Derek Lumpkins, better known to Bostonist readers as derequito, led the Boston Photo Mob on a tour of Roxbury this weekend. The group was kind enough to share some images with us:......

We don't know how talented photog mikefranklin flew under radar for this long. His stream is packed with interesting photos, and we enjoy his use of a fish-eye lens and the HDR technique. We loved this unique perspective on Harvard Yard, and look forward to seeing more of his work.......

It's a day that happens only in Boston, as far as we know. Maybe they do it in Milwaukee and Kansas City, but we doubt it; only Red Sox fans are maniacal enough to go out on a cold morning to watch some boxes be loaded in a truck. That's right, it's Truck Day - the day when the Sox equipment heads south for Fort Myers and Spring Training. It's the day when dozens of......

The next season of America's Next Top Model will air on the CW starting February 20, and the new cast has been revealed. Last time, Sarah Hartshorne, aka "Vita Lightly" of the Boston Babydolls, represented Boston well, and now not one, but two women from Massachusetts will be undergoing extreme makeovers and wearing ridiculous clothes. Kimberly is a waifish 20-year-old banker from Worcester, and Fatima is a 22-year-old student from Boston. Both of them......

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. At first, when aspiring pants-free T riders gathered at Alewife station, the event was at risk of being a bust. The area between the gates and the stairs was packed with people,......

Enza Sambataro may not be a household name, but she inspires a passionate response from baseball fans. She's about to marry the beloved Red Sox player Kevin Youkilis. The Globe recently ran a light lifestyle piece about how Sambataro won't be the ordinary baseball wife. She dated Ben Affleck, she jokes about Yooooouk drinking too many margaritas, and she has a shoplifting record, around which the article danced delicately. Adam Reilly at the Phoenix detected......

An outbound Green Line trolley struck an MBTA supervisor this morning. The AP reports that the supervisor was there to check out an unauthorized tree-cutting near Reservoir on the D line. The incident happened at about 10:20 am, the Globe reports. Joe Pesaturo at the MBTA said the supervisor hurt his left arm. Bostonist isn't superstitious, nor do we believe in ghosts, but today's incident gives rise to the question--what is happening on the Green......

One of our favorite photogs, Richietown has been out shooting again, most recently after the wondrous ice storm that rolled through last week. While there are many things to love in this photo, our favorite was how the branches of the trees all mingle to literally blanket the sky. The perspective and lighting are also naturally spot-on. Check two of his other shots from that night, black ice and december lights. Both are fantastic......

--A new company, FlexPetz, will let you rent a dog for a few hours so you can enjoy canine companionship without getting up in the cold to walk the critter. Wouldn't it be great if you could just rent human companionship for a few hours? Oh, wait. That's illegal. Nevermind. [Boston Globe] --Wondering why there are so many kids running around today? Seventy drivers called in sick or took a personal day today, and about......

A sad week for LAist as they lose their trusted and amazing editor Tony Pierce to the LA Times, but what a blast his last week was. He shared his 25 Favorite CDs of 2007 and wrote a great review of just a good movie, No Country For Old Men. At UCLA, thousands of students celebrated the end of their quarter by running around campus in their undies (lots of photos in a two-part......

Flickr user Ho Yin captured a unique perspective on a famous Boston landmark. The treatment he used on the photo, combined with his tight framing, gives the pulleys on The U.S.S. Constitution a vintage feel - perfectly fitting for the historical ship. Check out our second favorite of his pictures here, we had a hard time choosing between the two. Great work Ho Yin, welcome to Bostonist.......

It's a hot debate right now. The Somerville Journal posted pictures and video of the annual Tufts Naked Quad Run. The video and pictures are far from titillating. It's tush, tush, tush as far as they eye can see. But some readers, including Tufts students who participated in the Naked Run, were aghast that the pictures emerged, the Herald reported. They argued that it was a private event. The Herald pointed out, though, that taxpayer-funded......

--After the panic, let's think about the fun aspects of winter--sleighs, end-of-year parties, presents, twinkling lights, and the general atmosphere of coziness. --This just in: The Patriots win, and the world learns that referees are sensitive about snowballs. More from the Redux tomorrow. --In Massachusetts' ongoing effort to get as far ahead of the political primary process as possible, the Globe has endorsed Barack Obama as the Democratic nominee and John McCain as the......

A flash pillow fight went down at Boston Common yesterday afternoon, courtesy of the Banditos Misteriosos. Maria Varmazis took some great photos of the pillow fight. Some people took the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon approach: While others hid their Pillow Power under a tender Hello Kitty disguise: She has plenty more of feathers flying over at Flickr. If this is the first flash event from Banditos Misteriosos, then bring on more of them! Photos courtesy......

We're really glad we're not the New York Jets. Especially today. First of all, if you were a Jet, you'd have to be outside for hours and hours in this weather. Second of all, you're not a very good football team, and you are playing today against a remarkably good team. Third, you're the team whose coach finked out Bill Belichick early this year, putting the Patriots on a mission to destroy everything in their......

