08/21/2008

Top 10 spots for fried clams
Is there any food more evocative of summer in New England than fried clams?

Top 10 al fresco dining places
With the end of summer in sight, there is still time to enjoy eating outdoors. Here are our top picks for the best al fresco dining:

Billy Graham movie catches flak from son Franklin
Franklin Graham has criticized the new feature film about his famous father, saying Billy: The Early Years includes a few scenes that never happened in real life and others that are “greatly embellished.”

Time Warner could have used some Harry Potter magic
Maybe Harry Potter should have brought a note from his parents saying he would be missing school.

Fools’ Rules Regatta sets sail in Jamestown Saturday
The 31st annual Fools’ Rules Regatta will be held Saturday on the Town Beach at East Ferry in Jamestown (the rain date is Sunday). The cannon will be fired at 9 a.m. to begin construction of the “vessels.” Entrants are allowed two hours to construct a sailing craft on the beach, and these “vessels” must be constructed of non-marine items. The craft may be pre-constructed, but must be disassembled and built again on the beach. Races begin at 11 a.m. with the firing of the cannon to begin the Class 1 race. Vessels compete for first, second and third place in each class.

Aquidneck Island Arts Festival this weekend in Newport
The Aquidneck Island Arts Festival will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Newport Yachting Center, America’s Cup Avenue at Commercial Wharf.

The ESSENTIALS
HOME

Full WaterFire with mime and Gargoyles Saturday
Fan the flames of popular installation art. There’s a full WaterFire this weekend. That means 100 braziers burning on the rivers of downtown Providence. The event is Saturday, beginning at 7:30 p.m. and running until about 1 a.m. Among the attractions will be mime Michael Grando, the Gargoyles and the Oracles, and Andrew Anselmo, better known as the Origami Guy.

08/20/2008

Christina Applegate on breast cancer
Christina Applegate is taking the long view of her battle with breast cancer — the really long view.

His top 5 golf courses
Luke Wilson swears that Scotland’s the Old Course at St. Andrews, the birthplace of golf, is on his life’s to-do list. Until he gets there and reports back, here are his top five courses:

seize today
Funny by the Sea

Luke Wilson takes a swing at golf fashions with Chrome line
LOS ANGELES — If the clothes make the leading man, Luke Wilson is angling to play the handsome high school lit teacher — you know, the one who made you cry when he read aloud from A Separate Peace. He rarely veers from his Kennedy-era haircut and typically shows up at events in rumpled khakis or cords and a preppy blazer. Then, there’s that squint. More musing than macho, Wilson has perfected a studied squint — or is it a wince? — that precedes his answers to tough questions.

Back-to-school means budgeting
CHICAGO — Vivian Killebrew set this rule for back-to-school shopping with her three children: If you want to buy new clothes, you need to sell some of your old ones.

For the Moment by Rita Lussier : Spontaneous moments can be simple, sweet, satisfying
One of the best things I’ve done so far this summer was as spontaneous as it was simple. With a free hour or so in my schedule before my taxi services were required, I picked up the phone, dialed my friend, Carol, and asked if she’d like to go for a walk.

The ESSENTIALS
HOME

The women of Mad Men
HOLLYWOOD

08/19/2008

Chaka Khan proves she’s still the miracle voice of pop
FOXBORO, Mass. — Powerful but never piercing, brassy without any old-school jazzy hokum, with warmth even in its highest range, Chaka Khan’s voice has always been a pop-music miracle. Last night at the new Showcase Live! at Patriot Place, on the grounds of Gillette Stadium, she showed she hasn’t lost a thing.

Chaka Khan proves she’s still the miracle voice of pop
FOXBORO, Mass. — Powerful but never piercing, brassy without any old-school jazzy hokum, with warmth even in its highest range, Chaka Khan’s voice has always been a pop-music miracle. Last night at the new Showcase Live! at Patriot Place, on the grounds of Gillette Stadium, she showed she hasn’t lost a thing.

Surgery for Lennox
Annie Lennox is recovering at her London home after having spinal surgery to release an impinged nerve, according to her representatives.

The ESSENTIALS
FASHION

She’s trying to live life according to Oprah’s advice
Robyn Okrant’s rangy body, clad in the black tunic and dark-wash jeans that Oprah Winfrey mandated in the “Shlumpadinka Makeovers” episode of her talk show, was bent over the vision board she was creating on the floor of her Chicago apartment. A vision board is a collage, much like the magazine pastiches hanging in many teenagers’ bedrooms, but the images and words here are meant to signify a 35-year-old woman’s goals. Vision boards were promoted on the Feb. 6 episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, and if Winfrey is to be believed, it will help Okrant realize her dreams by keeping them in the forefront of her mind.

seize today
Watch a movie at the beach

08/18/2008

An album-less Keith searches for a focus at Comcast
MANSFIELD, Mass. —The physical outlines of Toby Keith’s show at the Comcast Center last night were the usual deal — big pyrotechnics, explosions, prominent Ford product placement, including the entire set done as a Ford grille — and the set list included most of Keith’s best-known stuff, a mix of good-time celebrations and hip-hop-worthy ego boost at the intersection of countrypolitan pop, ’70s boogie and ’80s arena rock. But the man himself seemed different.

