Is it possible that there is another state in the union that is more politically corrupt than Massachusetts? I can’t conceive that it’s possible. The corruption in this state has become the norm – part of the system. It’s practically required, like the oath of office.
We’ve had three consecutive Speakers of the House indicted and forced out of office: DiMasi; Finneran; and Flaherty. That has to be a record of sorts.
We’ve all seen the video of State Rep. Dianne Wilkerson stuffing cash into her bra. State Senator James Marzilli has been indicted on sexual harassment charges, and there are more, oh, so many more examples.
Governor Patrick appointed State Senator Marian Walsh, one of his long-time supporters, to a $175,000/year position that had been vacant for 12 years. It seems to me that if we didn’t need anyone in that job for more than a decade, we can go a little longer – especially in these challenging economic times. Oh, what the heck, give her the job and just lay off another half-dozen social workers – priorities you know.
Last summer, the legislature passed a tax increase that makes beer/wine and liquor subject to sales tax. Of course there’s already a tariff levied on those products, so they’ve essentially just taxed another tax. That has got to be unconstitutional –doesn’t it? And to top it off – State Rep. Michael J. Rodrigues, was photographed buying at the tax-free NH State Liquor Store – and he voted for the tax increase.
And the worst of all – in 2004 when Ted Kennedy & Co. were certain that John Kerry was a shoe-in to defeat the most unpopular President in history, the state legislature stripped the Governor’s office of the power to appoint a replacement Senator. Of course, Ted and about 90% of the legislature were democrats and the Governor was a republican. As we all know, Kerry lost, and Ted was stricken with terminal brain cancer. So, five years later, Ted calls for the legislature to switch up the rules again so the democratic Governor can appoint a replacement Senator. They’ve made a mockery of the whole system. How do these folks have the gall to show their faces in public? They ought to walk in and out the state house like a perp-walk with their hoodies pulled over their faces.
And speaking of Ted, The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate has been established to “educate the general public, students, teachers, new Senators, and Senate staff about the role and importance of the Senate.”
Great, another landing zone for politically connected hacks. But, the best part is the $20 million Senator Kerry slipped into a defense bill to partially fund this boondoggle. That’s $20 million that comes right out of the military budget for training and supplies. God knows, with two wars going on, the military’s not going to need any supplies – right?
Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely – welcome to Massachusetts – cradle of Democracy. John Adams must be spinning in his grave.
There, I feel better now…..almost.
Filed under: Uncategorized | 1 Comment
Tags: corruption, Democrat, Deval Patrick, Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, Howie Carr, John Kerry, Massachusetts, NH State Liquor Store, Politics, Republican, Ted Kennedy
Got To Get You Into My Life
Sgt. Pepper was the first album I ever purchased.
I remember standing in the record aisle of the base PX and picking it out of the bin. I’m guessing this was 1969 so I probably paid about $2 for it. I don’t think my mother approved – but she didn’t approve of much in my early years.
The way I “learn” an album is to listen to it over and over again, read all the liner notes and lyrics. Funny, I don’t have a good head for lyrics. I can’t write them down, but I can sing along and they just pop into my head as I go.
It’d be a fair guess to say I’ve spent more time listening to The Beatles than any two or three other artists combined.
A few years ago Springsteen reissued a digitally remastered version of Born To Run and I spent quite a bit of time comparing it to the original. The difference was remarkable. Born To Run is the ultimate rock ‘n roll song in my book and the remastered version is so clear and sparkling that the original sounds muffled and muddy.
Faced with 11 albums to choose from, I’ve debated for weeks which I should buy. I knew I could probably only justify buying two. Okay, Sgt. Pepper seemed like an obvious choice – for sentimental reasons and because I feel it’s The Beatles at the absolute height of their creative powers – and before they started drifting apart.
But, what to do about the second one?
I love the White Album – While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Blackbird, Back in the USSR, Dear Prudence, etc…… but Rubber Soul and Revolver are great – Drive My Car, Think For Yourself, The Word and then Taxman, Dr. Robert, Got To Get You Into My Life. How can you choose???
And even if I bought all three of those – I’d still be missing Help!, A Hard Day’s Night, Polythene Pam, Get Back, Magical Mystery Tour and a legion of other gems.
Fret, fret, fret.
Now, it’s not like I was truly overwrought about my decision. I’ve got more than enough really important things to think and fret over but this was fun-fretting – a nice distraction from reality.
But, I did have to decide and today was B-Day – 09/09/09.
So, some forty years down the road, I found myself picking up St. Pepper from the music aisle again. And……..I chose the last album The Beatles recorded together – Abbey Road.
