Chaotic ChitChat

View from the Stage

Looks like one of the NKOTB boys brought a video camera on stage for the intro of their concert. Man that is loud - no wonder they all wear earplugs. 

Being on the Road Must Make You Nuts

New Kids on the Block posted another video blog on NKTV, this one is Danny, Donnie, Robo, Zack, and Johnny riding on the Baby-Daddy Bus. They are a bunch of comedians, having fun and joking around just like when they were boys back in the day.  LMAO - I love Donnie in that cowboy hat....

Jordan and Jonathan Knight's Childhood Home an Unofficial Tourist Attraction in Boston

Here is an article about Jordan and Jonathan Knight's childhood home from the Boston Globe.

Step by step

It's not listed in any tourist guide, but NKOTB fans flock to the house where the Knight brothers grew up

By Johnny Diaz
Globe Staff / November 15, 2008

When Kari Lusso and her trio of girlfriends flew from Seattle to Boston for the New Kids on the Block concert, they had to make a quick detour. On a rainy Saturday night, the friends drove their rental car to 10 Melville Ave. As they stood in front of the Victorian house, they shrieked and giggled like little girls. The commotion? They were at the former home of the band's brothers Jonathan and Jordan Knight. When they rang the bell, they got a quick tour.

"It was going from 31 to 13," Lusso said. "We took pictures of their stove. We took pictures of their floor. We took pictures of the banister, the living room, and their bedrooms. What a dream come true to see such an intimate part of their childhood."

The Knights haven't lived there in more than a dozen years. The family sold the house to the Salvation Army in 1996, but staffers there have been busy rolling out a welcome mat to rabid NKOTB fans. Ever since the band reunited last spring, fans have discovered one of Boston's best pop secrets - the Knight family's old crib.

In the past year, the Salvation Army has seen a spike in the number of unannounced visitors ringing the doorbell and people pulling up in the driveway to snap photos on the front lawn. Fans learn of the address through old books, blogs, and Internet searches. The Salvation Army lists the house on a MySpace.com page that celebrates the home's history. One recent Saturday, roughly 50 fans trickled in and out of the house to marvel and reminisce after they learned about the place on the Web and through word of mouth.

"We don't charge them," said Major Susan Dunigan, who runs the Christian-based social service center in Melville Park with her husband, William, also a major with the Salvation Army. "We welcome people. It's part of the purpose of being an outreach ministry."

Diehard fans drop by with cameras, memorized biographies, and hearts filled with nostalgia for the Boston-bred quintet of crooners who were wildly popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s with hits such as "Hangin' Tough" and "Step By Step." Once inside, these gawkers don't want to leave. They pose in the rooms where the Knight brothers rehearsed, slept, ate, and showered.

Sally Wisbey, 31, of London and her girlfriend stopped by the day before the Boston concert in September. "It was kind of like reliving our childhood days," Wisbey said. "I took photos of Jordan's room, the outside of the room, and out back at the big shed where [the 1994 video] 'Games' was shot and where Jonathan was washing his dog. The whole experience was amazing."

Salvation Army officials hope the band's renewed momentum will help them raise money to renovate the residence's rear carriage house, which has been featured in old band photos and music videos. The Salvation Army wants to convert the carriage house into an arts and community space for local children. Although agency officials don't ask for donations in exchange for a tour, Dunigan said: "We accept donations from anybody."

A famous backdrop

The three-story house, which sits on a hilly acre of land, has a famous history. The Stick Style residence with the gabled roof was built in 1880 by George Meacham, a landscape architect who designed Boston's Public Garden in 1860. The house was originally owned by John W. Field, a member of the mercantile family for whom Fields Corner is named.

The Knights bought the house in 1972, said Sharon Knight, one of the six children of Allan Knight, an Episcopalian priest, and Marlene Putnam.

"We went from a Brady Bunch neighborhood house in Westwood to this huge Victorian house which had 20 rooms," said Sharon Knight, the second oldest sibling. During the years at the house, her parents ran a group home for teenagers. "The house was spectacular. It had a lot of details and space."

The property gained pop-culture notoriety after the band exploded into a pop phenomenon in the late 1980s. Band photos, biographies, and music videos feature the residence as a backdrop.

Sharon Knight remembers how fans climbed trees and clamored outside the property to get a glimpse of her dark-haired brothers. "People were camped out there all the time and coming to the door," she said. "We had to put up a big wrought-iron fence."

That fandom was one of the reasons the family moved to Essex, where Jonathan and Jordan Knight bought an estate, their sister said. "We moved to a house that was four times the size in Dorchester," she said. But her family considers the Melville house their childhood home. "That's where all our memories are. It is very much missed."

'The Jubilee House'

In 1996, Marlene Putnam, who by that time had divorced, put the home up for sale and sold it to the Salvation Army for $340,000.

"Rather than sell it to someone that would condo-ize it, [my mother thought] what better way to keep it going than to serve the community," said Sharon Knight, who now lives in Danvers. Her five siblings live nearby in Essex, Milton, Quincy, and Providence.

