Mike and Carlos

A Focus on Priorities

Blogs go unposted.... lobster traps go unpulled.... no exercise.... no fishing.....
This is the price to pay for winning that freaking big carrier contract.
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Here's the thing Peeps.
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We don't do anything better than our top competitors in this wireless industry.  I can say confidently that Nanepashemet Telecom is one of the best.... but that doesn't make us better.   The fact is that this industry is not prone to developing a better process.... everything is dictated by these big corporate giants that we work for, and their own idiosyncratic contractual requirements.
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So the only way that you can prove your worth to your customer.... and garner their attention from competitors who are doing the exact same thing for the exact same customer.... is to respond quicker, work harder, and deliver the professional quality in the end services.   Of course, it helps to be a Mountain of a Man in this situation.
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But, at the beginning of this contract....  it is balls to the wall to deliver service completion as fast as possible.
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That doesn't leave time for much else.... especially with the events on the weekend concerning Kate and Brady's upcoming nuptials.
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So if I have neglected this Blog.... I'm painfully aware of it.... but there's not a damn thing I can do about it for the next couple of months or so.
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Course, if I could get paid for posting on this pathetic Blog, then it would be as good as Nanepashemet Telecom is... which is pretty damn good.

It's a Boy!

Weiner is a Weenie.

Does anybody really care about this Whackjob  Dem, Anthony Weiner, who wants to be Mayor of New York?  His wife is an idiot being mentored by Hillary Clinton, the original Tammy Wynett despite her protestations, and he doesn't seem to bring any credentials to the table outside of incredible bodacious behavior.
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Yet the national press is all over this story, especially since his phone sex partner decided to claim her fifteen minutes of fame.
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Let's face it... the interest is in his prurient behavior... his propensity to show and talk about his private parts to hapless bimbos in cyberspace.  Because he is stupid enough to run for Mayor, and his wife is witless enough to schlep for Clinton, the press is having a field day.... not to mention that his name is Weiner.
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Seriously Anthony.... what is your  aim in running for Mayor of the most important City in the world, other than mindless egotism?  Even Nancy Pelosi has called you "Clueless".
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When Pelosi thinks you're stupid.... well, it doesn't get any lower than that.

Traitors for Hire

I get a kick out of the Obama administration being enraged over this little piseant traitor, Edward Snowden.

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The real issue here is the incompetency of this administration.
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How did they give an asshole like this complete clearance to top secret security information of our nation??????.  They paid aid this high school dropout six figures.  
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Who did the background check? ... Who did the hiring????....
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Those people should be prosecuted just as surely as this  misguided little Dink.
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The Obama administration continues to amaze with it's lightweight incompetence.   They seem to be way over their head, and their first response is usually obfustication and lying.  Hilary Clinton is the poster child with a background that includes denying that her husband the President received a blowjob from an office intern by calling it a "Vast RightWing Conspiracy."

But back to the present... This little dipshit Snowden.  They focus the blame on the Moron, and ignore how the Moron was put in that position by their own stupidity.

God Save the King

The heir to the British throne was born today amid much gushing by the American media.  I kind of think that Liberals must secretly yearn for a Monarchy.... Where someone is ordained by God to take care of everyone in the Kingdom.

We forget that the American tradition of democracy and equality inherently rebelled against a societal structure that revered you for what loins you had sprung from rather than your character and abilities.

To the credit of the British, they seem to have come up with a unique system that celebrates the royal birthright while negating any royal governing authority.  They have a pretend system that maintains a false system of class which seems to be coveted in their former Amercan colonies, especially by the Liberal media.

Happy Event

katelyn's wedding shower at the Boston Yacht Club came off without  hitch yesterday.

My strategy is working.

Nuptial Necessity

Tomorrow is Kate's wedding shower, and the rituals will now commence... Ending with the final consummate event at the end of this summer.

Here's the deal, Peeps....

I'm going to enjoy the crap out of this entire process...and there is nothing that any asshole can do which will deter me from my state of perfect contentment.

So if anybody thinks that they can say or do something plucked up and designed to annoy me even a little bit.....you will be sadly disappointed.   The only reaction from me will me a sick and sadistic looking smile as I avoid  any dipshit's attempt at petty aggravation and move forward to the next moment of happiness and contentment.

After September, when I return to my normally vindictive and vengeful persona... All bets are off.

