The fire hydrant on Russell St. near the Elm St. intersection has an OUT OF SERVICE notice on it.  (It's a non-removable sign, not a tag.)  Despite this, you should *not* park there -- they do issue $100 tickets for it.  Believe me.

I suppose the argument is that the hydrant could be repaired at some point and then a parked car would be in violation, but I'm still pretty ticked off about it.  I'll file an appeal and hope to get a reduced fine but I'm not optimistic.

Has anyone used a sound meter to measure the noise level on the red line between Harvard Sq and Alewife? Especially, between Harvard Sq and Davis Sq? I bet it's more than 110 dBs. If one takes the T twice a day, for extended periods of time, I bet that one incurs hearing damage, especially in the low frequency ranges. Clearly, there are more important issues the MBTA is dealing with, but if the noise levels are above what sound exposure regulations permit, I'd say that customers should know about it.

I am in love/lust with this handbag. It's super fun, it mirror's Christopher's first-challenge dress for Lindsey Lohan, it's just so me. It's not "so me" for $350.00, but if I ever win the lottery or get a sugar daddy (I AM taking applications) this is first on the to-purchase list.

I'd also now like to learn how to use this amazing sewing machine that one of the professors gave me for freesies.

( Thursday television rundown. )

Pizza and beer tonight with d0wnbytheriver as my date night was effectively canceled by various unforeseen events.

Off to keep myself busy with more SVU writing; it's a sickness, I can't stop.

+ Joe gave me a ride home. I'm back 35 minutes earlier than if I had taken the T. YAY!

- I forgot to pack a granola bar. I suspect that I got so hungry that I now feel sick. My hands have been shaking for the last ten minutes.

- There's so much homework to do! *cries*

+ Joe and I were talking in the car. It turns out that we're from the same hometown... and it turns out that he was in school with my brother. What a small world! We were both freaked out. ahahahaaa!

+ I'm totally adding Joe on my FB. XDDD

notloB Folk Concerts presents....

LISSA SCHNECKENBURGER
New England Fiddler and Folk Singer
http://www.lissafiddle.com

"World class fiddler... far from just offering one dance tune after another, simple settings allow the true beauty of the music to shine through" - Sing Out

Opening: ARI & MIA FRIEDMAN
http://www.ariandmiafriedman.com/

"...adventurous and lyrical...They have a unique style and approach, engaging original compositions...[Their CD] is a strong first impression for the Friedman sisters." - Dirty Linen Magazine 

Friday November 6, 2009
Doors 7:45 pm, concert 8:00pm
Unity Church
6 William St (@ College Ave, just 3 blocks north of Davis Square)

Suggested minimum donation $12-15

Complete info @ http://notlobmusic.googlepages.com

notloB Folk Concerts are volunteer run.  After expenses, 100% of the donations go to the artists.
Mailing list  ~ http://groups.google.com/group/notlobmusic
Facebook ~ http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=38565709718&ref=ts

Dinner and a Show.  Concert patrons can dine at the House of Tibet Kitchen in nearby Teele Square and save 10%!
 
House of Tibet Kitchen
235 Holland Street
Somerville, Ma 02144
617-629-7567

Patrons who make a dinner reservation and show proof of concert attendance (printed reservation confirmation) will be entitled to 10% off their dinner bill.  Please identify yourself to the staff as attending the “notloB concert”.

Next concert: Friday, December 04:  National Award-Winning Performer of Scottish, Irish, Jazz, & American Music ~ Jeremy Kittel Band (featuring Tristan Clarridge, Simon Chrisman & Bodek Janke)

Ladies and gentlemen, Cher Guevara.


I think you're welcome.

Amethyst Center is a group of alternative and complementary medicine practitioners, right in the heart of Davis Square. This weekend, Saturday November 7, we'll be holding an open house, to benefit the Somerville Homeless Coalition. For $10 (or a new blanket), we're offering a brief version of the treatments that we do: acupuncture, zero balancing, trigger point therapy, massage, craniosacral therapy, Jin Shin Jyutsu, naturopathic medicine, ARCH energy work. You can call to set up a time, or just drop by (though we've filled up in previous years).

Saturday November 7
1:00-5:00
Amethyst Center
259 Elm St, 3rd Floor
Davis Square, Somerville
617-591-9200

Refreshments, and a chance to meet us and get to know what we do. Hope to see you there.

