "creative differences.") While producers try to find a replacement, Campbell is filming scenes with Mel Gibson and costars Danny Huston, Shawn Roberts, and Bojana Novakovic.

Keep an eye out for those white "EOD" signs. If you follow them long enough you'll find the set.

Click (here) for a link to the Globe blurb.

Know of Any Interesting Boston News or Events That You'd Like to Share?
Email me at beantownblog@gmail.com

Starting today and running through the weekend is the Newport International Boat Show. For those of you that are looking for a mini-scape from Boston and want a chance to ogle some beautiful boats, I'd recommend you check it out.

Blogging about this makes me remember a conversation I overheard in the locker room at the Sports Club LA a little while back. There were two guys chatting about boats (this was right around the time that oil prices were at their highest) and the first was talking about how he wanted to get a boat. The conversation went a little like this:

Man 1: I really want to get a boat, but gas prices are getting ridiculous.
Man 2: Yeah, if you want to know what it feels like to own a boat, stand in your shower with the water running and tear up hundred dollar bills.

I thought that was hilarious. Anyhoo, here are the show times:

September 11-14
Thursday, Friday & Saturday: 10 AM to 6 PM
Sunday: 10 AM to 5 PM

Click (here) to go to the event website.

I blogged a little earlier about this vote (here), but there was an article in the Globe today about the anti-income tax group's financial woes, so I figured the issue bore repeating. I was actually inspired enough by this ballot question to actually register to vote (for the first time in 4 years). I will be voting to get rid of the income tax.

Activists seeking to repeal the Massachusetts state income tax are running low on money and face a lopsided battle with a coalition of well-financed unions that will sponsor TV and radio ads in a bid to defeat the November ballot initiative, according to newly filed disclosure reports.

Howell's group, the Committee for Small Government, pushed a similar initiative that almost passed six years ago. At the time, Beacon Hill leaders paid little heed to the effort, and no one organized a campaign to fight it. But it got a surprisingly strong 45 percent of the vote, and the economic conditions this year seem even riper for supporters to capitalize on a sour economy, rising gas and grocery prices, and distrust in government spending.

Eliminating the income tax would save the average taxpayer $3,600 a year, but would also cost the state roughly $12.7 billion - about 40 percent of the budget. Governor Deval Patrick, as well as the Senate president and House speaker, have spoken out against the measure, saying it would cause dramatic cuts and force layoffs throughout state and local government.

Obviously losing 40% of the budget would be painful if not disastrous to the government. But I also feel like there is way too much waste in the government and this might cause them to have to run more efficiently and more cost-effectively. For example, I believe the Big Dig ended up costing somewhere in the neighborhood of $14 billion dollars .... about $10 billion more than the original estimated cost. And the darned thing didn't even work properly when it was finished. I would call that inefficient and wasteful.

Click (here) to read the Globe article.

Know of Any Interesting Boston News or Events That You'd Like to Share?
Email me at beantownblog@gmail.com

The title pretty much says it all. All you have to do is make an online reservation, print out the coupon and you save $20 off your dinner. Sounds like a pretty good deal.

I haven't eaten dinner at McCormick & Schmick's for a while. But, I have been there for happy hour, and let me tell you they have super cheap food during happy hour. If I remember correctly they have two happy hours, one is right after work and the other is around 10 or 11 in the evening.

According to the webpage, both the Park Plaza location and the Faneuil Hall location are participating in the promo. Promo ends September 30th. Happy Dining!

Click (here) for a link to the promo page.

I remember reading about this a while back, but I kept on forgetting to blog about it. We now know who's going to take over the space that was formerly occupied by the Garden of Eden in the South End. That place was near and dear to me because I actually used to live in an apartment above the restaurant a couple years back. They made the BEST cookies. Dark chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin were my favorites.

Anyway, Stephanie's on Newbury - you know, that restaurant that always has a two hour wait for a seat on their patio - is going to expand into the South End.

I've eaten at Stephanie's a few times. They have a jumbo shrimp salad that I really like. It was sad to see Garden of Eden go, I liked their sandwiches too. The only downside was that they didn't serve french fries. Congratulations to Stephanie's on their expansion!

Click (here) for a link to the Herald.

Cirque du Soleil's newest traveling show just opened in Boston last week. I've watched pretty much every Cirque show that's come to Boston in the last eight years - needless to say I'm a big fan. The past couple of shows I saw though, Corteo (in Boston) and Zumanity (in Vegas) were not so good. I was disappointed.

But when Kooza tickets went on sale, I was psyched and sat on the website the day of the sale trying to get the best tickets I could. I ended up with front row seats for this past Sunday's show. And let me tell you, Kooza renewed my faith in Cirque - the show was wonderful.





