Sunday, June 30, 2019
No Match For Lightning
I was all set to walk
out the door this afternoon for a run. Dressed and ready to go before I heard the gigantic thunder crash.
It turns out that a 175 foot
historic brick smokestack about a half mile away was struck by lightning. The damage shown on the news was amazing.
The power of
lightning will end up bringing this historic structure down.
City officials ordered the evacuation of the building next to it because of the concern that it could topple
over.
It would be great to save the smokestack, but nobody is
moving back home until the threat of toppling is eliminated.
Saturday, June 29, 2019
Bet On New Jersey
States that are considering legal sports betting should
look at the success of New Jersey.
The
Garden State has already surpassed Nevada in sports wagers by $1.5 million with $318.9 million for the month of May.
That resulted in a tax haul of $15.5 million.
More money will flow into state coffers as New Jersey continues to have little competition.
Friday, June 28, 2019
Cape Dining
We have made it this far without a beach closing because
of sharks, but we had one today in Duxbury.
Once you have a sighting, you need to get everyone out of the water.
The news showed the seal population on the Cape. It's just a buffet for the sharks. They will never
eat all of them.
Thursday, June 27, 2019
Full of Water
Meat is often sold with
the label "pre-cooked" weight. It's shocking how much water it contains, especially chicken.
When I buy ground beef and chicken, I always buy the same amount, but factor in shrinkage. That way
my meal will be the right size.
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
Another Strange Computer Issue
I think my problem of updating this website has been resolved.
I was unable to access the host last night for whatever reason.
The problem continued this morning. I finally reset my DSL modem. Things appear to be fine now. I have no
idea what caused this.
Monday, June 24, 2019
A Bunch of Hot Air
I have never been a fan of hot-air balloons. They are dangerous
to the passengers and those on the ground. Pilots often have little or no control over where they land.
The news showed video of a balloon mowing down a crowd at an event in Missouri. People were knocked
aside by the basket as the pilot attempted to land it. Fortunately, nobody was killed.
A year doesn't go by when we don't see a story of a crash into power lines or some other freak accident.
Sunday, June 23, 2019
Wear Your Seat Belt
You can't force people
to wear seat belts, but it's never a bad idea to use them. Some don't believe that government should be involved in this decision.
Massachusetts has a compliance rate of 81.6% compared to 89.7% nationally.These numbers remains constant.
One number that keeps changing is the amount of auto fatalities in the state. In 2017, 217
people were killed on Massachusetts roads. Over 62% were not wearing a seat belt.
People can believe whatever they want about passenger restraints, but the numbers don't lie.
Saturday, June 22, 2019
Encore Time 2019
The Encore Boston Harbor Casino opens tomorrow at 8am after
all these years and $2.6 billion cost.
How
will the traffic be? Nobody really knows as they are trying to have customers rely on "public transportation"
How many cars can they really park and deal with? A lot will happen tomorrow.
Friday, June 21, 2019
Lot of Countries Out There
There are 195 countries in this world. That number could
change in either direction in future years.
The news had a great story of a guy who made a lifetime
commitment to visit every country. It took him 36 years, but he finally finished.
What a lifetime of memories for him.
Thursday, June 20, 2019
Spring 2019 Ending
Summer begins tomorrow
at 11:54am. We are in the final minutes of the last full day of spring.
It went by fast. Summer will pass quickly. Daylight will begin to decrease. It always happens.
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Trains Not Moving
I have always been a
fan of Amtrak and used it for travel to New York City. I still want to travel to Portland on the Downeaster.
It was disappointing to hear of the trains shutting down this afternoon between New York and Philadelphia
for almost one hour because of a "voltage issue".
We all want public transportation to be dependable, but you never know once you step on board.
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
Can't Stay On Track
The MBTA continues to
be a great example of a poorly run urban transportation system.
Their latest problem involved two separate train derailments. Nobody was hurt, but service was disrupted.
One incident is still causing delays because of issues with the track signals.
One of the derailed cars was 50 years old. The T admitted that they have over 70 cars in service that
age.
They certainly got their money's worth from them,
but they have outlived their useful service life.
Ordering new cars takes forever before they are finally delivered. Most of them are made in China.
Monday, June 17, 2019
Lights Out
I wonder why the power went out for about five minutes tonight
around 10:45pm.
Things
went dim for a second before a total blackout which went away quickly.
I will probably look at the local community Facebook pages while sifting through all the stupid comments.
Sunday, June 16, 2019
Bug Time
Bug bites can be tough. I got bitten by a black fly while
running up Mt Washington yesterday. It left a mark on my forehead.
The bugs were all around everyone, even the people going down. They were really out there.
Saturday, June 15, 2019
So Many Different Beers
I don't drink craft beers, but I bought some today to bring
to a cookout tomorrow. The store I went to was rather small, but had a huge selection.
I wonder if there is a list somewhere of all the ones on the market. That would be quite a challenge
as so many are regional brands.
It's
a big industry that keeps growing.
Friday, June 14, 2019
Finish by 2026
Cathedrals often take
decades or even centuries to complete. It's a very long process in most cases, often being delayed by the events of their
time.
Barcelona has approved a building permit through 2026 for
work being done on La Sagrada Familia Basilica which originally began on March 19, 1882.
Work is in full progress with cranes on the site. There is considerable desire to finish the project
this time after undergoing design changes through the years.
