On average the MA lottery makes $700 per resident annually. Cambridge residents spend around $466 while Sommervile residents spend $816. Why such a difference? Is it cuz in Somerville our housing is cheaper and we have sooo much extra money to throw around, or cuz you Cantabrigians think you are so smart you know gambling is a waste of money? What do you think?
>> On average, Cambridge residents spend $466.31 gambling with state
Dancing under the stars, literally. It is so romantic.
Join us to dance the Argentine Tango outdoors in a romantic and atmospheric setting,or just to watch and listen to the music.
Some of you may remember the post in July about the Somerville outdoor movies. Well an addition has been made. Due to popular demand Madagascar has been added to the line up. Madagascar will be shown tomorrow 8.28 at Hodgkins Park. (Holland St./Simpson Ave.) Movie will start at dusk.
Also added to the line up was viewers choice Ferris Bueller's Day Off. (Conway Park) Footloose was a close second, but unfortunately will not be seen until next year.
First of all, I had no idea Porter Square has the name due to a claim of naming the porterhouse steak. Secondly, why can't we be cool like Harvard and Davis?. Do we even want to be? Has the design project really helped Porter? As someone who walks that area daily it seems about the same to me and although it is spruced up a bit, whats the deal with the checkers. What do I know about the subject anways, link below to an article writen by someone who knows what they are talking about.
>> Between a rock and hard place; Re-visiting the Porter Square design project
OK, again, I am going to try something new. As some of you may have noticed Rachel rarely posts, so this is my thing. SO-I can do whatever I like! Down to business, this is going to require responses from you readers.
Who knows of a good dancing place on Saturday nights?
*It is my birthday and I need help. Few requirements:
~I like this side of the river
~Bands are OK. (Burren for example is perfect, BUT, all of Cambridge and Somerville attempt to fit in the backroom.)
~I like top 40, classic, 80's.
~I like bars, not clubs.
Thoughts? Help!!
Back up dancers are needed for a gig at the Middle East on Thursday. I am unsure at this time what kind of music it is, but I am sure you can find that out. This is not a paid gig, but will get lots of exposure in the "local scene." Rumor has it, it will be a sold out show. Rehearsal will take place Wednesday evening at 234 Huntington Ave. Call Jay @ 978-604-9256 if you are interested.
>>Middle East
The two year anniversary is approaching, and it is important to realize there is still a lot of work that needs to be done in New Orleans. Join Karl Seidman and Leigh Graham for a free presentation.
Seidman and Graham play integral roles in the strategic planning for redevelopment in New Orleans through MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning. They will discuss their work and the department’s New Orleans Rebuilding Initiative, including the status of rebuilding, challenges and deep seeded problems, and national dissemination strategies. This is a great opportunity to truly understand the damages and the work ahead to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina.
I don't usually watch this show, I admit I have seen it, but only at the gym, because i don't even have cable. But anytime there is a reality show and they say someone is from Mass, i get super excited. So here is your chance beautiful Boston ladies!
America's next top Model is coming to Boston tomorrow. They will be at Felt. There are some eligibility requirements of course. Some of them are:
*Must be at least 5'7" (check with some to height to spare!)
*Be beautiful (check)
*No previous modeling in a national campaign within the last 5 years (check)
*18-27 years old. (check hit the end of the range today!)
*Not currently holding a public office (check-phew, being VP of SGA in college would have killed my shots.)
*Willing to be photographed clothed, partially clothed, or naked. (NOT CHECK)
Shoot, having sweet calf muscles probably won't help my un-toned belly look nice. I am out.
But good luck to everyone else!
Felt
Boston
12:00-4:00
Tuesday 8/21
>>Application and schedule
DrinkBoston.com and LUPEC Boston (Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails) have joined forces for a party with the Green Goblin girls. They will discuss Chartreuse with a bartender disguised as a Carthusian monk to assist with the history, and the ladies will mix drinks for you along with appetizers with fresh ingredients.
Chartreuse, the brilliant green, 110-proof spirit made by Carthusian monks in France and flavored with 130 herbs and other botanicals, is perhaps the noblest of liqueurs. If you’ve had Chartreuse, you know that nothing else tastes quite like it. How do you even begin to describe its bright, herbal complexity? You don’t. You just mix it into a cocktail and admire the distinctive result. At the Green Street event, you’ll taste cocktails made with green Chartreuse, described above, and its sibling, yellow Chartreuse.Green Street
Cambridge artists on display next to the Cambridgeside Galleria. What more could you want?!?! Shoppng, music, art, AND activities for the kids.
The festival will be an arts festival with a focus on performing arts, visual
arts, and culinary arts. The festival will be located in Cambridge, MA alongside the CambridgeSide Galleria at Canal Park. Throughout the festival, international musicians, local bands and music students will perform on one stage in front of an expected all day crowd of 15,000! Musical acts include the Kenwood Dennard Power Trio (Sting), Hiran Bullock (Paul Simon), and Tal Wikenfeld (Chick Corea).