Some things change, some things stay the same. But, for me, there’s always been The Beatles.
Filed under: Uncategorized | 4 Comments
Tags: 09/09/09, Abbey Road, Album, Born To Run, iTunes, Music, Remastered, Rock 'n Roll, Sgt. Pepper, Springsteen, The Beatles
It is a regular computer
Maybe it’s just me but I’m not sure what that adjective adds. Regular coffee – is this how most people take it? Regular suit – average sized man? Definition of regular – run of the mill, typical, common? Is a Mac a “regular” computer? It is for me but I don’t wear a regular suit or take my coffee regular either.
If a Mac is not a regular computer is it an irregular one? A second? A computer with a mismatched seam or a small pick in the fabric?
I think not.
It’s not the iPod store
Take a look around the Apple store. Yes, you’ll see lots of iPods – Shuffles, Nanos, Classics and Touches. Yes, phones too – iPhone 3G and 3GS. Look closer. What else do you see?
Hint -> Computers. Lots and lots of computers. Notebooks, desktops all sorts of Mac computers.
I understand you may have first became aware of the store because you needed to buy an iPod for someone, but take a moment and look at what other technological goodies the store has to offer. Broaden your horizons.
Just say email
It’s not called the email. It’s just plain email. I’m not sure of the origin of that extra “the.” Maybe because the mail is delivered to the mailbox by the mailman (letter carrier). In any case drop that extra “the” when talking about email.
It is stealing music
Music is not free unless the artist and/or label say it is. The great success of iTunes is that music is relatively inexpensive, easy to access and totally legit. If you’re downloading music from Limewire or, in the past, Napster you’re stealing someone else’s product.
Do you go into Dunkin’ Donuts and take a large iced coffee with a turbo shot without paying? It’s the same thing.
And if you’re downloading music from sites that aren’t legit and you’re finding your computer is also getting virus’s there might be a connection. Just deserts if you ask me.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
Tags: iPod, iPhone, Apple, email, Limewire, Dunkin' Donuts, regular computer, Mac, stealing music
What’s Next? Tommy John Surgery?
I have a torn rotator cuff.
My doctor thinks it’s a partial tear so he gave me a cortisone shot the other day and sent me off to physical therapy to see if it responds. If it does, it means its just a partial tear and that’s great. If not, it means it’s a full tear and I will need to have surgery.
It’s kinda funny how I managed to do this to myself.
It was a very cold January day. I was skiing Tuckerman’s and the conditions were less than ideal. I started my first run and all was going well. It was exhilarating to finally be facing down the ultimate ski-challenge here in New England. My iPod was blasting classic J. Geils Band as I raced down the slope. Slope is a nice term for a 60 degree wall. Suddenly, I was in trouble, one of my skis kicked up after hitting a chunk of ice and instantly I was struggling to stay upright. I lost, tumbling down the ravine, losing skis, hat, goggles and one glove before finally sliding/rolling to a stop. When I leaned on my elbow to stand, it hurt like hell. Torn rotator cuff.
No?
Really, I was playing a pick-up game in January with a bunch of Boston College players before practice. Al Skinner cut his coaching teeth at URI and as a personal favor, he gives me pretty much unrestrained access to his practice gym. Being a URI alum has it’s privileges. We were playing four on four – I was playing forward/center and Tyrese Rice threw up a perfect alley-oop. I leaped, grabbing the ball out of mid-air with both hands and was smashing it down thru the hoop, when I was undercut by one of the BC scrubs. Suddenly, I was horizontal to the floor with my head rotating down and my feet rotating towards the gym ceiling. I got one hand on the rim to slow my fall – Ouch! Torn rotator cuff. Bye-the-way, I made the shot.
No?
Okay, for real this time. I was on the mound at the Red Sox practice facility in Ft. Myers last January helping David Ortiz rehab his wrist….
Not buyin’ it?
Okay, I don’t ski. I’ve never even tried. Frankly, in January I’m too busy hustling in out of the cold – never mind going outside for “recreation.”
And, I don’t know Al Skinner or Tyrese Rice. In fact, if they were going to make a basketball movie about me it might be called “White Men Can’t Jump, Run, or Shoot.” Truth be told, watching March Madness on TV tuckers me out.
Finally, the closest I’ve ever gotten to Big Papi was section 11 in the grandstands. If I rear back and throw a baseball as hard as I can, it’s not quite as fast as Tim Wakefield’s knuckleball and, really, I have only about a 1 in 5 chance of throwing a strike.
