A study conducted by Men's Health magazine, which will be released in the March issue, has ranked the most and least drunk American cities. A more complete ranking can be found here, but I'll give you a quick roundup. The most drunk cities, from most to least, are: Fresno, CA., Reno, NV., Billings, MT., Riverside, CA., and Austin, TX. The least drunk, from least to most, are: Boston, MA., Yonkers, NY., Rochester, NY., Salt Lake City, UT., Miami, FL. As a native Bostonian and an adopted New Yorker, I take umbrage with this list -- severe umbrage! No lily-livered, cheeba-puffing, foie gras feasting, West Coast hippie town could ever compete with us hard-drinkin' Nor'easterners in a straight up boozin' competition! Men's Health magazine, you, SIRS!, have insulted not just me, but my entire way of life. I must defend my cultural heritage!

If you spent most of 2008 trapped under some driftwood, you probably never came across the bit of music genius that was Who Killed Amanda Palmer, the first solo offering from Amanda Palmer. The vocal half of the Dresden Dolls has since been touring extensively since in support for the record. She made a little time before a gig at Webster Hall last year to chat to BlackBook. But since then, she's gotten busier, brushing up on her Tchaikovsky, praising Lady Gaga in a tune set to the melody of a Neutral Milk Hotel song, sparking fashion trends that even influence stars like Ke$ha. And tonight, Palmer helps usher in the end of the aughts with help from the Boston Pops.

● Ames Hotel (Cambridge) - Bringing some NY flavor to the Beantown hotel crop.

Kevin Long stretches his expertise over state lines on a daily basis. He serves as executive chef at both SHRINE Asian Kitchen, Lounge and Nightclub at MGM Grand at Foxwoods Resort Casino and Scorpion Bar, located in Foxwoods Casino. Long also heads the kitchen at Tosca and Caffe Tosca in Hingham, Massachusetts. Humbly starting his career at family restaurants on Boston’s South Shore, Long rose to work alongside one of his idols, Thomas Keller, at The James Beard House and the Park Avenue Cafe.

The way the car rental market is right now, you're lucky to get a rate lower than $50 a day. Companies like Avis, Budget, Alamo, and Thrifty are squeezing their customers but good. However, if you're super-flexible and want to take a road trip, there are deals to be had. If you've ever wanted to go to Disney World or Key West or Miami, and you happen to be close to the Houston, Boston, or Providence airports, and (the kicker) you have the time to make a southern/eastern road trip between now and November 15, this is the deal for you. Should you fit into all those rigid requirements of geography, inclination, and time off, you can drive for just a dollar a day (plus taxes, gas, lodging, hookers, etc.) from Texas or New England down to Florida.

At last, beantowners can trade in their DUIs for BUIs (which by the way are a much lesser offense) and get home on two wheels, hopefully running over nothing more than an errant soda can. The Bixi bike is set to arrive in Boston in the near future. A hybrid of "taxi" and "bike," Bixi is the Montreal version of the oh-so-popular bike-sharing system that sprung from Paris two years ago (though that program certainly has its problems). Bixi bikes have the added benefit of being eco-friendly, as they are solar powered.

● Post 390 (Back Bay) - There's a new king in Back Bay dining, and it delivers on all fronts.
● Ginger Park (South End) - After killing it in NYC, chef Patricia Yeo brings her nouveau Asian flair to Beantown at this sharer's paradise.

● Eastern Standard (Fenway) - This huge bar and restaurant is always packed because of its proximity to Fenway Park. They also have some of the best bartenders in the city, many of whom have branched out into the other spots below. If your bartender apprenticed here, you know you're in good hands. Try the Whiskey Smash -- they've served 21,000 in the past four years.
● Craigie on Main (Cambridge) - The food here is justifiably renowned, but the bar deserves a lot of credit too. Stop in for an impromptu lecture on the history of the martini while it's being made, or just let them mix you a Threadneedle Pimm’s, replete with pineapple syrup and juniper branches.
● Drink (Fort Point) - Another gathering spot for the area's best bartenders who are drawn to the creative theme of the bar. No drink list, just spirit and flavor suggestions from the customers. Allows for experimentation on the fly, and an opportunity to school us noobs on what a cocktail really is.

[See part 1 of Paper Route's tour blog.]

I'm not gonna lie. In fact, I'm pretty bad at lying. Unless you consider exaggerating a lie. If that's the case, I'm screwed. But this is beside the point. I'm not gonna lie. We've been invited by BlackBook to blog about this tour. Consistently documenting the highs and lows of touring, then turning in our tour "gems" at the end of the week. I would love to say that I've been on top of this ... but the reality of the situation is that besides driving, unloading gear, playing shows, loading gear, playing after shows, and sleeping on seats perfectly designed to ruin your back, all I've done is draw pictures (to keep my brain moving) and take some photographs. I haven't revisited any of these, so there's a chance I'm even a bit more intrigued than you. Let's begin ...

Bars are expensive. And people are broke. So it's no wonder in-room service is on the rise these days, with nearly 77% of travelers taking advantage of in-room selections once during their stay. With that in mind, some forward-thinking hotels in cities around the US have amped up an oft-dismissed amenity to keep their guests from straying and spending shiny nickels elsewhere. To keep you and yours in-situ and in-ebriated, these sharp crash pads are offering beefed-up luxury versions of their mini bar. We'll call it the not-so-mini bar. You'll call it your little in-room drinking buddy. Check out a few examples of the haute mini bar done right.