508 #11
There’s a new 508 podcast featuring yours truly over at Pie & Coffee, get it while its hot!
A few mid-week thoughts
• Tatnuck Sq, at the intersection of Pleasant/Chandler/Mower has become a black hole for Sirius satellite radio. I’d love to hear someone’s explanation for that.
• The new Washington Sq round about is ridiculous. There are so many ‘instructions’ painted on the black-top, it’s impossible to navigate without stopping and getting out of your car to survey the whole thing at once. Urban Planning has been a degree program for what? 50 years now, I’d suggest Worcester start looking into some of those graduates.
• On a slightly related note - can someone explain why all the Fast Lane tolls on the Pike are in the slow lane?
• The absolute best thing Worcester Magazine has going for it right now is the Daily Worcesteria blog. It’s actually 371% more useful than the actual weekly paper. It would behoove the powers that be to monetize that bitch in a smart way via multiple daily newsletters and mobile delivery then begin transitioning the majority of their content to real-time web distribution and use the paper weekly as a journal of sorts.
The most secure marriage ever
Seriously, this is the only marriage that can not end badly.
link
Cromwell’s Irish Times
There are only a few places in Worcester where I just wont go. Then there are the places where I’ll go, but I wont like it no matter how hard you try and force me. We’re officially adding Irish Times to that second category. Sat night the lady and I went out to Boston and saw a group of crazy-badass Shaolin Monks perform at the Orpheum. On the way back we decided to stop at Irish Times. This never happens, I think I’ve been there four times in the last five years, but for some reason yet to be fully hashed out it happened this night. Walking up Main St it was impossible not to notice the crew of double sized humans employed by the place, going out of their way to mean mug all 150lbs of me as we approach the door. This is a great way to welcome people to you establishment. The only thing that could possible make someone feel more welcome is to frisk them after your ID is checked. No, seriously. At Irish Times in Worcester you get frisked walking through the door. When did people start smuggling hand grenades into Worcester bars? Whoever thought a pat down was the best way to welcome guests to your establishment is an idiot, really, fire that douche. The worst part wasn’t the frisking, it was the utterly terrible pat down that was troubling. If the most boring crowd in worcester really was sneaking cudgels, chains and pipe bombs in to see their favorite cover band, door-dude was not going to find them. With my arms raised in the air we made it clear there were no weapons in:
-
1. my armpits
2. my outside coat pockets
3. my front pants pockets
4. inside my tin of Altoids? Are you kidding?
No part of my body where I’ve actually carried a weapon was checked, so I’m not really sure what the point was. But I spent more time getting frisked than I spent inside the place. The best door-guys in the world are the types who know they can kill you but instead treat you like you’re something special; and to his credit the guy who picked through my Altoids seemed like a real nice guy. He looked like he was starting to crack a smile when I offered him one, at least. But these are your hosts, whatever wonderful product you claim to be selling is irrelevant if the tone has been set for your business by a pat down. And since the owner of the place was standing outside less than five feet away from me, clearly he knows what’s up and approves. Which probably explains why most people I know couldn’t be bothered with the place.
Pile of bikes for sale
I just found this ad on craigslist that looks like a fixed-gear builders wetdream.
A giant pile of bikes for sale here in Worcester, I hope the earn-a-bike cats are on this.
UPDATE** Not as many bikes as I hoped, but I managed to pull a Viscount with intact ‘Death Fork‘. Sweet!
When bollards attack II
After reading my bollard report last week, downtown correspondent Gabe Rollins has checked in with a count of the unsecured hunks of steel.
…Of those 45 bollards only 36 of them are actually secured to the ground.
If we can find one more freestanding Bollard I think we have a municipal bowling alley in the making for late night common entertainment.
Rushton seeking recount
According to the Worcester Magazine Blog, at a press conference taking place now, councilor Rick Rushton is seeking a recount in Tuesdays Mayoral election.
Cites Problems with boxes…will be about 7000 dollars for a full hand recount. Until this morning, i was going the other way. At The End of the day we dont have a true count. the process is more important than myself or konnie…
Bad move Rick, bad move…
When bollards attack
Last night I was leaving the Cultural Commission meeting at 44 Front St and on the way out came across what was a Worcester first, for me. We’ve installed about a hundred nice cast iron bollards around the common area since construction began down there; nice classic looking pedestals. But last night, the one that sits in front of the new Kinkos at 44 Front was laying half in the street and half under the front end of a Toyota SUV having obviously rolled there. I’m guessing from the huge gouge in the curb that the thing was pushed over, off the curb, and it rolled until it wedged under this particular car. But thats not really the weird part, considering round things tend to roll.
What was weird is that this thing was knocked over in the first place. Typically bollards are secured to the ground with giant lugs and nuts. No such set up in this case. It was just placed on the sidewalk. A few hundred pounds of cast iron with a tendency to roll was just plopped on the side walk. Seeing this was one of those moments of clarity when it becomes perfectly clear why Worcester is self insured. I figure you could probably break three ankles and crush four infants with one bollard if it was hit by a car. Kinda the opposite of what they are supposed to be doing. I didn’t have the time to check last night, but if anyone is around the common, I’d be curious to hear if all of these newish bollards are free standing. And if you see anyone stuck underneath one, please give them a hand.
The all politics is local, local edition
The Rube Goldberg Machine that is Worcester politics has been set in motion once again in the wake of yet another interesting, but not so exciting election. With the exception of a Mayoral race which could still be going while the rest of the council is being sworn in, not much happened that couldn’t have been predicted by a handicapped handicapper. So instead of over thinking this proverbial plate of beans, lets quickly run down the results and re-state the obvious, for the record.
