What’s it like to live and work on a tiny island off RI? Lars Trodson is a veteran journalist and most recently served as editor of the Block Island Times. I recently had a chance to catch up with him. This podcast was also featured on InDepthNH.org
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Should New Hampshire businesses be exempt from employee lawsuits when those working are affected by the covid virus while at the job? The New Hampshire Business and industry Association thinks so. That’s why they are continuing their push for safe harbor legislation. I spoke to David Creer, Director of public policy about the issue.
The recent riot or insurrection at the Capitol brings into focus the violence that springs from it. But a group of people in law enforcement formed a company called Blue-U. com. They conduct training nationwide on dealing with violence or potential dangerous situations. I spoke to one of the agency founders for InDepthNH.org.
In the aftermath of insurrection at the nation’s capitol, I speak with the daughter of a senator caught in the riot’s crossfire, and a university professor about the consequences of the insurrection.
iPhone oh iPhone. How do I love thee. Let me count the ways.
You can make phone calls on it, and very cheaply, almost free. I remember when I had a mobile phone in the 90s and it was attached to my car. Phone calls cost $.70 each and that’s just for a minute. Then I got a flip phone for cellular service, Still on the analog network but cheaper to call with. I finally graduated to the iPhone in 2007.
I started with an iPhone four, but upgraded eventually to the SE model five. I’m still with that model although I bought a reconditioned one recently from eBay. What I like most about it is that it fits in your pocket, as opposed to later models which are more bulky in my opinion. And I don’t think you give too much up in performance with this one. It’s great that it still has the mini plug on the front so you can plug in headphones or external microphones. They dispensed with that in later models, Can buy a dongle that will contain it and plug into a charging spot.
The iPhone is in my opinion the Swiss Army knife of handheld computers. Sure you can make phone calls with it, and the rates are so low that you can almost call that part of it free.
You can make video calls with it, with more options than you can believe. FaceTime, Google meets zoom, WebEx, duo. I mean the list goes on and on. And most of those are free.
It has a very respectable camera even at this level. It will shoot good stills, bursts, and video. And a large enough storage, 64 GB will guarantee you won’t run out of shooting time.
It’s a radio, using the various apps like tune in radio, radio.com and iHeartRadio. A fantastic app is called Radio Garden. Like the others it’s free and you can listen to stations all over the World by just clicking on little White dots on the world map. You can zip from Great Britain to New Zealand with just a tap. News and music from all over the world, and insight into different cultures.
It has a great texting feature, allowing users to communicate with others with great ease. Of course, we might be bringing up a generation that texts instead of talks. But that’s a philosophical issue, not an engineering one. Emailing of course is nothing new now, but they do give you proof of what you have said in a cyber conversation. Just be careful what you write.
Surfing the web with a smartphone is like opening a world of resources. Just about any question can be answered almost immediately. Think about the day when you had to labor over encyclopedias, dictionaries or other references. You won’t be spending time in the library rifling through books and magazines and filling out index cards with material to use for a paper.
It’s a ship spotter, a plane spotter and, if you look up in the sky anytime you will find what constellations and stars are there. Not all apps are free but I haven’t found any really expensive.
Of course it’s a shopping service, where you can research what you may buy and then order it online. And of course it has a Compass and Google maps to guide you to your destinations.
Yes, smartphones will do just about anything for you other than pulling, pushing, dragging, lifting or digging. That’s up to you.
You don’t have a smartphone? Has anybody seen a telephone booth lately?
I was reading recently an article in the world news that struck me to the core. In North Korea, where peoples’ liberties don’t really exist whatsoever. A sailor out at sea Was listening to a foreign broadcast out of curiosity. Unfortunately for him, a crewmate that heard him turned him into the authorities. The result of that was a firing squad execution in front of other sailors and their officers. It could also result in the death sentence if anyone in the authoritarianism country listens to anything other than state Radio.
And on my favorite network radio channel I heard a German man who was definitely disturbed because of the COVID-19 restrictions placed on him and his fellow Germans. He said that the lockdown is continuing and that people are not allowed to go out without a mask, sing in church or celebrate Christmas at all. No shopping, no gathering and no joy. Furthermore his son was waiting for a bus when a police officer noticed that he wasn’t wearing a mask. That resulted in a €150 fine. He also reflected back on the dictatorship of the 30s and 40s in the country when such liberties were also restricted. He pointed out quite sadly that today’s restrictions somewhat resemble those. In England they have established several zones, with varying degrees of restrictions. The people I have talked to on the radio usually resent those, but have no control over what is required.
