Bostonist

Saturday Happenings

Dancing Hipsters

-- The dudes behind Basstown throw together a list of their favorite DJs for one blow-out, best-of dance party. Featuring spins from Mistaker, DJ Die Young, Evan Kenney, David Day, Ian Beck, and John Barera. Great Scott, 1222 Comm. Ave., Allston, 10 p.m.

Dancing Salsa

-- Your friends are out of town and it is raining and cold. It's the perfect excuse to go to Mango's Latin Dance Night. Featuring salsa, merengue, bachata, and reggaeton, Mango's claims to be the oldest continuously operating dance night of its kind. Keep in mind that the Milky Way's days are numbered. If you don't go now, you may never have the chance. Milky Way Lounge, 403 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, 9 p.m. $10.

Movies

-- Masaki Kobayashi was the master of Japanese socially conscious cinema, and his 587 minute-long masterpiece The Human Condition (1959-1961) remains a searing statement of humanism and pacifism in the aftermath of one of the most destructive wars in human history. Rarely screened in its entirety, the MFA will show film in three parts. Remis Auditorium, Museum of Fine Arts. Tickets and showtimes.

Still from The Human Condition courtesy MFA.

Comments

Sports Redux: While You Were Sleeping

Golden State's record (9-22 as of today) might not be much to look at, but those Warriors have, for whatever reason, figured out how to make the Celtics tick. Leading into Friday night's game in Oakland, the Warriors had beaten the Celts four times in a row at Oracle Arena. So while Friday night's (late) showdown on the West Coast might have seemed like a foregone conclusion, even up and into the first half, the Celtics were required to bring a full game of solid play to the table.

Which is precisely what they didn't do. With what might seem like a healthy 12-point lead at halftime, the Celtics entered the second half of play and encountered what a Warrior offense can do once they start connecting on shots. And what they can do is beat the Celtics, 99-89.

What does this mean for Boston? That they're having a rough road trip. That they've this week doubled their total losses on the season. That the guys have to step up. That Paul Pierce can't be the only guy putting significant numbers on the board. But also that a really bad week for Boston basketball now has the team with a record of 27-4. Which goes to show that Boston basketball is incredibly awesome.

In other news, there are reports of temperatures dropping in Hell, because when we heard that Tom Brady may or may not officially be engaged to Gisele Bundchen, our first thought was, "Why should we care? Why aren't we knowing more about how Matt Cassel's doing today?"

Comments

Ahhh, did he get down on the knee?

Posted by MJG December 27, 2008 11:26 AM

Thanks to This Week's Advertisers

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Bostonist.

• The Boston Symphony Orchestra, offering orchestra and balcony seats for $20 the rest of the season for those under the age of 40.
  
• Samsung Omnia, bringing a world of features to your phone in just one touch.
  
• American Apparel, now hiring at their Newbury Street store.
  
• Hanukkah Worldwide, featuring DJ Joro Boro & Golem at TT the Bear's tomorrow.

If you're interested in advertising on Bostonist or any other site in our network, check out our online mediakit.

Boxing Day: Send yr loot my way

Ahhh, Boxing Day. A holiday created by the British to stave off class warfare by pawning unwanted presents off onto the "help."

Boxing Day could also represent the toils of waiting in return lines at stores to get store credit for crap your (sic) loved ones gave you yesterday in a container you hope still looks new to the clerk. But that option also sounds relatively unappealing.

Fear not, however. You need pawn stuff or wait in line. There is another way, a better solution (see image). You can just box that stuff up and visit your friendly post office. Send your loot to moi (or a proxy of moi, whatevs). In return, you will receive a thank you note for each item that is not totally crap, as well as an illustration featuring a personage or entity of your choosing. (Note: Fangela Fangula reserves the right to limit personages or entities to three per illustration.)

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Handy AFC East Flowchart for Patriots Fans

View image With the final day of the NFL's regular season fast approaching, Bostonist has been having trouble keeping the AFC East straight. We know that the playoff possibilities are as gnarly as a Gordian knot, but, thanks to Flickr user Plutor, we now have a handy flowchart to clear things up. Print it out and keep it with you Sunday, if you can manage the stress of watching the games in the first place.

