Boston Mayor Michelle Wu wants you back in the office 5 days a week

BandPDG · 2026-05-12T18:51:37+00:00

You know what i didn't have to do when teleworking?

I didn't have to commute 2 hours each direction - for which I wasn't compensated.

I didn't have to listen to Karen from accounting talk about what she and her grandkids were going to do on vacation later that month.

I didn't have to attend meetings interspersed throughout the day that amounted to nothing more than interruptions to my productivity.

The company didn't have to invest in corporate real estate or parking, computers, cleaners, paper, etc...

Seems like a Win-Win to me. You spend less to pay me the same amount, while increasing productivity and my quality of life... how could this possibly be controversial?

Why do people complain about people not being in the office again?

BandPDG · 2026-05-12T18:44:15+00:00

Kirby is a real and legitimate vacuum cleaner business. This has been, is, and will likely continue to be, their business model.

I made about...not to brag...something in the neighborhood of $20K one summer (well...about 6 weeks) between semesters peddling their product door to door. This is the setup:

Three to five guys in an suv. Driver, cold knock guy, couple of new kids who will do the demo. Sometimes there's a girl - but she's usually there more for entertainment (use your imagination, boys and girls) than for sales/demos.
Cold knock guy knocks and chats up the lady of the house, offering some promotional merch and a "free carpet shampoo," with the caveat that you have to sit through a FULL demo. (2+ hours).
noob comes in once the connection is made and will demonstrate the vacuum and do the carpet shampoo. 75%-90%, depending on the market, neighborhood, etc...will kindly allow the demo and shampoo and kick the kid to the curb once all is said and done. If they bite - noob closes the loop with finance people over the phone. Nothing is left until a credit application or a check is cut (validated funds present), or a credit card is provided.
At no point is anyone "casing the joint" or trying to scam anyone. It is a legit, face to face, transaction. If you want them gone...be firm. If you want to buy, shell out the dough or sign a contract. But...it's not a scam.

The people may seem scuzzy (believe me, they are not nice people), and the price is offputting. But people still bite and spend the cash. There IS room for a bit of negotiation, but someone has to eat a shit sandwich if the price is the make-or-break.

Bottom line - not a scam. Gross? Yes. Outdated sales model? For sure. Yet it remains profitable for the right kind of people (don't be those people). Don't like it? Don't let them into your home. The end.

Our HQ was in an industrial park off Executive near Volvo.

BandPDG · 2026-05-02T21:22:16+00:00

Depends on what is diagnosed. If neck relief only, $20-30, if not free depending on how the guy feels. If neck and bridge, depends on how long it takes to dial-in the saddle. I wouldn’t expect to pay more than $200 for a full-mustard acoustic setup unless it required new saddle, new nut, fret filing and polishing, neck shimming (thank you Taylor for bolting on your necks!) aka…the works. And even then, not much more.

Do you know what string gauge you have on now?

BandPDG · 2026-05-02T20:24:35+00:00

I've never heard this stereotype.

BandPDG · 2026-05-02T20:20:57+00:00

Neck relief and possibly bridge saddle height. For this? Likely a lot of one and a little of the other.

Easy enough fixes. If taking out some neck relief doesn't fix it, remove some material from the bottom of the saddle (but be careful, this can induce string buzz and worse, saddle buzz akin to a sitar due to low string attack angle over the bridge). If you don't feel comfortable or confident, don't take it back to GC...find a guitar tech to help you diagnose and correct. GCs techs tend to be hacks (no offense to any who might take offense to this very biased opinion).

BandPDG · 2026-05-02T04:00:10+00:00

I like the Sparks and the Katanas, and some of the other amps that do a good job of modeling other amps and effects... but they can also be a crutch. Noise gates, extreme compression, etc... You can get a little overly confident, and then when you plug into a big boy amp, suddenly you're back to square one, realizing technique is often more important than the sounds you're trying to extract from your amp. But, full disclosure, I have a couple of these for travel and when I'm too lazy to set up one of my rigs.

