More on Easter

 

Music

We can be grateful that radio stations and retail music systems haven't given us three months of Easter music in the run-up to the holiday. It would be pretty much Peter Cottontail or Handel's Messiah.

Needing a set of tunes to fill the house while preparing our portion of a fine Easter dinner at Mike and Lynn's, I put together this playlist.

Name	Artist
Helter Skelter	U2
Silver And Gold	U2
Pride (In The Name Of Love)	U2
When Love Comes To Town	U2
The Wanderer	U2
Walk On	U2
Sunday Bloody Sunday	U2
Bad	U2
One	U2
O Mary Don't You Weep	Bruce Springsteen & The Sessions Band
Jacob's Ladder	Bruce Springsteen & The Sessions Band

Who says that this Easter?

The relationship between the Protestant churches and the early church is, as Facebook would suggest, complicated.

Not only is Easter a movable feast, not fixed to a date on the secular calendar, but there are different ways that the Eastern and Western churches determine the date. All trace their formulas to  the decision of the Council of Nicea in 325. The meeting notes from that council haven't survived, so the calculations are left to the reader. The major points of contention and imprecision are described pretty well in Wikipedia.

So how is it that most Protestant denominations appear to accept the Roman church's designation that a) Easter should happen on a Sunday and b) independently from Passover, upon which the Easter stories are based? (A few Christian groups, such as the Seventh-Day Adventists and Worldwide Church of God, have different views about Easter observances.)  The quarrels among Christians seems less about the conclusion - when and how Easter should be observed - than about who makes the decision. Lutherans can observe Easter today not because the Bishop of Rome says so, but because they arrived at the same conclusion without being told.

Of course, we're reached the point that it's not likely that any major denomination is going to devote time and energy revisiting the fixation of the dates for Easter, or Christmas, for that matter. There's plenty to do with the way things are.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Best Laid Eggs of Mice Nor Men"][/caption]

 

Innovation & Agility in Boston

The Boston area is using the rich set of programs at the area's educational institutions, a deep bench of entrepreneurs, young and otherwise, and a little help from the state (mostly in the form of simplified regulations) to launch and support high-tech, bio-medical, and social startups.

Read the rest in my Business Agility blog post, Innovation & Agility in Boston

Before buying talent management system, consider talent lifecycle

At their most basic, talent management systems must address four integrated functions: recruiting, onboarding, performance and development, and compensation.

Read the rest of my TechTarget article at Before buying talent management system, consider talent lifecycle

Talent management system can help attract and nurture “human capital”

Talent management software provides an integrated set of IT tools for human resources that span the range of employee services. A talent management system can bring a unified perspective that lets companies find good people, bring them in, then train, guide, and compensate them.

Read the rest of my TechTarget article on Talent management system can help attract and nurture “human capital”

Crime in suburbia

From The Landmark (subscription required):
[Editor's note: there were 15 suspicious items this week.]

Holden

Monday, Match 19

6:04 a.m. Child's bicycle on sidewalk, Bullard St.
1:03 p.m. Person turned in small dog at station, Main St.
1:33 p.m. Caller concerned that person in large white truck is dumping furniture at end of Fisher Rd.

Tuesday, March 20

3:20 p.m. Police check on suspicious incident, Shrewsbury St.
5:24 p.m. Police out with three youths walking across traffic, Main St.
6:40 p.m. Police out with group of kids. All set, fishing, Quinapoxet St.
10:13 p.m. Police out with two kids in parking lot, Reservoir St.

Wednesday, March 21

12:15 a.m. Caller reports beeping noise, Rondeau Rd., Jefferson
11:47 a.m. Suspicious vehicle at different houses with driver taking pictures and writing notes, Jennifer Dr.

Thursday, March 22

3:59 p.m. Police check on male on railroad tracks behind business, Main St.

