The Friday Special

The Friday Special: Kevin White

2012-02-03T00:01:00.009-05:00

The passing of former Boston Mayor (1967 - 1983) Kevin White brought back to mind two times in my "ute" when I had a close encounter with Mayor Deluxe.

Kevin White at the Boston Marathon - rnolan1087 Photo

State Street, Boston - October 1970

Hizzoner was the Massachusetts Democratic gubernatorial candidate and had recently been released from the hospital after emergency surgery to remove half of his stomach due to a problematic ulcer. He wasn't looking too good, but he was back on the campaign trail.

I was a fifteen year-old kid who frequently found my way to downtown Boston and spent hours exploring the streets and "cowpaths" of the old city.

It was a crisp, fall morning and I saw a bit of commotion up ahead... Black cars, men in suits and raincoats who seemed to be milling around, waiting for someone or something.

I managed to get myself near the edge of the activity and tried to blend in with the wall of a building so I could be invisible and watch what everyone seemed to be waiting on. But I was unable to blend all the way in because there were two raincoat clad men behind me having a vigorous conversation of some sort.

It seemed like several minutes had passed when one of the gents milling around the black cars turned towards me and shouted, "Kevin... Kevin, we gotta get goin'!" I backpedaled and almost bumped into the two conversing men behind me... one of which who was the gaunt-looking Mayor Deluxe.

Kevin waived off the shouting aide and kept chatting while the calls of "We gotta go!" kept coming at me, the kid who was trying to be invisible.

Boston Marathon Finish Line - April 1973 (?)

Back in the years right before the Boston Marathon became a big-time, international, sponsor and money-laden event, the finish line was a fairly modest affair on Boylston St. in front of the Prudential Center.

In 1971 I found that if you arrived in the finish line area around noontime (about two hours before the race ended) that the police barricades were not set up and, with a little footwork, a fella could manage to stay inside them with the race officials and sports media.

In (to the best of my recollection) 1973, while toting my Kodak Instamatic camera, I tapdanced around while the barricades were erected and scored a spot at the base of a small wood-sided trailer that was where the winner was brought to get his laurel wreath from the Mayor of Boston.

I wasn't lucky enough to be in a position to get a snapper of the mayor honoring the winner, but I did get some pix of Kevin schmoozing with the crowd.

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While writing this post about my "uteful" encounters with Mayor Deluxe, it occurred to me I saw him one other time.

The sighting was at several major intersections just a short distance from my 1970 encounter, but the time was now the mid-1990's.

I was on a late morning coffee run with some co-workers and the intersections near the Old Massachusetts State House were abuzz with people saying, "There he is!", about a white-haired fella striding along, smiling and waving at the pedestrians.

My work colleagues were a bit younger than me and had grown up in Central and Western Massachusetts, so their reaction was, "Who's that?".

The best answer I could muster was, "He used to be the mayor."

It was impossible to answer their question with anything more than that one sentence. Morning would have turned to afternoon. Afternoon would have turned to night. And I couldn't have even come close to really answering the question "Who's that?" about Kevin White.

This post was written on my TouchPad

Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

The Friday Special: Mystic Lakes - Winter Afternoon

2012-01-20T20:08:00.000-05:00

One afternoon earlier this week I spent some time at the Mystic Lakes, a few miles north of Boston, in Winchester, MA.

Check out the photos/video of my mini-excursion over at My TouchPad Today.

Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

The Friday Special: Kinda-Frozen Fenway

2012-01-13T13:09:00.000-05:00

This past weekend's Frozen Fenway Hockey East college doubleheader was played in the 50+ degree temperature of this snowless Boston winter.

Check out the Fenway Park ice rink on My TouchPad Today blog.

This post was written on my TouchPad

Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

The Friday Special: A New Year's Resolution... "WASH TEETH IF ANY"

2012-01-06T00:01:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, a Twitter post led me to a list of New Year's resolutions written for 1942 by legendary singer/songwriter Woody Guthrie... and now appearing on boingboing.net.

