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You are here: Home / Greetings From My Underground Lair

Greetings From My Underground Lair

by John Cole|  March 28, 20178:05 pm| 149 Comments

This post is in: Clown Shoes

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I headed north on Sunday to visit ABC for a few days, and tomorrow I will be taking a megabus from Connecticut to Boston, where I will be for three days for work related things. I’m actually m ore excited about taking the megabus than I am the actual trip, but that’s just because I am a god damned weirdo.

At any rate, since I will be in the area, I was thinking of doing a potential Boston meetup. Or maybe not, as I am a fickle son of a bitch.

I DID BRING PANTS THOUGH!

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Reader Interactions

149Comments

  1. 1.

    John Revolta

    March 28, 2017 at 8:08 pm

    FIRST BITCHEZZ!!

  2. 2.

    satby

    March 28, 2017 at 8:09 pm

    I DID BRING PANTS THOUGH!

    The first step is the hardest.

  3. 3.

    dmsilev

    March 28, 2017 at 8:09 pm

    A single tear drips down Joe Biden’s face when he learns that you’re not taking Amtrak.

  4. 4.

    schrodingers_cat

    March 28, 2017 at 8:11 pm

    Are you safe or does Julia have to come and rescue you?

  5. 5.

    TOP123

    March 28, 2017 at 8:11 pm

    @dmsilev: won that quickly

  6. 6.

    PaulW

    March 28, 2017 at 8:13 pm

    You got someone to babysit the babies at home I hope.

  7. 7.

    dmsilev

    March 28, 2017 at 8:14 pm

    @TOP123: One does one’s best.

  8. 8.

    Dcrefugee

    March 28, 2017 at 8:17 pm

    Just remember what not to say when ABC asks if you’re happy to be with her…

  9. 9.

    SiubhanDuinne

    March 28, 2017 at 8:17 pm

    John, do the Boston meetup! I met a lot of the New England jackals a couple or three years ago, and they are great people. But don’t let that deter you.

  10. 10.

    khead

    March 28, 2017 at 8:18 pm

    You should live blog your Megabus experience. I’ve always wondered what the folks on I-95 are going through.

  11. 11.

    SiubhanDuinne

    March 28, 2017 at 8:19 pm

    @Dcrefugee:

    Just remember what not to say when ABC asks if you’re happy to be with her…

    Right. Mix it up. This time, say you miss Thurston. Or Steve. (ABC would never believe that you missed Rosie, so don’t even try.)

  12. 12.

    lahke

    March 28, 2017 at 8:21 pm

    Meet up! Meet up!
    So you’re here on Friday night or Saturday? Will you be downtown or in the burbs?

  13. 13.

    geg6

    March 28, 2017 at 8:21 pm

    It’s ALIVE!

  14. 14.

    debit

    March 28, 2017 at 8:22 pm

    Pants!

  15. 15.

    debit

    March 28, 2017 at 8:25 pm

    OT but I want to be Rep Maxine Waters when I grow up.

  16. 16.

    efgoldman

    March 28, 2017 at 8:26 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    I met a lot of the New England jackals a couple or three years ago, and they are great people.

    Why are you being nice? No need for that. Jackals is jackals, and we are the jackalsest.

  17. 17.

    max

    March 28, 2017 at 8:27 pm

    I DID BRING PANTS THOUGH!

    Check for the mustard, too.

    max
    [‘Also, definitely do not mop the bus in the nude. In case you got any weird ideas.’]

  18. 18.

    efgoldman

    March 28, 2017 at 8:27 pm

    @khead:

    I’ve always wondered what the folks on I-95 are going through.

    I’ve spent too much time on I-95 in CT. You don’t want to know or go.

  19. 19.

    hovercraft

    March 28, 2017 at 8:28 pm

    @debit:
    Joy has been having her on the show almost every weekend, because she’s just that awesome!

  20. 20.

    Aimai

    March 28, 2017 at 8:29 pm

    If you have time for a meetup let me know at aimaiami at comcast dot net. I’m frantic with papers for my MSW but I would love to meet you.

  21. 21.

    TaMara (HFG)

    March 28, 2017 at 8:29 pm

    What’s a megabus?

  22. 22.

    germy

    March 28, 2017 at 8:29 pm

    New Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez has asked for the resignation of every DNC staffer, NBC News reported Tuesday.

    Major staff turnover with new leadership is common. However, the move comes after an embattled election season in which DNC staffers were found to have attacked Democratic primary candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders.