Good Quote

"Peace begins when expectation ends."
- Sri Chimoy

Shuffling the Race Cards

OK Peeps......
It's time for your MOAM to sound in on this Zimmerman-Martin case.
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I've been holding back.... actually not wanting to enter this land of highly charged politically correctness.
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Peeps... right from the start... if you ever find me under you, getting my head slammed into a concrete curb after breaking my nose and  while you say shit like, "this is the day you die".... then I'm going to pull out my Smith and Wesson 380 and bid you a fond adieu.
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I don't care how old you are.
I don't care about what your wearing.
I don't care about your race or country of origin.
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That said.... a jury heard all of the other facts, and found the Hispanic guy innocent.
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Not sure where race fits into this.   And Obama naturally was a Boob to say that Treyvon Martin could have been his son.   So Prez.... your kid was found in school with burglary tools and stolen items.... and was expelled twice in six months????  In fact, he was 200 miles away from his home at the time of the incident which occurred during his suspension from high school.   Looks like you have some serious parenting to attend to if you think that Martin was one of yours..
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This kid obviously had some issues and Zimmerman was stupid to ever get out of his car when he reported this to E-911.  But being stupid isn't a crime.  (Thank the Good Lord).  I don't know how Martin ended up on top of Zimmerman... pummeling him.  I assume the jury and the people in that court of law do and deliberated long on how this occurred.
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To all of those who think this is a racial thing.... I was around when OJ got off after slitting the throats of two white people.   And I was in the room when the Blacks in attendance cheered his acquittal.  Was that racial?    You bet your ass it was.
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This time, two minorities met in a tragic confrontation.   The Hispanic guy got beat up good but lived.   The police didn't charge him initially until the PC patrol whipped this up into an issue thinking it was white on black.   Oh... the guy is Hispanic... what the hell, let's string him up anyway.
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The jury found him innocent after reviewing all of the facts.
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It's too bad all around.  A troubled black kid and a commando Hispanic guy in a sad and tragic confrontation.   Shame on all of the jerks that have used this as an excuse to play an irresponsible race card.

Gesture of Appreciation

The prism in the window put this rainbow right on my Washburn WD10ADE acoustical electrical guitar this morning.
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I think it could be a sign that the Universe appreciates the late night stylings that I wield from this ax.
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Or maybe not.

July Stripers

It's been a productive fishing season so far this summer as I've cleaned three keepers so far, including these two that Will and Ryan caught (Will's first) and one landed by future son-in-law, Brady Boyle.  Will reeled in his by himself and said he got really tired.   Hopefully, many more to come for him.

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Jubilation for Juicing

Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite 1000-Watt Juice Extractor

We bought this cool new juicer from Amazon and are moving into a regime of juicing fruits and vegetables everyday.  Cutting down on carbs too, but nothing to excess.  After a bit of intestinal disruption, the immediate result is an increase in energy and an overall sense of feeling good.

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And I've found that when you break down and have that burger or pizza, you feel fuller much faster and don't tend to gorge yourself.  It's as though your stomach has constricted.  So you don't loathe yourself for falling off the wagon.   You just eat less and enjoy it when you stray.

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For the time being, we plan to juice in the morning and afternoon and have a meat and vegetable dinner.  In August, we'll go for another multi-day juice only detox fast.

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With Kate's wedding on the way in September, it should be easy to keep this program in tow ... and then we can measure the weight loss effects.

Stay Classy San Diego

A key reason to question the media.

Environmentally Policed

So we are out at Halfway Rock yesterday, fishing for bait and having a good time, when we are pulled over by the Environmental Police who needed to board.  Checked for registration, life preservers, flares, fire extinguishers and fishing licenses.  With seven people on board, we had only six life preservers, so they wrote us up with a $100 fine.
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Even with floatable cushions.  We were short a few salt water fishing licenses and confessed this, yet we had two on board along with a lobstering permit.
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So we absolutely met the spirit and intent of the laws that they were seeking to enforce and portrayed no public nuisance of threat whatsoever.   No other boats were in hearing range.
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I guess we looked like we were having too much fun on a Saturday afternoon.  The nice officers spent about 20 minutes checking out our drivers licenses on the internet and writing the citation.
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Land of the Free?   Give me a break.
Definitely Home of the Brave though.
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Juice for Life

Coming up Short

We only made it half way into our three day juice fast, because of the deep fried striped bass chunks that we made of Ryan and Will's Keeper Catch.
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I find no shame in that.
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You try holding off from a plate of fresh stripped bass.   Breaded and deep fried to a crisp golden brown.
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There's no way.
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So today, we decided to juice in the morning and throughout the afternoon, then eat healthy for the evening meal.
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That's a regime I can live with.... and we'll see how it fares in the weight loss battle.  But I'm not going to weigh myself everyday.   That just causes a downer if the scale is not cooperating, and who needs to judge everyday anyway.  
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Maybe this way, I can extend this into a long term habit.

POTW Week 27

It's been quite a heat wave in Boston this week.  Thank God for Tommy O's pool. 
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ANNOUNCING....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 27th Week of 2013

Kelsey O'Shea
Nathaniel Clarke
Annebelle McBurney
Will Nestor
Diana Gonzalez Leon
Jessica Rincon

Will be rowing in the Harbor in the Herreshoff Columbia Tender sometime today.

Juice Fast - Day 2

Joanne and I are on the second day of our 3 day juice fast.
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This time we used the recipes in the BluePrint Cleanse, rather than buy the juices at retail, which would have amounted to about $350.00.  I figure that I bought less than two hundred bucks worth of fruit and vegetables, and juiced them in my Hamilton Beach Juicer, yielding 36, 16oz Mason jars worth of fresh juice.
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I didn't do the cashew milk for this go around, and have been substituting the lemonade instead.   All of the juices taste fine as much as I'm concerned.   Joanne doesn't care for the Green juice.
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Joanne has had some issues with the regime, but I've been ok, although this morning I'm a bit hungry.  In the afternoon, Ryan wants to grill the Striped Bass that he and Grandson Will caught yesterday, and that will be tempting to ditch this gig, but I'm trying to tough it our until tomorrow night.
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Recipes
Green Juice	5 Ribs of Celery
Green Juice	1 Cucumber, Halved
Green Juice	2 Large Green Apples of Your Choice
Green Juice	3 Kale leafs
Green Juice	1 Ounce of Lemon juice
Green Juice	1 Handful of Parsley
Green Juice	3 Romaine leafs
Green Juice	1 Handful of Spinach
PAM Juice	A Third of 1 Pineappple
PAM Juice	2 Large Green Apples of Your Choice
PAM Juice	A few pinches of Mint
Lemonade	14 ounces of Filtered Water
Lemonade	3-4 juiced medium Lemons
Lemonade	A few Dashes of Cayenne Pepper
Lemonade	1 Tablespoon of Agave Nectar
CAB Juice	1 Green Apple of Your Choice
CAB Juice	2 Beet, with the greens left on
CAB Juice	3 Large Carrots
CAB Juice	1 and 1/2 Tablespoon of Ginger
CAB Juice	A 1/2 ounce of Lemon Juice
Cashew Milk	4-5 ounces of Raw Cashews
Cashew Milk	16 ounces of Filtered water
Cashew Milk	1 Tablespoon of Agave Nectar
Cashew Milk	1 teaspoon of Cinnamon (ground)
Cashew Milk	1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Will's First Keeper

