Boston real estate developer begs for open Cuba

by Tom Johansmeyer on

“Whatever motivated the original break in the U.S.-Cuban relations,” Boston real estate developer Don Chiofaro wrote in a Saturday op-ed piece in the Boston Herald, “it is incomprehensible to me why it continues.” I guess he’s unfamiliar with the Cuban missile crisis and the fear of communism that pervaded the United States while he was growing up.

The topic of Cuba has come up a few times on the pages of Gadling over the past few weeks – and for good reason. Foreign visitors do find the country to be safe, and many have a great time visiting there. Cigar smokers (among which I count myself) eagerly await the day that the borders open and all those illicit Montecristos become legit. More than 45 years have past since the embargo was implemented, and a lot has changed. But, we need to be a tad realistic about the situation.

Cuba is still plagued by an abysmal human rights record, and many Cuban-Americans remember this aspect of their earlier lives without a shred of fondness. The company is ruled not by the vote of the people (even indirectly, as democracy functions up here) but by a single voice that mixes dictatorship with signs of royalty – just note that Fidel Castro turned control of the country over to his brother, Raul.

I’m not supporting the embargo, which I do suspect is anachronistic, but I do suggest that serious thought must be applied to U.S. policy. We need to do more than rely on the observations of a Boston businessman who took advantage of a boondoggle from friends in high places.

More realistically, Chiofaro is stinging from battles with Boston’s mayor, Tom Menino, and still hasn’t fully recovered from the near loss of his prized International Place towers back in 2004 and 2005. Or, the promise of land to be developed has probably caught his eye. Either way, he’s talking without thinking again, as he did when he referred to New York-based property development firm Tishman Speyer as a “gang of pirates.”

C’mon, Don. A builder should know the value of being “constructive.”

[Via Boston Herald]

Art museum to close and all paintings sold: Another economic fallout

by Jamie Rhein on

The Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University in Waltham Massachusetts is in danger of being closed and all its paintings sold as a way to pump up its endowment. From reading the story in the New York Times, it seems this is another fallout to partially attribute to Bernard Madoff who ran the Ponzi scheme that snagged rich folks (and the rest of us) in its disastrous financial net. Because donors are hurting, they’re tightening their purse strings, thus they are not giving as much money–if at all.

Universities and colleges that rely on donors to keep their endowments bolstered are needing to find new ways to make ends meet. Brandeis has cast its eye on its vast collection of art that includes works by Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. The collection, in a good economy, could fetch up to $400 million. In this economy, the total may not come close to that at all.

The university’s board is not happy with the plan–they weren’t consulted about the decision, and it’s not even clear if closing the museum and selling the artwork is legal. Either one depends on the agreements made when the museum opened and when donations were given. There is a fear that this museum’s closing may signal other universities to follow suit. What a shame.

Personally, I hope this doesn’t set off a trend. University art museums are some of the more interesting places to see art and they are often free–or if not free, very inexpensive. Also, what does this mean for people who are looking for places to donate art?

Interestingly, an exhibit that opened at the museum on January 15 is called “Saints and Sinners.” Kind of fitting for the times, I think. The painting in the photo is by Hans Hoffman, an American abstract painter. Several of his works, never seen before in the U.S., are also on exhibit until April 5.

Drink makes you sing for your spirits

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Get what you want, even if you have no idea what you need. That’s the point of Drink, it seems, a new bar in Boston. The bartenders are expected to figure out what’s ailing you and fix the situation with a carefully concocted cocktail.

Strangely, there is no menu. If you tend to scan (or scour) the list at your local dive, Drink will jar your system. Instead of reading and deciding, you’ll actually have to communicate with somebody. You form a relationship with your bartender, telling him what you’re feeling, what you like and how you want it.

So, instead of thinking about what you normally shove down your throat to the cheers of the crowd, focus on your thoughts. Think about your day and the mindset in which it has left you. Share this with your mixologist, and enjoy the cure.

[Via The Atlantic]

Woman gives birth over Atlantic on New Year’s Eve

by Tom Johansmeyer on

On a flight from Amsterdam to Boston, USA Today reports that a woman of unknown nationality (though probably American or Dutch) gave birth to a Canadian while in flight. The miracle of international airspace is responsible for the citizenship, though it did not cause the underlying birth.

There is no word on whether Northwest Airlines charged for the extra carry-on that materialized while Flight 59 was in the air, but it’s likely they showed a bit of goodwill.

A doctor and paramedic helped deliver the baby girl in Canadian airspace over the Atlantic Ocean, which accounts for the extra dose of citizenship the new kid receives. When the plane touched down at 10:30 AM yesterday, mother and child were rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Update available! Learn more here.

[Via USA Today]

King bed comes with wheels at some hotels

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Hotels naturally have trouble going green. Think about the really granular details of how they operate; there’s a lot that you might miss. How often do you see a bar of soap you used once replaced with a new one? Rolls of toilet paper are swapped when only a fraction is used. You have the option to use sheets or towels more than once, but the choice is yours … and how often to you choose to shower green? Nonetheless, some properties are making progress.

Several hotels are now offering two wheels instead of four. The Bowery Hotel in New York, Gansevoort South in Miami, James Chicago and Element in Lexington, MA have picked up stylish bicycles to entice guests to pedal rather than drive. Bikes from Jamis and Trek are included in this fusion of social responsibility and conspicuous luxury. Gansevoort, committed to matching the bikes’ aesthetic with that of its Miami backdrop, has opted for bikes from Puma-that glow in the dark.

Of course, the biggest problem that environmentally-friendly programs face is behavior. Hotels are loathe to force guests to change their behavior. And, who can blame them? No company wants to roll the dice on customers’ willingness to adapt. So far, the results seem positive. Element has had to order another nine Trek hybrids.

The jury’s still out, but let’s all cast a vote for pushing pedals.