My favorite -- and hence, the title of this post -- is number three... "WASH TEETH IF ANY".

See Woody's entire list here.

This post was drafted on my TouchPad

Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

The Friday Special: Frozen Fenway Returns on January 7

2011-12-30T00:01:00.007-05:00

Frozen Fenway returns with a Hockey East college doubleheader on January 7, 2012.

Image from rnolan1087

UMass meets the University of Vermont in a 4:00 PM matchup and Maine faces off with UNH at 7:30 PM.

Image from hockeyeastonline.com

Start getting your longjohns warmed up now!

Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

The Friday Special: Beautifully Tacky?

2011-12-23T00:01:00.001-05:00

Bill Geist of CBS' Sunday Morning program reported this week on Richmond, Virginia's Tacky Light Tour.

Merry Christmas!

Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

The Friday Special: The TouchPad, The Grinch and The Boston Pops

2011-12-23T00:00:00.006-05:00

My TouchPad Today visited a Holiday Pops concert at Boston's Symphony Hall this past weekend.

HP Pre 2 Photo

Merry Christmas!

Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

The Friday Special: Before Edison's Phonograph

2011-12-16T00:05:00.002-05:00

This week there were a number of stories in the news about some 1880's vintage records made by Alexander Graham Bell which have been restored by modern technology.

Clicke here to see one of the stories (from Patriot Ledger.com)... and hear three of the recordings!

Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

The Friday Special: How to Winterize Your TouchPad

2011-12-16T00:01:00.000-05:00

Go over the My TouchPad Today to see how I'm protecting my HP TouchPad from Old Man Winter and the Montreal Express.

Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

The Friday Special: TouchPad goes to Symphony Hall

2011-12-09T10:51:00.001-05:00

Last weekend my TouchPad visited Symphony Hall in Boston for the Handel and Haydn Society performance of Handel's Messiah.

See the post on My TouchPad Today.

Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

The Friday Special: Pre-YouTube Video

2011-12-09T10:36:00.003-05:00

Back in the Dark Ages of 1989 I was using a shoulder-mounted Panasonic VHS camcorder to shoot videotape.

A couple of my music and video tests from that period came back to life this week on YouTube...

The original tapes were transferred from the camera to some combination of VHS and 8mm VCR's, where the music was dubbed to it.

The resulting tape sat on various bookshelves until 2004, when the video was transferred to DVD and the original tape was trashed.

This week, I pulled the video/data from the DVD (.mkv files) and edited them in Windows Live Movie Maker to create the .wmv files that were uploaded to YouTube.

Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

The Friday Special: The Shell Sign Returns to the Night Sky

2011-12-02T14:56:00.000-05:00

From MyTouchPad Today... The Shell Sign Returns to The Night Sky

This post was written on my TouchPad

Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

The Friday Special: Lotsa Links

2011-12-02T14:32:00.001-05:00

Here are links to some interesting items I've seen in the past week or so...

New York Times - Cloud Computing as a Threat to Older Tech Companies

“Hewlett-Packard will be challenged. Microsoft, Intel, SAP, RIM, Oracle, Cisco, Dell – they are all facing the next transition, competing to be around in 2020. At least a third will fade away.”

Boston.Com/AP - Study Confirms Many of Us Go Online for No Reason

The report from the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project found that on any given day, 53 percent of 18 to 29 year-olds go online just to have fun or pass time.

That should explain all those kitten videos.

Twitter/Business Guru Tom Peters

From @tom_peters:
If you need a performance appraisal to tell you how well you're doing--then you're not doing very well!

NY Times - Distracted? It's Time to Hit The Reset Button

“Although there are always exceptions to the rule,” he says, “the research shows that for the average worker in the workplace, multitasking while trying to solve a complex problem is a very bad strategy.”

This post was written on my TouchPad

Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

The Friday Special: I Can't be Left to My Own Devices?

