Charlie Sheen is a wreck. Listening to his incoherent and disjointed ramblings makes one wonder when the mother ship will beam him up. His illustrious behaviors have been well documented and need no repeating. Now these behaviors could be the results of excessive drug use and mental health concerns and maybe a combination of both but what I really take note of is the way the media is actually taking advantage of the situation. Sheen appeared on numerous outlets and I question why they even have him on. To my simple mind it appears that ratings trump personal disaster. Now I’m waiting for someone to step up in this situation either his family or his entourage to at least address the issue. In the meantime the paparazzi and media will continue to take advantage of a person obviously in need of intervention.
Giving a monetary handout to a street person has always presented me with a moral dilemma. A large portion are what we called “bums” or “vagrants” when I was much, much younger. What is an issue with me is slipping a buck or some change into a coffee can knowing with an almost certainty that I am feeding an addiction. Now I use to write a clearing of the conscious check to Pine Street Inn and Rosie’s Place but even those have been outed for having some rather excessive salaries so that is now gone. Some local food pantries and places such as The Conway House provide something with a bit more contribution security. As the years have gone by virtually all of our charitable contributions have been local.
On the above paragraph I remember a time I was in Boston and stopped at a light when a woman came to my car with a young child in her grasp and requested money for food since she and her child were hungry. Across the street was a Burger King so I told her to go over there and I’ll buy her a meal. Her response? “F**k you.” That’s what makes me jaded.
I remember several years ago on a visit to Mexico we observed Mexican youth washing the windows of cars snarled in traffic. This is quite commonplace and anyone who is in a major city sees it. I pointed out to my daughter and wife “Look at the shoes.” They both did and my daughter recognized some real high end kicks. Quite a lucrative business.
Been numerous reports across the nation regarding some rather violent and in your face activity towards counter demonstrators at state house rallies. The rallies supporting union rights have a strong union presence and some have taken to heart Capuano’s “blood in the streets” statement. Wonder why that is being downplayed as isolated incidents when the same “isolated incidents” happened at Tea Party rallies during the last election cycle. Seems like the only major media outlet to really focus on it is Fox.
Having a campaign headquarters as Allin Frawley has done returns me to those electioneering times of yesteryear when the practice - even for local elections - was quite common.
The Obama administration is a wreck and shows little signs of getting out of the quagmire and 2012 is just around the corner - but there is good news. Think Newt, Mitt, Rudy, The Donald and a few others and all looks rosy for an Obama repeat.
How did John “I’d Walk A Mile For A Camera” Kerry miss this one? A quirk in Colorado law allows some estates to pay taxes at the agricultural rate. Tom Cruise has a property he bought for 18 million yet pays $400 in taxes since he allows sheep to graze for a short period of time a few times a year.
Former CEO Cleve Killingworth of BC/BS is reportedly on the boards of at least a dozen other companies and many are non profits. How much compensation he receives from this is unknown. AFL-CIO union president Robert Haynes has been rather reluctant to discuss his 72K kiss from his board position except to say in is only “pennies a year” compared to the billions BC/BS rakes in. Tell that to the folks who have had their premiums doubled in the last three years. But some behind the scenes wrangling obviously took place and the board announced they are “suspending” Their salaries - translation is let’s do this until it all blows over.
William Good is a public sector employee who gets it. He is Commissioner of the Inspection Services Division in Boston and The Herald brought to his attention some rather disturbing problems with how his agency does business. His response? “You have identified a problem and we are going back and clean it up.” No deflection. No evasiveness. No getting defensive.
On Tuesday, conservative activist James O'Keefe posted a hidden-camera video in which NPR executive Tom Schiller bashed the tea party movement as "racist" and "xenophobic" and said NPR would be better off without federal funding. That is an excerpt from a wire story on the resignation of Vivian Schiller - no relation to Tom Schiller - from NPR. This agency should have been cut from the fiscal herd decades ago.
Mike Tyson is in trouble. No it is not a domestic incident, biting an ear off or a threat to “eat your children” but something even more serious - PETA. Iron Mike has a show on Animal Planet about pigeons and pigeon racing but he is no novice since he’s been doing this for 30 years. Well…PETA is all up in feathers over this and has started to picket his house - now that is something I’d really want to do if Mike goes off on one of his bipolar rants. When I lived in Marshfield decades ago a neighbor was involved in pigeon racing and I can’t think of anything that would get me upset about it. His wife claimed the birds got more attention and better care than her or the kids and she was right.
The Wall Street Journal has reported a significant slowdown in municipal bond offerings as state budgets have to be addressed before adding long term debt for capital improvements. The bonds also will have to start paying more attractive (punitive) interest rates thanks to ratings drops. Same applies to local communities.
Newt Gingrich has a unique solution for all husbands that are involved in affairs - the passion for my country made me do it. Yep, Newt, that will go about as far as your presidential attempt.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Too Much To List
At least the rain cleaned off my car.
Companion tickets for airline travel have long been a marketing ploy to get you hooked into specific credit card offers. These are traditional BOGOFREE (Buy One Get One Free) items but they come with a catch. The ticket is only good in specific inventories or fare classes. I have one from American Airlines and decided to attempt to use it but knew what would happen. Round trip airfare from Boston to Houston - Hobby for two tickets came out to $781.60 booked online with all taxes and fees. The same fare booked with an agent (required and $20 per ticket) amounted to $824.20. So using a “free” ticket actually cost more. No surprise.
The above are usually handed out with a credit card offer for 25,000 to 40,000 air miles which is what I am after. Sometimes you may get a pass to their executive club, companion tickets, money off coupons and so on but most are worthless. Just go for the air miles and don’t pay for the card - first year is usually fee free - then cancel out when they hit you with a fee. Impact on your FICO score is negligible. You can also negotiate at that point and I have had the fee dropped and been given 5,000 to 10,000 bonus miles. Remember the more you charge the more they make off merchants who have to pay a fee - all eventually passed on via higher prices.
Capital Planning Committee was well organized in their presentation and their recommendations. The condition of some of the equipment is beyond belief especially those fire trucks. This represents heavy use equipment in all sorts of weather conditions and the results become obvious.
Barney Fife department. A Girl Scout leader says young members of her troop thought they were headed to jail when a Georgia police officer told them to quit selling cookies.
The city's police chief and mayor spoke with the officer. They say he did nothing wrong and that it was a misunderstanding. The troop now has a permit to sell. And to smooth things over, the city is offering the girls a pizza party. Here is the real story. That cop was an idiot. Carrying a badge and having a gun does not make for common sense.
One of the big problems I have with overrides for education is the money goes into salaries and benefits.
The Gas & Electric fiefdom has budgeted $38,000 shutters. I guess they don’t shop at Lowe’s. Maybe they can un-budget it and put that 38K back to the ratepayers? Historical preservation is nice but lower rates are nicer.
So the stock market goes nuts and oil prices go through the roof over Libya. Libya produces about 2% of the world supply which is about what is probably spilled by tankers. The Saudi’s were on record as saying any loss of production from Libya would be made up by increased production from their fields yet that had no influence on the speculators.
Under funded pensions in the public sector amount to about 3 trillion.
A government shutdown is now possible but it is not a rare occurrence from what I have read. Been at least ten in the last 30 years with no shutdown of social security checks. Despite this Obama has said that may happen. Always count on scare tactics.
Teachers should be compensated to the best of the ability of a community but when the fiscal well has been tapped out then a certain reality must set in.
The Herald had an article about court officers having a second job by altering their schedule. Seems to be rather commonplace and many of the court officers are compensated in excess of a $100,000 a year. The pubic is becoming aware that there are now two classes of people - the public service elite and those who compensate them.
The GM of the Boston Celtic - Danny Ainge - shipped out about half his team at the trading deadline. The team is in first place and has the second best record in the NBA so this is a substantial risk. Check back in June for tar and feathers or sainthood.
I just can’t imagine a bigger political disgrace than Democratic legislatures fleeing rather than voting. You oppose a bill and do not have the support to stop it so you play hide and seek. If this happened in Massachusetts the Republicans would be perpetually on the lamb.
Soon the candidate night action will take place. Oak Point (Where every day is a tax free holiday) will have one sponsored by their extremely pro active vets group.
Those pesky Tea Party types have actually been serious about cuts and debt reduction. Seems that too many Democrats have now developed a status quo regarding the perfect storm with benefits and wages to the public sector.
The real action of those influenced by the Tea Party appears to be in the various state legislatures were the perpetually passing down of fiscal insanity has finally caught up. Cuts have to be made or taxes raised.
Have got tickets for the Red $ox games in Houston and Kansas City. I guess spring is here. Even made plane reservations for myself and my wife - The Lovely Cynthia - for KC using air miles. My wife will not attend games but “hang” with other ladies who are indulging our baseball wishes. Oh the payback I face on this!
Warren Buffett remains “optimistic” about our economy. Hey if I had 50 billion or so I would be optimistic.
Rush the blabbermouth has pointed out another wonderful inconsistency in the White House by shedding some caloric light on the eating habits of the First Lady. Michelle Obama does not exactly practice what she preaches to the hoi polloi.
I just wonder when the activity of pirates will grab some type of concerted effort on the part of nations. Seems the defensive exercise is rather shoddy and inconsistent.
The Razzies were handed out and I pay more attention to that award than the Oscars.
The sports team that generated the most revenue in 2010 was Real Madrid a soccer team that made 583M.
Freedom Of Information Act has shown a wee bit of negativity regarding late Senator Ted Kennedy including his rental of a brothel in Chile and a petulant and pompous attitude. Ted is a great example of DYKWIA (Don’t you know who I am?) mentality that seems to have been passed down the genetic food chain to his son “Patches.” I will say I greatly admired JFK and even more so RFK but Ted I had no use for since I have personally witnessed some of his DYKWIA behavior.
You know you are getting old department. The last WWI vet died at 110. I remember attending parades in the early 1950s when you had vets from the Spanish - American to Korea marching. The WWI group was about the age I am now. I do believe the last vet of the Civil War dies in the mid 1950s.
I saw The King’s Speech and it was an entertaining movie but I passed on The Fighter.
Regarding The King’s Speech I found dramatic license taken with the character Lionel Logue who became the therapist for the Duke of York. Logue was shown to be somewhat of a down and out character when the reality was he was financially quite comfortable with an extensive collection of wealthy clients that allowed him to also treat those with limited resources for free. Logue was a well respected professional who was actually the founder of British Society of Speech Therapists. In regards to The Duke of York he confidently made many speeches before the address that became central to the movie. It’s the movies!