Friday, March23

12:49 p.m. Suspicious incident, neighbor calling in alarm, Basswood Cir.
6:11 p.m. Caller reports hawk in middle of Main St., obstructing traffic
8:08 p.m. Female, appears to be runner, limping and carrying shoe, Main/Salisbury Sts.
9:38 p.m. Caller reports group of teens appear to be intoxicated, Britney Dr.

Saturday, March 24

12:16 a.m. Police out with four individuals, Shrewsbury St.
10:06 a.m. Missing manhole cover, Reservoir St.
1:46 p.m. Advise kids of no-trespassing sign and skateboarding near Dumpsters, Jamieson Rd.
5:54 p.m. Group of 15 kids entering woods, Nichols St. Arrest three juveniles on disturbing the peace and assault charges
8:29 p.m. Two suspicious vehicles, Holden Hills Country Club
9:09 p.m. Caller reports female left vehicle and urinated, Main St.

Sunday, March 25

9:52 a.m. Person at station with emails saying he won a large sum of money, Main St.
3:39 p.m. Youths gathering in area of Nichols St.

Paxton

Monday, March19

5:17 p.m. Large bear on property, Suomi St.
6:50 p.m. Vehicles parked on access road where fire dept. is conducting training, Illigs Pond, West St.
8:38 p.m. Suspicious male on Pleasant St.; he's walking to a Camp St. residence

Tuesday, March 20

3:07 p.m. Television dumped on side of Suomi St. near Marshall St.

Wednesday, March 21

11:30 a.m. Black Lab loose near Crowningshield Dr.
6:07 p.m. General contractor in lobby requesting police escort to retrieve his tools at residence where he was fired by homeowner
8:27 p.m. Large black bear in yard, Holden Rd.

Thursday, March 22

7:44 p.m. Bear in backyard, Marshall St.

Saturday, March 24

8:43 a.m. Black and chocolate Labradors missing, Sanford Rd.
2:34 p.m. Officer requested to Pleasant St. residence. Neighbor cut down trees and homeowner wants to file charges

Sunday, March25

8:32 p.m. Suspicious vehicle with lights on in front of Paxton Market

Princeton

Monday, March 19

12:18 p.m. Complaint about barking dog, Worcester Rd.
4:33 p.m. Kids in canoe on private pond, Bullard Rd.
5:15 p.m. Caller wants to speak to animal control officer regarding neighbor's dog, Dowds Ln.

Tuesday, March 20

4:28 p.m. Person locked behind gate, Mountain Rd.

Wednesday, March 21

4:50 p.m. Person locked behind gate, Mountain Rd.

Thursday, March 22

6:16 p.m. Two dogs in yard, Worcester Rd.
7:20 p.m. Police assist person hitchhiking to business in Sterling

Friday, March 23

10:55 a.m. Police assist person locked out of vehicle, Mountain Rd.
2:14 p.m. Suspicious male came to door investigating voices from building, Brooks Station Rd.
6:00 p.m. Boy Scouts touring station, Town Hall Dr.

Saturday, March 24

10:37 a.m. Turkey struck and in roadway, Rte. 140 N
1:22 p.m. Eight chickens missing, Rocky Pond Rd.
6:21 p.m. Suspicious vehicle parked in driveway, Coal Kiln Rd.
10:48 p.m. Suspicious vehicle, Worcester Rd.

Sunday, March 25

11:39 p.m. Two suspicious vehicles in parking lot, Brooks Station Rd.

Rutland

Monday, March 19

10:52 a.m. White dog running loose in traffic, Edson Ave.
5:57 p.m. Three male juveniles walking down River Rd., smashing bottles
6:47 p.m. Person wants to speak with officer regarding kids shooting compound bows close to his home, Watson Ln.
8:38 p.m. Female reports being attacked by family member, Skyline Dr. Arrest: B

Tuesday, March 20

6:43 a.m. Suspicious van parked on Watson Ln.
6:25 p.m. Young male running out of house, Sassawanna Rd, heading to Pommogussett

Wednesday, March 21

10:55 a.m. Suspicious vehicle in neighborhood, Sycamore Dr.
3:15 p.m. Suspicious vehicle in area, Britney Dr.
4:27 p.m. Report of horse and buggy on roadway dropping feces, Lowry Ln.
7:11 p.m. Elderly male, possibly intoxicated, walking on Juniper Ln.
8:40 p.m. Suspicious male standing in front of Community Center, Glenwood Rd.

