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Greyhound Bus Killer

This is the most messed up story I have read in a long time! Be careful who you sit next to on your next bus trip...

Police in Winnipeg said Thursday they do not know what triggered a vicious attack on a Greyhound bus the night before that led to the beheading of a passenger.

Witnesses say a man was stabbed to death and then decapitated in what appears to be a random act of violence on board the bus that was en route to Winnipeg late Wednesday.

To continue reading this gruesome story: Greyhound Bus Killer

Zipcar Dispenser

How rad is this idea?! Its a prototype parking structure modeled on a giant PEZ dispenser that doles out cars in lieu of candy! I think it would fit in perfectly in downtown Boston.

The tower will maximize Zipcar's presence in the city, providing a recognizable corporate symbol for the emerging car company in underutilized residual urban spaces.

There are precedents for these sorts of things in Europe. When you buy a Smart Car from some dealers it is dispensed from a giant gumball machine-like container.

And Volkswagon uses something similar at their Autostadt, only theirs is over 20-stories high.

Source: ArchBoston.com

Celebrity-studded Celtics Game

Last night I went with Jeff to Game 5 of the playoff's against the Cavs. It was an exciting game and of course we ended up winning, 96-89. However I was a little pissed because I wore my GINO T-Shirt and they only showed him at the very end when people were leaving the game! Everyone loved my shirt tho, I was like a D-list celebrity!

I wasn’t the only famous person getting attention at the game, because Boston is now Hollywood East, so there were a few more famous faces in the crowd. Jay-Z and Beyonce were sitting front row, next to the Cavs bench. “Super Bad’s” Jonah Hill, who is in Lowell filming “This Side of the Truth” was having some fun mugging for the Jumbotron and got a good laugh at disco Gino late in the fourth quarter. And Brother & Sister’s Rob Lowe was in attendance, along with NKOTB’s Donnie Wahlberg, JoJo, ex-Celtic Antoine Walker, and New England Patriots defensive lineman Richard Seymour.

Source: Boston Herald

Garden of Eden in South End Closed

The Garden of Eden on Tremont St in the South End has closed its doors.

A sign on the door reads: "The Garden of Eden is closed for business. To our neighbors, friends, and customers, we thank you for over a dozen years of business."

Stephanie's on Tremont will soon be opening...

Boston's New Apple Store

The Green Monster came down and unveiled the new Apple Store in Boston on Boylston St! I know I'm a geek, but I can't wait to check it out. Its grand opening is Thursday, May 15th 6:00 PM

Source: ArchBoston

Best Survivor Season Ever

OMG! Funniest. Survivor. Ever! You are going to have to excuse me as I wipe the tears of laughter from my eyes. There are no words – none – that can truly describe the bittersweet hilarity of Erik’s monumental crash and burn. If you missed the show for any reason, run – don’t walk – to your nearest internet-ready computer and watch the repeat online because in a season of blindsides, this one takes the cake. I’m just going to say it. Erik gave up immunity! Gave. It. Up. Minutes later he was saying goodbye. That was the most boneheaded move ever in the history of Survivor! This season has been the best one since the original!

Newbury Street Mural is Gone

In a city where landmarks' ages are measured in centuries, Joshua Winer's 14-year-old Newbury Street mural had assumed a certain pride of place. Chances are you've seen it, all five stories of it, staring down at you from the huge, exposed east wall of 157-159 Newbury St., formerly the Du Barry restaurant.

The mural, which depicts prominent Bostonians from all eras -- remember Jean Yawkey? -- gathered in a Parisian street scene, has a sentimental history. Rene Rubaud, the former owner of the Du Barry, and James Bennette, an art student turned PR man, decided to use the wall to display student art. In 1991, Winer won the design competition, a $5,000 award, and the chance to put his stamp on the busy intersection of Newbury and Dartmouth streets.

The Bank of Boston -- remember them? -- put up the prize money, billboarders Ackerley Communications donated the work of 17 painters as well as the scaffolding, and the Boston Public Library helped research French art. (Many of the Ackerley sign painters were laid off shortly afterward, Winer reports, as billboard technology went digital.) The result was an amusing and serendipitous portrait of almost a hundred Bostonians, proper, improper, and improbable.

