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The Boston Choice Awards

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This is a Blast Magazine preview piece.

By Alyssa Gugliotti, Blast Magazine Staff

On Wednesday, November 29, 2006 The Boston Park Plaza Hotel and Towers opened its doors to host the 2006 Boston Choice Awards. The Greater Boston Concierge Association nominated individuals and organizations that exemplified excellence in the hospitality, tourism and entertainment industries. The public was invited to vote on-line for winners in twenty-one different categories.

Following a soulful opening performance by local lounge singer, Rich DiMare, host Billy Costa from TV Diner used his charisma and wit to entertain a ballroom of guests. Ticket prices went benefit two local charities. Representatives from Triangle, which helps people with disabilities lead successful, independent lives, and Alex’s Team Foundation, which promotes research and education in pediatric oncology, were on hand and given a chance to speak about their organizations.

Boston’s celebrities like WHDH-TV 7 anchors, Randy Price and Frances Rivera, and Boston Bruins legend, Ray Borque, were on stage to present the winners of the BCA’s. Guests also enjoyed a comedic performance by Tony V., recently named one of the “Funniest People in Massachusetts” by Showtime Television.

The presenters awarded their fellow Bostonians with a glass plaque for their efforts. Awards were given under creatively named categories inclding; “Call the Sitter”, “Olive or Twist”, and “New Kids on the Block”. Winners included Icarus in the South End as the best romantic restaurant, Lucky’s Lounge for the best cocktail bar/lounge and Avila for a new restaurant to visit. The Boston Choice Awards also presented the prestigious “Lifetime Achievement Award” to Jody Adams, who won as the only female nominee against the well-known Todd English and Michael Schlow in the restaurant industry.

The evening’s ceremony concluded with a performance by Antje Duvekot, an up and coming female folk artist who received The Boston Music Award’s “Outstanding Folk Act of 2006” this fall.

The clinking of martini glasses and good conversation continued the celebration at Todd English’s restaurant and bar, Bonfire, for the after party. It was a night to learn about the best of Boston and enjoy all the city has to offer.

Boy arrested for opening Christmas presents early. Are you kidding me?

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In a case of that could only happen in the South, an irate South Carolinian mother had her 12-year-old son arrested Sunday after he opened his Christmas presents early.

The Smoking Gun website published the actual police reports showing the boy charged with Petty Larceny. Officers Michael Reid and Andrea Smith responded to the “scene” and took a full report of the “incident.” The “victim” 27-year-old single mother, Nancy Holley, of Rock Hill, SC, was apparently fed up with her disruptive son. The last straw came when he opened his videogame system a few weeks too early.

According to South Carolina’s The Herald, in an article Tuesday, the boy, whose name is not being released, disobeyed his great-grandmother and unwrapped his Game Boy Advance without permission. The mother, who had the boy at age 15, herself, claimed she didn’t know what else to do and called the police after her son produced the contraband.

What’s more, the boy is said to have shown “no remorse” when confronted by police officers.

The Herald report showed the boy to be starved for attention, taking part in petty mischief before.

But it was the first case of a child being arrested for opening a Christmas present early, said Rock Hill Police Lt. Jerry Waldrop to The Herald.

“Yeah, it’s strange,” he said.

Yep. Sure is, y’all.

CNBC launches new site

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CNBC has unleashed a new website.

The new CNBC.com is the perfect complement to CNBC’s live cable television coverage leveraging the resources of its global organization. CNBC.com offers dynamic, actionable data, video and reporting of business and financial news to ensure investors get the information they need 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In a press release, Mark Hoffman, CNBS’s president said, “CNBC.com is the perfect online extension of our trusted global business news organization. We have created a truly integrated news gathering operation that leverages the assets and resources of CNBC and maximizes their potential for both TV and web platforms. CNBC.com delivers all the analysis and access viewers expect from CNBC while affording breadth, depth and personalization features that simply aren’t possible on television. CNBC.com also offers users the chance to stay up-to- date with CNBC even when they cannot watch CNBC on their television.”

The site does look pretty good as it takes aim at other Internet financial portals including Yahoo! and CNN.

Dave Cockrum, 63, comic book legend.

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There was a time when no one liked X-Men.

The comic book that told the story of the plight of outcast mutants recruited to attend Professor Xavier’s school just didn’t appeal to the masses.

But that was before Dave Cockrum took on the fledgling project with comic writer, Len Wein. That was before Dave Cockrum drew the shadowy Mystique, the weather-shifting Storm and the devout Nightcrawler. That was before the Fox-cartoons and Hollywood trilogy, which may never have come to be f not for Mr. Cockrum, who loved the genre so much that his wishes include cremation in a Green Lantern t-shirt.

Mr. Cockrum died Sunday of complications due to diabetes. He was 63-years-old.

Surrounded by adventure at a young age, Mr. Cockrum was in born Pendleton, Ore to an Air Force officer. His art aspirations were on hold while he served in the United States Navy during Vietnam. He returned from war in the 1970s and set to work for DC Comics and later went to Marvel where he took on the X-Men.

The comic series he saved has spawned three major and high grossing Hollywood blockbusters with a 4th movie about the character, Wolverine, set to release next.

Mr. Cockrum, however, received no royalties from the film companies nor from Marvel, despite the fact that four characters he created, Storm, Mystique, Nightcrawler and Colossus, were used in the films. One can not help but speculate that if Mr. Cockrum could afford better medical care to manage his condition, his death may have been averted.

In the mean time, the world goes on with one less superhero.

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