The Prospect Perspective - MassLive.com

• Moving On, Moving Over

  You may have noticed a decline in the frequency of blog posts here lately. Well, the bad news is that I will no longer be posting on Masslive. The good news is that I will continue to blog, just over... [...]
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  Posted: February 03, 2009, 9:25am EST
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Potluck Luck

  The two pieces of cardio equipment I use most frequently at the Y are the treadmill and the recumbent bike. It doesn't really matter to me what treadmill I use, but I seem to always gravitate towards the recumbent bike... ' [...]
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  Posted: December 31, 2008, 3:02pm EST
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Porniversary

  In a front-page article the other day, the Gazette took a look at the state of pornography in Northampton on the first anniversary of the opening of the "porn store" on King Street. You may recall the hub-bub that ensued... [...]
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  Posted: December 23, 2008, 10:14am EST
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Facebook and Birthdays

  The last birthday party I remember having was when I turned six or seven years old. I have a distinct memory of sitting in a circle with all of my friends in our living room while my father led us... [...]
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  Posted: December 19, 2008, 10:01am EST
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• I Know the Secret of the Spices

  I can remember going to Taco Bell only once in my life. I wouldn't be surprised if I've actually been there more than once, but I can REMEMBER being there only one time. In other words, it wasn't a very... ' [...]
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  Posted: December 11, 2008, 4:03pm EST
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Hot Chocolate Live Blog

  6:45 a.m. I'm up. I just checked the temperature outside: 13 degrees. Yikes. Sam and Owen have been saying for a long time that they want to do the run portion of the Hot Chocolate Run/Walk, but I have this... ' [...]
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  Posted: December 06, 2008, 7:05am EST
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Milestones

  I've been thinking about milestones today. A number of years ago, I got into a late-night car accident when the car I was driving somehow ended up perched on the edge of a wall in a parking lot. The... ' [...]
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  Posted: December 05, 2008, 3:58pm EST
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Green Tacos and Chicken

  When the new Taco Bell/KFC opens on King Street (rumor has it that's going to happen today), it will mark a notable achievement in Northampton, as this particular Taco Bell/KFC is purportedly the first LEED-certified fast-food establishment to be... ' [...]
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  Posted: December 02, 2008, 1:53pm EST
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Panhandling Debate

  I couldn't make it to last night's Public Safety Committee meeting in person, but I did watch it on cable. I think it's great that we live in a City where people can be so passionate about how it should... ' [...]
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  Posted: November 25, 2008, 8:16pm EST
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Win Beer

  Anyone else notice the subliminal advertising going on over at the new and improved State Street Liquor Store? Win beer If anyone figures out what you have to do to win beer, please let me know.... [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2008, 2:39pm EST
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• November 13th

  It's cold and rainy outside and you can't shake the feeling that Old Man Winter is getting himself ready for an extended stay sometime real soon. And it's a Thursday, which means that there's still one more day to go... [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2008, 4:02pm EST
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Post-Election

  Lots of people around here are acting positively giddy over the results of the election on Tuesday. Tuesday night downtown Northampton was positively abuzz with people celebrating the beginning of a new era. I even heard a story about a... [...]
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  Posted: November 07, 2008, 4:18pm EST
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Election Day, Part IV

  I voted. No lines at my polling places. I brought my own helpers with me. First they carefully looked over the ballot. You need to look carefully at the ballot before you start connecting the arrows. Afterwards, they didn't look... ' [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2008, 4:39pm EST
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Election Day, Part III

  Late morning updates from around the area. In Northampton, voters found short lines and plenty of "I Voted" stickers. In Ware, long lines, no stickers. In Florence, no lines, no stickers.... [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2008, 12:11pm EST
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Election Day, Part II

  I haven't voted yet, but I have noticed that people who have voted are wearing those "I voted" stickers. I'm a regular voter, but I don't remember ever getting one of those stickers. Is this a new thing around here?... ' [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2008, 9:22am EST
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Election Day

  Crowds? Lines? What's your local polling place looking like this morning? Post a comment. ' [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2008, 6:54am EST
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• The True Meaning of Halloween

  I woke up this morning with a renewed faith in humanity after I saw that my Halloween lawn display had NOT been disturbed on Mischief Night, or Cabbage Night, or Devil's Night, or whatever you want to call it. Thanks... ' [...]
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  Posted: October 31, 2008, 9:16am EDT
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• It's Coming

  October 29, 2008, Easthampton, Massachusetts. 11:13 a.m. It's here! The theme from Jaws popped into my head as soon as I saw this pile of snow on the back of the car. Despite my friend's fervent insistence that the white... [...]
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  Posted: October 30, 2008, 9:05am EDT
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Time to Get Away?