I have a 5 month-old daughter, and just got it in my head that I want to knit her a Christmas stocking. Trouble is, I don't know how to knit. Any idea of a place I could go to learn? Or anyone want to teach me for some kind of nominal fee or a barter of some kind? I'm a lefty, if that matters. Thanks!

Calling all actors!

Theatre@First is staging the play "Dracula" in February.

Please visit our website at http://www.theatreatfirst.org
for more information and to sign up for an audition slot
on December 1 or 2!

( Read more... )

Hi there.  We are in need of a costume designer for An Ideal Husband which will perform Dec 3-13 at the YMCA Cambridge.  Here is a link:  http://www.badhabitproductions.org/shows/season/husband.html.  Our designer had to drop out last week, which leaves us with a Victorian period piece and no sewing skills!
This would be a great opportunity for a student, recent grad, or interested professional looking to add to their portfolio.  There will be a professional photo call and production shots.  We are a non-profit theatre company.  If interested, please contact me at hiyosue [at] aol.com.  Thank you!

Hi guys—I'm interested in learning more about that now-hibernating Maypole. If you took it down (or know who did), can you let me know via message or at djdreilinger /at/ comcast /dot/ net?

As I've said in a previous posts, I am a journalist. I am not a schmuck.

Duck boat hit a car on Mass Ave btwn Boylston and Newbury (northbound side of the street). Traffic is messy.

picture here

Gone. Not much interest on LJ, but 17 takers from Craig's List! :) I forgot I had a second TV in the basement to get rid of and now that one's gone, too. :)

No, really. It's a 27" Philips TV. There's nothing wrong with it except that it's big and a roommate moved in with a flat-screen TV, and no body is buying used CRTs.

If you can come get it today it's yours for the asking. I'll post it to Craig's List tonight.

ETA: It *is* new enough to be able to handle digital signals, BTW, (not that anyone watches anything that's not on cable anyway).

So I thought I'd put this out there and see if anyone was interested in attending. 

The Joint Committee on Revenue, of which I am a staff member, is doing a statewide Listening Tour on state tax policy.    Our last stop is at the Cambridge City Hall in Central Sq tonight from 6-8pm!   The topic for the evening is Tax Policy & Working Families, but all questions/comments on any aspect of state tax policy is up for discussion.

Rep. Jay Kaufman from Lexington (House Chair), will give a brief overview of current state tax policy with a focus on state & local revenues.  After that we'll have an expert give a brief presentation on tax policy and its impact on low and middle income families/individuals.  And then we'll open it up for about an hour & a half for questions/comments from all of you.

Anyways, feel free to come on down and see what I've been doing with myself for the last 6 months or so.  It'd be great to see folks!  Sorry for the late notice :P  I meant to post this ages ago.

Where can I buy unpasteurized apple cider?

I haven't seen any in the Davis Square farmers' market all season. I saw it once last month at the Harvard Science Center farmers' market, didn't buy it then, and never saw it there again. Pemberton Farms doesn't sell it, though they used to. Who does?

Woot, happy birthday to dashakay!

I'm going by Beacon Hill Athletic Club after work today. They open at 6am, I can go to the one in Brighton Center or the one on Commonwealth Avenue, I've heard good things from both buzzlikeneon and Krisela and they're both no-nonsense women who wouldn't put up with beefcake workout bullshit, so this is a good thing. They're $64 a month which is steep, but if I bring my lunch (and I should EVERY DAY because it's healthier) and stop buying peppermint lattes in the morning (but I don't WANNA!) I should be good to go.

...I know, you all really care about what gym I'm going to go to. Now you know! :::wink:::

In case you didn't know, I wrote a post-ep for "Spooked"; you should read it, because I say so, damn it.
soldier; elliot/olivia, pg-13
There are degrees by which she feels for people, and though it wasn't love, she certainly felt something for Dean Porter.

Oh, in other news, we're doing cards but we're not doing presents this year. No presents of any sort! (Okay, that's not true, we're doing presents for parents and siblings and roommates but no one else!) So, send us cards and we'll send you cards and all will be grand. If I don't have your address (or your address has changed since my address post of DOOM!) just email me at leslieacummings@gmail.com and I'll put you on the list.

