Crime in suburbia

From The Landmark (subscription required):
[Editor's note: There were 27 suspicious items this week.]

Holden

Sunday, November 21

9:44 a.m. Brown water reported, High St.
2:15 p.m. Caller to speak with “head man”
5:02 p.m. Kid’s bicycle abandoned for a week, Pleasant St.
5:41 p.m. Caller asked to pay for disposal of box of trash found elsewhere; claims he’s not responsible
6:01 p.m. Report of dog feces covering mail box and inside
8:07 p.m. Doors open at business; owner can’t be reached

Monday, November 22

12:19 a.m. Doors wide open at business, same as yesterday; unable to reach owner
5:42 a.m. Suspicious vehicle on side of Union St., secured and unoccupied
7:21 a.m. Half-dead fox on side of Sycamore Dr.
10:31 a.m. Rabid fox foaming at the mouth, Sycamore Dr.
11:38 a.m. Two parties picking up trash, Fairchild Dr.; warned for loud exhaust
11:55 a.m. Party in to speak with chief, and no one else
1:27 p.m. Vehicle driving slowly and filming, Village Green Ln.
1:40 p.m. Report of neighbors who haven’t been seen or heard from for days; OK, on vacation
2:07 p.m. Suspicious vehicle, Princeton St.
2:22 p.m. Suspicious vehicle, Main St.
3:35 p.m. Door shot at by BB gun, Surrey Ln.
4:10 p.m. Youths gathering in cemetery for possible fight at 5 p.m., Main St.; dispersed
5:07 p.m. Attempted assault, Colonial Rd.; argument over pellet stove
11:22 p.m. Dog barking non-stop, Shrewsbury St.
11:36 p.m. Suspicious vehicle, Shrewsbury St.; OK, custodian

Tuesday, November 23

12:25 a.m. Barking dog, Shrewsbury St.
8:54 a.m. Car on side of Manning St. with no one around
11:41 a.m. Unknown party behind neighbor’s home, North St.; OK, friend of family
1:35 p.m. Male lying in mulch in business parking lot
4:53 p.m. Suspicious activity behind abandoned building, Princeton St.; pipe bomb found and destroyed
9:09 p.m. Two males arguing on Fruit St.
11:00 p.m. Caller reports argument with wife, worried that wife will take son out of state, claims both drinking

Wednesday, November 24

1:56 a.m. Check on young persons walking on Main St.
9:58 a.m. Mailbox too close to roadway, Wachusett St., party struck it with side mirror
12:51 p.m. Dog loose, Brennan Way
2:26 p.m. Suspicious vehicle, Salisbury St.

Thursday, November 25

1:36 a.m. Neighbors having argument, Princeton St.
3:14 a.m. Suspicious vehicle in lot, Shrewsbury St.
3:16 a.m. Suspicious person, Shrewsbury St.
5:32 a.m. Towle Dr. resident reports neighbor blasting music; when spoken to, turned it up louder
11:27 a.m. Report of altercation between friends; no police service needed
12:28 p.m. Dog in roadway, Manning St.; picked up and then loose again in Trout Brook area

Friday, November 26

12:42 a.m. Suspicious male sitting at desk on side of Wachusett St., drinking beer
12:46 a.m. Suspicious person slumped over wheel in vehicle, Main St.; overtired, no medical or alcohol issues
5:14 a.m. Suspicious male, Wyndhurst Dr.
9:31 a.m. Manhole cover in middle of Rte. 31
10:54 a.m. 911 call about bag of leaves in road, Main St.
11:57 a.m. Claim of restraining order violation, Main St.; neighbor shone laser pointer in house at wife
2:18 p.m. Car left in lot for 3 weeks, Reservoir St.
6:10 p.m. Two barking dogs, Winthrop Ln.
6:15 p.m. Dump trucks in roadway, Chapel St.
9:51 p.m. Suspicious vehicle, Main St.
11:17 p.m. Suspicious male, South Rd.
11:57 p.m. Suspicious person, Main St.

