News from the Hub

I still listen to WERS on iTunes.  Not a native, but, it felt more like home than the state I grew up in.  Went to Uni and then stayed on until I moved to the UK.

We're having our 9th snow day already this season. Schools are wondering what to do to make up for all the lost time. At least no power outages with this storm.

Tom Brady's dad and Giselle's sister are saying they did not get engaged and Giselle doesn't even like champagne, which was supposedly part of the proposal.

Tom Brady's dad and Giselle's sister are saying they did not get engaged and Giselle doesn't even like champagne, which was supposedly part of the proposal.

Poor Giselle! 

Citgo has decided to continue with the free heating oil.  Joe Kennedy must have flashed his pearly whites at Hugo Chavez. 
Just saw in the Globe that Ed Markey (my congressman) is being made Chair of the subcommittee on Energy and the Environment (House Energy and Commerce Committee)  Good on ya, Ed.
The new president of Boston City Council is Michael Ross, whose father is a survivor of Dachau.
Shonda Schilling (wife of Red Sox aging pitcher Curt) has a bit part in movie "Bride Wars"
Speaking of films, "Paul Blart Mall Cop" (filmed at Burlington Mall) is due out soon.  There is a huge banner advertising it at the Mall.  Sounds pretty lame plot but might be worth seeing for shots of the Mall. 
One of the first films I saw in Leeds was "Love Story"  A lot of it was filmed in Cambridge, MA of course and I remember shouting out "That's my laundromat!"   

Those Intelligent Marylanders should know this!!

We don't pay attention to hoakey "beliefs" 

That $1000 is nonsense. That is a lot of money to me.

I just did a quick calculation of the entire cost for getting FLR, SET-M, AN-X, British passport and ID (not counting cost of photos, postage, new outfit for citizenship ceremony, travel to same, etc. etc.) and I make it a total of 1312 pounds ($1996)!  Can that be right?  Do they offer senior discounts?? 

The temperature right now is 20F in Cambridge and only 5F in my hometown (not counting any wind chill).  On with the layers this morning, including 2 pairs of socks, pair of lace-up boots under the Neos antarctic type boots with cleats, down full-length commuter coat, scarf, hat, two pairs of gloves (including the Yorks. sheepskin mitts)  I was actually fairly warm if ridiculous-looking.  But who cares?!  Snow today but probably only south of Boston.
"Mumbles" Menino has made his State of the City oration and called for a wage freeze for Boston city employees.  Yesterday's news was full of the funeral for Boston fireman killed when fire engine crashed into a building.  Much talk of failed brakes on city fire trucks.
Gov. Patrick does the State of the State tonight.  Legislators are now proposing a solution to the threatened toll hike and/or higher gas tax: they want to consolidate the MBTA (bus and subway system) with the Turnpike Authority.  This would become the Massachusetts Surface Transportation Authority or MassTrans.  Don't ask me how that will solve any problems 

I listen to WBZ online, too. I commuted I-95 from Providence to Norwood every day for 25 years, and I hung on 'BZ (and WPRO and WCTK) for traffic and weather and such.

It's nothing but pure, pharmaceutical-grade schadenfreude to listen to them now. Wreck on I-95 Northbound at the Attleboro rest area? A foot of snow coming? Ahhhhhh.

Breaking News last night:  Sal Di Masi is about to step down as Speaker of the House (Mass.) and also as a state Representative.  Those ethics scandals will get you everytime
The cold wave continues but now hearing talk of a "big one" later this week.  Just what we need -- more snow!  Think I've got ice dams on my roof. 
My hometown is having a crime wave of house and car burglaries, according to the police log.

More doom and gloom:  Home Depot is closing down their high-end stores called Expo, including the one in Burlington, MA.  In that small mall Linens N Things has already gone and have just learned that Jo-Ann's fabrics has closed!  This is going to be tricky for Burlington as they rely heavily on non-residential taxes.  Lots of job losses for locals too.
Crate and Barrel in Harvard Sq. is closing (think the one at Burlington Mall is OK)
Jobs here at World Famous University are fairly secure, but there's a wage freeze on professional positions.  It looks like they will honor the promised raises for union workers in July.  But job vacancies are not being filled.
Not a happy time.  We've been advised to cherish our pay checks    I do!  I do!

Not Jo-Ann's!  ACK! 

Yeah, that's what I said.  Where can you go for fabric, patterns and cheapish yarn now?  I nearly went over there last weekend to look for curtain stuff -- and lo and behold! they were already gone!!   
There's still a Dollar store there -- where everything really is $1.
But still, no Jo-Ann's.

Aye everytime I check my Boston news websites something is closing.
Thank gosh for the net and online web sites to keep me in touch with whats happening in Massachusetts 
Don't know what i'd do without WBZ,WHDH,NECN,WROR etc
and of course BostonGlobe,CapeCodOnline and others

The Terriers (BU) won the Beanpot!! Yay!! I love this annual hockey rivalry.

Our Esteemed University is about to offer "voluntary" early retirement packages to those eligible in terms of age and years of service.  Arts and Sciences and the Medical School are the first to get the offers as their finances are the shakiest.  Very worrying as EU is one of the biggest employers in the state.  (Unfortunately I would not be eligible as I am shy about 16 months of the years of service -- don't know if that's a good or a bad thing  )