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Thursday, November 03, 2011
Happy 7th Birthday, Cassie
[caption id="attachment_2800" align="alignleft" width="612" caption="On her first day of school, saying good-bye to Rocco"]
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Wednesday, November 02, 2011
Crime in suburbia
From The Landmark (subscription required):
[Editor's note: There were 10 suspicious items this week and five lock-outs.
Also, in the words of our local SkyWarn coordinator, we were hit with an "anomalous and historical Nor'easter" on Saturday night and Sunday (10/29 and 10/30), with heavy snow . The resulting damage included many downed trees and widespread power outages.]
Holden
Monday -- October 24
2:35 a.m. Assist Worcester PD by contacting person whose car is in Worcester, Main St.
7:50 a.m. Suspicious white box truck parked next to caller’s driveway, Montana Dr.
8:35 a.m. Police assist with loose dog, Dorothy Ave.
11:01 a.m. Two cars in middle of Main St., possible argument between drivers, Main St.
Tuesday -- October 25
2:33 a.m. Caller wants to speak with officer regarding incident in grocery store parking lot in Worcester. Advised to call Worcester PD
10:00 a.m. Male sitting in vehicle for long time, Main St.
4:55 p.m. Report of vehicle driving by and a dog thrown out the passenger’s side door before speeding off, Main St.
Wednesday -- October 26
9:33 a.m. Request for escort while picking up equipment at business, Main St.
9:04 p.m. Caller reports someone rang doorbell and left a brown bag, Bull Run. Bag contains candy and chain letter
Friday -- October 28
9:26 a.m. Suspicious vehicle parked in lot, person inside covered with blanket, Jamieson Rd.
5:49 p.m. Four kids fighting in woods, Shrewsbury St. Three juveniles arrested
7:06 p.m. Report of 20 kids running into street all dressed in black, Manning St.
7:22 p.m. Five suspicious males hanging out, Reservoir St.
9:12 p.m. Loud kids in area, Nichols St.
Saturday -- October 28
7:59 a.m. Advising “On Target” at center intersection blocking traffic, Main/Reservoir Sts.
1:45 p.m. Report of female urinating outside her vehicle in library parking lot, appears to be intoxicated, Highland St. Arrest: --- public drunkenness
3:01 p.m. Female says she will not drive any further due to road conditions, requesting assistance, Paxton Rd.
5:57 p.m. Keys locked in car, Main St.
6:04 p.m. State police advise vehicle going wrong way, Main St.
6:47 p.m. Person upset about traffic being stopped due to power outages, Wachusett St.
7:00 p.m. Transformer sparking, Arizona Ave.
7:44 p.m. Small black dog running down Main St.
8:49 p.m. Arcing wires, Driftwood Dr.
9:27 p.m. Tree on fire near Bull Run
10:21 p.m. Person staggering in the road, Salisbury St.
Sunday -- October 30
7:35 a.m. Police assist person locked out of vehicle, Bull Run
9:15 a.m. Report of teens building ramps and snowboarding down stairs, Main St.
10:32 a.m. Kids building a snowman in middle of Rte. 68
1:30 p.m. Kids throwing snowballs at cars, Mason Rd.
Paxton
Monday -- October 24
8:59 a.m. Two pumpkins taken from property, Camp St.
4:46 p.m. Provide courtesy transport to restaurant in Spencer
Tuesday -- October 25
12:33 p.m. Person at station requesting fingerprints, Pleasant St.
Wednesday -- October 26
6:38 p.m. Vehicle hit deer, Pleasant/Franklin Sts.
Thursday -- October 27
6:10 p.m. Caller reports having power in only half the house, Black Hill Rd.
10:09 p.m. Vehicle doing donuts in cul-de-sac, Glen Ellen Rd.
Friday -- October 28
11:07 a.m. Suspicious vehicle in front of home, Crestwood Rd.
12:40 p.m. Male sitting in vehicle on side of Nanigian Rd.
5:23 p.m. Police assist person locked out of vehicle, Glen Ellen Rd.
Saturday -- October 29
1:15 p.m. Report of a horse being neglected, Rockland St.
2:57 p.m. Report of female afraid to drive, causing traffic hazard, Paxton Rd., Holden
Sunday -- October 30
1:44 a.m. Arrest: --- ---- , 21,--- Lake George, N.Y.; assault and battery (domestic)
3:05 a.m. Arrest: --- ---- , 21,--- Lake George, N.Y.; assault and battery (domestic)
8:30 a.m. Transport person to heated location, Richards Ave.
6:28 p.m. Request for welfare check on elderly female. Person brought into lobby after being found in middle of road at Holden/Grove Sts., looking for a neighbor with heat
Princeton
Tuesday -- October 25
10:11 a.m. Tent blowing around road, Worcester Rd.
11:53 p.m. Officers remove about 20 broken beer bottles thrown onto Fitchburg Rd.
Wednesday -- October 26
1:55 p.m. Dog escaped leash while being walked on Wachusett Mountain, Mountain Rd.
3:10 p.m. Suspicious vehicle in area of Westminster Rd.
4:20 p.m. Barking dog, Ball Hill Rd.
Thursday -- October 27
1:01 p.m. Transport person to station to renew her registration online, then take her back to vehicle on Worcester Rd.
2:32 p.m. Missing black cat, Wheeler Rd.
2:48 p.m. White pick-up truck keeps running off the road, Rte. 140 N
Friday -- October 28
1:22 a.m. Officer removed branch from Sterling Rd.
8:42 a.m. Police stand by at vehicle with flat tire, E. Princeton Rd.
10:34 a.m. Police investigate abandoned vehicle, Whitaker Ln.
5:25 p.m. As the result of an investigation, stolen vehicle is removed, Whitaker Ln.
8:33 p.m. Person walking outside with flashlight, Ball Hill Rd.
Saturday -- October 29
10:24 p.m. Caller stranded since 4 p.m. Tow truck couldn’t reach them, Worcester Rd. Police drove person home
Sunday -- October 30
5:21 p.m. Dog found in center of town
Rutland
Monday -- October 24
1:20 p.m. Approximately 40 veterans’ grave markers stolen from cemetery overnight, Main St.
5:14 p.m. Black bear in yard, Pleasantdale Rd.
5:35 p.m. Missing calico cat, Pommogussett Rd.
8:12 p.m. Caller found arrow in her soccer net, Newman Dr.
Tuesday -- October 25
6:14 p.m. Shirtless male juvenile dancing in breakdown lane, Main St. Advised to move onto the grass
8:27 p.m. Company advised to stop working because no detail officer, Maple Ave.
11:48 p.m. Suspicious vehicle, driver sleeping, allowed to stay, Barre Paxton Rd.
Wednesday -- October 26
5:00 p.m. Male flagging down cars to get a ride, E. County Rd.
6:01 p.m. Gray car stopping in front of houses on Maple Ave.
Thursday -- October 27
8:37 a.m. Suspicious male in hooded sweatshirt walking around house, looking in sheds, Turkey Hill Trl. Advised is a family relative
11:41 a.m. Missing black and white Yak, Wachusett St. Later found lying down with bovines, should return home soon
10:32 p.m. Man at station looking for guidance with his daughter, Main St.
Friday -- October 28
11:20 a.m. Suspicious vehicle parked on side of Charnock Cir.
Saturday -- October 29
1:43 a.m. Suspicious vehicle, unattended and unsecured, Whitehall Rd.
11:07 p.m. Report of fireworks in Brintnal Dr. area
Sunday -- October 30
9:54 a.m. Person locked out of apartment, Main St.
10:05 a.m. Loose dog running in front of snow plows, Vista Cir.
10:48 a.m. Assist person locked out of home, Summerhill Ave.
4:10 p.m. Person at station to report a larceny. “Be on the look out” issued for male, Main St.
Sterling
Monday -- October 24
8:41 a.m. Follow-up on unlicensed dog, Chace Hill Rd.
8:56 a.m. Unlicensed dog follow-up, Central Ave.
10:50 a.m. Request for officer. Person washed car and can now see fingerprints on it, Bean Rd.
Tuesday -- October 25
6:30 p.m. Dog found, no one home where it lives, person concerned due to recent house breaks, Squareshire Rd.
8:08 p.m. Motorist hit deer, vehicle damaged, unable to find deer, N. Row Rd./Kathleen Ln.
Wednesday -- October 26
1:43 a.m. Police out with person walking on Rte. 140. Individual taken into protective custody, Redemption Rock Trl./I-190
2:53 a.m. Lancaster PD advises of person in vehicle, stole stop sign and headed into Sterling, Flanagan Hill area
11:17 a.m. Student took off from school, headed toward Muddy Pond Rd. Student transported back to school, Boutelle Rd.
2:53 p.m. Violation of harassment order, Worcester Rd. Subject has large sign in back of truck with caller’s name all over it
Friday -- October 28
9:23 a.m. Police provide escort services, Worcester Rd.
1:40 a.m. Dead deer beside Chace Hill Rd.
10:40 a.m. Barking dog complaint, School St.
11:00 a.m. Escort services, Bridge St.
11:36 a.m. Suspicious vehicle in school parking lot, Boutelle Rd.
8:39 p.m. Report of young male in store panhandling, Leominster Rd.
Saturday -- October 28
12:24 p.m. Chocolate Lab in driveway, Bean Rd.Sunday -- October 30
8:13 a.m. Caller trapped in her house due to downed wires, Princeton Rd.
10:00 a.m. Two roosters at ice cream stand Dumpster, Chace Hill Rd.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Remember when Staples was exciting?
During the last two trips for Staples, I've noticed more empty shelves and a reduced number of things you might actually want to buy. They have plenty of staff on hand, though. Nice people who wander around the store, waiting for you to ask for their help."Can I help you?"
"Thanks. I'm looking for small windowed envelopes." I'd seen a box of 500 at Sam's Club. I won't use 500 of these in my lifetime. A box of 25 would be fine.
Both of us looked high and low on the shelves. No small windowed envelopes.
We concluded that both of us could not find the envelops. "You can order them on the web," the sales assistant said. "I can go look it up for you." He motioned to the computer at the end of the aisle.
Indeed, we could order the product online from the store.
Those of you of a certain age, remember the old Sears catalog stores? You could walk in to a storefront where they had Sears catalogs on the counter. You'd look up the item you wanted, pay for the purchase in cash, and have the product delivered to the store or to your home.
Staples is doing something weird here. They have made an effort to put good sales support staff on the floor and then give them nothing to sell.
