After changes upon changes

Today's one of those days that has a lot of meaning now and will likely have even more meaning later. The correlation between those two meanings is what makes life so very interesting.

Shortly, Sandra will have her exit interview. Her job of more than 10 years is going away. The work's gone to a team in India and so she's coming home.
This early period we're calling a sampler, trying to decide if this really time to retire and, if so, what do days and weeks and months and years of retirement look like.
We've both been blessed with good work for a long time, working at places where, for the most part, professional respect and personal integrity are standard practices. Friend ADP used to remind us that there is no such thing as institutional loyalty, just personal loyalty. Even in those Dilbert moments, of which there have been plenty, good people rose to the task and helped deflect the institutionalized cement-headedness.
But, that's now headed for the past. Ahead is an open field of fear and wonder.

Making a virture out of a vice

I hadn't started the day wanting to quit smoking. I'd started the day pretty much like most days. I got up early, had coffee and cigarettes for breakfast, and went to work. The only difference was that I had a sore throat.
Some time around noon on that day, 24 years ago, I had my last cigarette. I didn't even think of it as my last. I can't even remember thinking about it all. I just wanted to complain.
I wanted to complain about my sore throat to my wife, to my co-workers, to someone, anyone, and knew that if, I did, they wouldn't have to say anything. I knew that they knew that, no matter the cause, my sore throat was being made worse by cigarettes and that I should stop smoking.
So, not thinking about that last cigarette, I didn't have the next one.
By five o'clock, I figured I'd earned a right to complain a little bit. I complained and then quickly added that I'd not had a cigarette since noon.
By bedtime, I said, "Hey, I haven't a cigarette since noon. Not bad."
The next morning, well, you get the idea.
So, with no particular virture and propelled mostly by the desire to kvetch, I haven't had that next cigarette.

Funny, isn't it, that folks who never smoked never got the praises accorded to someone stopped. Greater accolades come to those who stop doing what they shouldn't have been doing in the first place. How fair is that?

The rhythm of things

I've decided to let the whole decade thing go. Lots of people are writing interesting commentary on the previous 10 years, struggling to find a name for this era, let alone trying to identify the salient points of such an intense time.
That's fine. It makes for some interesting reading, a chance to look back down the hill. I'm all for a healthy measure of reflection, but using decades doesn't have a lot of resonance for me.
Turning 10, for example, was less of a milestone than moving from the sixth to the seventh grade. In the seventh grade, we joined a regional school system, meaning both a new school and a new school with kids I'd not grown up with. That had much more impact on my life than hitting double-digits.

Similarly, turning 20 was nothing special, but I sure do remember turning 21. (That I don't remember large chunks of time afterwards is a story for another day.)
Other personal reference points, including our wedding date, birth dates of our children and grandchildren, death dates of my parents - all of these significant dates fill up our calendar from year to year, giving us joyful and sombre memories.
The 10-year chunk of time that's passing, however, doesn't have much more relevance than watching the odometer click over to 100,000 miles on one of our cars. (Even that's less of a big deal since they added the sixth digit to the display.)
Sure, I remember New Year's Eve 1999. We had a sauna and then a swim through the ice at the camp. We stayed awake until midnight, saw that the lights didn't go out, and went to bed.
This year, we'll head out with our three youngest granddaughters for First Night. If I start talking about the last decade to these kids, they'll listen politely for a few minutes and then change the subject.
And that's the way it should be.

The sky above and the earth below

While we try to find our direction, the north magnetic pole decides to go walkabout and head toward Russia.
Meanwhile, the Old Moon is going blue on New Year's Eve, until it goes dark because of a lunar eclipse.
The lunar eclipse is on the other side of the planet and, anyway, it's doubtful that we'll get to see much of the moon's fullness.

via National Weather Service Watch Warning Advisory Summary

Planning for adventures in the new year?

If you're thinking about a hike on the Appalachian Trail in the new year, you might want to read this piece from the Sunday Boston Globe travel section - Doers and dreamers finish Appalachian Trail.

Keep in mind, though, that, in this past June, the phrase, hiking the Appalachian trail, picked up a whole new meaning.

Crime in suburbia

From The Landmark (subscription required):

[Editor's note: There were 14 suspicious items this week.]

Holden

Monday, December 14

12:20 a.m. MassHighway sending sanders for Rte. 122A
7:34 a.m. Accidental 911 while changing phone batteries
7:42 a.m. Pole hit last night at Wachusett and Bullard needs to be checked
8:30 a.m. Male party in to station for information about previous resident of address; advised it’s CORI information and can’t be given out
10:00 a.m. 911 U-Haul truck ripped off awning at business on Main St.
12:49 p.m. 911 accidental call from Mayo Dr.
1:17 p.m. Open tube in the ground on Steppingstone Dr.
3:02 p.m. Party in to drop off old ammunition to be destroyed
8:18 p.m. Suspicious man around yard on Main St. wearing dark clothing; may have been in shed of home

Tuesday, December 15

9:47 a.m. Cat stuck in tree on Heather Circle; can of food under tree failed to lure it down


4:36 p.m. Chainsaw fell out of back of truck on Rte. 31
10:18 p.m. 911 Report of motor vehicle hitting deer on South Rd.

Wednesday, December 16

8:14 a.m. Large raccoon by front door on Yorktowne Terr.
8:47 a.m. Truck stuck at railroad bridge

12:02 p.m. Suspicious motor vehicle in lot on Main St.
2:40 p.m. Gun shots in wooded area behind residence on South Rd.; no contact
2:45 p.m. South Rd. reports hearing three gun shots in woods
3:05 p.m. Party trying to retrieve vehicle lent to ex-boyfriend
3:10 p.m. Two parties both calling about difficulties with each other; wife currently out of state; husband is in Holden
3:31 p.m. Another call regarding gun shots on South Rd.
3:50 p.m. Caller from Arizona regarding civil matter
5:52 p.m. Questions regarding motor vehicle accident, car hit deer, yesterday

Thursday, December 17

12:36 p.m. 911 hang-up; accidental; man cleaning phone
12:37 p.m. Suspicious motor vehicle on Chapel St.
4:09 p.m. Suspicious party dressed in black sitting on guardrail on Main St. reported; gone on arrival
7:06 p.m. Suspicious motor vehicles on Main St.; owners asked to remove them
9:04 p.m. Suspicious incident on Wachusett St.
11:43 p.m. Suspicious motor vehicle on Pilgrim Dr.

