Clyde And His Bonnie

The legend of Bonnie and Clyde is at it again. A married couple from Quincy, MA ; Joseph and Jennifer Carrier, decided to support their heroin habit by robbing banks up and down the East Coast with their seven dogs in tow. Their brazen crime spree started in Ludlow Mass when they robbed a bank and made off with not-enough-cash-to-make-it-worth-it. To make things worse-the couple made their getaway in a stolen brown Buick Encore-that Jennifer is wanted for the theft of.

Living the glamorous life of crime, these two then continued on to Florida where the Bonnie and Clyde act continued. Joseph walked into a Wells Fargo in Palm Coast and demanded "large bills". The teller reportedly gave him $300.00, before he reached in and grabbed more leaving with $800.00 total. I'm not sure these two-with their seven Brussel Griffons dogs-can live a life in the lamb and support a heroin habit on $800.00.

So they would, of course have to do it again. And do it again they did, yesterday. This time they chose a bank in Wilmington, Delaware and took off in the stolen car. Police were called and the couple was spotted on I-95 where a high speed  chase ensued.You know how that goes... the couple was arrested and taken into custody. I'm thinking Bonnie and Clyde didn't have a heroin habit that made them sick, but the addiction is still the same. The addiction the the high. The high that they get from stealing and the high they get from the drugs.

These two had a better ending to the story than Bonnie and Clyde, although they may not think so. They get to continue living-without each other-in prison and have a chance at getting clean and turning their lives around. Bonnie and Clyde didn't get that opportunity-prison or not. They ended up dead. Killed by the authorities that hunted them in an ambush. Although their story went on  o became one of legend the real tragedy is that they never got to live long enough to realize that crime, really doesn't pay.

Black And Whitey

So I'm going to see "Black Mass" tonight. I can hardly wait.

I read the book. 

I read the papers when it was happening. 

I live in the city that was terrorized.

I remember the pain it caused the families of the victims; mine included. 

Whitey Bulger is urban legend around here.

I'm fascinated by this moment in history that was captured on film and looking forward to seeing-and almost being there-while the story unfolds. Evil like that has a way of mesmerizing the psyche, which is how Whitey intimidated his victims. Make no mistake, I'm not endorsing a Hollywood glorified Whitey Bulger character, but what I am doing is immersing myself in the story of this crime lord who was enabled by a corrupt FBI agent. I am extremely mindful of the damage that this story has caused, yet I am unable to look the other way. 

Johnny Depp's performance as the cold blooded killer is being hailed as "scary good" which lends itself to the legend of this evil man. Boston Herald scribe Peter Gelzinis explained the truth of Whitey's core evil quite eloquently this morning. He was relaying a story about the murder of a bookmaker 30 years ago who had pissed Whitey off. Gelzinis and his colleague Paul Corsetti were working the story.

"In the course of asking questions, Corsetti got a call to meet a tipster in a bar near Quincy Market. Paul waited until almost one in the morning and was about to leave when a rather ordinary-looking guy approached and asked, "You're Paul Corsetti, aren't you?"

When Corsetti nodded, the stranger asked, "Do you know who I am?"

Paul shook his head, and the stranger told him: "I'm Whitey Bulger, mother (expletive)." Though Whitey announced that he killed people, what he told Corsetti was far more terrifying. He described the make, model, color and license plate of the car Paul's wife used and the name of the daycare center where she dropped their daughter off." 

That's Whitey and who he is. History can be rewritten, but evil is evil, regardless of who is telling the story. 

The Nanny Chronicles

Another one bites the dust...

It wasn't bad enough that our boy Ben lost his freakin mind and started banging the Nanny, but now reports have surfaced that Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale's marriage may have been doomed over the suspision that Rossdale cheated with....THE NANNY. 

WTF? 

What gives? Do all these successful men have mommy issues? Or do all men have issues? Mom's hire nannies-especially working moms-so that they can contribute to the family financially, and socially so that they can have a life that is not centered around the kids. Moms need to feel good about themselves, and a good mom takes care of family first but then takes care of herself. When mama's happy, everybody is happy and a working mom needs both family and career to work cohesively to achieve domestic harmony. 

The nanny is key to the cohesiveness of those two worlds. But in today's crazy, sexed up, messed up world, do moms now need to worry about what goes on at home-with the nanny and her spouse-while she is working? So it would seem that any woman in her right mind would hire only Mrs. Doubtfire doppelgangers. Knowing what we now know, what are the options? 

Look, my kids are out of the nest and their "nanny" is still at my home 2 days a week taking care of household business. She has been with my family for 10 years and she's 28. AND did I mention that she looks like a Brazillian J LO? Am I worried? I wouldn't be human if I didn't let sinister thoughts creep into my head. Top that off with the fact that I was once married to a serial cheater and got my world rocked by the shit that he did. But I decided a long time ago that in order for me to live happily and not be completely devastated by a man and his extracirrucular activities, I have to love me more. Simple, I love me more and in the best case scenario he loves me more too. 

I don't know if simply loving yourself more is the answer, but it's a start. 

That and finding the agency that only employs women nanny's over the age of 75. 

#DerekJeter

Derek Jeter is a class act.