Comments

Friday Happenings

Nostalgia

-- We suppose that it's sacrilege in some parts of town to say what most of us are thinking. Mighty Might Bosstones are just not that good. What might have been a funny joke for a brief period of time has somehow gripped the city with its mediocrity for two decades. Last year's Hometown Throwdown was an unaccountable success, which is why the Bosstones are back again this year. Go if you like the band; we won't judge you. Middle East Downstairs, 472 Mass. Ave., 7:30 p.m. (through Monday). Sold out.

Offers That You Can't Refuse

-- Paramount has struck a fresh print of The Godfather Part II (1974), which should be the perfect occasion to revisit Coppola's classic. It screens as a double feature with the original, which will remind you how important it is to keep guns out of toll booths. Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Cambridge. Tickets and showtimes.

Dykes

-- Dyke Night should need no introduction. It's a lesbian dance party. Check out DJ Maryalice, trivia questions with Judy Gold, and bowl as you get down with other ladies who love ladies. Milky Way Lounge, 403 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, 9 p.m. $8.

Comments

The Twelve Days of New Year's: Seven Entree Options

The Beacon Hill Hotel and Bistro (BHHB!) offers three seatings for a delicious fixed-price menu on New Year's Eve in its comfortable yet classy setting. There are a variety of appetizers and desserts available, plus seven incredible entree options. The menu was prepared by executive chef Jason Bond.

What: Beacon Hill Hotel and Bistro New Year’s Eve Dinner
When: December 31, 5:30, 7:30, and 10pm seatings
Where: Beacon Hill Hotel and Bistro (25 Charles Street)
How much: $68 per person ($35 extra for wine pairing)
More info: http://www.beaconhillhotel.com/
Reservations: 617-723-7575

BHHB dinner menu after the jump.

So far, the Twelve Days of New Year's have brought:

Amuse Bouche

NV Mumm Napa Brut Prestige (Napa Valley, California) Champagne Toast

*

Appetizers

Light Tempura Turbot with Blood Orange, Candied Ginger, and Celery Leaf

Sea Urchin and Lobster Bisque with Chorizo Croutons

Chilled Lobster a La Niçoise, Soft Cooked Egg and Baby Greens

Salsify Gratin with Black Truffle, Parmigiano Trentino, and Black Kale

Ravioli Bolognese with Mortadella and Veal, Pickled Daikon, and Watermelon Radish Mostarda

2006 Burgáns Albariño (Rias Baixas, Spain) or 2005 Pio Cesare, Barbera d’Alba (Piedmont, Italy)

*

Supplemental Course for Two
(an additional $20.00)

Pressed Veal Sweet Breads and Foie Gras Terrine with Warm Figs and Buttered Toasted Brioche

2004 Haut Charmes, Sauternes (Bordeaux) for an additional $10.00

*

Main Courses

Sturgeon Poached with Sassafras, Sweet and Tart Winter Greens, and Roxbury Russet Apples

Skate Wing over Beef Marmalade, Marrow, and Root Vegetable Mirepoix

Winter Vegetable Pot au Feu with Black Truffle and Forest Mushrooms

Chicken in Half Mourning with Black Truffle Stuffing and Roasted Celery

Cassoulet de Castelnaudary with Duck Confit, Pork Belly, and Sausage

Venison Saddle with Celery Root, Black Trumpet Mushrooms, Chestnut and Buckwheat Ravioli

Natural Beef Strip with Baby Spinach, Fondue Potatoes, and Roasted Jus

2006 Marchesi di Barolo “Le Lune”, Gavi (Piedmont, Italy) or 2005 Louis Latour “Chanfleure” Pinot Noir (Bourgogne, France) or 2005 Rock & Vine, “Three Ranches”, Cabernet Sauvignon (North Coast, California)

*

Desserts or Cheese

Profiteroles and Beignets with Chocolate Sauce and Orange Flower Pastry Cream

Beacon Hill Tea: Hu Kwa Ice Cream, Lemon Curd and Sherry Cream with Black Currant Scone