Friday, December 18

12:54 a.m. Rutland PD requesting traffic assistance with rollover accident on Main St.
2:20 p.m. Vehicle backed into bus at high school
2:22 p.m. Resident on Village Way locked out of home; had to break in
5:12 p.m. 911 Male party walking dog on Sycamore Dr. took ladder from property

Saturday, December 19

11:03 a.m. Check on vehicle in lot on Boyden Rd.
2:27 p.m. Repo man in town
2:57 p.m. Tree on power lines on Quinapoxet St.
5:24 p.m. Suspicious vehicle running behind Big Y
5:52 p.m. Resident who threw gloves at speeding car reports being screamed at by driver
9:57 p.m. Teens ringing doorbells and running away on Fox Hill Dr.

Sunday, December 20

12:46 a.m. 911 Suspicious burglar alarm on Cranbrook Dr.

8:46 a.m. Cars getting stuck going up hill on Shrewsbury St.
10:50 a.m. Water main problem at fire department
4:45 p.m. Motor vehicle lockout on Main St.
7:57 p.m. Low voltage complaint on Princeton St.
10:40 p.m. Power outage on Princeton St.; several calls inquiring about outage

Paxton

Tuesday, December 15

3:06 p.m. Report that vehicle passed school buses, West St.
10:05 p.m. Assist fire dept., smell of gas, location is in Worcester, Fairbanks Dr.

Wednesday, December 16

6:20 p.m. Caller reports brownouts at home, Bel Arbor Dr.
6:28 p.m. 911 hang-up call, Nanigian Rd.

Thursday, December 16

7:34 a.m. 911 hang-up, Reservoir Rd.
7:38 a.m. Report of suspicious male at bank ATM, Pleasant St.
1:55 p.m. German shepherd running in and out of traffic, Pleasant St.

Friday, December 18

3:48 p.m. Suspicious vehicle in driveway, person knocking on doors, Lincoln Cir.; OK, delivering flowers
10:07 p.m. Vehicle lockout, Meadowbrook Dr.

Saturday, December 19

10:26 a.m. Vehicle lockout, Richards Ave.
2:38 p.m. Three sleds, child’s hat and red duct tape found at Boynton Park
10:35 p.m. Male on ATV making noise on Camp St.

Princeton

Monday, December 14

8:00 p.m. Person at station requesting animal control officer on E. Princeton Rd.

Tuesday, December 15

1:43 p.m. Public service, Sterling Rd.
4:29 p.m. Request for animal control officer, Houghton Rd.
4:29 p.m. Traffic safety hazard, Houghton Rd.

Wednesday, December 16

8:35 a.m. Public service, Sterling Rd.
9:12 p.m. Motor vehicle lockout, Clearings Way
10:00 p.m. Request for highway dept., Mountain Rd.

Thursday, December 17

9:56 a.m. Medical assist, Beaman Rd.
6:40 p.m. Officer assists with concert traffic at school, Sterling Rd.
7:16 p.m. Police assist with motor vehicle lockout with car running, Worcester Rd.
10:22 p.m. Blown transformer on Mountain Rd. with low-hanging wire and some power out, Thompson Rd.
10:22 p.m. Officer advises wires on Mountain Rd. are not a hazard, Mountain Rd.

Saturday, December 19

8:18 a.m. Assist fire dept., Westminster Rd.

Sunday, December 20

4:25 a.m. Request for highway dept. town wide

Rutland

Monday, December 14

12:47 p.m. Person at station to retrieve property, Main St.
3:40 p.m. Small dog loose all day, Prescott St.
6:53 p.m. Person at station requesting assistance starting vehicle, Main St.
8:46 p.m. Occupants of vehicle throwing snow/ice at on-coming cars, Main St.
9:56 p.m. Complaint about loud noise from apartment, Maple Ave.
10:25 p.m. Person wants to speak with officer, Main St.

Tuesday, December 15

7:27 a.m. Person at station to speak with officer, Main St.
7:25 p.m. Person at station to speak with officer, Main St.
8:58 p.m. Individuals into station to speak with officer, Main St.
11:04 p.m. Person hit deer, E. County Rd./Bushy Ln.

Wednesday, December 16

3:01 a.m. Report of car on road making lot of noise, Charnock Hill Rd.
11:30 a.m. Suspicious male walking down Vista Cir.
11:48 a.m. Person at station reporting missing keys in area of Pleasantdale Rd. near Paxton line
4:10 p.m. Arrest: --- operating motor vehicle with suspended license, dropping cigarette/match on public way, possession of open container of alcohol in motor vehicle

Thursday, December 17

3:19 p.m. Report of vehicle tailgating another vehicle, Main St.
7:40 p.m. Motor vehicle off side of Fisherman’s Rd.

Friday, December 18

5:11 a.m. Report of dead deer on side of Barre Paxton Rd.
9:00 a.m. Person upset that people are working in building with no heat, Main St. Board of Health notified
11:52 a.m. Vehicle lockout, Main St.
1:21 p.m. Attempt to serve warrant, Main St.
1:51 p.m. Report of car on fire, Main St. near Holden line. Found to be overheated
4:15 p.m. Caller reporting strange phone call, Main St.
5:18 p.m. Person at station with lockout cuff found at Save-Way, Main St.

Saturday, December 19

8:23 a.m. Vehicle lockout, Cheryl Ann Dr.
10:36 a.m. Small dog running in and out of traffic, Prescott St. area
11:14 a.m. Skunk stuck in deck lattice, Clearview Rd.
1:46 p.m. Complaint about loose dog, Carly Cir.
3:20 p.m. Numerous calls about stuck skunk, Clearview Rd. Animal released
5:29 p.m. Distraught person outside in pajamas and bare feet, Pommogussett Rd.
7:08 p.m. Youths throwing ice at passing motorists, Pommogussett Rd.

