CapeCodToday Blog Chowder

Happy New Year! Another World is Possible!

Happy New Year all! Most of all... Peace in 2010! And really people... let's start doing the right thing and not tolerating horseshit solutions and post crisis management by our leaders. Let the next decade be one of accountability, not the status quo of bullshit that has crippled the working people of this planet. Remember it has always been this way. Since time immemorial there have people out to enslave the entire world. The only difference nowadays is that the power elite think that technology makes it easier to divide and conquer. I say that it will help us unite with all the peoples of the world in common cause. And the rich frat boys that have been running things, who are so inbred like their monarch predecessors, will find out that being out of touch with reality will finally bring them down. They will have to stop preaching that "bootstrap" horseshit that they know nothing about, and instead of "Let them eat cake" they will find themselves on the menu. "Power to the people" "War is over if you want it" Do the right thing by everyone my friends and another world is possible! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

THE HUMPTY DUMPTY DECADES

    THE HUMPTY DUMPTY DECADES

                                                        Decade:  1. a.  An assemblage, group, set, or series of ten.  

                                                   - Oxford English Dictionary, 2^nd Ed. (1989)   Vol  IV, page 317

                                           Century:  L. centuria, an assemblage or division of one hundred things

                                                   - Oxford English Dictionary, 2^nd Ed. (1989) Vol II, page 1041

                                     Millenium:  1. A period of one thousand years.  Also a thousandth anniversary.

                                                  - Oxford English Dictionary, 2^nd Ed. (1989) Vol IX, page 780

 "When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean -neither more nor less."  - Lewis Carroll, Through The Looking Glass (1872)

 No one .  .  .  has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people.  -  H.L. Mencken, quote from A Mencken Chrestomathy (1984)

                 We are now suffering through the first post-millennial media orgy driven by precipitous commercial avarice and the mass media's endless and mindless pursuit of new newsiness, playing on the anti-intellectual ignorance of the American public.  I am referring, of course, to the current wave of commentary and marketing focused on the years 2000 - 2009 as the first decade of the 21^st century, supposedly to close on December 31, 2009.  That, as anyone with a even a shred of mathematical and/or historical awareness knows is sheer, simple-minded nonsense.

                Yes, the years 2000-2009, or the "aughts" as some like to call them, are in fact a "decade" in the strictest, limited mathematical sense.  After all, the term decade refers to any group of ten, just as the years 1973 through 1982 were a decade, or a group of ten hail Mary's in the rosary, or any group of ten cucumbers for that matter.  But the "aughts" are not the first decade of the 21^st century or of the third millennium, as that will comprise the years 2001- 2010, yet to be completed on December 31, 2010.

               Unlike many contemporary political issues, this is a matter of arithmetical certainty given the historical fact that the calendar we use today in America, the Gregorian calendar, begins with the year 1, purportedly the year of Jesus' birth, there being no year 0 which is a mathematical absurdity.  The Gregorian calendar superseded the Julian calendar for all of Roman Catholic Europe when adopted by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, and only later in Protestant and Orthodox nations, the delay being based primarily on political rather than scientific or mathematical considerations.

              The Gregorian calendar was adopted by Germany and the Netherlands in 1658, then in 1751 by England and its far-flung empire including the thirteen American colonies. Russia and Greece didn't adopt the Gregorian calendar until the early 20^th Century.  Complicating the picture, is the fact that there are many other calendars still in use, ethnic and religious, such as the Hebrew calendar, the Chinese calendar, and the Islamic calendar based on the lunar cycle.

              Still, the Gregorian calendar we use today is the universal civil calendar for most of the civilized world -an arbitrary human phenomenon but the factual starting point for defining any millennium, era, century or decade for the people who use it in  conducting their political, economic and personal affairs.  That includes us, the American people who first identified ourselves as such based on the Declaration of Independence dated July 4, 1776 -i.e. the year 1776 as recorded on the Gregorian calendar which our colonial forebears officially adopted only  a quarter  century earlier.