Hey you! Yeah, you! Rec me three songs that you love, can't help but dance to when you hear them. I'm going to make a new work out mix in honor of this healthy living thing! DO IT NOW!


...EDITED. TO. ADD. KREJCI HAS SWINE FLU!?!?!?! Come the eff on!

One of the Byfar Hour scenes I had the most fun writing was the scene in which the cast takes the host Frank Cyrano to task for overpromising and underdelivering. Frank always promises big name stars on the show but there's always some horribly contrived reason why the celebrity in question couldn't show up: Clark Gable's train, for instance, was apparently ambushed in New Haven by a girl gang of autograph bandits. There's also this exchange:

LEX CONCORD: And what about the time you said we were going to have one of the Marx Brothers on the program?

FRANK CYRANO: (DEFENSIVELY) But we did! Harpo was a very funny guest.

I enjoyed that bit, as well as the third excuse (Charlie McCarthy backed out at the last minute because he had termites) but what most people don't know is that we almost did have Harpo on the show Saturday night, but that opportunity petered out in a fashion appropriate to the program.

It's inevitable that people show up to a Halloween night show in costume (I ran the World's Most Ad Hoc Costume Contest during the first Saturday intermission because A. I noticed a whole lot of people out in costume, B. we typically ran costume contests during one Tomes show each run, and C. the show wasn't running long enough anyway.) We had people show up every night in costume, including some wonderful friends of the radio who came in full 30s garb and everything, but Halloween was the biggest night.

At about 10 minutes before we opened the house and began the on-stage atmospherics, someone ran backstage and told me that there was a Harpo Marx in the lobby in full-on trenchcoat and horn getup and everything. I was thrilled, mostly because a Harpo costume is an automatic winner no matter what (even without a mask, it gives you artistic license to do a lot of crazy things you may not do in your civvies) but also because it meant I could pull something really groovy and possibly get back at the unknown prankster who ordered a pizza to be delivered onstage at Friday night's show.

(Yes, the pizza stunt really happened and no, I still have no idea who was fully behind it. The recipient of the pizza was the band's drummer and all he had to say about it was "Well, I was hungry..." Meanwhile, I stood at the mic trying to come up with a useful adlib but was too busy wondering if pizza existed in '38. I'll save the rest of this story for the bit I'm writing about our improvisational goof-offery.)

"Oh my god," I said, hurrying out into the house. "Run out to the lobby. Go get Harpo. Bring him into the house. I want him in the show. We'll have him chase a cigarette girl across the stage and back." I was prepared to comp him -- out of my own pocket, even -- if he was willing to play along. Someone from the staff went out to the lobby to find him while I started thinking: Harpo had a fondness for blondes... which is the blondest cigarette girl we've got? Failing that, who can shriek the best? And where will we cue him? Off the Harpo line in the scene? Before that? After? Should I cop one of Groucho's cracks when it happens ("Looks like the 8:17 is right on time. You can always set your watch by the Lehigh Valley") or ad-lib something different?

Then the staffer came back in and said Harpo was gone. He hadn't come by to see the show; he apparently was on his way to other Halloween shenanigans and had stopped by the Somerville lobby to show off for a bit. Probably stopped at other places around Davis, too, and hopefully got a few free drinks for his troubles. Sounded like he had the best darn Harpo costume around, too.

Ah, well. The Saturday show went wonderfully without a Marx interruption, which is probably for the best. I know at least two people who would have gone apopleptic if I let Byfar run any longer, but I also know one person in the back who would have fallen out of his chair in laughter and that's the reaction I wanted.

But boy, that would've added to the numerous stories and legends that have come out of this production.

I have this as my current FB profile photo... and I realized it would be kickass to add it to my icons here.

XD

I'm coming up on two of four years complete in my Rubenfeld Synergy training, and am in need of more volunteers to work on. If you're interested or have questions after reading the below, please drop me a line!

Practice clients will receive relaxing and self-awareness-enhancing sessions that include gentle hands-on and dialogue about what you're experiencing in your body, but do not (at this point in my training) explore deep emotions or life issues. The client is always fully clothed and is welcomed to stop or modify the session at any time if they feel uncomfortable.

