Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Just Another Storrow Drive Day
It was inevitable that another over-sized truck would try
to negotiate Boston's Storrow Drive during rush hour.
It ended up with the truck backing up for a half mile in heavy traffic once they realized they would never
get under the bridge.
This stuff happens all the time. Drivers end up on Storrow
Drive in spite of the best efforts to prevent them from being there.
11:36 pm est
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
The End of the Road
A Boston news program
had a very interesting story about the plan to put an eight lane highway through Cambridge in the late 1960's.
The plan was ultimately defeated as a result of neighborhood opposition. The same thing happened
in the South End of Boston, but a huge swath of land was cleared before it was stopped.
They showed the "ramp to nowhere" on Rt 93 which was to lead the way through Cambridge.
The Interstate Highway System is one of the great marvels of engineering. It changed how Americans
travel. We often fail to realize the penalty many paid for being in the road's path. It was worse in the inner city.
6:00 pm est
Monday, January 29, 2018
How To Go Out of Business
Newspapers are fighting for
survival. Home deliveries and newsstand purchases are way down in recent years.
It comes down to the bottom line, especially when ad revenue decreases. The worst thing to do is
to raise prices. That happened to my local newspaper which announced a 50% increase from $1.00 to $1.50.
When the Boston Globe raised their price, I switched to
the epaper format and reduced my monthly cost from $68 to $29.
I need to explore the epaper for my local one, although it's not in the format as the Globe.
I think it's only a matter of a few years before most newspapers
collapse.
7:39 pm est
Wasting Money On Clothes
Professional athletes make a lot of money. Many of them
spend it foolishly. They act like it will last forever.
A recent study of NBA players said that the average guy spends $42,500 on their wardrobe. They are always
trying to out-dress one another.
They
have a right to spend their money on anything. It's unfortunate that many of them have major financial problems when they
retire. They never think of saving some of it.
11:04 pm est
Saturday, January 27, 2018
The Ice Issue
It was only a matter of time before we heard a story of
someone falling through the ice on a warm day. Why do people venture onto ice when the temperature is above 32 degrees?
Ice never gets very thick around here. Signs can be posted, but people will do their own thing.
As we move towards spring, we will hear a story of a truck
or snow mobile going through the ice up north.
It happens every year.
2:37 pm est
Just Keep Digging
It's really strange to see utility companies digging up
the same section of roadway. It seems like things are fine for awhile before they start digging a new trench.
It's in front of my city's main electrical power station. Nobody really knows how electricity and
gas get distributed to customers.
I have no doubt this will continue, but don't know why.
11:45 pm est
Thursday, January 25, 2018
The Bulb Died
I don't believe in paying
a lot of money for light-bulbs. Cheaper is better for me.
They just don't last as long. One of my new bulbs had a very short life. They should not burn out this fast.
At least I have quite few spare ones.
4:03 pm est
More Sun Time
It's nice to see more
sunlight day by day. We are moving on to February. It's only seven weeks until spring.
Days will only get longer. It's too bad they reach their peak on June 21st. The summer is only beginning.
11:45 pm est
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Ice Storm 18
We had an ice storm
last night that covered all of the trees and shrubs. The weight of the ice really stretched their limits. I saw a number of
trees down in wooded areas.
Many home owners must have thought about bending or breaking
for their trees and shrubs.
11:25 pm est
Monday, January 22, 2018
Time For The Solar Farm
Former landfills have almost
no practical use, even after they are capped.
A nearby community turned theirs into athletic fields, but nobody ever uses them. There is a toxic
recipe of chemicals underground.
Locally, there is a proposal to install a solar farm. I think this is a good idea. The city will get some
revenue out of it.
Opponents
say it will ruin the view along the Merrimack River. They have a point, but what do they want done with the land? They could
let it sit for decades, but getting some financial return seems like a better idea.
7:57 pm est
Sunday, January 21, 2018
The Free Employee
For the last few years, a local tax preparer has placed
a costumed employee outside to draw attention during the filing season.
It always looked corny, but probably helped business. This year, they have used a mannequin. It looks ridiculous,
but certainly captures everyone's attention.
There is also no cost to do this.
4:38 pm est
Cat Thief
People do a lot of stupid
things, but why would anyone ever steal a cat from a MSPCA facility? It happened the other day at a nearby farm.
These organizations go to great lengths to help people adopt pets. Why did this person do this?
11:06 pm est
Friday, January 19, 2018
Some Ask Everyone
I think most people want to look younger when they get older.
I always get a kick out of those who say they were "carded" for something to do with alcohol.
Many places have mandatory ID inspections, especially if
the don't know you. They are doing their due diligence to protect themselves.
Some people don't look their age, but it's part of dong business involving alcohol.
10:37 pm est
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Starting To Crack
I have dropped my cell phone too many times. My "Otter"
case always protected it until today. I now have a small crack in the screen.
Will this get worse over time? That remains to be seen. I must be very careful not to drop it again and make
the problem worse.
Nobody deliberately drops their phone.
6:34 pm est
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Not Dreaming It
Someone posted a picture
on Facebook of them sitting in their "dream car" at an auto show. I'm not sure of the make, but it certainly looked
very expensive.
I never had a "dream car". It would not be worth
the hassle. There are people out there who would be envious and want to steal it or cause vandalism.
I'm perfectly happy with my 2017 Toyota Corolla.
4:14 pm est
Monday, January 15, 2018
Time To Reboot
LL Bean makes great products
and stands behind them. I have three pairs of their boots. They always seemed indestructible until today.