               The Gregorian calendar is a highly accurate measure of the solar year, albeit not a perfect one, which is why we still need a leap year.  It is superior to a calendar based on the lunar cycle because it tracks the four seasons with regularity allowing us to mark the solstices and equinoxes on the same date year after year.  It is also arithmetically sensible as it begins with the Year One as being the first year of the Christian Era, i.e. the year when Jesus Christ was born formerly known by the Latin A.D. for Anno Domini, as appropriate for Roman Catholic theocracies but now referred to as the Common Era to correctly reflect today's secular political alignments and economic relationships.

           There was no Year Zero historically and there could be no zero year mathematically, because the calendar we use sensibly measures decades, i.e. ten year periods, as beginning with the numeral 1 and ending with the numeral 10.  It started with the years 1 through 10, A.D., and has continued right up to the years 2001 though 2010, C.E.  The centuries all begin with the numerals 01 and end with the numerals 00, as in 1000, 1800, 1900 and 2000 -the 21^st century to end at the end of the year 2100 C.E., if civilization manages to last that long. 

          This is manifestly correct because, just as the term "decade" refers to a group of ten, the word "century" refers to a group of 100, having its origins in the basic Roman army grouping of 100 centurions.  Any group of one hundred must begin with number 1 and end with number 100, as you cannot, for example, count zero soldiers as being one soldier -unless perhaps your name is Rumsfeld and you're being asked for more troops at Tora Bora to capture bin Laden, and you cannot count a year zero as being one year.  Zero, literally, means "nothing," no soldier, no year, no nothing.

           It follows that the term "millennium," based literally the Latin for one thousand years, must refer to a group of years beginning with a year one and ending with a nice, round year 1000, as clearly indicated in the OED definition which refers to a period of one-thousand years, not 999 or 1999.  Indeed, the OED also refers to a thousandth anniversary which, in this instance refers historically to the two-thousandth anniversary of the first Christmas, which occurred on December 25, 2000, after which the third millennium began on January 1, 2001.

           This is not some kind of arcane hocus pocus or complex mathematical formula, nor is it some kind of conspiracy by the intellectual elite to thwart the masses of the plain people.  It's just basic, simple arithmetic which any fifth grader should understand, but which appears to be beyond the grasp of many supposedly adult Americans.

           But why should that be surprising?  As Mencken observed, mid 20^th century, nobody ever went broke by underestimating the intelligence of the American public -and we've seen that in play just this past month with a book authored by  a cipher like Sarah Palin making the best seller list.  We saw it in November 2008 when almost half the American public actually believed, according to their votes, that Palin was qualified to be a weak John McCain heartbeat away from the Oval Office.

           Now, before we get going on a lengthy thread about Sarah Palin, I'm going to give just one recent example -not from Katie Couric but from an Alaska Daily News interview on July 6, 2009, that illustrates the point.

I think that on a national level your department of law there in the White House  would look at some of the things we've been charged with . . . .

Department of law?  Even W knew that there is no national Department of Law and that the correct terms for those providing legal advice and/or services to the White House are the Office of General Counsel and the Office of the Attorney General within the Department of Justice.

           The point here is that we can't really tell from Palin's "department of law" whether she meant the General Counsel or the Attorney General, two clearly distinct officials identified by two different specific titles, with two different roles. Effective and intelligible communication requires that we use words consistently and correctly according to their most sensible accepted usage, which is the cornerstone of science and technology, and failure to do so is a clear indicator of intellectual shabbiness and cultural decay -as with the religious right's political rejection of both science and rational, secular government. 

            Now, giving Palin her due -which isn't much, there is a Department of Law in Alaska, the least populated state in the U.S., which is the name for the agency run by the Attorney General, but only a Humpty Dumpty could expect anyone in the lower 48 or Hawaii to know that.  On the other hand, anyone who presumes to run for the presidency or vice presidency must, at minimum, have a clear idea of how our government is structured and what executive departments report to the White House.  Palin plainly does not, which is a clear indication of her third-rate intellect and appalling lack of qualifications for higher national office.

            Palin isn't even an answer to  Sen. Roman Hruska's, R. Neb., famous 1970 question in defense of Supreme Court nominee G. Harrold Carswell, that "mediocre people are entitled to a little representation, aren't they?"  We already had eight years of mediocre with W and Cheney in the White House.  Palin, by contrast, doesn't even rise to their level of mediocrity.