  23. 23.

    efgoldman

    March 28, 2017 at 8:29 pm

    And yes, meetup!
    Where are you staying?

  24. 24.

    RoonieRoo

    March 28, 2017 at 8:29 pm

    I am so proud of you that you remembered to bring pants this time. **sigh** Our John. Only our John.

  25. 25.

    efgoldman

    March 28, 2017 at 8:31 pm

    @TaMara (HFG):

    What’s a megabus?

    A bigger bus than yours.
    Not the same as a MAGAbus.

  26. 26.

    Mike J

    March 28, 2017 at 8:31 pm

    I always assumed that even if the entire readership of the blog showed up in rural West Virginia, John would not appear at a meet up.

    Hey Bean towners, when you’re done with him, crate him up and ship him to Seattle.

  27. 27.

    lamh36

    March 28, 2017 at 8:32 pm

    @debit: me too. have you checked out the #BlackWomenAtWork Hashtag on twitter? inspired by he treatment of Maxine Waters and April Ryan today?

    You should!

  28. 28.

    prgchrqltma

    March 28, 2017 at 8:32 pm

    Yes to a Boston area meetup! It’s been too long since I went to one.

  29. 29.

    efgoldman

    March 28, 2017 at 8:33 pm

    @Mike J:

    Hey Bean towners, when you’re done with him, crate him up and ship him to Seattle.

    We would, but once you say “Beantown” you’re on the shit list.

  30. 30.

    MomSense

    March 28, 2017 at 8:33 pm

    If you find a lovely navy blue hand knit scarf on the megabus let me know. My kid left it on his seat.

  31. 31.

    Narya

    March 28, 2017 at 8:34 pm

    I am on Amtrak, though–on a sleeping car no less! Not going to Boston though.

  32. 32.

    jacy

    March 28, 2017 at 8:34 pm

    No, no — I want to imagine you on the megabus in overalls, muttering into an empty carton of Ben & Jerry’s. Until the bus breaks down — because you know it will!

  33. 33.

    hovercraft

    March 28, 2017 at 8:41 pm

    @khead:
    I-95 can be a nightmare, okay so more often than not, I remember years ago it took us five hours to drive from Eastchester, ( Westchester County, NY) to Boston, we left around 3.30 on a Friday during the summer.

  34. 34.

    Mike J

    March 28, 2017 at 8:42 pm

    @efgoldman: My Red Sox cap, purchased at Fenway, is older than most of the players. I should get at least one free pass.

  35. 35.

    Steve in the ATL

    March 28, 2017 at 8:42 pm

    @Mike J: I was in Seattle a couple of weeks ago. Where the hell were you?

  36. 36.

    ThresherK

    March 28, 2017 at 8:43 pm

    Where in CT will you be and for how long?

  37. 37.

    Mnemosyne

    March 28, 2017 at 8:44 pm

    @TaMara (HFG):

    It’s a Greyhound that’s trying to appeal to hipsters.

  38. 38.

    rikyrah

    March 28, 2017 at 8:44 pm

    @TaMara (HFG):
    Seriously??

  39. 39.

    Steve in the ATL

    March 28, 2017 at 8:44 pm

    @efgoldman: are you still mad that the first baseball franchise, the Boston Beaneaters, left town and, after various different cities and mascots, is now the Atlanta Braves?

  40. 40.

    Mike J

    March 28, 2017 at 8:44 pm

    @Steve in the ATL: 1) I didn’t hear about it 2) I’ve actually come and gone a bit since the end of January, so it might not have mattered.

    I remember you were in Portland at one point, but it’s sort of a trek for a meet up.

  41. 41.

    Jim Bales

    March 28, 2017 at 8:44 pm

    John,

    If you (and your pants) are interested in a visit to MIT, including a tour of the Edgerton Center (where we take high-speed photos of milk drops going splash, balloons popping, and bullets going through things), let me know. Tom Levenson can vouch for me!

    Best
    Jim Bales

  42. 42.

    cain

    March 28, 2017 at 8:45 pm

    ABC please marry him so that we know someone will at least make sure that he has pants.. because clearly he needs someone to help project management his life!

    Anyways, I hope you will do a meet up, dude and introduce your girlfriend!

    I am sitting here having Irish whiskey because as the Irish told me once, I’m one of them (despite being Indian :-) Since then, I’ve held a torch to Ireland, and the Irish as a people they can never do any wrong. I am +4 on irish whiskey.

    ETA – so no bolt bus? Please support your local amtrak. :P

  43. 43.

    rikyrah

    March 28, 2017 at 8:46 pm

    Did you get a cheap ticket Cole?