Candied Herb Carrot Cake with Fresh Cheese Icing

Vacherin Mont d’Or Au Lait Cru Haut Doubs

A Selection from Our Home-Made Tarts

NV Graham’s Six Grapes Porto (Douro) or 2006 Weinlaubenhof Kracher Cuvée Beerenauslese Burgeuland (Austria)

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Bostonist Books: The Year In Review

It's not hard to identify the biggest event in Boston (or at least Massachusetts) books this year: that'd be the departure of David Foster Wallace. The Amherst graduate and imposing literary figure took his own life in September, leaving a generation lost without its intelligent, imposing, idol. Wallace gave us many grandiose works, but the man himself will be missed for a long time to come. At the time, we fought the "self-indulgent" label often stuck on DFW, saying:

in any swing of a writer's work, chances are there will be passages that will make you leap out of your seat, makes you want to play with them, jam with them, whatever the verb is. Passages that made you want to be there, too, and you could ape their language a little bit, get at their rotating, multi-tentacled why-this-is-why-it-is a little bit, your inner wall of lightbulbs going on the fritz. That's the nugget necessaire. Wallace had—and fought for—that quality in spades.

More about the year in books in Boston and beyond after the jump.

We covered many events hosted by Harvard's Berkman Center this year (and were even written about by them), but only one focused specifically on a book. John Palfrey and Urs Gasser's Born Digital studies a generation of folks born after 1980: perhaps endeared to DFW, and definitely linked to the internet. Born Digital analyzed the implication of digital culture: of a record tracing our lives from birth to death, on Flickr and Facebook and more. We noted:

Though the internet has its drawbacks, [Palfrey] celebrates the fact that it enhances the "ability of more people to participate more actively in the making and remaking of their culture," and we think he's hit on something important there. The internet may open us up to big problems, but it also opens us up to big possibilities. We can choose to fear change and difficulty or embrace potential.

Looking back to the past instead of forward to a digital or DFW-less future, we reviewed a new edition of Thoreau's Cape Cod this year. We noticed the book's "natural coherence, describing a single walking tour up the Cape to Provincetown, in which the sea provides a continual backdrop for [Thoreau's] inner quest."

As if it weren't enough for Thoreau-calm longtime Cambridge resident Haruki Murakami to be an award-winning novelist, he's also run nearly every day for two decades. Way to make us feel inadequate, man. Regardless, this year's What I Talk About When I Talk About Running was an interesting juxtaposition of Murakami's intellectual and physical achievements. We said that the low-key book's "simplistic aphorisms bring to mind Garrison Keillor's introduction to Good Poems, in which he quotes Bukowski—"There is nothing with wrong with poetry that is entertaining and easy to understand. Genius could be the ability to say a profound thing in a simple way.'"

We all constantly seek the best ways to say what we want to say. Sometimes, the thesaurus helps us find the right words. But how often do we think about the invention of the thesaurus? This year, Joshua Kendall brought us The Man Who Made Lists, the story of thesaurus creator Peter Mark Roget. Kendall is soon coming out with a biography of Samuel Johnson, who made the first English dictionary.

The epilogue to The Man Who Made Lists criticizes Microsoft Word’s Thesaurus feature as an incomplete thesaurus that provides an easy shortcut rather than an enlightening grouping of related concepts. The ease of finding a different word—without thinking about what that word should be or mean—may be part of what’s decreasing our ability and willingness to use words thoughtfully. In contrast to the electro-thesaurus' easy outs, and other modern ways of enabling casual and thoughtless writing, Kendall feels that Roget would conceive of the thesaurus as a way "not to get out of thinking but to think harder." Here’s hoping Kendall and his book(s) will make at least some of us think harder—and write better.

Eating the Sun author Oliver Morton attended Boston's conference on green energy this year. We had the chance to attend the conference and talk to Morton:

[As Morton says] the key to energy development in the 21st century is a reawakening to the nature of energy as part of a process, not something derived from a fixed source. “We have come through a century where… pretty much all the energy story can be solved with digging more black stuff out of the ground or pumping more black stuff out of the ground. We can’t live like that anymore…we have to see that energy is not a matter of finding a fuel, it’s a matter of tapping a flow. There are all sorts of energy flows around us, and all sorts of different ways to tap them. That’s the 21st century agenda.”