They used to have a slogan, "Yeah, we've got that." It was a good slogan. It inspired confidence without arrogance.
Time was, we'd go there and buy what we wanted and another armload of stuff that caught our attention - boxes of pens, a deal on manila folders, a power strip, and a wastebasket to carry home all the stuff that we just bought.
On my last few trips, I've bought less than what I sought and very little on impulse. OK, so we bought yet another 4GB flash drive.
P.S., Staples has the envelopes online, but only in quantities of 500.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Plan ahead for Halloween
[caption id="attachment_2786" align="alignright" width="700" caption="Holden Rite-Aid"]
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Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Wait, isn't science supposed to explain stuff?
ON 31 October, a newborn baby somewhere in the world will become the 7 billionth member of the human race. Dunno where, although, statistically, most likely birthplaces for Baby Billion would be India or China. (अरब बच्चे or 婴儿亿元 , respectively).
There's another reason why this baby would be born in Asia. American women avoid giving birth on Halloween.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="612" caption="Women defy biology to avoid giving birth on Halloween | Try Nerdy"]
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The researchers could only speculate why women would time their births and aim for Valentine's Day, but clench their teeth and everything else to bring forth their babies in early November.
My mother and the mothers of the three other kids, including a set of twins, must have missed that memo. There were four of us in a high school class of 100 with Halloween birthdays.
The pattern of avoiding birthdays around holidays holds into the new year.
In spite of their avoidance for birthdays near Christmas into the early part of the new year, many will aim for that tax deduction. The middling days between Christmas and New Year's score pretty well compared to other dates in that week.
Data source: How Common Is Your Birthday?
There's another reason why this baby would be born in Asia. American women avoid giving birth on Halloween.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="612" caption="Women defy biology to avoid giving birth on Halloween | Try Nerdy"]
[/caption]The researchers could only speculate why women would time their births and aim for Valentine's Day, but clench their teeth and everything else to bring forth their babies in early November.
My mother and the mothers of the three other kids, including a set of twins, must have missed that memo. There were four of us in a high school class of 100 with Halloween birthdays.
The pattern of avoiding birthdays around holidays holds into the new year.
| Rank | Date | Rank | Day | |
| 364 | 1-Jan | 14 | 7-Jul | |
| 362 | 2-Jan | 12 | 8-Jul | |
| 356 | 3-Jan | 18 | 22-Jul | |
| 350 | 4-Jan | 17 | 12-Aug | |
| 347 | 8-Jan | 2 | 9-Sep | |
| 351 | 9-Jan | 9 | 10-Sep | |
| 349 | 10-Jan | 16 | 14-Sep | |
| 348 | 1-Apr | 8 | 15-Sep | |
| 346 | 13-Apr | 1 | 16-Sep | |
| 361 | 4-Jul | 4 | 17-Sep | |
| 355 | 31-Oct | 10 | 18-Sep | |
| 352 | 24-Nov | 13 | 19-Sep | |
| 353 | 25-Nov | 15 | 20-Sep | |
| 357 | 26-Nov | 7 | 21-Sep | |
| 358 | 27-Nov | 5 | 22-Sep | |
| 359 | 28-Nov | 3 | 23-Sep | |
| 354 | 23-Dec | 6 | 24-Sep | |
| 363 | 24-Dec | 11 | 25-Sep | |
| 365 | 25-Dec | 19 | 30-Sep | |
| 360 | 26-Dec | 20 | 1-Oct |
In spite of their avoidance for birthdays near Christmas into the early part of the new year, many will aim for that tax deduction. The middling days between Christmas and New Year's score pretty well compared to other dates in that week.
| 26 | 30-Dec |
| 42 | 29-Dec |
| 62 | 28-Dec |
Data source: How Common Is Your Birthday?
Friday, October 21, 2011
The CMO Site blog - Sun Rising on Solar Energy Marketing
Solar energy businesses are marketing themselves successfully when they avoid the controversy around government investment and global warming and concentrate instead on value to the customer.
Read the rest at The CMO Site - Karl Hakkarainen - Sun Rising on Solar Energy Marketing
Read the rest at The CMO Site - Karl Hakkarainen - Sun Rising on Solar Energy Marketing
Happy 20th Birthday, Matt
[caption id="attachment_2753" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Matt in 2004, with Cassie, age 1 day"]
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And, of course, we remember what happens when we turn 20: Neil Young - Sugar Mountain
[/caption]And, of course, we remember what happens when we turn 20: Neil Young - Sugar Mountain
Book review: The Secret Life of Word
The Secret Life of Word by Robert Delwood « XML Press
I've waited for a long time for a book such as this. It's very good. It delivers clear information about Word 2010 with writing that's fresh and human, as though you were being coached by a knowledgeable and helpful co-worker.
The premise is simple. Using the Office scripting interfaces, macros and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), you can get a lot of good work done quickly and more accurately. Delwood guides the reader through a series of common tasks often encountered by writers. At each point, you get just enough information to know what you're doing and how to do it.
Most technical writers avoid Word because, well, it can be messy (particularly if you've inherited someone else's Word files) and because it's not great for longer documents (more than 50 or so pages). Development teams and managers like Word because it's always around and they can edit the files when they want to (leading to the first problem). Given that more and more tech writers are working on short-term contracts where they have make sense of files that have been picked at by a half dozen authors, this book can be valuable resource in cleaning up cruft and bringing order to the sources.
Delwood is a fine writer with a reassuring voice. He introduces topics such as building blocks, Smart Tags, and macros with just the right balance of background and practical tips. There are plenty of good code examples throughout the book. Rather than having to retype everything, however, you can pick up the examples at the publisher's web site.
There were plenty of pleasing touches throughout the book, such as the use of "Hello, Word" in examples. made more poignant as we mourn the recent passing of C's, Dennis Ritchie.
The section on Find and Replace begins with "It may seem odd to consider Find and Replace as an automation technique." The examples then go on to show how you can bring back some order to a document with carefully targeted automation. Word is notorious for generating bloated HTML output. This small procedure is part of a larger effort to clean up that bloat and give you a more usable file.
Sub RemoveHTMLTags()
ReplacementText "<p*>", "<p>"
ReplacementText "<span*>", vbNullString
ReplacementText "</span>", vbNullString
ReplacementText "<o:p>", vbNullString
ReplacementText "</o:p>", vbNullString
ReplacementText "Times New Roman", "Comic Sans MS"[1]
End Sub
[1]
Delwood brings out the quirks and inexplicable behaviors in Word. He explains how the changes from Word 95 to the 2007/2010 era really messed people up. The user interface changed, hiding familiar menu options in out-of-the-way ribbons. New elements such as building blocks confounded people who were used to dealing with simple templates. He noted that Smart Tags, which most of us missed when introduced in Office 2003, are an under-appreciated feature. He then goes on to explain why they are useful (treating selected words as more than just characters, but words with a special meaning) and how to use them.
Debugging scripts is hard. The book keeps it simple, providing basic guidance instead of trying to turn a tech writer into a software engineer.
There were a few nits that I noticed, but nothing that diminishes the utility of this fine book.
This is a very useful book. I've already applied some of the material to documents that I maintain.
Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for the purposes of this review. I am not compensated for my reviews nor was my review influenced by the manner in which I received the book.
I've waited for a long time for a book such as this. It's very good. It delivers clear information about Word 2010 with writing that's fresh and human, as though you were being coached by a knowledgeable and helpful co-worker.
The premise is simple. Using the Office scripting interfaces, macros and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), you can get a lot of good work done quickly and more accurately. Delwood guides the reader through a series of common tasks often encountered by writers. At each point, you get just enough information to know what you're doing and how to do it.
Most technical writers avoid Word because, well, it can be messy (particularly if you've inherited someone else's Word files) and because it's not great for longer documents (more than 50 or so pages). Development teams and managers like Word because it's always around and they can edit the files when they want to (leading to the first problem). Given that more and more tech writers are working on short-term contracts where they have make sense of files that have been picked at by a half dozen authors, this book can be valuable resource in cleaning up cruft and bringing order to the sources.
Delwood is a fine writer with a reassuring voice. He introduces topics such as building blocks, Smart Tags, and macros with just the right balance of background and practical tips. There are plenty of good code examples throughout the book. Rather than having to retype everything, however, you can pick up the examples at the publisher's web site.
There were plenty of pleasing touches throughout the book, such as the use of "Hello, Word" in examples. made more poignant as we mourn the recent passing of C's, Dennis Ritchie.
The section on Find and Replace begins with "It may seem odd to consider Find and Replace as an automation technique." The examples then go on to show how you can bring back some order to a document with carefully targeted automation. Word is notorious for generating bloated HTML output. This small procedure is part of a larger effort to clean up that bloat and give you a more usable file.
Sub RemoveHTMLTags()
ReplacementText "<p*>", "<p>"
ReplacementText "<span*>", vbNullString
ReplacementText "</span>", vbNullString
ReplacementText "<o:p>", vbNullString
ReplacementText "</o:p>", vbNullString
ReplacementText "Times New Roman", "Comic Sans MS"[1]
End Sub
[1]
Delwood brings out the quirks and inexplicable behaviors in Word. He explains how the changes from Word 95 to the 2007/2010 era really messed people up. The user interface changed, hiding familiar menu options in out-of-the-way ribbons. New elements such as building blocks confounded people who were used to dealing with simple templates. He noted that Smart Tags, which most of us missed when introduced in Office 2003, are an under-appreciated feature. He then goes on to explain why they are useful (treating selected words as more than just characters, but words with a special meaning) and how to use them.
Debugging scripts is hard. The book keeps it simple, providing basic guidance instead of trying to turn a tech writer into a software engineer.
There were a few nits that I noticed, but nothing that diminishes the utility of this fine book.
- The email address for comments is incorrect, likely the result of a duplicated paste that was overlooked by the editor.
- Most of the time, the examples are clear and easy to scan. In the section on Smart Tags, however, it gets confusing because the headings for each section and the example captions appear to run together after a while.
This is a very useful book. I've already applied some of the material to documents that I maintain.
Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for the purposes of this review. I am not compensated for my reviews nor was my review influenced by the manner in which I received the book.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
How do you like them apples?
We're nearing the end of the apple season here in central New England.
It used to last longer, until early November. Orchard owners would spray the apples with Alar (daminozide) to ensure consistent ripening; a related effect was that ripening was delayed. About 20 years ago, however, the EPA banned Alar as a suspected carcinogen. As a result, many varieties of Macintosh lineage began to ripen as much as a month earlier. The Macs, Macoun, Empire, and Cortland apples not only come in earlier but don't stay crisp as long, becoming something like Styrofoam soaked in apple juice.
