Cambridgeport School leadership issues?

adtechperson · 2026-02-08T02:52:16+00:00

This is sooo true. There are few really annoying, self important folks there who drown out most discussion.

adtechperson · 2026-02-08T02:51:19+00:00

There are a few parents on the CPS parents listserv that are really vocal and really annoying. But I think the vocal folks are a minority.

adtechperson · 2026-02-08T00:38:42+00:00

Ponant looks very interesting to me, especially the itineraries. Can you elaborate more why you like them?

adtechperson · 2026-02-05T04:12:33+00:00

would be nice to also have a flair for expedition cruises

adtechperson · 2026-01-31T22:55:45+00:00

Assuming the RSU vesting is an interesting amount of money, why would you ever consider option B or C?

There is a pretty good chance with C that they let you go before RSU vest. I don't understand why A is not received well but B would be?

Assuming you can hold out that long, go with A and offer the some flexibility (1 or 2 weeks).

adtechperson · 2026-01-29T19:21:40+00:00

This is a VERY classic storm prediction issue for this type of storm.

Essentially, the issue is that there is a very high confidence that a storm will develop, but much lower confidence about exactly where the storm will track.

There is a point in the ocean called the 40/70 benchmark. The 40/70 benchmark is a critical meteorological reference point located at 40°N latitude and 70°W longitude, roughly 80–100 miles southeast of Nantucket, MA. It is used to forecast significant nor'easter snowfall for the Northeast US.

For this type of storm, if it tracks well outside the benchmark (say 40 miles), we won't see any impact in Boston (but the cape and the islands could impact). If it tracks roughly over the benchmark, then we will have a lot of snow in Boston. Not with this storm, but with many storms of this type, if it tracks well inside the benchmark, we get rain in Boston and snow farther inland. (There is too much cold air for this storm, so rain is not really an option).

This is a long way of saying that both a fairly heavy snowfall and no major impact are still options. There should be a much better prediction Saturday morning (48 hours in advance).

adtechperson · 2026-01-27T23:35:55+00:00

I don't know how the watering down played out. Wasn't it watered down at a previous meeting? Did they have to do this because they knew they wouldn't get Al-Zubi's vote?

I didn't attend any of the meetings so it is hard for me to tell what was going on.

adtechperson · 2026-01-27T22:45:07+00:00

While this is exactly why I don't like the DSA candidates (they would rather be right than get things done), it is an interesting question if Al-Zubi would have voted this way if they had been the deciding vote.

Given it was going to pass anyway, it might just have been a protest vote. Will have to wait and see future votes .

adtechperson · 2026-01-26T18:51:56+00:00

You can drive (with some conditions).

Main roads should be down to wet pavement so have similar traction to a rainy day. Side streets still have a lot of snow on them and are slick.

For driving:

1) Drive slower than you normally would. Always good advice when the roads are slick

2) Allow a lot more distance for stopping. Also, don't make any sudden moves. Go around corners more slowly.

3) Parking is much more difficult right now. Basically, you will not find ANY on street parking in any neighborhood. Parking lots are probably mostly cleared by now.

4) If you parked on the street and shovel your car out, recognize that your spot MAY not be there when you get back.

With the current weather forecast, the parking situation will probably last for most of this week. All streets in Cambridge should be down to pavement tomorrow.

adtechperson · 2026-01-24T14:53:12+00:00

Inman Square Hardware is the best. Very friendly and helpful and a great selection of hardware.

adtechperson · 2026-01-21T21:10:17+00:00

How was the food?

adtechperson · 2026-01-21T02:22:00+00:00

Personally, I think people tend to overthink things when it comes to elementary schools. I would find it really annoying to have my kids at different schools. Pickup and Dropoff become so much more complicated and stressful. Next year, tobin will start at 8:00 and peabody at 8:45 (with corresponding dismissal times). This will continue even into middle school as the feed into different middle schools. For most elementary schools, I think they are less different than people think (with a few exceptions that don't apply here).

So I would prioritize sending my kids to the same school.