    My sister would visit me from Minneapolis and routinely pay $20-$25 round trip ?

  44. 44.

    jl

    March 28, 2017 at 8:46 pm

    Be careful, John Cole! It’s not an atomic super bus, is it?

    The Big Bus – Trailer
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68dTwJNvE1E

  45. 45.

    Mnemosyne

    March 28, 2017 at 8:46 pm

    @ThresherK:

    He’s going to be hanging out with ABC while he’s in CT, so I’m guessing he won’t be available for any GTGs.

  46. 46.

    rikyrah

    March 28, 2017 at 8:46 pm

    Do the meet and greet Cole.

  47. 47.

    cain

    March 28, 2017 at 8:48 pm

    @Mike J:
    Da fuck? You were in Portland? Please let me know, I will arrange a meet up. I already handle all the open source events for Linux kernel events.. let me know if any of you are planning on coming to PDX. I will help you and you get the Indian hospitality that my mother has drummed into me since I was a kid.

  48. 48.

    debit

    March 28, 2017 at 8:49 pm

    @lamh36: I will!

  49. 49.

    Tom Levenson

    March 28, 2017 at 8:50 pm

    Vote for meetup!

  50. 50.

    cain

    March 28, 2017 at 8:50 pm

    @Mnemosyne:

    Nonsense.. meeting with his fans is part of the job. Besides, ABC wont mind, she’s going to be doing all the talking anyways, because sure as shit, John is not an extrovert.

  51. 51.

    cain

    March 28, 2017 at 8:51 pm

    @rikyrah: on a bus/train/flight… ????

  52. 52.

    TaMara (HFG)

    March 28, 2017 at 8:56 pm

    @Mnemosyne: I’d rather take the train.

  53. 53.

    Denali

    March 28, 2017 at 8:56 pm

    I’ve seen mopping on a Megabus. But it was in Spain. Because of all the rain.

  54. 54.

    TaMara (HFG)

    March 28, 2017 at 8:57 pm

    @rikyrah: ???

  55. 55.

    Steve in the ATL

    March 28, 2017 at 8:57 pm

    @Mike J: I get confused about where I am too. I was in Portland one week, Seattle a couple of weeks later, somewhere in between i can’t even remember, and just this morning got back from a week plus in Denver and Breckinridge.

    I’ll be in Boston next Tuesday night; I would stay longer but have to get back to Georgia for the Masters (not playing this year; just attending!).

  56. 56.

    SectionH

    March 28, 2017 at 8:58 pm

    @TaMara (HFG): Cheap transportation on the East Coast (well, elsewhere too but in my exp. it skews that way).. Mr S says they’re owned by a Scottish company (Stagecoach).

    If Cole’s starting in CT, he should survive to Boston.

  57. 57.

    Pogonip

    March 28, 2017 at 8:58 pm

    @max: He doesn’t have a megamop.

  58. 58.

    schrodingers_cat

    March 28, 2017 at 8:59 pm

    Boston is too big city for this country hick. You should come down to western Mass, I am not that far from Conn.

  59. 59.

    Regnad Kcin

    March 28, 2017 at 9:00 pm

    @efgoldman: “The Hub” however, is canon.

    Name the place and time. Sorry I missed the Peabody one last year.

  60. 60.

    Pogonip

    March 28, 2017 at 9:01 pm

    @debit: How’s the new dog (whose name has slipped what’s left of my mind)?

  61. 61.

    zhena gogolia

    March 28, 2017 at 9:02 pm

    @TaMara (HFG):

    I never heard of it either.

  62. 62.

    zhena gogolia

    March 28, 2017 at 9:02 pm

    @Pogonip:

    Kelpie.

  63. 63.

    schrodingers_cat

    March 28, 2017 at 9:02 pm

    @Steve in the ATL: Baseball is boring and Red Sox fans are the worst. If you say want to stop all conversation, just say that you are a Yankees fan.

  64. 64.

    schrodingers_cat

    March 28, 2017 at 9:05 pm

    @TaMara (HFG): @zhena gogolia: Me three.

  65. 65.

    efgoldman

    March 28, 2017 at 9:05 pm

    @Steve in the ATL:

    are you still mad that the first baseball franchise, the Boston Beaneaters, left town and, after various different cities and mascots, is now the Atlanta Braves?

    My freshman year at BU. I lived 10 floors above what was the right field line at Braves Field.
    The remnants are now BU’s Nickerson Field – a bit of the bleachers and part of the outfield wall.

