Don Gillis, former sports director for the WHDH (when it was Boston's CBS affiliate until 1972)/WCVB (an ABC affiliate since then) and host of Candlepin Bowling on Saturdays, passed away at the age of 85.
Candelpin Bowling was a staple at my grandparent's house, as every Saturday afternoon my grandmother would be serving my grandfather lunch, and he'd dip his sandwich into his tea. My uncle also bowled on Candlepin Bowling back in the eighties, against Hugh Ferguson, and I can also remember as clear as yesterday Tom Olzsta rolling four consecutive strikes.
No word yet if the pallbearers will be in a half-Worcester formation, but Don would certainly laugh at it if he did.
UPDATE: Joe Fitzgerald from the Boston Herald details Gillis' service in the Navy, and was there the day the Japanese surrendered and ended World War II.
4/24/2008
A solid analysis of how taxes work
This article from CNN Money/Fortune is a straight-ahead (i.e. bias-free) observation on who pays what in taxes, based on wealth.
All I have to say is, "Better not show this to Congress...or maybe Congress knows this and would get clobbered if the public knew the truth!"
All I have to say is, "Better not show this to Congress...or maybe Congress knows this and would get clobbered if the public knew the truth!"
3/20/2008
Ashmont Discount RIP
My father was a frequent customer at Ashmont Discount Home Improvement Stores in the 80s and 90s, but the store finally closed down around 2002-2004 because everyone else found
Lowe's and Home Depot to be much better.
Thus, the trucks and cranes duly rendered the store into rubble, and a mini-Staples will rise in its place. I like Staples - I consider it a toy store for geeks and admins - and it'll be easier just to take the Route 50 bus to get my allotment of rubber erasers and funky calculators, but I can bet you that my Dad is looking for a few drill bits and masking tape at the Ashmont Discount in the beyond.
Lowe's and Home Depot to be much better.
Thus, the trucks and cranes duly rendered the store into rubble, and a mini-Staples will rise in its place. I like Staples - I consider it a toy store for geeks and admins - and it'll be easier just to take the Route 50 bus to get my allotment of rubber erasers and funky calculators, but I can bet you that my Dad is looking for a few drill bits and masking tape at the Ashmont Discount in the beyond.
3/10/2008
Beware with your RFID cards
If you have a Charlie Card, you know you can tap them and your fare gets subtracted (or you get a note, "Card good until end of the month").
Universal Hub offers this tidbit which is apropos of what has happened to me, i.e. your RFID chip, if it contains money, is extremely vulnerable. That is, someone with a cheap scanner can figure out your unique code, and take all your money.
It didn't happen to me with my Charlie Card. When my credit account came up for renewal, the company sent me one with an RFID chip.
Soon enough, I began to receive things in the mail I never ordered.
I figured all this bogus activity started around the 2nd of February, right after I bought some breakfast at Burger King or put some money on a (seperate) Charlie Card. All of the previous charges before I reactivated the card were fine and what I expected, but soon after the RFID card got activated, the fun started.
The credit card company has been outstanding in these travails. They cancelled my previous card, and gave me a new card, and refunded my money, but the new card also has new fraud charges popping up on them as well, either previous charges from the old card, or they simply got a hold of the new card. Think of those pop-up ads with spam, and then consider every time they do pop up, you get charged for it.
The one good thing about this is that these aren't huge charges - none of them were over $50. The companies I have dealt with understand completely, and they have been very nice about closing the previous (fraudulently opened) accounts.
The lesson I learned is no matter how safe and how careful you think you are in your accounts, think again. At first, I blamed myself - I was the victim of theft, even this type of petit larceny. Then, as more things came and I was able to say, "nope, not mine, close the account" I felt good, as it gave me hope that, yes, I was a victim, but no, I wasn't going to be passive about this - this a battle that affects not just me, but many others like me. Identity theft is no joke, especially when you have to consider all the man-hours of collecting information, calling the card companies, calling the businesses to close the accounts, being ultra-vigilant about new charges, contacting your credit reporting agencies - it's a huge pain in the ass, but well worth the difference between having your good name and credit history intact and having someone on their way to Tahiti while your available credit is zero.
When I was in 7th grade at Latin Academy, I had a bully attempt to extort money from me. The kid kept on picking on me and taking my money until I got fed up enough to go to my guidance counselor. I was scared shitless, crying, fearing retribution, but once he got suspended, six other kids told the exact same story, and the person was expelled later in the year. The headmaster and assistant headmaster were proud of me coming forward, and behind the scenes, the kids were grateful that someone came forward.