2011-11-18T14:24:00.000-05:00

A Wall Street Journal article from a couple of days ago explored the issue of allowing workers to use their personal computing devices in the workplace.

On the surface, this is a great idea and I agree with it, but until recently I worked at a large company where, for security/regulatory and just common sense reasons, personal devices were prohibited and everything was locked down to a fare-thee-well. In that type of environment, restricting equipment and software options seems to be the best overall approach. The benefits of restriction outweigh the potentially business-crippling risks of openess.

Also, and maybe more importantly, from my years of being an electronic troubleshooter and repairman for friends, family and co-workers, its clear to me that the average user/worker isn't equipped -- pardon the pun -- to handle the job of selecting equipment and software for use in the workplace. (... and don't get me started about the average person's computer usage habits.)

Now, after having said all of the above, what about those of us who are tech-savvy enough and responsible enough to better handle many of these things?

In a perfect world and workplace, we should be allowed to use the equipment and software of our own choice. Unfortunately, perfection ain't around us and won't be walkin' through the door anytime soon.

This post was written on my TouchPad

Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

The Friday Special: PICNIC - Problem in Chair Not in Computer

2011-11-12T12:36:00.000-05:00

Better late than never...

As a frequent PC troubleshooter and repairman for family and friends, a September 2011 column in the NY Times Make Sure the Problem Is Not in Your Chair is just about the Holy Grail.

Tip: Jump ahead and read the last paragraph of this column first!

This post was written on my TouchPad

Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

The Friday Special: Checking in on the World's Foremost Authority

2011-11-04T00:01:00.004-04:00

"Remember, wherever you go... There you are!" -- Professor Irwin Corey

Now 97, Professor Irwin Corey, the World's Foremost Authority, still makes more sense than most people in this world.

Check out this recent New York Times story about the Professor.

See the Professor holding forth on YouTube.

This post was drafted on my TouchPad

Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

The Friday Special: Windpower North of Boston

2011-10-28T17:51:00.000-04:00

A month or so ago a really big -- at least for our area -- and new wind turbine sprouted up on the horizon in the nearby community of Charlestown (a section of Boston). Given its size and surroundings, it almost looks like something out of War of the Worlds.

This newbie prompted me to say "wait a minute!"... There are now three large wind turbines in a small cluster of communities just north of downtown Boston.

Check out my recent post about these turbines on My TouchPad Today.

This post was drafted on my TouchPad

Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

The Friday Special: First Snow of the Season

2011-10-28T12:10:00.003-04:00

Overnight we had our first snow of the season as a cold front came in at the tail end of a rainstorm and left an icy dusting on lawns and cars in the immediate Boston area.

HP Pre2 Photo

More -- real -- snow is due in the area tomorrow, courtesy of a Noreaster coming up the coast.

It may seem a bit early for snow and digging out the shovels and scrapers, but it really isn't. The flakes have been known to fly here at earlier dates.

The earliest snow I can recall was back on October 11, 1979. Over the prior night we had a combination ice and snow storm that left eastern and central parts of Massachusetts glazed and looking great in the morning sun, but traffic could barely crawl.

How do I know? Well, me and my '68 Ford Galaxie had to slowly make our way that morning from Melrose (just north of Boston) out north and west to Boxborough for work. Fortunately, the trip was to attend a one-day seminar/tradeshow rather than for real work... and everyone else was late, too.

It was also the day I learned that a motor vehicle can travel in two directions simultaneously... forward and sideways!

This post was drafted on my TouchPad

Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

The Friday Special: Notes from the Boston Book Festival

2011-10-21T00:01:00.001-04:00

Last Saturday (October 15) I managed to get in to Boston for a couple of hours and attended a couple of presentations/panel discussions at the 3rd annual Boston Book Festival.

Click here to see my notes and some pix from the event on my other blog... My TouchPad Today.

Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

The Friday Special: Getting Around Boston...

