Blogs

notloB Folk / Parlour Concerts presents Julie Metcalf and Andy Reiner

Saturday, February 4, 2012
Doors 7:30, Concert 8:00
Loring-Greenough House
12 South Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
https://sites.google.com/site/notlobmusic/

West Roxbury Patch reports:

Connolly to Lead Council's Review of Student Assignment Process

City Councilor John Connolly will lead the Council's review of the Boston Public Schools student assignment plan. His announcement comes days after Boston Mayor Thomas Menino's State of the City Address in which the Mayor called for "a radically different student assignment plan."

Connolly's order will be introduced during tomorrow's City Council meeting. No dates have been set yet for the City Council hearings, but Connolly wants to give parents an opportunity to weigh in on what makes a quality school, the challenges parents face with the current assignment process, and changes parents would like to see.

Read More...

(This post originally appeared at www.BostonBastard.com)

Just in time for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Boston City Council readily presented their version of Boston race relations by making an example out of Charles Yancey, a black City Councilor who committed the egregious offense of actually trying to do his job and look out for his constituents.

The annual release of City Council Committee chairs is always a good way to get a sense of where the councilors stand in the eyes of the City Council power structure and this year was no different.

When Council President Stephen Murphy released his assignments last week, we learned that Matt O’Malley has proven himself as a willing stooge of the status quo, so of course he was handed the chair of the Government Operations Committee, which had been left available when Maureen Feeney finally decided to drop any pretense of giving a shit about her Dorchester constituents and went after a major pay raise.

Another major change was that Charles Yancey was removed from his chairmanship of the Post Audit and Oversight Committee.

Among councilors, Yancey is often criticized for not doing anything, but only because trying to improve the community in Mattapan doesn’t count among City Hall’s paler politicians.

Menino’s spokeswoman Dot Joyce, initially said yesterday that the city has “no plans at this point” to evacuate the Occupy Boston encampment. Looks like that changed fast.

Read more here from author Brad Johnson, a Boston native, who writes about climate and public policy for ThinkProgress.

It’s been years since the eponymous WBCN radio graced the airwaves but its legacy has not been forgotten. During the golden era of underground stations, WBCN was belting out its message of revolution during the civil rights times of 1968 to 1974. Keeping the nostalgia alive, curator Bill Lichtenstein has compiled a vast library of archival footage for a new documentary film about the station and the time it affected. “We’ve received more than 50,000 pieces of memorabilia, donated by people across the country…we’re counting on this nationwide enthusiasm — from both those who were there and from young people inspired by what WBCN meant,” Lichtenstein said. Like many other artists today, Bill has taken to the internet with a call to arms. The project will be funded by those who care about it most on Kickstarter.com

Even famed Boston Red Sox pitcher, Bill “Spaceman” Lee has signed on to help the project in its homerun stretch before its Monday, December 19th deadline. Earlier today he sent out this blast:

A Special Message from former Red Sox pitcher Bill Lee about the www.KickstartWBCN.com campaign for "The American Revolution."
----------------------------------------
Attention! This is Bill "Spaceman" Lee.

The premiere of Unreliable Narrator's first web series The Way of the Warrior-Bunny is taking place Tuesday, November 29. Performances are at 7 and 9 PM at the microcinema at the Somerville Theatre (55 Davis Square, Somerville, MA). Admission is $6.00; for reservations email .

K'Tharr, celebrated intergalactic Warrior-Bunny and protector of the innocent, has been robbed of one of his greatest powers. As he takes refuge with his oldest human friends Krista and Ed, a great and socially awkward enemy threatens the Earth with destruction. Can K'Tharr get his groove back, or will he be stuck at his $11-an-hour temp job?

Lead actor Neal Leaheey is a founding member of the award-winning Providence improv troupe Bit Players. He originated the role of K’Tharr in Unreliable Narrator’s 2009 comedy Paranormal, and is pleased to bring it to the Somerville Theatre screen. The series features Laura DeCesare (Paranormal), Andres Rey Solorzano (Theatre on Fire’s Mojo), Jenny Gutbezahl (Flat Earth’s As Bees In Honey Drown), Tony Moschetto (Oberon’s Comedy Is King), Gigi K. Cochrane (Zeitgeist Stage’s ENRON), and Crystal Lisbon (Company One’s Learn To Be Latina). More information can be found at http://www.unreliable-narrator.com.

