Better than some

Northeastern metros—led by New York and Worcester— actually saw poverty rates in their primary cities decline, while collectively their suburbs experienced a slight increase.
- The Suburbanization of Poverty - Brookings Institution

via Metro Area Profile

Crime in suburbia

From The Landmark (subscription required):

[Editor's note: There were 16 suspicious items this week.]

Monday, January 11

12:17 a.m. Suspicious motor vehicle, Shrewsbury St.
2:07 a.m. Walk-in thinks sibling is secretly taping him
10:38 p.m. Young male tried to pass counterfeit bill at business, Main St.

Tuesday, January 12

12:46 a.m. Parents contacted for rides home
2:47 a.m. Several individuals in trailer with flashlights, Industrial Dr.
2:58 a.m. Suspicious motor vehicle, Holden St.
4:00 p.m. Sewer pump backing up into building, Main St.

Wednesday, January 13

12:53 a.m. Suspicious parked vehicle, Industrial Dr.
1:33 a.m. Suspicious motor vehicle on Main St., nobody around
6:52 a.m. Vehicle running, unoccupied all evening, Country Hill Rd.

3:07 p.m. Caller looking for ride home; advised PD doesn’t provide transport
10:28 p.m. Suspicious person walking up and down Brennan Way

Thursday, January 14

12:08 a.m. Suspicious unoccupied vehicle parked near business, Shrewsbury St.,
2:20 p.m. Motorist flagged down officer with found property
8:50 p.m. Suspicious party in car using laptop across from home for half-hour, Kris Allen Dr.

Friday, January 15

2:33 a.m. Suspicious vehicle, Main St.
11:56 a.m. Elderly driver may be traffic issue, Shrewsbury St.
3:13 p.m. 911 report of individuals in parking lot smoking marijuana, Main St.; gone on arrival
5:00 p.m. Suspicious person in back yards, High St.; says he’s looking for dog

Saturday, January 16

12:40 p.m. Neighbor disposing trash in caller’s container
4:49 p.m. Items missing from fire box at business, Main St.; may be with electricians
9:52 p.m. Suspicious motor vehicle, Fisher Rd.

Sunday, January 17

12:27 a.m. Suspicious motor vehicle, Main St.
1:36 a.m. Complaint about vehicle consistently parked on street overnight
3:05 a.m. Suspicious motor vehicle in lot, Main St.
3:23 a.m. Vehicles parked at Trout Brook; OK, Scout troop camping in field
3:21 p.m. Possum walking around Laurel Wood Ln.; doesn’t look sick
7:37 p.m. Suspicious vehicle in lot with lights on, Main St.; no one inside

Paxton

Thursday, January 14

4:42 p.m. Person at station to advise police of upcoming estate sale on Pleasant St. with potential for lot of traffic

Friday, January 15

6:55 a.m. Suspicious person standing across road from bus stop, Pleasant St.
11:12 a.m. Attempt to deliver restraining order, Richards Ave.
1:20 p.m. Attempt to deliver restraining order, Richards Ave.
6:49 p.m. Police respond to request they check female with firearm, Brigham Rd. Police take custody of firearm
8:25 p.m. Restraining order issue, person is in jail, Richards Ave.
10:42 p.m. Mattress fell off truck, police assist removing it from roadway, Pleasant St./Eugenia Ln.

Saturday, January 16

No calls for service

Sunday, January 17

4:17 p.m. 911 abandoned call, police confirm everything all set, Burtenmar Cir.

Princeton

Monday, January 11

8:04 a.m. Traffic control duty, Sterling Rd.
9:12 a.m. Notification, Ball Hill Rd.
11:30 a.m. Caller asking to speak with officer regarding incident on Main St.

Thursday, January 14

11:20 a.m. Caller requesting to speak with officer about city of Worcester trespassing and putting rocks on private property, Old Mill Rd.
11:45 a.m. Golden retriever hit by vehicle and injured, Fitchburg Rd. Owner picked up dog
4:25 p.m. Caller requesting extra radar patrols on Ball Hill Rd.
5:16 p.m. Traffic control duty, Ball Hill Rd.

Saturday, January 16

1:15 p.m. Caller reports female fell, Mountain Rd.
4:58 p.m. Police unlock gate on Mountain Road so vehicle can be removed
5:33 p.m. Request for traffic control for speeders, Ball Hill Rd.
5:50 p.m. Traffic control duty, Ball Hill Rd.

Rutland

Monday, January 11

8:19 a.m. Police asked to check whether someone will pick up belongings of youth sent to hospital, Main St.
12:18 p.m. Person wants to speak with officer, Main St.
1:29 p.m. Report that vehicle is parked in front of fire hydrant, Watson Ln.
3:30 p.m. Traffic safety issue, Main St.
4:57 p.m. Warrant issued, person no longer at address, Main St.