Sterling

Monday, December 14

5:06 a.m. Burglar alarm at Historical Society building, Pine St.; no footprints surrounding building, door blown open by breeze
12:56 p.m. Jogger reports suspicious smell from large pink donation box, Boutelle/Greenland Rds. Box contained few bags of clothing; smell may have emanted from storm drain
1:46 p.m. Husky broke loose, Clintron Rd. Found 10 min. later.
2:47 p.m. 911 hang-up/misdial, Northeast Blvd.
3:47 p.m. Traffic stop, verbal warning, Rowley Hill Rd.
3:38 p.m. Caller’s two dogs missing, Redemption Rock Trl.
6:06 p.m. Person walked through caller’s back yard with flash light, N. Row Rd.; OK, male looking for his lost beagle
6:23 p.m. Traffic stop, verbal warning, N. Row/ Heywood Rds.
7:37 p.m. Suspicious activity, garage doors open, Newell Hill Rd.; OK, workers given lock code by owner

Tuesday, December 15

1:48 p.m. Two dogs in roadway, Princeton Rd. Animal control will visit owners
4:53 p.m. “Heavenly” the horse and “Mac” the pony running down Heywood Rd.; horse caught using grain, following tracks to find pony
10:16 p.m. Cat with jaw injury found, Wiles Rd.

Wednesday, December 16

1:24 p.m. Large falcon stuck in building, Pratts Jnct. Rd. Doors opened, wouldn’t leave; ceiling too high to reach with net; net gun needed
1:28 p.m. Man at station to speak to officer regarding possible restraining order violation, said he hasn’t paid child support; told that’s not a restraining order violation

Thursday, December 17

9:20 a.m. Caller heard alarm but unsure from where, Osgood Rd.; determined not an alarm, sound from strong wind hitting PVC piping in garage

Friday, December 18

8:10 a.m. Animal in caller’s garage, believes may be rabid, Matthew Ln.
1:22 p.m. Caller wants to speak with officer about bad check, Kendall Hill Rd.
8:11 a.m. 911 misdial/hang-up, Birch Dr. Caller was trying to dial a number in India and says may have hit 911 by mistake; officer dispatched, confirmed misdial
10:19 a.m. Caller says neighbor’s big black dog is “never on leash and poops in his yard,” and is aggressive with walkers, Woodside Dr. Animal control aware of issue; owner already fined
1:45 p.m. Man in station to surrender his deceased uncle’s World War weapons, Leominster Rd.
5:35 p.m. Caller reports two large horses in her yard on Heywood Rd., heading down N. Row Road

Sunday, December 20

3:10 p.m. Traffic stop, Greenland Rd. ATV driver in road without helmet and registration, and with three-year-old in front of him.

Making Christmas safe from children

It was probably my second Christmas. I would have just gotten mobile. The lights and everything about the Christmas were too attractive. So, rather than trying to keep me in control, my parents did what was most practical. They put the Christmas tree inside of my playpen.

Editor's note: the image comes from a 35mm slide, scanned with the aforementioned scanner.
The quality of the pictures results from the state of the world at that time, as explained by Calvin's father.

via Lessons in Political Economy / The Wisdom of Calvin and Hobbes

Dept. of Christmas - link dump

Christmas is about quality, sometimes about quantity. We blog; you decide.

First of all, Is it Christmas?

Then, talk to your Jewish physicist friend about the weekend.

via xkcd

Where are you in the The Four Stages of Life? (via Miss Cellania)

Or here, perhaps?

via Taking Your Relationship With Santa To An Adventurous New Level « Lovely Listing

Should you be in the spirit of prayer:

via Sober in a Nightclub: Your thoughts and prayers this holiday season

And, ...

MY DEAR SUSIE CLEMENS:
I have received and read all the letters which you and your little sister have written me by the hand of your mother and your nurses; I have also read those which you little people have written me with your own hands--for although you did not use any characters that are in grown peoples' alphabet, you used the characters that all children in all lands on earth and in the twinkling stars use; and as all my subjects in the moon are children and use no character but that, you will easily understand that I can read your and your baby sister's jagged and fantastic marks without any trouble at all.

via Mark Twain - Letter from Santa Claus

If we knew what we were missing

We were Unitarians, barely, attending Christmas Eve services in Gardner some years and not others. I pretty much stopped going to church when I was 14, preferring the Sunday New York Times.
I never saw my grandparents, my father's parents, go to church. The Finnish Lutherans were a strong force in some parts of the immigrant community, but seemed to have left us untouched. We have my mother's confirmation certificate, written in Finnish, but that childhood experience seemed to have left her unharmed.
So, it's in that spirit that we celebrated Christmas when I was growing up. My father picked up his parents at their three-decker in Gardner and brought them to our house on Christmas Eve. (My grandfather parked the car in his garage and didn't drive after the first snowfall.)
We had a light dinner and opened our presents. For that reason, it was tough to get into the whole Santa Claus thing, even though my tribe hails from the place that claims to be the home of Santa Claus (via). Once, and I might have been five, I took a nap in the afternoon to see if we could pretend me into believing. It didn't really work.
Some years later, I worked with a woman from Detroit. She grew up listening to Motown music and missed the Beatles invasion altogether. That's how it was for me and Santa Claus, not knowing that I was missing something big. In my colleague's case, she got Motown music; I got baked turnip.
Some Christmases weren't flush. One year, we wrapped empty packages so that the space under the tree wouldn't look so empty.
My father occasionally got some welding work at one of the Fitchburg paper plants. One time, he brought home a 4' roll of wrapping paper, a light-blue floral print. For the next many years, all of our gifts were wrapped in that same paper.

Those weren't particularly good times or bad times. They were just our times.
As powerful as the emotions can be around Christmastime, it's good for me to realize that the long-lasting memories aren't any more or less shaped by the holidays past. The joy and pain can be searing in the moment, but the sensations don't usually last.

Dept. of Christmas

On our way to Mike & Lynn's this evening and then over the river and through the woods to Adam & Jennie's tomorrow.
That little puff of smoke that came from the microwave wasn't welcome. Methinks we'll be heading for the Wrestling Day specials.
We have, without a doubt, many, many, many more blessings than troubles, so it's with a smile that we head out on this Christmas Eve.

via Whirled of Kelly: Mry Xms

Thanks to all my readers.