How did I tear my rotator cuff?
I pulled up the covers.
Now, stop laughing this one really, really is true. It was the start of a very bad night last January.
It was cold so after I went to bed and watched a little of The Tonight Show, I rolled over and pulled the covers with me. Unfortunately, the covers did not move, but my shoulder did – it was wrenched backwards as the rest of me rolled over. Ouch! It hurt but I figured it’ll be fine by morning – it wasn’t.
When morning arrived, I was startled out of a bad dream by the alarm. One moment I’m fighting someone who’s invisible (go interpret that, will ya), and the next I’m springing out of bed to hit the alarm. While springing, I knocked over my water on the nightstand, spilling about 12 ounces of water all over the phone and down into the laundry basket of nice, clean, folded and most important, dry clothes.
I think it was my swearing that woke Laura.
While I was soaking up what water I could and evaluating whether the phone was ruined (it was), Laura padded down the hall to the bathroom.
Now, you have to understand we have the neediest cat on earth. She’s on top of us night and day – she’s not content to sleep on the foot of the bed, we frequently wake up to find her sleeping on top of us. She seems to like that little curve of the waist when you lay on your side.
I do try to be a considerate husband, so when I noticed the stupid cat on Laura’s side of the bed, I figured I’d lock her in the bathroom so she wouldn’t bother Laura when she went back to bed.
I grab the cat and head out into the dark hallway just in time to clunk heads with Laura as she was coming back to the bedroom.
Bad night.
Had a bad dream, ruined a phone, had to re-dry and fold a whole basket of laundry, knocked heads with my wife and, oh yes, tore my rotator cuff.
<sigh>
Filed under: Uncategorized | 2 Comments
Tags: Al Skinner, bad dream, Boston College, David Ortiz, iPod, J. Geils Band, March Madness, Red Sox, rotator cuff, The Tonight Show, Tommy John Surgury, Tuckerman’s, Tyrese Rice, URI
I often say if there had never been a WKRP in Cincinnati, I would have written it.
I worked at WXRV 92.5 The River and that’s as close as I’d like to come, thank you.The frugality of the owner is legendary. His philosophy is simple:
If you can live with out it – do so;
If you can trade for it – get permission;
If you must have it – wait.
The station is housed in a small building in Haverhill, Mass that has changed very little since it was built in the 1940’s. The first floor houses the management offices, a couple of broadcast studios, two small production studios and the legendary River Music Hall.
My office was downstairs in the sales area. The carpet was thread-bare, the walls hadn’t been painted in decades and the bathrooms were not up to par with your local gas station.
On a typical morning, I’d arrive, head down to my office, flip the light switch, turn on my computer and hang up my coat. My computer was old and required about 5 minutes to boot. Wired in with the lights was a motion detector that turned the lights off every 10 minutes if it saw no motion. So every 10 minutes one of my office-mates or I would wave our arms in the suddenly darkened room. Light goes back on and back to work we go. No problem, I learned to work in 10 minute increments.
Over time, the motion detector started to go. Instead of seeing motion as soon as I flipped the switch – it now needed to be waved at. So my routine changed somewhat: flip the switch, wave madly, turn on my computer and hang up my coat. Of course, a simple wave didn’t register anymore when the lights went out. Now we had to stand and wave both arms. It was like a mini-workout every 10 minutes.
Then, the computer started giving me problems. It was a PC, it was doing it’s level best to keep up with the pace of the 21st century but was failing. I filled the hard drive. This necessitated I delete something old before I saved something new. You can only keep this delete old/save new thing going for only so long before you start deleting valuable stuff.
Eventually, the storage issue became so critical, I couldn’t receive emails without clearing some space first.
So my routine changed: flip the switch, wave madly, turn on my computer, hang up my coat, and decide what to delete before I checked my mail. By that time, I had to leap to my feat waving crazily again. This was testing my powers of concentration, I would get the lights back on, pour over my files looking for something I could live without, delete it and then the lights would go out.
One day, I flipped the switch, waved madly, and nothing happened. I was still in the dark.
I waved.
I jumped.
I jumped and waved.
Nothing…
I turned on my computer, took off my coat, launched my mail app and…..the computer froze. I had neglected to make sure I had some pittance of storage available for email. So, there I sat, in the dark, with a frozen computer.
Annoyed.
Frustrated.
Angry.
I stood.
I paced.
I smacked the wall near the switch.
Light!
I adjusted. My routine changed again: flip the switch, smack the wall, wave madly, turn on my computer, hang up my coat, delete something, check mail. Stand and wave wildly again.