Certainly we Americans are facing stricter times. Some states require facemasks on public property, they also limit gatherings, and break up possible super spreader parties. But the holiday shopping season has continued unabated and people are still planning to invite close family members to their gatherings.
While most stores require masks to be worn, many customers disregard that and even threaten or harm the poor employees that ask them to do so. I have not personally heard of any fines being levied against people that disregard the mask rule. They claim it as a right for a person’s choice, but that choice may not only harm themselves but others, keeping the virus alive.
As Americans, we have certain rights passed down by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I don’t believe that people should be locked down in England or fined in Europe for not wearing a mask,
But I do believe it should be our responsibility for protecting our families and the public from COVID-19.
Happy new year!
That this is a trying time is an understatement. But I’m not here to spread the gloom. Quite the opposite, I’d like to share some things with you that I have found to be useful in boosting spirits. You know we Americans expect crises Like the pandemic to be resolved quickly. But this one is not that kind. So, here is what I am doing to stay positive even though I am relatively stuck at home. I hope it will help you.
I keep the television off, except to watch sports and streaming specials. Daytime television will trap you in a chair and leave your mind in a mess.
I step outside whenever possible to get some fresh air.
I try very hard to keep occupied, and producing podcasts like this for InDepth NH, helps a lot. Studying guitar through YouTube teachers is good therapy,
although I am still struggling with the instrument.
I am writing a murder mystery, even though I have no experience in that genre. I have self published three books that essentially contain my memoirs. I would hope you could do that, that is write your memoirs even if they’re not for publication. I found the things in the past I forgot came to life again in print. And your family will have a record of your life.
And I have discovered Zello. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s an Internet-based free portal to converse with people on many subjects. Once you sign up, you will get multiple channels to listen to or talk on.
When you punch in your interest, whether it be genealogy, paranormal, musical instruments, politics or just about anything, you will be shown a list of people on that channel.. Using your iPhone or android device will work for talking. When you punch in a channel you want, you will have a chance to talk on it.
Sometimes a channel moderator is neededTo “trust you in”. That is no big deal. It’s very therapeutic to stay in touch with people, even strangers, that often become friends.
My choice is a channel called Network radios. It stems from my interest in amateur radio, a hobby I’ve been involved in for years. By signing up, I’ve been talking to people all over the world, with great clarity. I have found that most of them are extremely friendly and helpful. Even as I write this, I am listening to two people, from South Africa and the United Kingdom.
Zello is an easy app to use, so nobody should be intimidated by it. And I repeat, it is totally free. That is because the service is sold to businesses that want to set up special channels. They extend the free service to anyone else.
As you get familiar with the service you’ll find that you can set up your own channel that can act as a walkie-talkie or a one-way broadcast for what you want to say.
This is Roger Wood for In-Depth NH. Recreational marijuana initiatives passed in four states this year: liberal New Jersey, moderate Arizona and conservative Montana and South Dakota. The results prove how broadly accepted marijuana has become throughout the country and across party lines. But not in New Hampshire.
Yep in New Hampshire, it is still illegal to buy recreational pot. Advocates like the marijuana policy project Have been trying for years to get the legislature and governor to allow it. They have not been lucky so far. Matt Simon is a lobbyist for the nonprofit Marijuana policy project.
She is one of Joe Biden‘s most ardent supporters. And for Mary Carrie Foley of Portsmouth, that enthusiasm goes way back to the 80s, the 1980s. She is also an elector for the electoral college. And she will cast her vote in her native state of New Hampshire. This podcast was originally published on IndepthNH.org
Here’s hoping that Mary Carey Foley will be at the inauguration of President Joe Biden.
Abuse of a child is probably the worst form of domestic violence. It can emanate from a parent, relative, guardian or any adult responsible for a young person. I recently produced a podcast with Dr. David Finkelhor. He is an expert on the subject, studying it for decades.
Hopefully I will learn more about the studies being conducted. It’s important information that should be disseminated.