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.