Miscellaneous: May 2009 Archives

SFist, as expected, also tried recovering from the shock of this week's Prop. 8 ruling.

Each week Bostonist is dedicated to bringing you the most viral Boston-based videos the internet has to offer.

-- Now that Memorial Day kicked off summer, it's time to get some grilling tips from Boston New Net's Ripps McCoxen. [Boston Comedy]

DCist kept track of the ongoing same-sex marriage debate in the District, including a number of heated Democratic party meetings, plus, of course, intervention by members of Congress.

Each week Bostonist is dedicated to bringing you the most viral Boston-based video the internet has to offer.

Texting drivers. Fires. Drivers who don't stop in emergencies. Deadly crashes. And now, power outages. The MBTA is one big failure. Accidents are obviously inevitable, but the T has shown a distinct inability to deal with them effectively. The organization left thousands of Bostonians stranded underground this morning when the system's power went out. A power failure in itself should not happen: there should be backup power available for the system. But when such an incident does occur, there must be a plan for getting riders out of the T effectively. What if someone had had a medical emergency? And not to be alarmist, but isn't the subway an amazing place for a terrorist attack? If the T can't deal with a power outage that its own workers caused, how can it deal with larger, more serious events? Richard Leary, the T's chief operating officer, told the Globe "We're going to put practices in place to make sure this never happens again" and admitted "Our process has to be reviewed for preventive maintenance." But that's just not good enough. The fallout from T failures hasn't been major yet, but it seems only a matter of time until disaster results from the T's consistent inability to handle crises quickly and effectively. Boston needs to better fund its public transportation system, and the system needs to create a better plan for dealing with emergencies. Failure to do so puts citizens in danger every day.

The recession has hit, and hard.

-- In case you fell asleep during your commencement address, here is some classic graduation advice. [HuffingtonPost]

It's almost graduation: you know, that time when the city is flooded with parents, graduates, and moving trucks as everyone prepares to move to their new job and city—or, in this economy, back in with the 'rents. What happened over the past year at the big (and small) schools around town? Bostonist looks back at some news stories, from Harvard's billion-dollar losses to Emerson's Holocaust insensitivity, and provides graduation information as well, including commencement speakers, in which category Berklee blows everybody away. Did we miss an important story? Let us know in the comments!

-- Boston is home to the most Rock 'n Roll ice cream shop this side of the pond. Who knew? [The Atlantic]

• DCist was shocked when a local newscaster threatened a gay blogger on live TV while they were discussing Kirby Dick's new film, Outrage, a documentary about outing closeted politicians who fight against marriage equality legislation.
• Shanghaiist knocked-off that super pretentious piece on bike culture by the New York Times by showing its own counterfeit bike style.
• Seattlest, staring at a week full of rain, started hunting for cheap flights to LA.

Each week Bostonist is dedicated to bringing you the most viral Boston-based videos the internet has to offer.

Do you think this sentiment is "On Point"?

Yeah, we're not gonna lie. We go to Castle Island for the hot dogs. If you're familiar with this South Boston landmark, then you know what we're talking about. The most prominent feature of Castle Island is the historic Fort Independence, but the area is valued by locals for its walking paths, playground and picnic area, beautiful views of Boston Harbor, and the hot dogs.

-- Even though Jay Severin will eventually resume spewing racism over the air, progressive radio has returned to Boston. [Blue Mass Group]

Each week Bostonist is dedicated to bringing you the most viral Boston and Cambridge-based videos the internet has to offer.