          As exemplified by Palin, however, there is clearly a large contingent of Americans who apparently subscribe to the mindless mindset lampooned by Lewis Carroll through the character of Humpty Dumpty, for whom the words he used meant only what he wanted them to mean.  Thus, they readily accept Palin's reference to a non-existent White House "Department of Law" which can mean either the Office of General Counsel or the Attorney General's Office. What's the difference?  Palin doesn't know or even care as long as she gets the media hacks to give her more national exposure.

         It's not just politics, either.  A sports commentator recently proclaimed that the Yankees were the dominant  team  of the new 21^st century because, although they were tied with the Red Sox at two World Series championships each, the Yankees won more division titles and more league titles.  Here, he was including the Yankees' 2000 World Series win, which was solidly in the 20^th Century, not the 21^st.     

         So it came to pass in America that a millennium means 999 years because a gaggle of media hacks can't wait a year to be first with a story, or to fabricate a story like the Yankees winning two championships in the first decade of the  21^st century, and another gaggle of hucksters can't wait a year to market worthless Y2K merchandise to a gullible public.  It's surprising they didn't think of a way to sell the bicentennial in 1974 - it makes just as much sense as a 999 year millennium, and there are enough credulous Americans to buy that one too.

        Thus, despite what you're hearing in the media this month, history and mathematics work in conjunction to establish beyond question or dispute that the Second Millennium, C.E., ended on December 31, 2000, and the 21^st century then began on January 1, 2001, not 2000.  The first decade of the 21^st century will therefore not end at 12:59 p.m. today, on December 31, 2009, but will end one year hence on December 31, 2010, no matter how inconvenient that fact might be for all the vacuous media hypesters looking for something new to fill commercial air time and the post-millennial hucksters looking to make another buck off the gullible American consumer like they did with Year 2K ten years ago.

       So, to get even the hard core right wingers on my side in this post, I'll just say:  Happy new year!  You betcha!  Wink, wink.

10 Red Sox resolutions for 2010

1. I will root for Jason Bay as a New York Met even when Citi Field forces him to morph from a power threat into a gaps guy. (Sorry about the fourth-place finish, Jason.)

2. I will honor Theo Epstein for standing firm on his not-more-than-four-years offer to Bay when Mike Cameron fills 85% of the role, and when two of the Sox's four Top 50 draft picks next June turn into bona fide major leaguers in 2014 and '15.

3. I will give shortstop-of-the-day Marco Scutaro a chance to prove himself before I start bemoaning the Sox's inability to staff the position.

4. I will stop speculating where Adrian Gonzalez will hit in the Sox lineup because he ain't coming here anytime soon - Jed Hoyer would be nuts to let the Padres' affordable hometown star go, especially as one of his first moves as GM.

5. I will simply revel in the sheer grit and tenacity at the top of the pitching rotation - you thought Roger Clemens was intimidating in his heyday? Wait 'til you see Texas boys John Lackey and Josh Beckett compete with each other for Meanest SOB of the Year honors!

6. I will stand and cheer for Mike Lowell the first time I see him - in person or on TV - because he's not uttered even one untoward word despite the Sox's obvious desire to send him packing.

7. I will not boo Adrian Beltre should he end up signing here and taking Lowell's place, for it's not his fault that the third base discussion has gotten complicated.

8. I will cry when Clay Buchholz is traded for somebody at the deadline this summer because it is just so hard to develop good pitchers,

9. I will not cry, however, if Jacoby Ellsbury is moved in similar fashion, though it will hurt a lot.

10. I will certainly cry when Jason Varitek hangs 'em up on the last day of the season.

Happy New Year, dear readers. Thanks for tuning in!

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Harwich Police investigate shot fired at a home, two residential break-ins; Orleans armed robbery suspect arrested Wednesday; Man holds girlfriend, child against will, arrested for armed assault in Falmouth; Fill a Cruiser with Food rescheduled

Criminal behavior keeps Cape law enforcement officers busy Wednesday

Harwich Police investigate shot fired at a residence

SOUTH HARWICH - On Wednesday, a resident of Uncle Venies Road in the South Harwich section of town contacted the Police Department to report that they had come home and discovered a bullet hole in their front door.  Patrol Officers and the Detective Division responded to the scene.

A bullet had been fired through the front glass door of the residence.  The bullet then embedded itself in the thick wooden door.  A Crime Scene Investigator from the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office was called to help collect evidence at the scene.