You can see Boston Latin's own Leonard Bernstein chatting with Pops founder Arthur Fiedler, alongside concert pianist Amy Cheney Beach. In a nearby panel, King Gillette is hovering next to Babe Ruth in a Red Sox uniform, with the shadowy Masonic grave-robber (and founder of the New England Journal of Medicine) John Collins Warren very much in evidence.

Anyways, it has since been removed from the side of the building, which was converted into upscale condo's with a new addition of a penthouse. RIP Newbury Street Mural :(

Avalon/Axis Demolition

Post Office Square

Boston’s Post Office Square is known as one of the greatest public spaces, ranked #14 for ‘Best Squares & Plazas’ in the World by “Project for Open Spaces.”

1. Piazza del Campo, Sienna
2. Piazza San Marco, Venice
3. Campo Santa Margherita, Venice
4. Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland, OR
5. Hotel de Ville (City Hall), Paris
6. Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, PA
7. Rathaus Park (City Hall), Vienna
8. Union Square Park and Greenmarket, New York, NY
9. Piazza Navona, Rome
10. Washington Square, San Francisco
11. Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY
12. Plaza de la Constitucion (Zocalo), Oaxaca, Mexico
13. Plaza de Armas, Cuzco, Peru
14. Post Office Square, Boston, MA

History & Background

"Park above, park below" is the slogan at Boston's Post Office Square. A public-private partnership financed the design and construction of the park and garage, while fees from the garage are targeted to repay capital costs and ongoing maintenance.
Garage attendants patrol the park and provide general maintenance, while Friends of Post Office Square pays for a private park ranger in the summer. The park/garage design has received more than 20 planning and architecture awards, and created open space in an extremely dense quarter of the city.

The development of the Park at Post Office Square began in the early 1980s‚ when the real-estate market was booming in downtown Boston and development space was at a premium. In the heart of the city's revitalized financial district stood a three-story concrete parking garage. With construction and renovation going on all over the downtown area, many buildings in the financial district turned their backs on this unsightly concrete structure.

One developer, Norman Leventhal, was renovating a building across the street from the parking facility and promoted the idea that the area would be more attractive without the garage. Leventhal founded Friends of Post Office Square with the intention of buying the garage and redeveloping it as a park. However, the ownership of the old garage and the cost of the project were considerable obstacles. Friends of Post Office Square consulted with the Parks Department and the Boston Greenspace Alliance, a consortium of open-space advocates, and decided to build a parking structure underground with a park above it.

With the strong support of the Boston Redevelopment Authority, Friends of Post Office Square secured the development rights from the City of Boston. The parking garage opened in 1990; the park, in 1992. The $80 million construction cost was financed through a $50 million loan from Bank of New England (now Bank of America). To raise capital funds for the garage, Friends of Post Office Square offered stock in the parking structure. Local businesses were sold individual shares for $65,000. Along with the right to a monthly parking space, the purchase arrangement with Friends of Post Office Square included a cumulative 8% dividend to be paid to shareholders when debt relief is complete. The entire lot of 450 preferred shares was sold in just six weeks, raising $29.25 million.

After the debt has been paid, the partnership has arranged for the city of Boston to receive all profits from the garage. These funds are slated to be allocated to other neighborhood parks as well as to the city's general fund.

More Fun Facts

Its official name is The Norman B. Leventhal Park, after the Boston building manager and designer who designed it.

The garage is named "The Garage at Post Office Square," and it is 80 feet below the surface, which is the deepest point in the city.

The 1.7 acre (6,900 m²) park is a popular lunchtime destination for area workers. It features a café, fountains, and a pergola around a central lawn, and provides seat cushions for visitors during the summer. Designed by the landscape architects The Halvorson Company, the park is also home to "125 species of plants."

