Only In Boston @OnlyInBOS 3h3 hours ago
Massachusetts invented America.
Please remind the haters. 24 replies 890 retweets 2,907 likes
Only In Boston @OnlyInBOS 29m29 minutes ago The Declaration of
Independence was read from the Old State House this morning from the
same balcony it was first read 242 years ago.
USS CONSTITUTION Retweeted DoD Outreach Verified account @DoDOutreach 20m20 minutes ago
Declaring Independence!
@USNavy sailors aboard @USSConstitution celebrate #4thofJuly
by reading the #DeclarationofIndependence during its #4thofJuly2018 cruise around #Boston Harbor. #KnowYourMil
Well, where were we before this N'oreaster interrupted our power for over 24 hours, and I was working so much? ~PB
On Thursday I had a client I couldn't fit into the schedule, so we agreed to meet on Friday afternoon, despite the storm. She was on her way home from work. I didn't mind going out in the storm, I had on layers, light down and a raincoat, along with rain pants I bought for biking, and a sturdy umbrella. I recall musing how boring the storm was, nothing to take photos of, since the big news was the flooding on the coast. But by the time I walked home a few hours later, all hell had broken loose in my neighborhood, 6 miles inland from downtown Boston. This is part of my 2-block commute to work: St. John Street between Centre and Rockview, Jamaica Plain (Boston). #AnotherDayInNewEngland #DontLikeTheWeatherWaitAMinute Power pole toppled over, breaking a tree across the street, pulling down telephone wires.
The cop told us (me and a gal going in the same direction) we could walk through the center to get home, as the wires were not live. Then we got yelled at by a utility guy that said the wires were live! . . Meanwhile, down the street... Trees and wires down... I had to step over a small hanging live wire in the front yard here to get home, as the street and sidewalk were full of live wires on the ground. Well, I could have gone the long way around the block...but what's the fun in that?
I swear, by some miracle, this car was barely scratched!
Me cutting through the yard...jumping live wires. :D
Its a hot mess of tree limbs and wires. Some people were caught between the 2 areas of destruction and couldn't get their cars out. The power didn't even go out from the tree falling, they just cut it after I got home due to the danger of live wires. My phone died shortly after the power went out. I went to bed early and strangely, was able able to sleep a lot. Probably easier to do with no wi-fi bombardment. It was so quiet, except for the lashing rain and howling winds! . . What a difference a day makes! 24 little hours... Poor tree. On my way to see a client at my massage studio 2 blocks away, I had marveled at the perfect shape of this tree, now injured. :(
They brought the Big Dogs out..about 8 or 10 utility trucks!
I prefer to hug trees, but hey, he's a guy!
They did a good job of getting debris out of the street, but there were still lots of low hanging wires!
Across the street. Free firewood! Nothing but Utility trucks, Comcast/Xfinity vans and marked or unmarked Po-po, who generally ignored pedestrians.
Home Sweet Home. Sunlight AND power! Yay! I celebrated with a steak and wine.... Who knew that by watching 9-yr-olds cook Filet Mignon on #MasterChefJr, I would pick up enough tips to perfect my Rib-eye Steak (my favorite cut...this is only half of it) beyond expectations? Garlicky sauteed mushrooms and my favorite veggie: 4-minute steamed broccoli #workhardeatwell#protein#thankyouandblessyoubeastie#lifeforceenergy#grateful
Our phones are ringing off the hook re: animals outside in the cold. Please, please keep all pets inside during this cold streak. More #pet#safety#tips found here:
Winter
temperatures can plummet hourly and pets should be kept safe from the
effects of these frigid conditions. Below are several tips to keep your
pet warm and away from harm this season.
Keep your pets warm and indoors. As always, cats
should stay inside. Since cats left outdoors may stay warm in car wheel
wells or under hoods, you should awake any sleeping animals by rapping
on your car hood before starting the engine.
Trips outside should remain short during the winter months. While dogs need outdoor exercise, lengthy walks can prove harmful especially when wind chill is a factor.
