Best products from r/boston

You probably won't find someone to talk to you about feminism or BLM randomly in Starbucks, even in Harvard Square. Democracy center may be a good place, but I think the internet and books can be a pretty good source for to start with, so your in-person learning can be more meaningful for both you and the person who ends up taking the time to help you grow into it.


Feminism and BLM are both possible solutions to problems within society. Learning about the problems from the bottom up is a good way to have the necessary context to understand the movements.

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander is a must read. amazon link
Michelle also has a good bit of writing on the internet that is accessible.

Speaking of writers on the internet, the tireless journalism of Shaun King has had a real impact in bringing police injustice and BLM to the mainstream, so I think he is a good place to start, too. His Soul Snatchers series, particularly his most recent installment about the NYPD and Bronx DA's criminal conspiracy against Pedro Hernandez is a must read.

Feminism can be hard on the internet, too, because there are so many kinds/sects/schools of thought, but I think it's still a good place to start. I think a good launchpoint is from a context that is close to you, as a man. This guide to how feminism is relevant to men seems like a good starting point. From there, I think learning about feminism by reading articles from a feminist perspective might be a good approach. Academic analyses about feminism are boring and probably won't keep your interest. My favorite source as far as trans-inclusive, pro-gay, pro-safe space feminism is Autostraddle. Yes, it's heavy on queer lady content, but I think it's a good website with years and years and years of content so you can find things that interest you. The politics tab is probably a good place to start, as you can read about issues you may have already read about from mainstream sources, from a more casual and feminist lens.

Good luck.

That house will definitely give you some character! You will be a tough skinned, fast walking, don't talk to anyone you don't know New Englander in no time!

But seriously though, New England is one of the oldest European occupied locations in North America, we have some old friggin' houses and apartments here. I'm in Rhode Island, although I'm in Boston constantly, but same deal applies. Here are some pro-tips for surviving winter in really old houses.

First, get yourself some shrink wrap plastic for the windows, it's in your local hardware store and even Amazon has some. Don't put this up until at least mid-October though, we can get random 70-80F degree days through Oct. 31, doesn't happen constantly, but it happens. You also want to get some under the door draft stoppers. You can get them for all outside doors or just the door to your bedroom, either way they help.

Next, get yourself multiple layers of blankets for the bed. I do this so I can pull them off/layer them up when late fall/early winter nights spike 55 degrees one night and 25 degrees the next. So it's sheets first, then a thin blanket, then a full quilt and lastly, a thick blanket that sits at the foot of your bed that can be pulled up when freezing at night (or left to just warm your feet). I have a fake fur one that is really thick for the last layer of defense.

Last, dress yourself in warmer clothes! As you are Canadian, I'm sure you can manage this, even if you are from a milder city. But dressing warmly in your own house is the most critical. I have ultra winter lounge pants, these in fact, which are very expensive, but you don't need those in particularly, you can just find furry pants like those. Wear those and thick wool socks when in your house or even sleeping (if it's that cold, I can't sleep in pants personally). I will wear these with a fake fur lined hoodie when home, so if it's really freezing cold you can pull the hood up.

That should help some! Welcome to New England and go Blue Jays...next year we'll get 'em (ugh). I'm a native New Englander but lifelong Jays fan (long story).

Be honest with your spouse, but buy Moissanite, and save for your future together instead. Diamonds are evil in myriad ways.

It looks, feels, and performs just like a diamond, except it will have more fire/brilliance. If the purpose of this is to impress her friends, they will be impressed.

Edit: And I know you don't want to buy online, but just keep in mind what Moissanite costs when you shop in-store. Obviously the ring and labor to mount are extra.

https://www.amazon.com/Aryas-Moissanite-Pendant-Genuine-moissanite/dp/B07BTPSPKB/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Moissanite&qid=1563890442&s=gateway&sr=8-3&th=1

I moved up from the south 2 years ago and had the same questions for /r/boston


In typical fashion.......they did the same thing they are doing to you. Laughing, and being dicks instead of trying to help.

My place was old, the heaters were not working, and their were leaking windows everywhere. I bought this

Caulking Cord

and

window kit

and

Heater

I very legally could have gone to the housing authority and reported my landlord for the lack of adequate heating (and broken radiators) but decided that this stuff worked just fine. First winter I couldn't get the house above 62, and some rooms I am sure were much colder. The electric and gas bill was insane.

Second year we just don't even bother using the radiators at all, we use the space heater, a heating blanket, and sealed all the windows and doors (balcony) with that caulk. The house was still cold, but we were warm. This seems to be a common tactic up here, heat yourself not the house.

I also looked into buying one of these bed heater, but I don't want to sweat in the middle of the night and the bedroom is pretty easy to heat with that space heater.

Good luck. Also, most people up here can be dicks when it comes to heating/cold complaints. Just sit back and laugh at what these people call a severe thunderstorm, most of them would shit their pants if they ever experienced a regular summer storm in the south.

Dark Tide is a great book all about the flood and why it happened, both the science and the politics.

Also, the notion that "for nearly 100 years, the Great Molasses Flood has remained a great mystery," is pretty far off the mark.

