Long gone, but now back… sort of. :)
Massachusetts residents: Today (Oct 17 2018) is the deadline to register to vote in November’s elections. If you’re not yet registered, please do it now! It only takes a couple minutes online: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ovr/ Other states’ deadline/registration info here: https://www.vote.org/voter-registration-deadlines/ Permalink: https://wp.me/paaiox-cp Reply? Questions? Use the Comment box at the bottom of the page, or click CONTACT.
Q: A reader asks: ‘Is Boston, MA a terrible place to live?’ (via Quora) A: Questions like this, with a built-in bias, presuppose the answer, sort of like “Have you stopped beating your wife?” But the answer is clearly no. Here’s proof: People don’t choose to move to a place that’s terrible, and Boston hasn’t had…
Yesterday, I saw something new while riding through the newly-renovated MacDonald Park on the north bank of the Mystic River in Medford, MA. The park has been massively renovated, with extensive landscape maintenance, new paving on the old trails and walkways, new benches and performance space, and now, this this small but delightful amenity:
Q: When will the leaves change color in Massachusetts in 2018? (via Quora) A: Usually, mid- to late- October is the local (Boston) peak color. So, it’s already started! There’s always variability in the timing and intensity of each year’s color; and now, with climate change, there’s more variability than ever. But here’s some info…
I did another shift volunteering on the phones to help WBUR‘s Fall fund drive today. Most pledges are modest; any amount helps. The average pledge I’ve taken probably works out to something around a buck or two a week. But today’s jaw-drop moment: I took one pledge for $1,000; all-at-once, and no premium/prize requested. Wow!…
Q. Where in Boston can you meditate away from car noise but not have to pay for this quiet space? (via Quora) A: Try the Boston Museum of Fine Arts’ free Japanese Garden, “Tenshin-en.” Tenshin-en, or the “Garden of the Heart of Heaven,” is a contemplative Japanese garden designed so that “One may be in…
It’s pledge week at WBUR, Boston’s NPR news station. Between NPR’s careful and objective news, and shows like ‘Wait wait don’t tell me,’ I feel that public radio is worth a modest financial contribution from me each year, plus helping them out during pledge week. It’s an interesting experience, and kinda fun, too. 🙂 Permalink:…
The Tufts boathouse at Mystic Lakes was ready for business today, but had no takers due to the still air and heavy overcast. Made for a nice photo, though. But it was a good ride at a decent pace for urban riding, despite weekend traffic and a detour caused by a water main break: Malden…
2018-09-14: A warm, gorgeous late summer day on Waitts Mount. It was cool overnight in Boston, but the Atlantic is still very warm, so the day started with heavy fog. (In the photo you can still see some fog blowing in off the harbor and partially obscuring the city, in the distance.) But a short…
Q. Who is responsible for the Boston gas blasts? (Mikhail Tuzikov, via Quora) A. As of early today, 2018-09-14, the mostly likely explanation is human error. Some old gas pipes were being replaced in that area, and workers may have incorrectly connected a medium-pressure distribution line (60psi/4.1bar) to a low-pressure residential line (0.25psi/0.02bar), overwhelming the…