Saturday, November 27

12:05 a.m. Suspicious vehicle, Shrewsbury St.; changing glasses to contacts
8:59 a.m. Call about posting property for hunting

3:21 p.m. Erratic driver, Main St.; says was on the phone and has a lot on his mind
5:35 p.m. Caller states individual giving him crap; just wants it logged
6:40 p.m. Caller says resident acquired dog from Petfinder and it bit owner in the face; owner at hospital; dog in basement until animal control can fetch it

Sunday, November 28

2:24 a.m. 911 hang up; verbal argument, male party left to avoid physical altercation
8:44 a.m. Suspicious vehicle, Main St.
1:50 p.m. Suspicious vehicle driving by house taking pictures, Lovell Rd.
4:39 p.m. Glove box inside car open, Union St.; requests extra patrols
4:54 p.m. Worcester PD requests check on individual wanted for malicious destruction of property; not home, may be at Victoria’s Secret

Paxton

Monday, November 22

4:55 a.m. Gun shots in West St/ Pine Acres area. Suspect taken into custody by Spencer PD.
5:46 p.m. Tanglewood Rd. resident calling because her trash wasn’t picked up, advised to call trash company
6:11 p.m. Car struck deer, West St.

Tuesday, November 23

8:02 a.m. Suspicious pick-up truck in driveway of vacant house, Keep Ave. Person is employee of Northeast Properties
12:46 p.m. Resident reports no water, Keep Ave. Advised to call water department.
3:30 p.m. Cell phone caller advising her black Lab Seeing Eye dog ran off while she was at Boynton Park; dog found at 5:21 p.m.
5:32 p.m. Bicyclist on side of road with flashers on, Pleasant St. Picked up by parent.
6:31 p.m. Suspicious auto, Silver Spring Dr.
9:41 p.m. Caller reports child’s car seat on side of Crowningshield Dr.

Wednesday, November 24

11:19 a.m. Missing black cat, Pleasant St.
4:12 p.m. Suspicious auto behind residence, no plates, Grove St.
5:12 p.m. Suspicious auto near Howe’s Farm Stand

Friday, November 25

12:06 a.m. Dispersed gathering, Boynton Park
12:26 a.m. Dispersed gathering, Moore State Park
4:27 p.m. Suspicious auto, Marshall St.
11:57 p.m. Report of suspicious lights between residences, Red Oak St. Four-wheelers in area, will stop riding for the night.

Saturday, November 24

1:15 p.m. Missing calico cat, Richards Ave.
9:25 p.m. Suspicious person knocked at door, then took off, Whitney Dr.

Princeton

Wednesday, November 24

9:27 a.m. Suspicious vehicle, Merriam Rd.; found to be female putting on makeup before going to work
9:29 a.m. Husband’s wallet and keys taken by wife, later found in leaves outside, Lovers Ln.
10:07 a.m. Male dog wandering in neighborhood, Sterling Rd.
12:11 p.m. Missing pointer dog, Clearings Way
2:18 p.m. Suspicious pickup truck followed female home and then parked on side of road near her house, Ball Hill Rd.

Thursday, November 25

6:25 p.m. Large rock in roadway causing traffic hazard, Sterling Rd.

Friday, November 26

4:00 p.m. Suspicious incident, Parker Place
4:20 p.m. Report of person looking at females in hot tub, Goodnow Rd.

Sunday, November 28

12:06 p.m. Caller’s dog attacked (third time), Beaman Rd.
5:27 p.m. Group of teens in dark clothing riding bicycles on both side of Rte. 140

Rutland

Monday, November 22

12:43 p.m. Person at station to speak with officer about abandoned vehicle on his property, Main St.

Tuesday, November 23

3:40 a.m. Woman locked out of her apartment, Main St.
1:08 p.m. Person at station to report scam on Craig’s List, Main St.

Wednesday, November 24

10:40 a.m. Loose horse behind house, Campbell St.
12:18 p.m. Female reports receiving strange phone calls, Overlook Rd.; international scam

Thursday, November 25

10:05 a.m. Dog chasing male out running, dog now in road, Central Tree Rd.

Friday, November 26

12:49 p.m. Loose dog, Summerhill Dr.
2:37 p.m. Loose chocolate Labrador running down E. County Rd.
4:25 p.m. Man at station with machete found while cleaning out his house, Main St.

Saturday, November 27

9:21 a.m. Loud bang and power is out, Bethany Dr.

Sunday, November 28

7:35 p.m. Young female bitten by dog, Paddock Rd.
9:41 p.m. Car egged, Oakridge Rd.