I said it in a public forum as a true blue Red Sox Fan. And I meant it.

Derek Jeter, at the age of 40, is enjoying his swan song in the MLB which comes to an end this weekend. Since the Yankees nor the Red Sox will be vying for the post-season, it's somewhat romantic that Derek Jeter's last game as a major league baseball player will take place at Fenway Park. There has been so much hype surrounding the Jeter retirement that even Jeter is somewhat humbled by it. From the commercials, to the social media hashtag campaigns to his number on the sleeve of the Yankee's uniforms, it's hard to not get caught up in the whole Derek Jeter is a God thing. And I live in Red Sox nation.

I mean, he can't help it if he played for the wrong team his entire career, right?

So here's my dilemma:

I had a conversation with my BFF's about Jeter and the hype. One of them asked if we thought it was ok to wear a Derek Jeter shirt. Discussions ensued, and our conclusion was that yes, it's ok to wear a Derek Jeter shirt.
Just not in public.
Here in Boston.
Ever.
I might of even bought into all the hype and said yes when my friend inquired if I wanted a Derek Jeter t-shirt. (she lives in Manhattan)

So tonite that same BFF-who is a staunch Red Sox fan-who lives in NYC and is visiting me this weekend-is going to Yankee Stadium and texted me to ask what kind of Jeter shirt I want. All of a sudden, the thought makes me feel funny.

Like I can't do it.
Like how could I ever wear it?
Like ever?
Like this is so stupid.

So I have until 7pm tonite to make my decision.

Bloggers you have to help me., What should I do????
Comment here-or on Facebook-Instagram and visit the poll on my sidebar here and vote.

HELP!!!

Insert Foot In Mouth...

Seriously? When are the cavemen of sports going to realize that women sports reporters are here to stay? And when will they realize that they have a responsibility to not spew hate and death threats directed towards ANYONE, much less Erin Andrews when they are on-air?

The latest controversy surrounding Erin Andrews of Fox Sports News happened just the other day in my very own city. WEEI's morning program "Dennis and Callahan" co -host Kirk Minihane inserted his foot right into his mouth alright. Long story short, when in studio, on-air discussing Erin Andrew's interview with pitcher Adam Wainwright about his "about face" admission to throwing an easy pitch to hit to Derek Jeter at bat during the All Star game, Minihane unleashed a most inappropriate tirade concerning Andrews line of questioning. Andrews apparently said when ending the interview, "Don't you just love social media?"

Does it bear repeating here? YES it does so it serves as a lesson to all radio/TV host/journalists that you just can't take your hate that far without consequence. His remarks are as follows:

"I hate her! What a gutless bitch! Go away. Drop dead. I mean, seriously what the hell is wrong with her? First of all, follow-up. Second of all, the guy admitted he did it. He admitted he told reporters he threw a couple of pipe bombs. How is that social media’s fault? I hate her. Don’t you love social media? Yeah…social media is — shut up. shut up. i’m sure she’s a nice person, but she’s…she’s probably a bitch. I hate her."

He immediately remarked ,"I'm gonna get in trouble for this." And he was right!

Minihane, last night, issued an apology on WEEI's  website:

"This morning on the radio I used a series of words to describe Erin Andrews' work at the All-Star Game. My choice of words was wrong; I was wrong to have used them. To all whom I offended -- particularly Ms. Andrews -- I apologize. There is no place for what was said. It was immature and completely uncalled for. I am often critical of media members and their work and recognize here that I've made the kind of mistake I would call out if it was done by another sportscaster or writer. Again, to all involved, I'm very sorry."

Ya think?

I am so tired of this "men are superior" mentality in sports broadcasting and I'm sure I'm not alone in this thinking. As for Erin Andrews? No matter what she looks like, she has worked hard to get where she is and to stay where she is, regardless of what a small minded sports personality in Boston thinks. There are a million pretty faces that are all trying to do the same thing that Erin Andrews is doing, has done, and continues to keep doing. She has earned her stay. When does she get the respect that is allotted to any other sports reporter of her stature?

Blonde, brunette, white, black, yellow or green...I don't care who SHE is. She's got a job to do and if she wasn't good at what she does she wouldn't be there. Period. Fox Sports thinks so too. They issued the following statement about the  controversy:

 “Comments such as these are inappropriate and inexcusable. It is unfortunate that one of the best sports talk radio stations in the country would allow and condone such low-class behavior from one of their on-air personalities.”

I stand behind Erin Andrews regardless of what I may think of her personally. Good, bad or indifferent it's time to end the superiority complex that some men have about women sports reporters. Period.

I'm curious how Minihane's shoes are tasting right about now. Pretty sour is my bet.

Beloved Boston...A Re-Post

You can't live in Boston today and not reflect on the events of a year ago. 
This was posted on Tues April 16,th, 2013, the day after the bombings.

I wasn't there.

Neither my kids nor my husband were there. We were all safe.

She in NYC, is the one who alerted me of the events via text. He, safe on the golf course with my dad, 70 miles away from the war zone. My husband ensconced safely at his desk and I, enjoying a rare day off with my mom.