The resident had been away and no one was at the residence when the shot was fired.  The Harwich Police are continuing to investigate.

Release courtesy of the Harwich Police Department.

Harwich Police investigate two residential break-ins Wednesday

NORTH HARWICH - The Harwich Police Department is investigating two residential break-ins that occurred during the day on Wednesday.  The first break was reported on Speak Way in the North Harwich section of town.  The homeowner arrived home and discovered that his flat screen television was stolen out of his living room sometime during the day on Wednesday.

It is not uncommon for people to mistake potentially criminal activity for normal, day to day activities.

A second residential break in was reported while officers were at the residence on Speak Way.  A resident on Lothrop Avenue arrived home and found that his rear door to his residence had been forced open.  He then discovered that his flat screen television was missing.  A further check of the house revealed that numerous drawers were opened and some money and jewelry was missing.

The Harwich Police Department was assisted at both crime scenes by a Crime Scene Investigator from the Barnstable County Sheriff.

The Harwich Police Department would like to remind residents to contact the police to report any suspicious activity.  Both of these break-ins occurred during the day.  It is not uncommon for people to mistake potentially criminal activity for normal, day to day activities. 

For example, the Watertown Police recently arrested a group of subjects who were using UHAUL trucks in the course of their break-ins.  When people see a UHAUL truck they typically assume someone is moving.  As in Watertown, this is not always the case.

The Harwich Police Department can be contacted at 508 430-7541 or 911 for EMERGENCIES.

Release courtesy of the Harwich Police Department.

Suspect arrested for armed robbery in Orleans

ORLEANS - On Wednesday, December 30, 2009, at 11:05 p.m., Orleans Police Officers responded to the Mobil Gas Station at the intersection of Main Street and Route 6A, for a reported armed robbery. The clerk told police that a white male entered the store moments earlier and demanded all of the cash from the register.

John J. Kiely, 36, of Orleans will face Armed Robbery charges in Orleans District Court.

The suspect kept his hand in his pocket and told the clerk he had a handgun and not to do anything stupid. An undisclosed amount of cash was taken, and the suspect was seen leaving the area on the surveillance footage.

Once the scene was secured, officers and detectives began collecting digital and forensic evidence from the area. Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office CIOs and a K9 were called to assist in the investigation.

A short time later, evidence was found abandoned on Old Colony Way and a K9 track was led from there, to a residence at Bayberry Condominiums, off of Old Colony Way. John J. Kiely, 36, of Orleans was placed under arrest and charged with Armed Robbery.  Kiely will be arraigned in Orleans District Court on Thursday.

Barnstable County Sheriff CIO Sean Percy and K9 Deputy Sheriff Lt. Barney Murphy assisted in the investigation.

A subsequent search of his residence by Orleans officers provided the clothing matching the surveillance footage along with cash.

Chief Jeffrey Roy commends the quick response and professional actions of the first responding officers, Richard Dinn and David Freiner. Follow-up investigation by Detective Kevin Higgins, Sgt. William Norton and Officer Andy McLaughlin, and a great cooperative effort by surrounding towns, brought this incident to a quick conclusion.

Release and mugshot courtesy of the Orleans Police Department.

Man holds girlfriend, child against will, arrested for armed assault in Falmouth

K9 used to distract, disarm suspect

FALMOUTH - On Wednesday, December 30, 2009, at 8:36 p.m., a female entered the Falmouth Police Department and reported that she was a victim of domestic violence involving a hand gun. Her boyfriend, identified as 24-year-old Michael James Finnegan of Falmouth, had been holding her and their young child against their will for the past 24 hours in room 110 at the Seven Seas Motor Lodge at 24 Scranton Ave. in Falmouth.

Falmouth police officers and members of the Barnstable County Sheriff's Department K9 Unit were dispatched to the room to locate the suspect and secure the firearm.

Officers found Finnegan in the bathroom holding the gun to his head. Officers spoke with Finnegan and tried to get him to turn over the weapon. Ultimately, the K9 was used to distract Finnegan and officers were able to disarm him and take him into custody.

Finnegan was transported to Falmouth Hospital for treatment of non life-threatening injuries sustained during his apprehension. He will be arraigned in Falmouth District Court on Domestic Violence and Firearm charges.