According to the New England Apple Growers Association, about 40 varieties of apples are grown locally. The Red Apple Farm in Phillipston MA has a 101 varieties grafted onto the original Cortland tree.
You wouldn't know there were so many locally-grown types by going to a local market or even a farm stand. In a manner similar to bookstores and record shops, there are bins and bags of the standard apples and few, if any, of the others. Last week, while I was in Harvard Square, I bought a bag of Roxbury Russets at the farmer's market in front of the Charles Hotel. I've found no russet apples of any kind at any of the nearby markets.
All proclaimed they were selling locally-grown products and all had the same types of apples - the Mac-based breeds plus Granny Smiths and the sweet ones (everyone's new favorite Honey Crisp, Fuji, Braeburn, and red and green Delicious). It may seem like a lot, but the Mac clan taste about the same after a couple of days away from the tree and the sweet ones, while staying crisp, are too sweet.
I even tried a few out-of-the-way stores, such as the new Wegmans, Atkins Farm in Amherst, and Whole Foods in Hadley. Same selections. But, each store offered sushi. No Northern Spy, but you can get sashimi.
It used to last longer, until early November. Orchard owners would spray the apples with Alar (daminozide) to ensure consistent ripening; a related effect was that ripening was delayed. About 20 years ago, however, the EPA banned Alar as a suspected carcinogen. As a result, many varieties of Macintosh lineage began to ripen as much as a month earlier. The Macs, Macoun, Empire, and Cortland apples not only come in earlier but don't stay crisp as long, becoming something like Styrofoam soaked in apple juice.
According to the New England Apple Growers Association, about 40 varieties of apples are grown locally. The Red Apple Farm in Phillipston MA has a 101 varieties grafted onto the original Cortland tree.
You wouldn't know there were so many locally-grown types by going to a local market or even a farm stand. In a manner similar to bookstores and record shops, there are bins and bags of the standard apples and few, if any, of the others. Last week, while I was in Harvard Square, I bought a bag of Roxbury Russets at the farmer's market in front of the Charles Hotel. I've found no russet apples of any kind at any of the nearby markets.
All proclaimed they were selling locally-grown products and all had the same types of apples - the Mac-based breeds plus Granny Smiths and the sweet ones (everyone's new favorite Honey Crisp, Fuji, Braeburn, and red and green Delicious). It may seem like a lot, but the Mac clan taste about the same after a couple of days away from the tree and the sweet ones, while staying crisp, are too sweet.
I even tried a few out-of-the-way stores, such as the new Wegmans, Atkins Farm in Amherst, and Whole Foods in Hadley. Same selections. But, each store offered sushi. No Northern Spy, but you can get sashimi.
For your safe listening pleasure
Remember back in the 90s when Second Lady Tipper Gore campaigned to have CDs labeled with warnings about explicit lyrics? The fear was that music would make people do what they wouldn't otherwise do. Frank Zappa testified against such, saying, "I wrote a song about dental floss but did anyone's teeth get cleaner?"
Well, here we go again with the need for warnings. This time, though, it's for music that might put you to sleep. A UK group, Marconi Union, has produced what's been described as most relaxing song ever'.
We've been cautioned not to listen the tune while driving or walking or anyplace where gravity or machinery could harm us.
No word on what had been the previously most relaxing song.
If you're in a safe place, you can listen to the music here.
If you're really in a mood to live dangerously, you could also try to listen to the Funniest Joke in The World.
Well, here we go again with the need for warnings. This time, though, it's for music that might put you to sleep. A UK group, Marconi Union, has produced what's been described as most relaxing song ever'.
Studies found Weightless was 11 per cent more relaxing than any other song and even made many of the women 'drowsy' in the lab.
via Most relaxing song made by UK band Boffins | Mail Online
We've been cautioned not to listen the tune while driving or walking or anyplace where gravity or machinery could harm us.
No word on what had been the previously most relaxing song.
If you're in a safe place, you can listen to the music here.
If you're really in a mood to live dangerously, you could also try to listen to the Funniest Joke in The World.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Stop and Shop becomes more about stop
While the excitement around Wegmans in Northborogh is reaching orgasmic levels, (one early visitor remarked “I lived in Ithaca for five years and fell in love with Wegmans."), our local mainstay, Stop & Shop is trying to be one of the cool kids. 
They've got an app.
The app is along the lines of the Scan It reader that you see when you enter the store, except slower and less convenient.
Download the app to your phone. Note that there's no QR code that would let you load the app directly from the display board. Also, you can't use the WiFi in the store until you have the app installed. So, if you can get a phone signal when standing near the deli, you can download the app.
Scan your Stop & Shop card which registers your app and lets you connect to the WiFi so it can load all the crazy deals, like $.25 off of dozen eggs.
Finally, go buy stuff, meaning that, after you've made your choice, you stand in the aisle and scan your purchases using your phone. Click. Put the thing in your bag. Click. Put the thing in your bag. And so on.
When you get to the checkout, hold the phone up to the card by the register, scan it with the app, and your order is loaded into the register. Tell the big screen that you are ready to finish and pay with your credit card. C
lick the small screen to tell it again that you want to use your credit card, sign illegibly in the little window, wait until they print coupons for deodorant and mouthwash (because somehow they know that you need those hygiene items, even if you've didn't buy those products this time), and leave with your food and with your, and I'm not making this up, plastic case so you can carry your Pop-Tarts® in safety.
It's great to be an American, isn't it?
They've got an app.The app is along the lines of the Scan It reader that you see when you enter the store, except slower and less convenient.
Download the app to your phone. Note that there's no QR code that would let you load the app directly from the display board. Also, you can't use the WiFi in the store until you have the app installed. So, if you can get a phone signal when standing near the deli, you can download the app.
Scan your Stop & Shop card which registers your app and lets you connect to the WiFi so it can load all the crazy deals, like $.25 off of dozen eggs.
Finally, go buy stuff, meaning that, after you've made your choice, you stand in the aisle and scan your purchases using your phone. Click. Put the thing in your bag. Click. Put the thing in your bag. And so on.
When you get to the checkout, hold the phone up to the card by the register, scan it with the app, and your order is loaded into the register. Tell the big screen that you are ready to finish and pay with your credit card. C
lick the small screen to tell it again that you want to use your credit card, sign illegibly in the little window, wait until they print coupons for deodorant and mouthwash (because somehow they know that you need those hygiene items, even if you've didn't buy those products this time), and leave with your food and with your, and I'm not making this up, plastic case so you can carry your Pop-Tarts® in safety.It's great to be an American, isn't it?
Notes on attention
It's generally assumed that we have shorter attention spans these days. The Internet and/or cellphones are often blamed. A generation ago, we blamed television and it's quick cuts and sensationalist themes. (I haven't timed things recently, but the old guidelines used to call for some video change every 10 seconds or less.)
Researchers have produced some interesting, but inconclusive data. This past Sunday's New York Times book review included reviews of recent titles that give us new literature on brain science. We know that something new is going on, but the specifics of each situation often overwhelm any general theories.
For the record, I started writing this at 11 this morning. I looked up the NYT link, read a couple of articles while doing so, met with three people from my WISE course for an hour and change, wrote a half sentence, went about the rest of the day, tried writing while watching tv, and, finally, after reading the first page of a Ken Auletta piece in The New Yorker, turned off the tv sound during some ads, and finished this post.
I could blame the Internet or any of the gadgets that control the pipes, but I read and wrote like this 50 years ago. Some of us showed up pre-wired, waiting for this stuff and these times.
Researchers have produced some interesting, but inconclusive data. This past Sunday's New York Times book review included reviews of recent titles that give us new literature on brain science. We know that something new is going on, but the specifics of each situation often overwhelm any general theories.
For the record, I started writing this at 11 this morning. I looked up the NYT link, read a couple of articles while doing so, met with three people from my WISE course for an hour and change, wrote a half sentence, went about the rest of the day, tried writing while watching tv, and, finally, after reading the first page of a Ken Auletta piece in The New Yorker, turned off the tv sound during some ads, and finished this post.
I could blame the Internet or any of the gadgets that control the pipes, but I read and wrote like this 50 years ago. Some of us showed up pre-wired, waiting for this stuff and these times.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
If you can read this post, the move was successful
I've initiated the process of moving my blog to a new WordPress site. If all went all well, you should receive this message and need do nothing else. If all went somewhat well, I may need to send you a request to sign up for a new email service.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Notes from The Media and Politics Frontier
As mentioned earlier, I am attending (gate-crashing) a program on politics and the media at the 2011 25th Anniversary Schedule - Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy. (As I write at table in the hal, Clay Shirky is pacing the hall, talking to himself, getting ready for his lunchtime speech.)
Xeni Jardin interviewed Miles O'Brien on science in the media. O'Brien, formerly of CNN until they jettisoned their science department, talked about the difficulty that we as a nation have in teaching about science. The mainstream media, fulfilling that circle, limits its science coverage because it seems that people aren't interested. There was a lot more about a lot more. You can find the recorded sessions at Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy - Home Page
The audience discussion came around to several themes:
I offered a few themes that I've used before:
More later.
Xeni Jardin interviewed Miles O'Brien on science in the media. O'Brien, formerly of CNN until they jettisoned their science department, talked about the difficulty that we as a nation have in teaching about science. The mainstream media, fulfilling that circle, limits its science coverage because it seems that people aren't interested. There was a lot more about a lot more. You can find the recorded sessions at Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy - Home Page
The audience discussion came around to several themes:
- I'm an old-school journalist and I don't understand what you're talking about.
- What about quality?
- Where are the editors?
- Where are the authorities?
I offered a few themes that I've used before:
- The web offers a large-scale version of what we would otherwise call peer review. Instead of a dozen reviewers taking a month to read an article, you can get 100s of people giving you feedback in minutes. The scale is fast and large and solid.
- This is an evolving model that's only a few years old. It wasn't designed as such; we're building as we go along. As a result, we can't expect the level of maturity or completeness that traditional news or science publication companies have had (and have decimated).
- The stuff is personal and people react as such. When there was news about prostate screen or mammograms, people read the reports and reacted as if their lives depended on it. Science becomes real.
More later.
Notes from Harvard Square
The ride in to the seat of all Western knowledge took less than an hour on this foggy Friday. I left the house at 5:40, parked, and was greeted by a bearded doorman at Peet's Coffee by 6:45. Even though it's a mild morning, the doorman has made his transition to a winter jacket. The fur-lining of the hood on his jacket is indistinguishable from his wild white beard. Man Becomes Coat, should be the headline in the morning Metro.
