Worcester

Worcester teen to be sent away as evil hacker overlord

adamg — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:49:11 -0500

The Boston Business Journal reports the juvenile, known as Dshocker, pleaded guilty today to running a vast "botnet" of "zombie" computers (PCs infected with trojans he controlled) to break into corporate networks and run a campaign of virtual terror against competing hackers. The Register has more details. He'll do 11 months in a federal juvenile detention center.

Expanded service to and from Worcester begins

DarkSun — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:33:15 -0400

Mr. Pesaturo today reported:

"Marking the beginning of expanded Commuter Rail service on the MBTA's Worcester/Framingham Commuter Rail Line, Lt. Governor Timothy Murray today commuted to work on one of the new train trips from Worcester to Boston. Lt. Governor Murray joined other commuters on the train that departed Worcester’s Union Station at 6:05 AM.

Effective today, two early morning trips, trains #500 and #504, now depart from Worcester at 4:45 AM and 6:05 AM, respectively. Additional adjustments to minimize gaps between trips include a 2:40 PM outbound trip from Boston to Worcester and a 4:30 PM inbound trip from Worcester to Boston, along with other minor adjustments to existing trains."

Moose on the loose now dead from lead

adamg — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:35:17 -0400

What is it about Worcester? When not battling bizarre beetles, the city has to worry about loose moose:

The 1,000 pound moose then walked to Quinsigamond Avenue, strolled into a warehouse at Castle Metals and wandered out. ... Because it was so close to a busy road, authorities determined it was becoming a public safety issue. The moose was shot dead around 8:15 a.m. It was taken away on a backhoe.

Alien invader captured in Worcester

adamg — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:15:59 -0400

Worcester Magazine captures, photographs its very own Asian Longhorned Beetle, then fails to tell us how they promptly incinerated it in a blinding ball of flame, let alone filed a report with state creepy-crawly monitors. Maybe they plan to take him home and love him and hug him and pet him and squeeze him and call him George.

Know your enemy.

Wacky Worcester Wiki War

adamg — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:50:06 -0400

Worcester in Olde Englande is waging cyberwar against our own Wormtown for the right to come up first in Wikipedia. So far, Merry Olde Worcester is winning, but it's hard to avoid logic like this (scroll down):

[T]he arguments that Worcester, UK is a county town, has a longer history, or is the origin of Worcestershire sauce are all irrelevant. Similarly, the arguments that Worcester, MA is larger in population, is chartered as a city, or was the site of the first rocket launch are equally invalid. The one and only thing that matters is what article readers are looking for; given that Worcester, MA has over 5,000 more readers than Worcester, UK, it is fairly clear that a vast majority of readers (which would be the requirement for "Worcester" to be located here) are in fact not seeking the city in Worcestershire.

Via Worcesteria.

Stop calling it Wormtown

adamg — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:24:24 -0400

Meet the beetle. Source.

Beetletown might be a better name for the Commonwealth's second largest city now that voracious Asian Longhorn Beetles have been found there:

... This pest attacks a wide variety of hardwood trees, particularly maples, and is considered a serious threat to the nursery, lumber, wood products, maple syrup, and tourism industries in our state. If it became established over a large area, it could also significantly disrupt the forest ecosystem.

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, and the City of Worcester are partnering with the U.S. Forest Service and USDA APHIS-PPQ to coordinate a management plan to eradicate this species in Massachusetts. First steps include a survey of the area to determine the extent of the infestation, and regulatory management to prevent movement of host trees and wood out of the infested area. Infested trees will need to be removed and destroyed, and susceptible host trees may need treatment to prevent further infestations. ...

Send lawyers, guns and money, well, guns, anyway

adamg — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:50:28 -0400

Secretly Ironic recounts a disappointing trip all the way out to Worcester for a "Jack and Jill night" at the Boston Gun Range, which, despite what its make your eyes bleed Web site and answering machine would have you believe, actually closed several months ago:

... So, then what? Obviously, the four of us drove around past the nudie bars and automotive spring repair shops on the outskirts of town until we hit Worcester Center. We briefly got lost in the Abandoned Warehouse district, and then stumbled upon the Gentrified Abandoned Warehouse district, featuring loft condos (natch), a discount meat store (”We Towed You So” emblazoned cheerfully across the parking lot), and a tapas bar called Bocado. ...

Why they're called the Worcester Tornadoes

adamg — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:59:32 -0400

Blue Mass. Group reminds us that today's the anniversary of the deadly Worcester Tornado of 1953.

The name's actually a bit of a misnomer, since the tornado continued down Rte. 9 to almost the Framingham line - one of its last spasms was to flatten the Fayville post office in Southborough.

The City with Too Many Damn Slogans

adamg — Wed, 21 May 2008 20:52:49 -0400

That would be Worcester, which apparently has an identity crisis like you wouldn't believe.

But ya gotta love a city where people still pitch woo.

Girl Meets Mass.

pierce — Sun, 18 May 2008 17:59:03 -0400

Generous tax breaks have made our fair city into the Toronto of the US and made Hollywood faces a not uncommon site around certain restaurants.

So does our Sunset Blvd. stretch all the way to Worcester? If so Perez Hilton may have found our Viper Room, where TV's Topanga, Danielle Fishel, got all Britney last night......