The Rockport Legion Band will present two free public concerts in Rockport on the following dates:

Friday, December 2 at the Rockport Methodist Church, 7:00 P.M.

Thursday, December 8 at the Rockport Congregational Church, 7:00 P.M.

There will be refreshments available both evenings.

The music list for the two programs is available on the band's web page located at:

http://rockportlegionband.wordpress.com

As a resident of Boston for twenty-eight years, I’ve had Stephen Lynch as my representative in Congress for ten. During that time:

(Originally appeared at www.bostonbastard.com. This post reflects the opinion of the Boston Bastard and not that of UHub and Adam G.)

In September, Suzanne Lee had one thing that Bill Linehan didn’t – the element of surprise. No one expected a first-time candidate from Chinatown to give much trouble to an incumbent South Bostonian in “South Boston’s District.”

That all changed when Lee smacked Linehan across the face in the polls, Sept. 27, taking the top spot in the preliminary election.

All of a sudden, what was not expected to be a difficult battle for Linehan, has turned into one of two hotly-contested district races this year.

It remains to be seen how much support Linehan was able to drum up since coming in second, but it’s clear the race would not be a cake walk.

As far as campaign financing goes, both Linehan and Lee reported roughly the same amount of total campaign donations for the year at the time of the election, September 27. But on the Friday following the election, Linehan’s campaign deposited $23,630 in donations.

Linehan didn’t actually report any receipts in the first two weeks of October, but in that time, he did sink $ 17,936.18 into his campaign, predominately in local media advertising.

(Originally appeared at www.bostonbastard.com)
I can remember watching Steve Murphy speaking over a year ago to the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO). Murphy was still in the midst of his failed run at the State Treasurer’s office, and was asked to speak along with fellow candidate Steve Grossman and then-Treasurer Tim Cahill.

The GBIO had been campaigning against banks that are not headquartered in Massachusetts, and thus have no legal obligation to loan money at less than 18 percent interest – the state mandated usury limit.

The GBIO asked the candidates about their willingness to move state funds out of any banks that do not recognize that 18 percent interest usury limit.

While Grossman came off as a polished politician giving lip service, and Cahill was just full of shit in general, Murphy easily stole the show, speaking about growing up around churches that are now a part of the GBIO and the importance of social justice that was instilled in him as a youth.

(This post originally appeared with graphics at bostonbastard.com)
Anytime there is a large enough crowd of people protesting long enough or in large enough numbers for the media to take more than a passing notice of, there is always pundits who criticize the protesters for not taking part in the electoral process.

It doesn’t matter that many who do protest also actually vote, nor does it manner that direct action can be more effective than the ballot box, there’s always a compulsion/borderline-addiction among those in the media to focus all of their coverage on what the protesters are doing wrong – which has been Fox 25 and the Boston Herald’s MO from the first day of Occupy Boston.

Bullshit aside, I figured it couldn’t hurt for the protesters who are registered Boston voters to know which At-Large City Council candidates are sympathetic to the cause and which ones are just half-assing a show of support because they’re too wimpy to come out against them.

Sean Ryan was the only candidate willing to offer any discussion on the campaign at Dewey Square, when directly contacted through email.

Rise Up! We Are The 99%!!
with permission © Charles Bivona
1. We know that U.S. society has become fundamentally unequal. We know, though we may not all know the exact numbers, that the top 1 percent of income recipients receives almost 25 percent of all income in the society (including capital gains), and the top 10 percent receives almost 50 percent.
2. We know, though we might not be able to quote the figures precisely, that between 1950 and 1970, for every additional dollar made by those in the bottom 90 percent of income earners, those in the top one hundredth of one percent received $162 dollars. But that was back when things were more equal! Between 1990 and 2002 for every added dollar made by those in the bottom 90 percent of the population, those in the top one hundredth of one percent made an additional $18,000.

What does this mean? Found on a traffic light in Southie.

If you agree, please call and be nice. Agree or disagree, your comments are welcome below.