Dogs should remain leashed and supervised when outdoors throughout the year. However, in the winter, do not bring them near bodies of water even if they appear frozen.
Shorthaired dogs such as Greyhounds, Beagles,
Chihuahuas and clipped breeds should be dressed in protective clothing.
Dogs can develop frostbite and hypothermia if exposed to freezing
temperatures for too long. While some breeds may have thick fur coats
and enjoy being out in the snow (for example Arctic dog breeds), many
others do not have thick fur coats and might need a little help to stay
warm. When looking for a jacket, make sure it does not restrict your
dog’s movement, and is simple to take on and off.
Wipe off your dog’s foot pads and stomach fur with a
damp towel after returning from the outdoors. It is important to clean
between the pads, as salt and snow can end up in this area. Dogs should
not be allowed to lick at their paws after they have been walking on
surfaces treated with salt, as this could result in significant
ingestion of salt, which can be toxic. If your dog will tolerate wearing
boots, this is a good option. They will help prevent exposure to salt
and other irritating ice melt products, give them added traction on
slippery icy surfaces, and help to prevent them from cutting their paws
on sharp ice. If your pet will not wear boots, try using “Musher’s
Secret”, a wax formulated to protect paw pads.
When purchasing an ice melt product, try to obtain one that is labeled as pet safe.
Outdoor shelters for pets should be dry, secure
from wind and only large enough for them to stand up, turn around and
lie down. The shelter floor should also be elevated from ground level
and have dry bedding. A steady water supply should be provided in
plastic bowls and checked on frequently so that it does not freeze.
Pets that spend a greater amount of time outdoors also require more food.
Antifreeze products containing ethylene glycol are highly toxic
and can produce life-threatening kidney damage, even in small amounts.
While Massachusetts now requires antifreeze to contain a bitter testing
agent, some old antifreeze may still exist and it is still safest to
assume an animal could drink it and prevent access. Many windshield
washer products contain methanol, which if ingested can cause drooling,
vomiting, drunkenness and severe central nervous system depression.
<3 Tonya Carpenter was hit by a broken bat at the #BostonRedSox / #OaklandAs game on Friday night.
She was in critical condition after being hit in the face by the bat piece, that flew at her at 110 mph. Her condition is upgraded; she is now in Fair condition, but she has a long road to recovery from a Traumatic Brain Injury. Friends and family are praying and pulling for her. A GoFundMe sight has been set up to help meet overhead, medical expenses and care for her son. ~PB
Her close friend Sam Rosario (who was with Tonya at the time of the accident) posts fb updates as the family releases information. 6 hrs ·
Tonya Carpenter Family Statement, Monday, June 8: "Tonya is responsive, and her condition has been upgraded from serious to fair. We would like to thank everyone for continued support, especially the fans at Fenway Park, first responders, Boston EMS, Boston Police and her care team at Beth Israel Deaconess."
Per the family: the ONLY TRUSTED site for fundraiser is 'Tonya's Road to Recovery' www.gofund.me/wexm98 Mickey Markou and Michele Filipkowski Fleury are the only trusted friends of Tonya Marie C to raise any money!!
An annotated image of the western end of the Casey Arborway project.
WE at the Boston Cyclists Union apologize for having to post this important action alert, but if
you live in Boston, we need to ask for your immediate action to support
a decision many Jamaica Plain residents supported by a factor of 3 to 1
back in 2012, because it is again being dragged into Boston's
City Council chambers--this time with a citywide focus. Bridging Forest
Hills has convinced City Councillor Charles Yancey to order a public
hearing on the project to explore the health impacts of dust as the
bridge is removed AND in Yancey's words, to question the decision to build at-grade.
Please take a moment before tomorrow's
city council session to remind your Boston City Councillor, your
at-large councillors, and particularly Councillor Charles Yancey, that
you support a bike and pedestrian friendly Forest Hills.
(See below for their phone numbers and emails).
There have been 36 public meetings
on the Casey Project, including 10 widely advertised community
meetings, including one in Mattapan. But despite this being the second
largest MassDOT public process in recent memory (the Big Dig had a few
more meetings), a small but determined group of highway-like
infrastructure supporters in Jamaica Plain have never accepted the
majority-approved decision.