  66. 66.

    Pogonip

    March 28, 2017 at 9:05 pm

    Megabus offers a discount to customers who wear pants. Glad to see Cole’s saving up for the wedding.

  67. 67.

    Regnad Kcin

    March 28, 2017 at 9:05 pm

    @Steve in the ATL: are you Steve Buckley or something?
    http://oldtimebaseball.com/

  68. 68.

    efgoldman

    March 28, 2017 at 9:08 pm

    @Jim Bales:

    where we take high-speed photos of milk drops going splash, balloons popping, and bullets going through things

    My late father in law, as a very young man, worked as Edgerton’s assistant and set up/tool the early pictures.
    At family gatherings he’d haul out the old strobe and entertain his nieces and nephews.

  69. 69.

    Ruckus

    March 28, 2017 at 9:08 pm

    @debit:
    I’d just like to grow up. OK maybe not.
    Lets run the tests.
    1. If I don’t grow up I might be confused with a republican.
    2. If I do grow up I might just have to be responsible.
    3. If I don’t grow up I can eat ice cream and cookies all day long.
    4. If eat ice cream and cookies all day long I won’t have to worry about growing up.
    Hmmmmmm………

  70. 70.

    SiubhanDuinne

    March 28, 2017 at 9:11 pm

    @Denali:

    I’ve seen mopping on a Megabus.

    Naked?

  71. 71.

    Sayne

    March 28, 2017 at 9:14 pm

    Don’t you hate pants?!

  72. 72.

    efgoldman

    March 28, 2017 at 9:15 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Naked?

    Why would Denali be naked on a Megabus?

  73. 73.

    cain

    March 28, 2017 at 9:16 pm

    @Steve in the ATL:

    I’ll be in Boston next Tuesday night; I would stay longer but have to get back to Georgia for the Masters (not playing this year; just attending!).

    You attend the masters (and I assume golf?) Nice.

  74. 74.

    MomSense

    March 28, 2017 at 9:16 pm

    @Mnemosyne:

    And cheaper.

    O/T but dealing with a kid’s ADHD spiral. This is intense and I can’t do much of anything.

    Fuck fucking ADHD.

  75. 75.

    SFAW

    March 28, 2017 at 9:16 pm

    @hovercraft:

    I-95 can be a nightmare,

    No kidding. But I hear Rte 128 isn’t too bad, if you hit it at the right time.

  76. 76.

    JMG

    March 28, 2017 at 9:18 pm

    Dear John: This Bostonian is super stoked to have you visit our fair city, whether or not it turns out I can attend a meetup, because I’m sure it will at least inspire some quality rants. But I will make extra effort to attend such a meetup should it take place. Lot of Bostonians here, hope they can arrange things. I’ll stay alert for new information.

  77. 77.

    SFAW

    March 28, 2017 at 9:19 pm

    @efgoldman:

    Why would Denali be naked on a Megabus?

    What’s scary (for me) is that your reply was the first thing I thought of.

    Well, actually, that’s probably scary for you, too, albeit for a different reason.

  78. 78.

    Pogonip

    March 28, 2017 at 9:20 pm

    @efgoldman: Because Cole has his pants?

  79. 79.

    SFAW

    March 28, 2017 at 9:20 pm

    @JMG:

    our fair city,

    That’s Cambridge MA, not Boston.

  80. 80.

    Steve in the ATL

    March 28, 2017 at 9:20 pm

    @Regnad Kcin:

    are you Steve Buckley or something?
    http://oldtimebaseball.com/

    I am not, but that looks fun!

  81. 81.

    debit

    March 28, 2017 at 9:20 pm

    @Pogonip: Kelpie is good. Sleeping at my feet right now, having cavorted around the back yard for a good 40 minutes once I got home.

  82. 82.

    Roger Moore

    March 28, 2017 at 9:21 pm

    @Steve in the ATL:

    are you still mad that the first baseball franchise, the Boston Beaneaters, left town and, after various different cities and mascots, is now the Atlanta Braves?

    That franchise was originally known as the Red Stockings, a name which the newcomer American League team took over. They were the Braves for the plurality of their time in Boston, substantially longer than they had any other name, including when they left town.

  83. 83.

    Steve in the ATL

    March 28, 2017 at 9:22 pm

    @cain:

    You attend the masters (and I assume golf?) Nice.

    I golf because it’s a requirement of my profession. I attend the Masters because it’s close by and it’s awesome!

    Practice days are actually more fun than tournament days. You get really fun groupings.

