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0|0|0|||||Amherst%2C MA|zwol||14:51:46|08/11/2017|For reasons too complicated to get into here%2C I%27m going to be spending a lot of time in Amherst this coming academic year.  I am not actually %5Bi%5Dmoving%5B%2Fi%5D to Amherst%2C but I am going to be there enough that I need to rent a room.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s my impression that a fair number of people on this board have lived in Massachusetts - perhaps not actually Amherst%2C but hell%2C it%27s not a big state.  Me%2C I%27ve been to Boston%2C um%2C twice%2C and that%27s it.  I%27d like to ask for general advice on what rural MA is like%2C things to know%2C places to avoid%2C etc.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28And if you happen to know someone in Amherst looking for a housemate who%27s only there about half of each month%2C please do say. %3A-%29
1|1|0|||1||RE%3A Amherst%2C MA|Gryphon||15:23:00|08/11/2017|%3EIt%27s my impression that a fair number of people on this board have %0D%0A%3Elived in Massachusetts - perhaps not actually Amherst%2C but hell%2C it%27s %0D%0A%3Enot a big state.%0D%0A%0D%0ABig enough that I don%27t know anything about Amherst%2C besides the fact that there%27s a UMass campus there%2C despite having lived in either Worcester or Metro West for years. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C that%27s not true%2C I know one other fact relating to Amherst%2C but it%27s not going to be of any help to you%3A namely%2C that one of the first presidents of Amherst Agricultural College %28now UMass Amherst%29%2C William S. Clark%2C went on to found Sapporo Agricultural College %28now Hokkaid%C5%8D University%29.  Clark is largely forgotten in Massachusetts now %28Clark University in Worcester is named after a different person%29%2C but he remains revered in Hokkaid%C5%8D%2C where%E2%80%94I am told%E2%80%94you will still find a motto from his farewell address to his students %28%22Boys%2C be ambitious%21%22%29 painted on walls and emblazoned on civic signage.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
2|2|1|||||RE%3A Amherst%2C MA|Star Ranger4||17:42:20|08/12/2017|%3Ethat one of the first %0D%0A%3Epresidents of Amherst Agricultural College %28now UMass Amherst%29%2C %0D%0A%3EWilliam S. Clark%2C went on to found Sapporo Agricultural College %28now %0D%0A%3EHokkaid%C5%8D University%29.  %0D%0A%0D%0AThat IS very interesting.  Wonder if JMS knew that little factoid when he picked the name for the EEEEEBIL guy who would inhabit Earthdome by the end of B5
3|3|2|||1||RE%3A Amherst%2C MA|Gryphon||18:36:36|08/12/2017|%3E%3Ethat one of the first %0D%0A%3E%3Epresidents of Amherst Agricultural College %28now UMass Amherst%29%2C %0D%0A%3E%3EWilliam S. Clark%2C went on to found Sapporo Agricultural College %28now %0D%0A%3E%3EHokkaid%C5%8D University%29.  %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EThat IS very interesting.  Wonder if JMS knew that little factoid when %0D%0A%3Ehe picked the name for the EEEEEBIL guy who would inhabit Earthdome by %0D%0A%3Ethe end of B5 %0D%0A%0D%0AEh%2C I doubt it.  %22William Clark%22 is not exactly a rare or distinctive name.  %28Also%2C President Clark%27s middle name is Morgan%2C not Smith.  In fact ISTR he usually went by %22W. Morgan Clark%22.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
4|2|1|||||RE%3A Amherst%2C MA|Kendra Kirai||19:12:15|08/13/2017|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Aug-13-17 AT 07:13 PM (EDT)]It%27s permeated Japanese culture to the point they used it in one of the famous SoftBank commercials.%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FtcFJVDrJEaE%0D%0A%0D%0A....well%2C two. At least. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FSYLRo7Fl-VM%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso the 10th ending theme of Fairy Tail is named %22Boys Be Ambitious%21%22%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FmcEHX0sAGww
5|1|0|||||RE%3A Amherst%2C MA|dbrandon||13:50:38|08/14/2017|Somewhat more to the point%2C I live in Montague%2C a couple of small towns up the road from Amherst.  I don%27t go into Amherst proper a lot%2C but I%27ve been living in the 91 corridor for about 20 years now.  I can certainly answer questions about the general area%2C if not so much the town proper.%0D%0A%0D%0Adbrandon
6|1|0|||||RE%3A Amherst%2C MA|jonathanlennox||15:37:19|08/14/2017|I grew up in Northampton%2C just up Route 9.  I haven%27t lived in the area since 1990%2C but my mother still lives there and I visit fairly frequently.%0D%0A%0D%0AOne thing I%27d say is that Amherst isn%27t really %22rural%22 %28though many of the small towns nearby are%29 -- i.e.%2C there isn%27t much if any farming in Amherst proper.  It%27d be more accurate to call it suburban%2C though without an %22urb%22 for it to be %22sub%22 to.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe only places I%27d recommend avoiding living are places with too many undergrads -- UMass%27s %22Zoo Mass%22 reputation%2C though exaggerated%2C isn%27t entirely unwarranted.  You don%27t want too many drunken partiers on your lawn at the wee hours of a weekend morning.%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso%2C the %22H%22 in %22Amherst%22 is silent.  Pronouncing it is the best way to show yourself as an outsider.