Along
with the DCR's new Arborway project and a future effort to get a
cycletrack on Morton Street almost all the way to Blue Hill Avenue in
Mattapan, this project will create an off-road route all the way from
Franklin Park to the Landmark Center in the Fenway neighborhood.
A
new farmer's market and other events are made possible in a new park
the size of Copley Plaza at the end of the SW Corridor and next the
Forest Hills MBTA station.
Commuters will no longer have to
cross the Arborway to get to the Forest Hills Orange Line station (a
second headhouse is being added).
An expanded busway for the 39 bus.
Walking and biking paths connect the Arnold Arboretum and Franklin Park.
An under-the-bridge environment will not attract drunken loitering and crime.
Car commuters passing through will have an opportunity to stop and support local businesses.
More pedestrians and cyclists in the area will increase revenues for local businesses.
A
visible gateway to the Arnold Arboretum that includes 69 different
species of trees and shrubs (most of which would never thrive without
access to sunlight).
Congestion and overall trip times for
motor vehicles will actually be reduced from current conditions for the
majority of drivers (although speeding over the area on a bridge to get
to traffic tie ups on Murray Circle and at the Morton St. and Blue Hill
Avenue intersection will not longer be a possibility).
The only defendable drawback
to the bridge is that the 7 percent of users who turn left off of the
Arborway will have to go a couple minutes out of their way, they will
have to make a U-turn and turn right instead. For the benefits of this
project, the Bike Union and the coalition of organizations supporting
the Casey At-Grade decision think this small sacrifice on the part of
the few is worth the host of benefits for the rest of the community.
At Large-Stephen Murphy Stephen.Murphy@boston.gov 617-635-4376
At Large-Ayanna Presley Ayanna.Pressley@boston.gov 617-635-4217
At Large-Michael Flaherty Michael.F.Flaherty@boston.gov 617-635-4205
At Large-Michelle Wu Michelle.Wu@boston.gov 617-635-3115
My tags: Boston, Local Community, Jamaica Plain, Nature & Seasons, Quality of Life, Casey Arborway Project, Boston Cyclists Union, Bridging Forest Hills,
One morning last month, Roxbury artist Ekua Holmes got an unexpected e-mail. The subject line: “Hello from the Google Doodle team!”
She didn’t know what a Google Doodle was, let alone that it had a whole team behind it. “I’m sure I’d seen them, but I didn’t know it was a whole thing,” she said.
She does now. On Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Holmes’s Google Doodle illustration honoring the civil rights leader is the featured image on Google’s US homepage. The collage depicts King walking arm in arm with fellow activists in Selma, Ala.
Most artists could only dream of such exposure. Traffic to the page is typically in the many millions. “It’s pretty astronomical [and] jaw-dropping,” said Ryan Germick, who leads Google’s Doodle-making team.
Holmes, a painter and collage artist who is not represented by a gallery, was shocked to be tapped for the project. “He said he found me somewhere on the Internet. Somewhere on the Internet? That’s like somewhere in the Himalayas,” said Holmes, 59, whose Roxbury home is about five blocks from where she grew up.
Holmes works out of a South End studio, a jumble of art materials, found objects, and assorted items from the past — a VHS player (which she still uses), an old record player, her childhood tambourine, and her atlas dating to 1954. “Lots of things that inspire me have age on it,” she said during a recent studio visit.
The artist layers newspaper, photos, fabric, and other materials to create luminous compositions. Many of them evoke her own happy childhood in Roxbury’s close-knit Washington Park neighborhood, where, she said proudly, King had visited. King studied at Boston University in the early 1950s — living just a few blocks from where Holmes’s studio is now — and he preached at Roxbury’s Twelfth Baptist Church, which Holmes visits occasionally.
“You hear about families breaking down in [Roxbury] neighborhoods, and you can focus your attention there, but I prefer to focus my attention on families that take care of each other and spend time together,” she said.
