Tribal preference in casino legislation

February 12th, 2010 bumpkin 2 comments
USS-Mass is asking for people to sign this petition which calls for an independent cost/benefit analysis of casinos and slots. . Now back to the post. . Adam Bond floats some interesting ideas about the latest developments in the Middleboro casino saga: The BoS just doesn’t get it. The Tribe i ...

Scott Brown’s hand

February 11th, 2010 bumpkin 1 comment
Handy slogans for teabagger speechesFresh on the heals of the Sarah Palin being caught red handed cheating on her interview answers, we have this close up photo of Scott Brown’s hand taken during one of his campaign rallies. . I’m sure these come in real handy at Teaparty fundraisers. ...
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Strather and Tribe – the $25M spat

February 10th, 2010 bumpkin 4 comments
Great article in the Cape Cod Times about an ugly sounding spat between Herb Strather and the Mashpee Wampanaog. Yet more bad news for the Middleboro casino. As an aside, the Cape Cod Times has rocked on this issue. The author of this article – Stephanie Vosk – was the very first repo ...
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A word from our sponsors

February 9th, 2010 bumpkin 7 comments
You might notice that I put ads on nemasket.net. You may have noted the irony that a post about casinos, like perhaps this one, might be accompanied by a Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun ad. The selected ads are influenced by the content. Why the ads? I’m including them to help me defray the cost o ...
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Making winter suck less

February 9th, 2010 bumpkin No comments
This week’s Gazette column is about exercising in winter – something that is tough to get motivated to do, but really helps your winter mindset. These photos are from a recent run at Pratt Farm and a bike ride in the woods at the Morgan property. . If you don’t like the embedded ...
Categories: Gazette, Middleboro Tags:

Linux Mint 8 on Dell D600

February 8th, 2010 bumpkin No comments
Linux Mint 8 Helena menu and welcome screeenI’ve been playing around with several Linux distributions on my old Dell D600 laptop. Initially I threw Ubuntu 9.1(Karmic Koala) on it but had problems with the desktop freezing every time I started up an application. I got around that by putting o ...
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DeLeo, slots, and Middleboro

February 6th, 2010 bumpkin No comments
Look how much fun I'm having! *Hiccup*Refusing to do an honest cost/benefit analysis of expanded gambling, House Speaker Robert DeLeo has unveiled his plan to file legislation that would bring slots to the racetracks and resort casinos. He also felt compelled to dazzle us with the depth of his char ...

Upcoming Middleboro election

February 5th, 2010 bumpkin 1 comment
Picture of my dog Slaney - totally unrelated to this story.In this week’s Middleboro Gazette A four-way race for two seats on the Board of Selectmen in the April 3 town election became a possibility this week as two potential candidates announced plans to draw nomination papers. Meanwhile, so ...
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Trust land in Fall River?

February 4th, 2010 bumpkin 18 comments
With all the stories of the Mashpee and Aquinnah Wampanoag seeking a casino in the Fall River area – this story seems to play into that: The state’s Commission on Indian affairs has requested that a 100-acre parcel of the Watuppa Reservation be put into trust, part of a plan, the Pocasset Wa ...

Jack Healey – casino magnet

February 3rd, 2010 bumpkin 3 comments
Jack Healey - photo from Commonweath MagazineLooks like both the Mashpee and Aquinna Wampanoag are nosing around the Fall River area. It’s interesting that the Freetown interim town manager is none other than Jack Healey – former Middleboro town manager and key player in the Middleboro ...
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Scott Brown action figures

February 2nd, 2010 bumpkin 1 comment
Here is the must have gift for the Republican in your life – a Scott Brown action figure. Fans can get get the “Everyman action figure” in blue jeans, T-shirt and sneakers. There’s also the 2012 executive figure and then the “Cosmo man” — for adults only of ...
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Cape Wind, casinos, and religion

February 1st, 2010 bumpkin No comments
I’m a strong support of alternative energy in general and Cape Wind in particular. I was skeptical when the Aquinnah and Mashpee Wampanoag partnered with the Cape Wind opposition group Save Our Sound. The objection was that the turbines would disrupt a sacred sun greeting ceremony. I did a ...
Categories: Cape Wind, Mashpee Wampanoag, casino Tags:

Is it over now?