It might be cool for the jerk/scammer/script kiddie who swipes your credit card numbers, but the damage can be limited or minimal if you act immediately. Being a victim of any crime merits immediate action, even if you or the person who did it think it's minor. Not every battle or war requires bullets or guns, but depends a lot on keeping your wits (not panicking) and keeping a paper trail.
Universal Hub offers this tidbit which is apropos of what has happened to me, i.e. your RFID chip, if it contains money, is extremely vulnerable. That is, someone with a cheap scanner can figure out your unique code, and take all your money.
It didn't happen to me with my Charlie Card. When my credit account came up for renewal, the company sent me one with an RFID chip.
Soon enough, I began to receive things in the mail I never ordered.
- Five pounds of premium coffee, plus appropriate coffeemakers and grinders
- Mystery books
- Vitamins from a "neutriceutical" company
- Subscriptions to the Disney DVD club AND Scholastic AND Baby Einstein
- Auction trades
- Stamps.com
I figured all this bogus activity started around the 2nd of February, right after I bought some breakfast at Burger King or put some money on a (seperate) Charlie Card. All of the previous charges before I reactivated the card were fine and what I expected, but soon after the RFID card got activated, the fun started.
The credit card company has been outstanding in these travails. They cancelled my previous card, and gave me a new card, and refunded my money, but the new card also has new fraud charges popping up on them as well, either previous charges from the old card, or they simply got a hold of the new card. Think of those pop-up ads with spam, and then consider every time they do pop up, you get charged for it.
The one good thing about this is that these aren't huge charges - none of them were over $50. The companies I have dealt with understand completely, and they have been very nice about closing the previous (fraudulently opened) accounts.
The lesson I learned is no matter how safe and how careful you think you are in your accounts, think again. At first, I blamed myself - I was the victim of theft, even this type of petit larceny. Then, as more things came and I was able to say, "nope, not mine, close the account" I felt good, as it gave me hope that, yes, I was a victim, but no, I wasn't going to be passive about this - this a battle that affects not just me, but many others like me. Identity theft is no joke, especially when you have to consider all the man-hours of collecting information, calling the card companies, calling the businesses to close the accounts, being ultra-vigilant about new charges, contacting your credit reporting agencies - it's a huge pain in the ass, but well worth the difference between having your good name and credit history intact and having someone on their way to Tahiti while your available credit is zero.
When I was in 7th grade at Latin Academy, I had a bully attempt to extort money from me. The kid kept on picking on me and taking my money until I got fed up enough to go to my guidance counselor. I was scared shitless, crying, fearing retribution, but once he got suspended, six other kids told the exact same story, and the person was expelled later in the year. The headmaster and assistant headmaster were proud of me coming forward, and behind the scenes, the kids were grateful that someone came forward.
It might be cool for the jerk/scammer/script kiddie who swipes your credit card numbers, but the damage can be limited or minimal if you act immediately. Being a victim of any crime merits immediate action, even if you or the person who did it think it's minor. Not every battle or war requires bullets or guns, but depends a lot on keeping your wits (not panicking) and keeping a paper trail.
3/03/2008
Chuck E Cheese - it's trashtastic!
If you're a parent and you want to take your young'uns to a place where food and arcade entertainment mix pleasantly, may I suggest Dave and Buster's? (There are none in Massachusetts, but the closest one is at Providence Place in Rhode Island. Perhaps the element of gambling and not getting money back is a bad thing in Massachusetts?)
The food is a little more expensive, but at least you'll have the peace of mind not watching fistfights, intergang battles, fat white trash women arguing with skinny black gangbanger boyfriends (permascowls and cocked hats optional) while smacking their mixed-race spawn, and the mediocre pizza. Maybe the element of Fight Club and how the lower middle classes live is what draws this type of clientle; maybe other Chuck E Cheese franchises across the nation are more well behaved. I've never been to one.
However, as the night wears on, the clientele at D&B's becomes more adult, but not so much so that it requires a flak jacket and bail money.
The food is a little more expensive, but at least you'll have the peace of mind not watching fistfights, intergang battles, fat white trash women arguing with skinny black gangbanger boyfriends (permascowls and cocked hats optional) while smacking their mixed-race spawn, and the mediocre pizza. Maybe the element of Fight Club and how the lower middle classes live is what draws this type of clientle; maybe other Chuck E Cheese franchises across the nation are more well behaved. I've never been to one.
However, as the night wears on, the clientele at D&B's becomes more adult, but not so much so that it requires a flak jacket and bail money.
2/22/2008
"What if they replaced the word f--- for the word kill in all those movie cliches?"