Obamian Boondoggle

When our POTUS closed the White House, which is owned by us, BTW, I wondered whether he had made a real rookie move and screwed himself on the hypocrisies when he took his family on his extensive and expensive taxpayer funded vacations.
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But he seems to be too arrogant to be embarrassed by this.  And the First Lady, Michele, is freaking oblivious.

Path to Success

For the past three days, I've been suffering from ocular migranes.   Maybe suffering is a little dramatic..... enduring might be a better word.
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Even though we, at Nanepashemet Telcom, are wicked good at what we do, there still is a bit of stress when we are starting a new job.... What are the stumbling points?  Where are the risks?  What are the customer expectations?  Will the customer be realistic or a HardAss?
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The reason we think about these things is because we have been burnt by all of them in the past.  One thing that is unacceptable at Nanepashemet is failure.   We don't lose money, and we don't fail.    But that doesn't mean that we won't resign the account if it looks like either of these outcomes cannot be avoided.
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In order to be successful, you have to have a path to success.   At the beginning of the project, that path is not always clear.
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So I think that these ocular migranes are the result of stress as we roll out this big job.
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Soon to be eliminated as the path clears up.

POTW Week 26

We have had our sights set on taking down  this big customer in the Telecom space ever since Nanepashemet filed with the Massachusetts Secretary of State a half dozen years or so ago.

This was the week we landed that Bad Boy.   And while my mind is fully at ease, the general state of my body is horrendous.   I hadn't realized that as the quarry came closer, any thought of exercise, or diet or recreation went right out the window.
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After tossing and turning until 3:00 AM, I couldn't really rally off the couch today and spent some serious time irritating Henry the Cat.   Fatique, Body Pain, and General Malaise.
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So no Fishing, rowing or sailing on a perfect summer day in Marblehead.

ANNOUNCING.....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 26th Week of 2013
Mark Vona
Trish Rockett
Allie Peabody
Robin Latour
Will Murray
Bela Fleck

The one positive thing is that I decided to cut out the carbs (except for beer) in anticipation of the three day juice detox fast that we are planning for next weekend.

So at least I ate right, which is the beginning of the total turnaround.

Juice Fast Planning

I can feel a Juice Fast coming on.
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It will be time to DeTox after the 4th of July celebrations.
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Just bought three dozen 16 oz Mason Jars from Amazon. to handle the three day quota.

The 4th in Marblehead

A week from now, it will be the 4th of July..... a big deal here in Marblehead.  This town had a huge role in the American Revolution, and basically drove any Tories out for the duration.   Townsmen served with valor and were particularly noted for ferrying Washington's Army across the Delaware River at the Battle of Trenton.  
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The loss of manpower put the Town in dire economic straits for a considerable period after the war, and when Washington visited Marblehead a few years later, he noted the tired and dilapidated state of the homes and Town facilities.
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And those were the same homes that are found in Old Town today.
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The town was a hardworking fishing village in those times, and its people were noted for their independence as well as a liberal attitude to race issues that plagued other areas.   It was also irreligious based upon the standards of the time and didn't relate to the Puritanical nature of other New England communities.
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This past lingers in Marblehead, and the 4th of July seems to focus the present on a heritage that remains so prevalent and strong here.   We'll spend some time in Old Town and on the Harbor next week, and feel the effects of a storied past during the patriotic holiday.

PlaceMark

Peeps....
Those of you who know me best, know that I never reveal personal or business details in this complex yet simplistic compilation of Blog Posts.  They are none of your business anyway.
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And I'm not going to start now.  
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But today was a placemarker at Nanepashemet Telecom.   A day when it is safe to say, we will look back as a turning point.... when a ton of effort and hard work lifted us to the next plateau.
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Nanepashemet will never be a Fortune 500 company, nor do I wish to guide it to this position.  But it should be a viable entity for the foreseeable future, because of the event of this day.

Pram

Turf's UP!

 

This pram is the first boat that I built about seven years ago, from available plywood and lumber that I had on hand in the garage.  It has gone through a few iterations and now does service at the Marblehead side of Salem Harbor.   It came from a stock John Gardner plan with a few modifications, and this summer, I hope to sail it for the first time after setting up a sprit sail rig and centerboard.

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I'm pretty sure that it is unsinkable, but it probably can flip pretty easily with a fat guy at the tiller.

