Sunday, January 8, 2012

A No Snow January!

How the hell do you mistake a Golden Retriever for a deer? And the shooter is a cop! I can imagine turning that mentality loose in a situation that calls for target identification.

Goodbye Bachman. Goodbye Cain. Soon to be goodbye Perry. Path is clearing for Mitt.

Linguistic manipulation by now calling one a progressive rather than a liberal. Hilarious. Like calling used cars pre owned. From what I have seen the progressiveness is the same old. Yawn.

Tim Murray is in political flip flop mode over his driving habits.

If the Red Sox get some Bruins type scores they’ll win it all.

GE paid no taxes. So GE simply takes advantage of the existing tax code. Problem is not GE.

And now I am doing my taxes. Our tax code is a convoluted mess.

Interesting factoid: In the United States, around nine billion animals are slaughtered every year (this includes about 150.4 million cattle, bison, sheep, hogs, and goats and 8.9 billion chickens, turkeys, and ducks) in 5,700 slaughterhouses and processing plants employing 527,000 workers.

Another factoid. The Constitution has 4,543 words. Think of that the next time you see legislation that goes on for book length especially the tax code.

A thank you to AB for some good advice.

ETF’s are shrinking and bond funds growing by almost a billion a week.

Unemployment is at 8.5% but the real figure is the U-6 that is near 16%. Interesting figures on Department Of Labor web site especially about jobs created and their wages.

Another Kennedy to run for Barney’s seat. This will be another Patrick “Patches” Kennedy type. Thankfully we have been out sourced here in Middleboro.

Romney is getting flack for being a capitalist. Amazing! His business decisions will naturally be scrutinized and picked apart by those who feel the paramount of leadership success is being a community organizer.

Kardashians are getting dolls in the Mattel toy line. Will BB now ditch his Barbie’s?

Charlie is in jail for failing to hand over some $$$ to an ex. Guess a 140K pension does not go as far as it use to.

A new state law in Illinois requires those who buy drain cleaners and other caustic substances to provide photo identification and sign a log. And folks whine about having an ID to vote!

Met our soon to be new rep Bill Keating. I’m not sure who picked up the pizza tab but based on the BB consumption our debt may hit 16T.

Giants move on!

52 comments:

Mark Belanger said...

The Bogo family was lined up Mo, Larry, Curly at the counter like they were having slice-eating contest - it was looked like someone desperate to stretch their government pension by saving a few bucks on food.

Hal Brown said...

So there I am fast asleep catching up on some zzzz's after a six hour non-stop (gotta love Alaska Airlines) fight from Portlandia... and the phone wakes me with the alert message about the naked knife wielding man in my neighborhood.

So I stumble downstairs and turn on all the outside spotlights and activate the electric fine ( just enough to stun, not to kill), and load my .44 magnum with dumb and dumber frangible bullets, and manage to fall deeply to sleep despite the thump-thump-thump of the police helicopter flying in above the woods across the street from my house.

Then about 90 minutes later the phone jars me awake again with the notice that the man had been caught on Lucas Street in Carver, about two miles from my house.

So I'm up again turning off the spot lights, deactivating the electrified fence (just enough to stun, make you pee in your pants and crap on the floor, but I swear it won't kill you).... and replacing the dumb and dumber bullets with my environmentally friendly specially made steel, bismuth and tungsten bullets.

bogofree said...

I figured with all the Dems in the house I'd be paying for the pizza anyway. Probably buried in some TARP funds to a bunch of illegals.

Alaska Airlines was just pronounced #1 among all the legacy carriers. Delta and SouthWest were #2 and #3.

I dunno what is worse giving Hal a gun or a camera? If the perp was looking for turkey feathers I've got a suspect in mine.

Hal Brown said...

The Silver City Wampanoag Casino

I vowed never to so much as think about the Wampanoag casino, let alone actually write about it. But sometimes in my very ex unofficial ex-unofficial role as a person who may or may not know something about something others may or may not (but probably are) interested in....