January 28th, 2010 bumpkin No comments
The Mashpee Wampanoag have entered into talks to build a casino in Fall River. Representatives of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe are hedging their bets that this financially strapped city will be a more welcoming home for a future casino, a move that may jilt residents of a town the tribe has promised ...
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Public job day of reckoning?

January 28th, 2010 bumpkin 3 comments
I got this email today with a link to a real eye-opener opinion piece in the Boston Globe that looks at public jobs, pay, and benefits. The email said: A Day of Reckoning is coming, and none too soon…..The election of Scott Brown is a wake-up call to all in government from FED to local level. ...
Categories: Middleboro Tags:

Obama, racism and politics

January 27th, 2010 bumpkin 8 comments
In another IM chat with my buddy Mike we discuss the role that racism plays in national politics since the election of President Obama. Mike: Obama getting back on track article Mark: Hmm,,, I’m not so sure that article is saying very much. Rather vague. Mike: I suppose… I think the ...
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Soule Homestead benefit

January 26th, 2010 bumpkin No comments
There will be a benefit for the Soule Homestead on Saturday Feb. 13, 2010 from 7 to 11 PM at the Middleboro town hall grand ballroom. Please attend to support this wonderful organization. Send article as PDF to ...
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Statists, religion, and medicine

January 22nd, 2010 bumpkin 2 comments
In this installment of Mike is always wrong, I’m accused of being a statist which is crazy because I’m a left wing nutjob whose trying to promote his agenda of getting welfare benefits for gay pot-smoking greyhounds. Mike and I also discuss whether or not a medical practitioner should b ...
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Coakley/Brown: Point/Counterpoint

January 21st, 2010 bumpkin 4 comments
Here’s a fun post. Me and my buddy Mike going at it over the Brown/Coakely election. We always have a great debate that is liberally sprinkled with insults and derision – all in good fun. Mike is a very bright guy who challenges my positions – which makes me hone my thoughts and ...
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Coakley, Brown, and Fox FUD

January 18th, 2010 bumpkin 16 comments
This senate race to fill Ted Kennedy’s seat has been a surprise. Everyone expected the Democrat – Martha Coakley – to walk away with it. Martha seemingly thought so as well and ran a terrible “campaign” – sleep walking through the process until she woke up in a ...
Categories: Middleboro, fox Tags:

Guest posters wanted

January 15th, 2010 bumpkin No comments
One thing I’ve always wanted for my blog is some other writers. If you have an itch to scratch, or an issue you’d like to discuss, submit it to me and I’ll publish it – providing it passes the sniff test. I’d also welcome permanent contributors – people who w ...
Categories: Middleboro Tags:

Family scheduling

January 12th, 2010 bumpkin 6 comments
Being a bit of a tech guy, I’m always looking for ways to apply technology to make life easier or to automate mundane jobs. One of my bugaboos has been keeping track of the family schedule. Mrs. Nemasket runs ...
Categories: Middleboro, technology Tags:

Middleboro gets $400K land grant

January 8th, 2010 bumpkin No comments
Back in the October 2009 town meeting, Article 14 was approved that provided $60K along with a previously approved $40K for the purchase of a large chunk of land near Assawompsett and the Black Brook Conservation Area. I won’t take the shine off this good news by pointing out that our $100K in ...
Categories: CPA, Middleboro Tags:

Override meeting report

January 7th, 2010 bumpkin 2 comments
I attended the first 30 minutes of the override meeting. IMO, the people running the override need to work on the reasons the override is needed. It is going to take a very compelling argument to get this bird to fly. Since I only attended about 1/3 of the meeting, it’s very likely I missed ...
Categories: Middleboro, Override, audio Tags:

Nantucket Sound historic designation

January 6th, 2010 bumpkin No comments
The National Park Service recently ruled that Nantucket Sound is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. In the short term, this is yet another, but hopefully the last, hurdle that Cape Wind needs to clear. In the longer term, some are concerned that the decision has set ...
Categories: Middleboro Tags:

Override discussion tonight

January 6th, 2010 bumpkin 3 comments
There is an effort underway to pass a Prop-2 1/2 override this year with the money being earmarked for the school system. I am not involved in this effort and have not totally made up my mind on it – which implies that I’ve partially made up my mind. This post was on my forum today: I ...
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