Sterling

Monday, November 22

12:10 a.m. Complaint about truck running all night, Bird St.
11:12 a.m. Stray cat at home, Birch Dr.
5:33 p.m. Two small black dogs loose, Albright/Pratts Jct. Rds.
5:39 p.m. Large deer hit in road, Redemption Rock Trl./Princeton Rd.

Tuesday, November 23

8:22 a.m. Two small black dogs missing, Nicholas Dr.
11:58 a.m. Person bitten by dog, Holden Rd.; was tied and on owner’s property

Wednesday, November 24

11:22 a.m. Possible sick fox in yard, Chace Hill Rd.
12:07 p.m. Loose dog in yard, Gates Rd.
6:37 p.m. Vehicle stolen from parking lot, Clinton Rd. Taken by another employee

Thursday, November 25

1:50 a.m. Male wearing all black riding scooter down Jewett Rd.
2:27 a.m. Complaint about barking dog, Mortimer Rd.
1:22 p.m. Dead fox in drainage area, Ashton Ln.

Friday, November 26

12:50 p.m. Small black male dog found on Rte. 12, taken to shelter, Laurelwood Rd.

Saturday, November 27

10:19 a.m. Squirrel stuck in chimney, Olde Parish Ln.

Sunday, November 28

8:42 a.m. Two Persian cats in back yard, Holden Rd.
11:31 a.m. Beagle with cable still attached ran away, Meetinghouse Hill Rd.
2:09 p.m. Two dogs in road chasing passersby, Rowley Hill Rd.
4:36 p.m. Disturbance over use of hose, Worcester Rd.
6:18 p.m. Young male sitting in break down lane, Clinton Rd.
6:36 p.m. Lancaster PD requests cruiser for South Meadow area; individual transported home

Crime in suburbia

From The Landmark (subscription required):
[Editor's note: There were 27 suspicious items this week.]

Holden

Sunday, November 21

9:44 a.m. Brown water reported, High St.
2:15 p.m. Caller to speak with “head man”
5:02 p.m. Kid’s bicycle abandoned for a week, Pleasant St.
5:41 p.m. Caller asked to pay for disposal of box of trash found elsewhere; claims he’s not responsible
6:01 p.m. Report of dog feces covering mail box and inside
8:07 p.m. Doors open at business; owner can’t be reached

Monday, November 22

12:19 a.m. Doors wide open at business, same as yesterday; unable to reach owner
5:42 a.m. Suspicious vehicle on side of Union St., secured and unoccupied
7:21 a.m. Half-dead fox on side of Sycamore Dr.
10:31 a.m. Rabid fox foaming at the mouth, Sycamore Dr.
11:38 a.m. Two parties picking up trash, Fairchild Dr.; warned for loud exhaust
11:55 a.m. Party in to speak with chief, and no one else
1:27 p.m. Vehicle driving slowly and filming, Village Green Ln.
1:40 p.m. Report of neighbors who haven’t been seen or heard from for days; OK, on vacation
2:07 p.m. Suspicious vehicle, Princeton St.
2:22 p.m. Suspicious vehicle, Main St.
3:35 p.m. Door shot at by BB gun, Surrey Ln.
4:10 p.m. Youths gathering in cemetery for possible fight at 5 p.m., Main St.; dispersed
5:07 p.m. Attempted assault, Colonial Rd.; argument over pellet stove
11:22 p.m. Dog barking non-stop, Shrewsbury St.
11:36 p.m. Suspicious vehicle, Shrewsbury St.; OK, custodian

Tuesday, November 23

12:25 a.m. Barking dog, Shrewsbury St.
8:54 a.m. Car on side of Manning St. with no one around
11:41 a.m. Unknown party behind neighbor’s home, North St.; OK, friend of family
1:35 p.m. Male lying in mulch in business parking lot
4:53 p.m. Suspicious activity behind abandoned building, Princeton St.; pipe bomb found and destroyed
9:09 p.m. Two males arguing on Fruit St.
11:00 p.m. Caller reports argument with wife, worried that wife will take son out of state, claims both drinking

Wednesday, November 24

1:56 a.m. Check on young persons walking on Main St.
9:58 a.m. Mailbox too close to roadway, Wachusett St., party struck it with side mirror
12:51 p.m. Dog loose, Brennan Way
2:26 p.m. Suspicious vehicle, Salisbury St.

