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Archive for the ‘Massachusetts’ Category

When times are tough, you look for expenses in your household budget that maybe you can do without: “this is nice to have, but we don’t need it right now”; or, “we need this, but maybe we can be paying less for it.” Shouldn’t our State government be doing the same thing??

Instead, what does Beacon Hill do in difficult economic times? They go back, time and time and time again, to their own bottomless ATM (the Acquiescent Taxpayers of Massachusetts). They’re like some kind of rabid monster – “must get more revenue, need more revenue, can’t lose any revenue!!” As if raising revenue is the only option for dealing with budget shortfalls.

This morning we learn that *at the same time Beacon Hill is already getting $11 Billion from the Porkosaurus Rex stimulus bill* Governor Patrick is going to jack-up the gas tax by 19 cents per gallon (nearly doubling the state’s gas tax). God forbid the Governor actually trim some of the grotesque fat that oozes from every door jamb in the State House. Why don’t we just hand them our entire paycheck, and then they can give us a weekly allowance? Oh, and now we know why the Governor proposed a 50 cent gas tax last week – it’s the oldest political trick in the book: threaten a 50 cent tax, and then when everyone gets outraged, drop it to 19 cents…suddenly the ignorant masses think they’re getting a bargain. All this from a Governor who ran on promises of property tax relief – what an absolute joke!

And you know the saddest part? We aren’t going to do anything about it. The majority of voters in this state are spineless lemmings. Every November they go into the voting booth and check D-D-D-D-D-D, all the way down the page. Here’s the bottom line: if you voted for this Governor, if you voted ‘No’ on Question 1, if you continue to vote for all these incumbent Democrats, then you have no leg to stand on and ought to keep your mouth shut about this gas tax. Your votes already sent a clear message to Beacon Hill: “Keep doing what you’re doing, it’s fine with me.”

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A silver lining on the otherwise gloomy economic cloud – As of December 22, gas prices in Massachusetts (adjusted for inflation) are at their lowest level since April 2002.

ma-gas-prices

Source: Energy Information Administration, weekly retail gasoline prices. Inflation adjustment based on Northeast regional Consumer Price Index time series from BLS.

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There are a lot of myths out there about energy efficiency. For instance, it is a myth that turning your computer off-and-on takes more energy than just leaving it on or in “sleep” mode; and the Patrick administration just announced it is taking advantage of this ridiculously easy way for the state to save some serious cash.

Boston (WBZ) – The Patrick Administration says it can save $2 million and 12 million kilowatts a year just by turning off computers at executive branch agencies. The administration on Friday announced a new policy of shutting down the computers or switching them to energy saving “sleep mode” when they aren’t being used. Aside from the energy and cost savings, the administration estimates the policy will reduce 5,051 tons of carbon emissions — roughly equivalent to driving 925 cars for a year or providing electricity to 669 homes for one year.

So how about a few other myths along these same lines:

  • Myth #1 – Turning off lights uses more energy. Turning off lights, even for short periods of time, really saves energy, with little impact on the lifespan of the bulb.
  • Myth #2 – Turning off car uses more energy. Idling a modern car always wastes more energy than turning it off and then on again (even for short periods of time).
  • Myth #3 – Turning down thermostat uses more energy. It is good to turn down the thermostat while you’re away from the house for the day. If you are out for a good stretch of time (say 8 hours or so), this temperature “set-back” will save more energy than it will take to bring your home back to the desired temperature.

More efficiency mythbusters from ACEEE here

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Last Wednesday, I’m sitting at my desk at work and all of a sudden a massive storm swept through. The rain flew in sideways and the wind was so strong that some of the temporary partition walls at the construction site next door flew into the street. Observing all of the action from my 4th floor window, I saw five or six workers rush to retrieve the walls from the middle of Clarendon Street. 

That is not even the half of it!

In addition to the construction site next door, there were also construction workers on the side of our building standing on a scaffold 4 or 5 floors up. The scaffold was located on Stuart Street, which, due to its position next to the huge Hancock building, is ALWAYS a bit of a wind tunnel to navigate. The storm intensified this to a terrifying extent. For a number of minutes, these guys held on for dear life as they were whipped back and forth up against the building – even damaging the “YWCA” sign. I know the photo below really stinks, but it links to a video from WBZ that says it all (just click on the image).

I hope these guys get at least a few days off, if not a raise or bonus!

Strong winds lead to scaffolding scare in Boston

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The Patriots season officially kicked off yesterday with our first game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Technically, we won, but we lost our quarterback! It has been a dismal 24 hours and we’re all thinking to ourselves “what will this season bring with no Tom Brady?” At least for now, I can overlook this horrible injustice as I revel in the opening of Patriot Place. Have you heard of it? Apparently I’ve been out of the loop – I just heard about it yesterday.

Patriot Place is a shopping and entertainment mecca built adjacent to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. Not all of the stores are open at this point, but my guess is that, if the retailers are smart, everything will be open by Christmas. The complex will feature mall staples like Aeropostale, Bath & Body Works, Claire’s, GNC, Godiva, Hallmark, Pac Sun, Old Navy, Victoria’s Secret, and more.