Release courtesy of the Falmouth Police Department.

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Fill a Yarmouth Cruiser with Food to take place Sunday, January 10, 2010

Event postponed from an earlier date due to inclement weather

YARMOUTH - The Fill A Yarmouth Cruiser With Food event will take place on Sunday, January 10, 2010 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  This first annual event sponsored by the Yarmouth Police Department and the International Brotherhood of Police Officers Yarmouth Police Local 422 will greatly benefit members of the Cape Cod Community in need.

There will be two drop-off locations in town:

• Stop & Shop Supermarket, Long Pond Drive, South Yarmouth
• Shaw’s Supermarket, Route 28, South Yarmouth

There is a great need for nonperishable items including pasta, cereal, soup and baby food. Click here to see the original story and for details about what is needed and how the program works.

Release courtesy of the Yarmouth Police Department.

House Speaker DeLeo to allow slots at state racetracks; D-Y schools to get back transportation funds; Public safety emergencies volunteers wanted; Man charged with gun beating; Final Ocean Management Plan Debuts Monday; Top stories of '09

NEW YEARS quote: "For last year's words belong to last year's language
and next year's words await another voice." - T.S.Elliot.

Man charged in beating with gun
A South Yarmouth man was arraigned in Orleans District Court yesterday on charges he fired a gun during a fight with another man Monday night, according to the police and court records.
Michael S. O'Connor, 26, was arrested at his 174 Setucket Road residence in Yarmouth Monday night... Herald.

Volunteers needed for public safety emergencies

For a sixth consecutive year, Sheriff Jim Cummings will be giving public-spirited townspeople the skills they need to become part of a Community Emergency Response Team. Once certified they will be deployed alongside police, fire and other local public safety agencies as they contend with real-time emergency situations.
The nine Tuesday evening sessions will begin on Jan. 12 and end on March 16... Broadsider.
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House Speaker Robert DeLeo's bill would allow slots at Raynham Park, other state racetracks

Hopes for slot machines at Raynham Park and the other Massachusetts racetracks should get a shot in the arm next year when House Speaker Robert DeLeo introduces his own gaming expansion bill...Meanwhile, the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe is still awaiting needed federal approvals for its proposed Indian-run casino in Middleboro to move forward... Enterprise.
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School talks & market turnovers top Provincetown stories in 2009
The top stories of 2009 in this town are easy to identify: the July 4th sewer failure, mass resignations at Outer Cape Health Services, the town's first hate crime in seven years, the deaths of several well-known and beloved residents... Banner.

D-Y schools expect return of transportation funds

The Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District is close to having state funding for transportation restored. State Rep. Cleon Turner, D-Dennis, recently wrote a letter to Gov. Deval Patrick calling for the state to tap $18 million of unused federal stimulus money to restore funding for transportation for regional school districts.

Turner said Wednesday that Massachusetts Secretary of Education Jay Gonzales previously refused to take money from the stimulus funds because of fears that it will be needed in the next fiscal year... Register.
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Final Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan Debuts Monday

Massachusetts officials will publicly release the final draft of the highly anticipated Ocean Management Plan early next week, according to state officials. The Plan, touted by officials as the first of its kind in the nation, will zone state waters for large-scale offshore wind development.

The Massachusetts Ocean Act required Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles to submit a final draft of the Plan no later than Dec. 31. The agency plans to publicly distribute the Plan on Monday, Jan. 4, according to Kate Plourd, EEA assistant press secretary... Offshore Wire.

Hello New Year & Puppy Chow

Well tis the time of year that we say our goodbyes to the old year and welcome in the new year. We look back to what went well and try to carry that on, and if we found anything that just didn't work try to leave it behind and not duplicate in any near future. For some its a time for making new resolutions, but for most they will never make it past the first week of the year. For others of us, we gave up new years resolutions long ago, knowing we either could never live up to our own expectations of wishful thinking or just realize that even the best of intentions sometimes just don't pan out.