More on Twitter followers

So, I get an email saying that ValBloomberg is following me on Twitter. Getting a new Twitter follower is sometimes a good thing, so I click the link to learn more about my new friend.

I learn that it's a local person, which is a good thing.

via ValerieBloomberg (ValBloomberg) on Twitter

I click the link to check the person's web site.

Aw, come on. At least fill the placeholder text on your blog home page.

via brenaris-bloomberg.com

And, on your About page,*really* don't leave the placeholder text there.

via About : brenaris-bloomberg.com


Look, if you want to be taken seriously as a social networking force, show like you care.

This is the point at which he says a bad word

Re: More on software, printers, and operating systems

In the news - drinking and driving

Lemme say this about that:
First of all, I'm not buying it. state Senator Anthony Galluccio failed a breathalyzer test on Monday, but claimed that the failure was the result of  his use of Colgate Total Whitening and Sensodyne Toothpaste. Gallucio has been under house arrest since being convicted of a hit-and-run injury accident. Part of his sentence includes not drinking and random tests for alcohol. The senator claims that his doctor said that sorbitol, an artificial sweetener used in toothpastes, mouthwashes, gum, and breath mints, can trigger false positives on breathalyzer tests.
It reminds me of Richard Pryor claiming that he didn't catch fire by freebasing. He was having his bedtime snack of milk and cookies. He said that when dunked the cookie in the milk, it blew up.

Story via Galluccio fails breathalyzer tests, could face jail - The Boston Globe

The Globe article cites an Arkansas case where a firefighter claimed that he, too, had a false positive result on a breathalyzer and blamed sorbitol.
Interesting that there are, as best as I've been able to find, no confirmed tests that indicate that casual sorbitol use can trigger a breathalyzer. Nothing at the National Institutes of Health. Nothing in the New England Journal of Medicine. Nothing in the Journal of the American Medical Association. (This article, though, suggests that sorbitol might be therapeutic for cirrhotic patients.)
Sorry, Tony. Applying Occam's Razor, that the simplest explanation is most often correct, it seems like your time at home is limited.

On a related matter, the headline writer at the Telegram seems to be making light of a serious proposal on a serious matter.

via telegram.com
Rep. Lew Evangelidis from our fair 'burb, has proposed to make roads on college campuses into public ways for the purpose of enforcement of drunk driving laws. While I don't think that the proposed legislation is a good idea (expanding police jurisdiction for traffic laws onto private property), I also don't think that the use of the word tipsy to describe potentially deadly behavior is appropriate. I've buried too many friends who've died as the result of their own drunken driving or someone else's.

More on software, printers, and operating systems

Last week, we had an old printer in the attic, a black and white laser printer that was never really a favorite and a noisy little all-in-one color printer in our office, and an old flatbed scanner in a cupboard in the cellar. The attic dweller, a delightful little Lexmark laser printer, and the venerable flatbed that's great for scanning 35mm slides, were exiled because our Vista desktop system didn't support them.
So, in an effort to simplify our lives and clean out unused stuff, I :

1. Asked Google what I think of Vista
   
   
2. Optioned the attic printer and office laser to a flea market to be named later.
3. Watched the noisy little all-in-one quietly display Ink System Failure 0xc19a0023 on its status window.
4. Brought the office laser back from the out-going queue.
5. Sent the all-in-one to that wonderful, magic place called Away.
6. Spent an hour in the rag-and-bone shop of Linux device configuration but was rewarded with a working flatbed scanner. (Installation on Vista persistently and unequivocally failed.)
   
7. Bought a new HP all-in-one. 
8. Spent an hour trying to install the HP software on our Vista desktop system, hitting an error because the HP software was trying to configure the Windows Firewall, which isn't running and couldn't start, because I have other anti-virus/firewall software, but no matter because the HP software could only think about the Windows Firewall, and, after the configuration failed, uninstalled itself and put up a useless set of troubleshooting tips.
   
   
9. Spent barely 30 seconds installing the all-in-one as a network printer on my Linux system.
   
10. Re-optioned the office laser printer to the outgoing queue.
11. Printed this picture of Cassie and Sandra on our new all-in-one while sitting at the table by the window downstairs.
    
    

Is my life simpler? You betcha.

More on cell phones

The number of cell phone-only households continues to increase, (full report here), growing by nearly 50% in three years. This is a topic that we've discussed before, in our own household and as a part of national trend.

via Study: More Cellular-only Homes as Americans Expand Mobile Media Usage | Nielsen Wire

Meanwhile, in the great state of Maine, one state senator has grabbed a shard of bad science and is calling the legislature into emergency session next month to consider a law that would require all cell phone manufacturers to put an irremovable label on their handsets that warn of possible brain cancer.
 While there's a lot of noise regarding the possibility (and even presumed probability) of cell phone radiation causing tumors, we're not seeing it in the data. For example, in the years from 1990, when cell phones first started showing up, until 2006, when the latest stats were collated, the incidence of new brain cancers dropped slightly. Remembering that the old analog bag phones were several times more powerful than the current digital handsets, we would have expected to see an increase in new cancer cases. I haven't found research to show why we haven't, but we haven't. 

Fifteen years into the Cell Phone Age, researchers say there has been no increase in brain tumor incidence in high-tech Scandinavia, casting more doubt on alleged dangers from the ubiquitous gadgets. -  Medical News: Brain Cancer Study Casts Doubt on Cell Phone Danger - in Neurology, Brain Cancer from MedPage Today

And, even so, if even the law passes in the Maine legislature, it'll surely get tossed aside by a federal judge. All cell phone safety issues are under the jurisdiction of the FCC and not a matter for the states to control.
BTW, you'll get no jokes from this corner regarding brain cancers. There are couple of people close to our family who are, well, 'nuff said.

