Volunteering?

[winterhill.livejournal.com]

.... anyone know of any local charities needing volunteers this holiday season?  Looking to do something in Somerville, local, etc. 

Thanks for any ideas you might have!

Sophie RIP

[rosenet.livejournal.com]

Hi,

My wife Susan and I are sad to report that we had our dog Sophie put down last night after discovering that she had inoperable, late-stage cancer. We've been walking her twice a day for the past three years in the neighborhood (she especially loved the bike path between the Davis T and Cameron), so some of you may have seen us.




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Democratizing Production, a sprout spaghetti dinner

[shduff.livejournal.com]

Hi everyone!

We're hosting another spaghetti dinner and performance event over at sprout's studios on Wednesday night. Join us for good food, music, performance, and conversation. I put a longer description of the night's theme and performers in the cut-tag, but here's the short-and-sweet...


WHAT :: Democratizing Production, a sprout spaghetti dinner
WHEN :: Wednesday December 15, 730PM dinner with performances @ 8PM
WHERE :: 339R Summer St. Somerville MA
$$$ :: $10 suggested donation, all welcome


PS If you are a musician and you want to play with the Spaghetti Dinner House Band (a pick-up group for players of all skill levels and players of all un-amplified instruments), show up at 630PM to play through some tunes before the event!


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NStar Home Energy Report

[notnatalie.livejournal.com]

Does anyone else get those NStar Gas monthly Home Energy Reports? Mine started in July, and I think the letter suggested I was maybe somewhat randomly chosen, although I don't quite recall now. I absolutely applaud NStar's efforts to help people realize their energy usage and suggest efficiency tips, but I wonder how meaningful the reports are.

If you don't get the report, it compares your "gas heat" usage(what about my gas stove?) and charts it against "approx. 100 occupied apartments or condos that have gas heat and are an average of 0.06 miles away" - I live in a 2-unit house and there are multi-unit condo buildings all around me. But I'm struck by some of the figures, which suggest that while I'm no energy hog (I get a GOOD rating, with one smiley face) I was using twice as much heat over the last winter as my most efficient neighbors. Seeing as I live alone, never set the thermostat above 67 at MOST (when my heat-loving sister visits) and had a caulking/foam wrapping/insulating party when I moved in 2 years ago, I just find that hard to believe.
Could it be that my steam radiators are being compared to new condo buildings heating system, and whatever that is is more efficient than steam?