  What does it mean when someone leaves dated travel books on your front lawn? I found this outside my house this morning. I suppose it's preferable to the usual assortment of ripped lottery tickets and styrofoam coffee cups, but at... ' [...]
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  Posted: October 27, 2008, 4:12pm EDT
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Looking Out for the Trees

  While out running through Leeds and Florence on Saturday morning, I noticed more than a dozen trees on Spring Street with these signs on them. Notice: Trees to be cut down. I read today on the Masslive.com Northampton forum that... [...]
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  Posted: October 27, 2008, 4:06pm EDT
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Dumb People and the Blahs

  I don't know why I got such a kick out of this comment from eastieboston about the Peabody Police Department's attempts to have 9/11 made into a holiday for them, with more pay, but I did: I grew up on... [...]
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  Posted: October 22, 2008, 3:24pm EDT
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Troubling Signs

  I don't really have anything that humorous or profound to say about the recent spate (Yes, I said spate) of Obama sign burnings, but it does tap into one of my deepest-seated fears that perhaps some arm-chair (or other kind)... [...]
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  Posted: October 17, 2008, 6:59am EDT
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• 26.2

  You may have seen the stickers on the back of some cars, the oval shape with the black characters. [...]
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  Posted: October 13, 2008, 8:47am EDT
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Marathon, Here I Come

  Getting ready to run a marathon. [...]
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  Posted: October 10, 2008, 7:24am EDT
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Turning a Little Green

  I'm not a professional basketball fan in general and I'm not a Celtics fan in particular. I am just smart enough, though, to see the writing on the wall when it comes to my kids and their moral weakness when... [...]
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  Posted: October 09, 2008, 1:00pm EDT
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Moose for Obama

  As one of the area's leading yard moose experts, as evidenced by my appearance in the Christian Science Monitor, I have to admit to being a bit chagrined over the fact that I didn't recognize that this creature was a... [...]
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  Posted: October 07, 2008, 8:37pm EDT
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Movie Madness

  I haven't had any time to check out the movie action downtown over the past couple of days, but I have enjoyed the blog coverage that I've found here, here, and here. I had to dodge the movie madness on... [...]
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  Posted: October 07, 2008, 8:28pm EDT
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Heading Towards the Starting Line

  A marathon looms in my future [...]
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  Posted: October 02, 2008, 9:37am EDT
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Sinkhole Ahead

  I had a chance to see the sinkhole on the Manhan Rail Trail the other day. We parked by the Oxbow on Route 5 and walked about 1/2 mile and there it was. The hole itself is impressive, though we... [...]
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  Posted: October 01, 2008, 3:00pm EDT
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Taxes, Shmaxes

  A meditation on bridges and taxes. [...]
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  Posted: September 24, 2008, 3:34pm EDT
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Art or Junk or Reliable Mode of Transportation?

  Is it a bike or is it something else? [...]
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  Posted: September 24, 2008, 2:33pm EDT
  by ashelffo

• Gotta Dance

  Nature can be inspiring; it can even inspire us to dance when we least expect to. [...]
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  Posted: September 19, 2008, 7:19am EDT
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Throwing Money Down The Hole

  Let's start fixing this hole by asking those most interested to help. [...]
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  Posted: September 19, 2008, 6:58am EDT
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Seven Years Ago

  Seven years ago doesn't seem that long on a day like today. [...]
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  Posted: September 11, 2008, 3:40pm EDT
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Bloggers to the Rescue

  Now we know what bloggers do in their down time. [...]
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  Posted: September 10, 2008, 2:42pm EDT
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Scary Fair Rides