Improving Your Myspace Page

I have a friend, who we will call "Mike," who seriously needs to improve his Myspace Page. To help him out, I decided to give him some pointers:

As you all know, Michael is in dyer need of a Myspace overhaul and has requested our help. What you need to do is to show off your strengths Michael. You need to do a Personal SWOT Analysis to identify what makes you, You:

S Strength Your personal/professional talents, skills, and abilities
W Weaknesses Your own personal/professional limitations, dislikes, and soft-spots
O Opportunities The things that (and people who) motivate, inspire, and empower you
T Threats The things that (and people who) frighten, unnerve, and discombobulate you

SWOT analysis is an important step in planning and its value is often underestimated despite the simplicity in creation. From your SWOT chart, you can express your strengths on Myspace in multiple ways. Create a witty “about me” section, list hobbies/activities that you enjoy (even if they are fake), update your movie likes, personal heroes, and so on. This greatly increases your like-ability to others. And please, do not make it too long, as Myspace viewers tend to get bored very easily…so try to keep it simple and to the point!


Default Picture
If your profile is private, your default picture is very important. It’s usually best to go with a headshot so everyone can clearly see who you are. Your current picture is mediocre at best. If the statement you want to make is, “Hi my name is Mike, and I’m Boring,” well then you have succeeded. We need to spice that up to get some new viewers to your profile. Maybe do something zany and crazy. Or perhaps an action shot, such as you playing in one of your soccer games. Going the cute route is very helpful as well…I could lend you my dog Harry for the day if you would like. Since I’ve added that picture of Harry and Me this week, I’ve gained a handful of new adds! Also rotate your default picture sometimes, as I think you’ve had the same pic for the past 2 years…..

Myspace Photo Albums
The most important part of your profile is your photo albums. Honestly, your current line-up of pictures turns viewers away from your profile and it leaves a sour taste in their mouth. The goal here is to show off some solo pics of yourself looking good, but also to showcase your fabulous and beautiful friends! When people see that other beautiful people like spending time with you, this makes them want to as well! Jealously and Stalking is what keeps Myspace in business, and people want to know who you are friends with. Below are a couple good ideas from your Online Web Album:

· Soccer Classic: These pictures will show that you are sporty. Choose some of the soccer group photos to show off your entire team. Include the picture of you Matt S., resize to 50% smaller, it's too in your face as is. This is good to show that you are actually friends with your top8 (we will get to your top8 overhaul later…)

· St. Patty’s Day: These pictures will show that you are Festive. Take a few pictures from here since they are very recent, and mix it up, add a couple group pics and solo’s…. And remember, if you look good in one pic but others don’t, just CROP!

· NYC Trip: to show you like to Travel. Take some of the group pics from my profile…

Use your own judgment and add maybe 1 to 2 pages of pictures. If you want, create separate albums, but don’t over do it, no one likes an overachiever…

Also you need to upload some group photos to Photobucket.com and paste the code into your actually myspace profile. For example, look at Dennis’s profile, he has a ton of pictures. However Dennis may have too many pictures, you might want to start slow and just add a few pictures on the left side…

Music
Music is a good touch because it keeps viewership up. If you switch your song a lot, people will keep coming back to see what you are playing next. If you can’t decide on a song, no big deal, just steal it from one of your friends, or a friend of a friend. It’s best to wait until they move on to their next song, then steal it from their music history list…..

Top Eight
As I said earlier, people don’t use Myspace to keep in touch with friends; they use it to stalk friends and their friends of friends. Because of this, your top8 is crucial because it lets people know who you are closest with. I looked at yours the other day, and I only knew like 2 or 3 people!! This needs to be overhauled STAT! Now ranking your friends can be a difficult process. Many people have different methods of ranking. You can do best to worst, alphabetical, longest acquaintance to newest, and so on. To start though, you should probably change your top friends to a top4 to get a clean slate. Give it a few weeks so that everyone sees that you downsized and to let it sink in. Then once enough time has passed, increase back up to a top 8, 10, 20 with the people you really want to put in…. You can base your top8 also on those who have you in their top8. Why would your #1 Buddy be someone who doesn’t have you in theirs? WTF?!

Background
A lot of people add crazy backgrounds or designs to their profile. These are sometimes cool and add a bit of finesse, but you don’t want to overdue it. NEVER use a Flash background, as these take way too long to load and people will automatically click off of your page. Simple is the best way to go, or a really cool design if that’s what you are into. I can show you how to do this, but so can Google….

