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I swear this isn't going to turn into a trash-reporting-only blog (much to Christina Hagar's chagrin... you know she called me the next day to see if I would make the original trash post a weekly thing, right?). But... early this afternoon (a Saturday) I walked literally a block and saw all of this. I couldn't stop myself from snapping some quick pics.

NOTE (for those of you not in the know): Trash is picked up three times a week in the North End: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. So trash put out on Saturday/Friday night will be on the streets for up to 70 hours. Gross.

First this HUGE cardboard box on Foster Street that had blown into the road:

Awesome. Can't wait to look at that all weekend. Thanks Foster CT residents. I think I looked at an apartment there once that was owned by the lawyer - or whatever he is - on the first floor on Commercial St on the other side. It was a shithole. There's also a bag of trash a bit up the street on the right.

Some new folks just moved into the apartment at 472 Commercial. They promptly put out some flower pots on either side of their door. Nice! Then promptly put their trash next to them... on a Saturday. Not nice!

How do I know it's their trash and not someone who lives next door? Because they put their pizza delivery box with their address facing up!:

Doh! Seriously though, maybe you're new. Here's a link to the North End trash regulations on Matt Conti's awesome neighborhood blog. The owner really should have provided you with a copy when you rented the place.

This was at the corner of Greenough Lane and Commercial. Surprised?

What a disaster! I don't know where to start - other than the fact that I DON'T want to know what's in that water bottle.

I had to include this one too - from a few weeks ago. For some reason, the City of Boston decided to surround ONE tree on Commercial Street (near the end of Greenough Lane) with a fence. I have no idea why they singled out this one tree. It looks ridiculous and the other trees are probably jealous. Anyway, it didn't take long for our friends on Greenough Lane to put it to good use (this was taken at about 9:45 AM on a Wednesday - well after trash pickup):

I have no idea what the intended purpose of this fence is, but I'm pretty sure it isn't this. Stay classy Greenough (and City Suites - who owns most of the property there).

AT&T has a commercial out right now that shows the entire United States being covered with orange fabric:

Remind you of anything? Id est:


Christo and Jeanne-Claude had an eerily similar installation in Central Park 2005 titled, "The Gates". So similar, in fact, that AT&T felt the need (was obligated?) to put a disclaimer on the imagery used in their commercial:

The disclaimer text reads:

Ummmm... I would argue that they do at least have a connection with AT&T. That connection being that AT&T blatantly ripped off their artwork. Gross.

What up Mikey - sitting behind me on the train on the 4th of July? This is my awesome incognito shot. I should have been a spy.

I was wearing my old Army PT t-shirt, and when we got off the train I told him, "Unlike you, I actually had a licence to drive those things":

OK. I didn't really say that. But how sweet would that have been?

I wonder if P. Diddy ever wakes up feeling like ke$ha...

Boston issued a "boil water order" on Saturday afternoon. As late as this morning, the word was they were hoping the length of the order would be measured in days - not weeks. And the official word was that once the problem was fixed, it would take at least two more days for tests to confirm it was once again safe to drink (and wash your hands with).

But, somehow, the Mayor said everything was A-OK as of this afternoon. Cool.

omigodomigodomigod. My whole life, I've wanted two things:
a) an indoor swimming pool
b) to play contra and super mario brothers at the same time

I'm halfway there. This dude needs to build in a high-score table, because there is no doubt that I would effing OWN it. I've already finished the game with no warps using the Contra dude AND mega-man. Link... I'm coming for you.
Click here to play it. (press z and x - and sometimes s - for the b and a buttons)

Zambrano has walked SIX times... in his CAREER! (click for full)

That's 1 walk every 102 plate appearances. My buddy claims that this is normal for pitchers. That the opposing pitcher tends to pound the strikezone considering that batting pitchers tend to suck at the plate. This is incorrect. First of all, the NL average for pitchers is 1 walk in 27 plate appearances. Thar's four times higher than Zambrano's. Secondly, Zambrano hit .337 (THREE THIRTY SEVEN!) in 2008. (funny enough, his OBP was also exactly .337 - I wonder if that's ever happened before) The point being, he far from sucks at the plate (Bill Mueller won the 2003 batting champion award with .326)

What does it mean? Absolutely nothing. I just think it's hilarious. Swing away Carlos!

It's also cool to see just how hot Z was in 2008. And interesting that he only laid down TWO bunts that season (Dempster has 5 already THIS YEAR - in 12 Plate Appearances).

I can't BELIEVE it's been 20 years since the Hubble Telescope went into service. Everyone should take a moment today to:

1. listen to a car drive by
2. appreciate their wallpaper

Got this from my niece today. It's not everyday you get an original hand-drawn junkyard from a young artist. Very nice Viola.

I can't stop making these. This one kind of reminds me of the Bobsled event on Winter Olympics for NES. I would say RC ProAm, but that didn't have split screen.

Created using about 600 screen captures from the Google Streetview car at the Mazda Raceway in Laguna Seca, CA:

But, obviously, the real question is WTF was the Google Streetview car doing on the racetrack!? I bet these guys had something to do with it.