When Holmes grew up, her neighborhood felt to her like an extended family. Her father, who died when she was 8, was a waiter on Beacon Hill; her mother was a bookkeeper and accountant. “Those were the days when you knew everyone on your street,” said Holmes, a 1977 graduate of Massachusetts College of Art.
“When I think of Roxbury, I think of richness, comfort, opportunity,” said Holmes, who even as a child loved playing with paper and other materials to create designs.
Her role models in the neighborhood included arts leader Elma Lewis — “she lived five streets down” — and mural artist Gary Rickson. (“My cousin took me to visit him. I smelled his paint.”)
“Everybody was encouraging you. You knew people expected great things from you,” she said.
Holmes earned a scholarship to Shady Hill School, the prestigious private school in Cambridge. She took ballet classes at the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts and elocution lessons in the South End. “My mother was determined to make life better for me, and education was the way.”
Holmes was determined to be an artist, though it wasn’t until her mother’s death some 25 years ago that she threw herself fully into it — “the event that really triggered me thinking deeply about what life is, that we don’t live forever.”
In the last couple of years, Candlewick Press, the acclaimed children’s book publisher based in Somerville, has commissioned Holmes to illustrate a picture-book biography of civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer, which comes out in September, as well as a book of poetry.
In 2013, Holmes was named to the Boston Art Commission, which oversees public art projects on city property. And she’s creating a community installation that opens at the Institute of Contemporary Art on Feb. 7: a gigantic interactive collage with scenes of Boston in transition, designed to complement the new ICA group exhibition, “When the Stars Begin to Fall.”
Holmes, who is passionate about grass-roots community arts outreach, also works part time for MassArt, where she is director of sparc!, the ArtMobile, an initiative that brings art and design workshops and programs to people in Boston.
For countless Web users, Google Doodles are one highly accessible form of art — little surprise goodies that break up the monotony of an everyday Internet search. They surface randomly — “probably 40 times a year,” Germick said — and can be animated, interactive, video, or static, like Holmes’s collage.
The Doodles, which incorporate the Google logo, celebrate events, achievements, or holidays, ranging from Christmas to the 50th anniversary of “Doctor Who.”
Google has a core team of about 10 artists and engineers who work on the Doodles, “but we look to mix it up and we are always on the lookout [for artists],” said Germick, himself an illustrator who has personally worked on hundreds of Doodles.
He found Holmes by chance, he said, and put her on his “running list of dream collaborators.” As Martin Luther King Jr. Day approached, he reached out to her.
“We thought she would be wonderful,” he said. “Her work has a universal quality and is really colorful and vibrant.”
Holmes treasures this opportunity. “It’s very cool to think of representing him on his special day,” she said of King. “It will be a different thing to get up on the 19th and type in Google.com.”
A detail of Holmes’ work, “Busstop.”
Joanne Rathe/Globe Staff
Linda Matchan can be reached at linda.matchan@globe.com.
Anyone remember that Graffiti artist in SF who used to do the horses? I forget her name. They'd paint over and the next day there'd be a new horse rearing up, with the words "Still alive and kicking!" The Tuesday night dance thing called "TOGETHER" used some of her work for their flyers. A friend of mine who worked at KQED interviewed her for a documentary they did, but she didn't want to appear on camera. Anyway, much of what's out there just defaces property, but some of it is pure art, and I am always sorry to see it go.
Here in Boston, there is construction near Forest Hills that requires tearing down some old warehouses for new condos and apartments. I think my favorite Boston graffiti is already gone. I have a not-so-great photo of it somewhere, taken from across the T and Commuter rail tracks. I never got around to going up close. It's called "ALONE" and was there when I moved here in 2005. I used to see a tent pitched below it, and I imagined that was the artist, as any time any new graffiti threatened his image of a lonely figure and a mountain under the night sky, the paint got touched up again. I'm almost afraid to look next time I'm on the T. ~PB
Last week, HBO debuted Banksy Does New York,
a documentary on Banksy’s 2013 residency in NYC, where he debuted a new
work every day in various areas of the city, each imbued with his
trademark wit and moralistic commentary. Each of his pieces ignited some
sort of confrontation, be it another artist painting over his work to
make a point, or individuals with an entrepreneurial spirit charging
admission to see a section of a wall. In Queens last fall, I got to look
at one piece just hours after it was created and moments before it was
defaced. The graffiti was of a workman erasing a quote from Gladiator —
“What we do in life echoes in eternity.” Both the piece within the piece
and the work itself would now only be echoes, as a local graffiti
artist angrily tagged over it while a hissing crowd pleaded him to stop.