I 100% agree with your argument about false statistical certainty - this is a tactic people have been using more and more because precision is commonly mis-identified as certainty. Donald Shoup, the great parking policy professor from UCLA, outlines this as a major issue in his parking policy bible and how our entire country's parking volume recommendations and requirements are based on absurdly precise conclusions from statistically insignificant sample sizes.

I guess the only reason I'm taking the time to respond is because of this assumption:

>the total number of rides Uber gets from poorer neighborhoods is much lower than regular cab requests

I challenge this because I'm not sure if you're assuming that people in poorer neighbourhoods don't have smartphones, which is not true. In fact, the biggest reason transit agencies have been able to justify their push for smartphone-based tracking apps is that smartphone use and ownership is more or less equal across incomes and respectably high with low income riders. The only dimension that really varies in smartphone use is age.(Looking for citation - I read this in a report from the NYU Rudin Transportation Policy Center, but they've recently re-arranged their web site.)

Nevertheless, it stands to reason that we may not be getting quite an accurate or fair statistical analysis of the situation, but it certainly does feel like Uber is providing better service. In the least it is much more transparent about costs and has much more granular data available for it to mine.

Black Mass is literally about Bulger & the FBI. Might as well start with that since that's the movie Depp is filming in town. If you're into that stuff, Rat Bastards. is supposed to be great, though I didn't read, my old man loved it.

William Martin has some fabulous fiction books that weave in historical narrative with the story (generally the main characters point out facts or recall specific historical events in trying to solve clues, much like National Treasure, but with historical accuracy).

Back Bay is an excellent example: http://amzn.com/0446363162

A lot of great thinking on urban parking including the cost it adds to development and the ramifications for livable cities was collected in the book [The High Cost of Free Parking](https://www.amazon.com/High-Cost-Free-Parking-Updated/dp/193236496X). It is a thick tome, but it was suggested to me on reddit and reading it completely changed my view on parking regulations.

​

And shared use parking is a theme of some of the chapters. I think it's usually discussed in shared parking for multiple businesses that have different hours rather than apartments and businesses just because the businesses and residences are frequently in different areas.

Don't forget folks, it's now legal to purchase pepper spray in Massachusetts without a license. I think a riot control sized can such as this: https://www.amazon.com/Brand-Defense-Pepper-Spray-Magnum/dp/B06XYWPWTD would fit in a water bottle holder just perfect!

They're not. People's incomes might not have kept up, but the actual cost of free parking (and yes, read the book) is too much.

Streetcar Suburbs (https://www.amazon.com/Streetcar-Suburbs-Process-Growth-1870-1900/dp/0674842111) is great, as is Building a New Boston (https://www.amazon.com/Building-New-Boston-Politics-1950-1970/dp/155553161X/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=building+new+boston+o%27connor&qid=1550241464&s=books&sr=1-1-fkmrnull), which covers "urban renewal" in Boston starting in the late 30s up through the Kevin White administration in the 70s.

Boston's Back Bay (https://www.amazon.com/s?k=9781555536510&i=stripbooks&linkCode=qs) is another good book about that particular project.

I've had good luck with this one, although I got it at $50. Very simple, it just works. I've had it in use for about 6 hours a day for a year now. I recommend that you take the time to run the power wire behind your headliner rather than just have the cord dangling all the time.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DLWBPCA/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I got this book recently and it’s pretty amazing!


50 Hikes in Eastern Massachusetts (fifth) (Explorer's 50 Hikes) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1682683524/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_-AYKDbBMH1D46

>Does not have the day/night switch. Objects in mirror are closer than they appear to be. Marked for off-road use only.

Better choice:

5-Panel Wink rear-view mirrors have been used in car racing for decades. They have the advantage of not distorting distances, so approach speed and distance can be better judged.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00699X2H4

Is there any particular reason why you need to get these Forever shark stamps from the Chatham Shark Center? Is it decked out in an exclusive packaging? If you can't find someone to help you get it on time, just go to your local USPS office / store to get the regular sheet of shark stamps (I think I'm going to use these stamps on Xmas cards this year) - https://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2017/pr17_031.htm

Have you tried contacting their gift store about their shark plushie? A lot of stores take orders via phone.
http://www.atlanticwhiteshark.org/shop/

I think the shark plushie that they sell is made by Aurora World: https://www.amazon.com/Samuel-Shark-Mini-Flopsie-Aurora/dp/B000HP0F30/ref=sr_1_2?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1501907953&sr=1-2&keywords=Aurora+shark

If you dig that, you'll enjoy this: https://www.amazon.com/Mapping-Boston-Press-Alex-Krieger/dp/0262611732/

Been one of my coffeetable books since forever, and I'm glad to see it's still in print.

[Edit. Oh, and Amazon reminds me I should read https://www.amazon.com/Gaining-Ground-History-Landmaking-Boston/dp/0262534835/ some day.]

It's not cold in Boston, but it will be cold in Boston. You're going to love January and February.

