There was a Super Moon last night, a great full moon close to the Earth. We couldn't see it. We had fog. We had peepers and a snoring dog by the fireplace. We did ok.
It takes a long time to get that great mass of stone warmed up. Even with a fancy new fireplace insert to keep the heat, stone warms in its own time. We have plenty of dry wood in the shed and lots more to be split and more again to be cut and split. We're ok.
As we've seen each season, we begin our time with
Friday, May 04, 2012
Wednesday, May 02, 2012
Notes on the future of work
This morning, we learn from Kevin Kelly in Why can't a machine do this?
Of course, robots in the workplace aren't new. We're seeing a lot of robot news stories. Increasingly, those stories are written by robots. (The stories are written by computer programs, which are not literally robots. See the next paragraph.) A Chicago company is using algorithms to write news stories, starting with the sports. It pretty much works, right up to and including the expected cliches. Read more (written by an alleged human) at Can an Algorithm Write a Better News Story Than a Human Reporter?.
Robots are also reading and grading school papers. According to Michael Weinerip, in his NYT piece, Facing a Robo-Grader? Just Keep Obfuscating Mellifluously, these robotic reviews aren't very good at picking up grammatically correct, but factually flawed sentences. Then again, neither is the typical George Will reader.
And, then, well, er, um, here's this news: Researchers Claim Sex Robots Will Be Future Of Sex Tourism. The researchers are Australian, but the CBS affiliate in Las Vegas picked up the story. Dennis Hof, owner of the Bunny Ranch, doesn't think that robots will put his employees out of business. He told the TV station,, that a man mostly wants attention from a woman. "He wants to tell her stories, wants her to listen, wants her to act like she cares – a robot’s not going to do that.”
Meanwhile, over on Shiny Shiny, we learn that Panasonic wants to replace your hairdresser with a robot:
This seems like a good time to be nearer the end of a career than the beginning. It'll be good to get away from the increasingly robotic world and onto a retirement filled with hobbies and friends and memories and, oh, snap.
GeckoSystems CareBot™ helps to alleviate caregiver shortage for Japanese elderly.
If there is pressure to increase the productivity of human workers, the serious question to ask is, why can't a machine do this? The fact that a task is routine enough to be measured suggests that it is routine enough to go to the robots. In my opinion, many of the jobs that are being fought over by unions today are jobs that will be outlawed within several generations as inhumane. (His emphasis)
Of course, robots in the workplace aren't new. We're seeing a lot of robot news stories. Increasingly, those stories are written by robots. (The stories are written by computer programs, which are not literally robots. See the next paragraph.) A Chicago company is using algorithms to write news stories, starting with the sports. It pretty much works, right up to and including the expected cliches. Read more (written by an alleged human) at Can an Algorithm Write a Better News Story Than a Human Reporter?.
Robots are also reading and grading school papers. According to Michael Weinerip, in his NYT piece, Facing a Robo-Grader? Just Keep Obfuscating Mellifluously, these robotic reviews aren't very good at picking up grammatically correct, but factually flawed sentences. Then again, neither is the typical George Will reader.
And, then, well, er, um, here's this news: Researchers Claim Sex Robots Will Be Future Of Sex Tourism. The researchers are Australian, but the CBS affiliate in Las Vegas picked up the story. Dennis Hof, owner of the Bunny Ranch, doesn't think that robots will put his employees out of business. He told the TV station,, that a man mostly wants attention from a woman. "He wants to tell her stories, wants her to listen, wants her to act like she cares – a robot’s not going to do that.”
Meanwhile, over on Shiny Shiny, we learn that Panasonic wants to replace your hairdresser with a robot:
This seems like a good time to be nearer the end of a career than the beginning. It'll be good to get away from the increasingly robotic world and onto a retirement filled with hobbies and friends and memories and, oh, snap.
GeckoSystems CareBot™ helps to alleviate caregiver shortage for Japanese elderly.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Ditch the Click: Study Says Clicks Don't Correlate to Conversions
It’s time to rethink the click. Click-to-conversion rates are much lower than previously thought, according to a report from Pretarget and comScore. Further, many display ads are placed in locations where they aren’t seen by site visitors or where they can harm the brand image.
Read the rest on my CMO Site blog: Ditch the Click: Study Says Clicks Don't Correlate to Conversions
Read the rest on my CMO Site blog: Ditch the Click: Study Says Clicks Don't Correlate to Conversions
Global Study: Banks Are Trying Too Hard
Banks are trying to do it all, and it's hurting both the customer experience and their own ability to innovate, according to a major industry study.