But, what I’m most excited about are some of the restaurants and bars, like Davio’s and CBS Scene, and the new “Showcase Live” venue (Joe Bonamassa is playing in the fall – we’d probably be there if we weren’t already seeing him at Austin City Limits in a few weeks). I’m also looking forward to visiting the new Christmas Tree Shop (best store ever!) and the first Bass Pro Shops in New England (a 150,000 square foot outdoor superstore – yeah, that’s 3 1/2 football fields.) Not to mention, I’ve never been to the Patriots Pro Shop and, with all of the new added benefits of Patriot Place, it will make the trip from Newton to Foxboro even more worthwhile.

Click on the image below to check out the interactive map of Patriot Place.

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The unofficial end to summer has come and gone (Labor Day), the official end to summer is fast approaching (Autumnal Equinox)…and I couldn’t be happier. This is the best time of year in New England. Sure I love summer, and yeah, the dwindling daylight is a bummer, but there are just so many things I love about the fall:

●  NFL, college football, fantasy football
●  Pennant races, October baseball
●  Foliage – I’ll admit it, I dig foliage
●  Orion starts creeping up over the horizon – I’ll admit it, I dig constellations
●  Stews, braised meats, roasted birds, and other comforting fare
●   Crispy morning air that will wake you up better than a shot of espresso
●   And of course, our wedding anniversary :)

And get this, all the suffering through the tedious rain we endured during the summer is paying off in spades for the fall harvest. Cranberry and apple farmers in New England are expecting one of the most bountiful, colorful, and juiciest harvests in years. Extra helpings of cranberry sauce and apple pie all around!

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Normally I stop at Dunkin’ Donuts for my morning coffee. I can’t remember the last time I bought coffee anywhere else, and today, it showed.

I was in Harvard Square with some time to kill and decided to get my morning brew while I waited. Harvard Square is familiar territory – I was pretty sure that there was no DD within walking distance. I spotted Au Bon Pain, which seemed harmless, so I decided to cut my losses and just go there instead of searching for DD. Walking in, I was confident.

Almost immediately confidence gave way to anxiety – I didn’t know the protocol for getting coffee in this joint. Trying to look unfazed, I went to the main counter and ordered a medium coffee. Oops, its self-serve. I was referred to a counter where I could pour my own, so I made my way to the coffee thermoses and picked a cup from the many stacks – oops again…I picked an iced coffee cup instead of a hot coffee cup (apparently they are differentiated by color). I went back to get a hot coffee cup and finally poured the friggin’ coffee.  Home-free…or so I thought.

At this point, I looked around and there was no sugar or milk anywhere in sight. I was totally baffled. I slowly backed away from the coffee area, looking casual, and observed another customer pouring coffee so I could follow his lead. Sure enough, that guy drinks his coffee black and I’m shit out of luck. Feeling stupid, I meandered back to the main counter and asked about the milk and sugar. The woman referred me to yet another counter that is literally hidden from all view when you’re standing at the coffee counter…marvelous. I paid the woman and got the hell out of there. It was 5 minutes I’ll never get back.

I must have, deservedly, been the butt of jokes among the Au Bon Pain staff. You’d think anyone of my generation would be able to buy a cup of coffee at Au Bon Pain without bumbling and stumbling around like an idiot. Oh well, at least the coffee tasted good :)

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Newton, MA - According to a report released by the Warren Group, an organization that tracks real estate trends, single-family home sales in Massachusetts in the first half of the year “plummeted” 19.1 percent, the lowest level the state has experienced in 15 years. The report also stated that the median price for single-family homes fell 9.2 percent, from $347,000 to $315,000. Breaking it down further, Middlesex County, which Newton is a part of, has experienced a 19.7 percent drop in sales and a 6.8 percent drop in median home prices.

I dug up some more wicked local real estate info for Middlesex County (might be interesting if you are thinking of wading into the market):

This figure shows the quarterly home price appreciation index for the Newton-Cambridge-Framingham metro area from 1980 through the first quarter of 2008. For each quarter, it shows the percentage change in home prices over the previous four quarters (for example, the very last data point is the percentage change in prices from Q12007 to Q12008). It shows that home prices in this area have been declining since early 2006, but at least the rate of decline is not accelerating (e.g., not getting steeper).

Below is a Trulia “heat map” showing average listing prices for each town in Middlesex County as of July 30. Newton is that fragmented-looking town just to the left of Brookline, and shows average listing prices of 625k and up! Given the typical shape of home price distributions, the average listings are skewed upwards by the handful of highest priced homes. Medianprice ranges would be lower across the board and much, much more indicative of the prices a “typical” home buyer would be dealing with (but current data on median prices isn’t available in the heat maps, so we get average). Anyway, the relationships across towns will still hold whether you look at averages or medians…for example, average/median prices in Northeast Middlesex tend to be lower than average/median prices in Central Middlesex.

Click the thumbnails to see heat maps for Worcester, Essex, and Suffolk county.

         

For more Trulia interactive maps by state or city, by average list price, by median sales price, go here.