Marvelous for Moonbats

A tip of the Cap to the Massachusetts Moonbats who now have the team of Liz Warren and Ed Markey as our US Senators.  This is a perfect time to work on that pesky gag reflex that I tend to get when the Lefties tell us how to run our lives.   No sense getting sick over the crazy shit that they will be trying to stuff down our throats.
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The Prez has a couple of card carrying sycophants to help him solve Climate Change, open the gates to illegal immigrant voters, and screw up our health care.  We really have to invest in some tether lines down in DC to make sure that these lightweights don't blow away.
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And speaking of our POTUS...., how is that Sequester going anyway????  So far, it has had the disastrous effects of closing the White House and grounding the Blue Angels.  Thought the government was going to shut down with millions unemployed?  Whatever....
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Thank God it didn't effect the global travel of the Obama Royal Family.  That would have been the real disaster.

Awesome Camel

Election Day

Peeps...
I voted today.
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So don't blame me if a Democratic Senate stands by while your liberties, wallet, and rights are assaulted by the Totalitarian Lefties in the White House.
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At least I tried.
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After making a deposit in the Pleasant Street Bank and pointing out politely to the Tellers who they should vote for, I went next door to the Marblehead Masonic Lodge and cast my ballot.
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Turnout was sparse.
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That could be good for Gomez, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

Y'ALLL Don't Come Back Now

Joanne loves the Cooking Channel.... almost as much as I love the History Channel.  I can deal with her hogging the clicker for the most part and watching all this Foodie stuff.   The only show that I really can't "stomach",so to speak, is the Paula Dean stuff.
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Her voice makes me cringe and when she says "Y'ALLLL" which is every fourth word or so..... I truly feel nauseous enough to hurl.
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Now we find that she has no common sense when it comes to race relations "speak".
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Peeps... we have free speech in this country.   And you can say anything you want without getting thrown into jail.   But that doesn't mean that we can't loathe you if you say stupid ass shit, nor does it mean that you can keep your job.
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In this country, with a horrible heritage of slavery, bigotry, and segregation.... be prepared to pay the consequences if you run fast and loose with racial epithets.  I don't care if your grandpa was George Wallace... there is no excuse, and you deserver to have your ass kicked if you glibly drop the N word, or think that any vestiges of our Jim Crow past might be "sentimental".
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Bye Bye Paula Dean.... I for one won't be missing "Y"ALLLL" on the Food Channel anytime soon.

Going Gomez

Tomorrow, Massachusetts chooses a new Senator.   I've given the nod to Gabriel Gomez, and not just because he's a Republican.  And not because he is an Hispanic.... I wouldn't dream of calling people racist who vote against him.... do you hear that Jimmy Carter????   Do you hear that Hardball Hypocrite Chris Matthew????   Two fine idiots who played the race card early and freely regarding anyone who had issue with our Indonesian Muslim President with the White Mother and the Irish ancestors.
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I reckon that Massachusetts will vote for Markey because of his tendency to vote with the  Democratic, non-thinking, give away other people's money sheep herd.
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Whatever.
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Do yourself a favor.  Vote for a thinker and a doer.  The guy is a Navy Seal who went to Harvard for Crissakes.  Massachusetts deserves something better than the Warrens, the Markeys, the Posers and the Hacks.
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Give yourself a present.... vote for Gomez.

A Little Lack Lustre

Yesterday, while tieing up with the Flying Elvis on SandDollar Beach, Superpeep Brendt D'Orio pointed out that the Blog has been lacking lately.
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My quick retort was that I have been out straight trying to make money at Nanepashemet Telecom.... but that can't be the only reason.
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Usually I turn to posting on this pathethic Blog because of some issue that is disturbing me...... politics and the Obama issues are the great motivators.
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But since the phoney Indian, the lying whacky professor, Elizabeth Warren, was elected over Scott Brown as the Massachusetts US Senator, and since BO and Hillary Clinton can get away will lying and obvious obfustication with Benghazi, I've become jaded, and can't risk committing emotionally.
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So those are other reasons.
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Do you think that the Mountain of a Man is starting to lose it????   Getting a little soft????  Gone off the edge????
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Maybe.
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But I still have my faith in life.... and life is all about renewal.
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Something will start to aggravate the crap out of me soon.... and this Blog will be restored in it's former lustre.

Features of Fieldstone

This weekend, I got out into the yard and moved all of the stone that the developer across the street left in the side of my driveway a couple years ago.   Every stone was placed in the planter walls at the Stramski Way side of the property.
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Peeps.... I am one sore, advanced -middle-edged, pudgy, white, Irish- American Buckaroo.  I mean, sore... as in my arms, thighs, back, knees, stomach, buttocks, etc. are all screaming for mercy.
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Rolling, lifting, shifting and placing fieldstone is something that this Mountain of a Man will not be looking to specialize in.   You won't see stonemason on this MOAM resume.
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Sure, the wall came out handsome as hell, but that is beside the point.
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My hats are off to the colonial farmers who placed all of those fieldstone walls throughout New England.  They must have been tough sons-a-bitches.

POTW Week 22 of 2013

Peeps....
A little words of wisdom for you here before disclosing the lucky yet hapless Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week.
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Just in case you didn't know it, everybody is phucked up... and everybody has issues.  It doesn't matter if you are a professional athelete, pole dancer, PhD, Indonesian Muslim President of the United States, Business Billionaire.... or even a Mountain of a Man like myself.
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Everybody is phucked up... and everybody has issues.
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Once you truly internalize that fact, it is much easier to deal with all of the Bullshit that comes your way in your personal and business relationships.
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ANNOUNCING....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 22nd Week of 2013

Maria Rowen (Automatic Lagavulin Rule)
Eric Johnson
Jessica Rincon
Peter Lojko
Jim Lundgren
Jeremy Johnson
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No relation between the two Johnsons.