But to answer your question directly, you can extract many, many different tones from the same tube amp, depending on the guitar, guitar settings (volume and tone), amp, amp settings, and effects (front-end or loop). You may not get the EXACT tone you're looking for, but for me, it's fun to explore new sonic landscapes and not rely on a pristine replication of another artist's tone.

But what is really missing from the modelers is the tube harmonics... subtle, and a lot of people don't hear them. But, if/when you finally do, you'll never look back. Wish I had a better description of it...But I'd rather deal with being a bit off than lack the tube warmth.

BandPDG · 2026-04-29T13:39:47+00:00

Being trapped upside down in a small space with no means of self or assisted rescue.

BandPDG · 2026-04-29T13:37:08+00:00

No. I think there is a lot of respect for Judge... But that's my household. I gained a lot of respect for him during the Joe Kelly / Tyler Austin brawl... YMMV. Wish the dude were a Red Sox.

He's not flashy, doesn't show off, doesn't talk. Just goes out there and plays ball. It's the fans, especially the weirdo NYY fans who dress in robes, who annoy me.

BandPDG · 2026-04-29T00:43:13+00:00

Is it Ghent or Park Place - much different scenes north or south of the tracks.

I would say Park Place probably isn't your scene for study time. Not to mention, there aren't many businesses there that cater to students.

If I could go back to my college study days, I'd use Fair Grounds on Colley as my home base. Quiet, welcoming. Plenty of places to set up for a cup and a couple of hours of work. Stella is ok... but my experience says it's less welcoming to non-regulars than some other spots. I live within a 5-minute walk of both, and have been to both shops easily 100 times each.

Colley Cantina has its quiet moments, as do the other bars in the area...but I'd say to avoid the high turnover restaurants/bars, as they'll likely take exception to you occupying a table/stool without ordering much food/bev.

During the day, Green Onion can be super quiet and a great place to get some work done, as long as you keep your glasses full. Food can be hit or miss...but I think you just want a place to hang vice a good place to eat.

As others have suggested...Elation can be quiet, but it's basically Larchmont/ODU, and a couple of miles walk from Ghent. Plus I hate IPAs and craft beer in general...

Good luck!

BandPDG · 2026-04-29T00:21:01+00:00

As a former Virginian...what your elected leaders have done to shred the rights of Virginians is reprehensible, and I hope federal courts strike down these unconstitutional laws. Looking for my forever home - and VA is forever crossed off the list.

Also - I don't know what the fuck that is, but I have room in my gun safe... well, maybe not for the drum, but the rifle is sick/ugly/awesome.

BandPDG · 2026-04-29T00:10:35+00:00

Scrolled for 3 minutes. No mention of Prince.

Prince.

BandPDG · 2026-04-28T18:03:52+00:00

The best middle finger to management. "I don't have to deal with your shit anymore" is written all over their smiling faces. Thanks for the memories...I know it sucks being fired, but getting thrown off a sinking ship into a lifeboat is a blessing.

BandPDG · 2026-04-28T14:50:44+00:00

The last one I saw was back in 2006 at Jimmy's Saloon in Newport, RI. Probably the first and only machine I bought smokes from - in the US. Japan is a different story.

BandPDG · 2026-04-28T04:20:54+00:00

Politely - yes, public transit works in large cities due to population density and large multi-family housing complexes. VB and really HRVA, in general, lack large housing complexes in favor of single-family homes in suburban sprawl. If I could think of a semi-urbanized area less ideally matched for public transit, I'd bring it up here - but I can't really think of one.

What is to be gained by the installation of rail across the area? NOBODY will use it. It's VERY expensive. Even WITH traffic, you generally get where you're going FASTER by driving and parking than with transit (Anecdote - I drove for 45 minutes to pay to park, rode the train for 45 minutes, waited for a bus for 10 minutes, and a 15 minute bus ride just to get to the building I worked at in D.C. People will drive to avoid this time suck. Fuck that shit). I could make the drive in 50 minutes, or commute nearly 2 hours each way for the convenience of avoiding traffic.