Every cathedral in the world has their own story to tell from start to finish.
Thursday, June 13, 2019
Cutting Car Congestion
New York City is finally doing
something about the proliferation of Uber and Lyft vehicles on the city streets. They have decimated the taxi cab industry.
The city will now cap the total drivers at 86,000. They
provide over 800,000 daily rides, but add to the congestion when they drive around without passengers.
The empty cars contribute to a third of the vehicles below
60th street. They will now be prohibited from cruising in the central business area. It should help alleviate the nightmare
of traffic that is a daily routine.
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
That Great Ship
The Boston Globe had the obituary of a former US Navy officer
who served aboard the USS Massachusetts and USS Missouri during World War II.
My father and him served time together in the early days of the war. I wonder if they ever interacted before
he moved on to the Missouri.
It's hard to believe that 1,500 men lived on those ships.
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
That Car Costs More
My 2019 Toyota Corolla
has worked out well. I brought it back to the dealership today to address a paint problem on the front black grill. They ended
up replacing it.
I was given a free rental today of a RAV4. Such a nice vehicle.
Very different from what I drive and more expensive.
Monday, June 10, 2019
Don't Fly Zone
I never thought it was a good idea for helicopters
to fly over Manhattan. With the exception of law enforcement, they should stick to routes along the rivers.
A pilot picked the worst time to fly today with the fog and rain. He crashed onto the top
of a building on 7th Ave near 52nd St.
It
proved to be fatal for him, but nobody else was hurt. Why was he flying in such bad weather? it makes no sense and we might
never know.
Sunday, June 9, 2019
The Walk Of His Life
A 71 year old veteran
from Newburyport began his attempt to walk 3,700 miles across America to raise awareness over veteran issues.
He expects it
to take several months to finish. I wonder if he will be successful. How do you measure it? What happens if he does only 2,000
miles?
Saturday, June 8, 2019
Too Much Driving
I know someone on Facebook who is a charter bus driver.
He has a lot of postings about his various trips.
It sounds like he drives too much. He can legally be on the road for ten hours which seems like quite a bit.
He has so much responsibility and must be alert at all times.
Friday, June 7, 2019
It's Only Phase One
The opening of the Encore Casino in Everett is so close
to happening. Now we hear of a parking issue for employees.
This should have been resolved long ago. They want spaces in the Wellington T Garage that commuters use.
When it comes to actual parking spaces, nobody knows the real number. Space counts are very flexible.
At some point, the casino will
need to propose another parking garage and deal with community objections.
Thursday, June 6, 2019
Not The Place To Live
Developers are willing
to build housing almost anywhere as long as the area is zoned for it. They will do their best to change the zoning code if
necessary.
The other day, I drove by a series of multi-story buildings
on land that was always zoned for commercial structures. Apparently, they were able to get it changed for housing.
The buildings look very nice and should be filled up quickly. The only issue is that some of them
are in a direct line for the flight path of a general aviation airport.
Many small aircraft take off and land on an hourly basis, but the runway is long enough to handle small jets.
Everything will be fine until there is an incident. A few years ago, a pilot was flying a small plane
and crashed into another set of building. He was killed, but some of the residents were displace for several months.
Both developments are too close to the airport, but that doesn't seem to matter these days.
Wednesday, June 5, 2019
Pitching Decision
The news had a story of an area high school baseball player
who was drafted by the Red Sox today in the 11th round. What should he do?
He can sign for some quick cash, but what happens after that? He can also go to Northeastern where they have
a good program.
As a pitcher, his career is his arm. What happens if he
gets hurt in college?
It's the biggest decision of his life.
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
Climbing Around Them
This climbing season
at Mt Everest has been horrible with 13 fatalities so far. Too many permits have been issued which has resulted in overcrowded
conditions at the summit. Deaths often occur when climbers run out of oxygen cannisters.
The warming temperatures have revealed a grizzly scene. Bodies of deceased climbers are now being
exposed after decades of being buried and frozen.
Since Edmund Hillary conquered the mountain over 60 years ago, more than 300 have perished. Their bodies have
been left in place due to the danger in bringing them down. Many of them now weigh over 300 pounds due to their frozen condition.
Unless the victims are at an elevation of less than 21,000 feet, they are left where they fell. Climbers
often report having to navigate around them.
A recent cleanup hauled away a couple of tons of trash left by climbers. The entire scene needs to be examined.
Something is very wrong there.
Monday, June 3, 2019
Two Monthly Bills
I keep track of my utility bills. My electricity averages
about $40 per month.
I cook and heat with gas. My cooking cost averages $14 per
month, while I spent about $350 in 2018 to heat my apartment.
My heating costs have always been reasonable to me.
Sunday, June 2, 2019
Making Mistakes For Money
I still do my own taxes and use paper forms. As careful
as I am, it's easy to make a mistake. I checked my computations multiple times.
When my refund finally showed up in my checking account, it contained an additional $200. I received a notice
from the IRS saying that I had made a mistake computing my tax using a worksheet.
After examining my copy, it looks like I made a real basic error. I don't understand why I never
caught it.
Saturday, June 1, 2019
All About The Sox
It seems like the city of Worcester has a cut a deal to
host the former Pawtucket Red Sox.
The
new ballpark is expected to light a fire for development. Hotels are on the way.
This is so great for Worcester.