Nanepashemet Nod to Gomez

Peeps....
The workload  at Nanepashemet Telecom is showing no signs of slowdown.... but so many of you have been peppering me with pesky and persistent inquiries on who to vote for in the upcoming Massachusetts Senate race between the 37 year Democratic Congressman, Edward Markey, and the former Navy Seal and now successful Hispanic American businessman, Republican Gabriel Gomez.
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You will recall that I had given the Nanepashemet Nod in the primaries to the South Boston Democrat Stephen Lynch, and had vowed not to become emotionally involved in this race because of the unhealed wounds caused in the rediculous victory by the Phoney Fauxcohontas, Elizabeth "I have high cheekbones so I'm a Cherokee" Warren.  

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I still can't get over that she was swept by the non-thinking herd of sheep into defeating a class act like Scott Brown.
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So I have laid low in the current race.
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But you insist on gaining my flawed opinion on who to vote for in this race.... and you know that in the end, I can't let you pathetic Peeps be left out there thinking on your own.
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So here comes another reasoned Nanepashemet Nod... coming off of the last dismal Scott loss.
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Markey is a card carrying, Obama voting, smarter than the rest of us, Liberal Democrat.   He is the type of Liberal who can't conceive that anyone could ever be Pro-Life, or against ObamaCare, or thinks that Al Gore is an idiot.  His ads are replete with boasts that he is endorsed by Planned Parenthood and that he is somehow responsible for creating the information age by voting for the Telecom Act of 1996.  He is a lockstep, Obama, party line Dem.
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I respect the fact that he is a straight foward, ideological Liberal.... and puts it right out there.   At least he doesn't pull shit out of his ass like Warren.
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Gomez seems to be an independent thinker, who hasn't been tainted by years of politically correct, inner Beltway lock step ideology.   His views - personally pro-life, looking to make Obamacare outside of the purview of the IRS, seeking ways to deal with the social security crisis are ridiculed in Markey ads... yet the Markey ads have been most effective in making me more in step with the Gomez position. 
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Plus Markey ridicules that Gomez is a millionaire.
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Last time I checked, being a millionaire... coming from a minority background and being a former Navy Seal.... should be a freaking source of praise and pride.
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Markey's time is over.   Nanepashemet Nod goes to Gabriel Gomez.
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He's charging back in the polls.    I hope this doesn't jinx him

Processing

Peeps....
I'm no journalist.
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Sure... A lot of the stuff that I write on this Blog definitely has Pulitzer Prize potential, but that Is beside the point.
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And I try to stay relatively consistent in posting entries that illustrate truth and enlightenment.
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but lately I have been engrossed in processing the ginormous contract that Nanepashemet Telecom has been awarded, so you'll have to hang in there and wait until the smoke clears before you get some really  potent entries.
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maybe by next week....
Roes

Utah

Watching Cartoons

Alana's Wedding

Wow for Weddings

Bunk Bed Bonanza

Ryan and I whipped together this set of bunkbeds for the grandkids from construction grade lumber and a lot of heavy grit sanding.   I won't be submitting this project for inclusion in Fine Woodworking, but it came out good and sturdy with nice lines and will be very satisfactory for the use intended.

Saga Score

So many of you Peeps have inquired about my Washingon sales meeting, that I an actually inclined to tell you how it went.
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Pretty Good actually.
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Or as Larry David would say, "Pretty, Pretty, Pretty Good."
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Let's just say that this MOAM hasn't lost his touch... especially with the setting on the Charm-O-Meter is "HIGH".
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No, it's not a life changing score... but it's still a score, and the Nanepashemet Telecom saga rolls forward.

Welcome Carlos

My New GrandDog, Carlos!
I'm so Proud.

Retirement Plan

Peeps....
Sometime towards the end of next week, we'll be heading down to Washington, DC to make a sales pitch to a major tier one wireless carrier.
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Those of you who have seen the MOAM in Sales Mode know that I can make a powerful, persuasive, and some say "irresistable" presentation.  Naturally it takes the right vibe, but I'm mighty motivated for this one.
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Suffice it to say that the MOAM Charm Meter will be set on HIGH.
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Because that's what the stakes are.
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If we land this account, Nanepashemet Telecom will be laying paving stones to the future comfortable retirement of yours truly.
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Course... you know me.... I'm not one to count my chickens before they hatch.  But on this one, I have them hatched, grown, butchered, fried and topped with Franks Louisiana Hot Sauce.
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Retirement will be nice.

Rat Race Re-Entry

The lapse in posts this week has a good excuse as I was flat on my back in bed for two days with some flu-like virus.
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Normally, when a Mountain of a Man like myself gets sick, the average person can't see any difference, but a sequence of extreme shivering chills followed by hot sweats gave it away for me this week.
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Joanne wanted me to see the Doctor, but I'm not sure if I'd be covered under Obamacare and didn't want to take the chance.
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No matter.  I'm back and ready to re-enter the rat race to catch up with anything that I missed.