It should be busier here. Just a half dozen folks reading their papers.
Peet's offers the oddly-flavored coffees, but refrains from promoting them too much. There's a brightly-lit Dunkin' Donuts in the same building as the parking garage. They are promoting some pumpkin abomination. I miss the Coffee Connection with their single-origin coffees. I miss lots of stuff. We go on.
I'm here to attend a symposium on The Media and Politics Frontier at the Shorenstein Center. I have no affiliation with the center and am here pretty much as a groupie. I'll have notes about the forum here and on Twitter and Google+.
Our bearded doorman has moved into the small park in front of the door where he can have a smoke. The pigeons give him little attention.
It should be busier here. Just a half dozen folks reading their papers.
Peet's offers the oddly-flavored coffees, but refrains from promoting them too much. There's a brightly-lit Dunkin' Donuts in the same building as the parking garage. They are promoting some pumpkin abomination. I miss the Coffee Connection with their single-origin coffees. I miss lots of stuff. We go on.
I'm here to attend a symposium on The Media and Politics Frontier at the Shorenstein Center. I have no affiliation with the center and am here pretty much as a groupie. I'll have notes about the forum here and on Twitter and Google+.
Our bearded doorman has moved into the small park in front of the door where he can have a smoke. The pigeons give him little attention.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
RoasterBoy on the move
I am in the process of migrating this blog to WordPress. You can find out more here: RoasterBoy on the move « Hakkarainen Clipping Service.
These links and other services will continue to work for quite a while. When I get the email and RSS feeds set up, all new content will go onto the new site. My goal is that current readers should have to do anything to receive the blog posts at the new site. I'll let you know directly if I learn otherwise.
Thanks so much for your interest and support.
These links and other services will continue to work for quite a while. When I get the email and RSS feeds set up, all new content will go onto the new site. My goal is that current readers should have to do anything to receive the blog posts at the new site. I'll let you know directly if I learn otherwise.
Thanks so much for your interest and support.
The daily news of the future
Giving us a chance to say as much as we want about nothing.
 |
| Worcester Telegram & Gazette - telegram.com - |
Monday, October 10, 2011
Book Review: Social Media for Lawyers
Professionals such as attorneys and physicians are using social media to establish their professional reputations, promote discussion of important topics, and, yes, build their practices. Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier offers practical tips for attorneys who are new to the idea of using social media such as blogs, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter as a part of their marketing and outreach. The book walks you through the setup of these services and suggests some best practices for using social media specifically and marketing in general. The book concludes with the expected notes of caution regarding ethics. You can see the table of contents here (PDF).
The book is useful, but could be a lot more so. The biggest problem, by far, is the lack of an online resource to help the reader with the number of lengthy links used in the book.
The book includes a number of sidebar notes. The trouble is that they're called Factoids. Norman Mailer coined the phrase to describe "facts which have no existence before appearing in a magazine or newspaper, creations which are not so much lies as a product to manipulate emotion in the Silent Majority." (via Online Etymology Dictionary).
At $50, the book is too expensive for what it offers. A bit of web research and perhaps even a copy of Social Media Marketing All-in-One For Dummies would be more useful and less expensive.
The book is useful, but could be a lot more so. The biggest problem, by far, is the lack of an online resource to help the reader with the number of lengthy links used in the book.
The book includes a number of sidebar notes. The trouble is that they're called Factoids. Norman Mailer coined the phrase to describe "facts which have no existence before appearing in a magazine or newspaper, creations which are not so much lies as a product to manipulate emotion in the Silent Majority." (via Online Etymology Dictionary).
At $50, the book is too expensive for what it offers. A bit of web research and perhaps even a copy of Social Media Marketing All-in-One For Dummies would be more useful and less expensive.
Sunday, October 09, 2011
G'bye, delicious
One of my maxims based on 30 years of high tech:
Yahoo bought delicious from its founder in late 2005 and did very little to help or hurt it. Late last year, Yahoo signaled that it was going to shut down delicious, prompting a bit of panic. Along with many thousands of other bookmarkers, I opened an account with pinboard.in. They had some fun dealing with the sudden influx of interest, but they survived: Anatomy of a Crushing (Pinboard Blog). Pinboard later got through an unfriendly visit from the FBI: FAQ about the recent FBI raid (Pinboard Blog).
Pinboard costs a few buck; delicious is free.
I was in the habit, though, of using delicious. I had browser extensions, scripts that put selected links into selected blog posts, and a bunch of other stuff that I didn't feel like replacing. I was lulled into this inertia by delicious's continued and unchanged presence.
In the spring, a couple of guys who'd been at YouTube formed a company called AVOS and bought delicious for pretty much couch changed. They worked behind the scenes through the summer and launched the new site in late September: A New Flavor…Still Delicious | AVOS.
The reaction to the new web service was consistent: AVOS’ Delicious Disaster: Lessons from a Complete Failure | ZDNet.
The new service has broken too many things that used to work on their way to adding eye candy that almost no one wants or needs.
I've been patient, giving them time to listen to their customers and respond. They've tried, but I fear that they've gone too far down the wrong path to come back and fix what they left behind, the stuff that made delicious really useful.
Today, though, I tried to do some real work with my bookmarks and couldn't.
delicious was a pickup truck that was good for real work. Now, it isn't. I don't know what it is, but it isn't what I need.
I'll be re-migrating my stuff to Pinboard over the next few weeks. Most of you won't notice or care, but a few might see a few changes. I'll keep my delicious account, but won't be adding to it.
In the 90s, there was a nifty product called Calendar Creator. It helped you build family calendars with birthdays and other recurring events of note. I don't remember if it was version 2 or 3, but one release broke everything. They tried to make it do more and wound up doing less. I bought the new version, tried it once, and never used it again.
Since then, I've seen countless products bloat themselves out of existence. Ubuntu, a popular Linux distribution, has added a bunch of eye candy that prevents it from running on older, slower, less powerful systems. Facebook may be on that track as it keeps adding features that make it more difficult to use.
I like new stuff, particularly in technology. I'll try lots of products in their earliest stages and stick with them if they show promise.
When I find utilitarian products, however, I don't need improvement. I go to the store, point to my shoes and say, "I want these shoes, but new." I've worn button-down shirts for close to 50 years. (No, not the same ones, although not for a lack of trying.) My pillows are older than I am.
Google has it right. The basic design of their home page has changed very little over the years. They've added powerful features, but mostly hidden from view. When they've tried fancy stuff (Wave, Buzz), they failed and quickly dropped the products. They know how to add changes without breaking their core product.
delicious didn't do that. It broke what they did well and gave us new stuff that we neither wanted nor needed.
All software will break your heart.I've used the public bookmarking service delicious (formerly known as del.icio.us) more than six years, nearly a lifetime for a web service. I've relied on it to park items of interest, share topics with friends and strangers, and build blog posts from the accumulated links. I currently have more than 9500 bookmarks stored there. You can see them on my links page.
Yahoo bought delicious from its founder in late 2005 and did very little to help or hurt it. Late last year, Yahoo signaled that it was going to shut down delicious, prompting a bit of panic. Along with many thousands of other bookmarkers, I opened an account with pinboard.in. They had some fun dealing with the sudden influx of interest, but they survived: Anatomy of a Crushing (Pinboard Blog). Pinboard later got through an unfriendly visit from the FBI: FAQ about the recent FBI raid (Pinboard Blog).
Pinboard costs a few buck; delicious is free.
I was in the habit, though, of using delicious. I had browser extensions, scripts that put selected links into selected blog posts, and a bunch of other stuff that I didn't feel like replacing. I was lulled into this inertia by delicious's continued and unchanged presence.
In the spring, a couple of guys who'd been at YouTube formed a company called AVOS and bought delicious for pretty much couch changed. They worked behind the scenes through the summer and launched the new site in late September: A New Flavor…Still Delicious | AVOS.
The reaction to the new web service was consistent: AVOS’ Delicious Disaster: Lessons from a Complete Failure | ZDNet.
The new service has broken too many things that used to work on their way to adding eye candy that almost no one wants or needs.
I've been patient, giving them time to listen to their customers and respond. They've tried, but I fear that they've gone too far down the wrong path to come back and fix what they left behind, the stuff that made delicious really useful.
Today, though, I tried to do some real work with my bookmarks and couldn't.
delicious was a pickup truck that was good for real work. Now, it isn't. I don't know what it is, but it isn't what I need.
I'll be re-migrating my stuff to Pinboard over the next few weeks. Most of you won't notice or care, but a few might see a few changes. I'll keep my delicious account, but won't be adding to it.
In the 90s, there was a nifty product called Calendar Creator. It helped you build family calendars with birthdays and other recurring events of note. I don't remember if it was version 2 or 3, but one release broke everything. They tried to make it do more and wound up doing less. I bought the new version, tried it once, and never used it again.
Since then, I've seen countless products bloat themselves out of existence. Ubuntu, a popular Linux distribution, has added a bunch of eye candy that prevents it from running on older, slower, less powerful systems. Facebook may be on that track as it keeps adding features that make it more difficult to use.
I like new stuff, particularly in technology. I'll try lots of products in their earliest stages and stick with them if they show promise.
When I find utilitarian products, however, I don't need improvement. I go to the store, point to my shoes and say, "I want these shoes, but new." I've worn button-down shirts for close to 50 years. (No, not the same ones, although not for a lack of trying.) My pillows are older than I am.
Google has it right. The basic design of their home page has changed very little over the years. They've added powerful features, but mostly hidden from view. When they've tried fancy stuff (Wave, Buzz), they failed and quickly dropped the products. They know how to add changes without breaking their core product.
delicious didn't do that. It broke what they did well and gave us new stuff that we neither wanted nor needed.
Saturday, October 08, 2011
When blog becomes onomatopoeic
It appears that the FeedBlitz, the service that delivers email to readers of this journal, has sent some messages that include links to nowhere. (You click on the link and an empty window opens up.) This appears to be a transitory problem that FeedBlitz claims is fixed. I'll continue to monitor it. If you see any further odd mailings, please let me know directly.
Thanks for reading.
Thanks for reading.
When blog becomes onomatopoeic
It appears that the FeedBlitz, the service that delivers email to readers of this journal, has sent some messages that include links to nowhere. (You click on the link and an empty window opens up.) This appears to be a transitory problem that FeedBlitz claims is fixed. I'll continue to monitor it. If you see any further odd mailings, please let me know directly.
