Almost Forgot To Post This ... More Good News On The Red Wine Front

As if red wine needs more good news. Anyhow, clearly, if I'd had my red wine last night I would have remembered to post this earlier... From Science Daily...

"A new study directed by Mount Sinai School of Medicine has found that moderate red wine consumption in a form of Cabernet Sauvignon may help reduce the incidence of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). The study entitled "Moderate Consumption of Cabernet Sauvignon Attenuates β-amyloid Neuropathology in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease" is in press, and will be published in the November 2006 issue of The FASEB Journal."

This follows on news released earlier this summer that coffee prevents cirrhosis and that beer prevents prostate cancer.

View Challenge: Bethlehem Entry

Ron & company: Sure, love to play. The picture below shows our front yard in Bethlehem, and may well be the best darn cat picture ever (if you knew the personalities of Jinx & Bella, featured therein).

All best, El

view challenge

After Amy's earlier post of the great view she has from her home, I thought it might be fun to share a view I have from my home. This isn't a competition. The idea is, hopefully, to get as many of us who are willing, to post an image relating to our home and surroundings. It doesn't have to be a landscape view, it can be a photograph of a favorite room in your home, or a portrait of a loved one in your yard, whatever you come up with is cool. Be creative. Any takers?

Time to peep

Wetlands make up something like 35 percent of the land in the coastal town where I live. Our own 13-acre property is about half red maple swamp. Sure it's a festering mosquito hatchery in summer. But in early fall we get the first brilliant colors in the Seacoast. Jealous? You should be! (Excuse me, I have to go scratch a mosquito bite now.)

Keep tabs on New Hampshire foliage hot spots with these sites:
foliage.visitnh.gov
www.yankeefoliage.com

Change drivers licenses for the elderly?

Interesting ideas from the director of the state motor vehicle department about possible changes to drivers licenses for elderly people, such as requiring that drivers older than 80 be tested every three years instead of every five.

Speaking as the parent of a newly licensed teenager (and as a reporter who has to cover fatal car accidents more than he would like), I think the changes that the state has made for young drivers, particularly forbidding them from carrying lots of distracting friends, are excellent - an intelligent response to a real situation. Perhaps similar thought needs to be given to the issue of very old drivers - although they vote, so it will be harder for legislators to annoy them than it was to annoy teenagers.

chew on this musical mammal

This week I spoke to Chris Merenda of The Mammals and Chewy just before he played a show at The Red Door in Portsmouth. Chris even sang a song as the sun went down over Portsmouth Harbor. Check out the video by clicking the image.

And if you are a musician, then check out The Man Who Was Thursday. We are looking for new members. The band was named after the 1907 novel of the same name by G.K. Chesterton. The plot involves a secret society of anarchists who title themselves after days of the week. I started this experiemental collective in February, and we need help with our second album. I could tell you more, but... well... everything about the band is a secret.

Dirty Dancing in Concord

Yes, it’s now a national news item. Teenagers were dirty dancing—"grinding"—at a recent Concord High School dance. The school administration has responded by banning school dances until further notice.

Student, parents and faculty are upset. It’s the #1 topic of conversation for the school set. When I drove by the high school this morning, kids were being interviewed by camera crews.

My 14 yr. old daughter, a freshman, just bought a dress for the now indefinitely postponed homecoming dance. She’s never even been to a high school dance and now she is wondering when she’ll get a chance. Like many students at the school, she feels punished for something she’s had no part in.

Some teens say that grinding is just dancing, that there is nothing sexual about a boy grinding his pelvis into a girl’s out-thrust backside. What could be sexual about that?

Predicting the Future

One hundred and thirty one years ago, a far-seeing reporter for the "Farmer's Cabinet" saw the future. Either that, or he/she was simply a good guesser.

Predictions included freight trains drawn by noiseless power, undersea tunnels, increased air travel using a yet to be discovered technology, and parcels that "dart like lightning" (email).

Trying to foretell the future is not hooey. Science fiction writer, Octavia Butler, said "the very act of trying to look ahead to discern possibilities and offer warnings is in itself an act of hope." I agree with her.

So, today I offer these predictions for one hundred years from now...

- computers (as we know them) will be out. It will be found that computers increased communication, but decreased socialization. In order to at least mimic socialization, a new form of communication (based on not yet created hologram technology) will be in vogue, and will replace computers, telephones, and be used also for distance learning and corporate meetings.

- medical technology. Implantable, and wearable sensors will be the norm, providing information to health care professionals instantly -- from blood levels to brain function. Nanocytes will be used instead of chemotherapy or surgery to battle disease, and help to heal injuries.

- politics. Either Canada or Mexico, or both will join with the current United States to form a combined nation.