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Life is better down where its wetter, according to Sebastian the crab from The Little Mermaid, a favorite movie from my childhood (and adulthood, for that matter - I can still recite most of the lines!)

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved the ocean and been fascinated by the idea that there is a whole other world below the water’s surface.  To indulge my mermaid fantasies, I invited my two younger sisters to the New England Acquarium with me last Friday. I hadn’t been there in YEARS, so was eager to check it out. We were excited, also, to see the new Sharks & Rays exhibit that has been heavily promoted around the city. They actually had a “touch tank” as part of this exhibit.

We saw penguins, fur seals, octopus, fish of all sorts, jelly fish, sharks, rays, turtles, and eels. We also saw a show at the (fairly) new IMAX theatre. I definitely enjoyed myself (thanks to Andrea and Nicole), but I was not blown away by the experience. I guess I had high expectations for the exhibits, given the price we paid for tickets (not to mention parking!). Then again, I’m sure the cost of running an aquarium and owning property on Boston’s beautiful waterfront is not cheap, by any means.

I’ve heard rumors that the Acquarium is going to be re-built, which I welcome 100%. The building was built in the 60′s and you can definately tell. All-in-all, I had a lot of fun. Unfortunately, the pictures didn’t come out too great due to some battery issues and weird lighting, but I did my best. Here are a few (click on the photos to enlarge):

  

   

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Jessica Roche and her husband, Karl, are transforming the former West Street Grille & Tap into the West Street Tavern & Restaurant in Nonantum, with an opening planned for July.

One of the West Street's New Owners, Jessica Roche (Boston.com Photo)

The West Street Grille & Tap was a neighborhood staple for over a dozen years in the Newton, MA village of Nonantum. Last fall, the West Street closed for business. With the great food, good prices, and the fact that it was soooo close to our apartment, Dan and I were disappointed (and surprised) when it closed.

But last week the tables turned, and the West Street was re-born. Newton-local, Jessica Roche, and her Ireland-native husband Karl, bought the restaurant and re-launched the popular watering hole as the West Street Tavern & Restaurant.

We stopped by on Friday night and the place was bopping! The inside has been totally re-vamped, but the menu is, pretty much, the same (the bacon cheeseburger was scrumptious!). I was blown away by the size of the ladies room (it is double the size as it used to be). They also added a huge new bar and three flat screen TVs (the Red Sox were playing the Yankees on Friday night, so a lot of attention was paid to these new TVs!) Not to mention, they pour a good Guinness!

I can tell that frequent walks over to West Street are in the cards for us!

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Today the Federal Highway Administration released their monthly traffic volume trends report for May 2008, and the data show a trend that is significant, although not surprising.

  • Nationally, travel on all roads declined by 3.7% for May 2008 as compared with May 2007. This marks the 7th consecutive monthly decline in this metric.
  • On a moving 12-month basis, total traffic volume fell by 10 billion miles, to 2.966 trillion miles. This is the lowest level in 3.5 years – since January of 2005 - and this metric has also declined in each of the last 7 months (the chart shows traffic volume from 1983 to 2008 – click to enlarge). 

There has never been a trend remotely like this. The current, ongoing 7-month decline represents the most significant adjustment to driving behavior in the last 25 years, if not longer. And these data are only through May…gas prices continued to rise through June and into July…the trend will continue.

Local Addendum: Traffic volume in the Northeast declined by 4.2% for May 2008 as compared with May 2007. Meanwhile, the MBTA announced that average weekday ridership in May was about 5.3% higher than during May 2007. It was the fifth monthly increase in a row. And…average weekday bus ridership crested over 400,000, which is only the fifth time in the past 101 months it had reached that level.

Decreasing traffic volume and increasing public transportation ridership are two sides of the same coin.

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It rained pretty much every day this week, so, with the promise of great weather today – finally! - Elicia and I set out for some kayaking in one of my favorite places: a stretch of the Concord River that runs right through the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge from Carlise, MA to the Old North Bridge in Concord.

This is just an awesome place for leisurely kayaking (canoe, motor boat, etc.), getting some sun, and enjoying an area that teems with wildlife! I’ve posted a handful of pictures below (click them to enlarge).

Launch point: In Carlisle, MA, where Rt 225 crosses the Concord River      Destination: The Old North Bridge in Concord, MA                                                 Time: Round-trip to the Bridge and back usually takes about 4 hours

I like to start early, just as the sun starts to burn off the morning dew that hangs over the water

I like to start early, just as the sun starts to burn off the morning dew that hangs over the water

Within minutes of the sun rising over the trees, the fog dissipates, revealing the incredible calm of early morning on the river

The fog dissipates within minutes of the sun rising over the trees, revealing the incredible calm of early morning on the river

On any given day, you are very likely to see several Great Blue Herons, either gliding over the surface of the water or hanging out on the river bank like this one.

On any given day, you are very likely to see several Great Blue Herons, either gliding over the surface of the water or hanging out on the river bank like this one.

There are more turtles than you can count...

There are more turtles than you can count...We've also seen Red-Tailed Hawks and a couple of deer, but they tend to elude the camera.

The beaver's humble abode.

