Veggiest is passionate about a meat-free diet, and will happily discuss the innumerable benefits of adopting a veg lifestyle with anyone who asks. When it comes to speaking of slaughterhouses and the meat-producing industry in the U.S. however, Veggiest almost always keeps mum. Why? Well, to be frank, we don't want to piss anyone off. We understand there are many happy carnivores out there who want nothing less that to hear the reality of how......

SFist worried over drugstore chain Walgreens celebration of Black History Month.Gothamist was surprised that apparently New York City is the fourth most miserable city in the country, after Detroit, Stockton, CA, and Flint, MI.Shanghaiist finds out what the Chinese think of Hilary and Obama.It was with a healthy amount of schadenfreude that Phillyist reported that former Eagle, and now Cowboy (ew), Terrell Owens owes the Eagles a significant wad of cash.Torontoist is two weeks......

Music The ICA has invited DJ Spooky (aka Paul D. Miller) to town for an entire weekend. Don't forget--Bostonist has the full scoop and will provide a review. The first event is the talk "Rhythm Science," a multimedia event in which he talks about the ever-changing media landscape and its impact on artists. ICA Boston, 6:30 pm., $12. Books Neil Shubin will read from Your Inner Fish: A Journey Into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the......

Books Jazz critic Bob Blumenthal reads from Jazz: An Introduction to the History and Legends Behind America's Music, and Branford Marsalis is going to join him. However, word is from Harvard Book Store that Marsalis will only talk about jazz, not perform it. The event will be at the Regattabar at the Charles Hotel (via Harvard Book Store), 7:00 pm. Free. Music The Von Bondies have been quiet as of late. What happened? A major......

Thespians stopped by Boston this week to read for the miniseries that will be based on BU professor and left-wing darling Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States. And here's what happens when an intellectual heavyweight's work gets mixed up with this thing we call pop culture: --Somehow, it just doesn't seem right to call noted author Howard Zinn the "Zinn-Meister." It makes us think of the SNL skit with Rob Schneider at......

If Amtrak workers follow through on threats to strike nationwide on January 30, Boston commuters of all stripes will find themselves deeply embedded in a giant snowball of crappiness. If you take the Commuter Rail, you'd better come up with a Plan B -- fast. During an Amtrak strike, South Station and the Providence/Stoughton line would basically shut down until it's all settled. Not so smug, everyone else, because you're screwed, too. If South......

Birthdays The King's birthday is today! All hail Elvis! Dick's Last Resort, where they tend to celebrate everything Elvis, will be hosting a birthday bash including an Elvis Impersonator contest and a jelly-donut eating contest. Faneuil Hall. 6:00 pm. And keep looking for a post on what to eat tonight in honor of the king … Politics If you see some lost-looking drunk people in suits, it's either campaign workers or reporters who have gotten......

The Globe and WBZ are reporting that the beloved, beautiful Dunkin' Donuts sign in Brighton is coming down. A Dunkin' Donuts spokesperson said the sign is in bad shape and must go. Change is inevitable and usually a good thing, but the sign is a part of history. And, besides, it just looks nifty. Bostonist put in a call to Dunkin' Donuts and received a statement from Margie Myers, Senior Vice President of Communications:......

As Bostonians we pride ourselves on our history as a city steeped in sea-faring tradition. Whether it be our statuesque U.S.S. Constitution, the ubiquitous story of the Boston Tea Party, or the ever-present duck boats, Boston and the ocean will be forever intertwined. As such, Bostonist presents some last-minute gift ideas that pay homage to our salty roots. Looking for the perfect gift for the animal lover in your life? Consider giving a "Proud Parent......

The 2008 Golden Globe nominees were announced yesterday, and to nobody's surprise, they skewed heavily toward the period drama Atonement. Charlie Wilson's War, No Country for Old Men, American Gangster, and Sweeney Todd all emerged with at least 4 noms each. Local fave Casey Affleck was nominated for his (non-Jesse James) title role in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and though Gone Baby Gone didn't get a nod in the......