The next day, it was painted over.
It
was a traumatic year in the world of New York City graffiti — the
graffiti’d factory known as 5 Pointz was painted over and is currently
being demolished, while William Bratton returned as the commissioner of
the NYPD, re-instituting “broken windows” policing, which focuses on
low-level violations or misdemeanors, like panhandling, performances on
subways, and graffiti. Arrests have already risen by four percent and
will continue to climb. That the NYPD was never able to apprehend Banksy
during his time in New York City, and the persistence of graffiti
across most of the city, demonstrates what an impossible task it is to
stop graffiti or tagging. Direct confrontation, however, has returned to
the discussion of street art, with the ever-reactionary New York Postdeclaring that graffiti has
again “reared its ugly head.” Not that it ever went anywhere — graffiti
has been a constant part of the landscape for the past thirty years,
while the city still draws record amounts of tourists and oligarchs. So
why does graffiti still remain something so threatening to the powers
that be? And why are we being reminded that it doesn’t belong?
One
early morning this year I was taking the 7 train in Queens, a
mostly-elevated line that runs from Flushing to underneath Manhattan.
The 7 is a unique vantage into the state of NYC graffiti, where
street-level murals meld with larger tags in harder-to-reach places
further up on buildings. In fact, it’s almost a museum in itself, with
established artists like Klops sharing space with kids who are just
learning the art. If you’re lucky on this early train ride, you get to
meet some of the artists. At 74th street in Jackson Heights, a group of
teenagers got on the train and huddled at the window. For them, it was
the first time they were seeing their art the way most people do.
“Oh shit, we got high up!”
They
were pointing at a tag that was almost impossibly placed on the side of
a building. In the first light of day, they were finally seeing the
danger that they had faced during the night before, all in their attempt
to have their names echo with the riders of this train. Almost a year
later, that tag they put on the side of the building remains, and will
possibly stay there until the building is re-painted or torn down.
It’s
the tearing down that causes a larger threat to graffiti than even
policing. While famous, established groups like T.A.T.S. Cru have set up
shop in community centers and been given studio space and walls on
which to work, the urban environment itself is presenting less canvas
than ever. As the necessary push for density emanates ever outward from
the city center, gleaming condominiums have crossed over from Manhattan
and into Brooklyn and Queens (one of the few places to still see
graffiti in downtown Manhattan, Chinatown, has so far remained resistant
to massive upscaling . . . but stay tuned), and quite symbolically, 5
Pointz is being torn down to make way for condos. While graffiti
presents itself as an art with a rather low cost-of-entry, works of
graffiti are now being absorbed by these massive developments, who
advertise their galleries as one day hosting a show featuring the very same graffiti they replaced.
The canvas has moved inside the building — to the benefit of
developers, a select group of artists, and the architects of the city,
who badly want more apartments built on former industrial sites as soon
as possible.
So the canvas moves ever outward — not that it ever
knew a boundary in the first place. When the MTA finally cracked down on
graffiti artists who turned their trains into murals in the 1970s and
80s, graffiti remained on overpasses and buildings, and still appeared
in subway tunnels and, every now and then, on a train. But as parts of
New York City might finally become the first graffiti-exclusion zones,
either by design or by their sheer inaccessibility, one wonders where
the push will end. Because we’re not really talking about graffiti at
all, but how one can leave their mark on what was home. And, however
cheesy, how long that mark can echo.
Max Rivlin-Nadler is a freelance writer who has covered
culture and politics for The New York Times, The Nation, The New
Republic, and Gawker.