Thanks for reading.
Thanks for reading.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
More on the Sheriff
If you recall, I wrote a piece a couple of weeks ago, The Sheriff and Secure Communities, about Worcester County Lew Evangelidis and his then-recent publicity regarding the Secure Communities program.
...
Continue reading More on the Sheriff at Telegram Towns.
...
Continue reading More on the Sheriff at Telegram Towns.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Fox 25 undercover reporter uncovers non-story. Film at 11.
Mike Beaudet, reporter for "FOX Undercover" on WFXT in Boston, broke a story over the weekend. He teased it a bit on Saturday and gave the it full treatment on Sunday evening. (His report, Boston schools seek pricey consultant, is on the station's website.)
Let's review, starting form the end. The Boston Finance Commission turned down a request by Boston school superintendent Dr. Carol Johnson to hire a consultant, Dr. Rudy Crew, at a reported $1500 per day. Because the total contact was above $10K, the FinCom gets a chance to review the proposal. They decided against it. As a result, Dr. Crew probably won't be hired.
The rest of the story is as follows:
We want outstanding schools on the cheap. We want to have schools run efficiently and meet goals, just like businesses must do, but we'll only pay one-third the going rate for the education, skills, and experience.
I can't make the determination if Dr. Crew is worth that kind of money. Neither, it appears, can Mike Beaudet. We learned very little about Dr. Crew's past work as a consultant or the value of consultants in reforming education. We learned nothing about what consultants and professionals earn in education or any other field. What we heard was a number that Beaudet envied. (The average salary for a news reporter in Boston in $42K.)
For the locals: Dr. Crew worked as a teacher in the Worcester school system in 1972-73.
Let's review, starting form the end. The Boston Finance Commission turned down a request by Boston school superintendent Dr. Carol Johnson to hire a consultant, Dr. Rudy Crew, at a reported $1500 per day. Because the total contact was above $10K, the FinCom gets a chance to review the proposal. They decided against it. As a result, Dr. Crew probably won't be hired.
The rest of the story is as follows:
- Dr. Crew would have charged $1500/day. Beaudet used the number in the sub-headline and six times in the story.
- Dr. Crew, a nationally recognized education leader, was "fired" from two jobs.
One, in the Miami-Dade County system, was for, as Beaudet reported, "after being accused by critics of mismanaging the budget."
Beaudet didn't report that Crew and the school board agreed to sever his contract, that the district is one of three finalists in a national competition. (Awards will be announced on October 14.) Beaudet also didn't report that Crew, according to A U.S. News and World Report article, removed under-performing principals and corrected previously wasteful construction practices. - Dr. Crew would have charged $1500/day. Beaudet wishes he was making that kind of money.
With all due respect Dr. Johnson, $1,500 a day. I'd love to be making that much money. Is he really worth all that money?” asked Beaudet.
- Dr. Crew lost his job with the New York City school system in 2000 after repeated run-ins with Mayor Rudy (no relation) Guiliani over the issue of school vouchers to private schools. The mayor wanted vouchers; the superintendent refused.
- There's no disputing that the daily rate is a lot of money. It's also in the range of his 2010 Miami salary, The New York Times reported. Salaries at that level are reserved for the superintendents of the largest school systems. Miami-Dade is the fourth largest system in the nation. According to the survey by District Administration magazine, a CEO of a comparably large company would make more than $1M annually.
We want outstanding schools on the cheap. We want to have schools run efficiently and meet goals, just like businesses must do, but we'll only pay one-third the going rate for the education, skills, and experience.
I can't make the determination if Dr. Crew is worth that kind of money. Neither, it appears, can Mike Beaudet. We learned very little about Dr. Crew's past work as a consultant or the value of consultants in reforming education. We learned nothing about what consultants and professionals earn in education or any other field. What we heard was a number that Beaudet envied. (The average salary for a news reporter in Boston in $42K.)
For the locals: Dr. Crew worked as a teacher in the Worcester school system in 1972-73.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Fallon Clinic - new name, same stock photography doctors
Fallon Clinic is changing its name to Reliant Medical Group on October 1. The goal is to help remove confusion between the clinic, where medical services are provided, and the Fallon Community Health Plan, which provides medical insurance. The two have been separate businesses since 2004. Patients and others continued to confuse the two.
As a result of a new alliance affiliation with Atrius Health Group, the clinic decided it was a good time for a name change. It would help to eliminate the confusion between the clinic and the insurance provider.
Naturally, patients are showing up at the clinic saying, "I guess I'll have to get a new doctor now that you're not longer part of Fallon." Or, "Does this mean I have to change health plans?" Or, "I changed to Harvard Pilgrim. Do I need to get a new doctor." Just exactly the kind of confusion that Fallon was hoping to eliminate.
The reassuring tent cards places around the clinic tell the patients that they'll still have the same great doctors and service providers that they did before.
Nice, except that none of these smiling folks are Fallon providers. They are models. The picture is commercial stock photograph. A Google image search will show these good folks practicing all around the world.
Take a class in Photoshop and call me in the morning.
As a result of a new alliance affiliation with Atrius Health Group, the clinic decided it was a good time for a name change. It would help to eliminate the confusion between the clinic and the insurance provider.
Naturally, patients are showing up at the clinic saying, "I guess I'll have to get a new doctor now that you're not longer part of Fallon." Or, "Does this mean I have to change health plans?" Or, "I changed to Harvard Pilgrim. Do I need to get a new doctor." Just exactly the kind of confusion that Fallon was hoping to eliminate.
The reassuring tent cards places around the clinic tell the patients that they'll still have the same great doctors and service providers that they did before.
 | ||
| via Studio shot of medical professionals smiling by Tetra Images |
Take a class in Photoshop and call me in the morning.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Crime in suburbia
From The Landmark (subscription required):
[Editor's note: There were 20 suspicious items this week]
3:59 p.m. Caller reports something was broken off in the key lock to his apartment, Main St.
5:20 p.m. Fight in business parking lot, Wachusett/Manning Sts.
10:19 p.m. Suspicious male riding bike down center of Main/Shrewsbury Sts.
9:00 a.m. Assist person involved in computer issue, Main St.
12:00 p.m. Two young children in parked vehicle, Main St.
12:32 p.m. Problem with vendor, Main St.
1:02 p.m. Suspicious male knocked on door, looked in windows, then fled, River St.
1:34 a.m. Suspicious vehicle, Main St.
3:15 a.m. Deceased raccoon in travel lane, Main St.
8:44 a.m. Several calls about two German shepherds in Reservoir St.
9:03 a.m. Vehicle almost went through crosswalk while children were crossing, Highland St.
11:19 a.m. Suspicious vehicle in front of home for several hours, Wachusett St.
12:18 p.m. Male in street yelling at himself, Vicksburg Cir.
6:58 p.m. Person heard loud yelling and moaning from home, Briarcliff Ln.
2:43 a.m. Suspicious vehicle, Industrial Dr.
2:48 a.m. Suspicious vehicle, windows open, Industrial Dr.
7:57 a.m. Person at station to drop off three pistols, Main St.
11:15 p.m. Report of gunshots, Holden St.
1:09 a.m. Suspicious vehicle, Main St. Person taken into protective custody
8:46 a.m. Barking dog complaint, Fairchild Dr.
2:57 p.m. Suspicious males in area, Boyden Rd.
8:10 a.m. Shepherd mix dog in market parking lot, then to Rte. 122
8:32 a.m. Loose pit bull, Marshall St.
8:53 a.m. Caller requests assistance with vehicle lockout, Pleasant St.
9:10 a.m. Person at station to speak with officer about previous incident, Pleasant St.
1:48 p.m. Male in parked vehicle frequently seen in same area, Brooks Rd.
8:40 p.m. Female wants to speak with animal control officer regarding cat with broken leg dropped off at her doorstep, Pleasant St.
6:34 a.m. Bear in yard, Jefferson Dr.
7:03 a.m. Dead raccoon in West St.
4:27 p.m. Report of large bobcat on property, Davis Hill Rd.
10:38 a.m. Suspicious vehicle parked at end of driveway, Gates Rd.
2:40 p.m. Cat with no tail hanging around home for a week, Rocky Pond Rd.
7:31 a.m. Caller reports that her vehicle’s lug nuts are loose again, ongoing problem, Sterling Rd.
3:56 p.m. Caller reports carrier pigeon on her roof for a week, Rhodes Rd.
7:09 p.m. Two dogs barking constantly, Hickory Dr.
7:16 p.m. Dogs barking non-stop, Hickory Dr.
8:52 p.m. Dog in Sterling Rd.
9:34 p.m. Suspicious vehicle, Princeton Rd. Sterling PD advised
11:55 a.m. Abandoned dog from home on Stevens Way
3:17 p.m. Suspicious vehicle, Wachusett St.
3:46 p.m. Suspicious male behind store, E. County Rd.
3:51 p.m. Erratic driver, E. County Rd.
5:20 p.m. Orange cat limping, Campbell St.
9:13 p.m. Suspicious vehicle, Barre Paxton Rd.
6:47 a.m. Two very large bears in tree near home, E. County Rd.
11:53 a.m. Caller believes there is a skunk in a Glenwood School classroom, animal control officer removed skunk
8:16 p.m. Police assist person locked out of vehicle, Barre Paxton Rd.
8:04 p.m. Person at station requesting help, says he walked to town from Worcester, is homeless, Main St.
6:40 p.m. Bear in area, Pommogussett Rd.
7:30 p.m. Bear on Main St.
8:20 p.m. Bear in area, Highland Park Rd./Maple Ave.
12:30 p.m. Elderly female walking toward town center, Maple Ave.
3:43 p.m. Police check out unattended vehicle parked outside gate, Charnock Hill Rd.
3:45 p.m. Out-of-state visitor’s dog “Nova” is loose, owners can’t catch; dog has injured a neighbor’s rooster, Maple Spring Dr.
6:00 p.m. Suspicious male driving silver vehicle left yellow notice written in Spanish on caller’s door, John Robert Dr. Paper is notice from her mortgage company
6:15 p.m. Caller believes man in red truck illegally dumping in apartment complex, Maple Ave. Said male party was “very angry with her” when she confronted him
4:32 p.m. Five-year-old didn’t get dropped off at bus stop. Child fell asleep on bus, N. Row Rd.
5:44 p.m. Young female near woods appears to be crying, Jewett Rd.
6:55 p.m. Caller wants to speak with ACO regarding loose dog in Clinton, Leominster Rd.