Thursday, November 25

1:36 a.m. Neighbors having argument, Princeton St.
3:14 a.m. Suspicious vehicle in lot, Shrewsbury St.
3:16 a.m. Suspicious person, Shrewsbury St.
5:32 a.m. Towle Dr. resident reports neighbor blasting music; when spoken to, turned it up louder
11:27 a.m. Report of altercation between friends; no police service needed
12:28 p.m. Dog in roadway, Manning St.; picked up and then loose again in Trout Brook area

Friday, November 26

12:42 a.m. Suspicious male sitting at desk on side of Wachusett St., drinking beer
12:46 a.m. Suspicious person slumped over wheel in vehicle, Main St.; overtired, no medical or alcohol issues
5:14 a.m. Suspicious male, Wyndhurst Dr.
9:31 a.m. Manhole cover in middle of Rte. 31
10:54 a.m. 911 call about bag of leaves in road, Main St.
11:57 a.m. Claim of restraining order violation, Main St.; neighbor shone laser pointer in house at wife
2:18 p.m. Car left in lot for 3 weeks, Reservoir St.
6:10 p.m. Two barking dogs, Winthrop Ln.
6:15 p.m. Dump trucks in roadway, Chapel St.
9:51 p.m. Suspicious vehicle, Main St.
11:17 p.m. Suspicious male, South Rd.
11:57 p.m. Suspicious person, Main St.

Saturday, November 27

12:05 a.m. Suspicious vehicle, Shrewsbury St.; changing glasses to contacts
8:59 a.m. Call about posting property for hunting

3:21 p.m. Erratic driver, Main St.; says was on the phone and has a lot on his mind
5:35 p.m. Caller states individual giving him crap; just wants it logged
6:40 p.m. Caller says resident acquired dog from Petfinder and it bit owner in the face; owner at hospital; dog in basement until animal control can fetch it

Sunday, November 28

2:24 a.m. 911 hang up; verbal argument, male party left to avoid physical altercation
8:44 a.m. Suspicious vehicle, Main St.
1:50 p.m. Suspicious vehicle driving by house taking pictures, Lovell Rd.
4:39 p.m. Glove box inside car open, Union St.; requests extra patrols
4:54 p.m. Worcester PD requests check on individual wanted for malicious destruction of property; not home, may be at Victoria’s Secret

Paxton

Monday, November 22

4:55 a.m. Gun shots in West St/ Pine Acres area. Suspect taken into custody by Spencer PD.
5:46 p.m. Tanglewood Rd. resident calling because her trash wasn’t picked up, advised to call trash company
6:11 p.m. Car struck deer, West St.

Tuesday, November 23

8:02 a.m. Suspicious pick-up truck in driveway of vacant house, Keep Ave. Person is employee of Northeast Properties
12:46 p.m. Resident reports no water, Keep Ave. Advised to call water department.
3:30 p.m. Cell phone caller advising her black Lab Seeing Eye dog ran off while she was at Boynton Park; dog found at 5:21 p.m.
5:32 p.m. Bicyclist on side of road with flashers on, Pleasant St. Picked up by parent.
6:31 p.m. Suspicious auto, Silver Spring Dr.
9:41 p.m. Caller reports child’s car seat on side of Crowningshield Dr.

Wednesday, November 24

11:19 a.m. Missing black cat, Pleasant St.
4:12 p.m. Suspicious auto behind residence, no plates, Grove St.
5:12 p.m. Suspicious auto near Howe’s Farm Stand

Friday, November 25

12:06 a.m. Dispersed gathering, Boynton Park
12:26 a.m. Dispersed gathering, Moore State Park
4:27 p.m. Suspicious auto, Marshall St.
11:57 p.m. Report of suspicious lights between residences, Red Oak St. Four-wheelers in area, will stop riding for the night.

Saturday, November 24

1:15 p.m. Missing calico cat, Richards Ave.
9:25 p.m. Suspicious person knocked at door, then took off, Whitney Dr.

Princeton

Wednesday, November 24

9:27 a.m. Suspicious vehicle, Merriam Rd.; found to be female putting on makeup before going to work
9:29 a.m. Husband’s wallet and keys taken by wife, later found in leaves outside, Lovers Ln.
10:07 a.m. Male dog wandering in neighborhood, Sterling Rd.
12:11 p.m. Missing pointer dog, Clearings Way
2:18 p.m. Suspicious pickup truck followed female home and then parked on side of road near her house, Ball Hill Rd.