Contortionists, tightrope walkers, acrobats, juggling, something they called the Ring of Death, and so on and so forth. It was captivating. One difference from previous years - the show was at the Bayside Expo Center as opposed to Suffolk Downs.

Now I've got my fingers crossed that I'll be able to find some time to see O in Vegas when I'm at CES this upcoming year.

I think Quidam is still my favorite, the music and the dark nature of the backstory was so good. But Kooza is definitely a close second. The show will be around through mid-October, I highly recommend it.

W00t! I just got an email today that outside.in has compiled a report of the top blogs in Boston and the Beantown Bloggery made the cut!

Wanted to send a note of congratulations. Outside.in just put out a report on top blogs in Boston, and Beantown Bloggery made it. We analyzed data from over 4,000 blogs that provide feeds to the outside.in site, and based on variables that included total number of posts, location of posts, links from other sites in the community identified Beantown Bloggery as a top blog in the Boston area.

Other blogs that deserve congratulations:

1. Universal Hub
2. Bostonist
3. BPD News
4. Blue Mass Group
5. BostonREB

I know it's not in any particular order but it still feels good to be in the top 5.

Click (here) for a link to the outside.in page.

I don't know much about the TV show "The Hills." I'm not a big reality tv fan. I know a few names: Lauren Conrad, Audrina something, Heidi something, etc. I only know those names because I see bits and pieces on Perez Hilton and in random magazines.

Oh and I did also see an article about how much these kids get paid. It's crazy. I believe LC makes $75K per episode. PER EPISODE!


Anyway, I digress. For those of you that would like to meet with one of the folks from "The Hills," Lo will be here this weekend 9/13 at The Estate hosting Club Kiss.

According to that same salary article, Lo makes $10K per episode. I wonder how much Ed Kane's shelling out to get her to come.

Click (here) for tickets to the event.

Click (here) for that article on how much each of those Hills actors makes

Ok that's a lie. To be more accurate, something that I used to own will be in Edge of Darkness (hopefully).

So here's the backstory. My dad is an Asian antiques dealer back home. Over the last couple of months, I've been working on a project to help him to explore the New England market to see if there is any demand. To do so, I set up a booth at the Cambridge Antique Market (here) and the Rhode Island Antiques Mall (here) as a test.

So this past weekend, I swung by the Cambridge Antique Market to chat with Michele, the wonderful sales lady that works the 2nd floor there (where my booth is) and she mentioned to me that one of the products that I sold - a set of miniature vases depicting the cloisonne making process - was sold to the folks from Edge of Darkness to be used as a prop.

AWESOME! I hope it's true and I hope that those little vases actually make it into the movie. When the movie comes out, I'm going to be staring intently at all backgrounds to see if the vases show up. If you look at the picture in this post, it's the set of 5 small vases on the upper left hand corner of the showcase. w00t!

Know of Any Interesting Boston News or Events That You'd Like to Share?
Email me at beantownblog@gmail.com

Neil Patrick Harris aka Doogie Howser aka Barney aka Dr. Horrible was at Foxboro this past weekend for the opening of the new CBS Scene bar/restaurant.

Neil Patrick Harris swears he's a Patriots fan. "Oh yeah, can't you tell?" he told us with a trace of irony. "I'm a huge Pats fan, or so say Robert Kraft and [CBS President] Les Moonves." The actor was among several CBS personalities at Saturday's opening of the network's futuristic bar/restaurant at Patriot Place. Called CBS Scene, the three-story venue features upscale cuisine, groovy LED lighting, and 130 high-def, flat-screen TVs.

Pats players Richard Seymour, Randy Moss, Rodney Harrison, Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Vince Wilfork, and coach Bill Belichick wandered through, as did CBS on-air talent Greg Gumbel, James Brown, Bill Cowher, Dan Dierdorf, Shannon Sharpe, and Boomer Esiason.

Wow, so many celebs. I'm guessing it was a closed party, otherwise it would have been awesome to go and meet all these folks. Did anyone out there get an invite?

A few of you commented that you saw EoD setting up shop in the Public Garden on Friday (9/6). Well, the Globe confirmed it this weekend, and I saw a bunch of their equipment in the Common as well as I was walking home on Friday. I wonder if they did a scene or two there as well.

Mel Gibson and costar Bojana Novakovic , who plays his daughter in "Edge of Darkness," filmed in the Public Garden yesterday. The actor, who was spotted with an umbrella-wielding, sun-blocking assistant, did a contemplative scene on a bench, and was later scheduled to shoot some car scenes.

Know of Any Interesting Boston News or Events That You'd Like to Share?
Email me at beantownblog@gmail.com