I do want to share some speculation that is probably, well, somewhere between probably and possibly based on actual fact. And is most or almost most likely true...

As you may recall, on Dec. 15, 2009 The Enterprise published this: Officials at the Silver City Galleria in Taunton have said the bankruptcy earlier this year of the mall’s parent company, General Growth Properties Inc., will not affect the shopping center.
General Manager David DePalma declined to discuss occupancy figures but said the mall has opened two new stores and a new eatery in the food court this year.
“We continue a great leasing agenda here at Silver City Galleria,” DePalma wrote in an e-mail.
New retailers continue to show interest in Silver City Galleria, he said.

“We’re looking forward to a positive 2010,” DePalma wrote.




About a year ago I saw all or most of the Mashpee Wampanoag higher-ups meeting with some decidedly not Wampanoag suit and tie types at the Silver City Galleria Bertucci's.

Hmmmm? Who were those strangers? And what was in that Peace Pipe they were passing around?

This now comes from sources whose identities must be protected either because revealing who they are would be just plain suicidal on my part, or lead people to say "and gullible you believed those winky-dinks".

Recognizing that Bogo, forever vigilant for confirmed liars will put his investigative journalists on the case, I can make my case for why the south coast casino will be built on the current site of Silver City Galleria.

First, location, location, location, is about perfect. The expressway access is already there. The parking is already there. The building space for the gambling operation, high end stores, restaurants and theaters is already there. The parking is already there.

Since Taunton already has gotten used to a large mall on the site, I expect the townspeople would approve a casino, especially if wages are guaranteed to average higher than the current mall pay scales.

Add to this that the Precinct Street property could be used for tribal housing, and you have all your ducks in a row.

So, unless you're on the inside, you heard it here first: the south coast casino will be built at the site of the Silver City Galleria.

Hal Brown said...

This is more recent showing that the Silver City Galleria may be on the auction block. It is from March, 2011.

Fitch Ratings has downgraded 10 slices of a $2.1 billion portfolio of commercial mortgage-backed securities, noting that most of the pool’s investor classes will be wiped out as troubled-property debts mature.
And the ratings firm said the biggest dud of the bunch is in our own backyard. As of this week, the $125 million mortgage backing the Silver City Galleria in Taunton was listed as a top concern among Fitch analysts rating the circa-2005 CMBS portfolio. The loan is the pool’s largest debt, equal to around 6 percent of its outstanding principal balance.
Occupancy at the 715,000-square-foot mall remained at 82 percent at the end of 2010, roughly the same level posted a year earlier. Major tenant exits have included Steve & Barry’s, which filed for bankruptcy protection in 2008, and clothing retailer Old Navy, which together occupied around 14 percent of the mall’s rentable space, according to Fitch.
The property’s cash flow slipped to around 92 percent of its debt service at the end of 2010, versus 99 percent at the end of 2009. The loan has officially been in default since November 2009. Silver City’s problems were first detailed in Page 1 story in the June 21 edition of the Boston Business Journal. Last month, The Round Up reported the mall’s owners, General Growth Properties of Chicago and the Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois, were considering “alternative sale structures” for the property. The Round Up’s previous attempts to clarify those efforts were unsuccessful.
According to Fitch, 10 tranches — classes G through P — of the Silver City CMBS portfolio will be “deleted” by losses on specially serviced loans. Fitch said 44 of the portfolio’s 158 loans have been flagged as “loans of concern,” while another 14 are in special servicing. The mortgage-securities pool was assembled and sold by a JPMorgan Chase affiliate in 2005.
in The Boston Business Journal

bogofree said...

They met at an upscale pizza joint? Sounds like a real group of big spenders. Maybe Benjamen's didn't run any lunch specials?

I will contact the "Confirmed Liar" and "Ms. Not Inevitable" to research this turn of events. I have full confidence - as you do, Hal, in their collective abilities to root out the real story. Maybe USS whatever has some info? They can even contact their legislative support which - I believe - now languish in a room next to the coal bin at the State House.