The outer sole on the left one has become unglued and is
flapping. I plan to bring them back to the store. They will end up giving me a gift card for their full value.
I was surprised to see how much of the sole peeled back.
That should never happen.
6:05 pm est
Sunday, January 14, 2018
Bag That Idea
Local elected officials should
stick to issues that pertain to its citizens and community. They don't need to make statements about issues outside of their
realm. It's an easy way to generate publicity when they jump on the band wagon.
We have city councilors who now want to ban plastic bags. Where did this idea come from all of a
sudden? The Boston Globe ran a story on it today.
If they want to ban bags, it should be put on the ballot for the voters to decide. They should focus
their time on the needs and concerns of the citizens.
My local market allows shoppers to recycle plastic bags. I have returned 75 since October 1st.
1:47 pm est
Saturday, January 13, 2018
False Alert This Time
I can't imagine what the people of Hawaii felt today when
they received a warning of an incoming missile from North Korea. It turned out to be a false alert.
How did this happen? What type of system do they have in
place that ends up sending out an alert in error?
The stakes are too high for nonsense like this.
2:56 pm est
Friday, January 12, 2018
Making People Lazy
There seems to be an app for
almost anything. It's amazing how they come up with some of them.
One of them being tested in Silicon Valley allows people at work to order gasoline for their cars,
have it delivered and pumped into their tank.
All they need to do is leave their gas door open for the delivery.
Are people that busy that they can't find a few minutes
in their life to pump gas? The app claims to charge a cheaper price because they buy direct. I don't doubt that, but people
are just getting lazier.
5:42 pm est
Thursday, January 11, 2018
Best Way To Mail
Every locale in America
has a Post Office. They come in all shapes, sizes and designs.
The one on Merrimac, Mass on Rt 110 has a great feature.
It has a horseshoe entrance with mail boxes that you can drive by and drop off letters by rolling down the windows.
It's the only Post Office I've ever see that does this.
10:50 pm est
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
All Cracked Up
There is always shoddy construction
when it comes to public works projects. There is no excuse for it.
The New York Post had an article about the fiasco at the $1.6 billion transit hub at the Farley Post
Office Building in New York City.
The
$300 million concourse connecting to Penn Station is filled with cracks in the floor. Many are up to 20 feet long and 1/4
inch wide.
The contractor
has filled the cracks with caulking and will pay to replace the terrazzo tiles.
This should never happen, but always does when doing a public project.
7:46 pm est
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
Another California Disaster
I visited California
seven times back in the 1990's, spending about 70 days there. The climate was wonderful and the scenery breathtaking.
I would never want to live there. People put up with too many natural disasters. The recent fires
were hard to watch. Thousands of homes were lost.
It finally started to rain there after another drought. Residents are now dealing with mudslides.
Two people in Southern California were killed today when
their home was covered by a mudslide. More homes were lost.
If they ever have another earthquake, it will be another horrible disaster.
1:46 pm est
Monday, January 8, 2018
The Ink Scam
I pay close attention to expiration
dates on food and medicines. They are there for a purpose.
Apparently, printer ink cartridges also have expiration dates. My HP printer refused to work today.
I tried to override the error message, but it was to no avail.
I still have half the ink left, but I was forced to buy a new one. I have spent more on ink than
the printer. It's such a scam.
10:10 pm est
Sunday, January 7, 2018
The Bad Cruise
I would not go on a cruise ship even if the trip was free.
It looks like such a boring time.
Someone posted a video today about a ship being caught in
the stormy ocean between Bermuda and New York City during last week's storm.
The ship was being tossed around in the high seas like a rag doll. Water flooded the various decks.
You roll the dice with the weather when you make a reservation.
I can't imagine anyone had any fun.
6:15 pm est
Games of Disaster
The Winter Olympics
start on February 8th. NBC has been running promotions during their NFL game coverage tonight.
The Games are over-hyped and a financial disaster for the host city. Why would any city want to face
financial ruin by getting involved?
11:32 pm est
Friday, January 5, 2018
No PLace To Live
Every time we get a storm like yesterday, we see the same
stories in the news about coastal flooding. It was terrible to watch the damage inflicted on property.
People who live by the ocean know what they are getting
themselves into. They never expect it to happen.
I could never live there. The ocean is nice until stuff like this happens.
4:08 pm est
Thursday, January 4, 2018
Sharing The Spoon
People go to great extremes
when it comes to their pets. They treat them like children.
A friend posted a video on Facebook of them sharing a bowl of ice cream with their dog. They alternated
taking spoonfuls from the container.
I thought this was wrong for two reasons. I would never stick a spoon in my mouth after a dog licked it. Having
ice cream for breakfast doesn't make any sense to me.
1:41 pm est
Wednesday, January 3, 2018
First Snow of 2018
It sounds like we will be
waking up to a major snow storm tomorrow that developed over the last few days.
People
were panic shopping for too much stuff they don't need. It's like that every time.
Winter will come and go. Snow doesn't last forever. People complain way too much about it.
8:56 pm est
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Overseas Discount
I bought a SONY Blue-ray/DVD player at Best Buy for $69.
It's amazing how low the price was for this item. It was made in Malaysia.
I wonder what the hourly wage is for these employees. It's nothing like it would be if made in the
USA. Companies manufacture overseas to keep the cost down.
It would be so expensive if it was made here.
6:19 pm est
Going Into The Ocean 2018
It has been so cold
over the last week. I can't believe people dove into the ocean today.
The "L Street Brownies" in South Boston had over 600 take a plunge as part of their annual
tradition.
I could never do this. The shock would be too much for my
body.
11:30 pm est