Tuesday, January 12

4:20 a.m. 911 hang-up, confirmed misdial, Winifreds Way
8:30 a.m. Caller complaining about traffic congestion at bus stop, John Robert Dr./Carly Cir.
6:37 p.m. Person complaining about neighbor with vehicles parked all over Hickory Dr.

Wednesday, January 13

1:00 p.m. Person at station to speak with officer about family issue, Main St.
6:04 p.m. Person at station to speak with officer, Main St.

Thursday, January 14

11:00 p.m. Caller complaining about loud music from another apartment, Maple Ave.
11:22 p.m. Complaint about loud music from apartment, Maple Ave.

Friday, January 15

9:22 a.m. Police respond to burglar alarm; all set, person working on system, Main St.
1:50 p.m. Vehicle crossing centerline, on sidewalk, slamming on brakes, Main St.
3:55 p.m. Attempt to serve restraining order, Pleasantdale Rd. No such address found
6:00 p.m. Request that police check home, Watson Ln.
8:15 p.m. Request to check home, Watson Ln.

Saturday, January 16

11:23 a.m. Assist citizen concerned how company got her phone number, Skyline Dr.
1:52 p.m. Request for animal control officer, female followed by dog for two miles, going after her dog, Kenwood to Turkey Hill Rd.
2:15 p.m. Report of three ATVs on Demond Pond
2:50 p.m. Person wants to speak with officer about person parked near his property, Muschopauge Rd.

Sunday, January 17

8:48 a.m. Request police put out extra cones for no-parking, large crowd expected at church, Main St.
11:19 a.m. Small dog running in road, almost got hit, Prescott St.
12:53 p.m. Motor vehicle lockout, police access vehicle, Miles Rd.
4:33 p.m. Field investigation
5:45 p.m. Assist citizen, Main St.
10:21 p.m. People in driveway beeping horn, Welch Ave.
11:11 p.m. Approximately 20 cars stopped on Rte. 56 and another 30 backed up on Miles Rd., waiting for plow.

Sterling

Monday, January 11

8:26 a.m. Person going door-to-door looking for lost gloves, Beaman Rd.
7:54 p.m. Lost Nintendo system to be returned to owner, Leominster Rd.

Tuesday, January 12

8:33 a.m. Caller asking that animal control officer pick up dead bird on her deck, Cole Rd. Caller will take care of it
10:37 a.m. 911 hang-up, child playing with phone, Newell Hill Rd.
2:05 p.m. Dog bite, Albright/Flannagan Hill Rds. Dog up-to-date on shots but will be quarantined for 10 days
3:45 p.m. Deceased cat in roadway, Clinton Rd.
9:50 p.m. Large hunting-type dog on back porch of home, Boutelle Rd.
10:00 p.m. Two males dressed in black loitering in front of bank, Main St.
10:16 p.m. Person at station to speak with officer about vehicle in town, Leominster Rd.
11:30 p.m. Person found older golden Labrador-type dog near Sterling Nursery. Owner found and will be fined

Wednesday, January 13

9:28 a.m. Officer wanted, Boutelle Rd.
10:03 a.m. Caller reports male sitting in vehicle in her driveway for quite some time, Clemence Ave.
2:37 p.m. Stray dog at house, Redstone Hill Rd., owner located, will pick up dog
7:23 p.m. Suspicious pickup truck parked in Redstone Hill Rd.

Friday, January 15

4:10 p.m. Attempt to deliver message, Redemption Rock Trl.

Saturday, January 16

11:19 a.m. Suspicious vehicle in driveway, Meetinghouse Hill Rd.
12:23 p.m. Person at station with two young girls found in Leominster, got lost walking in woods, Leominster Rd.

Sunday, January 17

6:36 a.m. Caller ran out of gas, near Chocksett Rd.
9:41 a.m. Caller reports bobcat walked through her yard, Tuttle Rd.

They use these words like they're real words

New FDIC Study Shows One in Four U.S. Households Currently Unbanked or Underbanked -
FDIC: Press Releases - PR-216-2009 12/2/2009

The study, which is the most comprehensive survey to date of the unbanked and underbanked, reveals that more than one quarter (25.6 percent) of all households in the United States are unbanked or underbanked and that those households are disproportionately low-income and/or minority.

unbanked

no dictionary results -- http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/unbanked

underbanked

Of, relating to, or being a new security issue for which the managing underwriter has difficulty obtaining commitments from other underwriters. -- http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/underbanked

Good works done well

Hope For Haiti Now: A Global Benefit For Earthquake Relief

We hadn't planned to watch the whole Hope for Haiti telethon but we couldn't turn away.^[1]
The performers were humble, respectful, earnest. They did what was asked of them, which was to bring their A-game on short notice, and then stepped aside.

