Author: dotrat

The Black Ghost…

Like most Americans, I can recall my first car like it was yesterday. My 1965 Chevy Caprice was immaculate and I knew every corner of it. Her name was Millie, named after my aunt Mildred who left the car to my dad when she passed 

Please welcome Babe Mannion’s…

Well, Adam’s Corner is about to get it’s very own Irish Shoppe. Babe Mannion’s is set to open this week…. The same gal that supplies yours truly with the best scally caps on the planet, Bridgett Nee Walsh, owner of Southie’s Own on Broadway will 

The legend of Quincy Quarries

Happy Holidays folks – I had to take a minute and share this video put together by Sean Curran. We all have stories about the quarries but this 45 minute video pieces the history together quite well.

Help the Dot House & BMC

Whats up people? Long time no speak. Kind of a crazy few months have passed since I last wrote and I’m still trying to process it all. I’m a fan of science as some of you may have gathered over the years. I enjoy my 

Really? Bike Lanes?

The majority of those who use the roads do so by using motor vehicles. They pay for those roads to by means of vehicle sales tax, tolls, excise tax, gas tax, registration fees, title fees and sales tax on vehicle maintenance. How is taking a 

It’s Irishman day!

These days we are absolutely saturated with media. Every time I reach into my forkin pocket to answer a call or text I find myself cutting through three or four pitches to watch this or listen to that. First world problems for sure but, it’s rare for me to get excited for a movie the way I once did from all this sensory overload. Don’t even get me started on how advertisers have crashed the keg party that was once commercial free internet video. That was until about a year back, when I first caught wind of The Irishman.

Don’t front, you know you have a half a chub. Why wouldn’t you? Frank Sheeran, Jimmy Hoffa and Russ Bufalino being portrayed by the most epic cast ever assembled, directed by one of the greatest directors in history?

Here’s todays plan for this one:

  • I’m taking my god damn pants off ….
  • I’m putting on the most ridiculous turkey hat I can find…
  • The phone will be shut off for 3 and half hours…
  • A small cooler full of drinks and a sandwich will set up next to my couch….I’m not moving.

Now that I have painted that picture in your head, I hope you get to unplug for a while this week, preferably with friends or family. Try not to think about work, money or appointments for a while and be thankful for all the little things we often overlook. Like having the freedom to sit on the couch with no pants watching movies 😁.

God bless America!

Sup…

Yup, I’m alive. How have all you knuckleheads been? I’m sitting here watching Dolomite on Netflix pondering why Eddie Murphy has been away for so long and then said to myself “ya got alotta balls taking Eddie’s inventory for a guy that hasn’t written anything 

The Third Industrial Revolution: A Radical New Sharing Economy

Doesn’t matter which side of the isle you sit on or where the roots of your belief system lie, Jeremy Rifkin does an impressive job conceptualizing both historical and current data trends  while laying out a vision for our next few generations. If for nothing 

Globe Spotlight Censors Race Discussion…

Over the years some of you have probably gathered that my politics lean left. This set of ideals in no way defines the person I am. To me, the politics of the left make just seem to make more sense but, I’m not oblivious to all that is wrong with the Democratic party, namely it’s propensity to be overly sensitive pussies when tackling tough social issues.

Enter the Boston Globe’s Spotlight team who, a few days back, started to release a series of articles to shed light on racism in Boston.

As part of this Spotlight series, the team at the Globe decides to set up a Facebook group for folks to join and actively discuss racism in Boston. Quite honestly, I’m jealous I didn’t come up with the idea.

This group could be something that could be quite valuable and as a Dorchester kid, I can bring some perspective to the table based on my own experiences…….right? So I try and start a discussion….and it went like this.

Knowing that the Globe is bursting at the seams with young liberal transplants trying to make their mark I decide to screenshot what I wrote because I had this strange feeling someone over there would try and censor it…..and that’s exactly what they did.

I have lived my life among black folks. Not once did I ever get the impression that I needed to give any of them the kid-glove treatment. As a matter of fact I wouldn’t want them to be insulted by such treatment….ethnicity aside it tends to make any conversation f*cking awkward.

What do you think? Should I be pissed that I’m being censored by a celebrated Boston publication operating under the guise of the first amendment? Would my statements really “derail the convo” or is Mr. Woodward doing the group a disservice by insulating a racism discussion group from an actual discussion about racism? Keep in mind this group is 4 days old…

Why doesn’t my experience stand for something? Why can’t a lesson be learned from it?

Five Bostons – Irish East

What’s up knuckleheads? Long time no blogging, huh? Life is good, just living the dream. So I was trolling old footage of the neighborhoods and ran into this old piece called Five Bostons from 1983 done by Chris Lydon. Great perspective as we watch the