Seize Monday: Talk on endangered wildlife in East Providence
Animal education

Acting their age
As the Jonas Brothers tour continues, there’ll be much parental chatter about how this latest craze is affecting our kids. Adults love to fret about the effects of Miley Cyrus’ bared shoulders or of Joe Jonas’ crucifix-adorned purity ring. But there’s also music to consider.

Amick joins cast of Own Worst Enemy
Christian Slater’s double-life-leading character in My Own Worst Enemy is getting a new, better half.

Paralyzed Chinese gymnast still has a winning attitude
BEIJING Sang Lan rolled her wheelchair to a spot overlooking the vault, her broken, withered body dressed in jeans and a red shirt. Several Chinese boys she once knew performed on the floor below, men now, tumbling and spinning to a gold medal in Olympic team gymnastics. Sang cheered and bumped one hand into the other, her fingers permanently closed into loose fists.

08/16/2008

Seize Saturday: Saint Rocco Church Feast in Johnston
Saint Rocco Feast

A Madonna milestone: Turning 50
Sure, Madonna may have scandalized the Vatican and shocked nearly every parent in America at some point during her long and provocative career full of shrewd image transformations.

Look who else is hitting the half-century mark this year
Madonna’s not the only one celebrating a milestone birthday. Here are some other celebrities who turn 50 in 2008.

People: Donald Trump to be Ed McMahon’s landlord
Donald Trump will soon be Ed McMahon’s landlord.

Video Games: ‘Soulcalibur IV’ has ‘Star Wars’ guest stars
SOULCALIBUR IV

08/17/2008

And baby makes four
While pregnant with her first child, Meridith Duffy cried nearly every day — to her dog trainer.

Be quick to seize the day before turning 30
While I was browsing through birthday cards, one caught my eye. It read: “The difference between 29 and 30 is 10 years.”

After adoption, Olympics stir thoughts of ‘home’
For 11-year-old Nicole Stevens, the Olympics in Beijing are more than a showcase of the world’s best athletes. They’re a portal to her birth country and a chance to learn more about modern day China.

How do you know when it’s time to vacation together?
A friend has been dating her boyfriend for eight months, and they’ve yet to go away together. I’m not talking two-week safari, but just a weekend trip. She says it’s too early. I think she’s not that into him if she thinks that after eight months of dating it’s too soon to spend 48 hours together out of town.

Help crime victims; plant eelgrass; chip in for Autism Project
SHughes@dayoneri.org.

Opinions mixed on parents vacationing without the kids
Q: A Charleston, S.C., grandmother recently complained that her daughter and son-in-law went on a cruise without their 3-year-old daughter. The child visited grandma but stayed with a friend. Several parents responded that the girl would be fine, and that her mom and dad needed to get away. Now the opposing side speaks up:

Stop messy leaks while traveling
Problem

What’s in Store: Open studio tour, bargain textbooks
www.openstudiomap.com and from Amy C. Lund, Handweaver Studio & Gallery, (401)816-0000, 3879 Main Road, Tiverton.

New styles are making men the clothes hounds
Steve Hale has discovered a reason to splurge on clothing again: the slim silhouette in suits to shirts that’s replacing the baggier fits of past years. But his wife, Cathy, has slashed her monthly apparel spending, saying she’s “bored” by what’s out there.

Book pack lessens strain
You haul 16 tons, and what do you get?

08/15/2008

Queen, princess are named
The Washington County Fair has a queen and princess, named to those posts Wednesday night.

Kings and queens in Pawtucket
The New England Masters Chess Tournament attracts dozens of players to the week-long event.

Glamour honors Brown student
Gabby Salazar, a senior at Brown University, is one of the top 10 college women in the country, according to Glamour magazine. Salazar, 21, who’s majoring in science and society, is profiled in the September issue of the magazine, and is to attend the magazine’s awards ceremony in New York on Sept. 4, with the nine other honorees. This is the 51st year that Glamour has recognized female college students for their leadership, achievements and community involvement.

seize today
All things Greek

The ESSENTIALS
GARDEN

08/14/2008

Radiohead broadcasts its foreboding and lush message
MANSFIELD, Mass. — “It’s the 21st century,” Radiohead singer Thom Yorke sang during “Bodysnatchers” last night at the Comcast Center, and even though we presumably all knew it, he and the band went out and proved it.

seize today
Swing in South County

More Spam for Clay Aiken

Blue ribbon tradition: Washington County Fair in Richmond
Hear songs. Take rides. Win prizes.

ALAN ROSENBERG: The Washington County Fair, from A to Z
There’s an alphabet full of fun at this year’s Washington County Fair, the 42nd to grace the fairgrounds in Richmond.

Turns out, mom was right
So you think you need to totally ban certain high fat and sugary foods from your life to avoid unwanted weight gain? Not so fast. Maybe it’s not what you’re eating but how you’re eating.

In today’s economy, what you need is a good cheap drink
With the economy nose-diving and costs rising, what we all really need is a good, cheap, drink. Try an inexpensive white wine. Cool, crisp and refreshing, white wine may be the one thing that gets you through those hot nights when you’ve cut back on the air conditioning and swapped out steak and sushi for wienies and baked beans.

Don’t snack less, just snack smarter
Being a dietitian continually brings new foods and interesting story ideas to my attention. Here are few worthy of note:

WaterFire on Saturday
There will be a WaterFire this weekend, the seventh full one of the season. On Saturday, 7:44 p.m. to midnight, there will be 100 braziers burning on the rivers of downtown Providence.

The ESSENTIALS
HEALTH