8:48 a.m. Caller wants to speak with animal control officer regarding someone leaving kittens at residence, Princeton Rd.
12:31 p.m. Strange phone calls, Leominster Rd.
7:39 p.m. Loud bulldozer on neighbor’s property, Beaman Rd.
6:04 p.m. What appears to be rabid raccoon in roadway, Justice Hill/Justice Hill Cutoff Rds.
6:59 p.m. Suspicious male knocked on door, John Dee Rd.
10:25 p.m. Car alarm going off twice, Redstone Hill Rd.
9:35 p.m. Suspicious activity, Princeton Rd.
3:55 p.m. Caller concerned that helicopter is flying too low, Redstone Hill Rd.
[Editor's note: There were 20 suspicious items this week]
Holden
Monday -- September 12
1:50 p.m. Jar of quarters stolen from vehicle during night, Lovell Rd.3:59 p.m. Caller reports something was broken off in the key lock to his apartment, Main St.
5:20 p.m. Fight in business parking lot, Wachusett/Manning Sts.
10:19 p.m. Suspicious male riding bike down center of Main/Shrewsbury Sts.
Tuesday -- September 13
7:05 a.m. Suspicious male in area, Parker Ave./Stoneleigh Rd.9:00 a.m. Assist person involved in computer issue, Main St.
12:00 p.m. Two young children in parked vehicle, Main St.
Wednesday -- September 14
12:44 a.m. Police remove obstacles from Quinapoxet St.12:32 p.m. Problem with vendor, Main St.
Thursday -- September 15
9:09 a.m. Cement stolen from rear of business, Main St.1:02 p.m. Suspicious male knocked on door, looked in windows, then fled, River St.
Friday -- September 16
1:09 a.m. Suspicious vehicle, Manning St.1:34 a.m. Suspicious vehicle, Main St.
3:15 a.m. Deceased raccoon in travel lane, Main St.
8:44 a.m. Several calls about two German shepherds in Reservoir St.
9:03 a.m. Vehicle almost went through crosswalk while children were crossing, Highland St.
11:19 a.m. Suspicious vehicle in front of home for several hours, Wachusett St.
12:18 p.m. Male in street yelling at himself, Vicksburg Cir.
6:58 p.m. Person heard loud yelling and moaning from home, Briarcliff Ln.
Saturday -- September 17
2:07 a.m. Complaint about noise, Princeton St.2:43 a.m. Suspicious vehicle, Industrial Dr.
2:48 a.m. Suspicious vehicle, windows open, Industrial Dr.
7:57 a.m. Person at station to drop off three pistols, Main St.
11:15 p.m. Report of gunshots, Holden St.
Sunday -- September 18
12:35 a.m. Suspicious vehicle, Salisbury St./Newell Rd.1:09 a.m. Suspicious vehicle, Main St. Person taken into protective custody
8:46 a.m. Barking dog complaint, Fairchild Dr.
2:57 p.m. Suspicious males in area, Boyden Rd.
Paxton
Monday -- September 12
8:07 a.m. Raccoon walking slowly by kids at bus stop, Birch St.8:10 a.m. Shepherd mix dog in market parking lot, then to Rte. 122
8:32 a.m. Loose pit bull, Marshall St.
8:53 a.m. Caller requests assistance with vehicle lockout, Pleasant St.
9:10 a.m. Person at station to speak with officer about previous incident, Pleasant St.
1:48 p.m. Male in parked vehicle frequently seen in same area, Brooks Rd.
8:40 p.m. Female wants to speak with animal control officer regarding cat with broken leg dropped off at her doorstep, Pleasant St.
Tuesday -- September 13
2:10 p.m. Child in back seat of car, not buckled in, Pleasant St.Wednesday -- September 14
6:19 a.m. Two donkeys and one mini-horse near Grove St.6:34 a.m. Bear in yard, Jefferson Dr.
7:03 a.m. Dead raccoon in West St.
4:27 p.m. Report of large bobcat on property, Davis Hill Rd.
Saturday -- September 17
10:38 a.m. Male sitting in brush on Pleasant St. Having a cigarette and didn’t want to cause smoke around tennis playersSunday -- September 18
12:24 p.m. Bear in yard, Crocker Hill Dr.Princeton
Monday -- September 12
6:42 a.m. Three coyotes in caller’s yard going after her dog, Mirick Rd.10:38 a.m. Suspicious vehicle parked at end of driveway, Gates Rd.
2:40 p.m. Cat with no tail hanging around home for a week, Rocky Pond Rd.
Tuesday -- September 13
1:20 p.m. Three horses on side of Ball Hill Rd.Wednesday -- September 14
6:29 a.m. Dog hit, in road, Worcester Rd.7:31 a.m. Caller reports that her vehicle’s lug nuts are loose again, ongoing problem, Sterling Rd.
3:56 p.m. Caller reports carrier pigeon on her roof for a week, Rhodes Rd.
Friday -- September 16
8:03 a.m. Vehicle lockout, Coal Kiln Rd.7:09 p.m. Two dogs barking constantly, Hickory Dr.
7:16 p.m. Dogs barking non-stop, Hickory Dr.
8:52 p.m. Dog in Sterling Rd.
9:34 p.m. Suspicious vehicle, Princeton Rd. Sterling PD advised
Saturday -- September 17
10:27 a.m. Person at station regarding barking dogs, Hickory Dr.Sunday -- September 18
9:14 a.m. Police remove large rock from E. Princeton/Merriam Rds.Rutland
Monday -- September 12
8:51 p.m. Caller requesting animal control officer to pick up kitten she found that appears to have a broken leg, Pleasant St.Tuesday -- September 13
1:50 a.m. Police check vehicle parked with doors ajar, Edson Ave.11:55 a.m. Abandoned dog from home on Stevens Way
3:17 p.m. Suspicious vehicle, Wachusett St.
3:46 p.m. Suspicious male behind store, E. County Rd.
3:51 p.m. Erratic driver, E. County Rd.
5:20 p.m. Orange cat limping, Campbell St.
Wednesday -- September 14
1:30 a.m. Two people sitting outside by community center, Main St.9:13 p.m. Suspicious vehicle, Barre Paxton Rd.
Thursday -- September 15
3:20 a.m. Loud music, Charnock Hill Rd.6:47 a.m. Two very large bears in tree near home, E. County Rd.
11:53 a.m. Caller believes there is a skunk in a Glenwood School classroom, animal control officer removed skunk
8:16 p.m. Police assist person locked out of vehicle, Barre Paxton Rd.
Friday -- September 16
4:08 p.m. People selling merchandise out of white van, Locke Rd.8:04 p.m. Person at station requesting help, says he walked to town from Worcester, is homeless, Main St.
Saturday -- September 17
5:17 p.m. Report of shots fired, E. County Rd./Wachusett St.6:40 p.m. Bear in area, Pommogussett Rd.
7:30 p.m. Bear on Main St.
8:20 p.m. Bear in area, Highland Park Rd./Maple Ave.
Sunday -- September 18
7:09 a.m. Caller reports that bear destroyed bird feeder, Highland Park Rd.12:30 p.m. Elderly female walking toward town center, Maple Ave.
3:43 p.m. Police check out unattended vehicle parked outside gate, Charnock Hill Rd.
3:45 p.m. Out-of-state visitor’s dog “Nova” is loose, owners can’t catch; dog has injured a neighbor’s rooster, Maple Spring Dr.
6:00 p.m. Suspicious male driving silver vehicle left yellow notice written in Spanish on caller’s door, John Robert Dr. Paper is notice from her mortgage company
6:15 p.m. Caller believes man in red truck illegally dumping in apartment complex, Maple Ave. Said male party was “very angry with her” when she confronted him
Sterling
Monday -- September 12
10:23 a.m. Kayak washed up on beach, no paddles, Hall Ave.4:32 p.m. Five-year-old didn’t get dropped off at bus stop. Child fell asleep on bus, N. Row Rd.
5:44 p.m. Young female near woods appears to be crying, Jewett Rd.
6:55 p.m. Caller wants to speak with ACO regarding loose dog in Clinton, Leominster Rd.
Tuesday -- September 13
3:18 a.m. Small terrier walking on Rte. 140 N8:48 a.m. Caller wants to speak with animal control officer regarding someone leaving kittens at residence, Princeton Rd.
12:31 p.m. Strange phone calls, Leominster Rd.
7:39 p.m. Loud bulldozer on neighbor’s property, Beaman Rd.
Thursday -- September 15
5:37 p.m. Group of youths in rear of elementary school using foul language, yelling racial epithets at citizens, Boutelle Rd.6:04 p.m. What appears to be rabid raccoon in roadway, Justice Hill/Justice Hill Cutoff Rds.
6:59 p.m. Suspicious male knocked on door, John Dee Rd.
10:25 p.m. Car alarm going off twice, Redstone Hill Rd.
Friday -- September 16
3:59 p.m. Dog trapped in garage, Matthew Ln.9:35 p.m. Suspicious activity, Princeton Rd.
Saturday -- September 17
4:40 a.m. Suspicious vehicle parked at end of driveway, Elliott Rd.3:55 p.m. Caller concerned that helicopter is flying too low, Redstone Hill Rd.
Sunday -- September 18
5:15 p.m. Three kittens in woods, Princeton Rd.Friday, September 23, 2011
If the sky doesn't fall, we'll be busy
When I meet people at conferences, as I did yesterday, people ask me what I do. I have better results trying to explain how neutrinos can travel faster than the speed of light. I usually say, "Anything for a buck," and go from there.
Here's what in the queue:
Meanwhile, we're wondering what's going to come out of the clouds besides rain. A couple dozen pieces from an old weather satellite are due to come out of orbit and crash into most likely water, somewhat likely land, very unlikely (1 in 3200 chance) a person, or (4.46428571 × 10-14 ) you.
Good luck.
Wear a hat.
Here's what in the queue:
- Yesterday, I attended ONA11 Law School for Digital Journalists at Harvard. The sessions included a review of copyright, libel, trademarks, advertising and other law topics related to operating a newsroom. We heard a great presentation from the folks from The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press who provide legal guidance and services for journalists.
I ran into Brittany Durgin of Worcester Magazine.
During the conference, various people took turns taking notes in a shared Google document. The presentations will be posted on the Online News Association real soon now. - I ducked out of the last session so I could make it to the other side of Cambridge and attend a forum on Local News in the Digital Age. Hosted by Northeastern journalism professor Dan Kennedy, we heard from WGBH's Callie Crossley, Universal Hub's Adam Gaffin, and the Boston Globe's David Dahl. I'll have more to say on this in a future blog.
