It's a case of what Dave Chappelle would call "keeping it real gone wrong." In their zeal to rid the world of typos, a pair of asshats defaced a 60-year-old sign painted by architect Mary Colter. Jeff Michael Deck of Somerville, and Benjamin Douglas Herson, of Virginia Beach, Va., members of the Typo Eradication Advancement League, or TEAL, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court of defacing the irreplaceable Grand Canyon sign, which had been a... [continue]

Fun palace and Boston Blotter superstar the Good Time Emporium is closing as a direct result of IKEA's arrival in Somerville. Depending on whom you talk to, the Good Time Emporium was a source for genuinely clean family fun, or it was a breeding ground for Oddblotter incidents, such as the following: --Dudes who toted in two ounces of coke while leaving three rounds of ammo in the car. --Customers tangling with the police over... [continue]

Boston Magazine released its annual power issue, which is an annual must-have for any lifestyle magazine. This power list leads to the inevitable question, what does "power" mean, anyway? Does "power" refer to one's title? If you looked at how Deval Patrick's casino proposal turned out, you might argue that Patrick certainly didn't merit fourth place. But he does get to have "governor" in front of his name. Does "power" refer to popularity? Of course,... [continue]

Sloane Crosley Brookline Booksmith Tuesday, April 15 7:00 pm, free Sloane Crosley is a city dweller with a sharp wit who can make the most ordinary incidents, like trips to summer camp or moving, absolutely hilarious. Her essay collection, I Was Told There'd Be Cake, starts off with her unusual pony collection and takes the reader through a history of bitchy bosses, friends with gastrointestinal distress, and bridesmaid surprises. Bostonist grilled her for how she... [continue]

A few days ago, everyone cared about the Commonwealth. Senator McCain was here, Senator Obama was here, Senator Clinton was in Worcester, the Kennedys were everywhere. Now we won't even have our ex-governor parading around the country insulting us. It all happened so fast. To figure out exactly what went wrong, we headed to the epicenter of right-wing commentary: the National Review. And as it turns out, Romney's defeat was caused by something we're pretty... [continue]

Charlie, Fletcher, and Special Ed of WFNX morning show The Sandbox invited Bostonists Korri and Caroline up to chat about the Smells of the T. Little did we know that smells would be the theme of the entire show. Callers were eager to share the smells they have encountered all over the state, such as peanut-butter factories, burnt coffee, prison feet, and pee simmering on radiators (ugh). For the record, the WFNX studio smells like... [continue]

For the past few months, Bostonist has engaged in a scientific experiment. We've been sniffing around T stops to find out which ones are the most pleasant and which ones are an offense to the olfactory nerves. Each day this week, we'll evaluate the odors you will find at various T stops. The Red Line offers so much variety that you just might get dizzy--or drunk: Central Square: 40s, vodka, burnt rubber, more 40s,...... [continue]

Is there a Republican in your life that you really love? Or a Democrat you love to hate? Get them the perfect holiday present by going--we're not kidding--holiday shopping with former Massachusetts governor and presidential aspirant Mitt Romney. The following gifts are available for the Mitt-lover in your life: $50: Signed Romney family photo (it's probably large for obvious reasons) and mugs $100: The above, plus a Romney for President ornament and signed recipes...... [continue]

Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee is gaining appeal among Republicans thanks to his hard-right views, his ability to lose weight, and Chuck Norris. Obviously, this has former Massachusetts governor and presidential aspirant Mitt Romney thoroughly freaked out because Romney has spent boodles of money and has less to show for it. All Huckabee had to do was lose weight and gain an action star. Hence, Romney has unleashed an attack ad. However, we think Romney...... [continue]

Early this morning, a gas-tank truck driver took a turn too fast in Everett, and his truck tipped over at the Route 16/Route 99 rotary, prompting an explosion and fire. 200 people were evacuated, 40 cars were destroyed, and at least 3 homes caught fire. No one has been reported hurt so far. That's the key phrase--"so far." The latest TV news reports indicate it is still a mess. WBZ has raw footage of...... [continue]