Mike of The Food Monkey has joined Bostonist to share his thoughts about cooking, food history, restaurant trends, and any other Epicurean issues. He promises to discuss what tastes good, but not always what is in good taste. For more on consuming the opponents and other food news, go to the Food Monkey website. To contact Mike, go to the Food Monkey's contact page. Two weeks ago I began an experiment. I started the The......

The MBTA has renewed its contract with the MBCR. Statistics confirmed what everyone knew—that commuter rail in Massachusetts needs a major overhaul, yet the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Rail Company will get three more years to do whatever it is that they do. So, when you're stuck on the train or waiting for the train, you know who to thank. For some background, Bostonist Noah Bierman's Globe piece on the history between the MBTA and MBCR.......

The baseball winter meetings are over, and the Red Sox find themselves without an ace. Except for the one they have. And the Japanese guy who might yet become one. And the old cowboy back for one more year. And the two or three promising kids who might be a couple years away. But they haven't landed Johan Santana, which is either a failure (if they really were after Santana) or a success (if their......

-Some Blotter days are longer than others … --After two teenagers were shot this morning as kids were going to school in Dorchester, police officers swarmed on the neighborhood in search of a suspect who they thought was hiding out in a triple decker on Hendry Street. Globe reporters said the BPD was at the triple decker for two hours before deciding it was empty and that the shooter took off. The victims' wounds are......

--Boobs might be getting bigger in Brookline, thanks to stem-cell research. Uh, can't we worry about cancer first and then take care of the boobies? [WBZ] --Gwen Butler, she of the million-dollar-tip and alleged starter of news that a case of VD was going around local restaurant circles, is baaack! In New York, unfortunately. [MenuPages] --A five-alarm fire broke out yesterday at a lumberyard in Ayer. [Boston Herald] --Watertown city councilor Marilyn Devaney, best known......

Mike of The Food Monkey has joined Bostonist to share his thoughts about cooking, food history, restaurant trends, and any other Epicurean issues. He promises to discuss what tastes good, but not always what is in good taste. For more, go to the Food Monkey website. To contact Mike, go to the Food Monkey's contact page. In friendly competition, one attempts to best one’s opponent–so long as it doesn’t happen to cause too much of......

Diane Rapaport Saturday, December 1, 1:00 pm Massachusetts Historical Society Book Fair 1154 Boylston St., Boston More local readings from Rapaport Official site for The Naked Quaker Thanksgiving means it's time to think about a lot of things, namely food and football, but also history. Bostonist has decided to talk to author Diane Rapaport about the history of the Puritans and their traditions. Rapaport, a lawyer-turned-author who has researched court records, wrote The Naked Quaker,......

No Christmas shopping today. No Thanksgiving shopping, either. Get your remote control warmed up and tell the family they're on their own for dinner, because there's a lot of sports to be watchin' today. The fun starts at 2:00, when the Revolution try to get from "happy to be in the championship game", which is old hat, to actually winning the thing. They're matched up against Houston for all the marbles again; goalie Matt Reis......

Rock 'N Roll Fashion Show 10 pm, Friday, November 16 Milky Way, Jamaica Plain Directions | Tickets $10 Update: The Milky Way's permit was suspended due to enforcement of the nightclub sprinkler law. However, Carol Downs, one of the owners, said that they will be appealing the fire department's refusal to grant the Milky Way an extension at the sprinkler board. If they don't get the appeal, they'll go to Superior Court. Regarding tonight's event,......

Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair November 16-18 Hours: Friday 5-9 Saturday 12-7, Sunday 12-5 Hynes Convention Center Directions | Tickets (Purchase $15 weekend tickets on Friday, or $8 for Saturday or Sunday only) If nothing turns you on like yellowed pages and musty smells, the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair is for you. From a copy of Ariel inscribed by Ted Hughes to an original copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone with promo......