- During afternoon, Facebook held the kickoff session for its f8 developer conference. Plenty of changes to delight some, annoy many, and drive more than a few people away. There was lots of discussion in Twitter, Google+, private chats, and, yes, even on Facebook.
At the end, like it or not, Facebook made changes because it makes strategic sense for them. As Nicholas Carlson of Business Insider said,The principle hallmark of Facebook's run from a small Harvard-only Web site to a service approaching a billion regular users has been Mark Zuckerberg's willingness to pull the rug out from underneath of those users and change up the site.
- Class 2 of 21st Century Village | A W.I.S.E. course on social networking tomorrow. I get to try to explain the Facebook mishegas.
- Another story and another blog post or two for Telegram Towns.
- As a follow-up to my blog post about Lew Evangelidis, I've received a rich inventory of material from Guy Beales, president of the Massachusetts chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) about the treatment of mental illness in inmates. More to come on this.
- Install an Ultra-Bay adapter and SATA drive on my laptop.
- Complete a couple of projects for which people will provide the aforementioned buck.
Meanwhile, we're wondering what's going to come out of the clouds besides rain. A couple dozen pieces from an old weather satellite are due to come out of orbit and crash into most likely water, somewhat likely land, very unlikely (1 in 3200 chance) a person, or (4.46428571 × 10-14 ) you.
Good luck.
Wear a hat.
If the sky doesn't fall, we'll be busy
When I meet people at conferences, as I did yesterday, people ask me what I do. I have better results trying to explain how neutrinos can travel faster than the speed of light. I usually say, "Anything for a buck," and go from there.
Here's what in the queue:
Meanwhile, we're wondering what's going to come out of the clouds besides rain. A couple dozen pieces from an old weather satellite are due to come out of orbit and crash into most likely water, somewhat likely land, very unlikely (1 in 3200 chance) a person, or (4.46428571 × 10-14 ) you.
Good luck.
Wear a hat.
Here's what in the queue:
- Yesterday, I attended ONA11 Law School for Digital Journalists at Harvard. The sessions included a review of copyright, libel, trademarks, advertising and other law topics related to operating a newsroom. We heard a great presentation from the folks from The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press who provide legal guidance and services for journalists.
I ran into Brittany Durgin of Worcester Magazine.
During the conference, various people took turns taking notes in a shared Google document. The presentations will be posted on the Online News Association real soon now. - I ducked out of the last session so I could make it to the other side of Cambridge and attend a forum on Local News in the Digital Age. Hosted by Northeastern journalism professor Dan Kennedy, we heard from WGBH's Callie Crossley, Universal Hub's Adam Gaffin, and the Boston Globe's David Dahl. I'll have more to say on this in a future blog.
- During afternoon, Facebook held the kickoff session for its f8 developer conference. Plenty of changes to delight some, annoy many, and drive more than a few people away. There was lots of discussion in Twitter, Google+, private chats, and, yes, even on Facebook.
At the end, like it or not, Facebook made changes because it makes strategic sense for them. As Nicholas Carlson of Business Insider said,
The principle hallmark of Facebook's run from a small Harvard-only Web site to a service approaching a billion regular users has been Mark Zuckerberg's willingness to pull the rug out from underneath of those users and change up the site.
- Class 2 of 21st Century Village | A W.I.S.E. course on social networking tomorrow. I get to try to explain the Facebook mishegas.
- Another story and another blog post or two for Telegram Towns.
- As a follow-up to my blog post about Lew Evangelidis, I've received a rich inventory of material from Guy Beales, president of the Massachusetts chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) about the treatment of mental illness in inmates. More to come on this.
- Install an Ultra-Bay adapter and SATA drive on my laptop.
- Complete a couple of projects for which people will provide the aforementioned buck.
Meanwhile, we're wondering what's going to come out of the clouds besides rain. A couple dozen pieces from an old weather satellite are due to come out of orbit and crash into most likely water, somewhat likely land, very unlikely (1 in 3200 chance) a person, or (4.46428571 × 10-14 ) you.
Good luck.
Wear a hat.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Protecting the job creators
Speaker of the House John Boehner has, not surprisingly, criticized President Obama's "Millionaire Tax" plan as bad for job creators.
Put another way, ask yourself, how many jobs has Alex Rodriguez (annual salary of $32M) created? Red Sox semi-pitcher John Lackey ($15.9M)? Vernon Wells (hitting a robust .222 for his $18.5M salary)?
How about this? Write a letter to Lebron James ($16M in salary and $48M total, with endorsements). Tell him that you don't support the taxation plan and that you're grateful for all the jobs he's created.
While you're at it, write to Lady Gaga, Glenn Beck, Oprah, Howard Stern, Dr. Phil, Rush Limbaugh, Charlie Sheen, and others on the Forbes Celebrity 100. Let 'em know how comforted you are that their taxes won't go up. They'll thank you for it.
Enjoy that new job.
Put another way, ask yourself, how many jobs has Alex Rodriguez (annual salary of $32M) created? Red Sox semi-pitcher John Lackey ($15.9M)? Vernon Wells (hitting a robust .222 for his $18.5M salary)?
How about this? Write a letter to Lebron James ($16M in salary and $48M total, with endorsements). Tell him that you don't support the taxation plan and that you're grateful for all the jobs he's created.
While you're at it, write to Lady Gaga, Glenn Beck, Oprah, Howard Stern, Dr. Phil, Rush Limbaugh, Charlie Sheen, and others on the Forbes Celebrity 100. Let 'em know how comforted you are that their taxes won't go up. They'll thank you for it.
Enjoy that new job.
Facebook and class warfare
It's probably been years since you signed up for Facebook. You've forgotten what you had to go through. You've probably also had enough experience with online services to know what to ignore, how to switch between one website and another, and how to ignore ads.
Imagine, then, being in your retirement years and learning about Facebook as well as the web for the first time. I recently spent time a small group of people who were new to Facebook. They'd heard about it and were nervous, but willing to have a look.
We spent 10 minutes discussing why Facebook was requiring a complete birth date - day, month, and year - in order to create a new account.
I explained that the Facebook terms of service required that you created an account with your real and correct information. Part of the reason for requiring a true birth date was to enforce requirements for the minimum age (13). The group met the minimum age five-fold.
The people weren't vain about their ages. They just didn't like having to provide their birth dates. They were concerned about identity theft, even though they weren't quire sure what that meant or how it would happen.
"Can I use my son's birthday?" asked one. They didn't mind providing a date; they just didn't want it to be theirs.
One man signed up using his wife's birth date, knowing that, if he forgot that date, well, ....
Facebook has a minimalist explantion:
It's well known that a large number of children are using Facebook.While Facebook requires a birth date, it doesn't include any overt way of verifying it. (A father in Northern Ireland has brought suit against Facebook because his 12-year-old daughter has created an account. It's a long and somewhat complex story, as you might imagine.)
In sum, Facebook is requiring a piece of personal information, won't really explain why or what it will do with the information, and has a history of tolerating fake answers.
And that's just the beginning of the beginning. More questions.
Then you wait for 10 or 15 minutes until the email confirmation shows up before you can confirm that the account is really yours. In the meantime, advertisements for dating services and time-wasting games are showing up on your page.
This is what 700 million people are excited about?
Meanwhile, Facebook is due to announced major new features and user interface changes at this week's developer conference. New features that include more music, news, and videos.
We know that Facebook's corporate DNA is in college or those who still think that they're in college. The unfriendly sign-up process, the nagging demands for more information, and the cacophony of features are making Facebook increasingly irrelevant to digital immigrants, those who come to web technologies later in life. I don't know if that's the plan, but it certainly is the effect.
Imagine, then, being in your retirement years and learning about Facebook as well as the web for the first time. I recently spent time a small group of people who were new to Facebook. They'd heard about it and were nervous, but willing to have a look.
We spent 10 minutes discussing why Facebook was requiring a complete birth date - day, month, and year - in order to create a new account.
I explained that the Facebook terms of service required that you created an account with your real and correct information. Part of the reason for requiring a true birth date was to enforce requirements for the minimum age (13). The group met the minimum age five-fold.
The people weren't vain about their ages. They just didn't like having to provide their birth dates. They were concerned about identity theft, even though they weren't quire sure what that meant or how it would happen.
"Can I use my son's birthday?" asked one. They didn't mind providing a date; they just didn't want it to be theirs.
One man signed up using his wife's birth date, knowing that, if he forgot that date, well, ....
Facebook has a minimalist explantion:
Facebook requires all users to provide their real date of birth to encourage authenticity and provide only age-appropriate access to content. You will be able to hide this information from your profile if you wish, and its use is governed by the Facebook Privacy Policy.
It's well known that a large number of children are using Facebook.While Facebook requires a birth date, it doesn't include any overt way of verifying it. (A father in Northern Ireland has brought suit against Facebook because his 12-year-old daughter has created an account. It's a long and somewhat complex story, as you might imagine.)
In sum, Facebook is requiring a piece of personal information, won't really explain why or what it will do with the information, and has a history of tolerating fake answers.
And that's just the beginning of the beginning. More questions.
 |
| What's this? Do I have to upload my email address book? No? OK. Skip this step. |
 | |
| I don't want to give this information. OK? Skip this step. |
 |
| Do I have to put in a picture? Why? How do I do that? OK. Skip this step. |
This is what 700 million people are excited about?
Meanwhile, Facebook is due to announced major new features and user interface changes at this week's developer conference. New features that include more music, news, and videos.
We know that Facebook's corporate DNA is in college or those who still think that they're in college. The unfriendly sign-up process, the nagging demands for more information, and the cacophony of features are making Facebook increasingly irrelevant to digital immigrants, those who come to web technologies later in life. I don't know if that's the plan, but it certainly is the effect.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
The Sheriff and Secure Communities
It sure seemed like grandstanding when we saw
Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis interviewed by Juan Williams
about Secure Communities the Bill O'Reilly show.
Read the rest at my TelegramTowns.com blog
Read the rest at my TelegramTowns.com blog
Monday, September 12, 2011
A printed social media magazine? Really?
The Social Media MonthlyTM is on sale at Barnes and Noble stores in the U.S. and in other locations worldwide. There's also an iPad edition. (Curiously, there's no version of the magazine for B&N's Nook).