Thursday, November 25

6:25 p.m. Large rock in roadway causing traffic hazard, Sterling Rd.

Friday, November 26

4:00 p.m. Suspicious incident, Parker Place
4:20 p.m. Report of person looking at females in hot tub, Goodnow Rd.

Sunday, November 28

12:06 p.m. Caller’s dog attacked (third time), Beaman Rd.
5:27 p.m. Group of teens in dark clothing riding bicycles on both side of Rte. 140

Rutland

Monday, November 22

12:43 p.m. Person at station to speak with officer about abandoned vehicle on his property, Main St.

Tuesday, November 23

3:40 a.m. Woman locked out of her apartment, Main St.
1:08 p.m. Person at station to report scam on Craig’s List, Main St.

Wednesday, November 24

10:40 a.m. Loose horse behind house, Campbell St.
12:18 p.m. Female reports receiving strange phone calls, Overlook Rd.; international scam

Thursday, November 25

10:05 a.m. Dog chasing male out running, dog now in road, Central Tree Rd.

Friday, November 26

12:49 p.m. Loose dog, Summerhill Dr.
2:37 p.m. Loose chocolate Labrador running down E. County Rd.
4:25 p.m. Man at station with machete found while cleaning out his house, Main St.

Saturday, November 27

9:21 a.m. Loud bang and power is out, Bethany Dr.

Sunday, November 28

7:35 p.m. Young female bitten by dog, Paddock Rd.
9:41 p.m. Car egged, Oakridge Rd.

Sterling

Monday, November 22

12:10 a.m. Complaint about truck running all night, Bird St.
11:12 a.m. Stray cat at home, Birch Dr.
5:33 p.m. Two small black dogs loose, Albright/Pratts Jct. Rds.
5:39 p.m. Large deer hit in road, Redemption Rock Trl./Princeton Rd.

Tuesday, November 23

8:22 a.m. Two small black dogs missing, Nicholas Dr.
11:58 a.m. Person bitten by dog, Holden Rd.; was tied and on owner’s property

Wednesday, November 24

11:22 a.m. Possible sick fox in yard, Chace Hill Rd.
12:07 p.m. Loose dog in yard, Gates Rd.
6:37 p.m. Vehicle stolen from parking lot, Clinton Rd. Taken by another employee

Thursday, November 25

1:50 a.m. Male wearing all black riding scooter down Jewett Rd.
2:27 a.m. Complaint about barking dog, Mortimer Rd.
1:22 p.m. Dead fox in drainage area, Ashton Ln.

Friday, November 26

12:50 p.m. Small black male dog found on Rte. 12, taken to shelter, Laurelwood Rd.

Saturday, November 27

10:19 a.m. Squirrel stuck in chimney, Olde Parish Ln.

Sunday, November 28

8:42 a.m. Two Persian cats in back yard, Holden Rd.
11:31 a.m. Beagle with cable still attached ran away, Meetinghouse Hill Rd.
2:09 p.m. Two dogs in road chasing passersby, Rowley Hill Rd.
4:36 p.m. Disturbance over use of hose, Worcester Rd.
6:18 p.m. Young male sitting in break down lane, Clinton Rd.
6:36 p.m. Lancaster PD requests cruiser for South Meadow area; individual transported home

We shall meet, but we shall miss him.

From my OnTheCommon Holden blog - We shall meet, but we shall miss him

We shall meet, but we shall miss him.

From my OnTheCommon Holden blog - We shall meet, but we shall miss him

Dept. of Signs

Even though the Signs of Worcester are pretty well under monitored, other communities have gone rogue. This NPR piece, City Asks: Who Put Up All Those Stop Signs?, for example, alerts us to a real and present danger: the uncontrolled proliferation of stop signs. Not only is someone in Cranston RI  putting up stop signs without permission, but the city is telling residents to obey the signs. A communique from the mayor's office noted that "drivers ... should not take this as a free pass. A stop sign is a stop sign."
The folks in the Midwest are having troubles as well. A railroad company in Mason City IA put up stop signs without permission. Even the gentle souls of Canada have to endure vigilante traffic justice.
Meanwhile, back at home, properly posted signs are reminding us not to park in a place where we'd probably not want to park anyway.

