🎓 The best life advice of the year

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🥳 Also, HBD to OG B-Side reader Julia Wiegand! She’s been a subscriber since the beta days. Thanks for sticking around, Julia.

👀 What’s on tap today:

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How about a side of life advice with your diploma? Once a year, celebrities, politicians, and CEOs you’ve probably never heard of offer graduates a 20-ish minute speech filled with anecdotes, advice, and other nuggets to help launch them into the real world.

So here are some of those nuggets from Boston’s line up of 2023 commencement speakers (which was quite stacked):

🔎 “The truth is sacred,” said two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks to a sea of 9,000 Harvard graduates. “For the truth, to some, is no longer empirical. It’s no longer based on data nor common sense nor even common decency.” America’s dad reminded everyone that they have to choose to be one of three types of Americans: “Those who embrace liberty and freedom for all; those who won’t; or those who are indifferent.” And only the first group does “the work of creating a more perfect union, a nation indivisible. The others get in the way."

🙌 "Take up space.” That was the core of Rep. Ayanna Pressley’s address to Framingham State University graduates. She recalled apologizing for everything when she was their age: her name, her body, asking too many questions. “I was always shrinking,” she said. “But I need all of you to take up space. Create space … Know that your path to greatness begins first, by being fully, authentically, and unapologetically you." She also shared her admiration for this generation’s “concern and empathy for one another and future generations.”

🤞 “Choose hope.” That’s what Sen. Elizabeth Warren told graduating students at UMass Boston, And while it may be “a little tougher than it sounds” given the state of the world, she reminded students they “already have the muscle memory for hope — the part that got [them] here to graduation.” After all, “no one fights their way through challenging classes and crazy schedules if they don’t have hope that their work will add up to something valuable.” And she urged them to “make that decision every day.”

❤️ “Be a moral and ethical force for good.” Those were the words of American designer and social activist Kenneth Cole, who addressed Endicott College. As a young business owner he wanted to figure out how to “make selling stuff nobody needed meaningful,” leading him to launch an HIV/AIDS public service campaign. “It made me realize that it would be great to be known for our shoes, but even better to be known for our soul,” he said. “Have the courage and discipline to be the brand you want to friend, like, post, pin, share, snap, tweet, and retweet.”

🚲 Heads up! We’re giving away two tickets to a Pride Month Soul Showdown at SoulCycle Back Bay on June 9. To be eligible, refer a friend below and have them accept your invite between now and Thursday, June 1. If you’ve already referred a friend to B-Side (and they’ve accepted), you're eligible! Full details below.*

😭 The Celtics couldn’t handle the Heat. At least the Bruins can say they weren’t the only Boston team that choked this playoff season. Instead of making NBA history, the C’s dropped Game 7 to the Miami Heat with a humiliating 103-84 loss. The writing was on the wall after Jayson Tatum twisted his ankle in the first possession. Miami will face the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals. Somebody ought to do a wellness check on Boston sports media right now — they’re all losing their you-know-what.

🚇 Buckle up for MBTA’s June service changes. First things first: Shuttle buses will replace service between JFK/UMass and North Quincy starting today through June 1 and June 5 through June 8 to give some much needed attention to a cluster of slow zones. The Green Line Extensions will also close up shop for two weekends to wrap up some unfinished work. And there will be plenty of disruptions on the Commuter Rail and other parts of the Green and Orange Lines. You can see the full list of service changes here.

🤢 Not to turn this into a salmonella newsletter, but … 56 confirmed cases of the bacterial disease have now been linked to Los Amigos Taqueria in Brighton. And the actual case count is probably much higher due to people not seeking medical treatment or being misdiagnosed with food poisoning. A Texas-based attorney representing many of those infected says this is a “very big outbreak” as they usually only impact 10 to 20 people (he suspects there will be well over 100). He also suspects that improper handwashing could be to blame.

🍺 Remnant Brewing Co. is heading south (to Cambridge). The cozy brewery in Somerville’s Bow Market plans to open a second location in the previous home of Atwood’s Tavern later this summer. The Remnant team is a big Atwood’s fan and plans to carry on its legacy as a community-forward watering hole (just with Remnant’s beer, coffee, and vibes). Plus, Atwood’s kitchen space will allow them to get a little crafty in the food department for beer pairings. Stay tuned for the official opening date!

🏳️‍🌈 Ring in Pride Month with the City of Boston PRIDE Kickoff. There’ll be a flag raising, performances, and an unveiling of the ​​Portraits of Pride.

🍺 Try Lamplighter’s Pride Month brew: Ms. Frizzle, a sour ale with notes of lemon peel, SweeTARTS, and strawberry Fun Dip. $1 of each pour in the taproom will benefit The Network/La Red. It launches June 2!

⚾️ See the Sox take on the Cincinnati Reds. Bleacher tickets for the Tuesday and Wednesday games are under $30 (and on Wednesday the first 7,500 fans get a 2013 World Series bobblehead).

💃 Put on your dancin’ shoes for the first Summer Salsa Night of the season at The Superette (there will be snacks from Alileo).

🧗‍♀️ Try bouldering at the Boston Bouldering Project in Somerville with Hint Social and Girl Get After It.

Your dream of becoming a lighthouse keeper is just one purchase away. The US government is getting rid of 10, and four of them are fair game.

Thanks to GPS navigation, some lighthouses are virtually obsolete, so the federal government is putting four of them up for auction and giving another six away to agencies or organizations (the Nobska Lighthouse in Woods Hole and the Gurnet Lighthouse in Plymouth are two of the six). If no org wants the six for public use, they’ll go up for auction, too.

But if you’re thinking of bidding on the fixer-upper lighthouses, keep in mind that some are only accessible by boat. The Stratford Shoal Light in the Long Island sound sits on a submerged reef.

🚣‍♂️ Thanks for reading! May make for a difficult commute.

🍹 The results are in! Last week we asked if you want to see to-go cocktails stick around Mass., and 59% of respondents said they want them to stay. Another 28% said they didn’t know our state had to-go drinks. We’re happy to spread the news.

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