Missed the bus

This is Tuesday. Today’s word is bailiwick

“Who Was Pappy Van Winkle and Why Does His Whiskey Cost So Much?” Enquiring minds want to know.

Things are looking grim for public transportation in Massachusetts. MBTA revenues are falling off a cliff and cuts in service could be extensive. Not what we need right now.

McDonalds is planning plant based burgers. I bet they’ll taste pretty good, too.

Our favorite local robot dog manufacturer may be moving to South Korea. Hyundai is interested in buying Boston Dynamics.

And there’s another Apple event today. This one will cover new laptops that use the same chips that power iPhones, among other things.

Light at the end of the tunnel

Monday, amiright?

Now, what to do with all that plywood.

The bad news is that we’re going into another wave of the pandemic. The good news is on the vaccine front. There are 11 vaccines in late-stage trials but Pfizer has announced that its vaccine is better than 90% effective with no serious side effects and it could be ready for distribution by the end of the year. The stock market likes that news. I do too.

The most viewed photo in history wasn’t in a magazine or gallery. It was on your computer screen.

Traveling in a pod through a vacuum tube at over 200 miles per hour? A number of companies are pursuing this idea, including Elon Musk. But the Virgin Hyperloop has pulled into the lead with a successful test using human passengers.

And this is the Alex Trebek that I’ll remember. No BS.

Meltdown

Sunday morning. It’s a new day. Bright sunshine and warm temperatures.

Man’s best friend is coming back to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

This weekend, here in southeastern Massachusetts in November, it was in the mid 70s. Not snow weather exactly. In fact, by the year 2100 it’s predicted that much of southern New England will be practically snow free. It will be more like the mid-Atlantic today. And that will change how the ecosystem stores water which could lead to more droughts. So I guess I should just get used to that brown lawn.

Over 2000 cases a day now, and rising. 2200 yesterday.

Conservative columnist Grace Curley compares Trump to “a tick on a horse,” and said Democrats will be sad to see him go. I half agree with her.

And here’s how the election results were covered by a newspaper in Scotland. Love the use of the word “rubbished.”

Points for longevity

And I’ve been waiting such a long time. For Saturday.

After a nationwide search the Red Sox picked Alex Cora to be manager. Surprise, surprise.

Peter Lucas writes favorably about the long tenure of Robert DeLeo as Speaker of the House. This could be his last term, he says.

Early yesterday we were on track to reach 2000 coronavirus cases a day in Massachusetts. It didn’t take long. Later in the day we hit that number. Nationally, records are also breaking. 1000 deaths per day for the fourth day in a row.

Nikon had a better than expected quarter. The camera maker is pivoting away from consumer DSLRs and moving more towards mirrorless and high-end cameras. Smart move, and necessary for survival.

And it’s like when the guy in front of you in the checkout line is paying with cash and the kid behind the register is doing the math in his head to figure out how much change to give him.

Rising numbers

Friday. Still counting. Maybe, maybe.

It’s news that the Massachusetts Legislature is not raising taxes. A case of man bites dog.

The state mask mandate begins today. We’re not alone. Maine has one too. That ‘thousand cases a day’ milestone came and went in October. Now we’re approaching the two thousand mark. Yesterday’s total was over 1700. And Thanksgiving is coming. Here’s the most recent chart with a trendline.

A billion dollars worth of bitcoin was mysteriously transferred out of darknet site founder Ross Ulbricht’s wallet earlier in the week. Who was responsible? We now know who (Uncle Sam) and why (forfeiture). That is a big seizure.

Baron Wolman has died. He was the staff photographer for Rolling Stone magazine in the sixties and seventies and responsible for some iconic images from that era.

And if you are buying a new iPhone 12 Mini or Pro Max, Apple is taking orders this morning. My blue Pro Max order is in. Can’t wait to put the camera system through its paces. So now that that’s done, we can start talking about next year’s iPhone 13.

Here’s your hat, what’s your hurry

Good morning. It’s Thursday. And the word is perseverate.

Town and Country gives Nantucket plaudits for balancing coronavirus restrictions and supporting tourism on the island.

Boston has a new tourism campaign. Come to Boston, enjoy our scenic attractions and eat in our restaurants. But stay out of the restaurants and keep off the streets at night. This might confuse some people. “It’s going to be a challenge for all of us to make sure the messages are aligned and not contradictory in any way,” said economic chief John Barros. Tall order, that.

This could be a scene from Seinfeld. A classic Costanza rant.

A number of prominent photographers are offering prints for auction online to fund Covid-19 relief. Even if you don’t have money to bid you can still browse some remarkable photographs.

And if you send an Italian to space, you better make sure the coffee is good up there.

A knife’s edge

Wednesday. Counting the ballots.

Alex Buono is the director of photography for the Saturday Night Live film unit. He explains how his team approached the new opening sequence.

Tom Simonite writes about the other big tech antitrust problem, the one no is paying attention to: broadband monopolies. “If you want to talk about a history of using gatekeeper power to harm competitors, there are few better examples,” says Gigi Sohn, a fellow at the Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law & Policy.”

Remember when politics was fun?

Sim swappers are at the bottom of the hacker food chain, just marginally above SWATers. This story has both.

And how about some new music. Maybe that will cheer you (read: me) up.

Can you hear me now?

Election day. God help us.

Screenwriter Brian (‘don’t send me any screenplays’) Koppleman remembers the great Sean Connery. Nice story (via DF).

Voyager was launched in 1977 and it’s been speeding away from earth ever since. After all that time it’s only about 17 light-hours away. That’s still quite a distance though; about twelve billion miles. Communication dropped a while ago but with a refurbished dish antenna in Australia, we’re back in touch. Amazing.

Numbers are up 300% in Mass so the governor had to make some changes. More masks and curfews. Not a good thing for restaurants but probably necessary at this point.

This guy just figured out his phone has a map app. File under: ‘thanks, but we knew all this already’.

And New Zealand has a peacock problem. They’re smart (“once they’ve learnt they’re being shot at, you won’t get within two or three hundred metres of them”) and they’re fast (“as soon as one starts to move, they all run, they’re like blimmin’ road runners”). Beep beep.

Let no crisis go to waste

Monday. Big week.

Usually a computer comes with a keyboard. This keyboard comes with a computer.

Restaurant investors are continuing to buy up local chains under stress in the pandemic. First Dunkins, then Legal and now Friendly’s.

The International Space Station is 20 years old today. It was launched in a spirt of international scientific cooperation that hasn’t lasted nearly as long.

If you’re buying books, check out Bookshop.org. It’s a way to support local bookstores. It’s not quite as comprehensive or full featured as Amazon but it’s getting there. And, I think it’s worth the small extra effort to support a good cause.

And taking a dog for a walk when you’re in a hurry can be frustrating. They have to stop to smell every inch of the path. But, says Ellen Furlong, be patient. It’s what dogs love to do.