Another scammer made contact with me the other day and it was not the English Lottery or some lost relative in Nigeria. This was a cold call from Texas Allied Petroleum for investment in a drilling operation. Just a mere 60K for a ten times that return and complete with a slick brochure that arrived the next day. Only issue is in this day and age one with even my limited internet skills can do ten minutes of basic research that shows this “company” has more red flags than a May Day celebration in Red Square.
The return call was a thing of beauty and lasted less than a minute especially when I pointed out the long trail of complaints and that all their fiscal reports were company created and unaudited. The sad thing is that some folks get dizzy with the promised returns only to be duped out of large sums of money. Be aware that they will often attempt to have the prospective sucker (investor) use their IRA as a means of investment. There are enough shady characters with legitimate credentials without having the fly by night frauds hanging around.
Companion tickets for airline travel have long been a marketing ploy to get you hooked into specific credit card offers. These are traditional BOGOFREE (Buy One Get One Free) items but they come with a catch. The ticket is only good in specific inventories or fare classes. I have one from American Airlines and decided to attempt to use it but knew what would happen. Round trip airfare from Boston to Houston - Hobby for two tickets came out to $781.60 booked online with all taxes and fees. The same fare booked with an agent (required and $20 per ticket) amounted to $824.20. So using a “free” ticket actually cost more. No surprise.
The above are usually handed out with a credit card offer for 25,000 to 40,000 air miles which is what I am after. Sometimes you may get a pass to their executive club, companion tickets, money off coupons and so on but most are worthless. Just go for the air miles and don’t pay for the card - first year is usually fee free - then cancel out when they hit you with a fee. Impact on your FICO score is negligible. You can also negotiate at that point and I have had the fee dropped and been given 5,000 to 10,000 bonus miles. Remember the more you charge the more they make off merchants who have to pay a fee - all eventually passed on via higher prices.
Capital Planning Committee was well organized in their presentation and their recommendations. The condition of some of the equipment is beyond belief especially those fire trucks. This represents heavy use equipment in all sorts of weather conditions and the results become obvious.
Barney Fife department. A Girl Scout leader says young members of her troop thought they were headed to jail when a Georgia police officer told them to quit selling cookies.
The city's police chief and mayor spoke with the officer. They say he did nothing wrong and that it was a misunderstanding. The troop now has a permit to sell. And to smooth things over, the city is offering the girls a pizza party. Here is the real story. That cop was an idiot. Carrying a badge and having a gun does not make for common sense.
One of the big problems I have with overrides for education is the money goes into salaries and benefits.
The Gas & Electric fiefdom has budgeted $38,000 shutters. I guess they don’t shop at Lowe’s. Maybe they can un-budget it and put that 38K back to the ratepayers? Historical preservation is nice but lower rates are nicer.
So the stock market goes nuts and oil prices go through the roof over Libya. Libya produces about 2% of the world supply which is about what is probably spilled by tankers. The Saudi’s were on record as saying any loss of production from Libya would be made up by increased production from their fields yet that had no influence on the speculators.
Under funded pensions in the public sector amount to about 3 trillion.
A government shutdown is now possible but it is not a rare occurrence from what I have read. Been at least ten in the last 30 years with no shutdown of social security checks. Despite this Obama has said that may happen. Always count on scare tactics.
Teachers should be compensated to the best of the ability of a community but when the fiscal well has been tapped out then a certain reality must set in.
The Herald had an article about court officers having a second job by altering their schedule. Seems to be rather commonplace and many of the court officers are compensated in excess of a $100,000 a year. The pubic is becoming aware that there are now two classes of people - the public service elite and those who compensate them.
The GM of the Boston Celtic - Danny Ainge - shipped out about half his team at the trading deadline. The team is in first place and has the second best record in the NBA so this is a substantial risk. Check back in June for tar and feathers or sainthood.
I just can’t imagine a bigger political disgrace than Democratic legislatures fleeing rather than voting. You oppose a bill and do not have the support to stop it so you play hide and seek. If this happened in Massachusetts the Republicans would be perpetually on the lamb.
Soon the candidate night action will take place. Oak Point (Where every day is a tax free holiday) will have one sponsored by their extremely pro active vets group.
Those pesky Tea Party types have actually been serious about cuts and debt reduction. Seems that too many Democrats have now developed a status quo regarding the perfect storm with benefits and wages to the public sector.
The real action of those influenced by the Tea Party appears to be in the various state legislatures were the perpetually passing down of fiscal insanity has finally caught up. Cuts have to be made or taxes raised.
Have got tickets for the Red $ox games in Houston and Kansas City. I guess spring is here. Even made plane reservations for myself and my wife - The Lovely Cynthia - for KC using air miles. My wife will not attend games but “hang” with other ladies who are indulging our baseball wishes. Oh the payback I face on this!
Warren Buffett remains “optimistic” about our economy. Hey if I had 50 billion or so I would be optimistic.
Rush the blabbermouth has pointed out another wonderful inconsistency in the White House by shedding some caloric light on the eating habits of the First Lady. Michelle Obama does not exactly practice what she preaches to the hoi polloi.
I just wonder when the activity of pirates will grab some type of concerted effort on the part of nations. Seems the defensive exercise is rather shoddy and inconsistent.
The Razzies were handed out and I pay more attention to that award than the Oscars.
The sports team that generated the most revenue in 2010 was Real Madrid a soccer team that made 583M.
Freedom Of Information Act has shown a wee bit of negativity regarding late Senator Ted Kennedy including his rental of a brothel in Chile and a petulant and pompous attitude. Ted is a great example of DYKWIA (Don’t you know who I am?) mentality that seems to have been passed down the genetic food chain to his son “Patches.” I will say I greatly admired JFK and even more so RFK but Ted I had no use for since I have personally witnessed some of his DYKWIA behavior.
You know you are getting old department. The last WWI vet died at 110. I remember attending parades in the early 1950s when you had vets from the Spanish - American to Korea marching. The WWI group was about the age I am now. I do believe the last vet of the Civil War dies in the mid 1950s.
I saw The King’s Speech and it was an entertaining movie but I passed on The Fighter.
Regarding The King’s Speech I found dramatic license taken with the character Lionel Logue who became the therapist for the Duke of York. Logue was shown to be somewhat of a down and out character when the reality was he was financially quite comfortable with an extensive collection of wealthy clients that allowed him to also treat those with limited resources for free. Logue was a well respected professional who was actually the founder of British Society of Speech Therapists. In regards to The Duke of York he confidently made many speeches before the address that became central to the movie. It’s the movies!
Another scammer made contact with me the other day and it was not the English Lottery or some lost relative in Nigeria. This was a cold call from Texas Allied Petroleum for investment in a drilling operation. Just a mere 60K for a ten times that return and complete with a slick brochure that arrived the next day. Only issue is in this day and age one with even my limited internet skills can do ten minutes of basic research that shows this “company” has more red flags than a May Day celebration in Red Square.
The return call was a thing of beauty and lasted less than a minute especially when I pointed out the long trail of complaints and that all their fiscal reports were company created and unaudited. The sad thing is that some folks get dizzy with the promised returns only to be duped out of large sums of money. Be aware that they will often attempt to have the prospective sucker (investor) use their IRA as a means of investment. There are enough shady characters with legitimate credentials without having the fly by night frauds hanging around.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
In The News And Other Stuff
Tea Party backed Republicans in Congress lost out on their bid for an additional 22B “For the children” cuts in social services. Unfortunately everyone has a turf agenda to “protect” certain interests such as The Crying Man Speaker still attempting to get those jet engines for his district. But the deficit conscious Republicans did manage to slash 61B while providing protection for certain companies. Now on to the Senate and then to the President. Chances are it will eventually be watered down or eliminated. Bottom line is everyone is going to get nailed if the spending and deficit is to be controlled.
Governor “two and out” Patrick refused to up the unemployment for MA employers thus saving 400M in extended costs to businesses that would have to eventually be passed along in the pricing chain.
A charity started by two returning vets of Iraq and Afghanistan proved to be a sham. They were even given office space in the state house by the administration only to be outed by Gatehouse News. One expenditure was $800 at Foxwoods. Ouch! Looks like the lesson learned was how to mirror the rampant corruption of Afghanistan and Iraq.
The Republicans - first year branch - and Obama managed to agree on a minor budget slicing last week of alternative jet engines that would trim 450M from the budget. Not much in the context of the federal budget but more than the budgets of Middleboro, Bridgewater, Lakeville, Carver, Raynham, Wareham, Halifax and a few other towns combined.
Senator Marc Pacheco has made my political phony sidebar in the past and I could easily toss him out there again. Marc now is exploring being mayor and a state senator. Living proof of what we all know that being “In the House” in Massachusetts is a part time job with full time pay. Of course what has been dragged out is “others have done it.” Gee…a history of hacks padding their pension.
Maybe Pacheco is a political Mormon so instead of two wives he has two jobs.
Wisconsin has done what BB would love and - hey, BB, it’s the Republicans doing it! They are slashing the pensions and proposing a rewriting of collective bargaining laws with state workers. One of the proposals is to have the workers pay 12.5% of their health care cost. 12.5%! The other proposal is to have them fund half their retirement. Democrats actually left the state rather than be forced into watching this pass. Similar situation is surfacing in NY where a liberal Democrat Andrew Cuomo has all of a sudden become a fiscal conservative going to war with public service unions.
Governor Walker of Wisconsin did exactly what he said he would do if elected. He was elected and actually followed through. Now leaving the state in a snit is not part of the political process since if you are disturbed by his policies just vote him and his cronies out of office on the next round and make changes.
The fiscal tsunami that has hit the United States first surfaced in Europe where governments have had a “smell the coffee” moment and realize the stark reality that the money is not there. To get the money would require a round of oppressive tax increases.
Back home the same reality is now firmly in place as pragmatic democrats and republicans attempt to come to grips with the fiscal realities.
In Middleboro the annual shortage has been going on for decades and I imagine more this year. You have a community with the lowest median income of any town in the county, rising health care costs, mandated programs to fund, contractual obligations and really quite limited new revenue and no rescue on the horizon. Labor costs are the big budget buster and unfortunately that is where the axe will eventually fall. After four rounds of failure with 2 and ½ I doubt any life line will show up.