Staring at Infinity

It's time to contemplate the concept of infinity.
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The Ancient Seers tell us that we are one with the Universe and that time does not exist..... everything that ever happened, and everything to come is all here in the present moment.
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The time thing is a bit hard to comprehend, but the unity of the Universe is fairly easy.   We are all composed of various combinations of charged particles, that interact with all that exists in a humming carcophany.  The universe, and infinity is found wherever we look.   No matter how small a particle is, it can be split in two. 
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There is never an instance where the division of a particle would yield nothing.  So we stare into infinity wherever we look.

Memorial Day Observance

I think I must have munched on a bad Sushi Roll at one of those Las Vegas cocktail parties, because it's been unsettling since then.
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Not that I'm complaining.... it's hard to bitch about stuff on Memorial Day... when we observe the sacrifices made by our veterans so that Blogs like this can be written freely.
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We are lucky to have the freedoms that we have in this country... the Nazi's would have enslaved us, and the Commies would have subjugated us, but these challenges to our way of life were met by common people who were asked to stand at the front and defeat these aggressions.
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Course, the challenges to our freedom never goes away, both from within and without the country.  We have to continually guard... and remember those who stood at the post for us in the past.
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So today, as I deal with intestinal distress, while getting the pram ready for launch, I will keep a little mental vigil intact.... for those who sacrificed so much so that we could endure our daily foibles in an environment of freedom.

Las Vegas Reaction

Memorial Day weekend is here but it is 50 degrees and clammy now in Boston.  That's ok because I am really bushed from my Las Vegas convention trip.  Flying is exhausting, and so is excessive boozing with concomitant carousing.... especially if you are out of shape for it.
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Which I am.  I could hardly walk after trekking from hotel to hotel on the Vegas Strip... seeking out relevant cocktail parties sponsored by wireless equipment suppliers.  Sometimes it's hard maintaining my status as an industry leader, but I certainly played with pain. 
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Before I left for the airport on Thursday, I did my part in supporting the Nevada economy by dropping $100 quick in the Black Jack tables.  A two hour layover in Philadelphia and the loss of my luggage in Boston led to a 4:30AM arrival back in Marblehead.
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Then I had a full day of work on Friday because of end of the month billing and a proposal deadline that had to be met.
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But, in typical MOAM style, all tasks were met, errands were run, and lawns were mowed.   So now I'm ready to kick back on the couch with Henry the Cat and watch  girly movies as Joanne hogs the remote.
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I'm too tired to battle for my cable TV rights anyway.

POTW Week 21 of 2013

I've been criticized as of late for neglecting the Peep of the Week feature of this pathetic Blog.
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A valid point.
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I used to be extremely punctual in making these momentous choices and it was a singular reason for some of you persevering Peeps to keep coming back for judicious helpings of Nanepashemet advice and wisdom.
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But for some reason, the fundamentals have been left on the sidelines.... until now.

ANNOUCING....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 21st Week of 2013.

Maria Rowen (Automatic Lagavulin Rule)
Emily Buttorff
Bobby Brown
Craig Theiman
Mark Cuban
Jude Martinez

Man... it feels good to get back to basics.... especially since Maria revved up the automatic Lagavulin 16 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Rule with a most thoughtful gift of the King of Scotch at our dinner tonight.

Posting Pause

Peeps -
If you were wondering what happened to the Blog this week, it's fairly simple... I went to Las Vegas.  Met up with some old telecom buddies at the CTIA convention and kicked the gong around pretty hard.
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But I'm back now.... none the worse for the wear.   And no... I'm not going to tell you any of the juicy details. but suffice it to say that this MOAM met up with the only other legitimate Mountain of a Man in circulation these days, Bobby Brown, and the moments of collision were momentous.
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It was nice to be out there among friends, but the traveling part was horrendous.  I would take the New Haven commute anyday.

Harry Truman Rolling Over

Then Buck Stops Here..... at Lower Level Employees.



What would Harry Truman say?

Facebook Lull

Maybe it's just my perception, but it seems like Facebook has lost it's edge.   The people who post are generally new to FB, and nobody gets too revved up over political exchanges or other stuff.
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Basically, I lost it when I couldn't goad people into defending our Indian Senator Warren's claim for her conveniently manufactured Native American heritage,  and the Obamanistas overtures into IRS thuggery, Benghazi lies, and AP email snooping have got the Libs on the run, and they are not really forthcoming to engage.
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I don't blame them.
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So the result is that Facebook has been taking a step back.
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Even though the Lefty Slogan,  "It takes a village" (i.e.   you should depend on the government and not yourself) is particularly loathsome to me, it does seem that Facebook and social media has brought people together in the fashion that village life used to be... with a lot more interaction.
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But village life was often fraught with shunning, cliques, and small town gossip... and could get old quick.
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Facebook was fun while it lasted... now there is a definite lull in the action.

Saturday Ambitions

Went for Fried Clams at Essex Seafood, the Official Nanepashemet Clamshack last night  with the O'Shea's and the Peabody's.  Got a little chilly outside while we were eating, but the seafood didn't dissapoint.
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This Saturday morning, I am out straight with a big run at finishing the rough cut work on the Grandkid's bunkbeds, then getting under the deck and cleaning out all of the crap that has accumulated there, culminating in a dump run.
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If everything works right, the day will end up with the pram on sawhorses in the driveway, ready for fit out work and remediating that disgusting weather proofing that never cured on the gunwales.
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By 4:00 PM, when rigor mortis sets in, I hope to thoroughly enjoy kicking back on the deck with a Sam Adams or three.