--Another storm is on the way starting tonight and running through Sunday evening. [WBZ] --One person died in a terrifying 8-alarm fire in downtown Gloucester last night. The fire also destroyed an apartment building and a synagogue. [Boston Globe, WCVB] --Regarding fires, b0st0n LiveJournal posted some fire safety tips. A lot of it is common sense (you really don't want to put the space heater by the curtains, ok?), but the reminders are useful. [b0st0n......

It was kind of adorable, the way the Celtics were quipping on Friday night. After defeating the Bucks, 104-82, and tying the franchise record for the best start on the ol' Boston parquet, the Celts tried to demur. Which, in turn, reminded us all of how awesome the team is. We could remark on the fact that Kevin Garnett (15 points), like, totally sounded like a Valley Girl when he tried to explain that he......

--One would think that Boston would be prepared to handle snow. But it isn't a good sign when headlines read "what went wrong." [Boston Globe] --It also isn't a good sign when kids don't get home until 11:30 pm because of the weather. [Boston Globe] --A mistrial has been declared in the second trial for Alexander Pring-Wilson, who was convicted of manslaughter for the 2003 stabbing of Michael Colono in Cambridge, but who was granted......

Many fans and striking writers turned out for the Writers Guild Rally at the First Parish Church meeting house at Harvard Square at noon today. As his mom Wendy looked on, Max Schapiro, of Needham, toted a sign that said, "My Mom let me skip school to support the WGA!" Other people sported orange-and-yellow wool caps made popular on Joss Whedon's brief television series "Firefly." After the fans and several striking writers filled the pews,......

Jiffy Cat captured the aftermath of the havoc-wreaking storm that hit Boston yesterday afternoon. The blue tones of this shot make us feel the chill, and the lights in the right of the shot provide just the right dose of holiday cheer. Any snow horror stories from yesterday? Let us know! And get ready....there's another storm on the way this weekend - eek!......

Snow emergencies have been declared in Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville. Here's the dirt on parking and getting around: --T alerts: This should come as no surprise, but all T lines are experiencing delays of 30 minutes or more. The MBTA website has been blinking in and out, but we did get an alert that the Silver Line Routes 742 (SL2) and 743 (SL3) are being diverted and that all buses are "omitting 88 Black......

New PotD photogdecor8 captured this neat shot while on a walk in Jamaica Plain's Arnold Arboretum. We love the great depth of focus and the bright bold green. Welcome to our new contributor - lovely work! The snow is coming, we expect lots of fun snow days pictures to pop up in the pool over the next few days!......

If you dare to venture out that way--and you may not want to after this morning and the storm that is coming in--Green Line Service is back up. Or, in the lingo of the T alert system: "Green Line service is running with residual delays as a result of an earlier medical emergency at Boylston station." If you hadn't already heard, Trolleys Collide, Closing Green Line This Morning A side note: A commenter let us......

Some Bostonists found out about this the hard way--by actually being on the green line and having our drivers announce "last stop Government Center"--but the Green Line is closed between Park Street and Kenmore Square this morning after two trolleys collided at Boylston. One trolley rear-ended a stopped trolley, and one car derailed, according to the Globe. Not only were legions (including some Bostonists) made late for work, but the Globe reports nine people complained......

--The following falls more in the "Don't Panic" category instead of the "Blotter" category. If you stuck a TV set on top of a light pole at the corner of Main Street and Bishop Allen in Cambridge this morning, the Cambridge Police Department would like to have a word with you. You caused quite the freak-out. [Cambridge Chronicle] --The Christmas tree at the State House is covered blue light-emitting diodes," which conserve energy. However, the......

Please View it large for the full effect. Flickr superstar shoothead shares with us another reminder that Christmas is just around the corner. We could say much about the artistry of this amazing picture and how it perfectly captures the innocence of a child, but the image truly speaks for itself. Everything about this shot is evocative of the spirit of the holiday season. It is not about the beliefs of one particular religion,......

When searching photos tagged with 'bostonist' on Flickr, we always get excited when we stumble on a really unique picture, one that was created using alternative techniques. We certainly found that in this great shot by ChyLn. The artist used a strobe flash and long exposure to create this stop-action marvel. The way he composed the shot really conveys the frustration and restlessness one can feel while cooped up in a hospital room. This......

If our current stint of pleasant weather wasn't enough of a reminder that winter has arrived, here's another from talented photog AprilM2107. The playful framing and chilly bright colors combine to make a picture that is just plain adorable. Here's hoping April's little snowman can bring a smile to this gloomy Monday!......

--Another snowstorm is on its way and is expected to have its greatest impact tonight. [WCVB] --Speaking of snow, Bostonist has the temperature and weather-condition icons at the top left of the home page. If you click on that icon, you'll get all the latest weather news. --People got cold in order to protest the heat of global warming during yesterday's Polar Bear Plunge in Concord. [AP/Globe] --Patriots owner Robert Kraft is partnering with......

Complaints about the MBTA are typical, but the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company [MBCR] is about to feel the heat of the spotlight. Noah Bierman at the Globe released some depressing news for regular rail riders--compared to other similar commuter rail services, the MBCR is the least reliable. It gets worse: "And since January, the system has posted its worst on-time performance yet: 84.5 percent of the commuter trains have been on time, compared......