I wasn't there, but I could have easily been there like I had so many years before.
I can only share with you how most of us Bostonian who live here felt when the first waves of info came in:

It was 3:15, and I'm shopping at Neiman Marcus in a local suburb. Frick texted me. It read, "Mom, did a bomb go off at the marathon?" "Are u there?" "No."I replied." H/O"

I stopped, and searched the web on my iPhone. I googled Boston Marathon 2013. Nothing. I searched some more nothing. I then searched "bomb at Boston Marathon." I found the footage. I clicked on to the raw video and heard the news that a bomb had gone off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. The report  said it was a, "horrific scene". It went on to describe bloodied streets and loss of limbs and I immediately went into safety mode. I started mentally checking off my family members.

That's what everyone that lives here did.

The first text was sent to my best friend. She lives in Boston and is an avid runner. I knew the answer before I finished typing the text, so I immediately placed a call to her seconds after I pressed the send button. I couldn't wait. She answered, "I'm ok." She was crying.
"Thank God," I said. "Were you there?"

"Can," she said between sobs. "I was right there. I had just decided that it was getting cold and that I had shit to do and that it was time to go home." "I felt the blast behind me and turned to see the smoke."
I was so glad she was ok. So glad she was safe. So shocked that she had been so close. She hadn't even called her mom. I let her go, telling her I loved her and to call her mom.

Then I went over the familial list:
I come from a large family and the majority of us are 20-50. Prime Marathon viewing years. The texts began furiously. While I was walking through the store, word got out and people everywhere could be seen either talking on their smartphones or looking at their smartphones. I drove home because no one really wanted to NOT be in front of a TV at this point and we listened to Boston Sports radio, which turned into news talk on the ride home. It was an uneasy next few hours as we awaited word on the family safety. It wasn't until 6:15 that we knew for sure that both my 26 immediate family members were ok and my husband's 11 members were safe. We were lucky.

Then the worst news of all came.

3 people had died and one of them an 8 yr old boy.

Hundreds of people had been injured. It was worse than we could have imagined. I felt at that moment that life had changed.

We were glued to the TV for the rest of the night as I'm sure you were too.

Trying to make the best of a horrid day which was no happy holiday after all.

BIG PAPI: (addressing the crowd at Fenway before the first game after the Marathon bombings) "This Is Our Fu*king City!"

YES! We bring home the bacon in a BIG way, at home!!
Congrats to the Sox and to the Nation for another World Championship!!

I'm sure you guys are sick of all the Red Sox hooplah around the Daily Dandy(unless you are a Boston fan), but I swear, this post is the BEST of all.

This was written by a Philadelphia sports blogger from the blog Crossing Broad on Oct 23, 2013, named Kyle Scott who had just about had enough...
Boston, that is. I love this so much! Much more than words will describe. Read it to the end as his hatred is palpable, and I caution: lots of f-bombs.
The post, is as follows, entitled:

  "Go Screw, Boston"/Kyle Scott

I’ve spent the past two hours trying to find something – literally anything – to write about. I came close to posting, in-full, a reader rant on Paul Holmgren, but it got incoherent towards the end and, well, I’m the only one who is allowed to be incoherent around here. So that was out. And there’s nothing else going on. What the hell are you supposed to write about when local teams have won three games IN THE PAST MONTH and any more posts about ex-Philly folks killing it would be trolling?

But then it hit me: Today is Boston day in the sports world. Yet again, Boston.

I love Boston as a city. If there’s one place I had to move, it’d probably be there. Big city stuff in a smaller package. Relatively clean. Beaches nearby. History. An indigenous community.

Great sports teams…

… all of whom can go fuck themselves.

Just in the last 10 years:

Patriots

Won Super Bowl in 2003

Won Super Bowl in 2004

Lost Super Bowl in 2007

Lost Super Bowl in 2011

Four Super Bowls in 10 years, and that’s not counting their Super Bowl win in 2001 and Super Bowl loss in 1996. 

Bruins

Won Stanley Cup in 2011

Lost Stanley Cup in 2013

Two of the last three Stanley Cup Finals.

Celtics

Won NBA Championship in 2008

Lost NBA Finals in 2010

Two Finals appearances, one win, and a thrilling seven-game series with the Heat in the past five years.

Red Sox

Won World Series in 2004

Won World Series in 2007

In World Series in 2013

86-year drought and then two World Series wins in three years, followed by another World Series appearance this year.

In the past 10 years, Boston teams have won six championships (each at least one) and participated in 11 Finals series. And that doesn’t count the several conference-league finals the Patriots, Celtics and Red Sox have played in and lost.

During that same timeframe, Philadelphia has seen four Finals series– 2004 Eagles (lost), 2008 Phillies (won– that’s still hard to write), 2009 Phillies (lost) and 2010 Flyers (lost). Nothing since, and no playoffs in what will wind up being close to two years, if not more. And, as you know, one championship in 30 years.