The beaver's humble abode.

elicianthus buzzicus

Another native species: elicianthus buzzicus

And eventually, you reach the Old North Bridge, site of the first battle of the American Revolution

And eventually, you reach the Old North Bridge, site of the first battle of the American Revolution

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1. Are Facts Obsolete? Economist Thomas Sowell points out that many of Barack Obama’s positions are seemingly based on the notion that believing is seeing rather than actual information about the successes and failures of different policy concepts.                                 My Take: I share his frustration, particularly when it comes to important economic policy issues. There is an unbelievable amount of rhetoric in this election, and most of it belongs in the category of: be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. Restricting trade and raising the tax on captial gains will help our economy and “the common man”? You sure about that? Increasing the minimum wage sounds good, but will it actually benefit lower-skilled and less-experienced workers? Why don’t we look at the facts and the data instead of just saying things that make people feel good?

2. What’s Next, Danny? Celtics’ GM, Danny Ainge, had to make the first tough decision of the offseason, opting not to offer four years to James Posey, who instead signed with New Orleans. So, who will fill Posey’s shoes?                      My Take: This is a tough one. For the Celtics, Posey was probably the most valuable  bench player in the NBA last year, and it won’t be easy to replace his defense and 3-point shooting. There is something about bringing back Ryan Gomes that just feels right. He’s a solid player and Boston suits him - he’s the NBA equivalent of a “dirt dog.”

3. Is Failure No Longer An Option? Larry Kudlow raises an important and difficult question about the role of government intervention in the troubled financial sector (e.g., Fannie/Freddie, Bearn Sterns).                                           My Take: Here is what makes me uneasy and indecisive about the crisis playing out in the financial sector right now: On one hand, there are significant negative consequences when large companies fail, and government should play a role in supporting relative stability; BUT, on the other hand, if government steps in too far in “bailing out” these various financial entities, it undermines a cornerstone of our economic system, namely, risk. Risk begets reward and reason. This is a question of moral hazard – if they know the government will swoop in to save the day, thereby eliminating all risk, why would these companies bother making reasonable, thoughtful decisions in this first place? With respect to these bail outs, etc. we need to walk a fine line. If there is one thing we should all keep in mind when thinking about this issue, it is that capitalism only works when there is opportunity for great success AND opportunity for great failure.

4. Beer: Is There Anything It Can’t Do? George Will explains why beer has helped to strengthen the human gene pool.                                                      My Take: OK, this one is obvious. The answer is, emphatically, NO. He’s written a really interesting article, but for important questions like this, I generally defer to another genius of social commentary, who has famously proclaimed, “Beer: the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems!”

5. Why End The Income Tax In Massachusetts? Question 1 on Massachusetts’ November ballot will be a proposal to abolish the state’s income tax.                 My Take: Vote Yes on Question 1. Revolution is in the air once again in the cradle of liberty. The blowhards on Beacon Hill are bloated with your tax dollars and mine, and it’s high time we send them a message. I don’t think anyone would dispute that there is a ridiculous amount of wasteful and inefficient spending in our state government. This law, which almost passed in 2002 with 45% of the vote, would effectively reduce the state’s budget by 39%, back to the 1995 level. The opposition to this law will say that the world will end if it passes, but I’m prepared to call their bluff. I mean, it makes sense even if you set aside the benefial effects of putting this money in the hands of the private sector instead of the public sector. Just consider this: Between 1990 and 2007 the population of Massachusetts (i.e., the people served by government) grew 8.3%. During that same time period, Massachsuetts state government spending more than doubled.

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Along with the hot weather in New England comes a few of my favorite things – ice cream, sun, outdoor activities, BBQs, and flip flops. I’m a casual gal and I’ve always felt that I had “sensitive” feet. Huh? Well, either I have sensitive feet or I just don’t understand the “beauty is pain” concept when it comes to shoes. Trying to avoid uncomfortable shoes at all costs means that flip flops are a staple of my summer wardrobe. I’m thinking about getting a few new pairs (although Dan will probably tell you I have too many already). :-) Here are a few flip flops on my want list:

Teva Olowahu- Already have two pairs. Most comfortable things ever! They come in a variety of colors/patterns. I’ve seen them at City Sports, Eastern Mountain Sports, and REI in the past, but you can order them online too.

Teva Olowahu

Old Navy Flip Flops – Every year, I buy at least a couple sets of flip flops from Old Navy. They come in every color and are really cheap – usually $5 or less. This year, they’ve got some funky criss cross sandals and jellies.

Old Navy Flip Flop SandalsOld Navy Jellies

Roxy Zuma – Roxy has some real cute flip flops in a variety of styles, but I like these best.

Reef Ginger – I’ve never owned a pair of Reefs, but some of my friends swear by them. This style comes in a bunch of different colors too.

Reef Ginger

Reef Libson – Another style of Reefs – these you could pull off at the office!

Reef Libson

Havaianas Lake Green Flip Flops- Never really heard of Havaianas Flip Flops, but they seem to be a pretty popular brand from what I gather. Thought these were cute!

Havaianas Flip Flops

Got any suggestions for comfortable summer shoes???