Thursday, March 22

7:32 p.m. Request for animal control officer for dog in accident vehicle
7:57 p.m. Paxton PD reports unknown disturbance, Miles Rd. Arrst: ---

Friday, March 23

7:52 a.m. Person wants to pick up dog held after accident, Main St.
9:20 a.m. People dumping Christmas tree and other yard waste in open space, Central Tree Estates
9:40 a.m. Live ammunition found, Miles Rd.

Saturday, March 24

7:36 p.m. Two young males on side of road trying to flag people down, E. County Rd.

Sunday, March 25

4:41 p.m. Complaint about horse wagon obstructing traffic, Glenwood Rd.

Sterling

Monday, March 19

10:54 a.m. Stray dog at house all morning, Crowley Rd.
1:32 p.m. Suspicious activity, Pikes Hill Rd.

Tuesday, March 20

11:25 a.m. Caller reports receiving recorded message saying he could win $1,000, Pineview Rd.
11:32 a.m. Complaint about barking dogs, Redstone Pl.
2:31 p.m. Animal control officer to check on raccoon, on roof and attempting to climb tree, Campground Rd.
3:54 p.m. Caller reports someone brought a yellow Lab to her house, thinking it was her dog, Greenland Rd.
6:44 p.m. Male at station with mail believed to be fraudulent, regarding airline tickets won in exchange for small payment, Kendall Hill Rd.

Wednesday, March 21

3:26 p.m. Police off with giant snapping turtle in middle of Worcester Rd.
3:50 p.m. Caller found leg bone that could be human, Waushacum Ave.

Thursday, March 22

3:11 p.m. Vehicles parked in no-parking zone, kids walking away wearing bathing suits, Heywood Rd.

Friday, March 23

3:32 p.m. Woman called a number of times by person who says she owes him $1,200 for magazines she never ordered, Fox Run Rd.
4:38 p.m. Caller reports septic seepage, Campground Rd.

Saturday, March 24

7:40 a.m. Person slumped over the wheel in parking lot, Leominster Rd.
11:55 p.m. Full-grown black bear by back door, Still River Rd. Dog barked, yelped, then silent – unknown if dog attacked by the bear

Sunday, March 25

2:22 a.m. Suspicious vehicle. Person vomiting out rear door, Waushacum Ave.
12:32 p.m. Report that person drives down culde sac, lets dog out to leave fecal matter in area, then leaves, Mellon Hollow Rd.

Wither the funnies of Sunday

Most of the time, I favor the present and future over the past. I think that, overall, we are making things better for ourselves and for the next generations. You can call me naïve, but I won't answer. We've eradicated diseases, brought freedom to more people in more places, and even reduced the amount of violence in the world. In spite of what you might hear from political campaigns or from the pulpit, life is getting much better for many more.

So, why, for all of our great wisdom and talent, have the Sunday funny pages become a cruel mockery of past glories?

Here's what you get now:

[caption id="attachment_3368" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="Boston Sunday Globe - 1 Apr 2012 (click to enbiggen)"][/caption]

Here's what you got in April 1970 (via Whirled of Kelly - Play Ball!)

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="220" caption="Pogo full-page Sunday comic - 5 Apr 1970 (click to enbiggen)"][/caption]

It wasn't just Walt Kelly's great talent for writing and drawing that made these strips so stunning. The newspapers published them, giving over a whole page to a single comic. The papers had to pay good money to do this. The papers of old made money by believing that the public were worthy of this rich nectar. The papers of new are surprised that modern readers don't savor comics made of high-fructose corn syrup.