A few months ago I published a post showcasing Watching Grass Grow. Billed as the "Most Exciting Website in the World", the site primarily consists of a webcam trained on the blogger's front lawn. Every once in a while we're all treating to someone mowing the lawn, but that's it.
I thought that site was the piniacle treatment for insomnia.
I was wrong.
Check out The Pitch Drop Experiment. Seems that some scientist set up a funnel of pitch, and the stuff has been oozing out drop by drop – since 1927.
Hi Folks – Once again I VERY GLADLY missed all the "fun" here in Boston. The lockdown was major bother, as my shift relief couldn't get into town, and I couldn't get out! Finally got home late in the morning – but all the police actions, explosions and manhunt were many many miles from anyplace I was yesterday. Thank you for all your well wishes. I am safe and sound.
Several people have called or sent text or email asking if I was at the Boston Marathon. Mercifully, I was not – though the area where it all went down was about 2 blocks from the subway stop I would have used.
I worked last night; in addition, my boss asked to take off today, so as soon as my shift ended, I went home and crashed.
Thank you all for your concern, but I'm just fine.
Yep, we now have four classes available at the CyberCafe in Malden. That's only two blocks from the Malden T stop.
I'm teaching the Wednesday night class on Google for Job Search.
Even if you're not in the market right now, brushing up on your resume and job hunting skills is a good way to improve your computer skills and make yourself useful to the job you have now – so come check it out!
Slots are filling up fast, so call 781/397-2970 and book in NOW!
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that most of the great newspapers of the world have degenerated into a daily version of People Magazine; but if this trend continues I'll be looking at TV Guide for my investment advice.
I was putting together a blog post for a transportation website when I ran across this exhibit by the weird, wacky wonderful artist Laurel Roth and her beautiful sweaters for – wait for it – pigeons.
Yes, those little gray poop machines, otherwise known as flying rats, are given the star treatment and are covered with crochet costumes of recently extinct birds.
Click on the link below to see a short video of Roth's pigeon costumes, then check out the other links at the end of this post to see more of her incredible work:
The jump school closes in winter, so my plans to fling myself out of a perfectly good airplane were shot to heck last year.
But the game is on! A couple of weeks ago my posse set up the new jump date for the 15th of July.
Take that, Gravity! ::Shaking fist:: I'll beat you yet!
This is a cross post from my (very undeveloped) site MBTAreform.com
STUPID MATH PROBLEM #1
If you had a heart attack, and your Doc says you have a blockage in your arteries, would you spend your money on:
a.) heart bypass surgery
or
b.) a boob job
Duh. It's simple economics that anyone understands – buy bread and milk before steak. Fix the roof before you install a pool. Winter coats for the kids come before vacations to Miami.
Let's be clear on this; the MBTA did not need to bury the Green Line, remodel Haymarket, rebuild North Station, or engage in any of the beautification projects of the early 2000's. Those costs were imposed on the subway system by the DOT to satisfy loan requirements for the remodeled highway system.
Now the T is out of cash and wants to drastically raise fares and cut bus, commuter rail and ferry service.
STUPID MATH PROBLEM #2
If the bank gives you half the money to remodel your house, do you
a.) scrape together the other half of the money yourself
or
b.) rob your neighbor at gunpoint for the rest of the money?
Yeah, I know – another Duh. But the MBTA and its riders are currently being forced to pick up nearly 50 million dollars of expenses from Department of Transportation mismanagement of the Big Dig project.
Subway riders are now subsidizing automobile drivers, leaving no money for essential services. This makes fare hikes and service cuts inevitable.
So what do you think? Should T riders pick up costs pegged to the Big Dig?
Took this pic on Charles Street near Revere; if you made it, let me know!
In the residential neighborhood where I work, people decorate with pumpkins. About 2 weeks before Halloween, decorative pumpkins perch at the entryways of brownstones up and down the Hill. These elusive orange creatures pass thru in waves; first the giant painted pumpkins, then their slightly smaller kin a few weeks later during the Thanksgiving season. And while they're certainly cute and prettty, I start eyeing them for entirely different reason.
Ya see, about 3 days after Halloween, the pumpkins start disappearing from the entryways and start appearing in the trash. This is when I make my move.
Armed with nothing more than my giant IKEA bag (which will hold a toddler or a developing nation, take your pick), and a knowledge of the grazing areas of this giant vegetable, this intrepid explorer sets off in search of her prey.
As they browse for a chance to join their friends milling about near the refuge of the refuse containers, I strike – draping the IKEA bag over the chosen pumpkin and trapping it in place. Although my squash(ed) prey struggles, rolling about in the bag as I carry it home, its conversion to a mashed, fried and baked state is all but assured.
For the next month I will hunt the pumpkin herd as it moves thru the neighborhood, drying and canning the nutritious vegetable as it moves thru the city in seach of a garbage dump to call home.
