All photos taken by me within the town of Westborough, MA.

Last image shows the location of Westborough in Worcester County and Massachusetts for reference

Vets warn of danger in MA lakes and ponds amid peak algae season – NBC Boston

Just a neat photo I took a few years back that I wanted to show off. I enjoy photography and sometimes can get lucky with sunrise/sunset in this beautiful town.

Like genuinely what the fuck is going on? How is this okay in literally any way.

Does anyone have any experience with this place or any insight into what the patients daily activities look like? My partner voluntarily went to detox for alcohol yesterday and I only heard from him last night. I understand they aren’t allowed to have cellphones but surely they don’t keep them from contacting loved ones???

Flock cameras are 100% a violation of our 4th amendment rights. You're being stalked by the state, everytime you pass one it tells the police you passed it and since there is so many your route and routine is being tracked constantly. The police already abuse this power, if your ex is a cop he can and probably does stalk you using flock. We need to push to make sure all of Massachusetts and all communities across the country reject flock cameras. Do you want mass government surveillance? This is the start of it.

Big moves are happening in MA this week:

As soon as tomorrow, a bill that would expand abortion access throughout pregnancy (the Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act (H.5595)), will be voted on by the House of Representatives.

What does this bill do? 

This bill would update the state’s abortion laws by allowing doctors to provide abortion care throughout pregnancy based on their professional judgment and the patient's individual circumstances.

Currently in Massachusetts, there are restrictions on abortion care after 24 weeks of pregnancy. 

In short: It takes politicians out of the exam room in Massachusetts.

Why is this important: 

Every pregnancy is different. At no point in pregnancy is a politician more qualified than a patient and their doctor to make health care decisions.

MA's current exceptions framework has been forcing patients to travel out-of-state for care every year (patients who have likely just heard devastating news about their wanted pregnancies).

It goes without saying, traveling is extremely expensive, as it slaps patients with huge out-of-pocket costs for airfare, hotels, transportation, meals, childcare, and time away from work — on top of the cost of medical care itself.

A patient's story:

Massachusetts resident Kate Dineen, was 33 weeks pregnant when she learned that her wanted pregnancy had suffered a catastrophic stroke in utero. Doctors told her there was no chance her son, Teddy, would have a healthy outcome.

As she faced one of the worst moments of her life, she assumed she'd be able to receive care in her home state of Massachusetts.

Instead, she was told state law prevented her from accessing the abortion care she needed, and she was forced to travel 500 miles to Maryland, while navigating one of the most devastating moments of her life. (More about her story here).

Kate's story is a painful reminder that while MA has made important progress protecting abortion access, patients facing complex pregnancy complications or who may need abortion later in pregnancy still encounter barriers to care.

What you can do: 

You can write your state rep TODAY to ask for their YES vote on the Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act (H.5595) so that patients and doctors – not politicians – can make these deeply personal care decisions based on health, safety, and compassion. 

Filling out this form takes 30 seconds and would make a HUGE difference.

The ballot question for marijuana repeal literally says 21 year olds will be treated like minors, and will be fined and have their parents told for any possession. The law being proposed says 21 year olds are treated like adults.

Ballot question people will read

For persons 21 years of age and younger, the proposed law would make the possession of 2 ounces or less of marijuana a civil infraction subject to a $100 fine, forfeiture of the marijuana, completion of a drug awareness program and community service, and notification to their parents...

The actual bill that would be put into law

...possession ... under the age of 21 shall be subject to ... [$100 fine], provided he or she completes a drug awareness program... . The parents ... of any offender under the age of eighteen shall be notified...

I first noticed this a month ago and mistakenly thought it was being corrected. I haven't seen this reported or mentioned anywhere.

House filing, last page (PDF): https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H5002.pdf
Link to ballot questions - mass.gov- second paragraph of each

• Version A (PDF)
• AG summary (A) (PDF)
• Version B, on ballot (PDF)
• AG summary (B) (PDF)

I saw some of the other footage from women saying they were followed - and definitely gave me the heebie jeebies. Glad to see he’s human after all…

J6 Doctor = oxymoron

I successfully appealed through the state to force private insurance to correct my medical leave from 6 weeks to 14 weeks to recover from childbirth. There have been a few similar stories posted, so I wanted to share lessons learned and what worked for me. 