7|2|6|||||RE%3A Amherst%2C MA|Star Ranger4||22:40:28|08/14/2017|%3E%0D%0A%3EAlso%2C the %22H%22 in %22Amherst%22 is silent.  Pronouncing it is the best way %0D%0A%3Eto show yourself as an outsider. %0D%0A%0D%0AMuch like for the longest time I was certain Worchester was pronounced kind of like the sauce%2C not Wooster%2C huh%3F
8|3|7|||1||RE%3A Amherst%2C MA|Gryphon||23:07:36|08/14/2017|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Aug-14-17 AT 11:08 PM (EDT)]%3E%3EAlso%2C the %22H%22 in %22Amherst%22 is silent.  Pronouncing it is the best way %0D%0A%3E%3Eto show yourself as an outsider. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EMuch like for the longest time I was certain Worchester was pronounced %0D%0A%3Ekind of like the sauce%2C not Wooster%2C huh%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C there%27s your problem%E2%80%94neither one has an h in it.  Well%2C OK%2C there%27s an h in Worcestershire%2C but you know what I mean.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Less flippantly%2C both the one in Massachusetts and the one in England are pronounced by sort of eliding straight over the %22rce%22.  %5Bb%5DWuh%5B%2Fb%5Dster.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso%2C you may leave the h out of Amherst%2C but you lean hard on it in Framingham%2C which sounds exactly like you are arranging things so that a smoked leg of pork will be charged with a crime it did not commit.  Also%2C Woburn is pronounced with a %22woo%22 and not much of the r.  Massachusetts is weird.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
10|4|8|||||RE%3A Amherst%2C MA|ratinox||10:13:30|08/15/2017|%3EAlso%2C you may leave the h out of Amherst%2C but you lean hard on it in %0D%0A%3EFramingham%2C which sounds exactly like you are arranging things so that %0D%0A%3Ea smoked leg of pork will be charged with a crime it did not commit.  %0D%0A%0D%0AYup%2C but don%27t try that with Hingham and Dedham. The h is silent and the rest sounds like %22um%22 %28Hing-um%2C Dead-um%29. Then there%27s Waltham which is neither %22Walt-ham%22 nor %22Walt-um%22 but %22Wall-tham%22.%0D%0A
9|3|7|||||RE%3A Amherst%2C MA|ratinox||10:03:38|08/15/2017|%3EMuch like for the longest time I was certain Worchester was pronounced %0D%0A%3Ekind of like the sauce%2C not Wooster%2C huh%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AActually%2C it %2Ais%2A pronounced like the sauce.%0D%0AIt%27s not wor-ches-ter-shire sauce. It%27s wus-tah-sheer sauce.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhich is to say%2C they%27re pronounced entirely unlike Dorchester.
11|1|0|||||RE%3A Amherst%2C MA|juniper||18:01:08|08/21/2017|My only interactions with Amherst were when I was out there for a LARP at UMass.  They were hosting an SF con%2C asked for a LARP%2C and got ours. %28Theater style%2C no physical combat.%29 We all went for the LARP%2C which ran 7am - 11pm for three days%2C full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes%2C and the poor con runners - who had booked a bunch of vendors on the fact that they had 60 people coming to their con who were NOT from the college - were suddenly faced with the fact that we weren%27t coming out of our space except to use the elevators.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhich broke on Saturday afternoon%2C trapping one of us in there. %28It started going up and down at twice the normal speed - she started ringing SOS on the emergency bell%2C and we could hear the doppler shift.  The elevators became a running gag shortly thereafter.%29
12|2|11|||||RE%3A Amherst%2C MA|mdg1||21:03:44|08/21/2017|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Aug-21-17 AT 09:04 PM (EDT)]NJAC%3F  That was actually the very first con I ever went to%2C in 1990.  The scum %281%29 running it pointed me at Arisia%2C which was my home convention for many years.%0D%0A%0D%0A%281%29 In a literal sense%3A The Student Conventioneers of UMass. %3A%29
13|3|12|||||RE%3A Amherst%2C MA|jonathanlennox||21:44:08|08/22/2017|%3ENJAC%3F  That was actually the very first con I ever went to%2C in 1990.  %0D%0A%3EThe scum %281%29 running it pointed me at Arisia%2C which was my home %0D%0A%3Econvention for many years. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%281%29 In a literal sense%3A The Student Conventioneers of UMass. %3A%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AAs I understand it%2C Arisia was in fact founded %28at least in part%29 by former NJAC concom members.
14|4|13|||||RE%3A Amherst%2C MA|mdg1||06:21:47|08/23/2017|I believe that is indeed the case%2C but as I was operating from memory%2C I wasn%27t sure. %3AD