Comments/Bulletins
If you want your presence known on Myspace, you need to start commenting more on friend’s pages. Leaving funny or vague comments is best, as this often intrigues others. Sometimes people will friend request you just so they can see what their friend wrote back to you. I find bulletins are also a good because it lets you entertain the masses… Bulletins/Blogs/Myspace Weekly Themes are more advance and will be covered once you have mastered the beginners guide….

Hopefully this has helped you on your quest to improving your Myspace Page. Remember these are just suggestions, and everyone has their own personal likes/dislikes..but I would follow this if I was you. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Best of Luck,

Eric

Fenway Before & After

Fenway Leftfield Roof BEFORE:

Fenway Leftfield Roof AFTER:NOW THAT'S A REFRESHING IMPROVEMENT :)

Battlestar Galactica

I just finished watching every episode of Battlestar Galactica (Seasons 1 to 3), and I'm giddy about its return next week for its final season! Behind the Buffyverse, this is the best tv show of all time! I highly suggest you check it out, I'll even let you borrow all my DVD's!

March Madness

I might hate basketball with a passion, but it's always fun to beat co-workers in an office pool and make some $$$! I just made my picks yesterday, and I think I'm going all the way this year. I picked Tennessee to win, because, well, I just visited this fine State a few months ago and had a blast, so I mean, how could they loose?!

My picking logic follows that of the great SportsGuy's Wife. Please read how she made picks this year, which I think are brilliant.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/080318&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab4pos2

Stuff White People Like

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/

Fenway Just Got Better

Coca-Cola yesterday joined the lineup of corporate heavy hitters with naming rights to different sections at Fenway Park.

The Boston Red Sox unveiled plans to give the Atlanta-based soft drink giant naming rights to a new luxury seating section at the ballpark.

The new 412-seat Coca-Cola Corner, where seats will cost $75 a pop, will be crowned by a 42-by-15-foot red and white sign with 1,059 LED lights that will scroll through the “Coca-Cola” logo. The sign is a replica of the Coke sign that stood above Storrow Drive for decades, said Sam Kennedy, senior vice president of sales and marketing for the Sox.

http://www.bostonherald.com/jobfind/news/media/view.bg?articleid=1077593&srvc=home&position=also

Puppy of the Week!

Jack the Boxer http://dailypuppy.com/index.php?itemid=1728\

So Long Filene's

Weekly Lunches

The Friday Lunch Series
@
The Elephant & Castle
12:30 PM


The Lunch Club Newsletter

Last Weeks Newbie:
With a vote of 4 to 3, Dennis has been allowed to join us again in our lunch circle. I won’t reveal any names, but some of us had a few reservations about this Dennis character. The vote was tied at 3-3, and I was forced to cast the final vote. I just hope I made the right decision…

This Weeks Newbie:
Red Head Brian has brought to my attention that we already have a NEWBIE lined up for this week! His name is Nick, Brian’s co-worker. Let’s all open our arms and welcome him to lunch on Friday…then judge him after he leaves….

Pictures from Prior Lunches:

Left to Right: Sushi, Sakiru, McQuesten, Eric, Beth, Sheri, Brian, Jiyoung holding C-Rod, & Shane at our very first meet-up

Left to Right: Sung Lei, Shane, McQuesten, Eric, Chris, C-Rod, Brian, Jennifer, Frankie & Alison after a great Friday meal in Chinatown.

Left to Right: Susana, Tobias, Josh, Eric, Jeremy, Shane, Cynthia, & McQuesten on top of Mount Washington after a cold morning of hiking!

Left to Right: Chris, C-Rod, Asian Girl 1, Asian Girl 2, Asian Girl 3, The Interpreter, & Me in the North End. Wow I can’t remember exactly how this lunch happened, but it was a crazy one! ARIGATO!

Puppy of the Week!

Diesel the Bullmastiff

http://dailypuppy.com/index.php?itemid=1691\

Russia Wharf

My company will be moving into the new Russia Wharf once its finished in 2011...which means probably 2013 if we are gonna be realistic. Over the past couple years, the building design has changed significantly, but I really like the latest version, so I hope it sticks.