---

Dept. of Signs

Even though the Signs of Worcester are pretty well under monitored, other communities have gone rogue. This NPR piece, City Asks: Who Put Up All Those Stop Signs?, for example, alerts us to a real and present danger: the uncontrolled proliferation of stop signs. Not only is someone in Cranston RI  putting up stop signs without permission, but the city is telling residents to obey the signs. A communique from the mayor's office noted that "drivers ... should not take this as a free pass. A stop sign is a stop sign."
The folks in the Midwest are having troubles as well. A railroad company in Mason City IA put up stop signs without permission. Even the gentle souls of Canada have to endure vigilante traffic justice.
Meanwhile, back at home, properly posted signs are reminding us not to park in a place where we'd probably not want to park anyway.

---

More on reporters as opinionators

Nicole tells a fine story, A Confession « Nicole, Worcester,  about helping her grandmother vote during 2002. It's an excellent response to the column by Nick Kotsopoulos, Ballot help defies spirit of the law.
Voting isn't a social studies MCAS test where you have to demonstrate that you, unaided, know the answers. It's an act of civic participation whereby each voter expresses a viewpoint on the candidates and issues at hand. In town meetings, we vote in public, with plenty of opportunity to chat before and during the vote. Those votes are as legally binding as ballots on election day. Similarly, people can vote by absentee ballot, at home or wherever, with all manner of assistance and with no real time constraints. 
Our voting processes are complex and imprecise. We try to balance the rights of groups to voice their opinions, of individuals to act according to their consciences, and of the general public to know that the votes were counted as accurately as humanly possible.
We're coming up on the 10th anniversary of Bush v. Gore in which activist judges decided that the state of Florida should stop counting the votes in the 2000 presidential election because the Florida Supreme Court erred in its scheme to fashion a recount and that there wasn't time to create a new scheme that met constitutional requirements.

via Ballot help defies spirit of the law

So, people vote for many reasons and in many ways. Governments and others determine how the votes are tallied. As I said, our processes are complex and imprecise. We're trying to bring as many people into the process as we can. Yes, we need to do so legally. We're not helped by snarky comments about voters who are new to the process and uncertain about what to do. Particularly when those comments are made by an otherwise good political reporter.

---

More on reporters as opinionators

Nicole tells a fine story, A Confession « Nicole, Worcester,  about helping her grandmother vote during 2002. It's an excellent response to the column by Nick Kotsopoulos, Ballot help defies spirit of the law.
Voting isn't a social studies MCAS test where you have to demonstrate that you, unaided, know the answers. It's an act of civic participation whereby each voter expresses a viewpoint on the candidates and issues at hand. In town meetings, we vote in public, with plenty of opportunity to chat before and during the vote. Those votes are as legally binding as ballots on election day. Similarly, people can vote by absentee ballot, at home or wherever, with all manner of assistance and with no real time constraints. 
Our voting processes are complex and imprecise. We try to balance the rights of groups to voice their opinions, of individuals to act according to their consciences, and of the general public to know that the votes were counted as accurately as humanly possible.
We're coming up on the 10th anniversary of Bush v. Gore in which activist judges decided that the state of Florida should stop counting the votes in the 2000 presidential election because the Florida Supreme Court erred in its scheme to fashion a recount and that there wasn't time to create a new scheme that met constitutional requirements.

via Ballot help defies spirit of the law

So, people vote for many reasons and in many ways. Governments and others determine how the votes are tallied. As I said, our processes are complex and imprecise. We're trying to bring as many people into the process as we can. Yes, we need to do so legally. We're not helped by snarky comments about voters who are new to the process and uncertain about what to do. Particularly when those comments are made by an otherwise good political reporter.

---

RoasterBoy as athletic supporter

In order to graduate (again) from MWCC, I have to take gym. They call it something else, Fitness and Wellness, so it's not volleyball or synchronized swimming, but it's still gym.  I don't dispute the notion that I could use more exercise than I get, so I'm going along with this requirement with good humor and an open mind.
(One faculty member describes this as the means by which the staff at the Fitness and Wellness Center justifies itself. As far as I've been able to determine, Mt. Wachusett is alone in the Massachusetts community college system with such a requirement.)
When I tried to sign up for this course online, however, I was not able to do so. Apparently, in order to register for the gym class, I had to prove that I've taken college-level course in math and reading.