The value of a second opinion also applies to cars. My wife - The Lovely Cynthia - had a “noise” emanating from her pristine vehicle. Muffler? Don’t know. Had it checked out and was told it was a possible transmission problem which they do not handle. Go to a transmission service and have them look at it. I know from previous experience this is $2,000+ so I went to get a second opinion. This time it was a wheel bearing. Mechanic on the test drive with me said so after about 15 seconds. Bearing replaced. Noise gone. Savings? A bundle.
Local UFC or former UFC fighter is in the news. Has quite a path of destruction with assaults and destruction of property. Time to get some help.
The IRS is one government agency that scares the bejabbers out of us. They have attempted to become more reasonable through the years but this next little missive is not about that but about their web site. User friendly. You can track your refund. They also answer tax questions via the internet. That has been an excellent source for me.
I’d love to see a one time tax free holiday for car buying. This is the ultimate big ticket item and I just refuse to buy a new one when I have to toss away 6.5% on top of an excise tax.
National Grid offers a series of rebates for those wishing to purchase a new high efficiency gas burner which I did. Next comes getting that rebate. How many roadblocks can one company put in place to avoid paying? They are requesting information that was not even on their checklist. Somehow I am getting the whiff of small claims court.
There is a web site that lists what the honorarium for speakers of some notoriety. Bill Belichick has a fee of $50,001. What is the one for?
Airline tales of joy. I have a friend who is going to Hawaii and when he went to get his flight the airline was going to bump him since he was a non revenue passenger (airmiles). Eventually his compensation was a night room at the airport Hilton with several food coupons. A flight the next day first class on both legs. And finally a check - not a voucher - for $800. That is the best one I can ever recall.
Governor “two and out” Patrick refused to up the unemployment for MA employers thus saving 400M in extended costs to businesses that would have to eventually be passed along in the pricing chain.
A charity started by two returning vets of Iraq and Afghanistan proved to be a sham. They were even given office space in the state house by the administration only to be outed by Gatehouse News. One expenditure was $800 at Foxwoods. Ouch! Looks like the lesson learned was how to mirror the rampant corruption of Afghanistan and Iraq.
The Republicans - first year branch - and Obama managed to agree on a minor budget slicing last week of alternative jet engines that would trim 450M from the budget. Not much in the context of the federal budget but more than the budgets of Middleboro, Bridgewater, Lakeville, Carver, Raynham, Wareham, Halifax and a few other towns combined.
Senator Marc Pacheco has made my political phony sidebar in the past and I could easily toss him out there again. Marc now is exploring being mayor and a state senator. Living proof of what we all know that being “In the House” in Massachusetts is a part time job with full time pay. Of course what has been dragged out is “others have done it.” Gee…a history of hacks padding their pension.
Maybe Pacheco is a political Mormon so instead of two wives he has two jobs.
Wisconsin has done what BB would love and - hey, BB, it’s the Republicans doing it! They are slashing the pensions and proposing a rewriting of collective bargaining laws with state workers. One of the proposals is to have the workers pay 12.5% of their health care cost. 12.5%! The other proposal is to have them fund half their retirement. Democrats actually left the state rather than be forced into watching this pass. Similar situation is surfacing in NY where a liberal Democrat Andrew Cuomo has all of a sudden become a fiscal conservative going to war with public service unions.
Governor Walker of Wisconsin did exactly what he said he would do if elected. He was elected and actually followed through. Now leaving the state in a snit is not part of the political process since if you are disturbed by his policies just vote him and his cronies out of office on the next round and make changes.
The fiscal tsunami that has hit the United States first surfaced in Europe where governments have had a “smell the coffee” moment and realize the stark reality that the money is not there. To get the money would require a round of oppressive tax increases.
Back home the same reality is now firmly in place as pragmatic democrats and republicans attempt to come to grips with the fiscal realities.
In Middleboro the annual shortage has been going on for decades and I imagine more this year. You have a community with the lowest median income of any town in the county, rising health care costs, mandated programs to fund, contractual obligations and really quite limited new revenue and no rescue on the horizon. Labor costs are the big budget buster and unfortunately that is where the axe will eventually fall. After four rounds of failure with 2 and ½ I doubt any life line will show up.
The value of a second opinion also applies to cars. My wife - The Lovely Cynthia - had a “noise” emanating from her pristine vehicle. Muffler? Don’t know. Had it checked out and was told it was a possible transmission problem which they do not handle. Go to a transmission service and have them look at it. I know from previous experience this is $2,000+ so I went to get a second opinion. This time it was a wheel bearing. Mechanic on the test drive with me said so after about 15 seconds. Bearing replaced. Noise gone. Savings? A bundle.
Local UFC or former UFC fighter is in the news. Has quite a path of destruction with assaults and destruction of property. Time to get some help.
The IRS is one government agency that scares the bejabbers out of us. They have attempted to become more reasonable through the years but this next little missive is not about that but about their web site. User friendly. You can track your refund. They also answer tax questions via the internet. That has been an excellent source for me.
I’d love to see a one time tax free holiday for car buying. This is the ultimate big ticket item and I just refuse to buy a new one when I have to toss away 6.5% on top of an excise tax.
National Grid offers a series of rebates for those wishing to purchase a new high efficiency gas burner which I did. Next comes getting that rebate. How many roadblocks can one company put in place to avoid paying? They are requesting information that was not even on their checklist. Somehow I am getting the whiff of small claims court.
There is a web site that lists what the honorarium for speakers of some notoriety. Bill Belichick has a fee of $50,001. What is the one for?
Airline tales of joy. I have a friend who is going to Hawaii and when he went to get his flight the airline was going to bump him since he was a non revenue passenger (airmiles). Eventually his compensation was a night room at the airport Hilton with several food coupons. A flight the next day first class on both legs. And finally a check - not a voucher - for $800. That is the best one I can ever recall.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
President Day Post
In Boston there is a tradition of saving your shoveled parking space with items to prevent access to those not worthy - the ones that didn’t shovel it out. Now a city ordinance allows this to happen for 48 hours and then the rules change but folks still have the items out ignoring the “Mumbles Mandate.” The trash collectors have been told to remove them since they are considered refuse so chairs, toilets, barrels and other items are collected. In Middleboro that would not be a problem since they don’t pick up the stuff.
The Republicans in Congress seem to be in a bit of reverse on budget slashing as their machetes have turned into a pocket knife.
The Patriot Act had a surprise as 26 Republicans came to their collective senses and voted against extending it.
Charlie Sheen would make a wonderful addition to Congress or maybe as Prime Minister of Italy?
The basketball season continues on at the professional level. I remember “back in the day” when Gene Conley would be pitching for the Sox and backing up Bill Russell. Now that season seems to extend half way through baseball season.
Back when the Sox traded Frank Sullivan (6’7”) for Gene Conley (6’8”) someone asked Frank Lane - a notable GM - who got the better of the deal? His reply: “Red Sox by an inch.”
I wonder what will become talking points for the BOS race? My personal question if I manage to get off my posterior will be “What do you plan to do for health care cost reduction in union negotiations?” Same can be said for patient zero in the local health care issue - the teachers union.
Metro South Chamber of Commerce is offering a great trip to China in November. This is a nine day trip with most meals, four and five star hotels and airfare from Boston for $2,050 per person.
Scott Brown is now approaching 8 Mil in his campaign fund. That will be an attention getter for any potential opponent. Brown has drawn fire from the right, left and middle so he must be doing something right since I am so use to our Congressional delegation pandering to the far left.
The Scott Brown money will only grow and grow exponentially if he wins in 2012 since he’ll be on the front burner for Republican presidential hopes for 2016. Money equals access to power.
I saw another letter by Marc Pacheco in the Gazette responding to Jim Thomas. Naturally - like many others from left of center - he dragged out the new code words “toxic” and “Vitriolic” to describe Thomas previous letters. Spare me the tears, senator, since after listening to Barney Frank for years Thomas is actually Ms. Manners. Once you start getting them to respond - and Pacheco has - you have won.
Now my dear Barney Frank is not going to give up his 400 or so years of “service” in Congress and quietly - wait - quietly and Barney? LMBAO - ride into the sunset and return to his previous employment - pumping gas back in the 50s! No dreaded private sector for Barney. So now the political musical chairs begin - what moonbat will be on the outside looking in? If I was in Congress and the major portion of my district was west of Worcester I’d be checking on my pension payout.
I’d love to see Sarah Palin and her daughter Bristol appear on Jeopardy. Well….maybe “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” OK….than a 1st grader. My money would be on the kids.
Mitt Romney is suppose to be making another run at being the Leader of The Free World. Almost enough to make me vote for President WOW - if I voted for a national slate at all.
The rotary relief has been deep sixed again. Looks like I will continue to take five minutes rather one minute to get through now that the exotic pathway has been eliminated. But putting my personal negativism aside it’s demise is not something I would pin on the BOS, TM, Planning Board, DPW, IT Director and anyone else for it just seems to be a semi greedy developer.
When they finally get around to actually doing something with the rotary it would IMO end up being a local version of “The Big Dig” with escalating costs, shoddy workmanship and a time line that will last until we are all like the Jetsons. I imagine that project will be very, very costly.
I saw our delegation meet with the BOS so I tried to drift through all the political speak and make some sense of it but all I managed to hear was “tough” as far as cities and towns getting anything.
Watching the Three Amigos or is it Stooges before the BOS I once again saw my aversion to suits and ties. I really think a tie is absolutely stupid. Just dumb to me. My wife - The Lovely Cynthia - thinks a well dressed man is attractive. So that places me in the non attractive category. The one good thing about suits is that they seem fairly timeless as some I have are 30+ years old and still in style and still fit.
Martin Gaskell lost out on a job at The University of Kentucky over his religious beliefs. Gaskell describes himself as a “Theistic Evolutionist” which means he accepts Darwin and believes the earth is actually billions of years old. He did what is commonplace - he sued. Enough email evidence and other evidence was available to have UK settle for 125K. Gaskell is an example of a reputable scientist with impeccable credentials who can also be very religious. They are not necessarily mutually exclusive.
I have never been to The Alley Theater that has opened in Middleboro but I wonder if it is the type of venue that can show films? Many out of the ordinary films do not reach the suburban audience so one has to migrate to various places in Boston or Cambridge to see these films. I don’t care for the term “Art Films” but that is the general moniker assigned to that genre. Be nice to see if someone could give it a go in this area especially if they could combine it with a dinner.