My own background includes a Diploma in Counselling from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland (which teaches Client-Centered Therapy, aka Rogerian), as well as a 2-year program at the Muscular Therapy Institute in nearby Cambridge. Today I'm a Licensed Massage Therapist with a private practice based in my home office. My intention is to practice a healing discipline that makes use my talents both for "talking cure" therapy and for bodywork -- and Rubenfeld Synergy is definitely the most well developed discipline in that space.

Sessions at this point in my training are free of charge. Sometime in 2010 I will be able to get certified as a "Level 1" practitioner of Rubenfeld Synergy enabling me to set my own professional rates -- they're still working out the timeline.

To be eligible to be a practice client, a person:
- Can't be a "good friend". (eg one of us has visited the other's home, or we're on "hugs hello" terms.)
- Can't have seen me before in either my Massage Therapy or Counselling practices.
- Has not been hospitalized for a mental health issue or recent major injury.

My home office is near Ball Square in Somerville, a 12 minute walk east up the bike path from Davis. Please send an email to [mattryan at pobox dot com] if you'd like to discuss more. Or feel free to comment here if you'd like to post your questions publicly.

-------------
Diligent davis_square readers may recall a similar post from dietrich back in June -- we're in the same training program together. :-)

The Tufts Global Lens Film Series picks up after a week off. The films are top notch, free, open to the public and you won't have to fight a crowd (I got a private screening last week). The movies are the type you won't get an easy chance to see again.

http://ase.tufts.edu/ir/eventsGlobalLens.htm

Here's the schedule for this weekend:

Those Three (Iran) - 8 pm, Thurs., Mugar 200 (Cabot/Fletcher)

Sleepwalking Land (Mozambique) - 8 pm, Friday, Mugar 200

Getting Home (China) - 8 pm, Saturday, Mugar 200

Song from the Southern Seas (Kazhakstan) - 2 pm, Sunday, Mugar 200


Also this weekend at Tufts: State of Play and The Hurt Locker. Part of Tufts Film Series.

x-post to freescreenings

I have noticed this trend at busy intersections, particularly post-daylight-savings (because apparently, nobody here knows how to drive in the dark). I thought that if I could influence just a single driver to change his/her driving habits, it would save many other drivers a few minutes of frustration.

When a light turns yellow, and there is no space for you on the other side of the traffic light, please do not race forth into the middle of the intersection. The cars in front of you will not magically disappear when the light turns red.

Instead, you'll be the a$$hole blocking the intersection. And the drivers who now have a green light will hate your guts because they can't be going on their merry way, and they've already had to wait several rounds of lights because of other a$$holes just like you.

So please, if a light turns yellow and there's no space for you ahead, be patient and wait for the next green light. You'll end up in the same space 15 feet in front of you anyway, and at least you won't be the a$$hole blocking the intersection.

Thank you.

After reading the MBTA report, I got a bit worried, since I take the red line between Davis Sq and Harvard Sq a lot...  Page 26 of this report (www.boston.com/multimedia/2009/11/04mbta/mbta_review.pdf) talks about it.

The Boston Globe has an article on the report (www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/11/04/report_finds_ts_riders_at_risk/ ) saying: "One delayed project highlighted in the report, which has been deemed critical to public safety, involves repair of a water leak on the Red Line between Alewife and Harvard stations. The $80 million project would replace a system of slabs and disks, designed to absorb train vibrations, that has been damaged by water leaks. In some areas, fasteners are corroding and the tracks are moving out of alignment, the report states, presenting “the possibility of train derailment.’’

If it's critical for public safety, does it mean it's not safe, currently?

heyyyy boston,

anyone need tickets to the islands tonight at the middle east? $15! all ages!

doors are at 8pm.
Toro Y Moi at 9.
Jemina Pearl at 10.
Islands at 11.

i am excited about the show but am being a wahhhbaby about the time.

please let me know.

thanks,
jen

Join the Boston Sunday Night Film Club this Sunday, Nov 8th at 7pm for Up in the Air (Free Screening) at the AMC Boston Common 19 . Look for Audra wearing a nametag in the theatre lobby about 15 minutes before the film. As always, after the film we will descend on a local establishment for dinner/drinks/discussion.

Note: This is a free screening and is first-come, first-serve. Audra will be in the theatre lobby around 6pm with the passes. Director Jason Reitman will be in attendance and a Q&A session shall follow the screening.