So with that as I look back through this past year what went well for me? Well if nothing else the consistency of being here week after week, and even more is you folks reading what I have to offer. Another is the help of my wife in searching out cookie recipes. So if she will not mind as we take on a new direction in desserts this year hopefully she will continue to help. Third is my love for the Cape, this of course depends on who you talk to if it is good or not, as I still drive some if not most in my family nuts on my obsessiveness over all things Cape Cod. Fourth I would be remiss if I was not thankful for a job, a roof over my head and  cloths on my back, this is good, even if the job and roof are not always in the location that really want, it is more then a lot of people have right now.

Looking towards next year what can we look forward to in this thing call Cape Cod Rockhopper's Memories. First I will continue to try to come up with new stories and memories from years gone bye. Second you will continue to get travel tips, from a family view as well as a couples view as we have been on both sides of that fence. Third, the recipes will continue to be there, a cocktail week one (still not sure of the theme for this year). Next side dish for week two (always something to complement the main dish). Speaking of main dishes week three ( this year a break from the seafood, we will be doing soups, stews and chowders. However don't be looking for any clam chowder from my wife, that is still a closely guarded secret she is not evening letting me get my hands on.) Week four will be dessert week, this year will be bar cookies or sheet cookies and maybe even a brownie or two recipe.) On those occasional five week months as it has been it will just a the usual potpourri of whatever I feel like.

There you go, the line up for the coming year, a little old, a little new, a few tips and some good grub. And again there may be a week or so that something prevents me from giving you a story however to the best of my abilities you will always have a recipe. So here is to looking forward, and as always I just ask someone to keep the lamp in the light house lit till I can find my way back again, hopefully sooner then later.

Last recipe of the year is a straight up fun one for you and the kids, and when the spouse or significant other finds it out you will have to make a second batch for the rest of you. This one came from my wife's child care years at the church for our choir from one of the parents kids she was watching. There have been a view variation on this one but we like this one the best. So get the kids to give you hand and enjoy this snack treat.

Recipe of the week; Puppy Chow

•         9         cups      Chex cereal (you choice in flavors)
•         1          cup        chocolate chips
•         1/2      cup        peanut butter
•         1/4      cup        butter
•         1/4      tsp.        vanilla
•         1 1/2   cups      powdered sugar

Microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter n high for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute. Add cereal and stir till coated with chocolate mixture. Once cereal is well covered, sprinkle with powdered sugar till completely covered. Portion out some for yourself and hide it cause one everyone else tastes this one there will be non left for you.

12 Days of Techmas (or, what goodies might be arriving in 2010)

Here’s to the New Year!

It’s time to give a nod to the departure of the leading 0 in ’09 and welcome in the 10s.  And in that tradition, I bring you this year’s New Years Column, borrowing on that classic song that celebrates the time between Christmas Day and Epiphany in early January …  So strike up the band and sing along!

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, the techies gave to me,  twelve phones texting …

It’s everywhere! Communication as you grew up with is a mere memory. The digital natives rule this decade and non-linear, multi-modal conversations are the norm.

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas, the techies gave to me, eleven applets running …

It’s the age of the software mammal, with all these little programs running around nibbling on the edge of things in agile ways, running with each other to create custom environments and mash-ups  … the big software monolith is crumbling.

On the Tenth Day of Christmas, the techies gave to me, ten folks a-friending …

Everyone and their uncle discovered Facebook in 2009. For 2010, the friend requests continue to pour in until everyone gets tired of going through their high school year book and asking, ‘where are they now?’

However, the idea of ‘social media” and of connecting to each other in digital ways will only continue to be part of the daily fabric of life.

On the Ninth Day of Christmas, the techies gave to me, nine babies mousing …

Programs for toddlers are nothing new, but as the first wave of digital natives born in the mid 1980s zoom past the quarter century mark and start having babies en masse, babyware will take on a whole new meaning.

On the Eighth Day of Christmas, the techies gave to me, eight apps a-moving …

Here is a fun fact: in its just-released predictions report, research firm IDC says that the iPhone had 10,000 applications a year ago, has 100,000 today, and will have 300,000 in 2010. Other platforms will have similar growth.

Oh, and it also predicts that 1 billion mobile devices will access the Internet in 2010 -- just in case you hadn't already figured that one out  just from looking around a crowded room where everyone is tapping on their smart phones …

On the Seventh Day of Christmas, the technies gave to me, seven tools a-wireless…

Wires, who needs those stinkin’ wires? It’s been a slow and steady move but increasingly the expectation is that elements – remotes, printers, sensors, mice, headphones, you name it – connect without wires. Is it magic? Or just the ongoing roll of technology?