Outside of our own coverage, there was a lot of Boston book action going on this year. BU grad Jhumpa Lahiri's Unaccustomed Earth received extensive acclaim, making the New York Times' 10 Best Books of 2008. Also in this top 10 were former Harvard Nieman fellow Dexter Filkins' The Forever War, an analysis of the Iraq war, as well as Harvard president Drew Gilpin Faust's Death and the American Civil War, an account of how the Civil War dramatically changed Americans' conception of death. This year was certainly a strong one in books—we look forward to more good reads in '09.

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Bite Size News, December 25: Oil, Newsprint, & Myrrh Edition

• ExxonMobil agrees to pay up for an Everett oil spill from January of '06. [Boston Globe]
• The NY Times is planning to sell its share in the Red Sox and perhaps The Globe. They may soon accept offers for the shirts on their backs. [Wall Street Journal]
• A woman was killed by an Acela train near Hyde Park last night. [Boston Channel]
• A woman and her two daughters were saved thanks to a forgetful neighbor after they fell into a frozen Athol lake. [Boston Channel]
• Oedipus returned to WBCN to broadcast his 30th consecutive Christmas Eve show. [Boston Globe]
• Why can't Boston have a giant snowman? [Anchorage Daily News]

Image by pappatom (who is not the Bostonist logo designer) from photos tagged "Bostonist" on Flickr.

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The Twelve Days of New Year's: Six Drinks + Floors

Well, our title's a bit of a stretch, but the event promises to be amazing. Ivy Restaurant in downtown Boston is hosting a Tour della Riviera featuring drinks from three countries (Spain, France, and Italy) on the restaurant's three floors. You'll get to try sparkling drinks from each country: Spanish Cava, French Champagne, and Italian Prosecco. The three floors of the restaurant will feature chocolate fountains, champagne fountains, and hors d'oeuvres fountains... okay, maybe they're just hors d'oeuvres trays. Regardless, it promises to be a swank time in a sweet venue, with sassy tunes from DJ Breeazy and DJ Chris Smith.

What: Tour della Riviera
When: December 31, 10pm
Where: Ivy Restaurant, 49 Temple Place
How much: $150 ($100 for those who also have dinner at Ivy beforehand).
More info: ivyrestaurantgroup.com
Tickets: Call 617-987-2224 or email vip at ngparty.com

Thus far, the Twelve Days of New Year's have shown you:

Six Drinks + Floors
Five Golden Syllables
Four Fine Musicians
Three Circus Tents
Two Shiny Pins
and One Last Time in JP

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The Twelve Days of New Year's: Five Golden Syllables

They are five golden syllables: Resolution Ball. The self-proclaimed longest-running, largest, and best event in Boston takes place this New Year's Eve. Be prepared to dress like a champion (though it's "black tie optional"), drink up, and dance all night at this event for "young professionals." It may not be everyone's thing, but if it's yours—have at it. The Felix Brown Band and DJ Samuel L. will be on hand to play music. Choose to attend just the party (starting 9:30pm), a reception with hors d'oeuvres (8:30pm), or a full-on dinner (7:30pm). Everyone gets a goody bag (apparently worth over $200) at departure.

What: Resolution Ball Boston
When: December 31, 7:30pm to 2am
Where: Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel, 425 Summer Street
How much: $94-234 (Tickets)
More info: Boston Event Guide

So far, the Twelve Days of New Year's have brought you:

Five Golden Syllables
Four Fine Musicians
Three Circus Tents
Two Shiny Pins
and One Last Time in JP

Comments

Wednesday Happenings

Hanukkah

-- There isn't much to do in Boston on the 24th of December, for reasons that we cannot fathom. Upstairs on the Square is the place to go if you need a latke hook-up. (No, we are not overcompensating for our prior lack of Hanukkah coverage.) The prix fixe Hanukkah menu is a legitimately good deal. Get a mess of latkes and beef brisket to boot. Upstairs on the Square, 91 Winthrop St., Cambridge. $52.