Every fucking six months a Boston team is either competing for a championship or in the semifinals. Like clockwork, the sports world always comes back to and centers on Boston, so we can all talk about their townspeople and beards. The Red Sox break an 86-year drought in epic fashion. Bill Belichick creates a mini dynasty, beats the Eagles along the way, and Tom Brady marries a supermodel. The Bruins win a seven-game Finals series with a 400-year-old goalie and then, two years later, get back there after a three-goal comeback in THE THIRD PERIOD of Game 7 of the first round. The Celtics assemble an unlikable Dream Team, win the title, and Kevin Garnett screams into a microphone. The Red Sox bottom out, bounce back, and, of course with their beards and pine tar, are right back in the World Series. THEY’RE ALWAYS IN THE MIDDLE OF SHIT. And if it’s not winning, it’s drama. Aaron Hernandez. EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THE RED SOX. Spygate. Beergate. Gronk’s existence. Doc Rivers and Bill Simmons. You name it, it probably happened in or involves someone from Boston.

Obviously, it’s hard to root against the Red Sox this year, as their World Series appearance comes on the heels of the Boston Bombing. They’re the sentimental favorite, and rightfully so. But fuck if their obnoxious beards and we’re not the Yankees shtick isn’t trying really hard to make that not the case. Hey, Mike Napoli– YOU LOOK LIKE AN ASSHOLE. Salt– Do they really fucking call you that? You’re an insanely mediocre baseball player. You can’t grow facial hair, Shane. Oh yeah, just for good, historic measure, let’s grand slam our way into the Series with a former Phillie hitting one, and Big Papi, who doesn’t age, hitting another, which produced an iconic photo with Boston’s finest throwing his fists in the air in a photo composed by God himself because he loves him some Irish Catholic Bostonians. Oh and now there’s a rainbow and a pot of gold over the fucking Monster? Fuck you all.

I hate sports right now.

Bring It Home Boys.

• The winter is coming. Fall has taken hold of this locale and dropped the cold air into the region like a crop duster spraying for mosquitoes. I've had to put the heat on! Time to break out the winter and  hooded coats we haven't seen since March cuz old man winter is settling down for his long Winter's nap and has grown a beard too. You think he's a Sox fan?

• We had some excellent rotisserie chicken take-out last night. The Modern Rotisserie is an upscale, gourmet take-out market in Newton, MA that we thought we'd try. The food was excellent! I got a breast and two sides; Mac and cheese (topped with Cheese-It's) and stuffing with gravy. Nothing says lovin like the cozy, delicious gourmet comfort food I had last night. Two thumbs, way up for some take-out !

• Frack is behaving! That boy has been feeling his "Senior-itis" for a few months now and he's quite possibly starting to reign it in. It's about time, too because he's been, shall we say, difficult. Frick was difficult too, but not like him. He's just stubborn. Are girls easier than boys? I'm not remembering her being too difficult. Selective memory, I think.

• I've started the Holiday shop. Now that everyone is older, the gift-buying is getting harder. Everyone has everything they need. I think a family trip is what's needed instead of a bunch of crapola that they don't need. Some team building in a warm destination is the best money spent for this family. 

And finally....

• We live to take the World Series home to Boston, where it belongs. Johnny Gomes...You be da MAN!!! Let's take it one game at a time secure in the knowledge we will see the World Series at Fenway again! Good luck tonite to the Sox and the Nation! Like it said in my Herald this morning: "sleep is overrated.".

"Rat a tat tat, Whitey."

Steven Davis, the brother of Debra Davis, who the jurors were hung in her murder, reacts after yestereday's verdict. 

The verdict is in. As anticlimactic as the announcement that the Bulger jury had reached a verdict yesterday;  it is, in fact, big local history in the making and bears mention here.

Is  it the bombshell that we expected? No. It wasn't. 

But nineteen people who will no longer have a voice were finally given the chance to tell their story. Maybe their families will find peace in the verdict, maybe they won't. 

Was justice served?

I think there will always differing opinions when it comes to justice being served. If we look at it academically, the split verdict breaks down this way:

Bulger was found guilty of 11 of the 19 murders

2 counts of  racketeering, 

3 counts of conspiracy to commit  murder 

7 extortion counts

1 drug count

6 money laundering counts

Of the eight murders he was not found guilty of , the jury was  hung on only the murder of Debra Davis his ex partner's beautiful, young girlfriend. Her brother, a fixture on the trial daily, vowed to avenge his his sister's death urging prosecutors to persue state murder charges. "It's not over for me until I am in the ground, " he said. 

Bulger will be sentenced on Nov 13 in a process that is expected to take several days. His attorney's say they will appeal on the immunity claim. It's a long shot, but Bulger's got nothing else to do. He faces a life sentence plus. Somewhere, through all the BS there has to be some justice in that, right? The 84 year old gangster will never be a free man and most likely will die while incarcerated. Some of the victims family members, when asked by the press what they thought of the verdict outside the courthouse yesterday said he already "got away with it", walking around a free man for all of his life, only to spend his last days in prison. 

For those of us who spent our lives in Boston, living the legend of Whitey and his thugs,  some of our lives being affected dramatically by Whitey and his thugs, it's  somewhat of a rip off. Had we been able to see the trial; actually see the man that is Whitey Bulger with our own eyes, and seen the courtroom expletive laced exchanges between Bulger and his former partners, Kevin Weeks and Steven Flemmi, we might have had a different feeling about all of this. I guess we will have to wait until 60 Minutes, 48 Hours or Barbara Walters gets the interview. Only then will we get a bit of closure and a small sense of knowing exactly who this monster is. 

