... for the day, anyway. From the front page of FleetCenter.com :

Meet the Farkers

Delaware North Companies, owner and operator of Boston's FleetCenter, announced today that they have reached agreement with Drew Curtis on a naming rights deal to re-name the world-class sports and entertainment arena the 'Boston Garden'. After several less than appropriate name choices from Drew, the approved name selection was one we could all agree on. Drew, who lives in Kentucky, is the founder of a popular website which offers up offbeat news stories and posts to its community members -- TotalFarkers. The deal will both go into effect and expire on Monday, February 28, 2005.

Also check out the "Boston Garden" logo at the top of that page.

Too bad there's no event scheduled there today.

If this article proves to be accurate, Federated Department Stores (owner of Macy's, formerly Jordan Marsh) is about to swallow up May Department Stores (owner of Filene's).

Federated has spent the past few years building up a national Macy's brand name at the expense of former local store names such as Jordan Marsh, Goldsmith's, Lazarus, and Rich's. That doesn't augur well for the future of Filene's. We could soon have a huge, empty, historic department store in the center of town, not to mention what happens to lots of suburban shopping malls.

Frankly, I can't see any upside to this. Can it be stopped?

Boston bloggers discuss the Oscars

Apollonia is, I'm delighted to say, right round the corner from us in Roslindale. We were there for lunch today. We had souvlaki sandwiches, our usual lunchtime pick, which make a generous lunch at a great price, and chicken-lemon soup, which we all, including our one-year-old daughter, really enjoyed.

The people there are very friendly. It's well worth a visit for lunch or dinner. They are open every day except Tuesday. You can see the dinner and lunch menus, and other information, at the web site:
http://www.cafeapollonia.com/

Andrew

Fontaine's, a West Roxbury and Rte. 1 landmark for more than 50 years, closed last year. The new owners promptly tore the place down so they could put up some sort of yuppie joint. But even with the frame of the new place nearing completion, they haven't taken down the waving chicken, although it no longer waves at night (relive the chicken's glory days).

FCC rules require non-profit radio stations to have local staffs. CSN International, an evangelical-Christian radio network, is seeking a waiver for a station it's buying in Scituate - basically, it wants to run the station remotely.

Nice, what are rules among friends? The proposed frequency is 90.5, which means the station could interfere with reception in some areas of Boston College's WZBC. The Boston Independent Media Coalition has started a last-minute effort to block the waiver (protest messages have to be delivered to the FCC by Friday).

Via Steve.

Bryant says he'll probably liveblog the Academy Awards. Anyone else?

Christopher reacts to Mitt Romney's Massachusetts-Sucks speech with some facts, basically that Massachusetts has lower murder, divorce and child-abuse rates:

... But if there's one thing that really pisses me off, it's a conservative who has always lived in more liberal, cosmopolitan places but who claims he feels more at home among the conservatives. Prove it, Mitt. You want to run as a right-winger? Go ahead: Move to Utah.

Punk hobbies:

Remember a few years back when knitting became all the rage? A revival of womanly cottage crafts was born out of the neo-feminist riot-grrl movement. Guitar-toting punk chicks sported their best friend's DIY T-shirts at shows; Tupperware parties took a hipper turn as artists threw trunk shows spiked with cheap beer; the stitch-'n'-*censored* phenomenon moved out of the dorm and into the bars. If you didn't have a girlfriend who was sewing aprons, knitting scarves, or launching her own handbag line from the comfort of her Jamaica Plain apartment, you knew someone who did. Alas, things change. Indie rock became mainstream, and every housewife in the Back Bay now has her own line of homegrown accessories. ...

So now the hot chicks are into wax. Of the candle variety. Or so we here at Squaresville Central read. Actually, the link above will get you to suggestions for all sorts of local crafty punk stuff - punk cooking, anyone?

Filed under boston, just to see what happens!

After dinner tonight, I got this e-mail:

I WANT SOME ICE CREM YOU KNOW WHAT KIND

Yes, the first grader now has e-mail - and she knows how to use it!

They sure know how to park up in Beverly, ayup.

www.universalhub.com/summers

The latest comments on Larry Summers from bloggers whose names you must know, because here at Universal Hub, an educated reader is our best customer.

Somebody might use a photograph to express their displeasure.

Steve: Everytime he opens his mouth, he becomes more repulsive.

Steve is referring to a Romney speech in Utah in which the Utah resident Massachusetts governor said American prestige abroad will suffer because of us Massachusetts liberals.

Dan: So, see ya, Mitt:

... And here's a distinctly minority point of view: if Romney leaves early and Kerry Healey gets to become governor, she's going to make folks forget her predecessor in about two weeks. (I mean that in a good way.)

SCO summarizes the Mittster's presidential stump speech:

1. Introduction by local GOP chair who jokes about how terrible it must be to live in Massachusetts.
2. Joke by Romney about how he's never seen so many Republicans in one place before.
3. Romney takes credit for "turnaround" of the state economy.
4. Hero worship of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush.
5. Republican social red meat: Religion is awesome, stem cell research is bad, gay marriage is really really bad.

Of course, you have to wonder when Massachusetts Republicans are going to get tired of being the butt of Romney's out-of-state jokes. ...

Carpundit: Mitt Romney is a horrible governor:

... He is disloyal to our Commonwealth. He insults his own constituents. And he travels the country speaking hate. ...

Charlie's car passes inspection. And then, as the mechanic is opening the garage door, the car refuses to start:

... So, a half an hour and a hundred and twenty more bucks later, I got out of there. With a new battery -- and yeah, probably one I needed, but still. I'd just like to know what sort of mojo the guy used to drain the battery from the other side of the hood. And having me sit in the car the whole time -- that's brilliant. Regular David Copperfield stuff, that is. ...

Flannel shirt not tux
was fine for the Museum:
Ralph's cars would not mind.

Penguins did not mind
the guards outside picketing to
keep their overtime.

Spent my time outside.
Will see Ralph's cars, later still,
As they idle away.

A.K.A. the E train on the Green Line.

And why? Josh Marshall has details on what could be a fraud case in the making:

... Lassiter told me in no uncertain terms that these focus group postings and emails are "not being done by SSA or anyone working on SSA's behalf."

He went on to say that there are two main issues of concern to them. First, someone appears to be impersonating SSA personnel, which is a crime. Second, the fact that these follow-up emails are being sent out suggests that this is more than just an attempt to spoof SSA but possibly some sort of identity theft scam (the form requests name, birthdate, social security number, etc.) ...