Where should I go?

So at this point I could be working south of Boston or (~1 hour) north of Philadelphia.

Anyone have any opinions (biased or otherwise)? Assume that I'd like either job equally (basically true, as far as I can figure at this point) and than benefits are basically equivalent, as well.

Additionally, for your entertainment and enlightenment:


----------------
Now playing: Les Misérables - Red And Black
via FoxyTunes

Finally...

Discovered today in my online bank statement:

07/02/2007 Direct Deposit COMM. OF MASS. $172.31

Sent immediately following discovery:

Senator Joyce,

I am writing to thank you and your office for the effort put forth on my behalf in dealing with an obstinate Department of Revenue (as detailed in my previous e-mail of June 21). Having just arrived at work today I checked my online bank statement and, to my delight, found a direct deposit from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for $172.31.
After receiving a call the next day, after my e-mail, from your office, I did not hear from the D.o.R. until the 26th when a Mr. McDermott, a Taxpayer Advocate at the D.o.R., contacted me and claimed that my return should be filed "tomorrow" and letting me know that the reason for the audit was due to a mismatch in social-security numbers between paperwork I had submitted and paperwork from my employer. This consisted of a single incorrect digit, purely a clerical error, that apparently was allowed to pass through the system the previous year.

Again, I would like to thank you and any members of your office involved in providing me with such prompt and effective help.

Part 2, Wherein I battle the MA Department of Revenue

The following was sent to my town's State Senators and State Representative, the Auditor of Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Attorney General, the Governor (and Lt Governor), and the Secretary of Administration and Finance. It follows up a previous letter to the D.o.R.

Senators, Representative, and other State officials,

"In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."
--Benjamin Franklin

Today I write you all to register a complaint regarding the behavior and performance of the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, specifically the Audit division. I filed my personal income tax return, electronically, for both State and Federal taxes, in mid-March, 2007. Come April 2, 2007 my Federal income tax return had been directly deposited into my bank account. April 4, 2007 I received a letter, while still away at school, that the D.o.R. would be 'verifying' my 2006 Massachusetts Income Tax Return. The size of my return? $170. The documentation requested in the letter was sent from Sharon on 4/23/2007 via the United States Postal Service (Label Number: 0307 0020 0004 8152 5768) and was delivered to Boston, MA 02204 on 4/24/07 at 12:49pm. A series of calls today to the Audit Division of the D.o.R. revealed that my information was not entered into the computer system until 6/16/07. That alone is unacceptable. A series of calls made to the Audit Division of the D.o.R. in mid-May procured conflicting information regarding the status of the form. Some said that it had already been received, others did not. Once I returned home at the end of May I called again for a similar response. I called today, twice, and was told both times that my information had been entered into the computer system only within the past two weeks. When I asked about the estimated date for the conclusion of the audit, I was told 'several more weeks'. Today's date is 6/21/2007. Nearly two months after the requested forms were delivered to D.o.R. offices in Boston. I must restate the size of my MA Income Tax Return: $170

I am a college student who only works during the summer. My gross income for the year is under $5000. My 2006 return is my second tax return filed in MA. It is nearly identical to the previous one, only differing due to a small increase in my salary at the same employer I've worked both summers (as well as this current summer), Dynamet Technology, Inc in Burlington MA. I do not have any investments or significant assets to my name, besides my car (a 2005 Toyota Corolla).

I find it patently absurd that I would be selected for an audit. Given that the per-capita income for MA is on the order of $42,000 and there are over 6 million residents of MA, I must assume that there are at least a few MA Income Tax Returns that merit more scrutiny that mine, both due to larger size and greater complexity. There must be better ways for the Department of Revenue to spend its time and budget.

I have already sent a complaint to the D.o.R. via a e-mail form on their websites, as well as expressing my dissatisfaction with the D.o.R. representatives I spoke to today. Contacting you appeared to be the next logical step in getting a meaningful response about this issue.

My permanent address is:
XX XXXXX XX
XXXXXX, MA XXXXX
I can be reached via e-mail or by phone, ***-***-****

Any information or help provided would be greatly appreciated.

Lets see if that will get any wheels spinning.

I'm back and angry...

So yea, I made it home fine, hung out for a week and now have started work.

In other news, the following was just sent to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue:
"I am a college student. My budget is wafer thin and I only have time to work over the summer. My MA tax return expected amount was $170. My tax forms this past year was identical to the year's prior, with a slightly higher income due to a dollar-an-hour raise. My gross income was on the order of $5000.

The 2004 per-capita personal income in MA is $42,000. Perhaps the taxpayer's dollar funding the Department of Revenue would be better spent investigating larger tax returns? Given that total processing time for my audit has been at least 5 weeks, I can safely assume that well more then the entirety of my $170 return has been spent investigating it.

I see no reason for my return not to be deposited into my bank account, but even if it isn't and the DoR gets to keep it, this investigation has undoubtedly cost the taxpayers of Massachusetts (of which I'm one, of course) hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

This is fair to no-one, least of all me, a cash-strapped college student along with all my fellow taxpayers."

You go, Massachusetts!

Massachusetts Joins the Real ID Fight.

