I’m sooo close to being done with both the shelves I’m making for friends and also the piano bench. Both should be done Friday or so, and pictures will follow soon after. Needless to say, having all of the boxes and junk from our basement stored in the garage for the past two weeks hasn’t made finishing projects any easier.
For work, I had to pick something up from a teacher this morning. For some reason, I still bristle at the idea of going inside a high school – they just give me the creeps! Guess I should have thought of that before I signed up to go back to my high school in a few weeks to celebrate the principal’s retirement. Hmm…
posted May 26, 2004 – 7:12 am
For a change, there’s actually some good news in the news today.
First, videos produced by the White House to promote the new Medicare drug benefit were declared illegal by the General Accounting Office. The ads violated federal law by not identifying the government as the source of information contained therein – they’re considered “propoganda.” The ads were disguised to look like segments of TV evening news, then sent to TV producers to be included in local news shows, where they weren’t necessarily identified as advertisements. They even included the typical reporter sign-off, “I’m Karen Ryan, reporting.” As the article points out, Karen Ryan is an actress, not a reporter, and she was paid by the government to tell half-truths about the new Medicare package. And they expected this was an okay thing to do? Get the full story here.
Second, the Massachusetts State Senate voted to to repeal the 1913 law that prevents out-of-state gay couples from being married in Massachusetts. The House still has to vote on the issue, which may be more difficult given the current budget issues on the floor, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.
As Rif recently pointed out, our favorite Korean restaurant in Central Square closed a few weeks ago. We’re on a hunt for good bi bim bab (the kind served in a stone pot) in Boston, and this search led us to Wu Chon House last night. Their version (called “Stone Pot Bul Goh Khee Bhee Bim Bahp”) wasn’t bad. Compared to the old Korea Garden, though, Wu Chon’s bi bim bap was slightly smaller, and the pot arrived much hotter, leading to premature crispiness and even burning of the rice (and a few burnt fingers, to boot). If it’d cost a few bucks less, or if Wu Chon House was very convenient to get to (it’s in Union Square and most of us are Red Line-based), it’d be just fine. As it stands, we’ll keep searching. Next stop, Seoul Food, on Mass. Ave near Porter.
posted May 20, 2004 – 7:00 am
As you may know, Google is offering a new, free email service with 1000 MB of storage called GMail. Right now, it’s in beta testing, and you can only get in on it if someone with an account invites you. Apparently, a GMail account is pretty desirable, as demonstrated by the following things people are willing to swap in order to get one (collected here):
- “$35 Paypal Instantly!!”
- “The world’s best chocolate cake”
- “A Guaranteed way of getting a girlfriend”
- “Handwritten postcard from Canada”
- “Donation to John Kerry”
- “Imaginary box w/ imaginary stuff inside”
- “Your choice of Tastykake product!!”
posted May 19, 2004 – 7:56 am
On a more positive note, I had a really good time out at the Bike Week celebration outside Redbones last night. It’s always exciting to see lots of folks come out for a community event, and fun to run into folks you know, too. Though I’m not involved in it at all, the bike riding/racing sub-culture in Boston seems to be a really nice one. There were some very impressive raffle prizes, too.
A reminder: this Friday is National Bike to Work Day.
posted May 18, 2004 – 6:44 am
I keep forgetting that gay couples being married in Massachusetts is, in fact, really big news. I guess since it’s been planned for so long, and since I thought it was a good idea in the first place, it didn’t really make a big impression on me that the first such marriages would be historic events. But they are, and they’re getting plenty of news coverage, which I’m certainly in favor of.
The rest of the news these days, however, is on the depressing side. Israel bulldozed over 100 houses and killed tens of people yesterday, all in the name of just “expanding a buffer zone” and “preventing arms traffic” (uh-huh), and it’s becoming increasingly clear that the abuses in American-run Iraqi prisons are anything but isolated examples of individual wrong-doing. Swell.
And it’s raining.
posted May 18, 2004 – 6:13 am