Read the rest on my Better Bank Systems blog post, Global Study: Banks Are Trying Too Hard
Read the rest on my Better Bank Systems blog post, Global Study: Banks Are Trying Too Hard
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Predictions about the future of the news business
We just finished our WISE course on the future of the news business. For the last class, I made four predictions and told the class that we'd review them in April of next year.
Here they are:
- CNN is toast.
- One or more major magazines will cease print operations because of postal rate hikes. (Newsweek).
- One or more major daily newspapers in the Northeast will cease printing on one or more days per week.
- Worcester will have no local radio news and no one will notice.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
More on mobile apps
I got an email this morning that informed me of the new Rite Aid app. The email had a QR code that let me easily install the app on my phone. Well, almost easily.
I couldn't remember my registration or if I'd even registered. So, I had to navigate the Rite-Aid web site on my phone to check a few things. The Rite Aid web site does not scale to the size of a phone's display.
[caption id="attachment_3447" align="aligncenter" width="168" caption="Click to enbiggen"]
[/caption]
I've uninstalled the app.
I couldn't remember my registration or if I'd even registered. So, I had to navigate the Rite-Aid web site on my phone to check a few things. The Rite Aid web site does not scale to the size of a phone's display.
[caption id="attachment_3447" align="aligncenter" width="168" caption="Click to enbiggen"]
[/caption]I've uninstalled the app.
Don't eat lunch alone
Last night I attended a gathering of our local chamber of commerce. I like these folks. Most of the people there are trying to build small businesses that let's them do things they're good at. For some people, it's banking or real estate. For others, it can be a store or a services business or goodness knows what.
We talked very little about doing business in the sense of trying to work out a deal. We talked about how we helped other people solve problems. I talked as much about my grandkids as I did about WordPress, Cat5 vs Cat5e vs Cat6 cabling, or state and federal trademark law. I talked with a nursing home administrator about the discussions she'd been having with an about-to-be college graduate, with a bank branch manager about how electronic banking was giving him and his staff more time to spend on customer service, with a realtor about finding a volunteer opportunity for her teen-aged son. I had a good chat with a guy who called me Gary about the effect that the warm winter had on local businesses.
Toward the latter part of the gathering, I saw John DiPietro. John and I will be giving a LinkedIn workshop for the chamber in a couple of weeks. After talking about the workshop for a bit, John mentioned the interesting results he was getting from posting questions on LinkedIn. His most recent question, Going out for lunch vs eating at your desk, was bringing comments from around the world.
He then noted that, if you're eating lunch at your desk, three bad things may happen: 1) you might spill food on your computer, 2) you'll miss a chance for some exercise, and 3) you'll miss a chance to talk with some. "Go out. Have a cup of soup. See what happens."
In this world of virtual work, it's easy to overlook the opportunities for face-to-face contact. Even if the people around town aren't working on the same things that you are, they're working on something interesting and living lives that offer something important.
I stayed for a while longer, talking with a web designer about developing sites for multiple platforms, particularly for the smaller screens on mobile devices.
When it was time to leave, I waved to the guy I'd seen earlier.
"Bye, Gary," he said. "Thanks for coming."
We talked very little about doing business in the sense of trying to work out a deal. We talked about how we helped other people solve problems. I talked as much about my grandkids as I did about WordPress, Cat5 vs Cat5e vs Cat6 cabling, or state and federal trademark law. I talked with a nursing home administrator about the discussions she'd been having with an about-to-be college graduate, with a bank branch manager about how electronic banking was giving him and his staff more time to spend on customer service, with a realtor about finding a volunteer opportunity for her teen-aged son. I had a good chat with a guy who called me Gary about the effect that the warm winter had on local businesses.
Toward the latter part of the gathering, I saw John DiPietro. John and I will be giving a LinkedIn workshop for the chamber in a couple of weeks. After talking about the workshop for a bit, John mentioned the interesting results he was getting from posting questions on LinkedIn. His most recent question, Going out for lunch vs eating at your desk, was bringing comments from around the world.
He then noted that, if you're eating lunch at your desk, three bad things may happen: 1) you might spill food on your computer, 2) you'll miss a chance for some exercise, and 3) you'll miss a chance to talk with some. "Go out. Have a cup of soup. See what happens."
In this world of virtual work, it's easy to overlook the opportunities for face-to-face contact. Even if the people around town aren't working on the same things that you are, they're working on something interesting and living lives that offer something important.
I stayed for a while longer, talking with a web designer about developing sites for multiple platforms, particularly for the smaller screens on mobile devices.