  84. 84.

    LAO

    March 28, 2017 at 9:23 pm

    @Steve in the ATL:

    I’ll be in Boston next Tuesday night; I would stay longer but have to get back to Georgia for the Masters (not playing this year; just attending!).

    Glad you clarified that. ?

  85. 85.

    efgoldman

    March 28, 2017 at 9:26 pm

    @SFAW:

    I hear Rte 128 isn’t too bad, if you hit it at the right time.

    Inside joke.

    ETA: “The right time” being between 200am and 500am – IF there’s no construction

  86. 86.

    SiubhanDuinne

    March 28, 2017 at 9:28 pm

    @efgoldman:

    Why would Denali be naked on a Megabus?

    I couldn’t say; you would have to ask Denali. (Also, too, that elephant in my pajamas.)

  87. 87.

    efgoldman

    March 28, 2017 at 9:29 pm

    @SFAW:

    that’s probably scary for you, too,

    Nah. Mrgrderf years ago my AP English teacher really, really had a thing about antecedents.

  88. 88.

    SFAW

    March 28, 2017 at 9:31 pm

    @efgoldman:

    Inside joke.

    I was hoping you’d spot that.

    And I did consider putting 3AM as “the right time,” but thought that might be too obvious.

  89. 89.

    SectionH

    March 28, 2017 at 9:34 pm

    @MomSense: I had good friends who struggled with their ADHD son. Really really tough. You’re in my thoughts.

  90. 90.

    efgoldman

    March 28, 2017 at 9:37 pm

    @SFAW:

    I was hoping you’d spot that.

    I still don’t know why the geniuses didn’t designate the x-way up thru the city as I-95, and give 128 a circumferential even number, like the DC Beltway, I-295 around Providence, or I-495

    ETA: Altho what was originally supposed to be I-95 into the city never got built: starting at the I-93 interchange and following what is now the Orange line right of way. Frank Sargent, one of the last good Republicans, shitcanned it.

  91. 91.

    Omnes Omnibus

    March 28, 2017 at 9:42 pm

    @efgoldman: Why wouldn’t Denali be naked on a Megabus?

  92. 92.

    frosty

    March 28, 2017 at 9:45 pm

    @MomSense:

    Fuck fucking ADHD

    Been there with two, one of whom was dyslexic too. Other parents give you advice — which is useless. All the little behavior mod tricks (like the nickel in the jar every time they’re good) work for two weeks, tops. Then you have to find another one. Then you give up and grit your teeth.

    They both matured and turned into fine young men. So hang in there.

  93. 93.

    BBA

    March 28, 2017 at 9:45 pm

    @SectionH: Oddly, the other major bus company (Greyhound/Bolt Bus) is also Scottish-owned (First Group).

  94. 94.

    SFAW

    March 28, 2017 at 9:47 pm

    @efgoldman:

    I still don’t know why the geniuses didn’t designate the x-way up thru the city as I-95

    It’s a Boston thing. I seem to remember — although I may be confusing Boston with some other burg “what should know better” — that a lot of street signs are (or were) missing. Not due to theft/vandalism, but (apparently) because the planners figured “Hey, youse live heah, youse should know what street yer on.” Coming from the NYC area, it was kind of appalling.

  95. 95.

    satby

    March 28, 2017 at 9:48 pm

    @MomSense: Hope things level out soon, know how tough that is. Virtual hugs and strength for you and your kiddo.

  96. 96.

    SFAW

    March 28, 2017 at 9:51 pm

    @BBA:

    Oddly, the other major bus company (Greyhound/Bolt Bus) is also Scottish-owned (First Group).

    Yeah, sure, whatever. Next you’ll be trying to convince us that Budweiser isn’t American.

  97. 97.

    SiubhanDuinne

    March 28, 2017 at 9:51 pm

    @MomSense:

    O/T but dealing with a kid’s ADHD spiral. This is intense and I can’t do much of anything.

    Fuck fucking ADHD.

    I have no words and no advice, but I can offer unlimited virtual hugs. Here are a few.

    {{{{{{{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}}}}}}

    More where those came from.

  98. 98.

    MomSense

    March 28, 2017 at 9:52 pm

    Thanks, everyone. Ugh.

  99. 99.

    SectionH

    March 28, 2017 at 9:53 pm

    @BBA: Mr S says he knows that too. He asks Is that the Aberdeen outfit? (The transportation infrastructure of the planet isn’t My hobby, but it seems to be his, and he’s usually quicker than google.)