The Salvation Army directors christened the property "The Jubilee House," a biblical reference that alludes to a festival by God in the book of Leviticus.

The place has 23 rooms, nine fireplaces, and a deck that offers a panoramic view of the city. The house is home to 15 people, including the Dunigans and their grown children, and students from Gordon College, who spend a semester living there while working with city youths. Three golden retrievers also sleep here.

Despite the recent increase in fan traffic, the Salvation Army is used to unexpected visitors. The house has hosted summer camps, Bible study groups, tutoring for children, and support groups for men and women. Staffers provide free meals each Wednesday night for the community as well as weekly prayer services.

For some residents, watching the parade of obsessive fans snooping in their bedrooms can be a little disruptive.

"We get a lot of British fans," said Lauren Folden, 20, a college student who lives in Jonathan Knight's old second-floor bedroom. "They come and want to take pictures."

Added Allison Dunigan, 19, another resident: "We're kind of used it. It's weird when they [the fans] take pictures of all the rooms and the toilet."

That credit belongs to the spirited Seattle group of girlfriends.

"We had to go to the bathroom and say we went to the facilities that Jordan had used," said Stacy Howard, 31. A publicist for the Salvation Army in Seattle, she snapped photos of the stairwell banister, kitchen stove, and Jordan Knight's bedroom.

The women said the tour was a childhood dream come true.

"I have never met them but now feel I have," Lusso said. "Personally for me, the house tour was as great as going to see them in concert."

Someone Sure is Full of Themselves

Kanye West, in keeping up with his less than humble persona, said during an interview Wednesday that he "will go down as the voice of this generation" thanks to artists like Justin Timberlake, who had a chance to be music's MVP, but haven’t put out enough material per the Associated Press.

Damn Kanye! You are pretty good, but you are also SO FULL of yourself.  Not sure if I can take it :)

Damn... Jon Knight is Cracking Me Up

I just had to post this link to Jon Knight's blog on NKOTB.com, this dude is seriously twisted...lmao Made me smile this morning...lol thanks Jon!

Thursday, November 13th, 2008

BETWEEN THE SHEETS

It’s me once again! Driving to Denver Colorado tonight. It’s super cold
and windy tonight. I feel like the “rolling submarine” has become a
small plane in turbulence tonight. You know the feeling of driving down
the road and your car is being blown back and forth………the lights
are dimmed and everyone went to bed hours ago….someone from our camp
is over on the couch snoring in a deep sleep…..no, it isn’t
Jordan!!!!!!

Feels like it will be snowing any day now!  The moon is full, it’s
5:30 am, I’m on some stretch of highway between Omaha and Denver,
feeling very delirious!

On nights like this back home, I love to light a fire in my bedroom,
slip into something comfortable after a warm bath and curl up in bed to
watch a movie……of course my favorite girl is always right next to
me…..I usually rub up and down her back telling her how much I love
her…….kissing her gently on her neck as we both drift off to
sleep…. her body has a way of fitting itself right up close to mine
like two pieces of a puzzle……. her silkie soft hair brushing
against my chest…….. her long legs stretched out in comfort……..
she always seems to wake me up at some point in the night……  she
looks me in the eyes without speaking a word………..I love her for
that…….She has the most beautiful eyes in the world…….she
usually rolls over so I can stroke her chest ever so gently……..this
gets her all wound up that she sometimes leaves a wet spot on our
sheets……. she’s even gone as far as letting a nasty smell out of
her tiny little ass!  Then at that moment I break out the leather
studded collar and chain……I know at that moment it could get
freaky…… its nice and warm under the sheets……..Damn, should I
give her what she wants?………. Should I just roll over and do it in
the morning?………Oh damn, feels like the wet spot is getting
bigger!!!!!……..She has my full attention now…..hold on, hold on,
I’m gonna give her what she wants………. she is now barking orders
at me as she lets out a loud howling
noise…..OMG……OMG……OMG…….. DAMN…………time to walk
the dog!!!!!!!!

Maybe its time to get some sleep! Enjoy your day! I will so enjoy
mine……….DAY OFF……. don’t hound me till Friday…..
seriously!…. just keeping it real! HA! Hound me on here all you want
though…….. ENJOY!

with respect,
JK

Jersey Shore Premium Outlets - A Review

Post by Kimberly Magnabousco

 

So I went there tonight with my Mom. It was raining and dreary, but it made for a not too crowded outlet mall (ample parking). And that's what it is: an outlet/outside mall that feels like you are inside. It's a big and long and you basically walk in a big long oval around the stores. It's like being in a mall but you are not fully inside, there are awning-ed like ceilings amidst the steel framed roof structure. NOT ALL OF THE STORES were opened. I heard some of the stores were having issues getting their CO's.