• High point - Chris Rock with Muhammed Ali.
  
• Musical high point - Justin Timberlake with Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah."
  
• Low point - the voice in my head saying, "Who is that?" "Why don't they introduce these people?" "Let's see. I know Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock and that other guy looks familiar. What's his name?"
  
• "I'll bet that Anderson Cooper says, "This is Anderson Cooper from CNN," when he calls his mother.
  

^[1] I did take a brief spin around the channels, long enough to see Karl Rove bloviating about something on Hannity's FoxNews show. Heck, even the Weather Channel joined in the simulcast.

More on SCOTUS decision regarding campaign finance laws

There's a lot of discussion regarding Citizens United V. Federal Election
Commission (link to SCOTUS decision), discussion by people are alternately smart, ideologically-blinded by rage, bewitched, bothered, and bemildred.

So, just two quick observations based on a quick read of the decision itself (all 183 pages), a good summary on the Wall Street Journal site, Court Rolls Back Campaign Spending Limits - WSJ.com, and some other sources.

1. On the same day that the Supreme Court reversed a number of decisions with regard to the regulation of corporate speech, Secretary of State Clinton made a speech on Internet freedom at the Newseum, in which she said,
   
   

   Countries that censor news and information must recognize that from an economic standpoint, there is no distinction between censoring political speech and commercial speech. If businesses in your nations are denied access to either type of information, it will inevitably impact on growth. -- Remarks on Internet Freedom
   

   Sounds a lot like the rationale used by the Supreme Court majority in striking down campaign spending limits.
   The issue of corporate personhood is a subtext in the dissent and in some of the deliberations; the Court pretty much affirmed that corporations are people with regard to First Amendment rights.
   
   
2. During his confirmation hearings, now-Chief Justice John Roberts made certain that the Senate Judiciary Committee knew that he knew what stare decisis meant and that it was a key principle in judicial review.
   Except, as we've seen in this case, where it isn't so important.
   

We're Number 63

#63, I-290, Worcester, MA
Weekly hours of bottleneck congestion: 20
Worst bottleneck: Westbound, Hwy 9/Exit 17
Length of worst bottleneck: .37 mi
Weekly hours of congestion on worst bottleneck: 9
Speed of worst bottleneck when congested: 23 mph
Commuter Buzz: “The MAJOR problem with these Highways is not the roads themselves but the JERKS who drive on it,” one driver posted under an article on the Worcester Telegram & Gazette website about the need for physical improvements on the I-290. “Weaving in and out, riding your butt even if you're going 80, 85 mph.”

America's 75 Worst Commutes - The Daily Beast

C'mon, folks. Our local commute is less worse than Providence's? Boise City's? You're not even trying.

Live free, but don't be happy working there. Or here.

Fortune has published its list of 100 best companies for which to work^[1]. There are several in eastern Massachusetts. New Hampshire and points west of Middlesex County in Massachusetts are uncontaminated by these best companies.



via 100 Best Companies to Work For 2010

Friends don't let friends, wait. what?

• Yesterday morning, friends Pete and Mildred were in their motel room in upstate New York. They are on a trip from Maine to visit family and friends in the Midwest. When they heard the news about Massachusetts election, they asked themselves, who can we call to annoy?
  They called me.
• When I called a customer yesterday morning and asked how she was doing, she said, "Great."
  Expecting to learn about some progress with our project, she said that her happiness was about the election.
• When Sandra and I voted on Tuesday, a man holding a Scott Brown sign stopped us. I was wearing a sweatshirt from son Mike's company which the sign-holder recognized. He wanted to talk about Joseph's Project, our non-profit that delivers food to families in the Wachusett area. He belonged to a local American Legion and wanted to make sure that we're getting all the support that we need.

So, how come we're surrounded by all these nice folks, including two sons, who are Republicans? And, you know, I can't tell if it's because of something we've done wrong or something we've done right.

Dueling aphorisms

"You never step into the same river twice"

"Doing the same thing again, expecting different results."

A year ago, we were all hopeful 'n stuff. Change was upon us and change was going to be good.
Well, change came alright. A lot of the change has been good. Some has not been so good. Some of the change was that kind of four-wheel skid so that you're going backwards and forwards at the same time. It's been that kind of year, writ large for the nation, writ small for one guy.
Shortly, I'll take another run at a course on legal research and writing at one of my almae matres, Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner. I started the same class at the Mount last January and, well, I was ready for some things, but not every thing.
This time around, I've finished a course in business law at Quinsig in the fall semester, worked as consultant on various web projects, and lived through some, um, interesting times with family.My expectations about myself are much more reasonable now.
I used to think that reasonable expectations was code for mediocrity and maybe it is. Still, I can't go back to the Mount without thinking about my good friend, Don. We took classes there after he got back from Vietnam and after I got back from wherever. He died a few years back after decades of PTSD, alcoholism, stuff he took to war with him, stuff he found in war and couldn't leave behind, stuff that ambushed him when he got back. I can't be sure, but I suspect that Don would love to have another chance to do things with reasonable expectations again.
So, I'm grateful for another chance, this among so many other chances that I've had.

this one could end up with a dead intern ...