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‘Beat L.A., Beat L.A.!’ Celtics vs. Lakers in the NBA finals, it’s the match-up we’ve all been hoping for! These truly are the golden days in our region.

And yet, I still feel compelled to point out what was obvious to anyone who has been watching the NBA recently – the NBA has a major credibility problem with their officiating. I feel sort of foolish even making the refs an issue , especially since the Celtics ended up winning the series, but it really has gotten to the point where it is difficult to take seriously some of these games. If the refs are doing their job well, they should hardly be noticed during the course of a game. But in today’s NBA, it is ALL about the officiating – they are more at the center of attention than the players during the course of a game and it sucks. There is absolutely NO consistency and there are only two possible explanations – either the refs are just bad at enforcing NBA rules, or there is some sort of deliberate bias for the home team and/or certain players.

Last night’s Celtics-Pistons game 6 was easily one of the worst officiated games I have ever seen. It was mind-boggling and pathetic. And the offensive foul called against Paul Pierce in the third quarter was, without question, the worst single call I have ever seen in any NBA game – ever!  

With the Celtics down five after a Detroit run, Pierce, standing beyond the arc on the left wing, got his defender in the air with an up fake, drew the contact, and somehow made the 3-pointer as he fell backwards. The Palace of Auburn Hills was silenced until the call was revealed to be an offensive foul. Tayshaun Prince would get two free throws on the other end to complete a six-point swing. Bull****. Here is the video.

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Boston

Here’s a sampling of links about recent happenings with clean energy in Massachusetts – there is a LOT going on. Clicking any link will open a new window so you won’t lose your place.

  • Fenway Park unveils solar panels on roof - The green at Fenway Park will no longer be limited to the grass, historic rafters, and 37-foot-high wall in left field. Enough solar thermal panels have been installed on the roof to provide 37 percent of the hot water needed at the 96-year-old park, reducing annual carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 18 tons. The solar installation is actually part of two broader initiatives. City and federal officials announced Fenway plans to highlight Solar Boston, a $600,000 program aimed at increasing Boston’s solar energy output 50-fold by 2015. The Fenway solar installation is also part of a new MLB program, the Team Greening Program, which is MLB’s first league-wide eco-initiative and has teams all over the country starting green programs. The program provides each team with an individualized Team Greening Advisor, which is a Web-based software tool featuring advice and resources for every aspect of a club’s operations. For instance, the Sox are also making other changes, like switching the field’s lawn-mowers biodiesel and enlisting a group of 30-50 volunteers to collect recyclables between innings.

 

  • NSTAR Green allows customers to buy wind energy - Earlier this month the state Department of Public Utilities approved a program that allows NSTAR customers to buy their electricity from wind farms in Maine and upstate New York. Customers who enroll in the NSTAR Green program will have to pay a premium on their monthly bill, $4 – $7 depending on whether you opt to buy half or all of your electricity from wind farms (although I don’t think many people are very excited by the idea of paying more for energy right now). National Grid has a similar program, GreenUp, and there are many other utility and non-utility options available. You can find out what your clean electricity options are based on your town by following this link to the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust. For the uninitiated, enrolling in a program like this has absolutely no effect on the reliability of your electricity service, and nothing changes in terms of the way electricity physically gets into your house. The only difference you will notice is the premium on your monthly bill.

 

  • Massachusetts Green Jobs Act of 2008 - Last week, in an address to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, House Speaker Sal DiMasi announced a new initiative directing millions of state dollars at growing the local alternative-energy sector. Dubbed the Green Jobs Act of 2008, the bill would allocate more than $50 million to the creation of new jobs and revenue in the state’s clean energy industry. The initiative is directly aimed at creating jobs in the clean-energy sector, particularly through start-ups, and is designed to “attract hundreds off millions of dollars in venture capital, create thousands of new jobs and millions of dollars in new annual revenue for the commonwealth,” according to a statement by DiMasi’s office. On a related note, the clean energy industry in Massachusetts is already booming – supporting about 15,000 jobs - and is about to overtake textiles as the 10th largest employment cluster in Massachusetts, according to a “census” of the clean energy industry released last year by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC). Click the thumbnail image to enlarge the picture. 

 

  • Newton/Needham Chamber to present Green Business Solutions Expo - All over Newton and Needham, businesses are looking to go green, and for the first time, the Newton/Needham Chamber of Commerce will present an expo to help them learn to adapt to a new, environmentally conscious business climate. The chamber’s first-ever Green Business Solutions Expo will take place at the Newton Marriott Tuesday, June 3. Speakers will cover topics including recycling, organic lawn care, energy conservation, and how businesses can apply to receive government grants and rebates. Fifty-five exhibitors are expected. Chapman Construction and Designis going solar, and for Guy Compagnone, the company’s director of sustainable practices, the business decision is a no-brainer. “If you’re pioneering right now, you’re ahead of the curve. If you’re not, you’ll be far behind and have to catch up later. Straight up, there’s a reduced utility cost, much lower environmental impact and client attraction,” said Compagnone. 