There was a fair bit of coverage about the launch of the magazine. Most of the coverage speculated on the need for, as the press release said, "the world’s first printed magazine to focus exclusively on the evolving technology area of social media." Some folks were eager to have something in print to explain it all. BBC blogger Charles Miller's piece, titled Social media: on paper at last, wanted to know what kind of paper was being used. He wrote to the editor, Bob Fine, to find out where he could buy one in the UK. Fine wasn't sure and would get back to him soon.
Cool Blue Company LLC has a company website/blog that they promise they'll be updating soon. Their last update was in May 2009.
 |
| 404 (Page Not Found) Error - Ever feel like you're in the wrong place? |
The QR codes at the end of each article suggested that I might get something special and learn more a clever way to use the codes. Unfortunately, however, the first code I tried went to their Page-Not-Found page. I tried several others with the same result.
And that's how it goes throughout the magazine:
- On page 9, we see that it's the August 2011 edition while the other footers say it's September 2011. This, according to the masthead, is from the second printing.
- Hyphenation in the big pull quotes is distracting and not necessary, particularly when hyphenating proper names such as Twitter.
- For seven bucks (eight in Canada), you want high quality production and might notice that the aforementioned footers drift a few points from the edge of the page.
- The QR code for The BrainzoomingTM Group has ad on the inside back cover ad, one of the most expensive places in a print publication. The code.takes you to a page that offers a social media metrics report. To obtain the download, you have to fill out a form. The form asks how you heard about the download. Too bad they couldn't have figured that out already because I came to the page by way of their QR code.
A good magazine about social media would be a welcome offering to both marketers and business owners who are more comfortable with print. Until one comes along, there's The Social Media MonthlyTM.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
This morning's Telegram and Gazette job market report
The job market appears strong, if a bit repetitious, for foxes. Dogs seem to have given up the hunt.
 |
| Worcester Telegram & Gazette - telegram.com - Test for job market |
Friday, September 09, 2011
QuickBooks Online - don't tell me you love Chrome when you don't
I decided to use the free trial of QuickBooks Online. After creating an account, I log in and see this message:
Great. I start up the Chrome browser, log in, and get ready to import my existing QuickBooks for Windows file.
After starting IE, enabling pop-ups, installing an ActiveX control, selecting the file, acknowledging the warning messages about deleting the old data, I finally reach success.
Sort of.
Great. I start up the Chrome browser, log in, and get ready to import my existing QuickBooks for Windows file.
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Broken local news
Doc Searls observed, "When the going gets tough, the tough use radio." He tells the hopeful tale of how Vermont Public Radio (VPR) news has jumped into the -- and delivered important news about the floods that washed out the center of the Green Mountain State. VPR can do its job well because a) it wants to and b) it has repeater stations that cover the entire state. (AM radio, our traditional resource in emergencies, doesn't work as well among the granite hills.)
Folks in Worcester recall how well WTAG performed during the 2008 ice storm.. The oldest AM station in central Massachusetts, WTAG can reach all of Worcester County, even after dark when it has to reduce its power. (WCRN has a stronger signal, but it is aimed eastward and so is good if you need to listen to Michael Savage you're driving on 128.)
So, we turn to WTAG for local news this morning and hear the announcer pronounce Woburn as Woe-burn. The only Worcester-area story comes from the Telegram and Gazette. The rest might as well have come from Google News. We do get local traffic and train information. And then we get Jim Polito's screed about James Hoffa's remarks last weekend.
I spoke with Searls last night and heard more how he followed the Irene coverage and the Santa Barbara fires a few years ago. Local broadcast news (radio and television) is a decidedly mixed plate. Radio stations, with few exceptions, are pretty much relegated to rebroadcasts of national programs. Local television can still put reporters in the field and do so well. Searls noted that WTKR in Norfolk VA was one of the few stations to provide streaming.
At last year's Southern England Weather Conference, Bryan Norcross, President/CEO of America’s Emergency Network, spoke (PowerPoint presentation) about the risk factors facing emergency communications:
Folks in Worcester recall how well WTAG performed during the 2008 ice storm.. The oldest AM station in central Massachusetts, WTAG can reach all of Worcester County, even after dark when it has to reduce its power. (WCRN has a stronger signal, but it is aimed eastward and so is good if you need to listen to Michael Savage you're driving on 128.)
So, we turn to WTAG for local news this morning and hear the announcer pronounce Woburn as Woe-burn. The only Worcester-area story comes from the Telegram and Gazette. The rest might as well have come from Google News. We do get local traffic and train information. And then we get Jim Polito's screed about James Hoffa's remarks last weekend.
I spoke with Searls last night and heard more how he followed the Irene coverage and the Santa Barbara fires a few years ago. Local broadcast news (radio and television) is a decidedly mixed plate. Radio stations, with few exceptions, are pretty much relegated to rebroadcasts of national programs. Local television can still put reporters in the field and do so well. Searls noted that WTKR in Norfolk VA was one of the few stations to provide streaming.
At last year's Southern England Weather Conference, Bryan Norcross, President/CEO of America’s Emergency Network, spoke (PowerPoint presentation) about the risk factors facing emergency communications:
- There are fewer news stations and they have smaller staffs
- TV station personnel are untrained in emergencies, in general
- Technical restriction limit message details (small counties lose out)
- Broadcasters fill perceived gaps in message, sometimes with wrong info
Monday, September 05, 2011
Jobs in suburbia (Labor Day 2011)
This is part of a series of jobs offered or sought on craigslist: worcester
Television Show Casting Mob types (MASS)
Casting 20 Men and Women for a funny Mafia Reality series for TV.
We're casting for the "LEAST LIKELY" people to be in the Mafia, and a few that look the part!
To be considered for the reality television series you must:
1) MAKE A FUNNY MOBSTER NAME
2) Email Mobstercasting at gmail (dot) com a 30 secound to one minute video of yourself acting your part. (no real names please)
3) Tell us why you should be on the show in your own words.
Good Luck!
Be a web cam model on the hottest sites on the internet (Central MA)
International Video Streaming is looking for models to preform on a web cam. Men, women, transsexuals, and couples are all encouraged to apply. Compensation varies on experience, but entry level starts at $72/hour. We can block users from a specific geographic region so your privacy is protected. Work part time, full time, or all the time. All from the comfort of your own home.
Email your name (as it appears on your ID) and date of birth to toptalent@yourteamsite.ws for an application. We look forward to working with you.
Do you believe in life Everything happens for a reason? (Leicester Ma)
Are you a person who believes that everything in life happens for a reason... Do you often wish that your life could get better and better everyday?
I am looking for people with an open mind, people who are willing to do a little to get a lot, to for once look outside the box and embrace a wonderful gift of
Making A Living Living!!! If you are that person and you can spare 20 minutes I would love a chance to meet for coffee... This is not a get rich quick opportunity.
It is a lifestyle opportunity...
Make it a great day!
Editor's Note: Urban Dictionary: tranning
Paid tranning!!!!!!! (Hudson MA)
LeafGuard of Boston is looking for motivated individuals to introduce our products to new clients.
Requirements:
A qualified candidate will need to be outgoing and have the ability to engage new people in conversation. Walking is required.
Paid training and GREAT bonuses!
Bonus plans have no limit. So, you decide on how much you can earn.
This is an entry level position.
Please contact Mike for the next available interview!!!!
Editor's Note: Emphasis added.
Deli/takeout help (Holden)
Fast paced and respected restaurant is looking for help with the deli and salad stations and possibly counter help. Applicants must be clean, organized, and have a willingness to work. Team players are a must if you can't be nice then you are not needed. Some cooking is needed but everything will be explained to the applicant. Not much experience is needed, just the right fit for our team. Email your resume with name and phone number and someone will contact you.
Someone To Tune My VIOLIN (Holden)
I have a violin here. I would appreciate it if someone could tune it. $5 is a good price for 30 seconds of your time. It's a good gig I've got running here... I may even give you a cookie.
Sunday, September 04, 2011
The myth of local service
As many of you, we've had a construction project going on at our camp this summer. We've tried to shop locally as much as possible.. Price differences and even limited product selection are the lesser part of the problem. Mostly, it's been about service.
We've shopped for appliances and building fixtures at two owner-operated stores and in one of a two-store business.
When the delivery guys brought the appliances three weeks ago, they were apologetic that the mounting kit for our washer-dryer wasn't on the truck. The store would call us on Monday, they told us, to let us know when we could pick up the part.
Did I mention that that was three weeks ago?
Sandra had stopped by the store one recent Wednesday and discovered it dark and locked. She wondered if they'd gone out of business. When we talked that evening, I remembered that they were closed on Wednesdays.
"How did you know that?" she asked. "There weren't any signs with store hours or anything."
The owner had mentioned it during one of our previous purchases.
"They don't know anything," said the owner. "They just do deliveries."
The owner told us that they didn't have the part.
"We need it so that the carpenters can finish the work around the washer and dryer," we said.
"What he meant," said the clerk, "is that we don't have it in the store, that we'd have to order it."
Uh, ok.
The owner and clerk went to check a floor model to confirm something. While we were waiting, we noticed that the Open sign was hanging on a bulletin board.
"We don't hang that sign on the door," said the owner.
Sandra mentioned that she'd come to the store on a previous Wednesday and there was no sign.
"We're closed on Wednesday," said the owner.
They did have the part on a floor model, but they couldn't give us that one because then they wouldn't have one.
The part would be in on Tuesday (because of the holiday), after lunch. That wouldn't be good enough, though, because Sandra could only be there mornings. Wednesday? Wait, no, they're closed on Wednesday, remember?
The clerk was helpful. She gave us the parts catalog that contained the schematics, gently elbowing the owner off toward something else. The builder could use the schematics to get the final dimensions.
We know the owner at one of the fixture store. Sandra went to the store and asked for the owner. He wasn't in and they weren't sure when he'd be in. Sandra left a note, asking for a phone call follow-up. The sales guy talked to Sandra for a few minutes. While they were reviewing items in a catalog, the sales guy went over to another customer and didn't return. Sandra left. We're still waiting for the phone call.
At the other fixtures store, we've learned that one of the sales people, Meaghan, is marvelous. The other does a good job of making us ask for Meaghan. After an unpleasant go-round on a purchase that we learned, at the end of the sale, would take at least four weeks to deliver, we cancelled the order.
When we go to Home Depot, we have a pretty good idea of what we'll get. We find people who have been trained in the basics of customer service. Most are knowledgeable or are willing to get help on something they don't know. Yes, there are people who are cranky or bored or just not cut out for the work. They don't usually last long. They aren't the only ones in the store. They won't argue with you. They won't walk away when you're ready to spend money.
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