Sunday, May 19, 2019
They Just React
Social media gives some people
an opportunity to react before knowing all of the facts or asking questions.
Yesterday afternoon, a car struck a utility pole and knocked out power for a few thousand customers.
It was restored after about an hour.
That didn't stop a local resident from going on a community Facebook page and bashing National Grid for the
disruption on a beautiful spring day.
If they had scrolled though the page, they would have seen a notification from the local police about the
incident. People were also posting about an accident being the cause.
Saturday, May 18, 2019
They Want Our Rain
People who complain
about the rainy spring around here should feel embarrassed in light of the 30 tornadoes in the mid-west today.
There might be more tomorrow. Some have been very destructive. So far people are safe, but
that can change real fast.
I'm sure those people wouldn't mind having our weather
this spring.
Friday, May 17, 2019
The Price Is Higher
The city of Lowell is still trying to determine whether
to build a new high school or renovate the existing one.
Available land to build on is a challenging issue. The cost continues to climb, no matter which plan is selected.
The price of the renovation is $346 million at this point. Any estimate is usually wrong. A new school
will cost more, but the price keeps getting higher.
You should be able to build quite a new school for $346 million, but public projects never work out that way.
Thursday, May 16, 2019
They Say It's Healthy
You can try to eat healthy, but
it's easy to get off track even trying to eat the "healthy menu" at restaurants.
How is the food prepared?
Everyone makes their own decisions on what they eat. It varies person to person.
For some people, they can eat anything they want without a negative effect on their health.
How do they
do that?
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
It Went Down Fast
The news had a story and video of a helicopter crashing
after taking off in Manhattan.
Fortunately,
only the pilot was on board. He suffered minor injuries, along with a worker near the landing area. He was refueling and repositioning
the aircraft before it suddenly went down.
I have never flown in one and have no desire. There are too many things that can go wrong.
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
Watch Out For Bricks
People in cities should
feel comfortable walking on a sidewalk without fear of being struck by falling pieces of a building.
Last week, a Boston resident was struck by bricks that became loose from a facade.
It's almost
impossible to check every building to determine their structural integrity. The burden is on the owners who often look the
other way in order to cut costs.
It
might not end well the next time it happens.
Monday, May 13, 2019
For The Future
The weather always gets the top billing on the local news
stations. After the opening headlines, they give some time to the weather person who does a quick tease.
We have gone from having a forecast to a "future cast". That name got a life on its own
in recent years.
So many stations use it now. No matter what they call it,
they are not always accurate.
Sunday, May 12, 2019
Summer 2019 Is Too Hot
People waste too much
time commenting about the weather.
There
is nothing anyone can ever do about it. You never want to see a natural disaster, but a rainy day isn't that bad. It rains
this time of the year.
It's only a matter of time before they complain about a hazy, hot and humid day in the summer of
2019.
Saturday, May 11, 2019
How To Ruin It
Building a tramway in
the Grand Canyon is a terrible idea. It keeps resurfacing every few years. It's back again to take up space in the news cycle.
It would be an environmental disaster to build this.
We need to protect the canyon from ourselves.
Friday, May 10, 2019
Losing From The Start
Companies that only
lose money are never a good investment. Ride share companies Uber and Lyft are now being publicly traded.
Since their initial IPO, both stocks have gone down in price. Neither company has ever shown a profit.
This should
be a signal to investors, but many think they know something that others don't.
Thursday, May 9, 2019
How To Waste $6.9 Billion
The Olympic Games cost
too much money. The cost far outweighs any future economic benefit for the host city.
Los Angeles has increased the estimated price by $700 million to a new figure of $6.9 billion.
It's a crazy amount for an event that lasts only two weeks. Venues will get built and demolished
after.
There is one thing certain about the Games in LA. They will
never get done for $6.9 billion. Nobody can predict the final price.
Wednesday, May 8, 2019
Too Many Stopped
While I was driving
on a state highway today, I saw what I thought was an accident. Cars were stopped on both sides of the road. I slowed down,
expecting the worst.
It turns out it was two stray dogs. Well intentioned people
created a dangerous situation. They were all trying to corral one of the dogs.
Meanwhile, they scared the other dog into the road in front of my car. I jammed on my brakes and everything
on my passenger seat went flying onto the floor.
People need to be careful whenever they stop in traffic, especially along a state highway.
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Only Half Decided
A local regional school district comprised of three towns
voted to spend $146.3 million to build a new junior and senior high school.
Although the building cost will be paid mostly by the state, residents will see an increase in their property
tax.
In a sign of the times, the town with the largest turnout
of voters could only get 53% of them to the polls. Overall, about 50% of them decided the issue.
I'm sure people had their reason for not casting a vote, but they should not complain about the final
decision.
Voter participation in America is terrible. People have
no right to complain if they don't cast a ballot.
Monday, May 6, 2019
Nothing Good Happens At That Hour
The Encore Casino in Everett wants to be able to serve drinks
until 4am for those patrons on the gambling floor.
This sounds like a bad idea from the start. Critics say that it will be mostly patrons who only want to keep
drinking after the regular 2am closing for bars in the area.
It would be one thing if everyone was staying at the site, but people will be getting behind the wheel of
their car to drive home.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is evaluating the request
and will issue a ruling shortly. No matter what they decide, there will be those who are unhappy.
As they say, nothing good happens after 2am.
Sunday, May 5, 2019
They Won't Be Around When It Happens
I have been a member of the National Trust For Historic
Preservation for over ten years. It only costs $20 annually.
They have a great magazine that discusses preservation issues of various buildings. I enjoy reading it cover
to cover.
I knew that a building had to be at least 50 years old to
get landmark status. An article explained the process where the architect cannot be living. It can only be done after their
death.
At first, I thought it was a hard stance, but it was done
so that nobody could get a free marketing boost or a pat on the back. It was also to have the building looked at in comparison
to their overall body of work.
It makes sense.
