Advertising God: The Episcopal Church is starting to get it in terms of reaching out to people. ... I've written before here and here about the decline of New England's old-line churches. At least they're finally doing something.



'Not being represented at other film festivals': Good for Roxbury for starting its own flick fest because minorities are 'not being represented at other film festivals.' ... You mean, affluent hipsters don't include people unlike themselves at their exclusive posh hip events? I'm shocked. ... Film festivals are now just a dime a dozen. Just another thing on the Hip Checklist, along with outdoor cafes, flea and farmers markets, specialty cheese stores, So(Fill in blank) neighborhoods, etc. etc. etc. ... Someone alerted me that Philly is fighting back against alleged hip-artist encroachment from New York. Philly, the freedom fighters of New England stand by you!



'Funds are presently needed': Gee, this is a nifty idea. While trying to raise private funds for the new Rose Kennedy parkway, city officials are now eying a separate past private donation as a source of revenue for the project. Think this will encourage citizens in the future to donate money, artifacts and property to the city knowing it probably won't be used for the stated purpose? ... Recall the Mass Turnpike's attempt to use Citizens Bank's advertising sponsorship dollars for a completely unrelated Boston Pops concert. How many corporate sponsors did the Turnpike scare away with that fiasco? ... Somehow, the city should find a way to preserve the open-space property donated (and accepted) in the 1930s while maximizing its potential value to the citizens of Boston. Perhaps a sale of the Burlington property -- with clauses protecting the land's use, as intended in the will -- to the state, local towns or a private trust for parklands there? Maybe it won't raise as much money. But it would be 'honorable.'  ¶ 7:50 AM