I was able to convince the person working in the Registrar's office that I'd taken a calculus course at a time close to when Newton had invented it. For the reading prerequisite, I read the catalog requirement that said that I needed to know how to read.
Now, I'm registered for gym, twice a week. I'm ready for all that's modern in the world of education.

RoasterBoy as athletic supporter

In order to graduate (again) from MWCC, I have to take gym. They call it something else, Fitness and Wellness, so it's not volleyball or synchronized swimming, but it's still gym.  I don't dispute the notion that I could use more exercise than I get, so I'm going along with this requirement with good humor and an open mind.
(One faculty member describes this as the means by which the staff at the Fitness and Wellness Center justifies itself. As far as I've been able to determine, Mt. Wachusett is alone in the Massachusetts community college system with such a requirement.)
When I tried to sign up for this course online, however, I was not able to do so. Apparently, in order to register for the gym class, I had to prove that I've taken college-level course in math and reading.

I was able to convince the person working in the Registrar's office that I'd taken a calculus course at a time close to when Newton had invented it. For the reading prerequisite, I read the catalog requirement that said that I needed to know how to read.
Now, I'm registered for gym, twice a week. I'm ready for all that's modern in the world of education.

Health news you can use, I think

via Triple That Vitamin D Intake, Panel Prescribes - WSJ.com (subscription)

via Extra Calcium and Vitamin D Aren’t Necessary, Report Says - NYTimes.com

The last Wikileaks post until the next one

So, let me see if I've got this: some lowly PFC has access to a gazillion secret military and diplomatic documents and, by pretending to listen to Lady Gaga, is able to squirrel them away on a DVD and ship them off so that an Australian nihilist can release them to selected newspapers around the world. If it was a TV show, it would never be produced, unless Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David made the pitch.
Meanwhile, on Sunday evening, WCVB runs a clip from their Washington bureau about the latest release of diplomatic documents, except that the clip doesn't reveal any of the content. Instead, everyone involved, from Julian Assange of Wikileaks.org to the newspapers that published the content of the memos to us, the prurient consumers.
And, Finland shouts from the cold north, "Hey, we've got secrets, too."
PFC Bradley Manning, the alleged distributor of the secret documents, is living out the dream of Arlo Guthrie's Last Guy, someone so otherwise anonymous that no one in the intelligence community bothered to check on his activities until he started bragging about them.
We're left with a familiar collision of first amendment rights against the very real need for some government activities to be secret. Just as many wish for a journalist's privilege to keep sources secret, so, too, do diplomats need privileged communications where the parties can speak candidly and sometimes crassly while they try to work through difficult problems.
All of which is rendered moot because, in these days of modern times, publishers can easily be outside American jurisdiction. Sure, the New York Times published many of findings and will no doubt publish more. The initial release, however, came via Germany's Der Speigel, U.K. Guardian, and other non-U.S. outlets. There will certainly be efforts to prosecute someone in American courts, but the long arm of the law can't contain all of the Internet.
One final note, from the U.K.'s Daily Mail, putting all of this into proper perspective in yesterday's home page.

Jeff Barnard

Jeff Barnard of Wormtown Taxi died this afternoon. All who knew Jeff wish they knew him better.
He wrote a lot and wrote with passion, eclectic thought, and humor. Our quirks, he called out, but with empathy. When he got serious, it tended to be on a few topics, such people who didn't care enough to do their jobs well. His frequent targets were politicians, particularly Worcester folks, and the press, particularly the reporters and columnists at the Telegram. He didn't mind mistakes or honest disagreements. What bothered him most, and what turned out to be his biggest charge to us all, is when folks phoned it in. He wanted us to take serious work seriously. Perhaps the gravest sin in the Taxi Guy Catechism was not voting.
In one of those scenarios that gives us all hope, a series of unplanned changes in work led him to drive a taxi which led him to writing which led him to a measure of fame and a lot of respect. A few weeks ago, he received the key to the city. This evening, his death is on the home page of the Telegram.


Jeff would appreciate the twist that the story of his passing made the papers, but is behind the Telegram.com paywall.
So, g'bye, Jeff. We'll miss you, but we're not going to sit around long and be sad. You showed us how to take our work seriously while taking ourselves not seriously at all. It's now up to us to keep doing that work.