    Eta: I am amused. The Scots are still focused on getting away?

  100. 100.

    different-church-lady

    March 28, 2017 at 9:54 pm

    I DID BRING PANTS THOUGH!

    Well, forget it then.

  101. 101.

    CaseyL

    March 28, 2017 at 9:55 pm

    Hi, everyone! Boy, did I miss this place.

    My computer was in the shop for a few days – corrosion on the motherboard, which they fixed very nicely, thank you, and also fixed my trackpad. I had no internet for nearly a week, unless I went to a kiosk, and couldn’t get into my email even from a kiosk because I couldn’t convince my email I was me.

    Definitely missed you all. Definitely missed my preferred news sources – I had to actually watch TV news, ugh.

    OTOH, I did get to read a LOT of books.

  102. 102.

    SFAW

    March 28, 2017 at 9:55 pm

    @MomSense:

    Keeping my fingers crossed that things smooth out for you (and the kid, of course) sooner rather than later.

  103. 103.

    different-church-lady

    March 28, 2017 at 9:56 pm

    @SFAW:

    I-95 can be a nightmare,

    No kidding. But I hear Rte 128 isn’t too bad, if you hit it at the right time.

    Now CUT THAT OUT.

  104. 104.

    different-church-lady

    March 28, 2017 at 9:58 pm

    @TaMara (HFG):

    What’s a megabus?

    Oh, about three or four pounds.

  105. 105.

    Omnes Omnibus

    March 28, 2017 at 9:58 pm

    @different-church-lady: Did he bring shoes and/or underwear?

  106. 106.

    Anne Laurie

    March 28, 2017 at 10:04 pm

    @TaMara (HFG):

    What’s a megabus?

    Here’s one version: Bolt Bus. Basically, small-dollar intercity bus companies, renowned for their low prices. (And the occasional spectacular highway breakdown, which, given Cole’s history… )

    Here they mostly run between college towns (including Boston-NYC-DC) but I believe they’re popular for trips from the more run-down urban areas to reservation-based casinos.

  107. 107.

    laura

    March 28, 2017 at 10:06 pm

    Get on up! Upstairs on the Megabus is the place to be. Safe travels and enjoy the ride, the company and the Boston.

  108. 108.

    DaveinME

    March 28, 2017 at 10:08 pm

    I’m totally up for meeting!

    95/128? Piece of cake!!!

    /snark

  109. 109.

    Anne Laurie

    March 28, 2017 at 10:10 pm

    @SFAW:

    I seem to remember — although I may be confusing Boston with some other burg “what should know better” — that a lot of street signs are (or were) missing.

    When we first moved out here, a native told us that the Bostonians removed all the street signs during the Revolution to confuse the British. It worked so well, as a source of entertainment, that they’ve only reluctantly put *some* of them back up!

  110. 110.

    khead

    March 28, 2017 at 10:10 pm

    @hovercraft:

    I-95 can be a nightmare, okay so more often than not.

    I-95 IS a nightmare between DC and….. anywhere. We live at a major choke point on I-95. Elkton, MD. I will never pay the MD/DE toll again.

    I still want to know about what goes on in a Megabus.

  111. 111.

    Anne Laurie

    March 28, 2017 at 10:15 pm

    Srsly, Cole, I hope you CAN bring yourself to meet your local commentors/front-pagers. Some of us would prefer at least 24 hours notice, since transportation between the ‘burbs and the city proper can require some planning in advance.

    You going to be down in the Seaport area, near the big conference center, or further out on the Rte 128 ring?

  112. 112.

    tobie

    March 28, 2017 at 10:15 pm

    @germy:

    Major staff turnover with new leadership is common. However, the move comes after an embattled election season in which DNC staffers were found to have attacked Democratic primary candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders.

    Aaargh. Anyone who cared about the prospects for the Democratic Party was irritated with the Senator from Vermont by April when he had zero chance of winning the party nomination. Staffers may have vented in emails but they did nothing to hurt or help either campaign. I’m so sick of the party leadership bending over backwards to placate a minority of the party even if they end up alienating the majority, that includes the party faithful who do the grunt work for elections every two years. Thanks, Tom Perez. I think I’ll hold off on my next contribution. I’m also pretty wary about purges. Sounds Stalinesque.

  113. 113.

    dmsilev

    March 28, 2017 at 10:17 pm

    @Anne Laurie: What I was told when growing up in the area was that the operating theory was ‘if you don’t know where you are, you don’t belong here.’

