Daily Archives: July 22, 2010

Found: Massachusetts' Official State Polka

Published July 22, 2010

Who knew Massachusetts had an official state polka? Radio Boston did. It came up in the research for today’s conversation about the Lowell Folk Festival.

On Oct. 1, 1998, Acting Gov. Paul Celucci designated “Say Hello to Someone in Massachusetts” by Lenny Gomulka (rhymes with polka?) as an official song of the commonwealth.

Here’s the song:

So they say you booked a flight and you’ll be leaving.
Is it business, is it pleasure, is it both.
And they say that you’ll be landing in New England,
What a perfect time of year you chose to go,
The weather’s fine out there, this time of year is lovely.
With all the color and the mountainside to view,
And the people there are friendlier than ever,
So to fit right in here’s what you’ve got to do.

Say hello to someone in Massachusetts,
Tip your hat to every lady that you meet,
Shake a hand, you’ll make a friend in Massachusetts,
That New England old-time custom can’t be beat.

So they say you’ve never been to Massachusetts,
Are you ready to be pleasantly surprised,
Between the scenery and the folks in Massachusetts,
All the beauty you just won’t believe your eyes,
Home of the University of Massachusetts,
The Boston Red Sox, Patriots, B-Ball Hall of Fame,
Just talk the talk and walk the walk in Massachusetts,
Soon they all will know and call you by your name.

Say hello to someone in Massachusetts,
Tip your hat to every lady that you meet,
Shake a hand, you’ll make a friend in Massachusetts,
That New England old-time custom can’t be beat.

Half-Hearted Hooligans Cheer On Fútbol At Fenway

Published July 22, 2010

Hi, sports fans. No doubt you heard about or saw the “am I dreaming this?” soccer game at Fenway Park last night. Reporter Curt Nickisch and photographer-intern Jeremy Bernfeld went and had a ball. Here’s what they brought back. –AP

I promise to talk about Scott Brown, soccer and Fenway Park in this post, and it’s all going to make sense. Mostly.

More than 32,000 fans attended the first “Fenway Football Challenge” Wednesday night at America’s most beloved ballpark. I am a soccer fan and I’ve been to a bunch of Red Sox games at Fenway, so I have to tell you, it was really weird, in a really good way.

Starting with the crowd outside before the game: There was a bagpiper playing jigs for tips. The usual Sox caps were out in force, but they were worn by folks in the green-and-white striped jerseys of Celtic Football Club. The Scottish club’s opponent, Sporting Clube de Portugal, drew a lot of fans from New Bedford and Fall River.

This uncanny rendezvous of the global sport and America’s favorite pastime had Garrett Quinn smiling big. The hardcore soccer fan used to work in Fenway concessions in high school.

“I just can’t get over it,” he said. “The way they’ve set it up. I never thought I’d see a soccer game at Fenway.”

Continue reading →

Gov. Patrick Is In Iraq. Why?

Published July 22, 2010

Gov. Deval Patrick in a C-130 on Wednesday

Gov. Deval Patrick in a C-130 on Wednesday

Gov. Deval Patrick made a surprise trip to Iraq on Wednesday. (His schedule is not being disclosed, so we don’t know when the governor will return.)

My question is, Why? What is worth the time and expense of a governor’s top-secret trip to Iraq?

In a statement, a spokesman said:

There are currently over 1,100 Massachusetts National Guard troops deployed in the region. The Governor serves as Commander in Chief of the Massachusetts National Guard, and felt it was important to check on our servicemen and women in harm’s way and to be briefed on the progress of their mission.

Patrick has no bearing on foreign policy, and there is nothing he can’t learn about our troops on the ground from his advisers. Can anyone tell me the benefit of these trips? It seems highly political — and an advantage his campaign rivals don’t have.

iPhone App Update Is Live (Get It Now)

Published July 22, 2010

WBUR iPhone iconThe first update to WBUR’s iPhone app is live now in the App Store. Download now on iTunes or tap the “Updates” button in the iPhone App Store.

Changes in version 1.0.1 include:

  • Fixed iOS 4 crashes
  • Background audio support (continue streaming after switching apps)
  • Fast app switching (instantly return to your place when you come back)
  • Improved swipe support
  • Improved styling of news articles
  • Expiration date on the virtual member card
  • Other bug fixes and speed improvements

We built this app on your ideas, and we’re making improvements based on your feedback. Leave bug reports or feature requests in the comments. And if you left a 1-star rating on iTunes, please give the app another chance and revise your review.