Month: September 2008

508 is a show about Worcester. This week’s panel is Bruce Russell, Brendan Melican, and “Diamond Dave” Maciewski.

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We discuss Question One, which would eliminate the Massachusetts state income tax, and conclude it’s a bad idea. Question Two would decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, and the panel supports it. (Here’s the study Brendan mentioned on “marijuana as a gateway drug.”)

We don’t know much about Question Three.

Next topic: How much can Bruce bench?

Bruce and Mike attempt to share an anecdote about Tom Lewis.

Despite his focus on serious issues, Tom was also known for a fine sense of humor. Just after his codefendant Father Phil Berrigan was sentenced to six years in jail for his part in the Baltimore Four, the judge asked Tom if he had anything to say before sentencing. Tom said, “No, your honor.” The judge pressed him, “These are serious charges, Mr. Lewis. Don’t you have anything to say?” Tom said, “No, I’ve said all I want to in my testimony.” But, when the judge persisted, “You could be sent to jail for years Mr. Lewis, are you absolutely sure there’s nothing you want to add?” Tom began to suspect that the judge wanted to scapegoat Phil as the priest mastermind of the protest and hoped Tom would make a last minute appeal for mercy, so Tom said, “Since you press me your honor, there is one quote which is important to me.” The judge leaned forward and said, “Yes, yes.” Tom straightened up and said soberly, “You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead. That’s from Laurel and Hardy, your honor.” The furious judge gave Tom six years too.

Mike talks about his federal trial and WCCA’s funding situation.

Brendan says the new wind turbine is worth checking out.

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508 is a show about Worcester. This week’s panel includes Worcester Magazine’s Scott Zoback and Brendan Melican.

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Scott describes seeing some more Asian Long-Horned Beetles. Brendan points out the irony in this article about police details at construction sites:

One potential scenario could have city councilors taking up as soon as Tuesday a new municipal ordinance that would carve out an exemption from Mr. [Governor Deval] Patrick’s plan for Worcester police; such a move could proceed without a public hearing because it would not be the result of a recommendation from City Manager Michael V. O’Brien.

Detective Thomas G. Daly, secretary of police union local 911 and regional vice president of the New England Police Benevolent Association, expressed frustration with a recent Statehouse hearing on Mr. Patrick’s plan that he said was rigged against police. He and other Worcester officers attended, but were not able to testify.

Scott opines on the recent changes at WM and the upcoming changes at the T&G.

Mike talks about his federal “rosary trial” next week. An appropriate quotation from Nassim Nicholas Taleb: “Wear your best for your execution and stand dignified. Your last recourse against randomness is how you act — if you can’t control outcomes, you can control the elegance of your behaviour. You will always have the last word.”

We follow-up on the republished-then-unpublished InCity Times article that has caused some controversy, and spurred ICT editor Rosalie Tirella to e-mail vague legal threats to Worcester Indymedia. Relevant links at Worcesteria, Radioball, and Indymedia. We draw some slight parallels with the hacking of Sarah Palin’s e-mail account.

In sunnier ICT news, this week’s issue features a cover story on sometime 508 panelist Jesse Pack!

Brendan and Scott will be on WTAG radio Monday from 6-7pm, and will likely violate FCC regulations.

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508 is a show about Worcester. This week’s panel is Tina Zlody, Jeff Barnard, and Brendan Melican.

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Tina talks about the upcoming arts festival stART on the Street, Sunday September 21, 2008, 11am – 5pm, Park Avenue, between Highland and Pleasant Streets, Worcester, MA.

We talk about agenda items for Worcester in the coming year. Jeff agrees with Jordan Levy that swapping out our old city councilors would be helpful. Brendan would like to see councilors focus on improving owner-occupancy rates rather than criminalizing hot dogs and marijuana. Mike would like city government to admit that it has a transparency problem, then fix the problem, perhaps beginning by making city meetings available on the web. (Related: Begging states to try to enforce ridiculous assertion that the law is copyrighted.)

Yesterday’s protest at Worcester’s Bank of America got complicated. Our friend Sarah Loy clarifies the situation of the local ACLU. The InCity Times is standing on the verge of getting a website. Comments from Worcesteria, Brendan, and Worcesterite. (Sometime this morning Rosalie began phoning around with legal threats–see the updated Worcesteria post.)

Mike recommends this video of a Bone Zone show.

In the new segment “Bruce Is Incorruptible,” Mike and Bruce Russell review Burrito Taylor’s Major Burritos.

Theme song: “Angels Soaring Past (I Realize It Now)” by Stale Urine.

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