TLDR: Your doctor decides the duration of your medical leave. Private insurance may try to give less than you deserve, but they are breaking the law. Appeal through the state, they will protect you. You may need to call DFML a few times to get a representative who is familiar with exempt private plans.

My employer fulfills MA PFML through an exempt private plan. I don’t want to name the insurance company so I’ll call them Aflaque. I was not able to start the appeal until after the claim was denied/the baby was born. It was not fun to go through the appeal process while holding my 3 week old but this is what I did:

1. My doctor signed off on 14 weeks of medical leave to recover from childbirth. Many providers will do this by default because this maxes out your maternity leave: 14 weeks of medical leave plus 12 weeks of bonding leave to reach the state maximum of 26 weeks of leave in your child’s first year. Modern research shows that it really does take at least this long to recover from pregnancy and childbirth.
   Note 1:  Any doctor can certify your leave (talk to your GP if your OB wants to give less time). I picked Mount Auburn Hospital because they routinely certify 14 weeks for all patients. 
   Note 2: You are eligible for 14 weeks even if you have an uncomplicated vaginal delivery. The reason for leave my provider wrote on the form was “childbirth” with no additional details and that was totally acceptable for my state appeal. 
   Note 3: Your eligibility is based on working in Massachusetts.
   
2. Aflaque never actually sent me a denial for the 14 weeks, they just sent me an approval for 6 weeks of short term disability and informed me that my bonding leave would start when those 6 weeks were over. I wonder if this was deliberate to make it harder to appeal. Note: they may try to conflate medical leave and short term disability. However, your medical leave can be 14 weeks even if your short term disability is only 6 weeks. In my case, the 6 weeks of short term disability ran concurrently with the first 6 weeks of medical leave. You may get less pay once your short term disability runs out. Note 2: All 14 weeks of medical leave and 12 weeks of bonding leave should be paid in accordance with at least the amounts outlined by the state. You should be able to appeal for payment if your leave  duration has been approved but payment hasn’t. Calculate payment estimates here: https://calculator.eol.mass.gov/pfml/yourbenefits/
   
3. I sent this letter that I found online to my Aflaque case manager to serve as my Aflaque appeal (you must attempt an appeal with the private plan before appealing with the state): https://docs.google.com/document/d/15hsXnLQJ0-UhWiyxSVXbzBMkmodEVzlw3PR8cT-UTt8/edit?tab=t.0
   
4. Called the DFML to set up an appeal- not all DFML employees were familiar with rules regarding private plans. The first person I connected with told me that the state cannot appeal private plan decisions. So I called back and the next rep set up my appeal. I also spoke with a rep who didn’t know that private plans must give equal or better coverage and payment  compared to the state plan. If you get someone who is not familiar with rules regarding private plans just call back until you get someone who knows more. The foundational information for my appeal was 1) private plans cannot require medical leave documentation beyond the certification of serious health condition form 2) cannot deny a valid leave duration that the state would approve as certified by a doctor 3) cannot deny valid payment that would be approved by the state for all 26 weeks. I didn’t wait for Aflaque to officially deny my appeal, I called the state immediately after sending the letter to Aflaque and told them my Aflaque appeal was pending but I wanted to get the state appeal moving in the meantime. The rep I spoke to was fine with this. 
   
5. Within 24 hours I got a message from my Aflaque case manager that she was “able to extend my medical leave to 14 weeks.” Thanks for following the law!
   
6. I thought the fight was over after getting medical leave approved, but my Aflaque case manager attempted to undercut my bonding leave as well. She initially approved 8 weeks of bonding leave when I had requested the full 12 weeks. She fixed this when I pointed it out. Bonding leave is very cut and dry in the law, but I still had to be vigilant to get the full duration. 
   
7. I emailed my state reps to share my experience and give a few suggestions: Train DFML employees on exempt private plan laws, make exempt private plan laws more clear on the DFML website, and enforce consequences for private plans that try not to follow the law. PFML has been in effect for over 5 years and I can only assume that private plans that deny valid leave claims are doing so deliberately to avoid paying out. 

Appealing through the state is the most efficient way to make private plans approve your full medical leave (once you get connected with the right DFML rep). There are some other strategies that didn’t work for me:
1. Going through your work HR. My HR department (large international company) knew basically nothing about Mass PFML and they were not helpful. Your mileage may vary- I hope your HR department knows more and can help you. 
2. Sending additional documentation or diagnoses to your private insurer. Don’t play their game. They may continue to deny these attempts and you are giving them more power than they legally have. They are legally required to approve medical leave based on your doctors certification and do not have the right to independently assess your medical need. 