More on entertainment. Spider Man The Musical has been in the news with all the problems they are running into which are mostly self-inflicted thanks to some rather exotic special effects. This is now turning into a $65,000,000 dog. Still in “previews” frustrated critics finally got fed up and gave it reviews - Spidy got squashed! How bad is it? Playbill is offering steep discounts on their web side and Audience Rewards is giving away a thousand points for buying a ticket. I’ll pass.
The military budget will soon be front and center as even the Tea Party crowd has stated it needs to be examined. Trouble is when the “bad guys” start something that is when we go to the cops and in international politics the cops happen to be our military. What bothers me is how we choose to define the “bad guys” as it seems that the military has been used more as an extension of diplomacy of Teddy Roosevelt (carry a big stick) than anything resembling a long range plan.
Right now the United States has eleven aircraft carriers. A carrier is not just a flight deck but a fearsome force that has as much firepower as most countries and that does not even include the nuclear arsenal. Is eleven really necessary? Is it necessary to station troops in England? Germany? Japan? The percent of out budget used for military expenditures is simply outrageous especially in the context of having two questionable wars occurring simultaneously. Our Force de Frappe seems excessive.
Thankfully the Republicans has targeted NPR and PBS for zero funding.
Maybe the Republicans and WOW can get into dueling budget cutting. A sort of mine is smaller than yours?
The Motley Fools are investment advisors but not in a traditional sense. They tend to debase some stocks and especially mutual funds which is where for several years they have directed their collective angst - mutual funds. I enjoy them and have found their advice interesting. But now they have started their own mutual fund. Welcome, boys, to reality and the world of making really big money.
The Hayden Planetarium has reopened after a year of renovations to bring it into the 21st century. The Museum Of Science in Boston is a very dated facility just like the aquarium but at one time they were the blueprint for similar projects all over the country and even the world. Both have shown their age but steps are being taken to once again make both premier attractions.
Spring training has opened so prepare for an endless stream of mindless stories.
Troubles in Egypt did not have any serious impact on the stock market the last few weeks and that is not unusual. I read an article that showed markets are not really impacted long range by significant events such as Pearl Harbor, 9/11 or the assassination of JFK.
The deepest skiing snow base in New England is the Blue Hills. 55 to 75 inches.
Rather amusing watching the BOS debate for twenty or so minutes about getting a free ambulance. Looks like the vehicle is in rather good shape with nothing really to be done to it. So why the debate? Take it. If it is a pile of bolts junk it. I got $400 for a beat up Hyundai with a engine that was shot.
Japan has had the second largest economy for 43 years and it is now number three behind China.
A sign that the boom times have returned is how the financial picture is improving for Sand Las Vegas, MGM, Wynn Resorts, Boyd Gaming, Penn National Gaming and a slew of others whose central focus is enticing you to lose your money. Their stocks are all at or near 52 week highs.
The Republicans in Congress seem to be in a bit of reverse on budget slashing as their machetes have turned into a pocket knife.
The Patriot Act had a surprise as 26 Republicans came to their collective senses and voted against extending it.
Charlie Sheen would make a wonderful addition to Congress or maybe as Prime Minister of Italy?
The basketball season continues on at the professional level. I remember “back in the day” when Gene Conley would be pitching for the Sox and backing up Bill Russell. Now that season seems to extend half way through baseball season.
Back when the Sox traded Frank Sullivan (6’7”) for Gene Conley (6’8”) someone asked Frank Lane - a notable GM - who got the better of the deal? His reply: “Red Sox by an inch.”
I wonder what will become talking points for the BOS race? My personal question if I manage to get off my posterior will be “What do you plan to do for health care cost reduction in union negotiations?” Same can be said for patient zero in the local health care issue - the teachers union.
Metro South Chamber of Commerce is offering a great trip to China in November. This is a nine day trip with most meals, four and five star hotels and airfare from Boston for $2,050 per person.
Scott Brown is now approaching 8 Mil in his campaign fund. That will be an attention getter for any potential opponent. Brown has drawn fire from the right, left and middle so he must be doing something right since I am so use to our Congressional delegation pandering to the far left.
The Scott Brown money will only grow and grow exponentially if he wins in 2012 since he’ll be on the front burner for Republican presidential hopes for 2016. Money equals access to power.
I saw another letter by Marc Pacheco in the Gazette responding to Jim Thomas. Naturally - like many others from left of center - he dragged out the new code words “toxic” and “Vitriolic” to describe Thomas previous letters. Spare me the tears, senator, since after listening to Barney Frank for years Thomas is actually Ms. Manners. Once you start getting them to respond - and Pacheco has - you have won.
Now my dear Barney Frank is not going to give up his 400 or so years of “service” in Congress and quietly - wait - quietly and Barney? LMBAO - ride into the sunset and return to his previous employment - pumping gas back in the 50s! No dreaded private sector for Barney. So now the political musical chairs begin - what moonbat will be on the outside looking in? If I was in Congress and the major portion of my district was west of Worcester I’d be checking on my pension payout.
I’d love to see Sarah Palin and her daughter Bristol appear on Jeopardy. Well….maybe “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” OK….than a 1st grader. My money would be on the kids.
Mitt Romney is suppose to be making another run at being the Leader of The Free World. Almost enough to make me vote for President WOW - if I voted for a national slate at all.
The rotary relief has been deep sixed again. Looks like I will continue to take five minutes rather one minute to get through now that the exotic pathway has been eliminated. But putting my personal negativism aside it’s demise is not something I would pin on the BOS, TM, Planning Board, DPW, IT Director and anyone else for it just seems to be a semi greedy developer.
When they finally get around to actually doing something with the rotary it would IMO end up being a local version of “The Big Dig” with escalating costs, shoddy workmanship and a time line that will last until we are all like the Jetsons. I imagine that project will be very, very costly.
I saw our delegation meet with the BOS so I tried to drift through all the political speak and make some sense of it but all I managed to hear was “tough” as far as cities and towns getting anything.
Watching the Three Amigos or is it Stooges before the BOS I once again saw my aversion to suits and ties. I really think a tie is absolutely stupid. Just dumb to me. My wife - The Lovely Cynthia - thinks a well dressed man is attractive. So that places me in the non attractive category. The one good thing about suits is that they seem fairly timeless as some I have are 30+ years old and still in style and still fit.
Martin Gaskell lost out on a job at The University of Kentucky over his religious beliefs. Gaskell describes himself as a “Theistic Evolutionist” which means he accepts Darwin and believes the earth is actually billions of years old. He did what is commonplace - he sued. Enough email evidence and other evidence was available to have UK settle for 125K. Gaskell is an example of a reputable scientist with impeccable credentials who can also be very religious. They are not necessarily mutually exclusive.
I have never been to The Alley Theater that has opened in Middleboro but I wonder if it is the type of venue that can show films? Many out of the ordinary films do not reach the suburban audience so one has to migrate to various places in Boston or Cambridge to see these films. I don’t care for the term “Art Films” but that is the general moniker assigned to that genre. Be nice to see if someone could give it a go in this area especially if they could combine it with a dinner.
More on entertainment. Spider Man The Musical has been in the news with all the problems they are running into which are mostly self-inflicted thanks to some rather exotic special effects. This is now turning into a $65,000,000 dog. Still in “previews” frustrated critics finally got fed up and gave it reviews - Spidy got squashed! How bad is it? Playbill is offering steep discounts on their web side and Audience Rewards is giving away a thousand points for buying a ticket. I’ll pass.
The military budget will soon be front and center as even the Tea Party crowd has stated it needs to be examined. Trouble is when the “bad guys” start something that is when we go to the cops and in international politics the cops happen to be our military. What bothers me is how we choose to define the “bad guys” as it seems that the military has been used more as an extension of diplomacy of Teddy Roosevelt (carry a big stick) than anything resembling a long range plan.
Right now the United States has eleven aircraft carriers. A carrier is not just a flight deck but a fearsome force that has as much firepower as most countries and that does not even include the nuclear arsenal. Is eleven really necessary? Is it necessary to station troops in England? Germany? Japan? The percent of out budget used for military expenditures is simply outrageous especially in the context of having two questionable wars occurring simultaneously. Our Force de Frappe seems excessive.
Thankfully the Republicans has targeted NPR and PBS for zero funding.
Maybe the Republicans and WOW can get into dueling budget cutting. A sort of mine is smaller than yours?
The Motley Fools are investment advisors but not in a traditional sense. They tend to debase some stocks and especially mutual funds which is where for several years they have directed their collective angst - mutual funds. I enjoy them and have found their advice interesting. But now they have started their own mutual fund. Welcome, boys, to reality and the world of making really big money.
The Hayden Planetarium has reopened after a year of renovations to bring it into the 21st century. The Museum Of Science in Boston is a very dated facility just like the aquarium but at one time they were the blueprint for similar projects all over the country and even the world. Both have shown their age but steps are being taken to once again make both premier attractions.
Spring training has opened so prepare for an endless stream of mindless stories.
Troubles in Egypt did not have any serious impact on the stock market the last few weeks and that is not unusual. I read an article that showed markets are not really impacted long range by significant events such as Pearl Harbor, 9/11 or the assassination of JFK.
The deepest skiing snow base in New England is the Blue Hills. 55 to 75 inches.
Rather amusing watching the BOS debate for twenty or so minutes about getting a free ambulance. Looks like the vehicle is in rather good shape with nothing really to be done to it. So why the debate? Take it. If it is a pile of bolts junk it. I got $400 for a beat up Hyundai with a engine that was shot.
Japan has had the second largest economy for 43 years and it is now number three behind China.
A sign that the boom times have returned is how the financial picture is improving for Sand Las Vegas, MGM, Wynn Resorts, Boyd Gaming, Penn National Gaming and a slew of others whose central focus is enticing you to lose your money. Their stocks are all at or near 52 week highs.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
DIET/FRAWLEY/BOS/EGYPT/BB/OTHER STUFF
The Bogo diet has started. Every year around this time I manage to gain about five pounds. Now to many that is nothing but to the real BB (Buffed Bogo) it is so why accept it? My body just seems to want a layer of winter fat despite that I have a fairly high exercise activity level and really always have except when I am in rehab mode for an injury or surgery so that part of the puzzle is in place. But the weight? So I cut way back by eliminating all sweets and breads and concentrating on smaller portions. Snacks consist of diet tea or soda and fruit or crackers. Maybe not top notch on the Dr. Oz scale but filling. In a week that five pounds has vanished but I will go on a bit longer and trim another five or so - maybe.