You can see all previous renderings by checking out ArchBoston.com http://www.archboston.org/community/showthread.php?t=1091

Here's a couple pics of the salvaged historic exterior too:

Thomas M. Menino today announced that Boston Properties, owners of Russia Wharf, received approval at today¡¯s Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) Board meeting to implement certain design changes to the previously approved project. The $500 million redevelopment will make available approximately 150 residential units in the preserved and rehabilitated Graphics Arts and Tufts Buildings, and approximately 65 residential units in the Russia Building. There will also be a tower above the Graphic Arts and Tufts Building boasting more than a half-million square feet of office space on floors nine through 31. When completed, Russia Wharf will contain more than 32,000 square feet of retail, restaurant, and civic space.

After acquiring the development project, Boston Properties decided to move forward with the project as approved in 2005, with the exception of certain exterior design changes. Todays Board vote reflects the following design changes, which were submitted to the BRA last month.

* Reduction in the total size of the project from approximately 860,000 square feet to approximately 854,000 square feet, of which approximately 517,500 square feet will be office, 304,000 square feet will be residential and approximately 32,500 square feet will be the aggregate of retail, restaurant, performance, civic and cultural uses.

* The enclosure of the Nelson Court atrium to create a winter garden, and the re-introduction of a corner element to create a grander entrance to the office building and to establish a significant urban gesture towards the Rose Kennedy Greenway.

* Minor architectural and design changes reflecting more detailed engineering of the building, including a shift of the tower element 15 feet towards Fort Point Channel, the ¡°tilting¡± of the design of the exterior facing Fort Point Channel, a peaked enclosure of a rooftop mechanical penthouse, the elimination of cross- bracing at the base of the tower, and the elimination of the 8th residential floor at the Graphic Arts/Tufts Building due to the fact that the plumbing and mechanical exhaust risers would have had to transfer horizontally under the 7th floor ceiling to align with the 8th floor locations.

Infomercial Hawaii Chair

Are you serious?! This is a real infomercial. I thought it was a joke on Youtube, however I went to their website and they are selling this for the super-low price of $293.96. That's right, half off the original price! I can't wait to order mine and use it while I am at work. My abs will be showing in no time!

Duck Tales: Online Predators

One of my favorite shows growing up, just got better:

Changing the Face of Currency

There's a new craze going in United Kingdom - people take pictures of themselves partially covered with folded banknotes (mostly with queen Elizabeth) in the foreground. The result is merged faces of people and queen Elizabeth on the banknotes. The mix looks surprisingly natural for some.

http://www.freakingnews.com/Money-Celebrities-Pictures---1773.asp

Allow me to introduce Chuckberham Lincoln," writes Phil M. "He single-handedly defeated the confederate army with one roundhouse kick!

Or Brad Pitt Money

And finally, Gene Wilder Money, who I've always found wicked creepy. I still have never seen Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and I never will!!

Updated: New Lansdowne Street now House of Blues

UPDATE: Yup, so I'm pissed, The House of Blues is taking over the entire venue:
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2008/01/29/house_of_blues_hits_lansdowne/

Tuesday, January 22, 2008:
If he sells this space to a House of Blues, I'll be pissed:

When Lansdowne Street’s biggest and busiest clubs, Avalon and Axis, shut their doors for a major renovation last September, owner Patrick Lyons said the construction would be finished in “world-record time.” He said a new Lansdowne Music Hall would be finished in early spring - right around the time the Red Sox play their opening-day game.Forget it. Not going to happen. Construction of the planned 2,500-capacity concert venue hasn’t begun, leaving the once-vibrant Lansdowne Street nightclub row desolate and music bookers without a 1,000-1,500 capacity venue for touring acts.Saturday night, UK post-punk band the Editors played to a sea of empty seats at the 2,800-seat Orpheum, an inappropriately large theater. A week earlier, tickets to see red-hot French dance duo Justice, who are playing Madison Square Garden in New York, immediately sold out at the too-small 650-capacity Paradise.Both acts would have benefited from a mid-sized general admission venue, a void that was supposed to be temporarily remedied by utilizing the Roxy in Boston’s Theater District. But the Roxy is in an ongoing battle with city authorities over capacity limits and currently is limited to audiences of 775 rather than its 1,300-person potential.Now comes word that the much-hyped replacement for Avalon and Axis won’t be ready until “mid-to-late fall,” according to Lyons spokesman Alan Eisner. The $14 million facility with a retractable stage appears to be nearly a half-year behind schedule, leaving touring bands and their fans in the lurch.“(Lyons) doesn’t want to talk much about (the construction),” said Eisner. “It’s a complicated process with a lot of moving parts, lots of different contractors and pieces. He’s trying to get all his ducks in a row.”The delay has sparked rumors that Lyons is seeking a partnership with a group such as the House of Blues to oversee the operation of the new Lansdowne club, and that he may be looking to walk away from the music business to focus on his growing restaurant empire. Lyons is already in the process of selling the Paradise Rock Club, a longtime Lyons Group holding, to local bar owner Joe Dunne and concert giant Live Nation.“The Paradise is on his mind, and he wants to unload that altogether and have it off his plate,” Eisner said. “That’s in the process, but it’s not a done deal. It hasn’t been transferred yet.”Sources confirm that the inside of both Avalon and Axis have been gutted, with all furniture and fixtures already sold at auction. When construction will begin in the vacant spaces remains unknown.“Obviously he’d like to get it done as soon as possible,” Eisner said. “He wants it done right.”That leaves Lansdowne Street unnaturally quiet, even with Jillian’s and Tequila Rain and the Lyons-owned Bill’s Bar, Jake Ivory’s Piano Bar and La Verdad Taqueria Mexicana carrying on.La Verdad manager Brian Roche believes that not having big touring acts to draw crowds to Lansdowne Street for almost a year won’t affect his business, which is based primarily on feeding hungry Red Sox fans. But construction during the baseball season could push customers to the Yawkey Way side of Fenway’s perimeter.

Re-posted from today's Herald:

http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/music/general/view.bg?articleid=1068138

Haircutting 101 For Dummies

So I've been cutting my hair since freshman year of college...well really since high school because I used to just shave it... Before that, my dad used to cut it because we are white trash and live on the poor side of the grand isle of Nahant. Because of this, I have a great fear of barbers! I don't like it when creepy old men touch my head!! I can do that myself, thank you!

But anyways, for Xmas I bought myself a new set of clippers, the 21 piece WAHL Clipper set!!! I was all excited because I dropped my old pair months ago and bent the blade...which makes it all more difficult to cut when the blade is broken on one side....but its doable.

I was all giddy pulling out the clips and preparing my bathroom for my 1st cut! I decided to go with the 1/4'' cilp for the bottom. But you know what I discovered, they made the clips for FUCKING DUMMIES!!! The 1/4'' clip is really a fucking 1/2'' clip!! I fucking want to see some skin bitch when I cut! As I continue fading up, the 1/2'' is really 3/4''! WTF?! Doooode, a monkey could use these clips and not screw up! I'm so fucking pissed! Whats the point in cutting your own hair if the thrill of messing up is gone??!?! I like the fact that I might need to shave my head if I fuck up! I finished my haircut in like 10 minutes, and it looks pretty damn good. I HATE IT.

Wait, monkeys are fucking cute, and aren't they smart?? Bad example.. Pick any other dumb creature, and they too can cut their own hair using these clippers!!!

So if you have ever wanted to cut your own hair and save yourself a ton of $$$, go out and buy a pair of these. Below I have provided a helpful lil chart of how its done. Thank you and god bless




Trim the back, working from the bottom upwards.




Repeat around sides and back of head.




For the bangs, measure out the length using your fingers, and trim along the edge.




For the top, trim from front to back with guide comb flat against head.

And if u mess up a bit, who the fuck cares, just put a lot of gel in it and mess it all up, and it looks fucking awesome!

PS: This is a Great cut for girls too!

Dell Crystal 22inch Widescreen

If I was dumb, I would buy you right now!

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/Displays/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=223-5647