So, what do you think our world will look like, and what will be in vogue 100 years from now? Will the World Wide Web even be around for anyone to see my prediction and wonder at its accuracy?

Janice

"Aliens Made Them Famous"

The disappearance of public companies with HQs in the state

Interesting article in New Hampshire Business Review (registration required) about the decline in the number of public companies, especially big ones, with Granite State headquarters, and how it might not be so bad. Some quotes:

When Hampton-based Fisher-Scientific International folds into Thermo Electron Corp., New Hampshire will lose its only remaining Fortune 500 company with headquarters within its borders, leaving behind two companies - Timberland Company and PC Connection Inc. - that just barely earn spots the Fortune 1000. ...

In 1999, there were 27 public companies based in the state, with some $21.6 billion in sales and 12,620 New Hampshire employees. In 2005, there were 17 (minus the soon-to-be-gone Fisher Scientific) with $5.2 billion in sales and 3,489 employees. ...

The anomaly might not be today, with so few public companies based in New Hampshire, but in 1999, when there were comparatively so many. Indeed, NHBR’s 1992 Book of Lists has 19 public companies, just a few more than today.

1100 species and counting!

This past weekend I attended BioBlitz at the Seacoast Science Center in Rye. Wow. This is an amazing event where scientists and volunteers catalogue as many species as possible from dusk until dawn. I got to spend some time with mammal trackers, looking for tracks and scat. You heard right. Click on the image to see the video!

If you're interested in making videos, podcasting, etc, I will be speaking on Sunday, October 1st from 10 AM to Noon at the next meeting of Boston Media Makers. Boston Media Makers get together monthly at Sweet Finnish in Jamaica Plain, MA. And there is a great write up on Sweet Finnish here. You might want to come just for the tasty pastries!

Also if you know someone between the ages of 14 and 18 who is seriously interested in filmmaking, then please let them know about the Young Filmmakers Workshop, October 13th - 15th. During NHFX (the NH Film Expo), I lead a weekend long intensive program that includes special guests from all facets of independent filmmaking. The program culminates in the production of a film that is screened at the Seacoast Repertory Theater in Portsmouth. Click on the image below to go right to the registration page! Space is very limited.

Bucks turn bloggers into political shills

This isn't a New Hampshire story, but since there's high interest among Area603 in the evolution of blogging, I thought it was worth noting: According to the Washington Post, both sides of the U.S. Senate race in Virginia are openly paying bloggers to spread rumors, news tidbits and opinions that their campaign likes.

Paid Political Advertising, the Blogosphere way! How long before Granite State pols give it a shot?

Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest?

Those words, supposedly uttered by King Henry II in reference to Thomas a Becket, came to mind as I absorb the fallout from the NH Supreme Court's latest school-funding decision. There are echoes of the King in the reactions of conservative politicians and pundits: those darn "activist judges" are legislating from the bench. They are usurping the legislature's authority. We need a constitutional amendment to keep the courts out of school funding. (Which is at least a much more civilized response than the King's implicit call for assassination.)

But... the court is simply doing its job. It looked at the school-funding law, and found it wanting by constitutional standards. The court has issued a series of consistent decisions over the past 15 years, and our elected politicians have consistently ignored them. These decisions were handed down by a whole lot of justices -- many of them, perhaps most of them (I haven't tried to check), Republican appointees.

This time, apparently tiring of the Legislature's continual ducking of the issue, the court set a time limit. My response: good for them. Our school funding system is an unfair patchwork that leaves some districts with poor schools, and places a burden on their economic development because of high property taxes. (There's a huge disparity in tax rates between "property-rich" and "property-poor" communities.)

I say, stop trying to shoot the messenger and accept the message. Get together and devise a fair system. This is going to be a very tough job. It might require -- gasp -- a new tax structure. But it's an important job. If done correctly, it will make our state a better place to live, work, and raise a family.

And if you must amend the constitution, don't block the courts from their reasonable stewardship of state law. Instead, remove the offending language that inspired all these troublesome decisions: "it shall be the duty of the legislators... to cherish the interest of literature and the sciences." Because if we can't work together and devise a fair system, we obviously don't cherish those things anymore.

Lee's Mills Steamboat Rally Video

Ah, Fall Fruit Wine and a Sense of Place

This article on fruit wines in The Telegraph the other day brought to mind my pleasant discovery, last year, of how well local fruit wines could bring a sense of place. We were up in Vermont last fall, at just about this time (Sept. 10) and took the kids for cider at the Cold Hollow Cider Mill. After (I blogged about it here), we went to "a wine tasting right next door for Grand View Winery, which is just up the street from us in East Calias. The winery specializes in fruit wines made with local produce, and I tried a bunch, including an extremely dry rhubarb, which was maybe the most interesting but my least favorite otherwise. We brought home a blackberry wine and a sparkling hard cider. We drank the blackberry wine and ate barbecued chicken on the back porch as the sun went down, looking out at the blackberry brambles up on Milkweed Hill. Sweet. I don't care what the calendar says. Fall has arrived."