2011-10-14T00:01:00.004-04:00

During the past week or so I got around Boston a bit with my HP TouchPad and HP Pre2, resulting in a series of posts for my other blog... My TouchPad Today.

Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

The Friday Special: The 2011 Boston Book Festival - October 15

2011-10-07T00:02:00.004-04:00

The third annual Boston Book Festival is almost upon us.

Discover what's happening next Saturday, October 15!

Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

The Friday Special: Haymarket Pizza - A Hidden Gem

2011-10-07T00:01:00.002-04:00

Earlier this week, with my car in the shop for the day, I ventured into Boston via subway and came up with a great post for My TouchPad Today blog.

Click here and discover why Haymarket Pizza also fits the bill for The Friday -- or any day -- Special.

Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

The Friday Special: Bezos & Hastings - The Dirty Duo of Internet Business

2011-09-30T00:01:00.009-04:00

Yes, my friends, Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Reed Hastings of Netflix/Quickster/Whatever are the Dirty Duo of Internet business.

Hastings has been on my "bad" list for a long time. His recent pricing and company split shenanigans were only real-life confirmation of what my built-in BS detector told me when I first saw him on Charlie Rose's program several years ago. (I suspect that in real life he sets off BS detectors at a distance of five miles!)

On the other hand, I've been a Bezos admirer until recently... namely yesterday when Bezos/Amazon announced their new Kindles, and finally decided to make good on the HP firesale pricing of the TouchPad for all purchasers. Ya coulda knocked me over with a feather!

Its painfully obvious what both of these business gurus did will, in the long run, be beneficial to their customers, employees and shareholders, but its equally clear that its a lousy way to treat your customers and employees in the here and now.

Hastings and Netflix did the right thing by spinning off the DVD-by-mail business, but failed miserably at managing their customers through the changes... hence the uproar at Greed Hastings's arrogance. And I'm sure that its been much more painful for Netflix's employees than if a proper change management plan -- or any plan -- had been used with their customers.

Bezos/Amazon's TP price rebate decision was a great move business-wise because it put cash into tablet customer's hands on the same day that it announced the modestly priced Kindle Fire and the other new Kindle models. Briliant... but by holding out for a month, your customer-facing employees took an undeserved beating on your behalf. Your customers and their money were held hostage for pure, naked greed on your part.

Somehow, Jeff, your proclamation yesterday about the type of company you and Amazon have chosen to be set off BS detectors around the world.

Mr. Bezos, have you met your new roomie Mr. Hastings?

Which of you is taking the top bunk?

Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

The Friday Special: The HP CEO Shuffle - Good News/Bad News

2011-09-23T14:05:00.004-04:00

Alas, the ouster of Leo Apotheker as HP CEO is one of those classic good news/bad news scenarios...

The Good News -- Meg Whitman is the new HP CEO, meaning that Leo Apotheker is out.

The Bad News -- Meg Whitman is the new HP CEO. Feels like an "any port in a storm" move on the part of the HP board.

Some other thoughts on the matter...

The Good News -- (Insert any name here) is the new HP CEO, meaning that Leo Apotheker is out.

If Pee Wee Herman, like Meg Whitman, were sitting on the HP board since January, could he have been the new CEO today?

I'm not seeing Whitman as the fix to what ails HP.

Anyone have Pee Wee Herman's phone number handy?

Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087

The Friday Special: My Entry in the boston.com September RAW Photo Contest

2011-09-16T00:01:00.007-04:00

The theme for this month's Boston.Com RAW photo contest is "Outdoor Sculptures".

My entry is a cropped version of a March 2002 photo I took near Ground Zero in New York City of a scuplture based on a 1932 photograph of ironworkers during the construction of Rockefeller Center.

The sculpture was adjacent to a public viewing stand of the Ground Zero site.

Learn more about the Sergio Furnari sculpture here,

Click here to see more about the 1932 ironworker photo.

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BTW, here is the original photo from which my contest entry was cropped (and fixed in Paint Shop Pro)...

Follow me on Twitter... @rnolan1087