http://www.misstropolis.com/index.php/culture/ en hmilller04@aol.com Copyright 2010 2010-01-14T18:22:18-05:00 http://www.misstropolis.com/index.php/arts/academy-of-the-pacific-rim-what-earnest-learning-looks-like/ http://www.misstropolis.com/index.php/arts/academy-of-the-pacific-rim-what-earnest-learning-looks-like/#When:18:22:18Z When author Heather Miller went looking for the best prep school for her son, she never imagined there might be one quietly turning urban education on its head in unassuming Hyde Park. Heather describes the magic she witnessed in the assemblies and classrooms of the Academy of the Pacific Rim. Re-published for another look at an incredible school.Last fall, with my 14 year old son in tow, I toured some of New England’s most prestigious private schools searching for the best educational environment (that would accept him). We looked at Andover, Choate, and Phillips Academy; every weekend driving to another fabled campus. Little did I know that I was overlooking one of the most impressive schools in the area - that some of the most imaginative teaching and progressive curriculum initiatives can be found at a charter school in Hyde Park, Boston. culture 2010-01-14T18:22:18-05:00 http://www.misstropolis.com/index.php/arts/new-year-new-you-new-pole-dancing-routine/ http://www.misstropolis.com/index.php/arts/new-year-new-you-new-pole-dancing-routine/#When:15:29:55Z Designer, style icon and modern embodiment of Girl Power, Hadley Pollet sets trends but never follows them. Her famous zinia belts were just a window into the offbeat, colorful vision she has of the world, a vision that extends beyond fashion into lifestyle. In her new piece for Misstropolis, Hadley extols the virtues of swinging way outside one’s comfort zone into the realms of red light district fun. You too can dance around a pole, dancing out of a rutt and into inspiration. This new year, surprise yourself and everyone around you by trying something outrageous. You could see 2010 from a whole new angle.When I jokingly asked my boyfriend if he “would like a pole” for Christmas, I never thought he’d light up SO much. “A pole?” he gasped. “Did you say a pole?  Say it again – a pole? Say it again…say it again…say it again!!”  Immediately I became drenched in fear. HELP - I’m going to have to do this. Clearly he would LOVE this and what’s better than giving your man what he loves on Christmas? For a man who’s impossible to buy for, this was the best present I could give. I guess if you ask any guy if he wants you to transform into a dancing sex kitten for his Christmas he’s gonna say YES.  culture 2010-01-06T15:29:55-05:00 http://www.misstropolis.com/index.php/arts/new-years-2010-celebrate-in-style/ http://www.misstropolis.com/index.php/arts/new-years-2010-celebrate-in-style/#When:14:33:29Z I love T.S. Eliot’s idea that “... to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.” We start now at the end of 2009 to make a new beginning in 2010. Oh, the wide open opportunities ahead! But first, First Night. Whether you love New Year’s Eve or absolutely hate it, there are options galore in and around Boston. To celebrate the coming of 2010 your own special way, check out writer and girl about town Marie Claire Rochat’s carefully curated list of ideas. Happy, happy new year from all of us here at Misstropolis. Someone famous once said, “Many Americans no longer celebrate the arrival of the New Year – they celebrate the survival of the old year.” If ever that was true, there is a real good possibility that it is the case, for a lot of people, anyway, this year. It’s been a tough one, economically speaking, but many are telling us that the recession is behind us, that better times are ahead. Okay, then, let’s celebrate. And let’s start with Night One, New Year’s Eve, 2010. culture 2009-12-29T14:33:29-05:00 http://www.misstropolis.com/index.php/arts/12-days-holiday-gift-guide-post-390/ http://www.misstropolis.com/index.php/arts/12-days-holiday-gift-guide-post-390/#When:15:40:31Z Post 390 is hotter than hot. The Kennth Himmel restaurant and bar, occupying two open, dramatic floors of the former Back Bay Post Office Annex is on everyone’s lips and everyone’s