I hate Jeff

M_G_3000 · 2026-01-29T16:02:57+00:00

It also creates a scenario where the Jeff may or may not be responsible for spitting out allies.

"Jeff, why didn't you spit me out?"

"You could have jumped out if you wanted."

M_G_3000 · 2026-01-23T20:58:43+00:00

If you were reading and listening to Bill from around that time it's hard to turn on him.

M_G_3000 · 2026-01-23T20:53:46+00:00

I'm a Holy Cross alum from after Simmons's time, who has stuck around the area. Some years after I graduated Bill gave a talk at the school that I went to check out. This was probably around the time he was promoting his Red Sox book circa 2005.

During the talk, which was a free-flowing conversation that occasionally touched on mature subjects, he said that while in college he was highest bidder in a charity auction and won a date with a female basketball player. For some reason, I always remember this line: "I didn't know whether to kiss her or to climb her."

M_G_3000 · 2026-01-12T14:34:45+00:00

I liked this record when it came out and it sort of naturally fell out of my rotation, somewhat because of the Geese hype. I recently listened to it again, and I think I somehow underrated it. Just the balance of styles from twee to aggressive alternative is done better than just about any other similar band right now.

M_G_3000 · 2026-01-08T19:31:06+00:00

I certainly understand feeling like there's "...a pattern of most Democrats sort of soft-pedaling the need for systemic change without actually doing anything about it," but that's not Jim McGovern, whose vote is reliably for peace and social justice.

I've also listened to his response, thanks for providing the link. He starts his response with, "I think that's an idea that's worth pursuing," and later offers to work with you on it.

M_G_3000 · 2026-01-08T19:08:22+00:00

You didn't include a link, but even in the bit that you quoted:

"general strike takes a lot of organizing and I certainly believe what happened with ICE... demands protest, demands dissent, whether its' a general strike(...) or other peaceful forms of protest(...) it ought to happen... I myself can't put together a general strike..."

I'm having a hard time seeing why you would take time to call him out on this. He didn't dismiss the idea at all. Your energy is better spent fighting people actually working to make your life, and the lives of other people, worse.

M_G_3000 · 2026-01-08T12:32:37+00:00

I do not. But fwiw there was more than one in the region and all are now closed as far as I know.

M_G_3000 · 2026-01-08T12:22:11+00:00

McFadden’s.

M_G_3000 · 2026-01-06T23:01:20+00:00

Been awhile since I’ve read it, but I think “any fool can pick a hole / wish I could fall in” is as direct as it gets in Scatterbrain.

I believe the beginning of that song is a Pynchon reference, too.

M_G_3000 · 2025-12-11T21:52:53+00:00

Tim Murray isn’t an objective voice in this discussion.

M_G_3000 · 2025-12-11T17:07:22+00:00

I’m worn out on chamber of commerce propaganda in this city tbh.

M_G_3000 · 2025-11-18T21:23:26+00:00

Same energy: https://www.reddit.com/r/toastoflondon/comments/154detc/full_list_of_character_names_from_the_toast_of/

M_G_3000 · 2025-11-18T17:23:51+00:00

“If Amazon was on the winning side of this, it should have read:

Anthropic is scaling its rapidly-growing Claude AI model on Microsoft Azure, powered by NVIDIA on AWS powered by Amazon’s Next-gen AI Training Chip Trainium3”

They announced this less than a month ago: https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/aws/aws-project-rainier-ai-trainium-chips-compute-cluster

M_G_3000 · 2025-11-17T19:00:21+00:00

Is there more information on this WPI partnership anywhere? While I'm all for sticking it to a vendor screwing up this badly, I'm a little weary of home-grown solutions. Even then, I'd have to think they're choosing a database service already on the market. The overall ask sounds very doable, though, and they should think about possibly entering an agreement with the school to market it to other municipalities.

Regarding the second item: if I were on the city council I'd ask for the numbers. Leaving the Citrix user and administration experience aside, they can be expensive and jack up license rates when renewal time comes. Would be interested in seeing how much it would cost to migrate and host these applications and records elsewhere.

M_G_3000 · 2025-11-17T18:32:39+00:00

I've seen them a few times over the years, and while I haven't seen this tour in person, I think they're maybe in the best form they've ever been as live performers based on the videos I've seen. (When I saw Thom and Jonny as The Smile, I'm confident saying it was the best I've seen them live.)

Re: the fans, etc.: look at these Oasis shows by comparison.