Boston Police Department Supports Peaceful Protests – BPD Also Obligated to Maintain Order and Ensure a Safe Environment

Posted by MediaRelations on October 11, 2011

Since October 1, 2011 the Boston Police Department has been working closely with the leadership of Occupy Boston to accommodate their request for peaceful demonstration. The City of Boston, at the request of the organizers, designated the area of Dewey Square on the Greenway where protestors have been provided the opportunity to create an encampment and protest peacefully. Read More

Dear Councilor Connolly,

When I arrived home (__ ___ Street, Brighton) at 6:15 this evening, I found a "Connolly for Boston" campaign sign secured to my porch railing with zip ties.

My wife tells me it was not there when she arrived home at 5:15. My three-year-old son tells me he saw "a man in a pickup truck" put up the sign.

Neither my wife nor I has spoken to anyone from your campaign or approved the placement of this campaign sign on our property.

Please explain yourself.

Furthermore, please remove this sign from our property immediately.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Kamens

CC: UniversalHub.com
CC: allstonbrighton2006@googlegroups.com
CC: blog.kamens.us
CC: Boston Globe
CC: Boston Herald
CC: Allston-Brighton TAB

[Simulblogged.]

Internet viral article originally posted at DailyKos.com, without images. For image version go here. Please call and email Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley and send her this blog: email: Phone: (617) 727-2200 ARREST RUMSFELD

Fenway Recording Sessions #141: WILD BEAST with BOBBY, THE STATIC JACKS, and DJ CARBO

Where: The Paradise
When: 9/27/11 at 7:00pm
Tickets available online at Ticketmaster.com or at the Paradise Box Office

See you there!

The Rockport Legion Band, Cape Ann's community band (established in 1932) is seeking musicians on all traditional concert band instruments. We are a non-audition organization that rehearses and performs all year.

If you are a "lapsed" musician (that is, you played well in high school or college and you'd like to take up playing again) OR you continued playing after school and need an outlet to for your talents, then we may be the perfect place for you. We have players from all over the North Shore and from as far away as Woburn.

If you are interested, you may visit our web page for further information and sound clips by Googling "Rockport Legion Band" (sorry, the link function doesn't seem to work).

You may also contact the music director at: rockportband@gmail.com

[View the story "Paul Pierce Goes To China" on Storify]

I've started seeing "Who is Annie Mulz" stickers all over my neighborhood. On signs, signposts, mailboxes, and so on.
A quick search shows me that Annie Mulz is an edgy clothing store on Newbury Street. By edgy, I mean the kind of place that looks like it might hire a publicity firm that might carry out a guerrilla marketing campaign that plasters stickers all over the place, all while being plausibly deniable and non-liable for damages and cleanup. This kind of thing makes our neighborhoods ugly and pisses me off. Does anyone have better insight into this problem...

There was just an earthquake in Virginia. According to the USGS it was a magnitude 5.8 earthquake. We felt in my office and I saw all the monitors on peoples' desk shaking.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/at00lqe6x3.php

Oh, do check out the inflammatory rhetoric in the Herald. Chris Cassidy is successfully riling up the ragers there.

Yesterday, it was Cyclists, drivers are wheeling and dealing — keying off on ticket numbers and starting with a Steve Murphy slam on bikers. Today, Cyclists plan provocations in Hub bike-car war is even more heavy handed. He does the straw-man thing, manufacturer the pitched battle and sits back.

The comments are even harsher than those on bike posts here.

by Jason A. Stephany, August 8, 2011

Since he took office February 4, 2010, US Senator Scott Brown has yet to host a public town hall or open forum. His schedule has included more than 250 stops for ribbon cuttings, groundbreaking ceremonies and photo opportunities – even a slew of book signings to market his autobiography. But Brown has yet to offer a single opportunity for Massachusetts taxpayers to gather in an open, public setting and ask questions of their senator.

So when aides to Brown announced he would tour the state to share his agenda and interact with constituents on job creation and economic development issues, it made headlines. After 18 months of private, scripted events, the commonwealth’s junior senator was finally coming out of his shell to discuss important issues at the forefront of everyone’s mind – or so we thought. READ MORE