Image of latkes by Flickr user Sam Felder, used under a Creative Commons license.

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Sports Redux: Teixiera Joins The Dark Side

We hope you still love Mike Lowell and David Ortiz. Because the slow tango between the Red Sox and Mark Teixiera came to a sudden crash yesterday, as the Yankees showed up on the dance floor with a briefcase full of $1000 bills and took the slugger back to New York.

So Tex (and we'll have to come up with a derogatory nickname soon, something like "A-Fraud"...we're open to ideas) got his payday - 180 million clams over eight years. And now the Yankees have the four largest contracts in baseball history. The Sox' yes-maybe-no-OK-please offer, and the Washington Nationals' tempting offer of paying Tex a lot of money to disappear off the face of the earth, just weren't enough. And it will be a merry Christmas in the Scott Boras household, if he gave anybody presents, which we doubt he does. Any way you slice it, it's a hell of a lot of money for a guy who's won one playoff game in his life.

While our springtime team was thrown into turmoil, both our local wintertime teams did what they do - win. The Celtics toyed with Philly for their 19th straight win (wasn't it like six weeks ago that they lost 18 straight?) , and got saluted with the obligatory "Beat LA" chant as they prepare to go play the Lakers tomorrow. (Also, one more time, "Beat LA" began as a congratulatory chant to the Sixers, who were about to finish off the Celtics to go to the Finals and were widely seen here (and still are) as the lesser of two evils. Many people seem to have forgotten this, or never knew.)

And the Bruins... wow. The Devils were on a 12-2-1 streak, but there's hot and then there's hot. The B's just can't lose right now. Milan Lucic broke a scoreless tie seconds into the third period, and David Krejci sailed the puck the length of the ice for the empty-net clincher. The only bummer (besides the Teixiera deal we've already discussed) was that Phil Kessel was scoreless for the first time in forever. So it's time to start a new streak Saturday at Carolina.

Image from Wikipedia.

Comments

Baseball's economics are terrible. One team, the Yankees, gets a lot of broadcast revenue and gets good players by just throwing money around.

The NFL has parity and a salary cap, and every team has a chance to win. Even the Detroit Lions can be decent again in a couple of years. Will the Pittsburgh Pirates ever be able to compete again in baseball?

Posted by VinF December 24, 2008 11:11 AM

now that the yanks have kevin cash, do you think it's time to bring back "miracle" mirabelli?

Posted by rickbang December 24, 2008 11:16 AM

The sports world isn't ending because the Yankee$ are spending tons of money again. Teixeira is very good, no doubt. But, Youk and Lowell's best seasons aren't much different than Teixeira's '08 stats. Lowell might never be the same and Youk may not be as good in '09, so we will have to see.

Teixeira 2008 - .308, 33, 121
Youkilis 2008 - .312, 29, 115
Lowell 2007 - .324, 21, 120

Sabathia's career playoff ERA is over 7. Burnett is always hurt. I'll take Lester/Daisuke/Beckett over them and Joba and Wang.

Plus, I trust Theo. I'm certain he will continue to improve the team.

If Tampa can compete, why can't Pittsburgh? Tampa had a lower payroll than Pittsburgh. Detroit had the 2nd highest payroll and finished last in the AL Central. Only KC and Baltimore had fewer wins in the AL than Detroit.

Posted by MJG December 24, 2008 11:29 AM

MJG, you just showed that salary isn't 100% of the issue, it's only 90%. Sure, a Tampa can compete for a year or maybe two if they're lucky, but the only teams that can consistantly compete are those teams that consistantly out spend 80% or 90% of their competition.

Have you ever noticed that the only people who defend the economics of baseball with the argument you provided above are people who support teams at the very top of the spending scale? I wonder why that is.

The economics of baseball are garbage.

Posted by guest guest December 25, 2008 1:01 PM

BREAKING NEWS REPORT: Teixeira Signs with Yankees: ESPN and the Globe are among the media circuits reporting that Mark Teixeira has signed an 8-year, $180 million deal with the New York Yankees.