When it was time to leave, I waved to the guy I'd seen earlier.
"Bye, Gary," he said. "Thanks for coming."
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Long-distance power
Ars Technica is reporting on a plan to run a very high-voltage cable from Iceland to the UK or mainland Europe. The plan would deliver 5B kilowatt-hours per year from Iceland's geothermal generating systems to a Europe that is seeking safer and more sustainable sources of energy. (Germany, in response to last year's nuclear catastrophe, is closing down its nuclear reactors.)
Other long-distance power connections have been in place in Europe for a while, but this would be the world's longest by far. Additional power transmission are envisioned, bringing solar power from North Africa to Europe.
The final construction schedule or costs haven't been published yet. The feasibility study, the article notes, found no major issues. One concern that may have been overlooked, however, one that could cause problems for the UK's bid to be the terminus of the Iceland cable.
This is the standard Iceland plug:
This is the standard UK socket:
Other long-distance power connections have been in place in Europe for a while, but this would be the world's longest by far. Additional power transmission are envisioned, bringing solar power from North Africa to Europe.
The final construction schedule or costs haven't been published yet. The feasibility study, the article notes, found no major issues. One concern that may have been overlooked, however, one that could cause problems for the UK's bid to be the terminus of the Iceland cable.
This is the standard Iceland plug:
This is the standard UK socket:
More on kid safety
Victor Infante's wrote poignantly in his Friday Pop Culture Notebook<[1] about Jeff Barnard. Jeff, as many of you remember, died a year-and-a-half ago, leaving not only silence where his voice had been, but also a drought of energy from the rest of us. Jeff worked hard and, in the process, got the rest of us to work hard.
It wasn't about competition, but about conversation. You know how it is: a gathering of friends brings out the best of everyone. One good idea sparks a half-dozen more. Further, if someone provides an insight, you cannot not see it afterwards. The world has a lot of great people who can fill our lives with magic and a lot of others who seek to fill our lives with fear.
Among marketing types, there's a hot trend with QR codes. These squared ink blots, Quick Response codes, provide your smartphone with detailed information about a website, contact information, or other something else of questionable utility. I have one on my business card, mostly as a conversation starter. It contains my contact information.
It was inevitable that someone would combine this marketing device with our fears. Toward that end, we now have SafetyTat. As we learn, if we turn our backs for even a moment, we can lose our kid, but a tattooed QR code can
n.b. Update: Victor send me a link to the article. Here's a clip of it from the Telegram's Friday e-Edition.
[caption id="attachment_3431" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Click to enbiggen"]
[/caption]
It wasn't about competition, but about conversation. You know how it is: a gathering of friends brings out the best of everyone. One good idea sparks a half-dozen more. Further, if someone provides an insight, you cannot not see it afterwards. The world has a lot of great people who can fill our lives with magic and a lot of others who seek to fill our lives with fear.
Among marketing types, there's a hot trend with QR codes. These squared ink blots, Quick Response codes, provide your smartphone with detailed information about a website, contact information, or other something else of questionable utility. I have one on my business card, mostly as a conversation starter. It contains my contact information.It was inevitable that someone would combine this marketing device with our fears. Toward that end, we now have SafetyTat. As we learn, if we turn our backs for even a moment, we can lose our kid, but a tattooed QR code can
These folks have not only registered their trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, but they have a patent on it, too.
n.b. Update: Victor send me a link to the article. Here's a clip of it from the Telegram's Friday e-Edition.
[caption id="attachment_3431" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Click to enbiggen"]
[/caption]
More on the world around us
Victor Infante's wrote poignantly in his Friday Pop Culture Notebook about Jeff Barnard. Jeff, as many of you remember, died a year-and-a-half ago, leaving not only silence where his voice had been, but also a drought of energy from the rest of us. Jeff worked hard and, in the process, got the rest of us to work hard.
It wasn't about competition, but about conversation. You know how it is: a gathering of friends brings out the best of everyone. One good idea sparks a half-dozen more. Further, if someone provides an insight, you cannot not see it afterwards. The world has a lot of great people who can fill our lives with magic and a lot of others who seek to fill our lives with fear.
Among marketing types, there's a hot trend with QR codes. These squared ink blots provide your smartphone with detailed information about a website, contact information, or other something else of questionable utility. I have one on my business card, mostly as a conversation starter. It contains my contact information.
It wasn't about competition, but about conversation. You know how it is: a gathering of friends brings out the best of everyone. One good idea sparks a half-dozen more. Further, if someone provides an insight, you cannot not see it afterwards. The world has a lot of great people who can fill our lives with magic and a lot of others who seek to fill our lives with fear.