Or should I say RAT. 

Like when it was all over yesterday and Bulger was being led out of the courtroom, a woman yelled out, "Rat a tat tat, Whitey!" 

You can bet that captured on tape, it would have been a sound bite that would have stuck like glue to the rat. 

Killer Instinct

There's been a lot of talk of murder going on in these parts. What with the trial of the century taking place in Boston, the tales of cold, calculated and useless killings scatter the pages of my morning newspaper daily. Aaron Hernandez's alleged killing spree, seemingly playing on a continuous news loop, leave me to think about the motive for so much murder.

For Whitey and the boys, killing was an everyday part of their business. And they were running a very fruitful business. It was a simple means to an end. A" do what we say and nobody get's hurt" type of thing, but far too many people got hurt. They ended up dead because killing was their business. It wasn't personal it was business and they were very good at it. What was another kill when you had already killed so many?

So if Whitey's gang killed to keep business going, what was Aaron Hernandez's business? These two men are a lot more alike than one would think. They killed because they could. And they got away with it because they both believed that their "business" made them untouchable. Their money and their "positions" gave them power. Whitey was the ruthless head of a crime organization that nobody wanted to mess with. What we now know is that although their gang had the intimidation factor on the streets covered, they really were untouchable. They had the Fed's in their back pockets. It's amazing what a couple of career Feds will do for unlimited amounts of cash and drugs and what a group of ruthless thugs will do when the system looks the other way.

But Hernandez? He seemingly had it all.

He had been gifted athletically and worked hard physically, then coddled because of his football ability. That kind of ability puts butts in stadium seats and sets advertiser's hearts aflutter which translates into big dollars. So much so, that Hernandez, at the ripe old age of 23, was paid a $40 million dollar king's ransom to show up and play. $12 million of it, just for putting his signature on a piece of paper.

One has to wonder why throw that away?

It is no secret that Hernandez had questionable dealings with bad people. His name entered into the NFL draft with high hopes, but his reputation for trouble preceded him. His appeal was tainted and many teams took a pass on him. They didn't want the trouble. The Pats thought they could change him. They thought that 40 million would rehab his gangsta ways and that he would play nice now that he was a valued member of the team. But 40 million and "NFL star" attached to his name has a funny way of bringing with it hero worship and a feeling of entitlement. It could almost be argued that it made his taste for blood more ravenous.

Both men killed because they could. It's that simple. In Whitey's case, intimidation and Federal backing made him untouchable and he never thought he would need to worry about the consequences. He owned the consequences. Hernandez thought the same thing. If he didn't own the consequences, he could certainly buy them.  He had covered his tracks before, what would make this time different?

Money, power, fame. A lethal combination. And all for what? The thrill of the kill? Look at them now.

I can think of $40 million reasons not to.

The Agony Of Defeat

Well that sucked.....

America's Got Whitey

And so it begins....tomorrow. I can hardly believe it.

Even if you don't come from Boston, chances are you know who Whitey Bulger is. The man pictured above is nothing like the image that is conjured up when Whitey's name is spoken in mixed company. And that's exactly the way he wanted it. He lived in obscurity in a beach community in California for years, yet he really lived right under our noses. Whitey had a knack for that.

The man, who at one time was the FBI's number one most wanted man, and became second to only Osama Bin Laden, was captured in Santa Monica, California, on June 22, 2011. We watched with rapt attention, as they pieced together the details of his 16 years on the lamb with his girlfriend, Catherine Greig. I thought they'd never catch him. I thought old Whitey would die out there, somewhere, if he hadn't already. After all, he was well into his 80's when he was captured. But Whitey's story isn't over. There's still plenty left to tell and he's going to have his last say.

And it all begins tomorrow with jury selection.

There are a million headline news stories out there today that unite us as human beings. Bostonian's recently have a lot to connect and commiserate about. Together we will watch the Bruins in their run for Lord Stanley's cup and we will read stories about the amazing recovery and resilience of the Marathon bombing victims.

And we will most certainly watch the trial of the century take place here at John Joseph Moakley US Courthouse. We will await Whitey's fate together.

It's All Good..

All good things today!

• Frick is on her way home from the Big Apple!!! Congrats to my baby girl for successfully completing her first year of under grad at NYU!! I'm so happy she's on her way home, I could just blow a whole bunch of bubbles!!

• Those AWESOME Boston Bruins pulled it off last night!!! I gotta say, I had given up. With a little over seven minutes to play and down 4-1, I gave up all hope and turned the game off. It wasn't until later, while I was taking a relaxing hot tub outside, that Frack came out and informed me that I was missing an EPIC Bruins comeback. We watched the overtime together and YES! I called it! I said to Frack, when the B's were pressing in the crease, "they're gonna score". Frack replied, "I don't think so. The rest is Bruins history. Boston Strong is an understatement. Thank you Boston for always providing us with the most amazing, come from behind, exciting victories! It's no wonder we are sports obsessed in this town. You always deliver!!