More on snow

I wish that the weather forecasters would consistently report on the snow density for storms. The density is a more accurate measure of how much precipitation will fall or has fallen. It's a better way to determine the equivalent impact of a snow storm. A foot of heavy wet snow is going to disrupt our lives more than a foot of dry, fluffy snow.
For example, early in the cleanup of last week's storm, heavy and cement-like, as you may recall, our snowblower stopped. We learned that it has a cracked gearbox. We cleared the rest by shovel.
This week, because a replacement part hasn't been available, we'll clear this snow by shovel as well. If we knew the snow density, we could better estimate how much ibuprofen we'll need to have a side dish for this evening's dinner.
Also, with a snow density forecast, we would know if it's going to be good snow for forts, snow people, and the like. Last week's was great for that; this week, around here, not so much.
Meanwhile, even though we can't be doing much with the snow except to move it, we can admire the some of the classic works of one young Calvin.

via AmyOops: Calvin and Hobbes Snow Art

If it ain't happening here, it ain't happening

With a tip o' the hat to Tip O'Neill, all weather is local.
The four or so inches of snow that's outside is just enough bring squirrels and birds from near and far to our feeder. Remembering that there's still a lot of seed under the new cover, the squirrels are digging down easily and eating their fill.
It's not a blizzard, though. It's not even a snow storm.

Oh, sure, for the folks down the mid-Atlantic and along the south coast, it's a very big deal because a) they're getting it a lot worse than we are and/or b) they don't get a lot of snow, so a snow storm to them is a big storm to them.

via Drudge
It's not us, though.

Back in the early days of the Intertubes, a massive storm covered the eastern United States. The Storm of the Century, they called it. I had created a script that would download the latest satellite image from the NOAA ftp site and set the image as my desktop background.
The other folks in the office would gather around my workstation as the storm progressed up the coast. It would lay down more snow over a wider area than any storm on record.
After the SotC had come and gone, and, true to form, most people said, "We  got a foot of snow? Big deal. Storm of the Centry? Pfft." Or, they said something that sounded like "Pfft".
Blizzard of '78? The one that Bruce Schwoegler called the Holocaust?. Folks west of the mid-state ridge maybe got a foot of snow and chafed against the statewide closure of the roads. Again, pfft.
It's not a big storm unless it's happening to me and then you'd better listen to how big it is. 
And then, between the start and end of writing this post, another inch of snow has fallen and the wind is picking up. Maybe we've got a snow storm after all.

Making America safe on snow days

Parents, with the snow and the cold, it's always a challenge to keep house-bound kids from saying, "I'm bored" every 37 seconds.
So, it's good to know that the government is here to help you.

That's right, the National Counterterrorism Center has a page for kids.

Your kids can learn about counterterrorism and even find links to other federal government agencies that have pages for kids. (I'll bet that your first-grader can't wait to get to the The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau page.

But, to finish up back where we started, let's give our kids something really special — pictures that they can color:
They'll thank you, I'm sure.

The only Christmas song you'll need

via Deck Us All

Deck us all with Boston Charlie,

Walla Walla, Wash, and Kalamazoo!

Nora's freezin' on the trolley,

Swaller dollar cauliflower Alleygaroo!

Don't we know archaic barrel, Lullaby Lilla Boy, Louisville Lou.

Trolley Molly don't love Harold, Boola Boola Pensacoola Hullabaloo!

According to the I Go Pogo site, there are at least three versions of Deck Us All with Boston Charlie
Cecil Adams has gathered six versions -
The Straight Dope: What are the lyrics to Walt Kelly's classic carol, "Deck Us All With Boston Charlie"?
You can hear a jazzy version by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross on Last.fm. 

Crime in suburbia

From The Landmark (subscription required):

[Editor's note: There were 20 suspicious items this week.]

Holden

Monday, December 7

12:36 a.m. Assisting lost motorist
9:29 a.m. Suspicious motor vehicle Salisbury St.

11:39 a.m. Used syringe found in bathroom of restaurant; police will dispose of it properly
11:42 a.m. Dog in yard on Lincoln Ave.
3:21 p.m. Private lighting shot out and the rescue bags shot at the building at Eagle Lake Park
4:38 p.m. Suspicious vehicle on Winter St.

Tuesday, December 8

1:58 a.m. Possible breaking and entering in progress on Mason Rd.; ok, homeowner attempting to gain entry via ladder and window
9:42 a.m. Suspicious motor vehicle on Main St.
10:12 a.m. Ammunition left at recycled resource center
10:19 a.m. Suspicious motor vehicle on Shrewsbury St.
11:04 a.m. Suspicious motor vehicle on Main St.
12:55 a.m. Truck with hazards on Bullard St.
1:50 p.m. Car being donated on Hemlock Dr.
2:39 p.m. Report of trash in the road
3:52 p.m. Sizeable puddle at South Main St.
4:42 p.m. Delivery worker reports individual ran up stairs in garage to avoid him; house is dark; ok, individual climbing stairs was a cat
6:44 p.m. 911 Motor vehicle lockout, keys in trunk, on Reservoir St.
6:45 p.m. 911 Report of altercation near bridge on Salisbury St., one on foot, one in car; no contact

Wednesday, December 9

8:51 a.m. 911 from Oak Circle; child playing with phone
10:58 a.m. Neighborhood dispute regarding snow blowing onto other’s property
11:07 a.m. Car blocking plows on William St.
12:30 p.m. DPW requesting three vehicles be removed
12:50 p.m. Three cars backing up on South Rd. due to slippery conditions; one vehicle stuck
1:25 p.m. Request for vehicle to be removed on Vicksburg Circle
1:30 p.m. Homeowner on Reservoir St. warned not to put snow in the road
3:55 p.m. Vehicle in roadway on Heather Circle
4:26 p.m. Wrecker towing vehicle without drag lights on Highland St.
5:31 p.m. North Street resident reports DPW left snow at end of driveway when plowing road
6:08 p.m. Blue flashes from transformer on Marlen Rd.
6:43 p.m. Large body of water gathering in front of residence on Shrewsbury St. due to blocked catch basin
7:32 p.m. Water issue resolved but DPW left large chunks of snow in driveway when they plowed sidewalks

Thursday, December 10

6:20 a.m. Private investigator working on Willow Brook
6:44 a.m. Icy conditions at end of Causeway Street
7:28 a.m. Bus stuck on Causeway St.
8:05 a.m. Sex offender in to speak with officer
8:27 a.m. Loud bang heard, then power lost on Avery Heights
8:50 a.m. Young woman walking on Manning St., possibly missed bus to school; transported
8:23 p.m. Several calls regarding power outages
9:53 p.m. Suspicious motor vehicle on Reservoir St.

