Results tagged “annastaniszewski”

We know we’ve ragged on Alex Beam before, but it’s good fun every now and again to take issue with columnists – it’s their purpose in print. If everyone agreed with them every time and they weren’t at all controversial they wouldn’t be adding the color we expect from their presence in the papers. But after McGrory searched for some kids to beat at their own game, and today when Beam derides school children for pushing for Basketball to be made the state sport (and everything else they’ve been a part of making the state this-or-that in past years), we feel it’s about time for the Globe columnists to start picking on someone their own size and leave those kids alone.

Bostonist was not surprised to hear that road rage is a growing problem plaguing Boston drivers. Despite kamikaze pedestrians and don’t-know-if-I’m-a-car-or-not bicyclists, not to mention all those skilled cell phone drivers, driving in Boston isn’t that bad when you know how to do it. Councillor Tobin wants drivers to slow down, but like others, Bostonist isn't sure if that will help any. Boston driving puts life and death in the balance assuming that there are common definitions to signs like “stop” and “one way?” With the creative interpretations we’ve seen of those basic commands Tobin’s “Please Slow Down Boston” (note missing comma) signs probably won’t do to much to solve the road rage. To the rescue? Psychologist and "America's Leading Expert on Road Rage and Aggressive Driving" Dr. Nerenberg. He’s fully aware that every now and again drivers are going to cut someone off, so when you do instead of just shrugging and waving hold up a “sorry” sign. We don’t have the statistics or science behind this to evaluate but according to Nerenberg 60% of road raging drivers would be calmed by a simple sign.

Although Bostonist has been pretty oblivious to the 2006 Mass. gubernatorial race thus far, a story in the Globe couldn’t help but reel us in. Apparently independent candidate Christy Mihos didn’t realize that when someone said a life in politics was for the dogs, they weren’t exactly advising him to get his favorite pooch involved in his campaign. Mihos isn’t just using his best pal, Reagan, as a photo-op but actually giving him a commanding...

“I am your father,” a motion-sensing robot told Bostonist the other day. That bot and the rest of the Star Wars exhibit makes the jump from the Museum of Science into hyperspace on April 30th. Sure the Storm Troopers marching through Southie last weekend were great, we thought a day at the MoS would be better - and really let us experience the movies. Beyond motion-sensing, talking robots were models and costumes from the prequel and original trilogies, hands-on activities demonstrating principles behind hovercrafts and robot design, and, of course, an abundance of C-3PO muttering silly British things. While Bostonist has been a bit of a Star Wars geek for ages, the experience on the whole was a little underwhelming. The behind-the-scenes parts were swell, we marveled how actors must have all been sporting the Mick Jagger skinny in the late 70’s, judging from the costumes. “Technology” from Star Wars as current-day innovations was good in theory but robot displays left something to be desired. For example, Bostonist was wowed by a video clip of two teams of little dog robots playing soccer, but the real-life dog robot that followed the clip let out two pitiful barks and pushed a ball with its paw – it was nothing short of lame.

When Bostonist met a friend for lunch last week in Coolidge Corner, we automatically began walking to our favorite place, Zathmary’s. When we got there, however, we found locked doors and two bewildered little old ladies standing outside. “They’re closed for good!” one of the ladies said, and it was one of those moments that Bostonist thought only happened in movies where everyone gasps in unison. We glanced in the windows and sure enough, all the lights were off and there were bags of packed-up supplies. One of the ladies, who dubbed herself the town crier, informed us that the Needham Zathmary’s had closed a few days before and now this one had followed suit. The crier had heard rumblings of an illness in the owner’s family. Bostonist pulled our dropped jaws from the sidewalk and reluctantly headed a few doors over to Zaftigs.