On the diet front or is that behind I just get a load of all the gimmicks for weight loss. It really is quite basic: Eat less. Eat right. Exercise more.
But with the diet I use I live for Sunday. Sunday is the very, very best day since that is treat day. The treat is a Honey Dew coffee roll. I savory Sunday and that coffee roll. I microwave it for ten seconds. Each bit of frosting is devoured and licked off my fingers. I know - visual - but you all do it. Admit it. I take that treat in bits and pieces as I slowly work my way to the center. That is my reward. This will probably be a three or maybe a four Sunday diet. When it is done I will resume my normal eating patterns and not worry about any gains since exercise burns about a 1,000 extra calories a day.
The nanny state of Massachusetts is doing enough meddling into how we make choices in just what we are going to eat. The perception is that the citizenry is waddling around - especially children - as borderline obese. Not true for this state as we are ranked among the very healthiest in the nation. Go concentrate on Mississippi or Alabama.
If Michelle Obama wants to be the obesity police maybe she can start with her good friend Oprah.
I consider the continual ranting of the provocateurs of the nanny state diet and foods division way out of bounds. Quite intrusive to tell restaurants what they should serve and how we should eat since there is enough information available for people to make healthy choices and restaurants have certainly responded to their customers wishes by balancing menus. I will not be shocked if childhood obesity becomes a legitimate reason for having DCF look into the rotund family and classify junior being a porker as a form of child abuse.
Call centers are starting to again be located back in the United States as customers have expressed frustration over dealing with representatives for whom English is a second language, do not understand the nuances of our form of English and have no concept of our culture. Cost cutting was fine but the blunt realization is too many customers have expressed their ire over this so bad news for foreign employment but good news for domestic employment.
The more I listen to Sarah Palin the more it seems like she belongs to the woman’s contingent of our BOS.
Allin Frawley is listed on my sidebar as he now has a web site to inform on his campaign for BOS. You know Allin as a regular and quite persistent in both attending and requesting information from the sitting BOS. I will vote for Allin and it is quite simple why. He is willing to invest time, learn, do diligent homework, has a notable work ethic and has gone 100% on record as allowing access.
The two members up for re-election have - IMHO - had their shelf life expire. Marsha Brunelle has displayed a culture of arrogance since the days of the casino issue and that has not changed. The final token for me was her ill fated attempt several months ago to limit access. She can frame it any way she wants but the bottom line it looks bad - really bad - when six former and quite well respected BOS members show up for a verbal lynching. I saw some real backtracking but no apology. Then toss in the ongoing drama with the IT Director. MiMi I have referred to as a political version of the appendix since no one knows what it does and if removed does no harm. After watching meetings on TV the term “empty suit” comes to mind.
The Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) has closed their doors. This is the last vestige of pragmatic Democrats - the kind a moderate to liberal Republican could vote for. Blue Dogs as they were likely to be called. I guess the party wishes to return to the days of McGovern, Mondale and Dukakis.
Egypt has a world of troubles going on as another iron fist attempts to maintain control as various factions will certainly use this convoluted mess to prop up their own “politics,” especially politics immersed in religion.
There will be spill over and I am sure the Saudi’s and their pampered and oil drenched royalty will be center stage and right now this is having an eerie comparison to the domino effect of the fall of communism back a few decades ago. Maybe this will have similar consequences or it just might be the turmoil that seems to surface occasionally in so many nations of questionable democratic principles or none at all.
What is happening in Egypt is a cry for democracy without any real operational experience in democracy. Without that a vacuum is easy to be created so something like the Muslim Brotherhood - banned for fifty or so years - can step in. The United States is attempting in both Iraq and Afghanistan to do the same things - seeds of democracy. Good luck with that! Our blueprint is not necessarily a strict rule of majority as much as it respect and protect the minority. In the mess that followed the hanging chad there was no revolution in the streets. Doubt if you can see that mind set transferred to countries with no background in it.
Back in 1990 communism was on life support anyways as all the half-truths that had been formulated for decades were beginning to unravel thanks to technology. Nothing like having underground video tapes by the millions floating around in various controlled counties that show that much of the propaganda was simply false. Sort of confirmed liars on an international scale. And now that carries over to Egypt where the first thing to do is attempt to control the flow of information my shutting down the internet. Communication - especially the visual and instantaneous kind - goes beyond the internet.
There was a great book written called “WW III - August, 1987” that detailed the fall of communism with the outbreak of hostilities in Europe. What the main focus was actually happened and that is the tenuous relationship between Russia and the various occupied nations of the “Communist Bloc.” In the book those nations quickly ignored or revolted against their “maters” from Moscow and that was later mirrored in the fall of communism in Europe.
President WOW is attempting to promote a new found centrist position regarding his approach to business. Had all the right platitudes tossed out in a recent speech before the Chamber of Commerce but a mountain of damage has already been accumulated by his administration. His speech had a less than enthusiastic response.
The Wheeling-LaBelle Nail Company of West Virginia has closed a victim of foreign competition and the recession and that leaves Acorn Manufacturing’s Tremont Nails of Mansfield as the only nail producer in the United States to carry the made in U.S.A. label. Tremont Nails manufactures traditional square cut nails and much of the process and craftsman can trace their skills back to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.
In Germany and Japan the school year is about 230 days. I know from personal experience that in Japan the students do not receive homework but are “encouraged” to join after school clubs which further hone the academic skills learned during the day.
We have had exchange students for an entire year and they have been from Japan and Poland (twice). Interesting approach to how behavior issues are handled in the classroom. As the students get older the accountability magnifies and if behaviors beyond the norm continue the students are simply tossed out. No second, third, fourth or fifth chance. No IEP. No appeal. No nothing. You are on your own. Obviously the United States has a more egalitarian approach but consider that when testing scores are given. Sometimes our scores are skewered by students who in other countries would not be given the exams (SPED) or have been tossed (behavior).
The exchange students we have had also preferred our methods of education as they thought they created an environment that encouraged independent thought, free exchange of ideas and the ability to explore areas of interest. Of course these were also students that had the ability to sustain their own education - driven would be the word.
Chrysler ran a two minute ad in the Super Bowl that feature rapper Eminem and the ad finished way down on the popularity charts. I thought it was a great ad as it focused as much on the city - Detroit - as it did on the product itself. Great visuals of a rust belt icon attempting to recovery and a industry on which it depends upon. Having a local kid do it was great.
I’ve been finding Pravda online English edition an interesting read.
A contractor in another town charged a senior citizen $4,800 for clearing a roof - a job that normally goes for $250. Fortunately others stepped in and the money was returned.
Thank you to Alex Rodriquez (AKA - “Slappy” or “A-Roids”) for his splendid display of up close and personal feeding by his between strippers gal pal Carmen Diaz while both wallowed in a luxury suite at the Super Bowl. Now in the great scheme of things this is trivial beyond trivial but to the A-Fraud and Yankee haters this is just more ammunition to bring to the baseball posting boards - not that I would partake in such activity.
BB will never be known as “Mr. Research” based on his latest column and his use of ONE study to make a determination on charter schools. This is too significant issue to point to ONE study as a determining factor. Studies from various other sources such as the Manhattan Institute, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Columbia and even Stanford show positive results. You can also look at testing results from National Assessment of Educational Progress that supports the Stanford study BB quoted. Fine on of success and find another that highlights failure. The results vary and can be linked to availability of resources, how the charter school is defined, the methods of data acquisition and a myriad of other possibilities. IMHO the bottom line is charter schools have been fine but not world beaters. I hope BB is not going to do any “classes” on research techniques.
On the diet front or is that behind I just get a load of all the gimmicks for weight loss. It really is quite basic: Eat less. Eat right. Exercise more.
But with the diet I use I live for Sunday. Sunday is the very, very best day since that is treat day. The treat is a Honey Dew coffee roll. I savory Sunday and that coffee roll. I microwave it for ten seconds. Each bit of frosting is devoured and licked off my fingers. I know - visual - but you all do it. Admit it. I take that treat in bits and pieces as I slowly work my way to the center. That is my reward. This will probably be a three or maybe a four Sunday diet. When it is done I will resume my normal eating patterns and not worry about any gains since exercise burns about a 1,000 extra calories a day.
The nanny state of Massachusetts is doing enough meddling into how we make choices in just what we are going to eat. The perception is that the citizenry is waddling around - especially children - as borderline obese. Not true for this state as we are ranked among the very healthiest in the nation. Go concentrate on Mississippi or Alabama.
If Michelle Obama wants to be the obesity police maybe she can start with her good friend Oprah.
I consider the continual ranting of the provocateurs of the nanny state diet and foods division way out of bounds. Quite intrusive to tell restaurants what they should serve and how we should eat since there is enough information available for people to make healthy choices and restaurants have certainly responded to their customers wishes by balancing menus. I will not be shocked if childhood obesity becomes a legitimate reason for having DCF look into the rotund family and classify junior being a porker as a form of child abuse.
Call centers are starting to again be located back in the United States as customers have expressed frustration over dealing with representatives for whom English is a second language, do not understand the nuances of our form of English and have no concept of our culture. Cost cutting was fine but the blunt realization is too many customers have expressed their ire over this so bad news for foreign employment but good news for domestic employment.
The more I listen to Sarah Palin the more it seems like she belongs to the woman’s contingent of our BOS.
Allin Frawley is listed on my sidebar as he now has a web site to inform on his campaign for BOS. You know Allin as a regular and quite persistent in both attending and requesting information from the sitting BOS. I will vote for Allin and it is quite simple why. He is willing to invest time, learn, do diligent homework, has a notable work ethic and has gone 100% on record as allowing access.
The two members up for re-election have - IMHO - had their shelf life expire. Marsha Brunelle has displayed a culture of arrogance since the days of the casino issue and that has not changed. The final token for me was her ill fated attempt several months ago to limit access. She can frame it any way she wants but the bottom line it looks bad - really bad - when six former and quite well respected BOS members show up for a verbal lynching. I saw some real backtracking but no apology. Then toss in the ongoing drama with the IT Director. MiMi I have referred to as a political version of the appendix since no one knows what it does and if removed does no harm. After watching meetings on TV the term “empty suit” comes to mind.
The Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) has closed their doors. This is the last vestige of pragmatic Democrats - the kind a moderate to liberal Republican could vote for. Blue Dogs as they were likely to be called. I guess the party wishes to return to the days of McGovern, Mondale and Dukakis.