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We joined a kickball league! The “Massachusetts Minutemen” division of the World Adult Kickball Association, to be exact. A couple of our friends recruited us for the team, which happens to go by the name of “Balls Deep” (don’t even ask – I had nothing to do with it!).

We had our first game last week and lost. I think it was due to the fact that we didn’t have our official T-shirts yet. We’re supposed to get them tonight, so hopefully we’ll have better luck for our second game. We’re taking on The Belly-Itchers on what I’m sure will be a wet and muddy field from the rain today.

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…crude oil $125 per barrel, climate change, energy independence, insufficient electricity infrastructure, volatile prices, and the list goes on…

Energy efficiency is probably the most successful but least appreciated strategy for dealing with the significant energy challenges we face in blazing our country’s path to prosperity during the 21st century.

For example, U.S. energy consumption at the end of 2008 is expected to total half of the energy consumed in 1970 thanks to investments in energy efficiency according to a new report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. And, there remains a huge amount of opportunity for additional, profitable investments (a recent McKinsey study estimated the existing energy efficiency market is about $170 billion per year to the tune of a 17% annual rate of return). Here is a summary of the ACEEE report:

Washington, D.C. - It’s the U.S. energy boom that no one knows about. Energy efficiency may be the farthest-reaching, least-polluting, and fastest-growing energy success story of the last 50 years. But it also is the most invisible, the least understood, and in serious danger of missing out on needed future investments. The ACEEE report, The Size of the U.S. Energy Efficiency Market: Generating a More Complete Picture, concludes that “…our nation is not aware of the role that energy efficiency has played in satisfying our growing energy-service demands…the contributions of efficiency often go unrecognized. The contributions of energy efficiency often remain invisible…” The report also notes that although efficiency is a proven resource, it remains underdeveloped. ”In short, the evidence suggests that efficiency can make an even larger contribution towards stabilizing energy prices and reducing greenhouse gas emissions – should we choose to fully develop it.”

Key report findings include:

  • The U.S. stands to gain enormously from additional investments in energy efficiency, and could reasonably reduce consumption by as much as 30 percent during the next two decades.
  • Future efforts would bear additional fruit through the creation of green collar jobs. Annual investments in energy efficiency technologies currently support 1.6 million U.S. jobs. The $300 billion invested in energy efficiency in 2004 was three times the amount invested in traditional energy infrastructure.
  • Investments in energy efficiency technologies are estimated to have generated approximately 1.7 quads of energy savings in 2004 alone – roughly the equivalent of the energy required to operate 40 mid-sized coal-fired or nuclear power plants.
  • Since 1970, energy efficiency has met about three-fourths of the demand for new energy-related services while conventional energy supply has covered only one-fourth of this demand.
  • Nearly 60 percent of energy efficiency investments made in 2004 were from the buildings sector, with nearly half coming from appliances and electronics.

Now the key is to pick up all this free money lying on the ground. There are a ton of energy efficiency resources on the internet for homeowners – here are just a few:

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Firefighters are a breed unto themselves, doing a job most of us won’t or can’t do, yet we can’t live without.

In Arlington and Winchester, MA, a news photographer got an in-the-helmet view of the rigors of firefighter training. It’s about as close as you can come without having to endure it yourself. Click image to see the slide show.

Arlington, Mass. – Since he was a young teenager, 31-year-old Chris Gibbons had his heart set on becoming a firefighter. “For me, it was a lifelong dream,” Gibbons said. When Gibbons turned 18, he joined the auxiliary group and passed the test to become an EMT. From 2001 to his hiring last year, Gibbons was an emergency 911 dispatcher for Arlington, while continuing to serve on the auxiliary force. This spring, that dream became a reality, as Gibbons and two others joined Arlington’s firefighting force full time. As a new firefighter, Gibbons will start out on the ambulance, which responds to fires in addition to medical calls, he said. 

Best of luck to my brother, Jason, who is gearing up for the EMT test this summer!

Thanks Wicked Local.

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Voting is under way for MLB’s 2008 All-Star Game. Be sure to vote for all your favorite Sox players. You can vote up to 25 times. Thanks to Boston Dirt Dogs for pointing out that if you want to vote for Jacoby Ellsbury (and why wouldn’t you?), you need to write his name in because he’s not on the actual ballot. Click to vote.

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As usual, the mainstream media, frothing at the mouth to bring us each day’s message of doom-and-gloom, has for several months now made it impossible to avoid the constant bombardment of references to THE recession and THIS recession. This must be the most widely predicted/presumed recession in American history. A NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey from April 30 indicated that 8 in 10 Americans believed we are in recession…80%!

But there is one small detail that has been overlooked in this frenzy – We are NOT in a recession and there is NOT going to be a recession this year. Any economist will tell you that a recession is defined by two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth. Guess how many quarters of negative GDP growth we have had – exactly zero! The Bureau of Economic Analysis reported Wednesday that U.S. real GDP grew at a 0.6% annual rate in the first quarter of 2008. This is the same growth rate we saw in the fourth quarter of last year.

To be fair, 0.6% growth is by no means a booming economy. The economy has clearly slowed and the housing sector continues to contract. But this economy, including the labor market and the consumer, has proved to be much more resilient than most would have you believe, and parts of the economy are booming (transportation, exports, energy, agriculture, and many service sectors like health care and education).  