  114. 114.

    dmsilev

    March 28, 2017 at 10:19 pm

    @khead:

    I still want to know about what goes on in a Megabus.

    What goes on in a Megabus stays in a Megabus.

  115. 115.

    MoxieM

    March 28, 2017 at 10:23 pm

    @SFAW: There is no right time. Anymore. OTOH, it gave us Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers’ Roadrunner.

  116. 116.

    Mnemosyne

    March 28, 2017 at 10:24 pm

    @MomSense:

    Ugh. Yeah, pretty much all you can do is stand by, wait for it to wind down, and prevent any injuries.

    It might be worth asking the kid’s doctor to recommend an ADHD coach. Apparently some kids find that less intimidating than full-on therapy, and the coach is more focused on immediate problem-solving and process creation, like coming up with a process to help remember what homework is due when to prevent meltdowns.

  117. 117.

    Omnes Omnibus

    March 28, 2017 at 10:29 pm

    @tobie: The organization is in his hands now. He may have people who he wants to bring in. Also too, just because on asks for everyone’s resignation, it doesn’t mean that you will accept each one. Perez has done well everywhere he has been – including reviving the moribund DOJ Civil Rights division. I’ll back him until he shows me that I shouldn’t. YMMV

  118. 118.

    scott alloway

    March 28, 2017 at 10:30 pm

    @RoonieRoo: Clean underwear and socks, too?

  119. 119.

    p.a.

    March 28, 2017 at 10:31 pm

    @khead:

    I-95 IS a nightmare between DC and….. anywhere

    The stretch between Portland and Houlton is quite nice!?

  120. 120.

    scott alloway

    March 28, 2017 at 10:32 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: Missed your comment. Posted later.

  121. 121.

    scott alloway

    March 28, 2017 at 10:34 pm

    @p.a.: Been there, done that. Lived in Portland. ex was from Caribou. At the time. north of Bangor was a two-laner (1969).

  122. 122.

    p.a.

    March 28, 2017 at 10:36 pm

    @dmsilev: was that an old NBC show? Supertrain, Megabus… With Cole on board it could be subtitled “Cranky in the Corridor”

    I bet a GoPro documenting his travels in his Subaru would be must-see utube.

  123. 123.

    Omnes Omnibus

    March 28, 2017 at 10:36 pm

    @scott alloway: It is an obvious concern. I am surprised more people didn’t care enough to ask.

  124. 124.

    p.a.

    March 28, 2017 at 10:39 pm

    @scott alloway: On Maine interstates I don’t mind, but on windy state roads I hate seeing oncoming tandem logging trucks.

  125. 125.

    scott alloway

    March 28, 2017 at 10:43 pm

    @efgoldman: Yep. So true.

  126. 126.

    BruceFromOhio

    March 28, 2017 at 10:45 pm

    Because Podesta isn’t the president of jack shit you fucking twat

    Someday, I’d like to collect a slew of these non-sequitur twits, and make a rap album out of them.

    What’s ‘jackals,’ precious?

  127. 127.

    scott alloway

    March 28, 2017 at 10:47 pm

    @p.a.: True that. Lived in Dover-Foxcroft. Going to anywhere was a challenge in the fall. In winter, …

  128. 128.

    jonas

    March 28, 2017 at 10:54 pm

    Homer: “Where are my pants?”
    Marge: “You threw them out the window in a fit of passion. You said you were never going to need them again.”

  129. 129.

    Omnes Omnibus

    March 28, 2017 at 10:58 pm

    @BruceFromOhio:

    What’s ‘jackals,’ precious?

    Really? I mean, really?!

  130. 130.

    FlyingToaster

    March 28, 2017 at 11:01 pm

    John, just a word of advice:

    Be prepared to disembark at any time.

    I don’t know if I can make a meetup [WarriorGirl’s violin graduation this weekend, recital next weekend], but you should come across the river to Central Square in Our Fair City and visit Toscanini’s*. Just sayin. And Suan La Chow Show at Mary Chung’s.

    *I’m now a suburbanite in Watertown so I go to Ranc’s. Of course, the owner of Ranc’s is the brother of the owner of Tosci’s. Heh.

  131. 131.

    Jim Bales

    March 28, 2017 at 11:02 pm

    @efgoldman:
    So cool! What was his name?

    Jim

  132. 132.

    FlyingToaster

    March 28, 2017 at 11:02 pm

    @BruceFromOhio: The Jackal

  133. 133.

    Turbulence

    March 28, 2017 at 11:07 pm

    Holy shit, John Cole is coming to my city!

