Strictly business (of the non-profit kind)

A recommendation from the Amherst College Advisory Budget Committee:

"Plans for major renovation or building projects, with the possible exception of the Merrill Science Center project, should remain on hold"

It sounds like they dare not speak the name but that recommendation must mean the Lord Jeffery Inn will remain shuttered, so it can continue to cast a grim shadow over the downtown.

Great timing guys! The state will up the local hotel/motel tax from 4% to 6% (the last year of operation the Lord Jeff generated $40,000 to the town at the old rate.)

And it's not like the Umass Campus Center Hotel is going to start paying the tax anytime soon (North and South Korea will be reunited first) since Senator Stan Rosenberg wants town officials to lay off picking on poor little Umass for more money.

Amherst College can buy the Fiber Arts building for $2.3 million (twice accessed value) renovate houses on Snell street and Hitchcock Street into offices taking them all off the tax rolls and spend millions more renovating the tax exempt ornate buildings leading into town center, but to Hell with the Lord Jeff.

A pox upon them!

A fish story

The Coax is a giant mega-mall/convention center in the heart of downtown Seoul that hosted the International Council for Small Business World conference my wife was attending to both present and moderate a presentation.

While she worked I went to the Aquarium.
Fish in a harp (maybe they were Irish.)
Obviously the designer had a sense of humor.
Fresh fish in a refrigerator
Alien turtle with two heads.
Another Alien fish eating small child
Back to "school".

What you lookin at

Reflections

Fountain at entry to Seoul National University of Technology.

Welcome Amherst Fire Department

The greatest thing about the Internet is you can still feel close to home. Got an email an hour ago requesting a link on my blog to the AFD Local 1764 web site. Happy to oblige--and sorry for not thinking about it sooner.

Interestingly the person reported that they had a hotlink on the official town website, but it disappeared a while back. Hmmm....

Probably about the time the Firefighter Union had problems with the way the Town Mangler was portraying ambulance service costs in his "negotiations" with Hadley. Where, like his "Strategic Agreement" with Umass, he was taken to the cleaners.

Kind of ironic that a town supposedly into 'Free Speech' is pretty quick to squelch it when they don't like the message.

AFD

The Wonderful World of Lotte

Since Lotte World is celebrating 20 years of operation it's safe to assume they learned a few things from Disney World. In a nutshell, Lotte World is simply a mountainous indoor Disneyworld.

Numerous amusement rides--including a high speed full sized roller coaster--merry go rounds. ubiquitous refreshment stands, costumed animal characters, Broadway type shows, and a daily parade.

The Lotte company owns the adjacent mall--that resembled a cross between Harrads International and Saks Fifth Avenue connected by a marble underground tunnel to the amazing amusement center.

Like Disney, one price gets you unlimited usage all day long. Unlike Disney, admission was around $20. By 6:00 pm the kids passed out (as did I.)

Korea War Memorial/Kids Playcenter

Proud symbol of the ROK Marines.

Russian T-34 Tank. The North had a couple hundred and used them effectively at the onset of the invasion.

Russian made anti-aircraft gun used by the North.

South Korea's anti- aircraft gun.

I guess some would consider it a rather strange juxtaposition: a cavernous modern granite and marble museum dedicated to all things war but with generous floor space set aside as a children's playground featuring Thomas the train, a giant slide, and an ocean of soft rubber balls all overseen by exuberant young workers.

The Korean War Museum covers battles from ancient history up to those not yet fought on the peninsula of Korea, illustrating the terrible tools of war. And like the Air/Space museum in Washington they have the original machinery on the floor and hanging in the air above.

The cost for all six of us to enter (three adults, two kids, one toddler) was only $2.50 total, but did not include access to the ground floor play center--that cost an additional $25 for the two kids and toddler.

We were there midmorning Tuesday and while not crowded there was still a fair number of folks slowly ambling among the displays while down below the kids play center was packed. We of course stood out and young school kids in uniforms came up to us (Donna more often probably because of her red hair) and asked in practiced English for our autographs.

The South Korean government purchased the property upon which the museum sits from the US government, when our army base moved across street. Considering that chubby whacko in the North is once again rattling his saber, let's hope there's never a need to expand this place.

The priceless cost of war.