Man, a year slips by quickly.

Artists United for a Cause

Podcamp has come and gone, and I am exhausted. I met so many amazing bloggers, podcasters, and vloggers from around the world that my head is spinning. I am going to try to put an episode of The Eye together for next week, but if you can't wait... please go to that link. People are already posting session recordings, interviews, and photos of the event. Google it. Search Flickr. There was so much knowledge, so many ideas. I need some sleep.

In the meantime, take a look at this week's episode. Eco-artist Tim Gaudreau contacted me a week or so ago about donating some painting skills for the evening. It was a fun chance to raise some money for a good cause.

Ground Zero Genesis -- The Swan Song Tandem

The Glory of Fall TV!

The new fall TV season is here at last, and it’s not without its share of controversy!

The creators of Survivor are taking heat for dividing the teams along racial lines… Of course, being the model corporate citizens and the barometers of good taste that they are, General Motors, P & G and Coca-Cola all pulled out of sponsoring the upcoming season. (Yes, I was being sarcastic.)

Another new entry to fall TV this season is “Judge Maria Lopez.” The former Massachusetts Superior Court judge landed herself a sweet little deal as the host of a nationally-syndicated daytime court show. She’s described as outspoken, controversial and tough – perfect for a TV judge! Now… you might just remember Judge Lopez as the oh so mean, nasty and insulting judge who got in hot water for demeaning prosecutors in court… and for going easy on a child predator. When she was suspended and ordered to apologize, she resigned instead. Welcome to Hollywood, Judge Maria… you’ll feel right at home!

And now, how about a couple of new shows we’d like to see!

When Celebrities Get Sauced: There’s no shortage of footage for this show, which follows the antics of all your favorite celebs and their DUI adventures. Join Mel Gibson, Paris Hilton, Nick Nolte, Lindsay Lohan and McCauley Culkin as they fumble and stumble their way through sobriety tests…

The Obstructed View: Rosie O’Donnell joins The View and “overshadows” the other hosts. Even Baba Wawa can’t get a word in edgewise when Rosie gets gabbing…

On the other hand, Ellen is hosting the Oscars again, and she is perfect for the awards show She did a great job last time she hosted. (And no, I'm not being sarcastic now)

Happy viewing...

35th annual Lee's Mills Steamboat Rally

Did you know Moultonborough New Hampshire holds the largest Steamboat Rally in the world each September? I didn't, that is until a local photographer clued me in. This year's Rally runs from September 8th until September 17th, so there is still time to attend.

I made the trek this morning to the small cove just past The Loon Center on Lake Winnipesaukee where these tiny steamboats (most under 30 feet) were docked. All are privately owned. As I understand it, many of these steamboat enthusiasts travel around the country each year attending similar rally's... though none as large as this one, apparently.

I spent about an hour and a half photographing during my visit this morning, occasionally speaking to one of the owners as I walked past each boat. Here are twelve images from this mornings visit.

Gaming online polls

Interesting discussion at the Telegraph, which like many newspapers puts non-scientific online polls on its Web site, letting people give a yes-or-no opinion on topics of the day. A couple recent polls about embattled Nashua Superintendent of Schools Julia Earl were gamed - that is, flooded with votes from a single source - and now Earl's son has told the paper that he did it, in response to what he sees as one-sided newspaper coverage of his mom.

Regarding of whether you care anything about Earl's plight, his e-mail raises good questions about the online-poll process, which I've always regarded as a distracting at best and misleading at worst. (People like them, but they don't mean diddly.) He calls them "Gerrymandering on the Internet," a lovely phrase .

UPDATE: More discussion from the Telegraph's Web editor.

The Darkest Day

You can't read a newspaper (paper or virtual), watch television or even listen to the radio without hearing or seeing a story about the events of September 11, 2001. Much of the focus on this 5th anniversary is about the victims and heroes of that terrible day, and rightly so. They were participants in one of the defining days in America's history.

It seems that almost every generation experiences a "Darkest Day" of their own--one composed of tragic events that they never thought would happen, changing their lives forever. Before 911 some of America's darkest days included Pearl Harbor, President J.F. Kennedy's assasination, and the Stock Market Crash of 1929.

New Hampshire's darkest day, literally, was on May 19, 1780. A thick cloud covered New England and parts of New York. For fourteen hours the world was so dark that both animals and humans were in a panic.