There is great business opportunities here. A mall casino offers potential. Considering the general income levels of the SE region the upscale series of Tiffany types store fronts within the confines of a casino is worthless. Now you can enjoy spending you winnings from the nickel slots at the Dollar Store. Enjoy a nice meal at the food court. Maybe take an exotic sight seeing trip to Raynham (Gateway to Taunton).

I saw on the news today that Brimfield is now a potential hotspot for a casino. I think Brimfield is just about 20 minutes from Clark, Connecticut? This makes about 3,000 potential landing spots for a casino or slot parlor or glorified gin mill with video games.

Hal Brown said...

Hey Bogo-frogo, the whole point was not that they met at an u[scale pizza franchise. anther, it is that they met there so they could look over the venue, and Bertucci's happens to be the only full service restaurant in that mall.

I got the impression they were not thrilled to be sitting one table away from me and another notorious pro-coasino person. Not that we were pro-casino, but that we might eventually put two and two together and figure out that the meeting there was no accident.

So for all the misdirection of where the casino will end up, isn't it interesting that nobody is floating the idea that the place that makes the most sense is Silver City Galleria?

It is coming folks. Stolichnaya and slots, the greatest combo since franks and beans. And just think, we all know the shortcuts to Silver City.

bogofree said...

I think that old hospital site in Lakeville is a possibility. No rumbling trucks from SYSCO but just a few speed traps to enrich the coffers of Lakeville and Middleboro. Revenue enhancement at its finest.

Not only that there is simple access to commuter rail and even a dolt like Bogo knows that entire rail line follows some type of Indian path. So you have all the historical justification one can dream up.

Probably even renovate a few of the wards to confine those addicted gamblers so that should satisfy all the malcontents.

So that is my alternative to Taunton. Silver City! Hah!

Hal Brown said...

Next you're going to tell me you saw the tribal council brunching with Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and Fahad al Raqbani at the Sunshine Cafe.

Suo Mynona said...

Hey Bogo you are entering the big leagues in the blogosphere. Next thing ya know people will start linking to your blog

Suo Mynona said...

What is a "shovel ready project?" The only ones that existed were boy scouts doing a community service project.

bogofree said...

I think Hal already has his "shovel" out.

I have been linked with the BB site for months. That has increased my traffic count by at least two a day.

Hal...that Tribe has had lunch with just about everyone who owns a piece of land. Cromwell buys arrow heads by the gross just to sprinkle them on potential sites so he can see "See....this was once our land. We have a connection to it."

anonymous said...

Simon Company has the Atrium Mall in Chestnut Hill up for sale. That's close to B.C. and have the crooks we call legislature graduated from there. So just build the casino there.

Hal Brown said...

There are more law diploma mills than Boston College, don't slight B.U., Harvard, Suffolk, Northeastern, Massachusetts School of Law, New England, UMass....
just churning out more varieties of lawyers than Campbell's has soups.

Contrary to the common perception, according to The Boston Globe in 2010 Beacon Hill has undergone a gradual and potentially significant evolution that may be cause for celebration in some quarters but has sparked anguish and soul-searching in legal circles: Fewer lawyers are serving in the State House.

The Boston Bar Association, which has warned that lawyer-legislators could become an “endangered species,’’ recently reported that the number of attorneys in the 200-member Legislature will drop from 65 in the current session to 52 when the new session begins next month.

Family Guy said...

Many of the Founding Fathers were lawyers so I guess we really did get off on the wrong foot.

At least we are lawyer less on the BOS.

Hal Brown said...

Indeed: "Of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, 25 were lawyers. Of the 55 framers of the Constitution, 32 were lawyers."

Backgrounds of the signers of The Declaration

Constitution framers

Interesting.

An Old Codger said...

Great post as usual bogo. As always you call it as you see it!

I expected more personal growth from Hal. There are more pressing matters to ponder in our "golden" years than the trivial concerns of the younger set. C'mon Hal dig deeper into your core being now that now that you no longer have to concern yourself with the psyches of others. I know you have more depth than you let on. You can do it; yes you can! LOL

Oh and Mark, learning to live on a pension is an art form, not so far a reality for you as you think.

