Sunday, April 18, 2021
A Great Deal Even Now
Public works projects have always been costly. It's hard
to compare the final bill between different times without taking inflation into account.
I'm reading a book about the construction of the 362 mile Eire Canal
which took eight years to finish by 1825.
At a cost of $7,000,000, it would equate to $145,000,000 in today's dollars using an inflation calculator
app.
No matter what, it sounds like they got their money's
worth. New York state paid for the entire cost, but recouped the money in all the tolls collected on boats.
Saturday, April 17, 2021
Quite A Viaduct
When I drove into Boston today, I cut through Somerville
and Cambridge. I drove along the new construction of the Green Line trolley extension.
The new viaduct in Leechmere Square is very impressive. They are also
renovating the one from 1910.
The
project will come in over budget and late, but it seems like it's getting there.
Friday, April 16, 2021
Snow On April 16th
It snowed today on April 16th. We had a cold rain mixed
with snow. I had at least two inches of slush on my car.
I was planning to take my shovel and scraper out of my trunk two weeks ago, but decided to leave
them just in case.
It's hard to believe that I have already played golf
twice this year on very nice days.
Thursday, April 15, 2021
Back Running
After another issue with this website, the need to upgrade
it has now has become urgent. The rebuilding process will take time, but the company that hosts my site has strongly urged
that I do it now.
I have no idea what caused the problem last night, but
it appears to be working now.
Tuesday, April 13, 2021
Sleep Tracking
The Fitbit is amazing technology. It does a nightly analysis
of my sleep by the various stages and time spent in each one.
It's interesting to see the graphics display of the data. Incredible technology which
will continue to evolve. I got mine back in November 2019.
Monday, April 12, 2021
They Stay Off
A
recent survey showed that 7% of Americans don't have internet access. This is quite an improvement from 2015 when the figure
was 15%.
The number
is higher for those 65 and older with 25% saying they never go online. In comparison, only 4% of those between 50 and 64 stay
off.
Why is there
such a drop after 65? Is it greater after 70 and 80? Many of these older people didn't exposed to the internet until late
in life.
Sunday, April 11, 2021
Stuff Not Shown
The Boston Museum of Fine Arts has amazing collections
they display, but that is just a small fraction of their holdings.
Every museum is like that. The way they collect things is quite a story that is unique
to every artifact.
Saturday, April 10, 2021
New For Now
I bought a new Samsung S6 tablet today. My other one
was seven years old and running slow. The battery was taking forever to recharge, but it was a problem with the power
supply.
So much has changed in tablets over the last seven years.
This one will become outdated at some point.
Friday, April 9, 2021
Didn't All Go there
The local newspaper
prints some obvious press releases.
A local property management firm told their story of a $5.3 million renovation to a big apartment complex
which they said came to $13,500 per unit.
They rehabbed many of the common areas including the swimming pool, basketball court and fitness room.
How many of those dollars actually went inside to each unit? Replacing
carpeting and painting can certainly add up.
These projects tend to be quite expensive for what they do.
Wednesday, April 7, 2021
Trains Were There
The local rail trail is expanding. The path has been
cleared for several hundred yards more.
There is a ton of work to do, but they have a design plan. I wonder how much of the brush will be cleared.
It's so overgrown. People have lived there in the past.
I remember when it was an active train line going onto the 1970's
Tuesday, April 6, 2021
The Three Week Change
When I played golf today, the course was starting to
look better. There were wet areas to stay away from. The greens were good.
In the next three weeks, we will see many changes in the way the trees
look. They are still bare now, but that will change real soon.
Monday, April 5, 2021
March Money Madness
March Madness is finally over after Baylor defeated Gonzaga
for the NCAA National Championship.
This
is really a multi-billion industry. Nobody knows the true value because of the legal and illegal amounts of gambling.
It could be up to $9 billion.
Sunday, April 4, 2021
Better In The Bowl
I buy frozen strawberries, cranberries, raspberries,
blueberries and blackberries which I eat from a bowl in the evening after they thaw out.
In the past, I would put them in a blender with water to make a smoothie.
After switching to eating them out of a bowl, I find they taste so
much better.
Saturday, April 3, 2021
Very Old Things
I went to the Museum of Fine Arts today in Boston to
view their exhibit of Ancient Egyptian Art. It was amazing to see so many artifacts from over 6,000 years ago.
Much of it came from an archaeological
dig from 1902-1947 in a joint effort between the museum, Harvard University and Egypt.
The leading researcher devoted most of his adult life
to this endeavor. It was quite remarkable to see.
Friday, April 2, 2021
Fool At The Zoo
Parents do foolish things with their kids that often
place them in danger.
A father decided to climb into the elephant exhibit with
his daughter at the San Diego Zoo in order to take a picture.
The elephant was extremely angry and charged the father and child. They just made it
out and escaped injury.
This was such a foolish and selfish thing to do, but
it will happen again somewhere else.