Radial Arm Saw

I forget when I bought my Sears Craftsman Radial Arm Saw.   Easily over 25 years ago.  I had lent my DeWalt Radial Arm out to some contractor and missed having one, so I bought what was a state of the art model at the time.
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For some reason, Radial Arm Saws have fallen from popularity.   The rap on them is that they are dangerous, but every power tool, and especially stationary saws are dangerous.   As experienced as I am, I am always a little fearful when I switch on the power and the blade starts spinning, and I'm sure that this is a healthy emotion.

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The other frequent criticism is that the RAS is notorious for slop and inaccurate cuts.  I never had this problem.... until today

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The Radial Arm is the best option for making dado cuts in my opinion and as I was setting up the dado blades today in gearing up for the grandkids bunk beds, I noticed a lot of slop in the swivel of the power head.
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So I downloaded a manual for the Sears Model off of the web and quickly found out how to make the adjustment to eliminate the problem.   How cool is it that the Internet was not even invented when I bought this saw, and now I can instanteously get any information that I need to fix the tool.!!! 
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The radial arm is unsurpassed for making accurate repetitive crosscuts, when it is aligned correctly, while the table saw is my tool of choice for making accurate and safe rip and panel cuts.  The luxury of having each of these tools in my shop is a blessing that I should be more thankful for.
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The radial arm saw should be good for another 25 or so.



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Totalitarian Annoyance.

Peeps...
I'm not much of a conspiracy guy.  Sure, I'm as paranoid as the last person, but I don't really believe in vast ideological conspriracies designed to somehow control us.
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But the incursions of the Obama administration into harassing conservative organizations by the IRS, and the blatant lying and propaganda surrounding the Benghazi attacks sure give the feeling of totalitarianism..... the kind of stuff that used to happen in Communist countries.
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I personally don't believe that the Obamanistas have the experience and competence to pull off anything that would significantly hamper us.... but the effort is a bit annoying.

High School Seniors, now the Real Thing.

Thanks to some of my Facebook friends, got a little jolt of nostalgia today with this photo showing up.


Peeps... when I tell you about being Rough, Tough, Hard to Bluff, and Damn Good looking... it started way back then.  Just not a recent trend.  These guys were all of the seniors on the Lynn English High School Cross Country team and everybody is still living, as far as I know.
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Phil Freeman, the kid on my left got me on the team my sophomore year.  I had known Phil since the 2nd grade and played CYO Basketball with him.   He became a phenom in Cross Country, and I figured that I could beat him, so I went out for the team when indoor track started.
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He kicked my ass.  I only legitimately beat him once in three years... when I came in 3rd in the Essex County Championship my senior year with Freeman fading to fifth....., and the only cross country race that I ever won was because Phil was sick from school that day and couldn't compete in a dual meet against Peabody.   There was no way that I was going to lose that race with Freeman out of contention.
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He lives in New Jersey, I think.  I hope he is well.
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The guy on my far left is Jim Lundgren, who was legendary for singing the theme song from "Exodus" during cross country races.   Lundgren was a hurdler anyway and now is one of my best facebook friends as he thoughtfully presents the Democrats' position in highly entertaining Facebook threads.
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I have fond memories of all of these guys.   Don Gorski - a good golfer who moved to NY, Bob Hill- now retired from the Phone Comany, Billy Quirk- the only kid that I knew who legitimately went to Woodstock and is now a proud ex-Marine, and Mike Cole- a tough quarter miler.
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Not sure if Coach Civiello is still alive.  He was a good guy and very active in the Lynn Italian Community.
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If only we had Christos Laganos on that team, who now pedals 100 Miles through the Mountains and is currently hiking the Appalachian Trail. Chris would have been a hell of a distance man.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all of you Peeps who are Moms.
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When Joanne finishes scrubbing the floors, cooking the meat, and taking out the trash, I will urge her to take five minutes or so and enjoy the day.
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Sometimes, being a Mountain of a Man means that you have to be extra considerate.

Lying D- Bag

So it's apparent that the US State Department and the White House knew that we endured a full fledged and calculated terrorist attack in Libya, and then they coolly and boldly lied to the American people saying that it was a spontaneous reaction to a video that insulted the Muslim Libyans into riot and murder.
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And they stood by while four Americans were killed in the attack.
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Friends, we have caught Hillary Clinton in lies before.... like when she said her husband Bill was the victim of a "vast right wing conspiracy" when he was lying about getting a blow job by an administrative intern.... and when she concocted a story about her being "under fire" in Serbian airspace.  Not to mention, the aides who committed suicide during her reign as out First "Lady".
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She got passes on these... from me at least.   Everybody is prone to an embellishment of sorts or an exaggeration at times.
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But in the Benghazi attacks, four people died as Clinton became arrogant and dismissive with any explanation of the facts, and vowed to get the people who developed that "video".
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Peeps... Hillary Clinton is a lying douche bag.   There... I said it.    And I'm not taking it back.
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That said... I realize that that I'm so out of touch with things that she will probably waltz into the White House as the next disingenuous POTUS, courtesy of the herd of sheep that disguise themselve in the Democratiic Party as the American electorate.
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Sorry to be so serious today, but politics is fine, until you are glib and not forthcoming with the loss of American lives.