Among marketing types, there's a hot trend with QR codes. These squared ink blots provide your smartphone with detailed information about a website, contact information, or other something else of questionable utility. I have one on my business card, mostly as a conversation starter. It contains my contact information.It was inevitable that someone would combine this marketing device with our fears. Toward that end, we now have SafetyTat. As we learn, if we turn our backs for even a moment, we can lose our kid, but a tattooed QR code can
These folks have not only registered their trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, but they have a patent on it, too.
Monday, April 16, 2012
B Corporations Build Brands by Doing Good
“Better companies make better products,” says the B Lab ad. B Lab is a nonprofit association leading an effort to create a new class of businesses called a B (Benefit) corporation. A B corporation modifies the company's legal framework to integrate verifiable social change with the usual goals of financial responsibility.
Read the rest on my blog on TheCMOSite.com: B Corporations Build Brands by Doing Good
Read the rest on my blog on TheCMOSite.com: B Corporations Build Brands by Doing Good
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Eight years of RoasterBoy
Today we'll see Suessical at the Hanover Theater. Lily is with us for a few days. Cassie and Tess will join us. After the show and meeting the cast backstage, we get a bite to eat and come back to our house.
It's a day and a time that's less serious and more important, about letting go and listening, about having a seven-year-old read The Lorax to me after breakfast.
This blog started because of change, losing a job and moving to something unexpected. I never expected how unexpected it could be. Here's to more of it. Thanks for joining e safari.
It's a day and a time that's less serious and more important, about letting go and listening, about having a seven-year-old read The Lorax to me after breakfast.
This blog started because of change, losing a job and moving to something unexpected. I never expected how unexpected it could be. Here's to more of it. Thanks for joining e safari.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
The speed of local news
GoLocalWorcester is a formidable newcomer on the local news scene. Led by executive editor Natalie Jacobson, they've brought good reporting on a range of topics. Of particular note is finding the local angle on state and national reports.
Monday, April 09, 2012
New Internet Domains Deadline Looms
Brands are scrambling to secure their own top-level Internet domains before the Thursday deadline for completing applications.
The new generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs) are a controversial proposal by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which governs domain names on the Internet, to vastly expand the number of top-level domains beyond the familiar .com, .net, .org, to include a wide variety of alternatives. Under the proposal, companies would be able to secure their own brands as gTLDs, and other gTLDs could be generic words.
Read the rest on my blog at TheCMOSite.com - New Internet Domains Deadline Looms
The new generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs) are a controversial proposal by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which governs domain names on the Internet, to vastly expand the number of top-level domains beyond the familiar .com, .net, .org, to include a wide variety of alternatives. Under the proposal, companies would be able to secure their own brands as gTLDs, and other gTLDs could be generic words.
Read the rest on my blog at TheCMOSite.com - New Internet Domains Deadline Looms
Saturday, April 07, 2012
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
Read the rest in my Business Agility blog post, Innovation & Agility in Boston
Tuesday, April 03, 2012
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
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”
Read the rest of my TechTarget article on Talent management system can help attract and nurture “human capital”
Sunday, April 01, 2012
Crime in suburbia
From The Landmark (subscription required):
[Editor's note: there were 15 suspicious items this week.]
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.
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.
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.
3:59 p.m. Police check on male on railroad tracks behind business, Main St.
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.
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.
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.
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
3:07 p.m. Television dumped on side of Suomi St. near Marshall St.
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.
7:44 p.m. Bear in backyard, Marshall St.
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
8:32 p.m. Suspicious vehicle with lights on in front of Paxton Market
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.
4:28 p.m. Person locked behind gate, Mountain Rd.
4:50 p.m. Person locked behind gate, Mountain Rd.
6:16 p.m. Two dogs in yard, Worcester Rd.
7:20 p.m. Police assist person hitchhiking to business in Sterling
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.
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.
11:39 p.m. Two suspicious vehicles in parking lot, Brooks Station Rd.
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
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
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.
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: ---
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.
7:36 p.m. Two young males on side of road trying to flag people down, E. County Rd.
4:41 p.m. Complaint about horse wagon obstructing traffic, Glenwood Rd.
10:54 a.m. Stray dog at house all morning, Crowley Rd.
1:32 p.m. Suspicious activity, Pikes Hill Rd.
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.
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.
3:11 p.m. Vehicles parked in no-parking zone, kids walking away wearing bathing suits, Heywood Rd.
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.
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
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.
[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.
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.
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