It’s really a wonder I ever got anything done – in an hour of work time, I was probably getting about 15 minutes of actual, focused thought broken up by numerous interruptions.
Understand, The River is in a building erected during the Roosevelt administration. There are wires running all over the place. It’s easier and cheaper to run them on the surface of a wall – up near the ceiling – than it is to fish them into the walls. Telephone, internet and other wires I never did identify were in plastic raceways all over the sales offices.
One morning, I arrived at my office to discover one of the raceways had collapsed and there were wires blocking the doorway. I bent under them, I flipped the switch, smacked the wall, waved madly, turned on my computer, hung up my coat, and sat down to decide what to delete today.
I was not going to fix those damned wires.
I was so tired of things not working that I decided I was going to let the Sales Manager deal with the wires. I was sure he would because I had told him about my computer and light switch about 100 times and I felt he was right on the verge of doing something.
He did, after two weeks of bending, flipping, smacking, waving, deleting and waving again, he had the raceway reattached to the wall.
I started to write a quick email to thank him and ask again about the light switch…….and my computer froze.
Damn, I forgot to delete first.
Filed under: Working | 3 Comments
Tags: 92.5, Boston, Boston Radio, FM Radio, Haverhill, Radio, The River, WKRP, Work, WXRV
Guilty iPod Pleasures
I was listening to the iPod function of my iPhone while grocery shopping the other day. As my iPhone shuffled the next song up to me, I was momentarily confused about what song it was…then it hit me. “If I Could Turn Back Time” by Cher.
It’s a guilty pleasure. I like the song. And, frankly, Cher’s outfit in the video is pretty damed hot – and, of course, there’s a ship involved too.
I started to wonder what other songs I have on my playlists that I might not normally want to admit too enjoying. So, at the risk of forever being called tasteless, here’s my list of guilty pleasures that are currently on my iPhone.
You’re Beautiful by James Blunt – I know this was the most over-played song a few years ago and everyone got sick and tired of it. I can’t. I just never get tired of this song. I think it has something to do with the brief, romantic “what if” kind of thing that these two characters share for a few seconds.
Come On Get Happy by The Partridge Family – Seriously, how does someone not like this song. It’s just so damned happy, so peppy. I smile every time it rolls thru my headphones.
Eye of the Tiger by Survivor – Even after all these years, this Rocky theme song (Was that Rocky II?) still pumps me up. It’s such a total cliche but I love the whole Rocky series – although seeing Rocky V once, was really quite enough thank you. Rocky – Best Picture 1977 - is one of those modern classics that I always stop and watch. If I’m clicking through the channels and see Rocky – I just sit and watch. And before it’s over, I’m yelling at the TV – every single time.
Bang A Gong (Get It On) – Sorry – just love it. It’s sooooo 1972 and…….I remember 1972.
Dizzy by Tommy Roe – If someone says the words “bubblegum music,” I instantly flash to Dizzy. I so clearly remember listening to this song on a shoe-box sized cassette player in Wickford, RI when I was a kid. Walking home one sunny afternoon, we played this song over and over and over. The funny thing is, I can’t remember who I was with.
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Tags: 1972, Cher, iPhone, iPod, James Blunt, Rocky
Remembering My Friend
“We need a word that none of us would use in normal conversation,” Joe pronounced.
After several minutes of consideration, it was suggested “wax beans” might be the perfect choice. It made sense since none of us liked them, our parents had long since given up trying to make us eat them, and Burger King did not serve them. We’d never have reason to say “wax beans” in normal conversation.
Our emergency signal established, Joe, Andy and Glen climbed into my big, green Chrysler New Yorker and entombed themselves in the trunk.
With three teens in the back seat and three more in the trunk, we’d tear around town thinking we were causing great mayhem. At each stoplight, we’d swap guys from the back seat to the trunk and back again.
High school shenanigans.
Joe was our leader. Lean and strong, he possessed a natural ability to draw people to him. When Joe spoke, we listened – usually. Those were the days one remembers forever – the carefree time after we earned the Holy Grail of our driver’s licenses and before we left each other for college.
My parents tell me I first met the “Bodzioch boy” in Cub Scouts, but I don’t recall him. I do remember the night I went to his house to buy his used telescope. I said it was beautiful and my father said I had a lot to learn about negotiating. Joe and I became friends while persuading North Kingstown High School to sanction an astronomy club.
Joe was president and I served as vice president and treasurer. In point of fact, we spent as much time gorging ourselves on Double Beef Whoppers and root beer as we did stargazing. But, we did somehow learn a little between guffaws and late-night treks up Post Road looking for pizza and doughnuts.
