-

Bornholm

For those of you aware of Megan’s hospitalization, she’s feeling much better and we’ve been able to resume exploring Copenhagen as of this past Tuesday. For those of you who were unaware, Megan went to the hospital and investigated the Danish health care system. She’s been extremely impressed overall, and disturbingly has established the hospital meatloaf as her gold standard for meals here. Perhaps I can press her into temporary service to provide some details. We now return to our regularly scheduled blog entry, delayed a week (we returned about 10 days ago).

on the ferry to Bornholm on the ferry to Bornholm

It would be difficult to find a better fit for the word idyllic than the island of Bornholm. Continue reading →

-

Denmark: A Land of Contrasts

Our second week here in Denmark draws to a close. I write this Sunday evening, on the train from Copenhagen to the island of Bornholm, where we’ll be spending a few days relaxing after the rough-and-tumble of relaxing of the city. Megan thinks Bornholm may be to Copenhagen as Martha’s Vineyard is to Boston.

So, what have we been up to? Continue reading →

-

Tools for Mac Users

There is a large number of excellent free or inexpensive tools for Mac OS X, and most long-time Mac users have a handful of “must-have” utilities. Indeed, it appears that the Mac platform’s community of good, small developers producing such software sets it apart; according to what I’ve read this isn’t the case in the Windows world, where “free” and “spyware” are often synonymous.

As more and more of my friends buy new Macs, I keep promising to create a list of tools I consider indispensable; at long last, here it is. Many of these apps are free; all of the others offer free trial periods.

Continue reading →

-

Applying efficiency, safety and usability as standards for toll plaza design in Massachusetts

Interesting how most of the things I have to rant about concern driving. I imagine it�s related to the unpleasantly large amount of time I spend sitting in my car every week. If you live in or drive through Massachusetts, you are familiar with FAST LANE. It�s the Bay State�s version of what everyone else in the Northeast quadrant of the United States knows as EZ Pass, the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority�s electronic toll collection system. The purpose of this rant is to discuss how the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority has failed to use electronic toll collection to make traveling on the state�s highways as safe and efficient as it could be through the poor design, ineffective signage and inconsistent positioning of toll plazas on the state�s highways. Continue reading →

-

The Windows Mystery

Mac users are often criticized for their smug, superior attitudes, and for their zealotry. I’m no fan of zealotry myself, but am nonetheless guilty of these attitudes from time to time. I’d like to explain why, in as humble and balanced a manner as I can.
Suppose you own a car. Any car will do…let’s say a Honda Civic. Like any car, it’s not perfect. From time to time, it needs maintenance or repair. The vast majority of the time, it works: You can get into it and drive places at reasonable speed. You expect as much from your car.
Now, you look around and realize other people’s cars are different. Continue reading →

-

Why Massachusetts Residents Drive Poorly

Having contentedly lived the first 23 years of my life in States adjacent to Massachusetts, I grew up hearing about Massachusetts drivers. During my childhood in Connecticut, every vacation seemed to feature a daring and dangerous trip up I-91, I-95 or I-93 that provided me with a first-hand look at these infamous creatures and the opportunity to hear my father complain about their careless and aggressive driving habits. I learned that Boston was a place that one should avoid at all costs, an automotive jungle where barbarians and savages reign.

Continue reading →