The winners…
Gary Rosen: This may be the only mystery for the history books. How on earth do you get 11,000 votes for council, the only candidate to break double digits but still come in third in the Mayoral race? I’ll tell you how, everyone loves Gary, he’s a lovable guy. But lovable guys are not always the best folks to be the first over the hill and into battle.
Konstantina B. Lukes: A good 50% of voters love Konnie, this is not news.
Kate Toomey: I can’t think of anything witty, snarky or even remotely informative to say about Kate this morning.
Frederick C. Rushton: This is where things start to get confusing, Rick makes an impressive showing in the Mayoral race, standing within 100 or so votes of the big chair. Yet he comes in 4th in the at large race. Wha? It’s still an impressive showing for a district to at-large jump. But it’s hard not to label Worcester voters ‘confused’ when this sort of thing happens.
Joseph M. Petty: The quiet guy. Whatever. Thats a silly label and one Joe should shake. Joe is just a great guy with some great ideas that are actually meaningful for the city and he happens to excel at sparing us the usual bullshit. I’m glad he’ll be with us and I hope he finds a way to put his flugelhorn horn to use in Council meetings.
Michael J. Germain: BwaaaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Seriously, whoever released Mikes probate records; as a political operative you suck (unless of course, it was Mike himself who released the records; in that case it was pure genius). I voted for Mike simply because I knew voting for someone convicted of drunk driving would piss off exactly the kind of stick in the mud puritanical douche bags I live to piss off. Thanks for giving me that opportunity, Mike. But now, since I know absolutely nothing about you and you may very well be a closeted neo-nazi who dresses in drag to go shopping at wal-mart; can you try real hard not to be a useless dick? Two years can be a long time.
The losers…
Dennis L. Irish: Dennis lost because he’s great at creating talking points but the follow through is terrible. His casino idea is a perfect example; personally it makes me nauseous to imagine a casino in the Woo, but it’s what Worcester wants. If Dennis became Casino guy, he would probably be Mayor elect. Instead he toed the line and failed to impress either side. Quite a few people are going to say Irish was a victim of the Public Safety unions. That’s a load of horse shit, the unions in Worcester are not a force outside of collective bargaining anymore; fact. They handicap the race at the 11th hour for just that reason, no surprises. That way the 12 people who still vote the union feel like their army means something. 7th may actually be a good place for Dennis. If Germain winds up doing doughnuts on the common the night he’s sworn in; Dennis can pull a repeat of last year and slide in on a council being the good guy.
Grace C. Ross: Whatever. It may have been nice to have a different perspective on the council; but who could really take her seriously? She has a Jewish support page on her website for the love of Yahweh. If you’ve taken the time to piss off the greater Jewish population to a degree where this kind of endorsement makes sense…
My name is Jim Hammerman. I grew up Jewish outside Chicago and now live in Brookline. While I am not a devout Jew, I bake challah and light Shabbat candles; I fast for Yom Kippur and reflect on its promise of repentance and renewal; I delight in playing dreidel and lighting the menorah with my daughters to remember our ancient fight for freedom of religious practice; and I am inspired to work for a better world for everyone by the annual Pesach telling of how our people broke the bonds of slavery in Egypt.
…you suck. The only thing keeping this campaign from turning into a sketch comedy routine was the lack of a Sudanese support page. “Hi, My name is Mukimbe and although both my arms were chopped off when I was two while I watched my mom get gang raped; I support Grace Ross for Council because Hemp clothing is pretty sweet”. Spare me.
John J. Mahoney, Morris A. Bergman, Mike C. Perotto, William Coleman III: Boring. Really guys, thats it. In the pitiful world on which we dwell, where Hanna Montana can sell out the DCU center, your game is going to have to be stepped up a bit. Maybe next time.
For more respectable election coverage, check out our buddies at WoMag, and of course Shaun, Nick and Dianne from the T&G.
Response to an anonymous response
A few days back someone left a comment on this post, regarding something I said about the anti-Wal-Mart crowd in Worcester, abandoning their efforts to block the stores opening in the city. Normally I don’t respond to things like this, but I missed the posting and don’t want the person who called me out to think I was ignoring them.
nobody deserves walmart // Oct 30, 2007 at 12:07 am
NO PLACE “deserves” wal mart. I cant believe you would say that. No corportation should have power over a city or over a person- even if Worcester’s “noise” wasnt as loud as another communities. You are saying that WalMart has a right to go whereever “it” (nameless mass) wants ?
What I said is, ‘Worcester deserves Wal-Mart’ and yes, we do. The overwhelming majority of Worcesterites and the overwhelming majority of Worcester Politicians believe Wal-Mart will be good for the city.
Yes, corporations have the right to go wherever they are unopposed. That’s how capitalism works. Do I want Wal-Mart in Worcester? No; I would like to see the Worcester Wal-Mart firebombed at the ribbon cutting with all the local supporters of the project finding out first hand how terrible polyester suits feel when they melt on your skin. But I’m in a minority. Wal-Mart opening in this town disgusts me, the only thing that disgusts me more is my fellow citizens valuing a good deal on tube socks over a strong local economy. But I also recognize that sometimes, people deserve the terrible things that befall them; this is one of those cases. If a single voice was enough to stop a movement we would all be farming dirt right now. Every now and again people need to learn on their own just how moronic their conventional wisdom actually is.
Glad I could clear that up for you.