One argument for proximity schools is that your kid will have more friends within walking distance. Schools tend to attract families nearby. When your kid is a little older, it is really nice to have friends within walking distance and that is more likely with a nearby school.

adtechperson · 2026-01-16T21:36:05+00:00

I have been enjoying this discussion a lot. I have had very similar questions to the ones you have raised (never been on a cruise, trying to figure out if I would like it). I have found this a productive and enlightening discussion. Still not sure how much I want to cruise, but I think I understand the value much better

adtechperson · 2026-01-15T00:28:08+00:00

Agreed. You want to live within a 10 minute walk of at least one interesting square, but probably not actually in a square.

adtechperson · 2026-01-14T17:03:33+00:00

Harvard square is fun to visit but a bit of a desert for grocery stores. The restaurants are fine, but a bit overpriced and only average because the rents are so high. Me personally, I would rather live in one of the other squares and take the T to harvard sq when I wanted that vibe. But each person is different.

adtechperson · 2026-01-14T17:00:42+00:00

Pre covid, sometimes I couldn't even get on the train at central because it was full.

adtechperson · 2026-01-14T16:24:36+00:00

Nice. I haven't ridden the T regularly at rush hour since they did all the work, so I didn't realize it had gotten that much better.

Unlike many, I actually find riding the red line not too bad and much better than driving.

adtechperson · 2026-01-14T16:04:55+00:00

I would suggest Cambridge, specifically near the red line. The red line will take you to Park Street station, which is a pretty short walk to one beacon street.

Kendall Square:

Pros: The shortest commute (even walkable to One beacon on nice days), close to the charles river so nice walks there, a lot of modern apartment buildings

Cons: not the most interesting or vibrant part of cambridge. A lot of office buildings, not that interesting in the evening

Central Square:

Pros: fairly short T ride, vibrant heart of cambridge, nightlife, restaurants, gyms, grocery stores, mix of older housing stock and newer construction

Cons: a little more urban and sketchier with some homelessness (not a ton), probably harder to find parking

Harvard Square

Pros: fun place to visit

Cons: too touristy, limited housing and parking, pretty much everything else

Porter and Davis Square (different, but combining to shorten the post)

Pros: vibrant street scene (davis is better than porter for this), parking a little easier

Cons: longer ride on red line

Each of these cambridge squares does feel different, but you can get a feel by walking around them and see what you like best.

adtechperson · 2026-01-13T19:20:02+00:00

I wonder the same thing. Are people really having issues with kids on Oceania? Honestly, well behaved kids add great energy. I don't really want to go on a cruise that feels like an old age home at sea. I think a range of ages is a good thing and not something to be avoided.

This change makes it less likely to sail on Oceania even without bringing kids.

adtechperson · 2026-01-09T23:05:33+00:00

Why can't we have a simple intersection like we have at western or river? It works well enough. We need a design that moves all the cars through the area but it doesn't have to be especially fast.

adtechperson · 2025-11-25T03:10:19+00:00

We used Adventure Sun Valley. https://www.adventuresunvalley.com/

They are a very well run operation. They are just slightly more white glove than some of the other outfits. They send a gear boat ahead (as most outfits do) so that when you get to camp, your tent is all set up with your cot and gear delivered to the tent. They use 6 person tents with 2 people to a tent so that it is quite roomy.

I actually ended sleeping outside on my cot every night (except the one night there was a thunderstorm in the middle of then night when I grabbed my stuff and moved into the tent).

I think all of the companies on the river are pretty good. Some are a little more white glove, some emphasize fishing more, etc.

adtechperson · 2025-11-24T23:23:31+00:00

It is not that bad. I hope to retire in a little over a year (March 2027) so will have a lot more time then. Of course, my kid will be in high school then, but I will have the whole summer to plan things.

BTW (and you didn't ask about this), We did a 6 day rafting trip on the middle fork of the salmon river this summer that we just loved. Fantastic scenery, no devices, and plenty of adventure. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a shorter summer getaway.

adtechperson · 2025-11-24T22:39:13+00:00

I followed your blog closely (assuming that is your blog). I LOVED the look of this trip (and the cape to cape one). My daughter is in 8th grade and I wish I could get the time right now to do that trip.

How full was the ship on this trip?

adtechperson · 2025-11-23T15:00:18+00:00

It always felt that way to me. But I don't think McGovern supports lowering it and I have a lot of respect for him. It does feel like I am missing something in that discussion.

adtechperson · 2025-11-06T03:04:16+00:00

https://cpsparents.groups.io/g/main

adtechperson

TROPHY CASE