In an attempt to help Lexington residents communicate with each other in an immediate, grass roots, civil, respectful, fun way, I've started up The Lexington List, a Yahoo!Groups email discussion list and web site. So far, with one message and one letter to the editor, 40 people have signed up for the list. But, it is hard to get the discussion going. I'm a little fearful of sending too many messages to get the list going. I think it will take some time before people feel comfortable expressing their opinions or even asking questions. We'll see...

For quite some time, I have wanted to see if I could host my own website. Well, now I've done it. You are viewing this web site from a server hosted in my basement over my cable modem connection. Why, you ask, would someone want to host their own website? Several reasons including 1) more control, 2) less expensive, 3) to learn what it means for someone to have a home server / digital hub and 4) because it was fun to do. Now that I have done the heavy lifting of getting all of the settings on the router and firewall, all the servers configured, etc., I hope to be able to do even more interesting things -- such as have my entire collection of digital photographs as well as digital music online, control my TiVo over the web, monitor my house with web cams, use my Internet connection as my telephone connection. more...

Yesterday, Will and I started out on a multi-segment kayak paddle down the Charles River -- from Route 128 to the Science Museum. Our route starts just outside Route 128 from the MDC Martin Memorial Golf Club at mile 62.1 and will go to the Science Museum at mile 77.5. We plan to take the Charles in managable doses with the great support of Marsha who dropped us off and picked us up yesterday. Since we now have added a tandem kayak to our fleet, it is now possible for the three of us to all go, using two cars. But for now, this is a guy thing. more...