We will discuss this in tomorrow's Redux, but want to open it up readers. What are your thoughts on the report?

Comments

here's my astute, well reasoned, articulate response to NYYs swooping in and snapping up Teixeira for $$$ over BoSox: YANKEES SUCK !!!

Posted by iMatthew December 23, 2008 8:00 PM

The Hub-o-sphere

-- It may have screwed up your travel plans, but as this video forces you to admit: the snow sure is pretty. [Wicked Local Blog]

-- Nothing brings out the joy of the holiday season quite like the barrage advertising surrounding the biggest consumer holiday of the year. [Rageoline & Company]

-- Need a last-minute addition to your holiday dessert menu? Can there ever be enough dessert? How about some chocolate peppermint meringue cookies? [The Beantown Baker]

-- Sometimes you just need an angry yelling bus driver to get the job done. [Librarian on the Run]

-- The year is winding to a close, which means it's the season of list-making. There's a good one in here of Boston-area Christmas delights if you want to add it to your own to-do list. [Notes of an Anesthesioboist]

-- Spray-on pancakes?! One blogger is brave enough to take the ultimate taste test. [Pasquinade]

Blogtopus courtesy of bionicteaching and a Creative Commons license.

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The Twelve Days of New Year's: Four Fine Musicians

Boston has been abuzz about the Beehive for a while now. The relatively young joint has chosen a disturbingly apocalyptic theme for its second New Year's bash: "The End is at Hand." If the crashing economy and terrible weather are getting to you, and you don't think you'll live to see Obama save us all, go out in style at the Beehive this NYE. Four fine musicians—singers Shea Rose, Tania Jones and Nadine Ford, plus drummer Jovol Bell—will excite your eardrums, while Pinchbottom Burlesque will take care of your eye candy needs. Beehive Executive Chef Rebecca Newell passes plates of European-inspired fare, and more than 60 different champagnes are available. We'll bet at least one is a far cry from Cook's.

What: The End is at Hand
When: December 31, 9pm - 2:30am
Where: The Beehive, 541 Tremont Street
How much: $95 per person with food, $75 per person without (tix)
More info: 617-423-0069 or beehiveboston.com

So far, the Twelve Days of New Year's have brought us:

Four Fine Musicians
Three Circus Tents
Two Shiny Pins
and One Last Time in JP

Comments

this looks just like a picture my dad took during his 3 year 'scenic way home' from Vietnam.

Posted by angrybeers December 23, 2008 1:34 PM

pic didn't post in the comments
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/25/96343426_b8a329a317.jpg

Posted by angrybeers December 23, 2008 1:38 PM

Sports Redux: Hug It Out

The Bruins and Celtics took a much-deserved day off yesterday, which allowed Boston sports fans and athletes alike an opportunity to make sure their holiday preparations (for those celebrating Christmas) or celebrations (for our Hanukkah-celebrating readers) were well underway. An inadvertent side effect of this day off? We got to know a little more about a man named Todd.

Todd Kobus, the 31-year-old Attleboro man who managed to land a tackle on Junior Seau during Sunday's game at Gillette, appeared in Wrentham District Court on Monday to be arraigned on charges of assault and battery and trespassing. Kobus told the Herald that he wasn't really trying to tackle Seau, Kobus' favorite player, he was just trying to hug the guy.

We have to applaud Kobus for finally shedding light on this aspect of the game. When it comes to New England football, it's never about inflicting pain or trying to cause discomfort. It is about LOVE. Our team is really all about trying to hug the whole NFL. And with this philosophy now recognized, we believe it casts the unfortunately villainized Vince Wilfork (the big ol' misunderstood teddy bear of the Pats roster) in an entirely different light. He's just trying to share that love, people, come hell or high fines.

It's a Christmas miracle that we all now understand.

Image by flickr user cheetah100 used under terms of Creative Commons License

Comments

i love the headline.