After high school, we started to drift. Joe and I went to different colleges and saw each other infrequently but it was always the same between us. We always picked up our friendship right where we left off. There were never any of the awkward, not-sure-of-what-to-say moments I’ve experienced with other old friends.
We both married. Joe, I’m happy to say, was one of my ushers and I was proud to be one of the only high school friends invited to his wedding. The last time we spoke, we compared notes on career progress. We were on the fast track, moving from project to project and just lost in the sport of success in the corporate world.
Joe and his wife, Sheryl, wouldn’t be home for Christmas that year – it was too far a drive from their new home in Virginia.
He must have changed his mind or perhaps Sheryl persuaded him to come back to New England to visit their parents. In any case, they did come home. Joe and Sheryl spent Christmas Eve and morning at the Bodzioch family home in North Kingstown before setting out to Connecticut to see her folks.
They never made it out of Rhode Island. On Christmas morning, 1986, Joe’s car was struck head-on. Sheryl was badly injured and Joe was killed.
On the day my friend was buried, a Christmas card arrive in the mail at my home. It said, “We’re coming home, hope to see you at Christmas.”
I miss my friend Joe, I miss reminiscing with him and talking to him about his life and plans. I miss him each Christmas Eve when I visit his grave with flowers and try to pull him back to life with my memories and recollections.
It’s as close to him as I can get now.
I’ll always remember Joe Bodzioch. He was my best friend.
Joe Bodzioch ~ 1977
Filed under: Uncategorized | 1 Comment
Tags: Joe Bodzioch, NKHS, North Kingstown, Wickford
Why Shipguy?
I get this question a lot actually. I use “shipguy” or some derivation of it for most of my email addresses and account log-ins.
No, I never served in the Navy.
I do not know how to sail.
I do not own a boat.
I am not in the merchant marine.
Yes, I have been at sea – but only for vacation cruises.
Here’s the thing, I like ships…really, really big ships. Steel ships – military, container, tanker, bulk you name it, if it’s a steel hulled ship, I like it. I have built model ships on and off all my life and it’s always models of steel ships.
I can certainly appreciate the wonders of a tall ship, the grace of the sails, the intricacy of the rigging and the shear guts it takes to sail one out of sight of land. But, they’re not for me. I can’t model them. I’ve tried more than a few times and, frankly, the rigging drives me nuts. Having to tie yard after yard of the finest thread all over a very delicate model is torture for me.
Some of my favorite ships – and, really, how many folks even have a list of “favorite ships?”
USS Enterprise CVN-65 – the first nuclear aircraft carrier in the world. A badass ship if ever there was one.
USS Massachusetts BB-59 – The queen of Battleship Cove. I’ve crawled all over this ship since I was a kid and even had the pleasure of standing underneath it while she was in dry dock. Let me tell you, nothing says big until you’re reaching up to grasp a propeller blade.
NS Savannah – Probably the most graceful steel ship to ever sail the seas. She was a test bed for the use of nuclear power in commercial ships. I saw her once in New York harbor – and I was struck by her sleek lines and beauty.
USS Fitch DMS 25 – a little destroyer turned mine sweeper. One of the few vessels to fight at Pearl Harbor, D-Day and be in Tokyo Bay for the end of the war. My father-in-law served on her for several years. I broke his heart when I callously told him she had been sunk as a target by the air wing of the USS Forrestal. “They sank my Fitch?” he asked. Dad, as cold as it might be, it’s a better way to go than being turned into razor blades.
MV Columbo Bay – I read a book about a journalist who spent 5 months aboard this ship. It was a fascinating story about a very routine occurrence. The Columbo Bay is a container ship – the most unglamorous of all ships. But, by God, she is massive. Picture a shipping container – 40’ long – about the size of the trailer from an 18-wheeler. Columbo Bay carries over 3,000 of these shipping containers and that’s a lot of stuff to haul around the globe.
Those are the ones that pop into my head immediately. I’m sure as soon as I post this, I’ll think of 10 more.
That’s me with the tan jacket and white hard hat.
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Ahoy!
This is my inagural post – don’t get all excited it’s gonna be pretty basic.
I have no idea what this is going to be – or how long it’s going to last. I’m really just starting to figure out this whole “new media” stuff. Blogging, podcasting, social networking et al.
I set up a blog for my business safeandsoundvideo.com and I’ve got a pretty clear idea of what topics I will cover there – all stuff related to video, film, home movies, transfers to DVD or computer etc.
I guess, the personal blog will, by default, be about everything else.
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