An eyewitness living in Massachusetts describes the event as follows: "In the morning the sun rose clear, but was soon overcast. The clouds became lowery, and from them, black and ominous, as they soon appeared, lightning flashed, thunder rolled, and a little rain fell. Toward nine o'clock, the clouds became thinner, and assumed a brassy or coppery appearance, and earth, rocks, trees, buildings, water, and persons were changed by this strange, unearthly light. A few minutes later, a heavy black cloud spread over the entire sky except a narrow rim at the horizon, and it was as dark as it usually is at nine o'clock on a summer evening...."

"A sheet of white paper held within a few inches of the eyes was equally invisible with the blackest velvet." Letter of Samuel Tenney, an eye-witness, dated Exeter NH, December 1785, in "Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society," Volume 1, 1792; Boston: Belknap and Hall, 1792. pages 97-98.

From the Continental Journal, reprinted in The New-Hampshire Gazette, and Historical Chronicle of 27 May 1780 "In the time of the greatest darkness some of the dunghill fowls went to roost, cocks crowed in answer to one another, woodcocks, which are nightbirds, whistled as they do only in the dark, frogs peeped, in short there was the appearance of midnight at noonday.... At four o'clock it grew more light.... Between three and four we were out and perceived a strong sooty smell. Some of the company were confident a chimney in the neighborhood must be burning; others conjectured the smell was more like that of burnt leaves."

Some believe that this "darkest day" was the result of a huge forest fire, originating in either Ticonderoga, New York or in Canada (or both) which burned extensively for a week before the 19th of May. The wind conditions were right, and the dark, sooty smoke filled the sky. Eye witnesses commented on the "scum" they found in their water barrels and on other surfaces.

In New Hampshire, members of the Shaker community benefitted from this dark day. Hundreds of people who felt the dark day had a religious connection sought out the Shakers to learn more. "Soon hundreds of people from New York and Massachusetts were coming to see this peculiar people."

The Wilder-Holton House, in Lancaster New Hampshire, was built by Major Jonas Wilder. It was Coos County's first two-story dwelling, and it was started on "Dark Day" of May 19, 1780. The workmen commenced digging the cellar for the great house, but by eleven o'clock it became so dark that the men had to stop working. The frame of this house was raised on the 26th of July 1780. Later this home was a tavern, church and a meeting place. It is located on the north end of Main Street. It was sold in 1965 to the Lancaster Historical Society.

The poet John Greenleaf Whittier captured the sentiments of the day:--

"'Twas on a May-day of the far old year
Seventeen hundred eighty, that there fell
Over the bloom and sweet life of the spring,
Over the fresh earth, and the heaven of noon,
A horror of great darkness...."

"Birds ceased to sing, and all the barnyard fowls
Roosted; the cattle at the pasture bars
Lowed, and looked homeward; bats on leathern wings
Flitted abroad; the sounds of labor died;
Men prayed, and women wept; all ears grew sharp
To hear the doom-blast of the trumpet shatter
The black sky..."

~Janice Brown~

Confidence Pays Off, Or How To Boost Your Brand By Sending Customers To Your Competition

Come back Jenna

Survivor pits racial groups against each other?! As most media consumers know by now, that is indeed the hook that the producers of Survivor are using this time around: Blacks vs. Whites vs. Asian vs. Hispanics.

Are we ready for this?

We’ve come a long way from the first Survivor, where New Hampshire’s own Jenna gamely held her own (for a while) against the devious Richard Hatch. The early shows with their swimsuit clad tribes competing with a mix of office politics, physical feats, and exotic bug eating, now seem strangely innocent.

"The rockin'-est town in the Granite State"

I just stumbled upon The Stumbleweeds, a Boston-based rockabilly, honky tonk, tattooed and '50s looking kind of band. Now that's cool enough, but a track sample they offer on their myspace page is the sort of tune that makes you want to drop what you're doing and post to Area 603.

Check out their myspace page * for "Nashville to Nashua." Can't help but well up with a little hometown pride when singer Lynnette Lenker croons about that "hillbilly corner up in southern N.H." With slide guitars and a playful tone of hometown love and hate, it's incredibly catchy.

*** 9/12/06: Oops! Shortly after posting this the song link was removed...but check out the band anyway - they're fun.

Download an audiobook from your library

Maybe I'm out of the loop, but I didn't realize so many local libraries in New Hampshire offered downloadable audiobooks. (Details here) It's not perfect: For one thing, you have to use special software which only seems to work on Windows Media Player, much to the annoyance of Mac and open-source fans. Plus, the books "turn off" when your checkout time is done, but you have to delete them or the unplayable file will stay on your hard drive.

With those provisos, however, it sounds like a good idea. Beats waiting for a casette tape to show up in the mail!

UPDATE: I'm not out of the loop - or at least out of this loop; the program only started in New Hampshire today, Sept. 5, although it exists in other libraries around the country

Move over kids. I'm going to summer camp!