Friday, December 11

1:18 a.m. 911 Report of vehicle on its roof at intersection of Bullard St. and Wachusett St.; nobody in vehicle; K-9 requested; Caller reports he flipped mother’s vehicle, not injured; advised to return to the scene
8:43 a.m. Caller reports one week ago noticed items missing from her home; believes caretaker might have taken them
8:44 a.m. Trash bag in middle of Main St.
10:54 a.m. Motor vehicle by the side of Wachusett St., possibly disabled; ok, motorist making a phone call, advised to move to safer location
12:04 p.m. Caller reports husband walks in early morning hours due to insomnia
2:44 p.m. Caller interested in car in apartment building parking lot, wants info on the license place; advised can’t give out that info
3:32 p.m. Mill Street bridge now open until spring, though there is ice on it; will be sanding tonight
5:08 p.m. Dog left outside all day on Putnam Rd.
5:55 p.m. Wife concerned about husband, left home at 3 p.m. and not back yet; found at 6:34 at gas station, wife will pick him up
8:57 p.m. Suspicious motor vehicles on Fisher Rd., one appears to be stuck
9:40 p.m. Unattended vehicle at Dawson Recreation Area
10:07 p.m. Caller reports that today is 50th birthday and husband is following her around with a video camera trying to frame her, just wants it on record
10:54 p.m. Caller reports will be spending the night at relatives after husband threw birthday cheesecake on the floor and attempted to frame her on camera; will speak with officer

Saturday, December 12

2:40 a.m. 911 Report of party locked out of home on Bullard St.
2:53 a.m. Suspicious motor vehicle on Cedar Rd., one occupant
9:07 a.m. Snowman lawn ornament stolen on Anne St.
10:12 a.m. Motor vehicle lockout on Tamarack Circle
7:54 p.m. Three teen males stumbling into roadway on Main St., possibly drunk; they state one dropped cell phone into road and went to pick it up
8:06 p.m. Individual trying to take some wooden pallets from business in Industrial Dr.

Sunday, December 13

2:12 a.m. Two suspicious individuals on foot at Mountview; will wait while they call for rides home from parents
3:19 a.m. Suspicious vehicles at Dawson Recreation area
4:04 a.m. Family notification of operator involved with rollover with ejection
4:33 a.m. Suspicious person on foot on Main St.
11:15 p.m. Resident reports hit in parking lot this morning, driver who hit her upset and yelling, paperwork exchanged
11:50 a.m. Open concrete manhole on Dorothy Ave. reported; cone put there to mark it
7:06 p.m. West Boylston PD requesting assistance for fight in progress, one party involved in foot pursuit
7:46 p.m. Concerned resident calling about commotion at West Boylston/Holden line
8:38 p.m. Caller reports daughter involved in motor vehicle accident at jug handle; may stop at station

Paxton

Monday, December 7

3:30 p.m. Female locked out of home, Orchard Dr.

Tuesday, December 8

12:30 a.m. Police follow up report of past incident and complaint, Sunset Ln.
5:47 p.m. Person at station asking for directions to Shrewsbury

Wednesday, December 9

10:08 a.m. Assist with motor vehicle lockout, Pleasant St.
4:30 p.m. Power outage, Pond St.
4:40 p.m. 911 hang-up, child playing with phone, Orchard Dr.
5:03 p.m. Two young children walking along roadway wearing dark clothing. Caller concerned for their safety, Pleasant St./Crowningshield Dr.
7:18 p.m. Caller requesting officer regarding incident where person was struck by snowball, Sunset Ln.

Friday, December 11

1:16 a.m. Caller reporting family member out of gas at Paxton/Worcester line
12:29 p.m. Suspicious motor vehicle, Brooks/ Richards Aves.

Sunday, December 13

6:43 p.m. Report of male sitting in vehicle beside road with lights off, Hemlock St.
8:09 p.m. Motorist reports hitting deer, damage to motor vehicle and deer is possibly dead, Pond St.

Princeton

Monday, December 7

1:20 p.m. Disturbance, gun shots, Hubbardston Rd.
2:20 p.m. Suspicious person, Old Colony Rd.

Tuesday, December 8

2:21 p.m. Request for animal control officer, Mountain Rd.

Wednesday, December 9

1:43 p.m. Traffic safety hazard, Ball Hill Rd.

Thursday, December 10

12:52 p.m. Request for animal control officer, Mirick Rd.

Friday, December 11

1:10 a.m. Assist Westminster PD, Gatehouse Rd., Westminster
11:35 a.m. Property found, Main St.
3:44 p.m. Suspicious motor vehicle, Houghton Rd.

Saturday, December 12

7:34 a.m. Request for light dept., Thompson Rd.
9:38 a.m. Disturbance, gun shots, Hubbardston Rd.
10:52 a.m. Public service, Westminster Rd.
3:00 p.m. Assist animal control officer, E. Princeton Rd.

Sunday, December 13

3:37 p.m. Request for highway dept., Mountain Rd.
3:42 p.m. 911 misdial, Mountain Rd., investigated
4:43 p.m. Traffic safety hazard, Hubbardston Rd./ Boylston Ave.
5:18 p.m. Motor vehicle lockout, Ball Hill Rd.
10:58 p.m. Request for highway dept., Sterling Rd.

Rutland

Monday, December 7

7:10 a.m. Person at station to speak with officer, Main St.
7:21 a.m. Person at station for missing license plate paperwork, Main St.
10:30 a.m. Caller reports two boxers with matching collars at her home, Glenwood Rd. Dogs later returned to owner

Tuesday, December 8

8:53 a.m. Person at station to speak with officer regarding illegal dumping on Main St.
12:48 p.m. Truck parked in area which caller claims is posted for no hunting, Paddock Rd.
1:28 p.m. Person wants to speak with officer regarding legal advice, Main St.
3:37 p.m. Report of two men selling meat out of motor vehicle, Bushy Ln.
8:25 p.m. Person at station to speak with officer, Main St.