While most Republicans and a lot of others are still dancing in the street, Glenn Beck sounds an alarm about our new senator:

"Listen. I want to chastity belt on this man. I want his every move watched in Washington. I don't trust this guy. I'm just telling ya. "
Glenn Beck: MA Yes! But big problems...

 Scott Brown offers his daughters to a grateful nation. (See at about 8:30 into the clip.)

Via Scott Brown Acceptance Speech in Massachusetts .

Lest we forget

While the TV, blog, and Twitter channels are clogged with news and nonsense regarding Scott Brown's upset victory in the Massachusetts special Senate election, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake hit again this morning.

via http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Maps/10/285_20.php


Details about the quake here: Magnitude 6.1 - HAITI REGION

Whoever wins will be my senator

I'm expecting that a renewed sense of urgency among Massachusetts Democrats and independents will lead to the election of Martha Coakley to complete Ted Kennedy's term.
I also know that, as a citizen of this town, commonwealth, and nation, I have made a commitment to share in this glorious experiment with all, be they pointy-headed liberals, three-alarm wingnuts, and those in between.

Spare a thought for the stay-at-home voter
His empty eyes gaze at strange beauty shows
-- Salt of the Earth Written By Jagger/Richards

That means abiding by the outcome and continuing to fight the good fight.

via Pogo In Pandemonia: Some is More Equal Than Others

All elections are this important. We often just don't notice it.

How not not to be found

via Karl Hakkarainen's Phillipston Blog

Normally, I don't like bothering guys who are ice fishing for just the reason that Sandra had suggested. A guy who goes out into the middle of a lake in the winter is usually someone who enjoys his own company and his own thoughts.
But, ice fishermen have a public service to perform. Actually, a couple. One is to let the civilians know how thick the ice is. We need to know these things because it's a gauge of the winter so far. The other service, of course, is to let any passer-by know how the fishing is.
He was fine with it. He reported that he'd thrown back quite a few small perch, but he had a couple of edible-size fish on the ice, fish that Marley thought were very interesting, indeed. This was the fisherman's first visit to the lake, so he'd just picked a spot that looked promising. He asked about the location of the deeper water. This selection had good depth, but I also pointed to a couple of other areas to try.
On the first point, two guys and one gal confirmed that the ice in the north middle part of Queen Lake is, at most, 10 inches thick. Given the long stretches of cold we've had so far, I'd expected more, but that's what we have.
After a few minutes, we returned to shore, leaving the fisherman to his quiet. Walking was easiest where there was a little bit of snow. You couldn't, however, always trust what you were seeing. An old fishing hole 10 or 20 feet away let water seep underneath, turning what looks like hard-packed snow into a slushy mess.
None of the fishing holes were too close to one another, so the surface hadn't been weakened. Later in the evening, I talked with son Adam and mentioned that my father used to say that you could drive a truck across six inches of ice and that I'd only known my father to fall through the ice once. Adam asked if my father came up with the six inches per truck rule before or after he'd fallen in.
All was in good order in and around the camp. As we reached the parking lot by the boat house, Sandra received a call on her cell phone. It was from the National Organization for Marriage, asking if she supported Scott Brown for Senate and if she supported nationwide gay marriage. After giving answers that should reduce the likelihood of future such calls, Sandra and I walked back to the car. If you interrupt someone else's quiet time, karma says that you should be prepared to have a dose of the same.

And if 50 people a day ...

Not that I'm paranoid, but I've been intrigued by the different Scott Brown ads that show up on different sites.
The one on the Boston Globe's site is straight-forward:

via Boston.com 4:30PM EST 17-Jan-2010



While the one at WingNuts Daily urges us to Join The Movement:

via wnd.com 4:30PM EST 17-Jan-2010

Back to a nerdy site, such as Slashdot:

via slashdot.org 4:30PM EST 17-Jan-2010

And then over to Wormtown Taxi:

via wormtowntaxi.com 4:30PM EST 17-Jan-2010

Suburban liberal street cred - old school

It's not like we marched with the Wobblies or were co-signers of the Port Huron Statement, but we sent a few bucks to  worthy causes.

---

The corollary to Newton's First Law says that stuff in the attic tends to stay in the attic unless you make a deliberate and almost maniacal effort to get it out of there. The most recent extraction is a box of canceled checks from the late 80s and early 90s. It's a fascinating exercise to see how we spent our money, writing checks from now-defunct banks people and enterprises that were so very important at the time.