Egypt has a world of troubles going on as another iron fist attempts to maintain control as various factions will certainly use this convoluted mess to prop up their own “politics,” especially politics immersed in religion.
There will be spill over and I am sure the Saudi’s and their pampered and oil drenched royalty will be center stage and right now this is having an eerie comparison to the domino effect of the fall of communism back a few decades ago. Maybe this will have similar consequences or it just might be the turmoil that seems to surface occasionally in so many nations of questionable democratic principles or none at all.
What is happening in Egypt is a cry for democracy without any real operational experience in democracy. Without that a vacuum is easy to be created so something like the Muslim Brotherhood - banned for fifty or so years - can step in. The United States is attempting in both Iraq and Afghanistan to do the same things - seeds of democracy. Good luck with that! Our blueprint is not necessarily a strict rule of majority as much as it respect and protect the minority. In the mess that followed the hanging chad there was no revolution in the streets. Doubt if you can see that mind set transferred to countries with no background in it.
Back in 1990 communism was on life support anyways as all the half-truths that had been formulated for decades were beginning to unravel thanks to technology. Nothing like having underground video tapes by the millions floating around in various controlled counties that show that much of the propaganda was simply false. Sort of confirmed liars on an international scale. And now that carries over to Egypt where the first thing to do is attempt to control the flow of information my shutting down the internet. Communication - especially the visual and instantaneous kind - goes beyond the internet.
There was a great book written called “WW III - August, 1987” that detailed the fall of communism with the outbreak of hostilities in Europe. What the main focus was actually happened and that is the tenuous relationship between Russia and the various occupied nations of the “Communist Bloc.” In the book those nations quickly ignored or revolted against their “maters” from Moscow and that was later mirrored in the fall of communism in Europe.
President WOW is attempting to promote a new found centrist position regarding his approach to business. Had all the right platitudes tossed out in a recent speech before the Chamber of Commerce but a mountain of damage has already been accumulated by his administration. His speech had a less than enthusiastic response.
The Wheeling-LaBelle Nail Company of West Virginia has closed a victim of foreign competition and the recession and that leaves Acorn Manufacturing’s Tremont Nails of Mansfield as the only nail producer in the United States to carry the made in U.S.A. label. Tremont Nails manufactures traditional square cut nails and much of the process and craftsman can trace their skills back to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.
In Germany and Japan the school year is about 230 days. I know from personal experience that in Japan the students do not receive homework but are “encouraged” to join after school clubs which further hone the academic skills learned during the day.
We have had exchange students for an entire year and they have been from Japan and Poland (twice). Interesting approach to how behavior issues are handled in the classroom. As the students get older the accountability magnifies and if behaviors beyond the norm continue the students are simply tossed out. No second, third, fourth or fifth chance. No IEP. No appeal. No nothing. You are on your own. Obviously the United States has a more egalitarian approach but consider that when testing scores are given. Sometimes our scores are skewered by students who in other countries would not be given the exams (SPED) or have been tossed (behavior).
The exchange students we have had also preferred our methods of education as they thought they created an environment that encouraged independent thought, free exchange of ideas and the ability to explore areas of interest. Of course these were also students that had the ability to sustain their own education - driven would be the word.
Chrysler ran a two minute ad in the Super Bowl that feature rapper Eminem and the ad finished way down on the popularity charts. I thought it was a great ad as it focused as much on the city - Detroit - as it did on the product itself. Great visuals of a rust belt icon attempting to recovery and a industry on which it depends upon. Having a local kid do it was great.
I’ve been finding Pravda online English edition an interesting read.
A contractor in another town charged a senior citizen $4,800 for clearing a roof - a job that normally goes for $250. Fortunately others stepped in and the money was returned.
Thank you to Alex Rodriquez (AKA - “Slappy” or “A-Roids”) for his splendid display of up close and personal feeding by his between strippers gal pal Carmen Diaz while both wallowed in a luxury suite at the Super Bowl. Now in the great scheme of things this is trivial beyond trivial but to the A-Fraud and Yankee haters this is just more ammunition to bring to the baseball posting boards - not that I would partake in such activity.
BB will never be known as “Mr. Research” based on his latest column and his use of ONE study to make a determination on charter schools. This is too significant issue to point to ONE study as a determining factor. Studies from various other sources such as the Manhattan Institute, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Columbia and even Stanford show positive results. You can also look at testing results from National Assessment of Educational Progress that supports the Stanford study BB quoted. Fine on of success and find another that highlights failure. The results vary and can be linked to availability of resources, how the charter school is defined, the methods of data acquisition and a myriad of other possibilities. IMHO the bottom line is charter schools have been fine but not world beaters. I hope BB is not going to do any “classes” on research techniques.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Pre Super Bowl Post
Texas has some fiscal problems as does almost every other state and this one is federal mandates for Medicare. The federal government is great at mandating and then pulling the diminishing the funds - same thing happens on the state level as educational mandates are a big one with that. Governor Perry in Texas knows what other governors know and that is to fund the mandates you cut in other areas so aide to communities, education, social services and just about anything else on the budget will get a shave.
Health Care may be on life support if the SCOTUS sides with the lower courts. Republicans want three big changes and all are virtually opt outs such as allowing states and employers to opt out and gutting some of the Medicaid mandates. As far as opt outs a boat load have already been issued by the administration to various businesses/unions.
On Monday evening BOS member Steve Spataro mentioned both monies received and condition of buildings at the Middleboro History Museum. The gift bequeathed to the Association was under the $250,000 but close to that - why quibble? Already half that money has been directed into maintaining the buildings and some information is available on the side bar via link to the MHA. What it comes to is a lot more is needed. The buildings need HVAC to preserve artifacts and documents which are deteriorating rapidly. And when I say HVAC there is none. No heat or A/C and plumbing that is great if this was the 19th century. I’m sure the MHA will apply for funds from the CPA since they receive zero from the town, Pierce Trust or anything else of note for either operating expenses or maintenance of property. Just insurance alone represents about half the annual budget. They receive yearly grants from the Cultural Arts Council and one yearly grant of $500 from the Maxim Trust and the CAC grant goes to funding educational programs or entertainment such as the Ice Cream Social. When Spataro said they were faced with a choice of losing a building he was correct. The Wood gift prevented that - for now.
New York state has slashed their budget and a major fallout is NYC and the sub plot is the layoff of up to 20,000 teachers in NYC. Everything that is negative about a union can be summed up by NYC. There are teachers who have been removed from the classroom yet report for duty each day and are sequestered away with literally nothing to do. Many have been in this routine for years but the powerful union keeps them on the payroll. Be interesting to see if Mayor Bloomberg manages to take on the union in attempting something besides years of service as a determining factor for employment.
Somalia pirates are reported to be torturing captives. It is unconfirmed if the method is playing taped BOS meetings.
Another few snow days and April school vacation just may get dented.
David Stern is a Florida attorney who has made millions on the foreclosure process. So just what is DJSP Enterprises? That is the part of his firm that has gone public. Woe for some and profit for others except that the profit was just not there including a grand name from the Nemasket past - General Wesley Clark. Stern calls his yacht the Misunderstood. Yeah…lawyers are misunderstood. DJSP Enterprises has lost a yacht load of money.
Is that bunker they use in Massachusetts for emergencies a former Nike site? They are scattered throughout the southern part of the state and one in Rehoboth was being used by a private company to store computer file backups.
Tri-Valley college in California was nothing more than a front for illegal immigration. Ninety-five percent of the students were from India and the government finally figured it out that something was wrong. The Indian government has asked the United States for leniency on the “students.” From my own personal experience those from India appear to fall into several groups: Doctors, dentist, small business owners. engineers and computer professionals and maybe the occasional cab driver. Back when I attended Northeastern the School of Engineering was like a trip to India. What amazed me was the ability they had to pick up all the language quirks in what we call English.
The snow pile on the side of our driveway has now reached about eight feet. I am thinking about possibly installing a ski lift and picking up some extra cash. I long ago gave up trying not to toss snow on the bird bath.
Pitchers and catchers report to Ft. Myers in a few weeks.
I bought a snow roof rake. Works well. About $40 at Lowe’s and actually not made in China.
How can a politician be pro-jobs and anti-business at the same time? Seems many do exactly that.
My wife - The Lovely Cynthia - is always watching Dr. Oz and The Doctors on TV and what I notice is that both shows show a bundle of products that they hustle.
The above shows and Dr. Phil can all trace their roots to Harpo Productions and Oprah Winfrey. Great book on Oprah by Kitty Kelly. Love that gossip.
Punxsutawney Phil is just plain idiotic but it did result in a great movie - Groundhog Day.
Massport is in the news as the Boston Herald reported several parking lot attendants earned in excess of a $100,000 last year. The base pay is about $54,000 so that OT adds up. The duties included helping folks find their cars, fix flats, dust snow off cars, jump start and man the booths. There have been many articles through the years on the amount of OT that is so prevalent with Massport so just think about that the next time you have to park at Fortress Logan.
Notice all the flights getting cancelled? Jet Blue wiped out their whole schedule. Airlines are now subject to fines and penalties especially when passengers are confined to the tarmac so why risk say $29,000 a passenger? Just cancel everything and charge no fees for rebooking.
Residency requirements became some type of minor issue at the BOS meeting but as it turns out there happens to be a significant number of department heads who reside in town. Such a requirement could potential drain off applications who view it as too disruptive and burdensome to move. Uprooting from a community - especially if you have young children - could put a real damper on filling out an application and forwarding a resume to Middleboro.
The stock market presents an interesting visual as the end of the trading days nears with some rather rapid fluctuations either up or down as computer programs, day traders, short sellers and foreign investors all kick in the last thirty minutes or so. Volume also goes a bit wild.
Health Care may be on life support if the SCOTUS sides with the lower courts. Republicans want three big changes and all are virtually opt outs such as allowing states and employers to opt out and gutting some of the Medicaid mandates. As far as opt outs a boat load have already been issued by the administration to various businesses/unions.