Appealing through the state will get your leave approved quickly and will allow the state to track what insurance companies are trying to break the law, hopefully leading to their status as exempt private plans being revoked if it becomes clear they are habitually and deliberately denying valid claims. Advocate for yourself and get the time and money you deserve.

Massachusetts is beautiful, but the housing here needs to chill. It’s crazy that landlords expect you to make a massive, life-altering financial commitment the literal second you walk out of a tour, or worse, the ones that demand you apply before you even set foot inside and they won’t respond to your questions unless you do…. I know my budget, and I wouldn’t be looking if I couldn't afford it, but I am responsible and like to sleep on a major financial decision rather than being forced to rush into it blindly. Plus, keeping my credit frozen for security means I need to have it thawed, which takes time. And just as much as a landlord wants to background check a tenant, if I liked the property, I want time to background check them and the neighborhood for safety before handing over my personal and financial information on an application or signing a lease in an area that could have registered SO’s (many won’t even share the address until you apply or plan a tour)…. Show me the property before I apply. If I like it and you get a good vibe from me, then we can move forward with your application, and if that goes well, let's sign that lease.

It’s insane. End rant. 

Edit: My comments aren't showing, so I'll just add here....

A landlord does not have to accept their first qualified applicant. I've worked in schools for years, so I'm certainly no criminal... I have recently been subbing and was offered a full-time position that is about two hours from where I've been living due to traffic. After leaving a relationship last fall, I've been living with family. I have reasons to be less trusting than most, I guess.... but there are even cases of landlords installing hidden cameras, including in Massachusetts, and that guy in NH last year with thousands of images of his tenant!!! Sorry, but I want to carefully select a landlord lol.

A lot of these landlords won't even give you their full name in order for you to background check them, and a lot won't even reveal the actual address until the day of the showing, so no, you don't always have time to check before. I don't think it's unreasonable to want 24 hours. If I take the time to reach out with questions and I make the drive to look, I am serious, but I don't apply without doing due diligence. They can take a few days too; every time I've rented in the past, it was roommate situations, but I was always selected, and THEY took time, likely to consider all who were interested. If people now want to rush into selecting a tenant or roommate, then good luck to them, I suppose!! But that also sounds like a horrible idea for them. I want to ensure there's parking and it will feel safe. A lot are super vague about their parking situations!! I can't live somewhere where I can't park. And I'm not looking in the city... Up to 24 hours between showing and application should be acceptable.

Yes, buying a house sounds worse, but I am not trying to buy a house. I am talking about the high-pressure rental market. I may not be able to take the job due to housing, or I may just try having a commute that can go up to two hours.

Questions include zoning regulations, repealing the legalization of marijuana, repealing H.B 4885,a large gun control bill, and collective bargaining

https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/massachusetts-ballot-questions-2026/

Question 1: Expanding the Public Records Law

This proposal would make most records from the Legislature and the governor's office available under the state's public records law.

Question 2: Collective Bargaining for CPCS Employees

This question would allow public defenders and other employees of the Committee for Public Counsel Services to unionize.

Question 3: State Primary Elections

The question would eliminate political party primaries for Massachusetts state elections. Instead, all candidates regardless of party would be listed on one ballot and the top two candidates would advance to the general election.

Question 4: Election Day Registration

If passed, Massachusetts residents would be allowed to register to vote on Election Day and cast a ballot.

Question 5: State Revenue Limit & Rebate

The proposal would limit how much revenue the state can collect in a year, and any excess amount would be refunded to taxpayers.

Question 6: Natural Resource Conservation Fund

This question would put revenue collected from a sales tax on sporting goods, recreational vehicles and golf courses toward natural resources conservation.

Question 7: Single Family Homes

The proposal would allow single-family homes to be built on residentially zoned areas of at least 5,000 square feet.

Question 8: Prohibit Retail Sale of Adult Recreational Use Marijuana

This question would repeal the 2016 ballot question that legalized recreational marijuana sales in Massachusetts.

Question 9: Firearms Regulation

This proposal would repeal the 2024 gun reform law in Massachusetts.

Willing to travel anywhere.