Wednesday, December 9

7:58 a.m. Car impeding snow removal, Orchard Hill Dr.
8:20 a.m. Person at station to file report, Main St.
8:52 a.m. Large Coke truck stuck across roadway blocking both lanes, Pommogussett Rd.
10:00 a.m. Wires arcing, tree on wires between poles, Hillside Ave.
10:47 a.m. Pickup truck doing “donuts,” Main St.
11:30 a.m. UPS truck sideways in road, Valley View Cir.
1:06 p.m. Downed tree blocking Pleasantdale Rd.

Thursday, December 10

6:53 A.M. Report that parking lot on Glenwood Rd is glare ice
8:12 a.m. Report that turkey was hit, Pommogussett Rd.

Friday, December 11

7:02 a.m. Suspicious parked motor vehicle, Wheeler Rd.
8:31 a.m. Medium-sized black dog running down middle of road, looks confused, Central Tree Rd.
12:01 p.m. Dead animal in caller’s backyard, Skyline Dr. Found to be a rabbit
12:43 p.m. Suspicious vehicle checking houses, Rte. 56
4:41 p.m. Motor vehicle lockout, Maple Ave.
5:34 p.m. Officer follow-up on earlier complaint, Rte. 68
6:54 p.m. Parking violation, Main St.

Saturday, December 12

3:25 a.m. Car out of gas, officer transports owner to home on Thurston Hill
8:44 a.m. Report that road is glare ice, Kosta Ave.
9:41 p.m. Suspicious motor vehicle, juvenile transported to station, Main St.

Sunday, December 13

8:24 a.m. Report of stray Labrador at house, Sassawanna Rd.
8:48 a.m. Power out and caller heard loud popping noise
1:34 p.m. Report of person burning box springs, Kyle Hunter Cir.
1:41 p.m. Motor vehicle lockout, Maple Ave.

Sterling

Monday, December 7

10:44 p.m. Suspicious male walking up Holden Rd.

Tuesday, December 8

12:14 a.m. Tan pit bull missing. Caller from Leominster found dog
10:28 a.m. Assist surveyors at intersection, Redemption Rock Trl./Princeton Rd.
6:35 p.m. Caller complaining about barking dogs, Heywood/North Row Rds.

Wednesday, December 9

1:27 a.m. Caller heard yelling or howl, Evergreen Cir.
8:49 a.m. Caller complaining about vehicles parked along James Rd., blocking person’s mailbox and interfering with plowing
5:29 p.m. Officer wanted at area where person has pushed snow from driveway onto roadway, Clinton Rd.

Thursday, December 10

3:02 a.m. Officer checks exterior of building where alarm sounding, Boutelle Rd.
12:0 p.m. Person at station to speak to officer about suspicious person hanging around property, Campground Rd.
4:54 p.m. Deer struck and killed by vehicle, Redemption Rock Trl.

11:26 p.m. Police check building where burglar alarm sounding, Boutelle Rd.

Friday, December 11

12:15 p.m. Request for officer escort while person retrieves funds from bank, Main St.
2:14 p.m. Attempt to deliver message, Palmer Ln.
3:29 p.m. Caller reports large amounts of snow pushed into driveway, Leominster Rd.
9:25 p.m. Motorist reports hitting something on Leominster Rd. Deceased animal in roadway in bad location
9:53 p.m. Complaint about snowmobiles in field behind duplexes, Riverview Rd.

Saturday, December 12

8:55 a.m. Caller reporting unknown animal stuck in pond, Osgood Rd.
11:14 a.m. Report of person bitten by stray cat, Maple St. Advised to go to hospital
5:28 p.m. Suspicious male in red truck, Redemption Rock Trl.

Sunday, December 13

4:39 a.m. Report that truck in driveway has doors open, Boutelle/Muddy Pond Rds.
4:31 p.m. Leominster PD reports person bitten by dog from Sterling
5:30 p.m. Report of limb down, Griffin Rd.

Mr. and Mrs. RB watch TV

More on religion, weather, Christmas, and cancer

In a blog post titled En route to One World Government, we learn about forced sterilzation, biochips, teaching of Satanism, and other signs of the rule of the AntiChrist. We also learn that "A priest from the Worcester Diocese who serves St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Baldwinville appears to be calling for this New World Order." The church in Baldwinville ("Gateway to Otter River") has a somewhat complicated background. (See History of Holy Cross Church.) So, it's not clear who is advocating OWG, but beware all the same.

Meanwhile, the good folks at the American Family Association might have read my recent post about it being cold in winter. They're excited to report that it's also cold in Denmark in winter.

via Copenhagen climate summit plagued by snow and sub-zero tempatures(American Family Association)

Meanwhile, back here in the U.S.of.A, according to our good friends at WingNuts Daily, Elderly people are now buying their loved ones suicide kits as Christmas gifts, according to a prominent euthanasia physician nicknamed "Dr. Death."

We're pretty sure that we don't want to die by Christmas gifts, so let's also make sure we don't die by cancer.

via The Healing Codes as seen on World Net Daily - A Free Press for a Free People

Jobs that sound more fun than they are

This job sounded interesting.

via Dice.com
I wasn't quite sure what UAPM meant (which probably meant that I wasn't qualified), so I looked up the definition and found three:

via UAPM - What does UAPM stand for? Acronyms and abbreviations by the Free Online Dictionary.

Ooh, save the puppies. How can I go wrong?

Rinse the language of cold water first.