While, in theory I'm not opposed to a standardized, national ID, I don't see it as helping at all nowadays, and likely only making things worse. I mean, if Government agencies can't keep track of critical parts of their computers, how are we supposed to trust them to keep a database of every American safe? If that wouldn't be a juicy target for identity theft, I don't know what is.

Also, weren't most of the 9/11 hijackers here legally with unforged documentation? I don't see how requiring them to get slightly different ID's is going to help. Especially when illegal immigrants can get legal ID anyhow.

OMFG Diebold... Cont'd

Judge denies Diebold request to block ES&S pact with Massachusetts

Diebold 0; Massachusetts 3

Yay.

Seriously, good to know something still works around here, Diebold made frivolous claims that were a thinly veiled attempt to keep their claws around the throat of democracy. Luckily, a judge saw fit to work at loosening them a bit.

Another Government agency with a sense of humor?

"Transactions
Date Description
04/02/2007 Direct Deposit US TREASURY 220"

Whatevs, the guvment don't have my money no more.

Taxachusetts has yet to release it from it's clutches. Perhaps they have less of a sense of humor than the US Treasury and will deposit it tomorrow.

OMFG Diebold...

Diebold is Suing Massachusetts!

So, let me get this straight, Diebold, you're so used to everyone buying your crappy products that are on their way to ruining democracy in the US, that when someone picks someone else to supply voting machines, you sue?

""We want a judge to either order the contract awarded to Diebold, based on his review of the proposals, but if he does not want to go that far, to at least order a reopening of the competition," [Diebold] said.

Weisberg said the company is not alleging any improprieties by the secretary of state's office. Instead, it is saying the office acted in good faith but made a mistake in the selection."

This is was what I said they should do month ago...

...but I think I'm going to have to file it under "too little, too late". Though if they changed the second 'm' in 'multi-million' to a 'b', they would be in the correct ballpark.

I mean, seriously. It costs $14.6 billion dollars, leaks, and drops a dozen tons of illogically placed concrete on a busy tunnel.

You go, FCC!

FCC shoots down Logan Airport's ban on independent WiFi services.

Whoa, they did something intelligent for once? Cited airport officials for raising "bogus legal and technological arguments" ??

Please, sir, may I have some more?

Grim Exodus

"What are the chances?" "About one in twenty."

Hilarious.

Anyway, it's almost a fitting title for today, for I depart for Pittsburgh upon the morrow.

Actually, I'm pretty excited about it. I'm really looking forward to this upcoming year, both academically and socially/living arangment.

I need to get back to packing, but I shall be making at least a brief appearance at Katie's Wicked Rad Birthday Party (I have no clue if that link's gonna work for you guys) so stop by if you're an SHSer and would like to see me before I head off at like, 6am tomorrow.

Speaking of which, I'll probably be arriving in PGH around 4 or 5 in the evening, though Miriam tells me she and her dad made it in about 9.5 hrs, which would put me there about 3ish. I've never driven with Mr. Miriam'sdad, so I have no idea how crazy he drives, but whatever. Give me a call, if you're interested in the 3-5 range and see where I am. My dad and I would love some help unloading.

Well, back to packing I guess...

Button down the hatches!

Storm Aftermath, Sharon MA

So like, there's a Monsoon Season in Sharon. Trees down all over the place. Amazingly, we were only out of power for about 12 hours. Seriously, when I lived outside Chicago I had a funnel cloud practically touch down on my street, and the damage wasn't nearly this bad.

No, that isn't my house in the pictures, we escaped unscathed, luckily.

Why I don't see the Boston Herald as a bastion of good journalism:

BostonHerald.com
Here's a screenshot of their homepage, today at 2:20 PM:

One should note that the only mention on the page at all of anything untoward happening in the Middle East is contained within their feed of Associated Press videos on the right side of the page.
If you were to page open an analog Herald to page 8 (and not before) you'd find a page with three articles on things happening in Israel/Lebanon. Belichick's involvement in a divorce stole the entire front page and garnered it's own nearly-full-page story. Two of the three opinion pieces (the third was on the Big Dig fiasco) were regarding the latest Middle Eastern crisis. And that was it! 40+ pages and barely one and a half on what could be considered a full-on war in the middle east. Huh? On WZLX this morning they suggested that come Armageddon the Herald would have a cover story about Bradjelina (forgive me if I butchered the spelling). I only read the Herald because there's always a copy sitting the break room, but more and more I feel like it's not worth it.

A $14.6 Billon "D-"

Big Dig problem known in 1999 - U.S. Life - MSNBC.com

My Stress Analysis prof told us at the beginning of last semester that he's not afraid to fail us because he drives over bridges too. Well, people also drive through tunnels and perhaps someone should have failed them.

My major question is why the hell they need 3 ton concrete slabs for the "dropped" (pardon the expression) ceiling? I understand the ceiling is present to allow for airflow, but why concrete? Couldn't they have used like, extruded plastic panels? Fine, perhaps they need to be able to walk on it for inspection or whatever. They could put stamped metal sheet over the plastic to carry the load of personnel! I wouldn't be surprised at all if further infidelities with the Big Dig's concrete supplier are uncovered in the upcoming investigations.