That's an old George Carlin skit with examples like "kill the ump," "'Okay Sheriff, we're gonna kill ya now. But we're gonna kill ya slow.'" "Shamu the Killer Whale."
It wouldn't help either way in little Jim's situation; unless those clever and bitter souls who program Elmo have other naughty Elmos, like Elmo Knows the Aristocrats Skit, Elmo Says Racial Epithets, Elmo The Pimp/Gangbanger, and Elmo the Leftist Agitator Whose Arrest Record Is The Size of the Manhattan Phonebook.
It wouldn't help either way in little Jim's situation; unless those clever and bitter souls who program Elmo have other naughty Elmos, like Elmo Knows the Aristocrats Skit, Elmo Says Racial Epithets, Elmo The Pimp/Gangbanger, and Elmo the Leftist Agitator Whose Arrest Record Is The Size of the Manhattan Phonebook.
2/20/2008
The Northeast: where economic growth sputters
Jon Keller has the goods on a report from ALEC, a non-partisan forum highlighting where the economic pulse is good and bad.
According to the report, Massachusetts ranks 26th in economic outlook, which is one rung below the 50th percentile. Our saving graces: low sales taxes (5%), low income taxes (5.3%-5.95%) and "solid tort liability" (not sure what that means). Yet, we lose 330K residents thanks to a "high minimum wage" (national minimum is $5.85; ours is $7.50), high property taxes, high corporate taxes, and "forced unionism" (meaning that great "living wage" they tell you about also includes 20% or so in union dues, which promptly get spent on campaigns, strike funds, protests, and goodies for the union bosses).
A great example between Massachusetts and New Hampshire, for example? New Hampshire has an outrageously high property tax, about $50 per $1,000 per home value, meaning your $250,000 home in Nashua yields $12,500 in property taxes. They also have a meals tax of 8%. On the other hand, New Hampshire has 0% income tax and 0% sales tax. Massachusetts also has the largest concentration of colleges (including 10+ Ivy League schools), universities, and hospitals, and many are world class (is there a New York Latin School? A Kentucky General Hospital? What if Harvard were in Chicago?), whereas New Hampshire has one Ivy League school (Dartmouth), one quasi-ivy league school (University of New Hampshire) and many smaller state schools. In New Hampshire, apartment rents are at least 50% lower than those of Boston, if you can find an apartment not occupied by medical students and college students AND pay the $1000+/month rent.
It all balances out in the end - the strengths of one state may outnumber the weaknesses of the other, but it's how we pay the bills that makes all the difference. If you live in Utah, no worries - except in Salt Lake City, where word has it that the mayor is a little bit weird.
In case you're wondering who ranks dead last...when the report mentioned one Bernie Sanders as an "avowed socialist...enough said," I never thought Vermont would come in dead last. No wonder some Vermonters want to secede from America - they want to make it a new Cuba!
According to the report, Massachusetts ranks 26th in economic outlook, which is one rung below the 50th percentile. Our saving graces: low sales taxes (5%), low income taxes (5.3%-5.95%) and "solid tort liability" (not sure what that means). Yet, we lose 330K residents thanks to a "high minimum wage" (national minimum is $5.85; ours is $7.50), high property taxes, high corporate taxes, and "forced unionism" (meaning that great "living wage" they tell you about also includes 20% or so in union dues, which promptly get spent on campaigns, strike funds, protests, and goodies for the union bosses).
A great example between Massachusetts and New Hampshire, for example? New Hampshire has an outrageously high property tax, about $50 per $1,000 per home value, meaning your $250,000 home in Nashua yields $12,500 in property taxes. They also have a meals tax of 8%. On the other hand, New Hampshire has 0% income tax and 0% sales tax. Massachusetts also has the largest concentration of colleges (including 10+ Ivy League schools), universities, and hospitals, and many are world class (is there a New York Latin School? A Kentucky General Hospital? What if Harvard were in Chicago?), whereas New Hampshire has one Ivy League school (Dartmouth), one quasi-ivy league school (University of New Hampshire) and many smaller state schools. In New Hampshire, apartment rents are at least 50% lower than those of Boston, if you can find an apartment not occupied by medical students and college students AND pay the $1000+/month rent.
It all balances out in the end - the strengths of one state may outnumber the weaknesses of the other, but it's how we pay the bills that makes all the difference. If you live in Utah, no worries - except in Salt Lake City, where word has it that the mayor is a little bit weird.
In case you're wondering who ranks dead last...when the report mentioned one Bernie Sanders as an "avowed socialist...enough said," I never thought Vermont would come in dead last. No wonder some Vermonters want to secede from America - they want to make it a new Cuba!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)