Amongst the diverse musical lineup, CAF will feature arts and cuisine from businesses of Cambridge as well as the greater Boston area. Being an enjoyable event for the whole family, the festival also provides activities for children and adults under the School of Groove music tent. With a focus on community building through music and the arts, CAF offers a true taste of Boston.
My mom has been on gluten free (basically means wheat free) for a few years now. When she comes to visit it's sometimes hard to find places to grab a quick bite to eat. Come to find out, right down the street from my house the Oxford Spa has a good selection of Gluten free baked goods. I have yet to check it out, but next time my mom is up I will be sure to stop by.
>> Chowhound Gluten Free tread
Project MUM (Meet under McGrath) is Somerville's unique way of fund raising.
Project MUM, a unique and unforgettable open-air dance party, could only take place in Somerville, a city known for its innovative use of art space. A fundraiser for the arts in Somerville, MUM is free and open to the public (with a $10 suggested donation fee.) Proceeds will benefit ARTSomerville, the Somerville Arts Council, Mudflat Pottery Studio and Somerville Community Access Television.To get into it even more, take some shots of you and your friends in your 70's outfits and send them in. They will be put on display during the show! Email digital images at least 4”x6” 300 dpi to: info@artsomerville.org
This year's event pays tribute to the glorious 1970s and features four hours of music spun by DJs Flack, Axel Foley and Pace, with lighting (and mirror ball) by Todd Sargent/VDA Productions that provide the perfect backdrop for your fabulous dance moves. Eye-popping video and light sculptures will include a psychedelic slideshow flashback featuring your own* authentic 70s photos. Special guest video artist jackbackrack.
If there is one thing Harvard Square is missing it is a grocery store. That should change by this fall. Luckily, not a chain, but an independent grocer will open its doors on the corner of Church St. and Brattle.
The new tenant, Connecticut grocer Peter Whang, said he’s looking forward to moving into his new store, called market in the Square, even if it means snubbing another Ivy League school to the south. For years, Whang has owned two groceries minutes from the Yale University campus in New Haven. Earlier this year, Whang sold both stores to be able to move to Cambridge.
Growing up, this was one of my all time favorite movies. Julie Andrews was practically perfect in every way! When I went for interviews I sang "A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, medicine go dooooooooowwwnn." No I didn't, but wouldn't you just laugh so hard if I did. :)
Kidstock Creative Theatre will be at the Central Library to host the interactive show. Now I have no clue how close this is to one of my top ten favorite movies/musicals, but it seems like it could be close. Kids grades K-6 will enjoy this most.
Wednesday 8/15. 2:00pm
Central Library
Somerville
Community Growing Center is hosting a food/film potluck. Bring a dish with a list of ingredients. Focus on the food, and then enjoy a movie. King Corn. Here is a plot summary by Sustainable Table.
King Corn is a humorous and touching documentary about two best friends who decide to move to Iowa to grow an acre of corn – after finding out (through laboratory hair analysis) that their bodies were made primarily out of….corn. But this is not your typical buddy picture. While it does trace a year in the life of two friends, the film is really about the history of corn in modern America and the filmmakers’ relationship with the crop they’ve decided to grow.Wednesday August 15. 6:00pm
After the somewhat shocking discovery about their bodily composition, Ian Chaney and Curt Ellis move to a small county in Iowa (where, coincidentally, both had farmer great-grandfathers) in order to find out how they (and most other Americans) ended up made out of corn. The two friends convince an Iowa farmer to lend them an acre of land to plant their corn crop. They purchase genetically modified corn for planting, and with the help of their neighbors, some heavy machinery, and lots of chemical fertilizers and herbicides, they end up growing a bumper crop of corn. But as Ian and Curt show us – this isn’t your sweet summer corn-on-the-cob we’re talking about – it’s corn bred specifically for industrial applications. The two friends decide to find out what happens to the corn they’ve grown after it leaves the grain elevator – and find that tracing their crop is easier said than done. Ultimately, however, they come to the conclusion that their corn is likely destined for one of two American industries: animal feed or corn syrup
Wagamama, a chain of noodle bars, is opening in Harvard Square today, Aug 13th.
Some interesting info about Wagamama from wikipedia:
>> WagamamaWagamama has a number of features that set them apart from other restaurants. These include:
- Orders are taken via PDAs, and wirelessly networked to the kitchen, so that as soon as an order is taken it can begin to be prepared.
- Food is delivered to the table as soon as it is ready, they sell sides instead of starters and these and the main courses can arrive in any order.
- Customers sit on either side of large tables—one table-set can seat up to 20 people.
- All restaurants are non-smoking, by Law in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Scotland and recently England.
- Green tea is supplied free on request.
- Reservations are not taken; all customers are seated on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Wagamama merchandise can be bought in the restaurant, including a cookbook, dishes and cutlery.
World Women's Wrestling at the Good Time Emporium tonight! 8/12. Apparently Good Time Emporium is the place to be for wrestling fans with this AND the MWF 2 weeks ago. If Rachel lives up to all her smack talking, Tanya Lee is going down!
WWW champion Tanya Lee defends her title against Lexxus, the Diva Killaz Reunite, Rachel Donovan (jk, jk), and more!