On Monday evening BOS member Steve Spataro mentioned both monies received and condition of buildings at the Middleboro History Museum. The gift bequeathed to the Association was under the $250,000 but close to that - why quibble? Already half that money has been directed into maintaining the buildings and some information is available on the side bar via link to the MHA. What it comes to is a lot more is needed. The buildings need HVAC to preserve artifacts and documents which are deteriorating rapidly. And when I say HVAC there is none. No heat or A/C and plumbing that is great if this was the 19th century. I’m sure the MHA will apply for funds from the CPA since they receive zero from the town, Pierce Trust or anything else of note for either operating expenses or maintenance of property. Just insurance alone represents about half the annual budget. They receive yearly grants from the Cultural Arts Council and one yearly grant of $500 from the Maxim Trust and the CAC grant goes to funding educational programs or entertainment such as the Ice Cream Social. When Spataro said they were faced with a choice of losing a building he was correct. The Wood gift prevented that - for now.
New York state has slashed their budget and a major fallout is NYC and the sub plot is the layoff of up to 20,000 teachers in NYC. Everything that is negative about a union can be summed up by NYC. There are teachers who have been removed from the classroom yet report for duty each day and are sequestered away with literally nothing to do. Many have been in this routine for years but the powerful union keeps them on the payroll. Be interesting to see if Mayor Bloomberg manages to take on the union in attempting something besides years of service as a determining factor for employment.
Somalia pirates are reported to be torturing captives. It is unconfirmed if the method is playing taped BOS meetings.
Another few snow days and April school vacation just may get dented.
David Stern is a Florida attorney who has made millions on the foreclosure process. So just what is DJSP Enterprises? That is the part of his firm that has gone public. Woe for some and profit for others except that the profit was just not there including a grand name from the Nemasket past - General Wesley Clark. Stern calls his yacht the Misunderstood. Yeah…lawyers are misunderstood. DJSP Enterprises has lost a yacht load of money.
Is that bunker they use in Massachusetts for emergencies a former Nike site? They are scattered throughout the southern part of the state and one in Rehoboth was being used by a private company to store computer file backups.
Tri-Valley college in California was nothing more than a front for illegal immigration. Ninety-five percent of the students were from India and the government finally figured it out that something was wrong. The Indian government has asked the United States for leniency on the “students.” From my own personal experience those from India appear to fall into several groups: Doctors, dentist, small business owners. engineers and computer professionals and maybe the occasional cab driver. Back when I attended Northeastern the School of Engineering was like a trip to India. What amazed me was the ability they had to pick up all the language quirks in what we call English.
The snow pile on the side of our driveway has now reached about eight feet. I am thinking about possibly installing a ski lift and picking up some extra cash. I long ago gave up trying not to toss snow on the bird bath.
Pitchers and catchers report to Ft. Myers in a few weeks.
I bought a snow roof rake. Works well. About $40 at Lowe’s and actually not made in China.
How can a politician be pro-jobs and anti-business at the same time? Seems many do exactly that.
My wife - The Lovely Cynthia - is always watching Dr. Oz and The Doctors on TV and what I notice is that both shows show a bundle of products that they hustle.
The above shows and Dr. Phil can all trace their roots to Harpo Productions and Oprah Winfrey. Great book on Oprah by Kitty Kelly. Love that gossip.
Punxsutawney Phil is just plain idiotic but it did result in a great movie - Groundhog Day.
Massport is in the news as the Boston Herald reported several parking lot attendants earned in excess of a $100,000 last year. The base pay is about $54,000 so that OT adds up. The duties included helping folks find their cars, fix flats, dust snow off cars, jump start and man the booths. There have been many articles through the years on the amount of OT that is so prevalent with Massport so just think about that the next time you have to park at Fortress Logan.
Notice all the flights getting cancelled? Jet Blue wiped out their whole schedule. Airlines are now subject to fines and penalties especially when passengers are confined to the tarmac so why risk say $29,000 a passenger? Just cancel everything and charge no fees for rebooking.
Residency requirements became some type of minor issue at the BOS meeting but as it turns out there happens to be a significant number of department heads who reside in town. Such a requirement could potential drain off applications who view it as too disruptive and burdensome to move. Uprooting from a community - especially if you have young children - could put a real damper on filling out an application and forwarding a resume to Middleboro.
The stock market presents an interesting visual as the end of the trading days nears with some rather rapid fluctuations either up or down as computer programs, day traders, short sellers and foreign investors all kick in the last thirty minutes or so. Volume also goes a bit wild.
Friday, January 28, 2011
More Rambling Of Assorted Thoughts
Congress has just started up and already the talk is of the elections of 2012. With an improving economy I’m sure the Republicans in Congress will benefit as they claim success for any turn around. Naturally Obama will claim credit for any turn around as it happened on his watch and he’ll use that for a second term run where he just may be successful as he drifts more towards a centrist position. Nice to know the new campaign starts just about three months after the previous one ended.
The Dow Average continues to creep up to 12,000 or pre 2008 disaster levels.
Airlines are becoming profitable again thanks to eliminating flights and increasing fares.
According to various reports companies will not rehire at significant rates simply because they are use to operating now on leaner staffs. I’m sure that being in the dreaded private sector means many 50+ hour work weeks and a diminishing benefit structure. I would never want to be in the position of operating a small business and have to deal with the day to day myriad of requirements by various government agencies while trying to best make a reasonable bottom line for my employees and my own well being.
The Daily Beast has rated Massachusetts children as the smartest in the nation based on various test results. This is rather common knowledge and a good portion of the “success” is based on MCAS which does have rigor that exceeds that of national requirements. Do teachers teach to the test? Of course you have to do that since you are required to follow the frameworks and the frameworks are represented in MCAS testing. For the last several years I have tutored students who have failed MCAS - usually multiple times - and the retesting rate of passing is significant. Most of it is just having a formulated approach to the tests and improving test taking skills.
School curriculum is usually designed to meet the requirements of the frameworks so that the material that you present in the classroom will be found somewhere on MCAS. This is what the curriculum developers do and by that I mean those who sell the books and programs to schools. This is a highly competitive business and one that have often left me wondering. In the school system I retired from they had three different math programs while I was there. Students and staff would get use to say Connected Math only to have it pulled in favor of say Chicago Math. Experienced teachers - meaning those with over 20 years of service - would often “hide” some of the older textbooks that they could use to supplement with the newer. This practice was often frowned upon by administration but some would realize that some of those old methods were quite successful but did not have all the glitz of the newer material.
Several years ago one of my jobs for a few years was actually teaching teachers but most of it was in the area of behavior or classroom management. This would occasionally require me to participate in team teaching since I felt it was necessary to integrate myself into the daily routine within the building. There was one class where a teacher with a few years experience was attempting to show how to multiply and divide fractions using some newer math concepts as divined from the Gods of Curriculum. The kids were lost so I asked if I could teach a lesson on it and did so my using the methods that taught me less - of course - the threat of physical violence. Within thirty minutes the kids understood exactly how to handle division and multiplication of fractions. No great skill on my part but just pushing forward how it was taught to me by Mrs. Nash back in the 50s.
I have an algebra book that dates back to 1949. It was a book I had in school and there is nothing colorful about it. No multi-colored pages. No little gnomes or other creatures with cheery faces. No real gimmicks of any sort. Just a real basic approach. Much of that book I have used in the classroom and in tutoring. I have had other teachers copy sections of it. I hate to degrade the new stuff with “back in my day” logic but from my own experience the material that was used to teach me was damn good.
Cumberland Farms is experimenting with a drive-thru. That should be simple - smokes, lottery tickets and milk. At the Cumby’s I frequent the other day someone came in and was buying laundry detergent, about ten cans of cat food and some canned goods. The expense of these items at a Cumby’s is astronomical compared with a jaunt down the street to Hannaford’s. This was early afternoon and I just could not believe running up a $30 tab over stuff that would cost $10 at a super market. They also left in a Hyundai and not an Audi or a Mercedes.
Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are now poseurs compared to what they once were. Is this the curse of the Eli after losing to the Giants in the SB? Brady has been outplayed and BB out coached in their last three playoff games - games in which they were favorites to win. To me the Patriots are now in that same territory that fans of a certain NY baseball team are - anything less than a World Series or Super Bowl win for the Pats is a failure and Brady and BB have failed.
Where will be the next resting spot for the Tribe? Middleboro and Fall River have failed so they are now on the hunt again. Where oh where will they land?
Gambling will be on the agenda for the next session in the Massachusetts House. Supposedly Patrick and DeLeo have some type of compromise in the works so that not only will the state grab your bucks but so will a casino.
It’s the little things. Wastewater is being treated in Middleboro for plant use. Savings of about $10,000 a year.
Saw an article on Cougars - the ones that go after younger men in the ten to twenty years younger range. That means any Cougar chasing Bogo would be in her 80s. Guess I’ll have to hang out around Island Terrace.
Chuck Turner of the Boston City Council got three years but the collection of former felon House Speakers have nary a day in jail. His crime was a $1,000 bribe but the real crime was two fold - the first was his arrogance in court and the second was being Black.
All those snow days mean no school days and that translates to an extended school year as the days are made up in June. Many school systems have half days built into the school calendar and that is classified as a full day. Usually “professional days.”
BB is doing another show at the Flatiron Café. Hopefully more of the singing chores will be taken over by his wife who has quite a nice voice. Now if Marese can only play the guitar then BB can go around carrying the instruments while she entertains. Hey…maybe she can try her hand at writing a newspaper column?
David Merrill had a wonderful column a few weeks ago in The Enterprise regarding cable companies and his was rant specific - Comcast or as I prefer to call them - Comacast. His complaint is an old one and one that just drives me off the very deep end and that is the inability of the consumer to actually select the channels they want without having to purchase a package that may contain a few channels they actually watch. I have questioned Comacast many times on this issue and the response is always the technology cannot do it. Total 100% BS and they know it.
I have a friend who is representing himself in court and that is a daunting task. It is their playground meaning the judges, lawyers, hacks from probation and assorted others. They know the process so that makes it difficult since they have so many linguistic twists and turns coupled with procedural roadblocks. Representing yourself is like going into a casino and playing slots - difficult to win. I have used small claims many times but that process is simplified compared to the other legal arenas. I am really cynical of the legal process as I have seen first hand a level of incompetence, lack of common sense, questionable character and on and on from lawyers and judges. Politicians have replaced corporate CEO’s as the least respected profession with Congress on top of that list. Most represented profession in Congress? Lawyers. Case closed.
Republican Jeff Perry lost out on his gig to go to Congress but that just opened up another employment opportunity since the Republican sheriff - after a nation wide search - found him a nice $110,000 slot - one in which the previous occupant received $57,000.
I read a nice headline on the State Of The Union address - Long On Rhetoric and Short On Facts. About sums it up for President WOW.
