Looking for an adventure that is not only challenging, spontaneous, and fun -- but also one that helps other people?  Boston Cares has an exciting day for you!

On Saturday, April 28, join hundreds of other Bostonians in the Dash for a Difference, a "race through Boston neighborhoods on a quest to help others, learn about our city, and raise funds for Boston Cares."

You'll get a chance to engage in a series of quick, short-term volunteer opportunities, while at the same time exploring Greater Boston and solving puzzles along the way. Think of it as a scavenger hunt that helps others at the same time. 

Read more: Dash for a Difference!

Thanks for another great No Pants Subway Ride! At least 270 people filled a total of 4 trains with bare legs and dead pan excuses. FOUR TRAINS. We're gonna need waaaay more volunteers next year!

Please share your experience with us! Comment below or at www.facebook.com/SOScities. We heard a number of funny reactions from many of you over drinks at Kings. Send them in! We'll include a number of them in the official recap.

Looking for photos? Check Boston.com tomorrow for pictures. Also check The Metro. There are rumors the Herald and Phoenix may have something on Monday as well.

Our professional photographer took a ton of photos and will be posting them online soon; we'll send an email to subscribers when they are up. If you took any photos, please email them to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . If your photos are too large for sending via email, consider zipping them up and sending them via a file sending service like sprend.com or rapidshare.com. Of course, you can also upload them to Flickr and send us the link.

BTW, the BostonSOS board is about to vote in new members. If you're a dedicated, hardworking individual who can commit to helping us organize off-beat and creative events, please fill out this form. Board terms are 6 and 12 months and are non-paid (but you get the glory! THE GLORY!)

Thanks everyone! See you next time!
James Cobalt

Have you ever taken a very cold shower early in the morning in order to start your day on the fast track? Do for the new year what a cold shower does for your day by jumping into the frigid waters of Carson Beach on January 1st. 

It's truly a Boston tradition; the L Street Brownies have been organizing the annual plunge for over 100 years. If you're a wimp and just want to watch, be there before 8am. If you've got the adventurous spirit to participate, be at the L Street bathhouse (in the Curley Community Center) at 6:30am for registration.

Anxious? Find out what it's like (with chill-inducing photos) from two BostonSOS contributors:

Nick Carlisle's experience at Revere Beach's polar bear plunge
Jenny Bergman's experience at the Monument Beach plunge

"The best thing to happen to [the MBTA] this year" is how one writer described a hilarious prank on the T this Christmas. Obviously they didn't hear about the No Pants Subway Ride, but I digress.

Those who have ridden the Boston subway system (known as "The T") are familiar with the overhanging signs and accompanying Text-To-Speech (TTS) voice overs. Normally they do nothing but announce the next train is just about to arrive (an eternity before it actually does) or some standard service announcement. Their TTS system is a lot better than what you have on your computer or smart phone- but sounding more human actually just makes it more awkward as the flaws stand out even more. The intonation and prosody are all wrong. People don't talk like that; people don't talk like robots!

The MBTA has had a rough year- both for commuters and the organization. Thankfully an employee opted to bring a bit of joy to the stark underground platforms by "hacking" the sign to "sing" a classic Christmas tune- using the awkwardness of the monotonous announcer as a catalyst for laughter and energy. Check out the video below for a good laugh.

Read more: Deck the T With Laughs