( Film Synopsis )

Well, Flaherty lost last evening, but I think everyone knew that would happen. It would have been so nice to see Menino dethroned, but... what are you gonna do? Krisela and I ended up at the Mark Ciommo for City Council victory party for awhile last evening, but we mostly just drank beer and watched the games.

P.S., Bruins, you and I need to take a break... and it's not me, it's you.

Just got back from lunch with jenbachand, her husband, cutting_rm_flr and csishewolf. We had a lovely time and it was so wonderful to see Sharon again. It'd been a few years.

I need help; I need to go to the gym because-for the first time in my life-I've realized I've started to get chubby in my BACK. Not my backSIDE, (though that's sizeable as well...) my back. I've gotta get lifting, I've gotta do some serious cardio. I can join Boston Sports Club for eighty dollars a month. I can join HealthWorks (which my sister goes to, and which is all women) for something like ninety-eight dollars a month. Can I justify spending this much money?

When I think about the gym I also figure in the extra laundry I'll have to do, the hour at which I'll have to wake up to work in a workout before... work (wow, repetitive much?), the workout GEAR... argh. Can I justify this expense?

...did I already mention that I'm stealing fated_addiction's layout for my fic posts because I like it better? Well, I am!

soldier; elliot/olivia, pg-13
post-Spooked
"There are degrees by which she feels for people, and though it wasn't love, she certainly felt something for Dean Porter."

a great deal of thanks to lauridsen09 who really comes through in a clutch. merci beaucoup! All grammatical/spelling offenses are my own.

( Soldier )

comments and crit welcomed

Joe Curtatone, while winning the election for mayor, was voted in by less than 8% of Somerville's human population.

Mostly incumbents won: Ward 6 alderman Rebekah Gewirtz, Ward 5 School Committee member Mark Niedergang, and all four Aldermen-at-Large. Gewirtz and Niedergang won by huge margins. At-large challenger Luis Morales made a good try, but he was unable to overcome the overall boringness of this election.

One non-boring election result: challenger Christine Rafal beat incumbent James Norton (editor of the Somerville News) for the Ward 4 School Committee seat.

Unofficial results, on the city website

Our next DS meetup is going to take place on Tuesday the 10th. As usual, we will be meeting in the back room of the Burren starting at 7pm. Open mic night starts at 8pm and you can stick around to hear the music. I know some of you are musically inclined, so anybody want to get up and perform?

KSS dropped a letter in my mailbox announcing the demolition of the Maxpak site, including the rail tracks, to start today.   
( Read more... )

:: War Eagle Mills went from 'free shipping with $50 purchase' to 'free shipping with $70 purchase.' bah! evil! hate!

:: I am starting to read "Raise The Red Lantern"... for fun. Clearly there must be wrong with my notion of fun.

:: I am very amused. I created a poll for those on my flist who know me better. So far, I have three 'yes' and three 'no. I also have two for 'I pick Matsushige Yutaka' and the winner was actually 'you should dress up as a space pirate next year.' The latter do not answer the poll whatsoever. Yes, it's my fault for putting them in as possible answers, but the poll would have been very boring if I didn't. On the bright side, I'm now wondering if I really should be a space pirate for Halloween next year.

:: Tokyo Dogs? After episode 2, I am still in love. This series has much potential. The random banter between Oguri Shun as Takakura So and Mizushima Hiro as Kudo Maruo? Love, love, love. But omg! I want Mizushima to shave off that nasty facial hair. He looks like a perverted Asian man like that. But perhaps that's the intention? hmmm... But, yeah, I adore Oguri Shun in this series. It makes him look like he can kind of act and not just brood all the time. XD

:: I'm also watching Shinya Shokudo, mainly because Matsushige Yutaka was in episode 1, doing what he does best (playing a yakuza), and because every episode has a food theme. But episode 4? It's kind of wacky. It's about a porn star. XDDD

:: I started physical therapy today for my right shoulder. I swear - my body is breaking down already and I'm not even 32 yet. humbug!

:: The Monkey Girl was dressed up as Pikachu for Halloween. She made her mother dress up as Misty and her dad dress up as Ash. My niece, in her young age, is a cosplayer. She's already planning to be Hello Kitty in 2010 and Blossom (Powerpuff Girls) in 2011. This sounds a lot like something Ger and Maria would do.

:: I would also like to point out that my niece is terribly, terribly cute sometimes.