Tickets $16, $12 for kids under 12 or students with an ID.
August 12 7:00pm
Good Time Emporium
30 Assembly Square Dr.
Somerville.
Mark your calendars for this environmentally friendly craft fair. Spend the afternoon checking out vendors, enjoying live music, and get this, decorating your very own reuseable grocery bag! If you got the skills you can hit up the free style crafting activity, what can you do with a pile of random stuff?
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE...RECRAFT!
An eco-friendly craft fair brought you by Magpie
and the Somerville Arts Council.
Saturday August 18 (rain date 8.19)
3:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Union Square’s Central Plaza
Union Square, Somerville
>> REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE...RECRAFT!
This is a rarity. I am about to rant about Somerville for a second. I know this blog is about activities, but this concerns the well being of all Somerville citizens. Cambridge too, since I live literally right on the line. OK, so, I know you have all seen this. Anyone who has ever been on a road with a traffic light has seen this, or even looked out your window at a traffic light. The super left on red move. Now, I am not talking left on red onto a one way so it is kinda like a right on red. No-cross through a busy intersection, probably because you are stupid, left on red. Somerville drivers-why is this OK!?!? I have seen this too many times to count in the last four years, and it only seems to happen in Somerville. Particularly at the Somerville/Beacon intersection lights. Anyone else notice this? As I said, if you are denying it, you are probably one that has done it. I think I am done ranting, but i beg of you, for the children! Know the left on red is not Ok, it will NEVER be ok. And people behind you laugh, some may wish bad things on you, others will curse up a storm. But they all think the same thing. "IDIOT!"
Got some tasty films you have been working on using that second hand camcorder, no not the ones that happen behind closed doors, the other ones. Maybe a little artsy, maybe a little cheesy, who knows how you like to do it, but now there is an event to salute you. Home Movie Day!What Is Home Movie Day?Saturday, August 11
Home Movie Day is a celebration of amateur films and film making held annually on the second Saturday in August at many local venues worldwide.
Home Movie Day events provide the opportunity for individuals and families to see and share their own home movies with an audience of their community, and to see their neighbors' in turn. It's a chance to discover why to care about these films and to learn how best to care for them.
There will be a community meeting held by Mayor Joe Curtatone, Ward 5 Alderman Sean O'Donovan, and Save Our Somerville (a non-profit group whose goal is to provide a voice for those who feel they have no voice.) in attempt to gather Somerville's thoughts. There is to be a new mural painted at Lexington Park and they want your input.
Tuesday August 14.
7:00pm
Visiting Nurses Association.
3rd floor Community Room
259 Lowell St.
Somerville
For more information please contact Carlene Campbell at (617)-625-6600 x3303.
Cambridge Common is holding a blueberry beer dinner on August 9th. If this wasn't 35 bucks or I wasn't cheap, I would be all about this. Not only are blueberry beers delicious, they are going to have chilled blueberry soup, which is freaking delicious. If you are a fan of that berry that is blue, check you might want to check it out.
Thursday, August 9th
$35 (excluding tax & gratuity)
Cambridge Common
1667 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02138
>> Blueberry Beer Dinner
Close! The Cambridge Carnival International is hosting the Taste of Cambridge Carnival on Sunday August 12.
A kick-off fundraising event to support the 15th year of Cambridge Carnival International a Caribbean and Mardis Gras style festival in Cambridge. This event will feature a cultural presentation from a historical and social perspective of Cambridge Carnival.Steel pan presentation, drumming, folkloric, dancing, and educational exhibits.
National Night Out Against Crime-self explanatory. What do I do about it? Write about two places. Same time, same day different activities different location.
National Night Out is a unique crime prevention event sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW) and Target to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support for and participation in local anticrime programs, strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships, and send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.
I am sure most of you read how much Rachel loved Good Times. She went on and on about the place. I wonder what she will think about this event then!
MWF Soul Survivor IV at Good Time Emporium. Tickets range from $16 to $30. Event includes:Live Wrestling, VIP Q&A, Autographs, Photo's and Fanfest. (?)
Wrestlers include: Iron Sheik, Road Dogg, Joey Mercury, and Alex Shelley.
I don't know much about wrestling, but I guess this is a big deal. My question is, where is this going to happen. Is there a place in Good Time for this event. Obviously the answer is yes, i just don't know where.
VIP-6p Bell time 8p.
Good Time EMporium
30 Assembly Square Dr.
Somerville MA.
>>MWP
The city of Somerville is focusing on customer service and is seeking volunteers to help them do so. If you become a mystery shopper, you will evaluate your transaction with various city offices and then provide valuable feedback and customer service suggestions. Read Instructions carefully. After you have done so, you can take the quiz. If you have done well, they will contact you via email to sign you up.
The first 25 people to review 5 offices will get a Somerville T-shirt. Also, all "customers" will be invited to a reception to review all transactions and discuss results of the new program. Wow, I am there for the T-shirt!
>>If the above links do not work, click here. Somerville's customer page. You will be able to get the quiz and instructions there.