Posted by rickbang December 23, 2008 1:59 PM

Bite Size News, December 22: Snow News ain't Good News Edition

• It wasn't the biggest snowstorm to ever hit town, but some twittering and tweeting was appropriate. [Boston Globe]
• Flying in and out of Logan was hellish over the weekend, but flights are generally back on schedule. [Boston Metro]
• A dead raccoon killed a man. [Cape Cod Times]
• Another man was killed by a tree limb. [South Coast Today]
• Some parts of Massachusetts still don't have power since the ice storm. [Boston Globe]
• Boston public schools are closed until January 5. [Boston Herald]

Image of "berry" jolly snowman by Emily Snedecor from photos tagged "Bostonist" on Flickr.

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Bostonist Mailbag: What About the Jews?

This Bostonist is sort of a humbug. He's just not a big fan of the holiday season. Christmas lights, rampant shopping, nasty sugar cookies, fairy tales about flying quadropeds and sons of god, or what have you—not a big fan. But he does like to be ecumenical about his disinterest.

One of our readers, Rachel Weiss, noticed:

Dear Bostonist,

Seriously, no posts about the first night of Hanukkah? Hanukkah is not a major holiday to Jews, but apparently it is to the goyim, so we play along. And then we feel left out when you forget to mention us when you mention Christmas.

So I'm letting you know I'm disappointed. It's hard enough being a Jew in Boston, since there are so very few to begin with, and I'm torn about how I want to be acknowledged at this time of year. Like don't give me a condescending "Happy Holidays" when you really mean "Happy Birthday Jesus" and just don't want me to feel left out. But at the same time, I find it more offensive to toss up a menorah next to the office Christmas tree than to just have the tree on its own. I prefer you keep it all at home, honestly.

So maybe I'm not pissed at all that Bostonist ignored the Jews today. Maybe you did it on purpose, because you know I hate pandering, in which case I am appreciative.

Um, thanks?

Rachel, you are welcome.

Image labeled "Bostonist" by Flickr user HmmLargeArt.

Comments

Maybe Rachel should try visiting Brookline to relieve her great disappointment.

Posted by janallen December 22, 2008 2:12 PM

Yeah, Bostonist, no "Happy Hanukkah"? WTF?
However, "janallen" does have a point. No Jews in Boston, Ms. Weiss? Where are you looking?

Posted by mattypopolsku December 22, 2008 2:51 PM

every single person I know is jewish - so much so that we are having jewmas eve at my house

Posted by Edrie December 22, 2008 4:11 PM

There are no Jews in Boston? Do all my Jewish friends commute from Worcester?

Posted by LyetteAnn December 22, 2008 4:13 PM

Saying there are no Jews in Boston is like saying there are no Catholics.

Posted by p0larbare December 22, 2008 4:16 PM

Since you wouldn't call black people 'niggers', you shouldn't call gentiles 'goyim'.

Posted by Jorn Barger December 22, 2008 4:23 PM

I think the point Rachael is trying to make is that since she is having a bad day, she would like to wish one on everyone else as well.

...oh and Rachael, sometimes people who aren't even religious still celebrate Christmas, and they don't even mean anything about "the baby Jesus" when they wish you a good one. Maybe they are actually just trying to be nice to you in hopes that you won't go on another tirade.

Thanks Rachael!.... you made my day

Posted by kenmore December 23, 2008 2:25 PM

The Twelve Days of New Year's: Three Circus Tents

Okay, so there probably won't be any actual circus tents, but Privus is calling its New Year's Eve event Circus for some reason or another. Clowns, maybe? Regardless, it looks like a classier way to spend New Year's than puking into a pitcher at the Silhouette, so give it some consideration if you'd like to dress up but don't want to go downtown. There will be a "chic Japanese buffet" for the sushi-lovers, a champagne toast, and of course DJs to help you dance the night away. We imagine the crowd will look pretty fine, so dust off your good duds for the occasion and leave your sweatpants at home.

What: Circus @ Privus New Year's
When: December 31, 8pm-2am
Where: Privus (165 Brighton Ave, Allston)
How much: $25
More info: 617-787-7483 or Privus Lounge

The Twelve Days of New Year's have so far brought you:

Three Circus Tents
Two Shiny Pins
and One Last Time in JP

Comments