Precious few economic prognosticators have never wavered in their assertion that there is no recession – notably among them are Don Luskin and Brian Westbury. Cheers!

There is a saying that “the media has predicted 10 out of the last 3 recessions,” and here we have yet another example of the media crying wolf. I’m just saying, do yourself a favor and try to deflect pessimism expressed for pessimism’s sake.

P.S. On a related local note, the Massachusetts economy chugged along at a healthy 3.2% annual rate in the first quarter of 2008.

Economic Growth

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Last weekend my dad, sisters and I went to the Franklin Park Zoo, which I hadn’t been to in years. Previous visits to zoos have consisted of rather uneventful animal watching. The animals just sort of sit there (and understandably – how happy and active would you be if you were stuck in a pen?). Last weekend, however, there was a ton of exciting stuff going on! The leopards were mating, the lion could not stop roaring, the gorillas were swinging on ropes and watching us just as much as we were watching them, and a goose almost killed a black swan.

During the visit I caught myself a couple times thinking about how horrible of a place it is. These animals that are meant to be thousands and thousands of miles away (definitely not in Boston) are trapped. On the other hand, I know that zoos across the country do so much good. They help educate people about animals and conservation. They also help in breeding endangered species and rescuing injured animals or animals that can no longer survive in the wild.

Based on previous visits as a kid, I remembered that the Franklin Park Zoo wasn’t the “cream of the crop” of zoos by any means, but that didn’t really matter as much this time around. Its been a few days and I’m still thinking about the few moments where I made eye contact with some of the gorillas – amazing. I realized that as an adult visiting the zoo, you have a much greater appreciation of the animals. And I’m sure the hundreds of Animal Planet and Discovery Channel shows I’ve watched in my adult life could have had something to do with this as well ;-)  

 

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Researchers from Purdue University’s Vulcan Project have created the most detailed picture yet of human sources of carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. There is an article on this featured in today’s Boston Globe. This video is a really interesting animation presenting the data – you can see the emission levels pulse as emissions increase during the day and fall off at night.

You can get their data and rank the emissions of carbon dioxide by county - Middlesex County, MA, where I’m from, has the 16th highest level of CO2 emissions among all counties in the country (Middlesex is #1 nationwide in carbon emissions from the commercial sector and ranks 6th in terms of emissions from residential sources – i.e., “McMansions” abound).

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I very rarely overhear interesting conversations on the MBTA commuter rail. When you are on a commuter’s schedule (i.e. on the train between 6 and 9 in the morning and 4 and 7 in the evening), you will usually hear miscellaneous and very BORING work-related cell phone conversations or the occasional commuter buddy chats to the tune of “how was your day” or “what’s going on this weekend.” Nothing worth listening to.

Today, however, the 112th Boston Marathon took place. My office (and Back Bay station) is conveniently located a couple blocks from the finish line. So, there were a bunch of runners sporting reflective silver plastic wrap (they get these to keep warm after they finish the race) on the train ride home. Among them was a unique fellah sporting an all pink jump suit sitting next to a pile of pink clunky plastic and cardboard. I didn’t ask questions and took my seat.

After a few minutes, he starts talking with some other runners and tells his story. He just started a charity dedicated to raising money for cancer research and he ran the marathon today in a huge pink hairdryer costume! Wouldn’t you listen in too? His charity, My Hairdryer for Cancer, gets celebrities to sign hairdryers which are then sold to auction with all proceeds going to cancer research. He was also on the Matty in the Morning radio show this week to help spread the word (photo below).

I didn’t get to see the costume in full effect, but I hope someone cheering him and the other runners on took some photos today and will post them online.

To the guy on the train (blonde one in the photo below) - best of luck with your charity! You have a great story. Continue to tell it in crowded places, so people can eaves drop.

Hairdryer for Cancer, Matty in the Morning

 

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The Old North Bridge, Concord, MA

Let’s not forget that 95 American patriots – the first American patriots – gave their lives on this day in 1775 at Lexington and Concord in the first battles of the American Revolution.

When British General Thomas Gage sent a force out of Boston to confiscate weapons stored in Concord and capture patriot leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock in Lexington, those men stood defiantley on the Lexington Green until – in an instant – the silence was broken by a musket shot from the British line that would forever change the world.

Most of those men could hardly conceive the improbable chain of events that would follow – they just wanted to be free. They believed in the principle of self-governance; that no one should hold power over them without their permission. In standing up for that belief, those men catalyzed an experiment in republican democracy that shattered the long-standing idea of concentrated, inherited political power and recognizes the self-evident rights of man.

That experiment, called The United States of America, continues to this day and so long as it does, will require patriots to represent and defend her. So on this revolutionary anniversary, let us also not forget about our American patriots – of whom we could not be more proud – stationed in this country and around the world today, April 19, 2008.

Concord & Lexington Schematic

Click this image to see a schematic of the battles at Lexington and Concord 

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When those of us living in and around Boston get hungry we almost always go east, and with good reason. There are countless great restaurants/food-stands in the city.