Hal Brown said...

Old codger,

I don't know what prompts you to insult me. Hide behind some redundant name and sling crap. Real classy. At least a few of us admit who we are and are will to engage in self-disclosure.

Not that anyone cares, but my life is pretty much an open book.

Codger, ops, I mean "old" codger: personal growth? How dare you get behind some pulpit with a paper bag obscuring your identity and lecture me about personal growth. I have been through hell and am barely back.

Who have you had die on you? Fess up, old codger.

Who are you anyway? Older? Older than me - 68 in a few days? No doubt you think you are wise. A wise ass perhaps, but I see no sign of wisdom.

Codger, I don't even know what post of mine you think shows some concern with the "trivial concerns of the younger set".

I don't know you, I haven't the slightest idea who you are, but I can tell you what to do with the horse you rode in on.... how's this for "personal growth?"

As for delving into the psyches of others, it sounds to me that you don't exactly have a high regard for those who devoted a career to helping others conquer their inner demons.

An Old Codger said...

Hal:

Actually I have the greatest respect for your intelligence. You have much to offer the world and a wealth of wisdom learned from your profession and your life experiences. That's what I'd like to hear more from you, not so much your politics. But I understand your not wanting to speak about your personal pain. My apologies if I struck a raw nerve.

For your information, I lost 3 of the most beloved people in my life in less than 2 years, and it nearly destroyed me. There are 3 types of death a person never fully recovers from: homicide, the premature death of a child, and a suicide. I am doing my best to move on with my life after losing two deeply loved people in these fashions. So yes I have also been to hell and back. As a result my life has been forever changed.

I don't know you personally, but we have interacted on this forum before, somewhat more cordially. BTW, I do not consider myself wise, but I am working to make sense of the world.

Politics has never been a place that provides answers or solutions. In fact I believe it serves to divide people.

As to my identity, it is a common rule of posting on the net never to reveal personal information. Sorry, I'll never go there.

You're reaction to my post, and perhaps my blog, does not offend me. I actually have no intention of further targeting you. Welcome back to the blogosphere, Hal.

Hal Brown said...

I will share part of a poem that an old long lost friend, a therapist, emailed me when she discovered Betty died when she happened to do a Google search of me. I told her what an agonizing year it had been She thought those lines were especially appropriate. They hit me hard then and have lingered with me ever since. It is from a longer poem written by Donald Hall after his wife, another better known poet, Jane Kenyon, died.

You can read the entire poem, "Distressed Hiaku" here.

You think that their
dying is the worst
thing that could happen.

Then they stay dead.


Speaking of poems, for those who missed it, I published a poem Betty wrote when she was in high school in memory of the two year anniversary of her death. It is in the 1/10 Standard Tmes and last week's Gazette. Those who knew Betty at all will find specially meaning in her words.

An Old Codger said...

"Then they stay dead."

That is the pertinent point that people don't get until they've actually been there. Of course we all hear many words in our lifetime, but they don't have much impact until the timing is right. Thanks for the haiku. I've copied it into my notepad.

Everybody grieves differently, and I do well by living moment by moment, But I still need to get away and walk along the beach on holidays and anniversaries. They still suck.

On a different note, I bought tickets to see the "Phantom on the Opera" on Broadway in March. Good seats for cheap price. Can anyone suggest a good hotel without bedbugs? Heard NYC has had an epidemic of them.

bogofree said...

Codger.

Check out the Milford Plaza. I got a promotion rate of $99 a night that was being offered a few months ago.

My wife - The Lovely Cynthia - and I will be in NYC in late February for the theater. Already have tickets for Warhorse and will get some for On A Clear Day and Rock Of Ages. If you are not a member signup for Playbill (free) and get some good discounts.

The Milford Plaza is a block from Times Square. Easy walk to theaters. Check out off Broadway shows on Playbill.

