There are so few Americans of Portuguese descent that are seen on the national stage, much less the international stage, and Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz has managed to do both. He is one of the few people in politics and policy circles that I would totally go all fanboy over if I ever had the chance to meet him.
Why? you might ask. After all, this guy is probably more famous for his hair in American culture than for anything else about him.
Well, let me tell you a bit about him.
Many of the readers around here know that Geoff and I both have neurologists at Boston Medical Center. You may also remember me singing in the Boston Medical Center Concert When Patients Heal You last November. (Video is here, sorry for the sound quality) I’ll be singing in the concert again this October. Watch this space for more details.
Anyway, the BMC is loaded with great talent and with people who give their time and talent to not only give back to the community here in Boston but also but to raise money for others who need it, as well as to fund health care for those who would not otherwise have access to it. I’m not performing in the concert listed below, the pianist/nurse/saint I’m performing with in October is. Check it out.
That’s globalhealthneurology@gmail.com with questions or to volunteer. To donate, click here. The concert has a $20 ticket/donation at the door.
The Baskt Auditorium is in A Building at 72 East Concord St. Boston, MA 02118 on the Boston University Medical School campus.
~Kelly
I don’t know what it is, but something about the sea fascinates me, and has for most of my life. Maybe it’s because the sea has played various roles in my family history – some big and some small. Maybe it’s because ships captured my imagination as a little boy the way trucks or cars or airplanes do for most young boys. For years as a kid, my favorite “souvenir” I would get from my trips to the Cape or Martha’s Vineyard was one of those little wooden ships, usually a fishing boat of some kind, that you find in local shops. And I have been reading books about New England maritime history for years.
So anyway, it turns out that early next year there is a movie coming out based on the Michael Tougias book The Finest Hours.
Continue reading “A big story of Massachusetts maritime history is coming to the movies”
This most recent episode, “Kill the Boy”, featured the goings-on in the North quite a bit, so needless to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. We seem to be moving ever closer towards the confrontation between Stannis and the Boltons. Winter is indeed coming.
Continue reading “The latest on Stannis and the North in GoT”
I mentioned in my last post that SNL had done a skit about Game of Thrones, and after doing some surfing around I discovered that a few other shows had been talking about our favorite TV show as well.
Oh, man. I saw this most recent Season Five trailer and I am getting excited.
There is so much potential awesomeness that is hinted at in little bits and pieces throughout the clips. So let’s take a look, shall we?
Continue reading “Another Season Five trailer and the hidden treasures within”
I was overjoyed to hear that the FCC voted 3-2 to adopt new rules that treat broadband internet as a utility, much like telephones. The basic purpose of this would be to guarantee that internet service providers are neutral in terms of treating all customers and web content equally, and not favoring those who can pay more money or slowing down those that pay less. It means that a cable company can’t slow down the traffic to their competitors’ websites. It assures that the Internet remains a generally level playing field, so small businesses and start-ups don’t get squashed by huge corporate competitors who can afford to pay more to have their own service prioritized. And critically for people like me who have complained incessantly about being at the mercy of a few big telecoms when it comes to broadband service, it also means that it will become easier to get more choices, especially if those choices mean expanding municipal broadband service where they were previously banned by state laws favoring those big telecom companies.
And yet, there are those who are still opposed to it and will fight this tooth and nail. Needless to say, I am not a fan of those people. But I am encouraged by the fact that so many people thought net neutrality would fail, and they turned out to be wrong.
Continue reading “Net Neutrality and why the FCC’s new rules matter”
Science is important. It is something that both Kelly and I take quite seriously. It’s one if the reasons Kelly has worked as a science educator for a decade, and one of the reasons why even some of our hobbies involve a lot of science. We feel quite passionately about it.
And it’s also why we both get so frustrated about the problems with scientific literacy in America – demonstrated by things like this survey that shows the gaps between scientists and the public when it comes to views of science. And if you want to see scientific ignorance displayed in all its factually-challenged glory, and I mean some truly godawful stuff, just turn on a television.
Wow. Even though I am not much of a football fan, I have to say that last night’s game was pretty dramatic.
I needed something to make me laugh, and this fit the bill. The only thing they were missing was a guy named Manny from Fall River, and if they asked me I could have filled in. Anyway, enjoy. Video below the cut.
Continue reading “Jimmy Kimmel found the locker room guy(s)”
The Books are Taking Over... 