A man has taken took people at the headquarters for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign hostage in Rochester, New Hampshire, and he wants wanted to speak to Hillary Clinton. [WBZ, MSNBC] Clinton is was not in New Hampshire. Here is the latest from the thread, with earlier information after the jump: 6:15 pm: IT IS OVER. A young man just ran out of the campaign office. The man who took the hostages followed him. He pulled...... [continue]

Billy Joel said "Only The Good Die Young," but let's just say he has no idea what he's talking about, and only the really good die at the ripe old ages of, say, 69. So goes the news for Friday, November 30th, as Evel Knievel - a legendary stuntman who's fame hasn't been succeeded by generations to follow. One can only wonder with the speed of technology and special effects if masters of amazement...... [continue]

There might have been a couple nosebleed seats in the balcony left at last night's very well attended Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black's Somerville Theater show, but, for those of you who missed it, you really missed a treat. As evidenced by various available YouTube clips, Black and Showalter are extremely funny on their own, but together they brought humor to an entirely new level. The two have been comedy collaborators for 20...... [continue]

In the Oddly Enough story to beat all Oddly Enough stories, a bracelet that 31-year-old Aaron Giles, of Gloucester, lost in a Minnesota barn as a child has turned up again 25 years later and in a chicken gizzard. Giles told the AP that he probably lost his bracelet playing in his grandfather's barn. The barn was dismantled and moved to the town of Elmore, and workers in Elmore who were cutting up a chickens...... [continue]

Fanny-patting may be endangered now that the Massachusetts Legislature plans to discuss a ban on spanking this morning. The Brookline TAB's Jessica Scarpati is relieved that Brookline, which passed a "non-binding resolution" against spanking (!?!), isn't alone: "Seeeeee, it’s not just Brookline being Brookline." But the comments from Herald readers are the craziest by far as they quickly leap into other topics. They whip themselves into a froth by raging against the liberal species of...... [continue]

Romney didn't endear himself to anyone when he answered a question about whether or not he would appoint a Muslim to his fantasy presidential cabinet. Here's Mansoor Ijaz, who asked that question of Romney and wrote about the response for the Christian Science Monitor: I asked Mr. Romney whether he would consider including qualified Americans of the Islamic faith in his cabinet as advisers on national security matters, given his position that "jihadism" is the...... [continue]

Senator Edward M. Kennedy has just signed an agreement with Grand Central Publishing to write his memoirs. According to the AP, he reportedly will receive money along the lines of $8 or $9 million, similar to what Hillary Clinton and Tony Blair got for their memoirs. NYT is saying it will be $8 million. As if he needs the money. The high advance suggests that Kennedy might actually talk about the juicy stuff--drinking, Joan, Chappaquiddick...... [continue]

Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline," the song near and dear to any Red Sox fan's heart, always sounded like a love song. Diamond certainly sang it like a love song, and it was easy to imagine a mystery Caroline who made Diamond's blood run hot. Imagine our surprise when Diamond revealed the inspiration behind his classic--an image of Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg. A very young Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg. Diamond said, "It was a picture of a little...... [continue]

With Thanksgiving and the holiday season approaching, the time has come to focus on travel options. Vamoose buses now offer WiFi access and guaranteed seating, but perhaps it is time to take another look at its oft-maligned competitor, the Fung Wah Bus. Established ten years ago, Fung Wah, which is Cantonese for “magnificent wind,” has gained notoriety for buses slamming into guard rails and getting stuck in a toll booth. But even with these occasional...... [continue]

MSPCA-Angell Wine-Tasting Benefit Tuesday, November 20, 5:30-7:30 pm Harvard Club, 374 Comm Ave, Boston $25--good cause! More info The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals-Angell will get you to open your wallets for a good cause by getting you drunk. To be more specific, the MSPCA-Angell is holding a wine-tasting focusing on Portuguese wines and Portos. The event promises more than 150 varieties to whet your palate. The group has been...... [continue]