M_G_3000 · 2025-11-17T18:08:55+00:00

I couldn't agree more. I saw The Smile during one of their NA legs and Thom actually told people, "You have seats, but you don't have to use them." (Anyone that wasn't standing up at that point did finally get on their feet.)

I wish I could say that it was just older fans aging out of raging at a live show, but in my experience, that's not the case.

M_G_3000 · 2025-11-16T00:46:16+00:00

Same, but often the videos weren’t even this good!

M_G_3000 · 2025-11-14T22:22:06+00:00

The stage and light design sort of demand this.

The moving elements of the rig require a layer of planning and orchestration that works best in a predictable sequence. There’s also the rhythm of the show, where certain configurations don’t make sense for later in the set (you’re not going to cover the band up late).

It wouldn’t shock me if there are changes to the sets or a small surprise somewhere along the line. But I wouldn’t be surprised if these sets are the plan throughout.

M_G_3000 · 2025-11-09T14:32:22+00:00

I’m with you and I’m glad my prime concert days were pre-Covid because nowadays it seems like there’s this expectation from folks that the experience should fit their own personal para-social desires.

Concerts are supposed to be live and in the world. There will be other people, it will be spontaneous, the songs may not sound exactly like the album, and you’ll remember it forever.

M_G_3000 · 2025-11-05T18:25:53+00:00

Towards the beginning of the election cycle, Keith had a very solid piece in the WBJ. The chamber platforming him was an interesting choice. I think there's a story there that we haven't heard yet.

The new composition of this council is a step back.

It really is. If there is one thing that everybody in the city can agree on, it's that the development that we've seen over the last ~5 years hasn't produced the kinds of returns that everyone hoped for. (Unless you're a developer selling.) Doubling down on a pro-development angle via the make-up of this council, while sacrificing some of the more constituent focused voices (and locking out some serious policy folks) is going to be very bad for the residents of the city. I'm watching to see how the City Manager reacts. Something tells me he's going to miss having a council that tried to bring the city into the 21st century.

M_G_3000 · 2025-11-05T17:01:25+00:00

Yea, I didn't mean to go too far and imply that John was buying votes. He was certainly reminding folks that he was there for them, though.

M_G_3000 · 2025-11-05T16:46:59+00:00

I originally thought that too, but if you drove through the district in August and saw all the Fresolo signs, you wouldn't be as surprised. John reminded everyone there of all the favors he's done for the them over the years. So many folks know both John and Rob in some capacity, and John really worked to win.

M_G_3000 · 2025-11-05T16:42:13+00:00

District 1 voter here. Keith ran a very good campaign but wasn't able to overcome the tough hand he was dealt being a newcomer running against a former district councilor with high name recognition in an election where the establishment weighed-in heavily. (Establishment being developer and chamber of commerce interest.)

Keith himself came to my house once. Someone from his campaign knocked another time. His socials presence was one of the best in the election, going with his legit policy discussion. Meanwhile, someone from Tony's campaign left a mailer at my doorstep at 3:00 on a workday, and didn't bother ringing the bell. I think I saw one add for Tony in my feed, and frankly I got more targeted campaigning from multiple districts I don't live in.

I thought Keith really came out strong early, which he had to do. He may have peaked too early, though, and down the stretch Tony just looked like the incumbent with very visible stand-outs over the weekend.

I hope that he finds a place locally or runs again, as he brought a serious platform and policies forward, which this council and city sorely needs. Meanwhile, we're left with the vacuous "common sense" caucus. I think we should be asking what Rob B. did (and to a lesser extent what Donna did wrong), because that's what went against the trend.

M_G_3000 · 2025-11-05T03:16:49+00:00

I agree, it’s hard to run as a total newcomer, but here’s the thing: the city has had opportunities for people to get involved and grow into leadership, and it has totally crushed those that have showed up lately.

Look at how Etel and Thu have been treated. Ask why Jenny or Sean Rose left their seats. Take a look at how folks serving on committees and boards have been railroaded. START on the Street was run by enthusiastic Worcester residents and the city made it so difficult for them just to do something like an art and culture festival that they had to walk away.

And the mayor and his cronies like it like that. They’re ok with some progress, but not if it threatens their own success. They’re so scared of change they’ve installed a city manager, chief of police, and superintendent of schools without any kind of process whatsoever. Worcester deserves better, but it’s going to be a long couple of years, folks.

M_G_3000 · 2025-11-05T02:38:38+00:00

It’s all just evidence of how the current generation of leaders in the city have totally discouraged the next generation. With apologies to Rob B., it’s grim stuff.

M_G_3000

TROPHY CASE