On the Sixth Day of Christmas, the techies gave to me, six accounts a-roaming …

Another one of these trends that has been quietly moving forward over the past several years will become the norm – with Intuit’s late-2009 purchase of Mint and the broad expectation of mashing up information into one user controlled location, look for the digital wallet with all our accounts reachable in one user managed place, anytime, anywhere. 

On the Fifth Day of Christmas, the techies gave to me, five broadband paths…

Broadband is the essential highway for this decade. The more options the better! The optimist hopes that this year light will dawn and data infrastructure can be a public empowering tool for us all. And holiday wishes that here on the Cape, OpenCape will become one of the options, as well.

Remember, underneath all these wireless and mobile applications must lie a robust backhaul network to move all our billions of interactions around - without it, all these other goodies can't be delivered at all.

On the Fourth Day of Christmas, the techies gave to me, 4G networks…

The much talked about 4G (as in fourth generation) networks keep on talking about emerging. How fast they do will depend on political factors like broadband allocation and net neutrality rulings, along with seemingly insatiable market demand for all things in mobile digital form.

Research firm The Yankee Group in its predictions – see, everyone does ‘em!  – says that  2010 is a rebuilding year for the communications industry, shaped by the ways the economic crisis has changed the ways in which individual consumers, businesses/organizations, and network builders themselves approach connectivity.

On the Third Day of Christmas, the techies gave to me, 3 avatars…

Avatars are a character that represents you in a virtual world. Virtual worlds continue their move into mainstream use. Having a group meeting? It might be happening in Second Life.

On the second day of Christmas, the techies gave to me, 2 wii remotes…

Next stop, the holodeck.

“Video games” is such a quaint term. With platforms like the wii, digital games aren’t just for some freaky closet gamer who wants to blow up orcs. Digital interactive family game night is here, right now, this holiday season under a tree or menorah near you.

On the First Day of Christmas the techies gave to me, an advanced-preview iphone in a leather case!

Word on the street is that real soon – maybe even as part of its annual January announcements -- the Apple rendition of a tablet or an ebook reader is stepping out.  The rumors are flying because, well, nothing gossips quite so well as Apple leaks.

Whenever it happens, what it represents is this: a thin portable reading device, an idea that’s been hyped at various times since at least the 1960s, might be technologically ready for the masses. And it will probably look cool, too.

And, if past keeping holding true, its very existence will spawn a whole secondary industry of  accessories, both technical and decorative.  It's not just tech gizmos - it's fashion and lifestyle too.

Yup, the year of 10 is going to be interesting! This won’t be the year marked by things new and striking, but will instead be a year for all kinds of threads coming ‘round and tying in together, finally showing what the past decade of change can create for the rest of us.

Cape Wind should not be allowed to proceed forward

To The Editor:

As a colonial-rooted Cape Cod native who firmly believes in the sanctity of our maritime heritage, I am writing to ardently express my steadfast support for the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound. Based upon sensible logic, data and reasoning, I am also conversely opposed to the controversial Cape Wind Project which seeks to despoil and rob us of the pristine nautical legacy bestowed by our forefathers.  As a result of the likely profound damaging regional financial, ecological and public safety consequences Cape Wind would wrought upon us all, it should not be allowed to proceed forward to fruition.

The project poses a cogent danger to essential air and sea navigation.  Siting the project in Nantucket Sound is a breach of the public trust. Contrary to their sham claims, the cost of the electricity which the project will produce would not be cheap or competitive. It would be an unbearable fiscal burden hoisted upon us without our sanction or consent. Furthermore, it will represent a deleterious local economic blow by it's absconding of undeserved taxpayer-funded subsidies, forced real estate devaluations, and lost revenues from commercial and tourism activities. The proposed one hundred thirty wind turbines will perpetually cause unsightly visual contamination and distressing noise pollution. Finally, Cape Wind will unnecessarily endanger a critical marine and wildlife habitat.

With the aforesaid thoughtful rationales in mind, along with the inherently unfair and inequitable nature of the proposed Cape Wind Project itself, it must not become a reality which will forever doom our children and grandchildren to a ghastly socially inhumane legacy.