I heard someone suggest on the radio that whoever gets jail time for the big dig be put into a leaking jail cell. I can't find a link to the story, but I read somewhere that engineers had predicted ~500,000 gallons/day to be pumped out of the Big Dig, just because it's basically on the ocean and well below the water table, and it's such a big project. But in reality they were pumping 3 (or thirty, perhaps) million gallons out every day. Whoops!


The only good things I've seen come out of the Big Dig is the new bridge and a sign, which unforunately I'm unable to find a picture of, which said "Rome wasn't built in a day. If it was, we would have hired their contractors"

Fireworks? What a shock!

Sharon, MA Independence Day Celebration

Life Update: Spring Break '06

Warning: Very few opinions will be expressed in the body of this post; you might as well skip it if that's all you come here for.

So, what have I been upto since I've been home over break?
Numerous things, would be the short answer.
As with any time I come home, I'm tasked with repairing/setting up any number of electronics that have become inoperable/acquired since I was last home. Today was less with the repairing and more with the setting up. Since winter break my parents picked up a digital music streamer (It has geek cred: it runs on a linux kernel). Setting it up required that I change the encryption protocol on my wireless network, either that or I run some Cat5 (I was very close to doing the second option). I had to change from the uber-easy WPA to the much less convenient WEP for my network and that took help from CS friends as well as some helpful folks on the Dell forums.
It's still a little shaky, likely due to Musicmatch being a mediocre piece of software, at best. It is, however, better (and already in-use) than the bundled software used to broadcast our music library over the network.
Next was a really cool dash-mounted GPS unit. I have a lot of respect for them as a company; it seems they give their engineers pretty much free reign as to features. The interface is totally (as in all of it can be skinned, not the valley girl "Totally") skinnable, evening allowing for buttons to be added/rearranged on menus. It is based on a 20GB harddrive. One of the coolest features is that the HDD is divided into two partitions. One is FAT and is accessible via USB (1.1, those lazy jerks). If I put mp3's (or ogg's!) on this partition, I can play them through a full-features 6-band equalizer, no less! It sounded pretty good going through a tape-deck adapter into the Bose sound system in our MDX. Good stuff. Anyway, I was tasked with figuring out how it works as well as how to get music into it. Neither were difficult tasks, especially the music.

So basically that's what I did Saturday and Sunday, right after I got back. On monday I went in search of some games, and was shocked by the results of the trip, as detailed in my previous post. I basically just played Rome: Total War and watched TV all day. It was a good day.

On tuesday I had an interview in the morning. Unfortunately I did not wake up when my alarm went off; I woke up when my PDA beeped a friendly 30-minute reminder. Now, it's not a 30 minute drive at the best of times; however the tail end of rush-hour isn't the best of times. That and the fact that I had to get dressed and whatnot. So not only did I not really wake up in time, but I got lost on the way. There was a sign that I didn't notice until the third pass up and down the street, after I called at 10:30 (my interview was at 10) to tell them that I was late, and after consulting a map. I wasn't very happy. But the tour/interview was good. I certainly think I could enjoy working there. An exchange from the interview:
[Robert (a project engineer) and I walk into Gerard's office after my tour of the factory floor]
Gerard: "Look, it's the boys of summer!"
Robert: "Whatever that means..."
Gerard: "I don't know, I just like how it sounds"
Note that Gerard is French or French-Canadian, so he has a very distinct accent.
Wednesday evening was Spamalot! It was fantastic! Wednesday was the debut of the touring company and they were amazing! There were even 2 CMU alum in it (Galahad and a member of the ensemble), I was proud to see that graduates from my university are able to rise to the occasion of appearing in broadway shows based on works by Monty Python. At the end Eric-Freaking-Idle came out to thank some people and tell some very Idle-y jokes:

"I'd like to thank one very special lady, without her support I would not be here tonight: my pharmacist"
and
"If you've enjoyed us half as much as as we've enjoyed us, then we've enjoyed us twice as much as you have"

Thursday was basically more video computer games and TV (several ST:DS9 episodes). Thursday evening I went with the 'rents to a CMU networking event in Natick. I ended up running into Charles and Christine, fellow MechE sophs and we had a nice time talking. I did end up talking to a few companies. Raytheon, Bose, and Demiurge were all there formally and they got my resume. Christine's father met her there and he actually works for Draper Labs, and he took a couple resumes too, including mine. All in all, it was a pleasant way to spend an evening.

Today (Friday) was hanging out with Miriam. I managed to get lost both going to her house, as well as coming home. Coming home was worse; I ended up on Speen St in Framingham and I deduced that I was not really heading some that much, so I pulled into a parking lot, checked a map and turned around, for my 3rd attempt at Rt 9 (I originally went the correct direction, then thought I was wrong and turned aroud then ended up in Framingham) and finally got home. I don't think I was ever quite so happy to see a sign for 95 South. I'm not a fan of getting lost.

Tomorrow is my last whole day at home, and I'll be spending the day at semi-finals of MHSDG 1-act festival in Brockton, supporting those crazy kids of the Sharon High School theatre troupe!

Break a leg, you guys! I'll see you in the morning.