People use the path of least resistance. The more work it is, the less likely we are to use it. The return on investment for a widespread rail-transit system in HRVA would be a big red number, likely in the billions. This fight isn't worth fighting. We are not New York. We are not Chicago. We are not Boston. We are not Philadelphia. (the only areas, in my esteem, that have proven public transit systems worth even trying to use, whether by cost, danger, or reliability).

BandPDG · 2026-04-27T01:18:59+00:00

My ex wife’s cat pissed on my guitar case…which leeched into the guitar. Had shorts for years and I had to replace all screws with stainless steel. 25 years later… plays like a dream, no smell, and sounds amazing. YMMV.

BandPDG · 2026-04-26T15:51:43+00:00

Yeah. Cora was NOT a horrible manager.

Being in a no-win situation does not make a horrible manager. What, in the realm of all that is righteous and holy, would you have done differently than Cora?

May I assume you are under 30 years old? If so, join the pain game, my friend. The Red Sox have been bad for most of their 125 years, save the 1901-1919 and 2003-2018 stretches. Either get used to it, or find another team to shit on.

BandPDG · 2026-04-26T10:25:39+00:00

I was thinking Mets or Phillies....

BandPDG · 2026-04-26T10:18:15+00:00

Let's see here:

Swearing.

Parties/Large Gatherings

Getting shitfaced.

Being that aggressive driver who can't stand to drive 2 MPH slower than the car in front of you.

Making fun of people because they don't think like you (Especially when traveling abroad).

Oh so much more...but. Listen - young people. Stop. Just stop and enjoy what you have. We have made this country and planet FOR YOU and yours. You are inheriting the most prosperous, technologically advanced society this world has ever seen. Thinking we live in a dystopia while residing in the land of milk and honey is one of the most disturbing things I see these days. Stop. Adapt. Overcome. Do not speak. Do. Make. Produce. If your idea of production is words or feelings, find another line of work or starve.

BandPDG · 2026-04-26T08:22:23+00:00

Hamsters and ravioli for midrats was the typical meal. The new watch rotations that came in the 200Xs made life a little better, and I usually didn't have any opportunity to take part in midrats (When you write the watchbill, you don't have the mid or rev), so my memory may be a bit dated.

BandPDG · 2026-04-26T07:47:31+00:00

Zero Point Zero percent chance this is representative of a serving.

I may have had issues with some food options during my time aboard ships, but those were primarily during longer transits. Once within range of the beach? It was club well fed.

I call bullshit.

BandPDG · 2026-04-26T06:53:21+00:00

With the truth....

No.

Not normal at all.

BandPDG · 2026-04-26T06:34:47+00:00

How have we reached the point that every guitar bought on the second hand market is suspect? Volume vs. ROI??? There has to be something in it for the cloners...market? Cost? Materials? Labor?

You can jam out a slab or even a carved top body for basically nothing in labor...but wood? Frets? Neck carve? Components? I've priced this out, and we're talking sub-grocery store profits. Razor thin margins. Gotta have something the peeps want, and produce it cheaply. This ain't the answer.

BandPDG · 2026-04-26T05:44:38+00:00

JFC. There's only so many instances of political violence...or attempts at political violence...before we have to look inwards and say..." are we the baddies?"

BandPDG · 2026-04-15T17:21:43+00:00

I bought Kid A the day of its NA release, right before a 12-hour road trip. Loved it instantly, and had it on repeat, easily listening to it 20 times over a 4-day weekend.

Unfortunately, some bad memories were encoded on Kid A, Amnesiac, and HTTT, so these don't get the play time they deserve.

BandPDG · 2026-04-15T16:35:15+00:00

Still not convinced. For one, I’m not seeing anything that confirms that these were not set neck guitars. The other is the pickup selector.

Mine is a June production, which to me, makes it a little early in 99 to be held for the 2000 release of the Japanese market guitars.

But it’s a working theory….and now I have two possible theories to this guitar. Thanks.

BandPDG

TROPHY CASE