Daily Archives: September 3, 2010

Sound Bites, Friday: Earl Edition

Published September 3, 2010

Earl from "My Name Is Earl"“Although Hurricane Earl has weakened some, it is still a potentially dangerous storm and residents should continue to take Earl seriously and get ready.” (Globe)

The MBTA is suspending ferry service after 6 today. (Bostonist)

WBUR’s Bianca Vazquez Toness is on the Cape, where, she says, people are kind of bummed out there isn’t more storm action. (Radio Boston)

@daveshaw00 on Twitter:

Assessment from a reporter on Martha’s Vineyard: “#Earl has become a category five non-story.”

“Baby Earl was born about 10 days ago, on the west coast of tropical Africa. At that stage, meteorologists called him disturbed, but not yet necessarily dangerous.” (Vineyard Gazette)

Adam Gaffin has good pictures and reporting from the South Shore. (Universal Hub)

Once Earl leaves town, Labor Day weekend is going to be real nice. (Globe)

And don’t miss WBUR’s hand-curated live blog. (Hubbub)

Your Boston Weekend: September 3-6

Published September 3, 2010

Missing Buffy the Vampire Slayer in your life? She's back in the Bean this weekend. (Scorpions and Centaurs/Flickr)

Missing "Buffy the Vampire Slayer?" She's back in the Bean this weekend. (Scorpions and Centaurs/Flickr)

Don’t let Hurricane Earl ruin your weekend: It is a long one, after all. Put high winds, back-to-school jitters and the unofficial end of summer out of your mind with some cold beer and good music. It’s the perfect weekend to indulge your inner rebel with a little ink or to reminisce about the glory days of teen TV. But whatever you do, make sure you stick it to the man (and the impending natural disaster).

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How To Meet A Nice Harvard Boy

Published September 3, 2010

How would you like to meet Phillip?

How would you like to meet Phillip?

Want to date a Harvard man? Without dropping some $54,000 a year for a Harvard education?

DateHarvardSquare is a new website, founded by Harvard grads, “matching discerning women with Harvard University educated men.” Men can join free; women have to pay a monthly fee.

I immediately tried to sign up, of course, but the registration page requires a verified harvard.edu e-mail address. So I signed up as a “Woman interested in Harvard men,” but the site says it is not yet accepting women subscribers.

Meanwhile, you can preview some of the available Harvard men, including Phillip, 28:

  • Harvard School, Degree, and Graduation Year: Harvard Business School, MBA, 2010
  • Current Occupation: Enterpreneur [sic]
  • Favorite Sports: Tennis, Golf
  • Favorite Music: House, Classical

How much will it cost for ladies? Not disclosed yet. “Our subscription fees are in line with major matching based dating sites such as E-Harmony,” according to the FAQ. (An eHarmony subscription costs $60 per month.)

The response among Bostonians is, as far as I can tell, universal revulsion. I won’t repeat the word that every single person says upon learning of the site, but the word starts with a D.

@fishno12 on Twitter responds:

i’m glad that places like dateharvardsq exist, if only to cordon off the [word that starts with a D] from the rest of the population

In a hilarious and excoriating response, Above the Law blogger Elie Mystal recalls:

In my day, we didn’t need fancy websites to help Harvard men hook up with desperate women. We just went to BU parties and chewed with our mouths closed.

Reminds me of the infamous Craigslist posting from a Harvard senior seeking a date (“Tufts or Wellesley but BU and BC are acceptable (definitely not MIT)”).

Would you pay to get matched up with a Harvard man? Please, please make me laugh in the comments.

Update: Yes, it’s real. Jay Levitt, a commenter on Universal Hub, dug up the corporation filing and trademark record. The registered owners are Beri Meric and Phillip Triebel, of Cambridge.

Friday Morning: Baker Closes In, Dems' Donations Surge, And Yes, Earl

Published September 3, 2010

What’s news on a slightly cooler Friday morning in Boston:

Earl Weakens As It Approaches Mass.

Earl is now predicted to be a Category 1 hurricane when it churns through the ocean 50 to 100 miles east of Nantucket, and that island and outer Cape Cod are the only two areas where a brief period of hurricane-force wind gusts of slightly more than 74 miles per hour are expected, forecasters said. (Globe)

Backlash Begins Against Earl Hysteria Before Earl Even Hits

Cape Cod Today harrumphs over evacuations and cancellations on the busy Labor Day Weekend. (Cape Cod Times via Universal Hub)

Poll: Charlie Baker Pulls Within 2 Points of Gov. Deval Patrick

The Rasmussen Reports telephone survey found the race tightening when it included the responses of “leaners,” or people who have not definitively decided who to vote for, but are leaning toward a particular candidate. (Herald)

Donations To Mass. Democrats Surge

Governor Deval Patrick, his running mate, and the state Democratic Party raised more than twice as much money last month as their Republican counterparts, further evidence of a significant momentum shift in the battle for campaign cash. (Globe)

Elizabeth Warren Drops Harvard Class, Fuels More Speculation

Harvard professor Elizabeth Warren — a leading candidate to head the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — has suddenly dropped her teaching duties this fall, prompting more speculation that she may take a permanent job in the Obama administration. (On Point)

Manhunt For Murderers Of Pizza Delivery Man

Police have located the stolen car and say they are examining a substantial amount of evidence found inside. (BPD News)

What stories are you reading?