• I am a blessed woman. Blessed to have a wonderful family that gave me the most incredible mother's day and which continues to support me in everything I do. And truly blessed to have the most talented and amazing staff at The Candy Bar. We just completed a long week and my staff stepped up and produced awesome work! I couldn't be prouder of the things that we are accomplishing at the store. 

I am grateful for all of my blessings. 

What are you grateful for?

I Love That Dirty Water

Yeah.....This is my 2013 X-Mas card. 

"Peace and blessings, 

Love, Candy and Tommy."

It turned out to be a "wikid pissa" Boston weekend, but I didn't intend it to be:

• Celts playoff game Friday night in the sky box. The Celts looked AWFUL, and I'm telling you they were awful from the opening tip off. We knew early on it wasn't going to be a great night for the Boston ballers. Up in Luxury Suite land, the walls are lined with a mini museum with all kinds of Boston Sports memorabilia. While I was walking around I spotted My Tommy all alone and I seized the moment for a photo op. *sigh* I love that photo. It made the Friday night loss to the Knicks hurt a lot less. 
• Sox game on Sunday in My Guy's new season tickets. LOVED the new tickets and LOVED the game. Sox won and ended up sweeping Houston and are sporting the best record in baseball right now. 
• Never one to miss out on a fabulous retail opportunity, I bought awesome Celts gear on Friday night and a killer Pats t-shirt and Red Sox hat on Sunday. I bought them from the BEST BRAND FOR TEAM GEAR ever. Super cute and sexy, and the quality is amazing.  
• Then last night, I attended a local fund raiser for Boston's One Fund. The party, held at a local restaurant called Tempo, did an amazing job! The staff, the food, the silent auction items, the raffles and the entire evening was so well done. They had a band playing and passed hors d'oeuvre's and the guests were feeling festive. I have no idea how well they did, but I know they raised a lot. It goes to the injured people in the marathon bombings to help with medical costs and funding. Right now it's a cause we can all get behind.
• The icing on the cake was a win by the Celts and another day to live in the NBA playoffs. I think I love all of my Boston teams equally, but I'm rooting passionately for the Celts right now. Saying for sure which team I like better would be like choosing a favorite child which would never happen and just not realistic. But one thing is for sure:

We all know who my heart belongs to....*sigh*

Facial Recognition

The beauty industry attracts people of all shapes and sizes. Women especially understand our society's obsession with physical beauty and maintaining it. We bond over shared beauty secrets and covet the latest, greatest beauty treatments. Beauty is something I love, and I share that love with my clients every day. Each woman, unique in their specific concerns and needs. It's a matter of trust I share with these women. A mutual respect for my expertise and the effectiveness of the products I recommend and the women who buy them. I take that relationship very seriously. Women are the biggest part of the formula for my success.

So I was quite struck by the interesting article I read this morning about the mother of both accused Boston Marathon Bombers, Zubeiat Tsarnaeva.

Zubeiat Tsarnaeva is a licensed aesthetician in MA, who worked from her 3rd floor familial apartment on Norfolk Street in Cambridge. Two of her longtime clients, Anne and Alyssa Kilzer of Belmont gave the Boston Herald's Margery Eagan an interesting glimpse inside the family. Both mother and daughter were said to have been to the Cambridge apartment many, many times in the six years Zubeiat Tsarnaeva gave them facials. Daughter Alyssa found it hard not to refute the media claims of no one seeing "extremism or radicalism" in Bombing suspect #2, younger brother Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

Incredibly, Alyssa claimed to have seen signs of radical extremism in their mother:

"At one appointment, Tsarnaeva “started quoting a conspiracy theory, telling me how she thought 9/11 was purposely created by the American government to make Americans hate Muslims,” Alyssa 23, wrote on her blog of her visits to the apartment."

“I have to say I felt kind of scared and vulnerable when she said this, as I am distinctly American, and was lying practically naked in her living room.”

There has been lots of speculation in the media as to who or whom "radicalized" these brothers, who spent nearly all of their lives growing up Americans in Cambridge. There are those who question the Muslim community in Boston. Those who question the Internet influence; social media radical extremist groups and YouTube, and those who question the motives behind older brother Tamerlan's six month visit to Russia in the beginning of 2012. But the picture painted by Alyssa and her mother Anne is quite interesting, indeed. 

Mother Anne talked about the immaculately clean apartment that Zubieat kept and about the time she and her daughters spent in close proximity with other family members. Zubieat, she said,  would work on the mother and daughter in the living room while other Tsarnaev family members, who would sometimes argue, were in other rooms. Anne recalled her as "proud" and a "mother who worked hard and seemed close to her children." Anne Kilzer was one of the many who called police after recognizing the photo of the Tsarnaev brothers the FBI posted in the media in hopes of finding them.

She explained that 19 yr old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev presented himself as "helpful to his mother" and family and daughter Alyssa wrote:

"Alyssa also stated that Tsarnaeva’s two daughters, one about 18, were both in arranged marriages. When one daughter brought her baby home, Dzhokhar would look after the boy.

Sometimes, on congested Norfolk Street, he would also go down to put the visitor-parking pass on her car window."

“Yes” she said, “I gave him my car keys.”