  What happens on some of the less-popular fair rides? [...]
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  Posted: September 05, 2008, 7:51am EDT
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Fair Season

  The opening of the Three County Fair in Northampton brings mixed emotions. [...]
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  Posted: August 26, 2008, 3:26pm EDT
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Thinking of Christmas

  I guess the (not so) dear departed memorialized in this obituary didn't watch enough of those A Christmas Carol type movies. Or maybe she rooted for Scrooge to stay the same.... [...]
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  Posted: August 22, 2008, 3:47pm EDT
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Before It All Fades Away

  44 degrees outside when I woke up this morning, and the sun didn't rise until after 6:00 a.m. On my ride to work, I passed a display of hearty mums, or is it hardy mums? Remember that scene in Back... [...]
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  Posted: August 20, 2008, 12:45pm EDT
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Playing Hooky in the Summertime

  The family vacation had passed, August was in full swing, and the weather hadn't been exactly cooperative. It just felt like Fall was breathing a little too closely down my neck, so I decided to do something about it and... [...]
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  Posted: August 11, 2008, 4:07pm EDT
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• Isolated Thunder Storms?

  Storm aftermath. With satellites and the Weather Channel and the Internet, monitoring the weather has become a part the daily routine for many of us. As I sat in my office in Easthampton yesterday afternoon and watched the sky darken... [...]
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  Posted: August 07, 2008, 9:51am EDT
  by ashelffo

• Run, Bike, Swim, Get Down With Your Bad Self

  For the first time since 2005--that's two, count 'em, two straight years--the Greenfield Lightlife Triathlon won't see my sorry ass running, biking, and swimming around its course. Though, truth be told, very few people in the triathlon probably ever saw... [...]
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  Posted: August 01, 2008, 3:28pm EDT
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• More Fun With Signs

  I went to the Comcast Offices on Bradford Street today to pay my cable bill. Whenever I have to drive over there, which happens about once a year, I really have to think hard about where I'm going because Bradford... [...]
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  Posted: July 31, 2008, 4:15pm EDT
  by ashelffo

• Fascination with Classification

  Reading this article in the Republican today reminded me of a tongue-in-cheek blog entry I did while back about my struggles with the Cutter Classification System used by the Forbes Library. Basically I wrote that While it's cool that Cutter... [...]
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  Posted: July 28, 2008, 4:19pm EDT
  by ashelffo

• Re-Entry Day

  And so my vacation ends with a thud, or more accurately, a shockingly powerful thunderstorm that leaves canals in its wake. Talk about a change in perspective.... [...]
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  Posted: July 28, 2008, 3:42pm EDT
  by Andrew Shelffo, The Prospect Perspective

• The Current Perspective

  Here's my current perspective. Sam ShelffoLookin' pretty beachy... [...]
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  Posted: July 23, 2008, 4:49pm EDT
  by ashelffo

• A Big Stink

  This morning I was engaging in a bit of ego-surfing and seeing what would pop up when I put my name into Google, but honestly, I was doing it primarily to see if a blog I launched while I... [...]
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  Posted: July 18, 2008, 2:31pm EDT
  by The Prospect Perpective, Andrew Shelffo

• A Big Whiff

  Over the course of my life, I've spent many, many hours playing Wiffle ball. I haven't played much recently, I'll admit, but I am eagerly awaiting the time when my kids will be old enough to deal with my deadly... [...]
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  Posted: July 10, 2008, 4:23pm EDT
  by ashelffo

• Speed Cyclers

  This year, for the third year in a row, the Northampton Cycling Club, in partnership with Northampton Area Pediatrics, is hosting a series of youth cycling races at Look Park. It's a fine way to spend a summer evening. The... [...]
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  Posted: July 04, 2008, 12:00pm EDT
  by ashelffo

• Red White and Blue On Parade

  An early Fourth of July parade through downtown this morning interjected a little holiday feeling into a warm summer day. They didn't let the obstacle-laden sidewalk slow them down. The people relaxing on the benches gave the marchers a nice... [...]
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  Posted: July 03, 2008, 11:13am EDT
  by ashelffo