    You have to do a meetup, you just got to!

  134. 134.

    JanieM

    March 28, 2017 at 11:16 pm

    @FlyingToaster: And once you’re at Toscanini’s, get the burnt caramel with hot fudge sauce. :-)

    I’m heading to Cambridge in a few days as well, and would try to get to a Boston-area meet-up if the stars align..

  135. 135.

    danielx

    March 28, 2017 at 11:16 pm

    What, did Cole forget to put on pants before driving to ABC’s at some point? Help me out here….

    Not that I would be particularly surprised at any personal disaster involving pants, considering the source.

  136. 136.

    Omnes Omnibus

    March 28, 2017 at 11:18 pm

    @Turbulence: He got up in the middle of the Madison, WI 2013 meet-up and went to play video golf. OTOH, his hand are the size of hams.

  137. 137.

    efgoldman

    March 28, 2017 at 11:39 pm

    @SFAW:

    that a lot of street signs are (or were) missing.

    Not just in Boston. In a lot of New England, easily visible street signs are considered a sign of weakness.
    Before GPS and Google maps it was REALLY fun.

  138. 138.

    Aleta

    March 28, 2017 at 11:41 pm

    @SFAW: You mean between 2 – 3:30 a.m. ?

  139. 139.

    efgoldman

    March 28, 2017 at 11:43 pm

    @khead:

    I-95 IS a nightmare between DC and….. anywhere.

    My kids live in Arlington VA and drive to NC (his family) twice a year. The bottleneck on that side, Northbound, is always, always in Fredricksburg.

  140. 140.

    Omnes Omnibus

    March 28, 2017 at 11:46 pm

    @efgoldman: When my family moved back to CT in 1976, people in Newtown were confused about our need to put the house number on our address. Our name and street should have been enough.

  141. 141.

    efgoldman

    March 28, 2017 at 11:48 pm

    @Jim Bales:

    What was his name?

    Tom Marzilli. mrs efg was his oldest daughter.

    ETA: For fun, on Saturdays if he had to work, he’d bring the kids in with him to the EG&G building across the street from Fenway. Apparently there was lots of fun stuff to play with. They knew Doc Edgerton, but Doc being Doc, I’m sure he forgot who they were a week later. I’m sure mrs efg couldn’t have been older than five, maybe six, which would have made it late 1950s.

  142. 142.

    opiejeanne

    March 28, 2017 at 11:50 pm

    @schrodingers_cat: That was cute! I love the plane at the end, especially the take-off.

  143. 143.

    Aleta

    March 28, 2017 at 11:51 pm

    @efgoldman: Coming in from the north the GPS has a nervous breakdown every time I refuse the Tobin Bridge.

  144. 144.

    aj

    March 29, 2017 at 12:11 am

    Yes, but did he bring mustard?

    Anyway come to Boulder. Don’t need pants.

  145. 145.

    rikyrah

    March 29, 2017 at 12:13 am

    @TaMara (HFG):
    Cheap bus. Earlier you buy the tickets, cheaper it is. I’m in the Midwest, and like I said before, my sister could routinely get round trip tickets from Minneapolis to Chicago for $20-25. Takes planning, but if you Know when you are traveling, you can get a great deal. The Minneapolis-Chicago bus is usually a double decker. My sister loves sitting upstairs on it. They don’t go everywhere. They have expanded in the Midwest in the last 18 months.

    Doesn’t have the reach of Greyhound, but if you want to travel on their established routes, compare prices.

  146. 146.

    FlyingToaster

    March 29, 2017 at 12:31 am

    @Aleta: I swear, Boston is the death knell for GPS’s. Mine is the ultimate in artificial stupidity. What portion of “if you start in Somerville you are not going to the airport via Boston; go via Chelsea” is so hard to understand?

    And don’t get me started on Storrowing…

  147. 147.

    Aimai

    March 29, 2017 at 6:38 am

    @FlyingToaster: hey! Cambridge deserves a look in. How many of us are there? We need a big space for a meet up.

  148. 148.

    Jim Bales

    March 29, 2017 at 7:10 am

    @efgoldman:
    Got it. It’s not a name I’ve come across (I’ve only been here since ’98).

    If you and Mrs. efg are around, please come by! There are still some exhibits in the hallway to play with, and lots of pretty pictures :-)

    Best,
    Jim

  149. 149.

    Jeff R.

    March 29, 2017 at 7:16 am

    I went to the November meetup with Anne Laurie and efgoldman. I’d be up for another one.

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