Another two-bit Chicago hack was also in the news as Rahm Emanuel - formerly of the WOW Administration - has failed residency requirements to run for Mayor of Chicago. The case will now be bumped up to the state SC for review. If it is a Daley court he’s a lock to get the go ahead kiss.
And speaking of Chicago it is one of my favorite places to visit. This is a great city that IMO far surpasses NYC.
One stock I have liked in the last two years has been Boeing Aircraft (BA) but at times it is a roller coaster ride. Right now it has taken about a 3% dive in the last few days over profit erosion and Dream liner delays. Still at around $70 a share it is a great buy. IMO it will be at $90 within six months.
Taco Bell is in the news about some of the contents of their products especially the not quite 100% beef taco. As someone noted “At least we now know what happened to the “Chihuahua.”
Now for awful chain restaurants just step right up Red Lobster! There are no Red Lobster restaurants in New England as far as I know and for good reason - we know sea food and have some - if not the best - in this area. I had an “experience” with RL out in California a few years ago where I ordered a seafood platter that consisted of a few pieces of tilapia, some clams, a few shrimps that looked out of a can and some things that I was no sure about. I rarely complain about food but when the waitress asked me about my meal I said “It was the worse seafood I have ever experienced in my life.” The manager had a long talk with me and was willing to comp my meal but I refused saying it was obviously standard to their menus and I was use to my homespun version of seafood. Since he had spent some considerable time in Portsmouth, NH he had to agree. I also noted that their tank containing “Maine Lobsters” had “Product of Canada” attached to the claws.
Not sure of the current status of the Green School but I assume work has been limited by the weather. I also assume that the project may qualify for CPA funds.
Ocean State Job Lot has started selling garden items.
Bristol Palin gets between $20,000-30,000 plus expenses for a personal appearance. Why would anyone want to see or listen to Bristol Palin?
Woe is me time is hitting the Middleboro budget for the annual deficit circus that this time has a tab of $1,500,000 according to the TM. The big crunch is the health care and that can be controlled a wee bit by having GIC.
“We have a major malfunction.” Those were the words utter by flight control when the Challenger shuttle broke up. My son had just returned from Kindergarten and watched the break up - not and explosion - and the impact obviously didn’t leave any scars regarding flight since he became a commercial pilot. The shuttle will now be retired.
The Dow Average continues to creep up to 12,000 or pre 2008 disaster levels.
Airlines are becoming profitable again thanks to eliminating flights and increasing fares.
According to various reports companies will not rehire at significant rates simply because they are use to operating now on leaner staffs. I’m sure that being in the dreaded private sector means many 50+ hour work weeks and a diminishing benefit structure. I would never want to be in the position of operating a small business and have to deal with the day to day myriad of requirements by various government agencies while trying to best make a reasonable bottom line for my employees and my own well being.
The Daily Beast has rated Massachusetts children as the smartest in the nation based on various test results. This is rather common knowledge and a good portion of the “success” is based on MCAS which does have rigor that exceeds that of national requirements. Do teachers teach to the test? Of course you have to do that since you are required to follow the frameworks and the frameworks are represented in MCAS testing. For the last several years I have tutored students who have failed MCAS - usually multiple times - and the retesting rate of passing is significant. Most of it is just having a formulated approach to the tests and improving test taking skills.
School curriculum is usually designed to meet the requirements of the frameworks so that the material that you present in the classroom will be found somewhere on MCAS. This is what the curriculum developers do and by that I mean those who sell the books and programs to schools. This is a highly competitive business and one that have often left me wondering. In the school system I retired from they had three different math programs while I was there. Students and staff would get use to say Connected Math only to have it pulled in favor of say Chicago Math. Experienced teachers - meaning those with over 20 years of service - would often “hide” some of the older textbooks that they could use to supplement with the newer. This practice was often frowned upon by administration but some would realize that some of those old methods were quite successful but did not have all the glitz of the newer material.
Several years ago one of my jobs for a few years was actually teaching teachers but most of it was in the area of behavior or classroom management. This would occasionally require me to participate in team teaching since I felt it was necessary to integrate myself into the daily routine within the building. There was one class where a teacher with a few years experience was attempting to show how to multiply and divide fractions using some newer math concepts as divined from the Gods of Curriculum. The kids were lost so I asked if I could teach a lesson on it and did so my using the methods that taught me less - of course - the threat of physical violence. Within thirty minutes the kids understood exactly how to handle division and multiplication of fractions. No great skill on my part but just pushing forward how it was taught to me by Mrs. Nash back in the 50s.
I have an algebra book that dates back to 1949. It was a book I had in school and there is nothing colorful about it. No multi-colored pages. No little gnomes or other creatures with cheery faces. No real gimmicks of any sort. Just a real basic approach. Much of that book I have used in the classroom and in tutoring. I have had other teachers copy sections of it. I hate to degrade the new stuff with “back in my day” logic but from my own experience the material that was used to teach me was damn good.
Cumberland Farms is experimenting with a drive-thru. That should be simple - smokes, lottery tickets and milk. At the Cumby’s I frequent the other day someone came in and was buying laundry detergent, about ten cans of cat food and some canned goods. The expense of these items at a Cumby’s is astronomical compared with a jaunt down the street to Hannaford’s. This was early afternoon and I just could not believe running up a $30 tab over stuff that would cost $10 at a super market. They also left in a Hyundai and not an Audi or a Mercedes.
Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are now poseurs compared to what they once were. Is this the curse of the Eli after losing to the Giants in the SB? Brady has been outplayed and BB out coached in their last three playoff games - games in which they were favorites to win. To me the Patriots are now in that same territory that fans of a certain NY baseball team are - anything less than a World Series or Super Bowl win for the Pats is a failure and Brady and BB have failed.
Where will be the next resting spot for the Tribe? Middleboro and Fall River have failed so they are now on the hunt again. Where oh where will they land?
Gambling will be on the agenda for the next session in the Massachusetts House. Supposedly Patrick and DeLeo have some type of compromise in the works so that not only will the state grab your bucks but so will a casino.
It’s the little things. Wastewater is being treated in Middleboro for plant use. Savings of about $10,000 a year.
Saw an article on Cougars - the ones that go after younger men in the ten to twenty years younger range. That means any Cougar chasing Bogo would be in her 80s. Guess I’ll have to hang out around Island Terrace.
Chuck Turner of the Boston City Council got three years but the collection of former felon House Speakers have nary a day in jail. His crime was a $1,000 bribe but the real crime was two fold - the first was his arrogance in court and the second was being Black.
All those snow days mean no school days and that translates to an extended school year as the days are made up in June. Many school systems have half days built into the school calendar and that is classified as a full day. Usually “professional days.”
BB is doing another show at the Flatiron Café. Hopefully more of the singing chores will be taken over by his wife who has quite a nice voice. Now if Marese can only play the guitar then BB can go around carrying the instruments while she entertains. Hey…maybe she can try her hand at writing a newspaper column?
David Merrill had a wonderful column a few weeks ago in The Enterprise regarding cable companies and his was rant specific - Comcast or as I prefer to call them - Comacast. His complaint is an old one and one that just drives me off the very deep end and that is the inability of the consumer to actually select the channels they want without having to purchase a package that may contain a few channels they actually watch. I have questioned Comacast many times on this issue and the response is always the technology cannot do it. Total 100% BS and they know it.
I have a friend who is representing himself in court and that is a daunting task. It is their playground meaning the judges, lawyers, hacks from probation and assorted others. They know the process so that makes it difficult since they have so many linguistic twists and turns coupled with procedural roadblocks. Representing yourself is like going into a casino and playing slots - difficult to win. I have used small claims many times but that process is simplified compared to the other legal arenas. I am really cynical of the legal process as I have seen first hand a level of incompetence, lack of common sense, questionable character and on and on from lawyers and judges. Politicians have replaced corporate CEO’s as the least respected profession with Congress on top of that list. Most represented profession in Congress? Lawyers. Case closed.
Republican Jeff Perry lost out on his gig to go to Congress but that just opened up another employment opportunity since the Republican sheriff - after a nation wide search - found him a nice $110,000 slot - one in which the previous occupant received $57,000.
I read a nice headline on the State Of The Union address - Long On Rhetoric and Short On Facts. About sums it up for President WOW.
Another two-bit Chicago hack was also in the news as Rahm Emanuel - formerly of the WOW Administration - has failed residency requirements to run for Mayor of Chicago. The case will now be bumped up to the state SC for review. If it is a Daley court he’s a lock to get the go ahead kiss.
And speaking of Chicago it is one of my favorite places to visit. This is a great city that IMO far surpasses NYC.
One stock I have liked in the last two years has been Boeing Aircraft (BA) but at times it is a roller coaster ride. Right now it has taken about a 3% dive in the last few days over profit erosion and Dream liner delays. Still at around $70 a share it is a great buy. IMO it will be at $90 within six months.
Taco Bell is in the news about some of the contents of their products especially the not quite 100% beef taco. As someone noted “At least we now know what happened to the “Chihuahua.”
Now for awful chain restaurants just step right up Red Lobster! There are no Red Lobster restaurants in New England as far as I know and for good reason - we know sea food and have some - if not the best - in this area. I had an “experience” with RL out in California a few years ago where I ordered a seafood platter that consisted of a few pieces of tilapia, some clams, a few shrimps that looked out of a can and some things that I was no sure about. I rarely complain about food but when the waitress asked me about my meal I said “It was the worse seafood I have ever experienced in my life.” The manager had a long talk with me and was willing to comp my meal but I refused saying it was obviously standard to their menus and I was use to my homespun version of seafood. Since he had spent some considerable time in Portsmouth, NH he had to agree. I also noted that their tank containing “Maine Lobsters” had “Product of Canada” attached to the claws.
Not sure of the current status of the Green School but I assume work has been limited by the weather. I also assume that the project may qualify for CPA funds.
Ocean State Job Lot has started selling garden items.
Bristol Palin gets between $20,000-30,000 plus expenses for a personal appearance. Why would anyone want to see or listen to Bristol Palin?
Woe is me time is hitting the Middleboro budget for the annual deficit circus that this time has a tab of $1,500,000 according to the TM. The big crunch is the health care and that can be controlled a wee bit by having GIC.
“We have a major malfunction.” Those were the words utter by flight control when the Challenger shuttle broke up. My son had just returned from Kindergarten and watched the break up - not and explosion - and the impact obviously didn’t leave any scars regarding flight since he became a commercial pilot. The shuttle will now be retired.
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