"Everyone grieves differently"

Rick Santorum received criticism from some opponents and in the press for how he grieved over a family situation. Jessica Heslem had a wonderful and emotionally personal story on this subject in The Herald.

Hal Brown said...

I haven't been to "The City" in 20 years. Luxury hotels just for a bed for the night make little sense even if you have money to burn. Check out the websites of the hotels which aren't too far from Times Square which this list

This is good advice:
Before you call hotel reservations directly, check the web. You can often find better rates for the same room online. You won't have as much control over the room you get if you choose the online route, but you'll save money. Here are a few favorites places to find better rates:

• Expedia.com
• Orbitz.com
• Hotels.com
• Travelocity.com
• Best New York City Hotels
• New York City Hotel Deals
• New York Travel Book: Hotels Under $100
• Priceline.com (Specify dates, hotel star rating, area, and what you're willing to pay. Priceline will book you in a hotel of their choice.)

If you don't mind using the subway don't let distance from Time Square be the deciding factor. The Times Square subway station (link) is a major connecting hub for the various subways.

Find a hotel near to a subway line that goes to Times Square without having to transfer to another train. Otherwise unless you've vied there you'll find the NYC has a daunting subway system. See map.

If Hugh Panaro is still starring in March, you will have lucked out. Take a look at this.

An Old Codger said...

bogo

I just read Jessica Heslam's story and I found it very touching. I usually read the Herald, but I somehow missed that one.

Actually I have read Karen Santorum's "Letters to Gabriel" and although heart wrenching I found it ultimately uplifting. Some of the candidates have portrayed the family's actions as weird. Politics is a cruel game that I can't understand anyone's willingness to subject themselves to. If a candidate has a perceived weakness, the rest of the pack rushes to draw first blood.

Videos of that cruise ship disaster in Italy has scared us away from taking a cruise in the foreseeable future. Whatever happened with the captain going down with the ship? This captain was seen abandoning his boat before the passengers were told that it was more than electrical problem. No thanks, I'll stick to flying to my destination.

bogofree said...

I have on my sidebar on this fantastic site several travel links. I also suggest Travelzoo and check out there page regarding entertainment discounts, food and hotel specials in NYC. There are many bargains to be had and with the shows Travelzoo often has discounts similar to or that exceed those of Playbill. You can also sign up for Groupon for NYC for some real specials.

We usually take the train to NYC. Last time was 3:40 minute ride from Boston to Penn Station. Penn Station is about five blocks from Times Square and most of the major hotels. So train to South Station and train to NYC. Train usually has wireless. If you take the Ascella it will cost substantially more for saving you just about a half hour.

If you want luxury a few years back we stayed at the "W" for under a $100 a night since it was that January-March time frame when discounts and promotions are available. Normally that was a $300 room.

bogofree said...

Hal is correct about the subway. Easy to navigate. Last visit we went from Times Square to The Zipper Theater to see Jacques Brel and that was about 30 blocks. A few dollars versus a $20 cab ride. Bus is also simple.

Taking the bus to NYC is a disaster to me since you get stuck on I-95. One trip was eight hours. Forget that.

An Old Codger said...

I've checked the web to see if there were plans to replace Panaro before our ticket date, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Surprisingly the price of a ticket at Boston's Opera House is more than double what I paid for premium seats in NYC, probably because of the short run in Boston? This will be the 6th time I've enjoyed Phantom over the years and it never disappoints. Les Mis is another favorite, but I tend to be drawn to dark characters a bit more. I expect the upcoming movie version of Les Miz with Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean and Russell Crowe as Javert will be universally panned by the critics. Strange casting IMO.

Spending a few days in NYC will give us an excuse to linger at some of the other sights the city has to offer.

An Old Codger said...

I agree about what a disaster a Peter Pan bus ride is to NYC. We usually do Amtrak's Accela train. We only had a problem once when a delusional schizophrenic sat in the seat facing us. He interacted with a whole cast of invisible characters..a little scary at first until it became obvious that he was harmless.

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