Nice Weather and 3D

The nice weather has definitely hit the Boston area.  Even though it rained with occasional thunder and lightning today, the colors of the spring foliage..... different shades of green and flowering shrubs.... were spectacular.
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Thunder and Lighting are fairly commonplace here in New England, so I was really surprized with I did my stint in the East Bay of San Francisco about ten or so years ago when everybody rushed to the windows when some lightning flashed.
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It turns out that thunder and lightning rarely happens out there.... which I didn't know.
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But I digress.
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Good weather to me means ramping up the projects.... today I helped Ryan pick out some lumber for the grandkids' bunk beds that he wants to build.   It  will be built with nominal framing lumber, but we will sand the hell out of it and then finish it with paint, so it should serve the purpose.  Kid's love bunk beds.
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I pulled a plan down from the Sketchup Warehouse, but it turns out that it is for a non-standard twin bed size, so I have to redesign a little bit.   Which is no real problem, because I'm starting to get really comfortable with Sketchup.    My forty hour initial learning curve is almost over and I'm tying into some tricks and techniques from the extensive tutorials that are found in You-Tube.
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As a 3D modeling program, SketchUp makes you change your approach to drawing a plan, but once you get the hang of it, it beats 2D hands down.   I even bought a 3D Mouse called the

3Dconnexion 3DX-700028 SpaceNavigator 3D Mouse

which will allow me to navigate around the model far more efficiently while performing commands and actions with the standard mouse.  

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Right now, the process is build a Component, swich to a Navigation command to work on  a different side, switch back to a Component build or measurement commend.... and over and over.    The 3D mouse with make this much quicker and more intuitive as a single initiative to move around the model with one mouse and perform design commands with the o

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I think that SketchUp is to CAD what Quickbooks is to accounting programs.  A real logical and intuitive approach that even a dufus like your favorite MOAM can master.

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I highly recommend that you download the free program at www.sketchup.com and add it to you software toolchest.   Why should I have all the fun?

Maggots and Monsters

To those perverted animals who kept the Cleveland girls locked up for ten years.....
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There is no torture that I can imagine that you wouldn't deserve....   and I hope your fellow inmates in Federal Prison have a more vivid imagination than I do.
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Lately, with the Maggots who bombed the Boston Marathon, and now these Monsters who feel that they could dominate and control another human being, we've been seeing a particularly dark side of the homo sapiens species.
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Let's hope that these sicko's are an extreme abberation.

200,000 Hits

Sometime tomorrow, this Blog will be hit for the Two Hundred Thousandth Time.  As crazy as it sounds, this has some significance to a sentimental old MOAM like myself.
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I mean, I'm not going to go all "Sally Field" on you, and start gushing  "You like me, You really like me."
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Because I know that a certain amount of you don't.   Which is fine with me because it's right back at you from your's truly.
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And I know some of the haters and disenchanted have contributed mightily to the 200k milestone. ....  Which is actually a burdensome thought.   Why waste time tormenting yourself by checking out this loathsome cyber rag?  Especially if I annoy you.   Some of you even hit it multiple times a day.  You know who you are ( and so do I, for the most part.)
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But before you start another cycle of a couple thousand hits, you really should do some soul searching.  Look closely in the mirror and make an honest assessment of who is looking back at you.   It's never too late to stop lying to yourself, and when you do there is a chance that you could find some direction or a positive purpose.  And stop blaming others for all of the Bullshit that hits you everyday.   That image in the mirror is there to tell you that it is all you, and no one else.
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Course the vast majority of  you Peeps who hit this Blog are cool dudes.  Rough, Tough, Hard to Bluff and Damn Good Lookin.   Like myself.  You know that we're all heading for a long dirt nap at the end of this run, so you don't take everything so seriously.   Because a hundred years from now, nobody will even know that you existed. 
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So sit back and enjoy the ride that Mother Earth spins for you.  And every day will get a little easier.

When God closes one door, He opens another.

"When God closes one door, He opens another."
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As far as I know, this is no Biblical quote, but seems to be readily apparent in our daily existance.
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It sure seemed to be in play today, as Nanepashemet Telecom prepares to close out services to a major customer for the time being, and new opportunities appeared from totally unanticipated sources.
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Peeps...... even though I'm a fully fledged Mountain of a Man.... I still worry about the future every once in awhile.... despite the fact that I've climbed the heights and fallen into the abyss in my business career, and yet still sit here as a well fed, couch potato.... cranking out this pathetic blog post.
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And every time it has seemed like there was no escape, the sun came up, there was air to breathe and food to eat.   The Lord gave us that day our daily bread.
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I appreciate you holding the door, Lord.

Designing Greenhouse Construction Jigs

It was a particularly busy work week` for Nanepashemet  Telecom with two trips to New Haven.  But during a brief lull in action, I found the time to drop down to see the Marblehead Building Commissioner and run the Greenhouse concept by him to see if he had any permitting issues.
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He wants me to add some concrete sonotubes and pin down the PT wall plates, which I agree with, but then sees no problem with issuing a permit.
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So now the issue is only time and money, both of which may be in short supply for this project.   Until I have a little bit of each, I'll be firming up the pricing and work procedures and designing jigs like below to make this thing come to life with circumstances permit.

This jig will Square up the 2x4 pressure treated 4' x 8' standard polycarbonate greenhouse panels and make assembly quick and accurate.  The project requires about 110 good and straight 2x4x8 foot pressure treated studs.