Results tagged “christmas”

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.

Everybody has one: the crazy dog-obsessed friend. The friend who won't come to your parties unless she can bring Fluffy; the friend who never goes out of town because he doesn't trust a kennel or caretaker to prepare Fido's food correctly. These people can be hard to buy for, but you've got a new ally in town: Pawsh Dog Boutique.

Just like a TV sitcom, we’ve moved from Christmas on to New Year’s before Christmas really even got started. So in spirit of the New Year’s tradition of reflection, we’ve looked back on the year in beers.

-- For those on the lookout for the worst Xmas songs, here are dozens. [Musical Fruitcake]

"Happy holidays to all, and a fare-free Christmas Day!"

-- If you missed Bazaar Bizarre this past weekend, here are 25 gift ideas for $25 or less. [NY Times]

-- And you thought your college dorm was full of creepy characters: Some Emerson grad students share tales from their time living in the haunted Charlesgate Hotel. [Loaded Gun]

Last week brought the drama: Chris and Rami are going to have to compete (again!) for a spot on the runway at Fashion Week in NYC. Whoa! As Rami puts it, "Once we thought the rollercoaster was over, there was still another loop." And it's a killer!

--Note to European officials: Next time you think you've got Whitey Bulger on your hands, make sure it's really him. Two people from Germany just announced that they're the people in the video circulated the FBI, which has led to the frequent hassling of innocent tourists. [Boston Globe]

No better icebreaker exists than taking off your pants in a crowd. People who normally would never speak to each other on an MBTA train had plenty to talk about once they "depantsed" on Saturday afternoon for Boston's first annual No Pants 2K8.

Regardless of how you think he would have fared in 2006, one must admit that Bronson Arroyo was screwed over by the Red Sox organization. He plunks down money on a new house in Boston. He agrees to a hometown discount, $11.2 million contract (over three years) with the Sox, which was pretty much the one thing his agent didn't want him to do. And then the guy is promptly traded off to Cincy for who? Oh wait! Wily Mo Pena.

Cold, cold, holy crap it is cold! Bloody well everyone can agree that a high of 14 is cold. Barry Burbank at WBZ says "this weekend temperatures will get into the 40's and then the 50's on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week." Barry, we're holding you to that.

Bluesman Weepin' Willie Robinson, the man who was rescued from a Jamaica Plain nursing home yesterday, has since died. An earlier report mentioned he went into cardiac arrest, but he was also burned by the fire, which started when he smoked in bed.

• SFist saw Christmas Day turn tragic after a Siberian tiger escaped from her pen at the San Francisco Zoo, killing a visitor and mauling two others.
• Phillyist counted down the top ten items on Philadelphia's New Year's wish list.
• Gothamist looked at the wooden bikes being offered for NYC's first bike share program on Governors Island.

Who knew three little chipmunks could show so much strength? Alvin and company stayed near the top of the box office list this week with a #3 showing, losing only to the mighty Nic Cage (we never thought we'd call Nic "mighty," but there you go) and Will Smith (we've been calling him "mighty" for years). Cage's National Treasure: Book of Secrets had the third biggest Christmas opening weekend ever, after Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring and Meet the Fockers. That's, um, good company? Other notable new-ish releases include The Great Debaters, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

Bostonist is still feeling the egg nog. Therefore, the following magazine cover featuring Bill Belichick hit us hard. Enjoy it in all its glory:

In a surprise move, the NFL has decided to expand the broadcast of the Patriots-Giants game, which it had previously limited to WCVB and the NFL Network, leaving many New England residents out in the cold.

--A 22-year-old man was shot in Roxbury outside Packy's Pub early this morning. He is now in critical condition. The Globe reports that police learned about the shooting from ShotSpotter.

The Blotter and the Bite Size are merged today, given that everyone seems to be on break. Thank you for reading this if you're here!

Here's the top Oddblotter story of the year--just in time for Christmas! You've already seen some impressive tales, but the winning Oddblotter story of the year is a real head-scratcher.

With deep and heartfelt apologies to Clement Clarke Moore and all his descendents (read the whole thing after the jump):

What would the holidays be without a Matzo Ball, where Jewish singles or those who like to party on Christmas Eve can party? This year, we'll find out if this city is big enough for two Matzo Balls.

This is probably like preaching to the choir because of course all Bostonist readers promptly shovel their sidewalks. But, in light of City Councilor Chuck Turner's claim that he wasn't going to shovel his sidewalk because people in his neighborhood didn't walk on them (!!!), it's even more important to shovel because the disabled are having a hard time getting around.

Gifts were exchanged in Foxboro yesterday. From Miami to New England: a total lack of competition. From New England to Miami: Their foots off the gas pedal and a non-humiliation. 'Tis the season in the NFL.

--Now that Spatch has been rooming with a CW celebrity, perhaps he thought that another CW reality show, the mother-daughter beauty pageant extravaganza Crowned, might be as good. He was wrong. [Derspatchel]

--What would happen if you threw a Christmas mass and the priest never came? [Boston Herald]