 

Highlights were BCBG, which although not amazingly cheap, had a fabulous array of runway/cocktail/long dresses and with reasonable pricing (considering it was BCBG). And if you need a fun fabulous top for a holiday party, this is the place to go w/o ending up in that same satiny like top you already have in your closet from 2006. The Nike outlet had great sales (note to runners) and I liked Underarmour as well. J.Crew was just OK. Kenneth Cole was great. Great clothes. And Lucky was great. The Lucky outlet had way more clothes than the store in the Freehold Mall. The Charlotte Russe was not an outlet, just the typical same mall store w/the $22.99 shoes and the wall of accessories. Burberry had a lovely gold hangbag that I wanted but at $579 on sale, I was willing to pass. It was nice to see an Ann Taylor outlet and Loft Outlet, but it was kind of boring and last season looking but w/this years colors (Barney Purple, Mustard Yellow & Jade Green). Juicy was annoying: it was lined w/velour pant suits and terry cloth filled w/teeny boppers. My Mom loved the Ugg outlet. She saved over $70 on a pair of boots. Bebe wasn't opened yet and it's called something else: 2B or something. They had really cool little gold square tiles though on the back wall. Definitely eye catching. Cole Haan and Burberry were the 2 that were really high end, they are sort of across from each other. And there are public restrooms by Underarmour.

 

The food court was scary. But most mall food courts scare me so I am a bad one to ask. We stopped at Applebee's on the way home (still a little on the scary side, lol). Don't go there hungry.

 

The style/architecture of the entire outlet mall is pretty good: not just the typical square boxes w/the faux stucco fronts painted beige and white, but rather, it was like a village of clapboard sided single gabled beach houses w/old school postcard images of the Shore blown up and hung everywhere. And everything was Blue or Beige, naturally representing the Ocean and the Beach. The design of the place is great. And not like Jackson where when you get to Gap, your think, 'damn, I wanted to go back to J.Crew and get that embossed beach dress but I parked by Nike and am too lazy to deal, F it'. This is a big loop and everything is closer. Think of it like a well designed kitchen. ;)

 

If you are planning to go this weekend, you might want to wait, like I said not everything is opened yet. But it's def a great set up and a great addition to the shore shopping in terms of generic anchored stores and brands. The good thing is that w/the recession-like economy crisis sales, if you need something, it's a great place to go. And coupons are flooding everyone's inboxes.

 

Just wanted to share! Happy shopping.

Accident Nearly Caused by Crazed Fans

Jonathan Knight of New Kids on the Block blogged about his "near death experience" caused by some crazed fans on the NKOTB blog today and all I have to say is OMFG - get your shit together women!  Don't kill them! People are seriously nuts... BE CAREFUL!

JON’S NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE!

THIS ISN’T FOR EVERYONE JUST A SMALL FEW!!!!!!!!!!

I saw a post about my bus driving down the wrong side of the
expressway. Yes, this did happen, and I am not happy about it. I was in
the front seat sh***ng my pants. Every night leaving our shows people
like you who posted are going to kill us or yourselves!!!!! You need to
stop driving up on our buses like you do. You are dealing with 22 tons
of steel that cannot stop or change lanes on a dime. Half the time you
are hanging out your windows and flashing your camera flashes into our
drivers eyes, paying no attention to what you are doing! You caused my
driver to become so disorientated that night. A certain few of you need
to chill out and be more responsible adults! What are you trying to
gain by doing this. Do you think we are going to pull over and say hi?
Do you think you are going to follow us to our hotel? 99% of the time
we are heading on to the next city several hours away! Please pull it
together. I don’t want to die in some stupid accident. I appreciate you
coming to the shows, don’t get me wrong. I just had to address this
post because it is real and not some cute fantasy! Please spread the
word to everyone. This is a serious matter. As an adult I am going to
keep it real with you. If you’re acting stupid I will flat out tell you
to your face, “you’re being stupid”. So, in this instance, A VERY SMALL
FEW OF YOU ARE BEING STUPID!!!!!!!!!

Much respect and appreciation!

now that that is off my chest………….happy blogs coming soon!

Jon

NKOTB Breaking News...Not So Much

AOL Music posted this spoof "Breaking News" video of Donnie asking Jon questions and Jon responding with "ah-hem" and "a-huh".  Kind of stupid, but funny.  However whoever produced this mess should of at least spelt their names right.  They had Donny instead of Donnie and Jonathon instead of Jonathan? WTF people? What a mess, who is in charge over there?

Sales, Sales, and More Sales! Get Shopping People

I know the economy is not doing that well, people are afraid to spend money.  But if you have a job and are still are getting a paycheck now is the perfect time to take advantage of the deals.  I just bought this coat from Lord and Taylor that I had my eye on for 2 months.  I was on sale for 40% off plus I had a 20% off coupon!! WHO-HOO!  What a deal normally there would not be any coats left at this time of the year, but the store is filled with them.  So get out there and spend if you can people, its the only way the economy is going to get better :)

Here's the coat I got:

Lindsay Does Not Consider Herself a Lesbian

In the new issue of Harper's Bazaar magazine Lindsay Lohan was asked if she is a lesbian.  Lindsay responded "No" to this question but stated that she is in love with a "wonderful" women and her entire family (with the exception of her father) is totally supportive “whether I’m with a guy or a girl.”