A Survey of the Commonwealth’s Cupcakes

A cupcake from Party Favors
A cupcake from Party Favors

So, I’ve made my decision and I’m announcing it here.  I am going to conduct a survey of cupcakes in Massachusetts.  Many people know that I think the cupcake is the perfect desert.  I’ve thought this for quite some time, long before the recent cupcake craze hit the nation.  Long before Carrie made Magnolia’s a cupcake bonanza (although those cupcakes are delicious).  I am quite the fan of the cupcake, and i’ve decided to seek out cupcakes across the Commonwealth and report my findings back on this very blog.  Just Giblets indeed!

This has been at the back of my mind for a while, and Scot has encouraged me to do it as well, but I think it really crystalized for me at BookExpoAmerica in L.A. this past May.  Daniel and Heidi are friends of mine from the Midwest who are in the publshing/bookselling industry.  I get to see them every year at BEA and met up with them for dinner and general running around in L.A. this past May.  What I didn’t get to do, is go with them to Sprinkles Cupcakes in Beverly Hills, which they visited that afternoon mere hours before meeting me, and proceeded to rave about off and on for the rest of the night.  Could they have brought me along?  Sure.  Did they?  I’m guessing you’ve guessed that they did not.  You have guessed correctly.  Am I bitter?  A little, but I still love them and have almost forgiven them.  Had they known about my sheer unadulterated devotion to the cupcake, I’m sure this wouldn’t have happened, hence my public search for the best cupcake in Massachusetts.

Before I begin, I will need to develop a set of criteria, which I will work on soon and post here.  Then I need to find the cupcakes.  Some I already know about, like the divine confections at Brookline’s Party Favors, and the scrumptuous cupcake deserts at Geoffrey’s.  Many I will have to discover along the way.  If you know of anyplace that has a cupcake worth tasting, please let me know.  And for those of you fellow cupcake aficianados, please visit Sprinkle’s Cupcake’s website and vote for their next location to be in Boston!

A Day I’m Glad to Celebrate!

Scottie and Peter Pan

Scottie’s got a lot to crow about, because unlike his buddy Peter Pan, Scottie is an adorable, whip-smart, compassionate, intelligent man who is celebrating his birthday today.  And I’m the lucky guy who gets to celebrate it with him.  I love you, Scottie.  Happy Birthday!

Should I feel a certain way about this?

So, Neil Patrick Harris is gay.  We all know this.  We all know that he’s also one of our current “it boys” — seemingly able to do no wrong whether he’s playing straight on TV (How I Met Your Mother) or at the movies (Harold & Kumar) or doing the song and dance thing with Joss Whedon (Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog) or whatever he wants to do.  So why is there now this little backlash over at Gawker stating that’s he’s “too straight?”  More, why am I hearing about it for the first time on one of my comics blogs where the Occasional Superheroine takes issues with Gawker’s post?  Both sides actually have merit to their argument, and I am at a loss as to where I fall.  Guess it depends on the time of day.  Bravo for Mr. Harris’ success, and it’s always nice to see more successful gay people in the entertainment business.    And come on, he looks pretty hot on that Out Magazine cover.

What will they think of next?, or the lengths marketers will go to…

Balla PowderAs you’ve probably noticed, I don’t post as much as Scottie does, but every once in a while I see something that I just have to share.

First there was Vulva (totally not safe for work, but truly a must-see website.  Don’t skip the video) the original scent of a woman… and now we’ve got Bálla powder, on sale at, of all places, Amazon.com (you know, the online bookstore?)  This talc powder is designed to keep your scrotum silky-dry, smooth, and fresh-smelling.  Really.  Now I’m a fan of a dry, smooth, aromatic scortum as much as the next guy, but I’m not sure if a special powder is needed to do the job.  Here are a couple of excerpts from the product features list on its Amazon page:

  • For “nether region” freshness
  • Also great for sweaty buttocks, armpits and feet

Better yet, here’s the product description from Amazon:

Balla Powder for Men is the ideal anti-chafing and anti-wetness solution for clammy sacks. Guaranteed to prevent the dreaded “bat wing” syndrome, Balla Powder for Men is lightly scented with a masculine fragrance, for anyone else who plans to work in your close quarters. Can be sprinkled into your fudgies for all-day-long comfort and dryness. A fabulous post-workout treatment, Balla Powder for Men can also be used between your cheeks, as well as on fetid feet and aromatic armpits.

Tell me truly, do you spend a lot of time worrying about the dreaded “bat wing” syndrome?  And what’s the matter with good old baby powder if this is really an issue?  Of course, this product does come in original, fragrance free and “tingle” formula.  Hmmm.  Well, Scottie’s birthday is coming up in August, and I’ve been trying to think of something unique to get for him (and it’s only $15).  This just might do the trick.