Nostalghia 11.00am, Saturday, November 10 Brattle Theatre 40 Brattle Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge Free Sparsely attended and overlooked by the media, the Brattle Theatre's monthly "Elements of Cinema" series must be the most unsung ongoing act of cultural good will in Cambridge. Since June, the Brattle has offered a free crash course in the history of cinema -- one classic film shown every second Saturday morning. Past screenings have included Citizen Kane, The 400 Blows,......

Boston city councilors Stephen Murphy and John Connolly aren't the only ones who have to learn how to get along. City councilor Chuck Turner, he of the stunning goatee, will also need to learn how to get along with Northeastern University, or vice versa depending which side you're on. Before the city council elections, Turner was angry with the school for not treating the neighborhood he represents with enough respect. He didn't mince words on......

We already know they must hate us in Minnesota. Once, they had David Ortiz, Randy Moss and Kevin Garnett. Now they don't. But they must really hate us in Denver these days; less than two weeks after their Colorado Rockies were vaporized in the World Series, the Nuggets came to Boston and fared just as badly. The Celtics (who said they'd need time to adjust to one another?) annihilated Denver almost from the opening last......

Well, the Red Sox proved that they can win even when Colorado finds its offense. So it's 3-0, and teams coming back from 3-0 is a once-in-a-lifetime deal. (We're engaging in a little post-2004 thinking, but don't think we're not engaging in all the superstitions, wearing the same cap, drinking the same coffee, wearing the same underwear, etc., in the meantime). The Sox came out blazing, slapping Rockies starter Josh Fogg around for six in......

Beauty and the Geek Auditions Boston Casting 129 Braintree Street, Allston Saturday, October 27, 10:00 am-2:00 pm Thursday, November 1, 2:00 pm-7:00 pm and The Estate 1 Boylston Place, Boston Saturday, November 3, 2:00 pm-9:00 pm More info Do you have it in you to be the next LARPer or cigar model on the CW's "Beauty and the Geek," which we've been faithfully tracking this season? Do you think you are geeky enough or pretty......

How can you not love John Williams? He has given us some of the most memorable, mesmerizing film scores in cinematic history. Superman, E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark! Films that are forever captured in multiple generations' minds and memories - and Bostonians can proudly puff out our chests and note that, given his longstanding ties to the Boston Pops, he is totally ours. So we wouldn't be surprised to know that there was a......

It might be a stretch to claim that all the children at Sunday's Boston Comic Con were present to support their parents, but there was one incontrovertible example. Two toddlers, swaddled in the costumes of Superman and the Flash, raced through the Back Bay Events Center in strollers, pushed by their parents. "I think he's going to win," said the mother, pointing at the one dressed as Superman. "He's really the fastest." The convention was......

"Authorial Intent" wraps up book events for the week in the Boston area. Wednesday, October 24 Chris Matthews, 6:00 pm, Coolidge Corner (via Brookline Booksmith), $5 Recently, Jon Stewart sank his fangs into Matthews for pimping the concept that "Life's a Campaign," which is, admittedly, a little scary. Bostonist prefers the old saw that life is a bowl of cherries. Watch what Matthews has dubbed the "interview from hell," and you'll already be armed with......

A Harvard student got caught trying to cut down trees that weren't his last Sunday morning. James Powers, a Lampoon editor, decided he didn't like trees that had just been planted at Mount Auburn and Holyoke. The Cambridge Chronicle tried to get a comment, but Powers isn't saying anything. He thinks that's funny? Does he plan to pay the city back for those trees? Oh, his parents can probably handle it. Fifty-three people commented on......

Boston Comic Con Sunday, October 21, 10am-5pm Back Bay Events Center (180 Berkeley Street), $8 The comics industry is known for its oddballs, and Jim Steranko is a case in point. He is best known for his late sixties work at Marvel Comics, where he brought a designer's eye to drawing Nick Fury for Strange Tales. He drew across the whole page, defying panel boundaries, to a surreal effect. But comics may have been the......