Redditors Weigh In on Scams they Have Suffered
Reddit asked people to talk about the worst scams they’ve experienced. “I was visiting at my grandma’s house when she got scammed. Got a call at about 9 PM from somebody claiming to be the police. “Yes, your grandson was in a car accident while driving drunk. He’s here at […]
Running through Toulouse Before the City Wakes Up
Today I took advantage of a time zone difference to rise and shine at 4:45 am. It was the perfect time to go running here in downtown Toulouse, and when I hit the streets at 5:15 am, there was no one to be seen. I heaaded out toward the Canal […]
Midi-Pyrenees is France’s Largest Region–Full of Armagnac and History
I”ll be blogging for the next six days from the Midi-Pyrenees region of France, located in the central southern part of the country just above the Pyrenees, with the center being the big capital city of Toulouse. I learned that this is France’s largest region by geography, but that there […]
Three Men Vie for Town Manager Spot, One Stands Out as the Clear Choice
–DEERFIELD I joined my neighbors at Deerfield Town Hall last night to meet the three candidates for town administrator. After meeting each one in person, and then listening to their extensive answers, I’ve created a Zagat-style summary of each man, and some of their mannerisms and quotes. Then I’ll tell […]
Winnipeg’s Greatest Attraction Opens in September
Want to put a relatively small city on the map forever? Build a $351 million state-of-the-art interactive museum about human rights, and make the building so spectacular that it looks like nothing ever built before. That’s what’s happening in Winnipeg and the big party happens this September. I got a […]
Electric Bicycles: A Workshop with an Assembly and a Test Ride
On Saturday morning I awoke to grey skies with promise for a nice-looking day, and joined a dozen others up at the Gill Town Hall. There, Peter Talmage, a science professor at GCC was giving a talk about the current state of electric bicycles. Peter explained that he was looking […]
Come Meet the Three Men Who Want to Lead Deerfield
I got this message today by email: The Deerfield Board of Selectmen invites town officials, members of the public and all interested parties to meet the three candidates for the position of Town Administrator at a Candidates Reception on May 14, 2014 at the Deerfield Municipal Offices from 5:00-6:00 pm. […]
What To Do When You’re Stir Crazy In Your Office Again
Whenever I get anxious and find myself going crazy because of all the time I spend working at home alone, I realize that there is a solution: I get busy outside. Working at a desk and staring at a screen can make you bonkers, so I find that when I […]
Under the Dome
I had big plans on Saturday night, and happy to report, they did not disappoint. My two cousins, Paul and Steve, were joining me on an excursion to Bernardston, to the pictured dome here. It turned out to be a tremendous party filled with many friends and a great sound […]
Why I’m Not Going Running Today
Sometimes the morning just slips away. I notice this when it comes to my fitness routine. Yesterday, it was cloudy, spitting rain, and chilly, yet I put on my running shoes and just after Mary left the house there I was out there pounding the pavement, running my dutiful three […]
Sleep Is Your Only Regret: This Year’s Cultural Freak-Out Under the Dome
Dre Rawlings is at it again. She’s famous as the brains behind what she describes as her “annual cultural freak-out” and this year’s event is already getting good Facebook buzz. Anyone who has been knows what I’m about to describe, and if you’re not familiar with this Valley artist, designer […]
The Lunchbox: Things That Never Happen Sometimes Happen
Over the weekend we took in a movie at Amherst Cinemas called The Lunchbox. Apparently we were among many who wanted to see this movie, because the 7 pm showing was sold out. So instead of bagging out, we bought tickets for the 9:30 pm show, and went and did […]
Green River Festival! Today’s the Last Day to Get Early Bird Tickets!
Some of my friends remarked that were not happy about the fees that apply when you buy Green River Festival tickets on line. Well, I have the answer but you better hurry! Today is the last day you can buy the discounted tickets, the price goes up after this. But […]
Coal Is Here to Stay, China Takes the Lead in Capturing the CO2
Yesterday was Earth Day, and in commemoration, I read a story in Wired about the future of a particularly controversial source of energy, coal. The point that the story made is that there is no way that the world is going to stop using coal for electricity, it’s too entrenched, […]
A Community Supper in South Deerfield This Friday: Bringing People Together
Julie Cavacco wants to bring people together in our small village of South Deerfield. So that’s why she’s organizing a community supper this Friday night, with a free dinner for anyone who wants to sit down at the table at the Congregational church on North Main Street from 6-7 pm. […]
Kitchen Renovation: Things We Learned
We’re just days away from being finished with our kitchen renovation, and we’ve learned quite a bit along the way. Here are a few of the things we picked up in this process, which has been percolating in my head for many years. I have been staring at a stain […]
The Budos Band Brings Afro Soul from Staten Island to Noho Tonight
The Budos Band blows into Pearl Street Ballroom tonight and we’ll be front and center. I have been listening to this 10-piece orchestra that plays Afro-soul without the benefit of singers on Spotify, and I can’t wait to see them live. That’s kind of unique, no vocals. But what I […]