It's a good thing I'm moving soon...

...because violent crime is seems to be occurring closer and closer to my house.

J. and I drove by on Forest Hills Street around 4:45pm on Saturday and wondered why there were so many cops and a medium-sized crowd of people gathered on the corner of Rossmore and Forest Hills streets. Not to mention the two or three police cars that were parked in the immediate area. I commented that the films crews I've seen in the area (mainly at Doyle's) did not seem to require nearly as many police officers. Then we spotted the yellow tape - definitely not a film crew.

MA unemployment dept. is illogical

Because they take your call based on your social security number, not what order you are in the queue of callers.

The joys of unemployment (sort of)

Yes, my blog will again deal with the topic of unemployment. (And the little things that make me feel better about my situation.)

Anyway...

Now that I no longer have a job, I no longer have a commute. No more commuting means that I won't be as bothered by the movie being filmed on Centre Street in West Roxbury.











One of the catering trucks I passed was imported all the way from Sylmar, California. (At least that's what the side of the truck said.) Seems kind of silly to bring a basic catering truck across the country. Unless it's a prop.

Anyone know what EOD stands for?

Who dislikes the Dali Lama? (Besides the Chinese government)

Somebody who rides the Red Line.

Burglary in the 'burbs

Someone (or maybe several someones) broke into my workplace last night. Ironically, they chose to enter through the window which leads to an office with a door that is locked from the outside (well, really it's the hallway to be technical). Which basically left the master criminal(s) trapped in that particular room. (Which is probably for the better.)


A quick inventory of items that were taken:

• a framed photo of all the female employees taken at our holiday party two years ago
  
• a Rolodex
  
• a large poster of a Norwegian fjord
• a small poster of a castle
• a coffee cup full of pens
  
• a bottle of hand lotion

Items in plain sight that were not taken:

• an iMac
• a slightly older G4
• a printer
• a postage machine (it weighs mail and looks something like this)

From what I understand, the police said that they couldn't get any info from the fingerprints on the outside of the window. I'm no CSI, but even I saw a few partial prints. But I guess they're the professionals...

The smaller poster was later recovered on the other side of the parking lot. Late this afternoon someone from the company upstairs found the framed photo out back behind the building.

Canadian consulate adventure

I should preface this post with the fact that I am a big fan of Canada. I can't exactly pinpoint the origin of my warm feelings for the Great White North... maybe it has something to do with my love of hockey, or fondness for ice wine.

Anyway, I got invited to an election night party at the Canadian Consulate in Boston by a friend who hails from British Columbia. We passed time waiting for the polls (at least those in eastern Canada) to close by enjoying some fine Canadian wine (no ice wine, sadly) and of course, beer (Molson is actually popular with Canadians). Then, like good citizens of any first world country, we gathered around a big screen TV to watch the election results come in.

It was interesting to have a sort of insider's p.o.v. as to how another county's government is formed. I also learned that I can pass for a Canadian. (As long as I stayed sort of quiet and pretended to get jokes about Corner Gas, The Friendly Giant, and the NDP.) It felt kind of odd having to repeat "I'm from the U.S. and I'm a tad confused by your minority parliamentary government. Can you please explain again how your electoral system differs from mine?" But everyone was very polite about my lack of understanding. After all, they're Canadian.

Sad Truck gone wild

Sad Car, meet Sad Truck
(which, incidentally, is located next door to my second favorite dilapidated car).

Sad Truck reminds of those ships that are sunk to make artificial reefs.

Who're you calling a giant inflatable rat?

Newton Roofing, apparently.

As seen on Providence Highway in Dedham this morning.

The Hummus Wars are heating up

"Lebanese businessmen are making a legal claim that would designate hummus as traditional to Lebanon. That would make it easier for them to sue to prevent companies in Israel and other nations from marketing the popular chickpea-and-olive-oil spread as their own."

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