Ron Beaty
West Barnstable, MA

Yarmouth Police capture bank robbery suspect

Yarmouth Police capture bank robbery suspect

YPD, US Marshals serve arrest warrant Wednesday

   Image from TD Bank's security camera during last week's robbery. 

YARMOUTH - On Wednesday, December 30, 2009 at 7:27 a.m., Yarmouth Police Department Detectives and Patrol Officers, with the assistance of a team of Federal Agents from the United States Marshals Service, served an arrest warrant on Denis Taylor, 36, at 2 Ivanhoe Road in West Yarmouth.

Taylor was wanted for violation of parole and was located in the home and placed under arrest. He was charged with:

• Felony Armed Robbery (Rockland Trust Bank)
• Felony Robbery from a Depository
• Felony Unarmed Robbery (TD Bank)
• Felony Robbery from a Depository
• Possession of Class B Drugs

Yarmouth Police Detectives have obtained information and evidence that links Taylor to the recent Yarmouth bank robberies (see here and here).  Taylor is being held at Yarmouth Police Headquarters but will be transported to the Barnstable District Court Wednesday afternoon for arraignment.

The investigation is active and ongoing. 

Release courtesy of the Yarmouth Police Department.

Celebrate Chatham's Fishing Heritage at this year's Chatham First Night

Information and events for the Cape's only First Night Celebration

This year, Cape Cod will once again celebrate the New Year at First Night Chatham. Although a worldwide celebration hosted by over 200 cities including Worcester and Boston, First Night Chatham is the only such celebration on Cape Cod.

First Night is a family-oriented, alcohol-free, all day event packed full of fun activities, entertainment and great food. The night ends as the new year begins with the "Countdown Cod" and fireworks over Oyster Pond.  This year, the theme is Celebrating Chatham's Fishing Heritage.

A button is your admission to all the day's fun activities. Adult buttons are $15 and children's buttons for ages 3 to 11 are only $5.  Online button purchases are only available until 12pm on Wednesday, December 30, 2009. After that, buttons are available at First Night Headquarters at 583 Main Street in Chatham and at several other Main Street locations. Click here to learn about this year's button design.

This year's button was designed by Marie Williams, the founder of First Night Chatham.

Special annual events include the town photo at Chatham Light, the noise parade and horse and wagon rides. But that's just the beginning--there are performances, delicious food and children's entertainment all day long. See a complete schedule of events for Thursday here.

And to make sure the day goes off without a hitch, the Chatham Police Department has issued the following No Parking and Traffic Restrictions:

Residents and Visitors attending First Night Chatham are reminded that the majority of town-wide events occur on Thursday, and many Town offices and private businesses will be open during the day.  Listed below are scheduled events that will require TEMPORARY road closings and parking restrictions throughout the Town.

• 11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Traffic will be heavy and detoured (if needed) at the Lighthouse Lot for the Town Photograph. 
• 2:30 p. m. - 4 p.m.: Carnival Caper Road Race.  Main Street from Cross Street to Shore Road will be closed during this event.  There will also be other temporary closures and detours along the race route.  School Street, Silverleaf Ave., Bridge Street, and Lower Main Street will be temporarily closed during this event.  All participants are reminded to arrive early for this event.
• 6:15 p.m.: Noise Parade/Bonfire.  Starting at 6:15pm Main Street will be closed from Cross Street to the Rotary.  Stage Harbor Road will also be closed from the Rotary to Cross Street.  Queen Anne Road will also be closed.  Roadways will reopen after the Bonfire event has ended.    The “Oyster Pond Beach Area” will be closed for vehicle traffic, and will reopen after the Bonfire event has ended.
• 11:15 p. m. – 12 a. m.: Fireworks.  The following roads will be closed for the fireworks.  Stage Harbor Road, (from the Rotary to Cross Street), Queen Anne Road, Pond Street, Oyster Pond Furlong, (residents only).

Chatham Police Officers will be assigned to all events that require roadway closures and detours.  We encourage the public to arrive early, and utilize public transportation, and park in public lots, or authorized areas.

We are asking for the public’s patience and cooperation during this annual event.  The Chatham Police Department would like to wish everyone a HAPPY AND SAFE NEW YEAR!

Courtesy of the Chatham Police Department.