"Once Tsarnaeva took the parking pass out but “first put on a hijab,” 
Alyssa wrote, as she’d 
become increasingly religious mentioning Allah and
 the Koran between confessions of worry and
 arguments involving her older son, Tamerlan."

Does this new information lend to the evidence that those boys were taught religious extremism at home? It very well could be, but it  also very well could be that the brothers taught their mother that same religious extremism at home too. I'm not accusing anyone of anything here, but what I am saying is this:

A lot of the answers to all of the questions somehow must lie inside that 3rd floor apartment and the people who live there on Nolfolk Street in Cambridge.

I Am Boston

The Daily Dandy is back up!
Due to a password error, Google locked me out of my account.

And of all days???

Things here in Massachusetts today are best described as "intense".
I awoke to police warning residents of a community no more than 10 miles from my home, to "stay indoors". I posted on Facebook at 10;30 this am:

""The Commonwealth watches and waits" We are literally witnessing the largest police operation in the state's history in real time. I am unable to walk away from my TV , not quite sure if life should go on as usual just outside my front door. The threat so real, the communities are under lock down no more than 10 miles around me."


Today we are all Boston.

• My high school and college friends continue to text. 
• My family, we have been keeping tight grip on each other. 
• My blogger friends reach out via Facebook to make sure I am ok.

Today I am Boston:

• I am the mother of a daughter named Crystal: 29 year old Krystle Campbell.
• I am a Boston University graduate student; class of 2000: Lu Lingzi age 23, BU graduate student.
• I am the the mother of a young man who was once an 8 year old boy: Martin Richard of Dorchester.

May their innocent souls rest in peace.

At 2:07 pm, April 19th, 2013,I sit in my store and I wait, watch and listen to the TV news. Unable to do anything to help.

Just a witness to a bizarre piece of history.

Mumbled Messages

Remember Mumbles from Dick Tracy?

Mumbles was a Dick Tracy Character from the iconic Dick Tracy Cartoon who first debuted in the 40's. Quick bio: Mumbles was a gangster who was part of a quartet of musicians who committed crimes. Dick Tracy and the cops chased Mumbles and his gang for years. Mumbles did not have a speech impediment, but earned his nick name from using "sloppy speech".

Mumbles is also the nick name of the beloved Mayor of my fair City of Boston. Mayor Tom Menino has held his desk at city hall for 20 years. During that time, Mayor Menino would mix up and mash together certain names, words and constantly fumble minor facts into a bit of a jumble. The press would always have a field day, and they would play the video sound bites of his gaffe's on the radio and the TV news. Even the print papers would publish Mumbles "more infamous" blunders.

Flash forward to today:  So I'm reading my Boston Herald this morning and my favorite old Herald scribe hit me right between the eyes, as he has so many times before. His message powerful and sent clearly and articulately. I decided it was too good not to share here today. Quick Bio: Joe Fitzerald used to write sports, back in the day when Candy was a young and bright eyed journalism  undergraduate working at TV38. I read him every day. He has a knack for spinning a story and making you feel like you are having a conversation with him at the local diner counter over morning coffee. Joe was moved to the middle of the paper doing human interest stories about 5- 10 years ago. Joe recently lost his beloved wife of may years to Alzhimers at the age of 65 last October. He poignantly wrote about their life together.

The old Joe reared his head this morning with his message. You see, Joe is everybody's newspaper man, and even though Mayor Menino made embarrassing bumble and jumbles when talking, that's only a small part of the story of the man; the Mayor. Joe tells the story to not us, the Herald readership, but to his "pal Johnny", a sixth grader here in Boston.

I won't tell you everything, but I will share with you the words Joe printed of our imparting Mayor of Boston's wife, Angela Menino,

“Tommy’s always telling me, ‘Don’t worry about it.’ Even though he doesn’t show it, I know it has to hurt.

“When we were kids we all had something that other kids could pick on, remember? Maybe we had an accent, or wore glasses, or were fat. There was always someone eager to make fun of it. Me? I wore braces.

“I can still remember one bully who loved making fun of me. I tried to be a good sport and laugh along with everyone else, but I also remember how much it hurt inside. And that’s what I think of when I see what they do to Tommy.”

I encourage you to take a moment and click the link HERE to read Joe's column, because it's a great lesson in humility and compassion. Isn't it the responsibility of the press to tell a good story? One that has relevance and is inspiring? Mr Fitzgerald has a real knack for that. All good newspaper men do.

As for Mumbles? Don't worry about him. His record speaks ever so clearly for itself. He knows what's really important. It makes me think we all should.

He Said/She Said

Interesting stuff going on here in MA.

Convicted killer Michelle Kosilek, who at one time was Robert Kosliek, an MCI Norfolk inmate serving life for the 1992 strangling of his wife and disposing of her body in a North Attleboro mall, has spent many years waging a legal battle with the state to pay for a sex change operation. Kosilek's doctors have diagnosed the inmate with gender-identity disorder and say that his "mental illness" has caused him to attempt suicide and self castration. Those same doctors have prescribed gender reassignment surgery.

Yesterday, Kosilek scored a victory when US District Judge Mark Wolf ruled  that denying the surgery violates his Eight Amendment rights against cruel and unusual punishment and his/her right to adequate medical care.