But if you go west, you can find some truly unique places where you can get a sort of country-comfort food that you simply won’t find in Boston.

So, for those Bostonians who never bother to venture west of Rt. 128 for food, I have four particularly special, delicious recommendations that are more than worth the drive.

1. Framingham Bakery Company (840 Waverly St, Framingham)

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They make an unbelievable bakery-style pizza that is unlike any style of pizza I’ve ever had anywhere else. Resist the urge to heat it up – it’s meant to be eaten at room temperature or cold – trust me! Go buy a sheet of pizza, stick it in your fridge and feast throughout the week.

2. Out Post Farm (30 Prentice St., Holliston)

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This is a classic New England farm that has been around for decades. They have all sorts of great food, but I’m going to recommend you stock up on some Frozen Turkey Pies. It’s just fresh turkey meat, gravy, and scrumptious, flakey crust. Everyone in your apartment building is going to gravitate towards your door when they smell it bubbling away in the oven.

3. Ma Glockner’s (151 Maple St, Bellingham)

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Berched Chicken with Homemade Cinnamon Buns – words cannot describe…

4. Hot Dog Annie’s (244 Paxton St, Leicester)

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I’m not some crazy hot dog person. I couldn’t care less about Coney Island, Nathan’s, or whatever. The BBQ hot dogs at Hot Dog Annie’s transcend all forms of tubed meat. This place is the furthest drive of my four recommendations, but it’s worth every $3 gallon of gas - seriously. If anyone out there knows what I’m talking about, back me up on this.

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For the past six months or so the Framingham / Worcester line of the MBTA commuter rail has been running off schedule. In my experience, at least every other day the train will be between 5 to 20 minutes late. For someone who just worked a full day and is eager to get home, 10 minutes can seem like a lifetime. Not to mention Back Bay station is the most miserable place to spend any of your free time – dark, dingy, damp, and dirty!

Over the past month, things have been on the up-and-up and the delays were fewer and farther between. Just this week the MBTA revised the Framingham / Worcester schedule. They claim that recent delays have been a result of an increase in ridership and, therefore, an increase in the amount of time spent at each stop loading and unloading passengers. Seeing the MBTA taking action gave me hope. I thought to myself ‘this is a good sign.’

I should have known better.

This evening, as I waited in Back Bay station filled with hope, I could almost hear the announcement before it was made — “Framingham local boarding next on track 5.” Instead, the intercom kicked in and I was disappointed.  The announcer proclaimed “For those waiting for the Framingham local, this train has been slightly delayed.”

It wasn’t too bad of a wait (maybe 5 minutes), but I hope its not a sign of things to come.

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Lucky for Dorothy, she had a cute 3-bedroom 2-bath house with a picket fence on an 8-acre farm  in Kansas to think about when she uttered the famous words “there’s no place like home.” If she were living in an apartment with Auntie Em, Uncle whatever-his-name-was, Toto and the rest of the farm animals, I’m sure her memories of the place would be a little less sweet.

We’re eager to say ‘goodbye’ to renting and say ‘hello’ to a house of our own in Massachusetts. As a result, we’ve spent a good chunk of time surfing the web to see what is on the market. In order of preference, here is a list of some helpful real estate websites that I’ve encountered thus far in our search:

  1. Trulia.com (great design, search features and selection)
  2. Realtor.com (similar features to Trulia.com)
  3. ISoldMyHouse.com (“For Sale By Owner” listings)
  4. Zillow.com (also, very similar to Trulia.com)
  5. MLSHomeFinder.com (MA-specific site)
  6. Boston.com (website of The Boston Globe)
  7. HomesForSaleInMA.com (another MA-specific site)

Drop us a comment if you have any other sites to recommend or even if you just have some tips for first-time home buyers in Massachusetts!

Props to Motley Crew, of course, for the Home Sweet Home video.

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FRB, Boston – Between 1995 and 2005, home prices in New England increased by 85 percent, compared to an increase of only 56 percent nationwide. The growth in house prices was far greater than the growth of real incomes, meaning most households in the region have seen the affordability of housing decline in recent years. As a result, there’s been speculation that young professionals are leaving New England, choosing not to move here, or facing financial strain because of high housing costs.

A recent study by the New England Public Policy Center explores whether young professional households can afford to own a home in New England using two common measures of housing affordability: (1) housing burden, defined as the percentage of household income spent on housing costs, and (2) income adequacy, which indicates whether the incomes of young professional households generally are adequate to purchase a home.

In terms of income adequacy, they looked at the ability of a median-income household to purchase a median-priced home. It would have been more interesting if they accounted for the distribution of incomes and home prices around their median values. For example, they might have looked at the question of affordability for young professional households that earn less than the median income (like the 10th or 25th percentile). There are still some interesting findings:

The figure shows that while young professional households in New England pay a larger share of their incomes on average, the percentage of households that are severely burdened is not out of line with the rest of the U.S.

They also found that although young professionals in Boston tend to earn more than their peers in other cities – like Chicago, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Raleigh - housing is also more expensive even relative to their higher incomes.

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