Also, you need to get window plastic. I live in an old Somerville house with old wooden drafty windows. The plastic and the putty/clay are key. See:

http://www.amazon.com/Duck-281506-10-Window-Insulator-420-Inch/dp/B002GKC2GW/
http://www.amazon.com/Frost-King-B2-Caulking-19-ounce/dp/B000LNODSQ/

Oh, ok! One of the easiest ways to winterize drafty windows is to get the plastic shrink-wrap stuff at a hardware store, something like this.

Gaining Ground: A History of Landmaking in Boston would be a nice coffee table selection that also happens to give an exhaustive history of how our city's crazy geography developed. A good choice for anyone new to the city who's interested in the history as well as learning to orient themselves.

Not solely focused on Boston but certainly has a major role in the book:

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Flags-Blue-Waters-Notorious/dp/1631492101

Finished it this summer, highly recommend.

If you want an easy way to increase your situational awareness, spend $9 on a clip-on wide-angle mirror.

If you want to be more hardcore, spend $19 on a 5-panel mirror, which doesn't distort distances.

Black Mass by Dick Lehr is a good start. I actually preferred Kevin Cullen and Shelley Murphy's Whitey Bulger (thought it did a better job of exploring the web of FBI and federal corruption) but both are worthy of a read.

Back Bay by William Martin is sorta like a more-believable da vinci code set in historical and modern Boston. I enjoyed it a lot: https://www.amazon.com/Back-Bay-William-Martin/dp/0446363162

> I think the shark plushie they sell is made Aurora World: https://www.amazon.com/Samuel-Shark-Mini-Flopsie-Aurora/dp/B000HP0F30/ref=sr_1_2?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1501907953&sr=1-2&keywords=Aurora+shark

Great eye! That's def the same one.

http://www.amazon.com/Gaining-Ground-History-Landmaking-Boston/dp/0262194945

this is a pretty good book. I am sure your local library has a copy

I had to read Political Waters for a class in college and ended up really enjoying the historical perspective of the region that it provided. Although it might be too "dry" for the average reader, as some of the reviews point out...

https://www.amazon.com/Political-Waters-Contentious-Incredibly-Environmental/dp/1558494456#customerReviews

I would recommend this one for $70 based on personal experience. It's not fun to have to remember to recharge a battery, this one is constantly powered and looks clean if you run the wire behind interior panels.

I've always wanted this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Gaining-Ground-History-Landmaking-Boston/dp/0262194945

Even the few pages you can preview are fascinating.

You can read to book dark tide if you want more info.
It would probably make a good movie actually...
https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tide-Great-Boston-Molasses/dp/0807050210

If you are in an apartment you may not have some of the options for winterproofing that people are outlining below. Get to Home Depot or your local hardware store and look for Window Insulators or weather kits. Something like this kit. Basically it's a sheet of plastic that you tape to the edges of your window and seal/smooth with a hair dryer. I've had to do this in my apartments and it makes an IMMENSE difference if you have drafty windows. Be careful when removing them in the spring so you don't pull off paint.

> As of right now, the past Obama administration and even the Trump administration the only illegals that being deported are those whom are committing crimes.

"Crimes" are different for people who are white and people who aren't white.

You should check out The New Jim Crow. I doubt you will though, you clearly don't seem like the person interested in knowing about things before you spoke.

You may be interested in the book Mapping Boston.

http://www.amazon.com/Mapping-Boston-Alex-Krieger/dp/0262611732/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414183559&sr=8-1&keywords=mapping+boston

For anyone who hasn't read it, Dark Tide is a great book that goes into depth about the lead up, accident, and aftermath.

http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tide-Great-Boston-Molasses/dp/0807050210

[Dark Tide] (http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tide-Great-Boston-Molasses/dp/0807050210)

also [The Dante Club] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dante_Club) is a lighter fiction based book in boston

This one too:

http://www.amazon.com/Mapping-Boston-Alex-Krieger/dp/0262611732/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1346441847&sr=1-1&keywords=mapping+boston

Dark Tide
http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tide-Great-Boston-Molasses/dp/0807050210

You can get the landlord to help you out, although it might be like pulling teeth. My suspicion is that they'll come in, crank the heat to 80 with your bedroom door open, go into your room, measure the temperature, and tell you to quit whining. Obviously, living without privacy and/or with the rest of your roomies' living in a tropical sauna isn't the best plan.

Some self-help techniques that might solve the problem for now would include (plastic-ing over the windows)[http://www.amazon.com/3M-Indoor-Window-Insulator-5-Window/dp/B00002NCJI] or getting a space heater for your room.

Actually it’s a pretty half-assed article. Great subject, but the so-called mystery is pure hype. The only revelation, and it’s not much of one, is offering an explanation of the speed that the molasses traveled. But the rest — why the tank collapsed, how people died (duh!), etc. — is explained in detail in “Dark Tide,” a very good book on the subject. Rather shoddy reporting on the part of the Times to be unaware of the book’s existence. But then there wouldn’t have been a “mystery” to write about.

https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tide-Great-Boston-Molasses/dp/0807050210/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1480173259&sr=1-2&keywords=dark+tide