"She really appreciates the careful consideration of the court and the respectful decision," said Kosilek attorney Frances S. Cohen.

But there are those who don't share in that appreciation.

State Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr said following the controversial ruling that it sets a bad precedent for future cases and is, "well beyond the scope of reason, and an unjustifiable expansion of the requirements of the Eight Amendment." Senator Scott Brown was more to the point calling it "an outrageous waste of taxpayers dollars." 

So the question lies in what constitutes "cruel and unusual punishment". Is it cruel to expect an inmate to serve his/her time trapped in the body of someone they are not? Or unusual for a "woman" to serve her time in the "male" inmate population when a 2009 University of California, Irvine study found that a transgendered inmate is 13 times more likely to be sexually assaulted.? Yet is it cruel and unusual to deny proper medical treatment to any inmate; transgendered or not?

Yesterday Kosilek scored a legal victory but I'm thinking this war is not over. Wether he gets his surgery or not,  20 years ago his wife Cheryl had no legal recourse when he chose to end her life. There was no appeal to Kosilek's ruling that he was going to kill her. No "careful consideration" to strangling her and dumping her body in a mall.

And all because he chose to utilize cruel and unusual punishment and murder her.

Kraft-y

So there's a HUGE bru-ha-ha going on here with the Patriots head poobah, Bob Kraft. Seems Mr. Kraft, he of the flawless PR, known in pro football and business circles as a King Midas of sorts, has until yesterday been literally untouchable. His organization, The New England Patriots, are one of the most successful NFL organizations in the league and Kraft has been credited with turning the Patriots into NFL gold.

All the while, Mr. Kraft and his family have been a public relations dream. His wife of 47 years, Myra, a well known and respected philanthropist, passed away last July after a valiant battle with cancer. At 71, Bob public mourned the "love of his life" and the 2011-2012 Patriots dedicated their season to their matriarch, Myra Kraft. Coverage of Myra's funeral was streaming live on almost every Boston news organization. Bottom line, if you are a Pat's fan, you mourned too.

So was it a surprise when Mr. Kraft was seen at a recent Celtics game squiring a 32 year old aspiring actor named Ricki Lander?

The answer to that question lies in your tolerance level for a proper period of mourning. Who's to say what's mournfully acceptable? And who really cares what their relationship is? Kraft publicly declared his young attendant a "pal" and that was enough for me.

That was all fine and well until yesterday.

That's when Bob Kraft "regretfully" joined the ranks of the creepy and the Kraft-y, although I'm sure this was "never his intention". A video with Ricki and Bobby (see what I did there?) was leaked to the press and instantly went mega viral. She in a bikini, and Bob in a casual sweater, can be seen reading lines from what is thought to be parts of the script from the upcoming Vince Vaughn/Owen Wilson movie called "The Interns". Word has it that Kraft intended the video audition for his "pal" to be seen by Vince Vaughn's eyes only but when something is just not right, and it's caught on film, it always jumps up to bite you in the proverbial ass. Doesn't it?

The video has since been removed by Fox, claiming ownership of it's content, and I did not see it, but plenty of people did and the reviews were not exactly stellar. I can only speculate at this point what the fallout will be, but  I do know that Mr. Kraft immediately released a statement to the press using the words "intention" and "regretfully" which is never a good thing.


“I tried to help Ricki prepare an audition tape for an upcoming Vince Vaughn/Owen Wilson comedy by reading Wilson’s lines,” Kraft said in a statement from the team. “I never intended that it would be made public and I regret that it has. I think we can all agree that Owen Wilson has nothing to worry about. I am going to stick to my day job.” 



At most, his intended humor serves to relay the message, "lighten up" people, I'm human, too.

Monday Mashup

• Yooouuuuuukkkk! We are going to miss you buddy. Always good for a big hit, the consummate Red Sox, your funky stance in the batters box was legendary. Thanks for the memories and the two World Championships you helped us get. You will always be welcome here. I don't believe any of the crap they are dishing out. When they say it's not personal, it's business, don't believe them. Valentine didn't like you. Salute to the skipper! Love you dude, Godspeed in Chicago. 

• Obama is in my hometown today! He is digging up cash for his campaign from the Richie Rich's that live in this town. Holy blue state! No check writing Democrat wants to forget that Gore lost New Hampshire in 2000. Obama's peeps are taking note and leaving no electoral vote stone unturned. If you've got $18,000.00 you too, can sit with Barry and Michelle for dinner. Any takers?

• Clint Eastwood's 18 year-old daughter is having sex with her boyfriend. Thank you Mrs. Eastwood and Company. I'm sure her father is thrilled that now the entire E watching world knows that.

• One week down in Uganda, and I haven't heard a word from Frack. They told us that no news is good news. I guess.

• Did Dr Oz just jump shark?And if he did I'm pissed about it. He has teamed up with Montel Williams to endorse these weight loss supplements and when I saw Montel on his show, Dr. Oz immediately lost credibility. So Montel is in great shape and he has written a few diet and exercise books, but isn't he the same guy who can get you a short term, cash advanced loan? Why should I believe him now just because Dr. Oz says so? I'm not buying it and Dr Oz just fell off the"his word is law" pedestal.