Google has a feature, Google Alerts, that lets you set up persistent searches for words or phrases. When a news story or blog includes that word or phrase, Google sends you an email.
So, quite a while, I set up an alert for Hakkarainen. Most of the people with that name live in Finland and, as a result, most of the stories are in Finnish. Google Translate can help by providing a usable translation of the story (more on that in a moment).
Yesterday, this story shows up - 'Tis the Season for Ethical Treatment of Pigs. It turns out that there's been a quite a bit of trouble since a video showed the deplorable conditions on some Finnish pig farms. Google sent me the story because the reporter interviewed the manager at a Helsinki meat retailer, E. Hakkarainen. The butcher shop has been in business for nearly 100 years (history, in Finnish).
True to the nature of the web, a simple story about pigs who are treated badly before we eat them leads to following:

• Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Sirkka-Liisa Anttila proposed that special farms for “happy pigs” could be established in Finland.
• The E. Hakkarainen site provides recipes for the preparation of various meats and meals. The recipes are in Finnish, so I go to Google Translate for assistance.
  Google translates tongue ("A variety of meat, rarely served because it clearly crosses the line between a cut of beef and a piece of dead cow.") as language, leading to a recipe for boiled beef and tongue as
  "Rinse the language of cold water first. Place the saucepan language and cold water to the extent that the language is covered."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Merry Christmas to all and ham! ("Hyvää Joulua ja kinkkua kaikille !")

It's winter

It's cold and gonna stay cold.

via Wunderground.com

The weather may get worse.

It's cold over there, too. Meteorological Institute predicts freeze will continue until Christmas

The weather will actually turn even colder in the next few days. In Southern Finland, the freeze may get quite respectable by southern standards, with nighttime temperatures down as low as -25°C.

The folks on Fox says that it's because Al Gore is lying but Gore doesn't care because it's all about world government and reducing the American standard of living.
But we don't know the half of it.

Reporting done well

Today's article by Telegram Correspondent Paula Owen, Access denied - Controversy over public use of great ponds, was a good piece of writing. It laid out the issues well, that of the public right to access to the great ponds of Massachusetts versus the wishes and/or needs of those who seek to protect those waters. It provides enough citations of the state laws that those so inclined could look up what the law said, not just what we think it says.  See, for example, Chapter 131: Section 45. Great ponds; public use; rules and regulations and Chapter 91: Section 18A. Public access to great ponds; petition.
(I do wish that online articles contained links to other resources. That's one aspect of blogging that can give the reader more information.)
Further, and I think it's to the credit of the story, the comments address many of the same issues and experiences.

---

Disclaimer 1 - I write a blog for the Telegram's OnTheCommon.com site, but am otherwise unaffiliated with the Telegram, except that I delivered their morning newspaper when I was 13.
Disclaimer 2 - I am a member of the board of directors of the Queen Lake Association in Phillipston. Queen Lake is classified as a Great Pond. We've had to address many of the same concerns regarding invasive weeds, badly behaved boaters, and protection of the water supply. Queen Lake is also part of the MWRA watershed and, as a result, has some restrictions regarding usage that may not be required near other Great Ponds.

Almost a good idea

The recent discussions suggesting that West Boylston might be interested in partnering with the Wachusett Regional School District, at first glance, seems like a good prospect for West Boylston. It would allow the town's students to have access to more educational resources and possibly lead to savings for the town's taxpayers.
Except that it's not such a good idea.
Most of the discussion regarding increased regionalization focuses on cost-savings because that's where the good results can be shown. What can't be shown is improved student achievement.
The research here is scant (surprising in itself), but the few recent reports that are generally available show no improvements in student test scores. For example, the Worcester Regional Research Bureau recently published recommendations for the Worcester schools. A search of wrrb.org site, however, shows no research or reports regarding regionalization. See The Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy for some presentations regarding Massachusetts school regionalization research.
In addition, the nationwide research data are showing that increasing school size increases the risk of school violence. "The prevalence of frequently occurring discipline problems was related to school enrollment size." The publicly available statistics don't indicate a major violence problem in the Wachusett district schools; let us all continue to enjoy the quiet.
So, remembering the engineering adage (Fast, Cheap, Good - pick two), it's probably best for West Boylston to consider some other ideas for their school's future.
Cross-posted on OntheCommon.com

You dance with who brung ya

Furious Seasons reports: Glaxo Releases List Of Payments To Doctors.
Here's what Glaxo, Smith, Kline has to say with a link to the GSK report for Q3.
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal updates us with additional reports:

• Eli Lilly Faculty are "doctors and other healthcare professionals contracted to provide specific services on behalf of Lilly and the Lilly Alliance partnerships." Here's the link to the Eli Lilly's Faculty Registry for the first two quarters of this year. where speaker and consulting fees are listed.
• Merck's Q3 report is here.
  

Agreed that companies and doctors need to work together to share their research and expertise, but I'm just sayin' ...

She knows how this works

The five-year-old goes to see Santa with another family and tells The Great One what she wants for Christmas.
When she gets home, her mother asks, "What did you tell Santa that you wanted?"
"Don't worry, Mommy," she replies. "You'll be surprised on Christmas."

Rock steady

A few days ago, Jeff posted a piece, Geothermal versus The Basic Paradigm of Green, about some of the, um, problems that geothermal projects are encountering. Troubles such as earthquakes, caused by injecting water under high pressure into fissures in the substrate in the hopes of gathering heat. The high-pressure water, however, can destabilize the rock and, well, stuff starts sliding around, above and below the surface.
/. has an article, Swiss Geologist On Trial For Causing Earthquakes, about the trial of the geologist who lead a company that conducted the geothermal experiments. The geologist, Markus Haering, noted that his team had "very little knowledge of seismicity," but locals knew of the risks. (Story by the BBC - Switzerland geologist on trial for 'causing quakes'.)
Doc, things fall down when I do that.
Don't do that.

So, a guy walks into his boss's office and ...

.. says, "Hey, boss. I got this great idea while I was making my breakfast this morning. It's a piece of tape, see? It tells people how to reseal their big bag of oatmeal. Whaddaya think?"

"Great idea, Vern," says the boss, not looking up from his terminal where he's watching a video.

"Tell the boys in engineering, printing, and manufacturing to get right on it."

Why Holden needs three national pharmacy chains

Because nothing marks the season of the advent of our Lord and Savior than a special deal on Mucinex:

And, speaking of reindeer, Walgreens offers a cute, if non-specific reindeer

While CVS gives you Rudolph...

And, bless them, RiteAid gives you the really creepy reindeer ...

who'll sell you just what you want to get for your mother or wife or girlfriend...

---

Another in the occasional series about Holden's need for three national pharmacy chains as the result of a new Walgreens on Main Street.