go-back-again-soon list. John Ross takes inspiration from the enormous windows, fantastic views, sexy bars and inspired menu for a last minute gift guide that will keep your spirits bright.Post 390 is hotter than hot. The Kennth Himmel restaurant and bar, occupying two open, dramatic floors of the former Back Bay Post Office Annex is on everyone’s lips and everyone’s go-back-again-soon list. John Ross takes inspiration from the enormous windows, fantastic views, sexy bars and inspired menu for a last minute gift guide that will keep your spirits bright. culture 2009-12-21T15:40:31-05:00 http://www.misstropolis.com/index.php/arts/12-days-holiday-gift-guide-scampo/ http://www.misstropolis.com/index.php/arts/12-days-holiday-gift-guide-scampo/#When:03:08:06Z When Lydia Shire’s name is on a restaurant, the world takes notice. The creative genius has won almost every culinary award possible, including the James Beard. Her latest, the oh so au courant Scampo on the first floor of the Liberty Hotel elevates Italian to new heights of sexy sophistication. The key? Unexpected menu items, food that is fun to share and important contributions from the culinary traditions of Italy’s exotic neighbors. Awarded Best of Boston 2009 for Late-Night Dining, Scampo’s red hot reputation is reflected in gift guide no.3 three by John Ross.I always enjoy the lofty spectacle that awaits after stepping off the short escalator ride to the central atrium of the Liberty hotel: the soaring 90 foot high ceiling, the super—sized ocular windows and the tiered chandeliers comprised of wrought iron bands that mimic the multiple levels of catwalk bordering the expansive room.  The setting is almost enough to make me want to stay and linger at the bar, drink in hand, with the stylish crowd.  But drinks and stylish Bostonions only carry so much weight when innovative Italian deliciousness beckons so I take in the view and turn right back around and step on that short escalator back down to Lidia Shire’s Scampo nestled on the first floor. culture 2009-11-30T03:08:06-05:00 http://www.misstropolis.com/index.php/arts/jonathan-adlers-radical-happy-chic/ http://www.misstropolis.com/index.php/arts/jonathan-adlers-radical-happy-chic/#When:17:07:41Z “Why the hell wouldn’t you want to be one of the fabulous people, the life enhancers, the people who look interesting and smell luscious and who dare to be gorgeously more fascinating than their neighbors?“ Simon Doonan asks in Eccentric Glamour. Right on, answers Doonan’s husband, the equally accomplished Jonathan Adler, with the opening of his new boutique on Newbury Street in Boston last week. A rebel in a yellow tweed coat, Adler boldly resists the bleak sentiments of our current cultural climate. His “happy chic” philosophy combats fatique, depression and boredom with the status quo and it is available now at 129 Newbury Street. *Read on for a special holiday offer only for Misstropolis readers! Stepping into his new boutique on Newbury Street in downtown Boston, you might not immediately think of Jonathan Adler as a rebel. Outrageous perhaps, bold, wild, optimistic. But there’s a glee about the store that seems almost forbidden. It’s like stepping into a speakeasy during prohibition - is it legal to have this much fun, you wonder. Should I really feel this happy? You might get drunk on all the color. It hits you like the fragrance from a lilac bush in bloom, flowing from shelves of pottery, piles of pillows, books of wallpaper. And that’s when the rebel idea hits. With all this optimism, all this joi de vivre, it seems Adler couldn’t possibly be buying into the doomsday sentiments of the times, the determinations of the daily news. He couldn’t possibly believe only prescription drugs can lead in these tough times to happiness, be practicing the restraint characteristic of even the fiercest fashionistas. No, the longer one stays in Adlers store and experiences his unapologetic miliu, the more obvious it becomes that Adler is as much a rebel as Marilyn Manson or Courtney Love or Sid Vicious or any dark angel of anarchy. culture 2009-11-16T17:07:41-05:00 http://www.misstropolis.com/index.php/arts/containers-to-clinics-launch-event-at-the-ica/ http://www.misstropolis.com/index.php/arts/containers-to-clinics-launch-event-at-the-ica/#When:18:07:13Z Oprah is dying to get them on her show. The Wall Street Journal is calling. Major corporations are donating goods and services. Museums even see them as worthy of exhibition. Dover based Containers to Clinics has found a solution and the world is taking notice. By applying their own intelligent design to global health - the issue people like Bill Gates identify as a universal priority - C2C is poised to make an enormous difference to women and children in poor countries. Sign up to attend the November 16th Launch Party and Clinic Display at the ICA Boston and prepare yourself to be transported. We hope to see you there.Containers 2 Clinics (C2C) retrofits portable shipping containers into health clinics with high-quality equipment, medicines and medical staff. The clinics are transported to underserved areas of the developing world to administer primary healthcare to women and children. The pilot program will send a container clinic to the Dominican Republic. But first, see the incredible design first at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston. Read on for more details. culture 2009-10-30T18:07:13-05:00 http://www.misstropolis.com/index.php/arts/rolfing-is-back/ http://www.misstropolis.com/index.php/arts/rolfing-is-back/#When:00:48:45Z Rolfing is back.  A classic alternative health therapy with roots in yoga and sixties mind body experiences, Rolfing, as Structural Integration is commonly known, is heading toward the mainstream as an effective solution to healing injuries and reforming chronically bad posture.Rolfing is back.  Well known to yogis, pilates instructors and alternative health devotees, Rolfing, also known as structural integration, is returning and this time may be just what the doctor ordered. Oprah’s Dr. Oz  recently featured Rolfing and bestowed it with Oprah’s Golden Seal of Approval, promoting what competitive athletes, actors and musicians have long known about this intense form of body work.  Rolfing has helped performers such as the skater Elvis Stojko, actor LeVar Burton and pianist Leon Fleisher to alleviate chronic muscle pain, heal injuries and continue to do the things they love.  The benefits often extend far beyond postural improvements with clients reporting that somatic realignment enhances the mind body connection,  improves self esteem and produces a powerful sense of well being. culture 2009-09-12T00:48:45-05:00 http://www.misstropolis.com/index.php/arts/fang-festish-a-party-for-those-whose-blood-is-true/ http://www.misstropolis.com/index.php/arts/fang-festish-a-party-for-those-whose-blood-is-true/#When:17:06:05Z Join us mere mortals at District on Saturday, August 29 for a party celebrating the goosebumps, the glory and the gore that is HBO’s TRUE BLOOD.  Don your fangs, sip V cocktails out of vials, and see how hot blooded a night with vampires can be! Exclusive VIP offer for Misstropolis members. Check it out now!Bloody Brilliant!  Fang Fetish at District: A Red Hot Party in Honor of True Blood. culture 2009-08-17T17:06:05-05:00 http://www.misstropolis.com/index.php/arts/seven-pleasures/ http://www.misstropolis.com/index.php/arts/seven-pleasures/#When:02:34:27Z Steering clear of formulaic advice and preachy promises, Willard Spiegelman reflects on his profound experiences with seven common pursuits. “We should not overly lament life’s ordinary disappointments, but we must celebrate… its ordinary pleasures. If we are lucky, these will suffice.“ Critic Susan Graage examines the author’s claim that certain activities - reading, walking, looking, dancing, listening, swimming, and writing - can transport us, help us lose ourselves, and breed a special kind of happiness.If you have finally settled into a more relaxed pace this summer and are ready to power down another notch, now is a good time to consider Willard Spiegelman’s Seven Pleasures: Essays on Ordinary Happiness. The too smug title doesn’t do the book justice; Spiegelman’s hybrid memoir about his own lifelong hobbies turns out to be a sublime meditation on seven gratis common pursuits open to everyone. culture 2009-07-28T02:34:27-05:00