Thursday, July 14, 2016

Getting a Gun

An old friend of mine from High School, who is an articulate voice for the Liberal position (i.e. a rarity) recently put a tongue in cheek FB posting were he said he wants to get a gun and name it "Old Ironsides".

I don't know the depth of Jim's position as an anti-gun, anti-2nd Amendment advocate, but I decided to take the Danvers, Massachusetts resident at his word.

If you decide to get a gun, and you are from Danvers, MASS.......

First you have to take the Massachusetts Gun Safety Class and get a certificate.  That takes an eight hour day and costs money.

Then you have to apply for a concealed weapon carry permit at the Danvers Police Department. The PD will do a detailed background check and take your fingerprints. The wait is one month minimum on this. 

Then the decision to grant the permit is at the personal discretion of the Police Chief.  in some cities and towns, this discretion means that you will have no chance to get a permit based upon the Chief's personal beliefs.  

But  if the Chief grants you your permit, it costs $200 and is mailed after a few weeks from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Then you can go to a licensed gun store. The store clerk will run an FBI check right there in the store check  before you can make a purchase. 

Then you can only purchase a weapon with a magazine "Legal in Massachusetts" capacity of seven rounds and it cannot be an automatic weapon. 

Then you can buy ammo if they have any because the Federal Department of Homeland Security massive purchases has created a shortage and many dealers cannot find ammo to sell. Good luck on that. 

Then and only then, Jim, you can call your gun "Old Ironsides" and protect your family.

Our Prez BO recently inappropriately stated at the memorial service of five slain Dallas police officers that it is easier for a kid to obtain a Glock than to find a book.

Not sure where he gets his facts (other than pulling them out of his Liberal ASS) but it's way easier to get books in Massachusetts.  As a matter of fact, you can't buy a Glock in Massachusetts.... even after going through the extensive process.

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Tufted Titmouse Tabulature

There has been a Tufted Titmouse at the feeder today, along with a number of other Titmice.


Probably not my favorite bird, but definitely my favorite Bird Name.

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Say No to Chicago.



Peeps....

Many of you may recall that I had supported Seth Moulton as our Congressman in the 6th Essex District of Massachusetts.

Naturally, the Nanepashemet Nod secured the election for Seth.  My hope was that even with his Liberal leanings, he would not be a typical Democratic Kool Aide Drinker and would have the ability to cross the aisle and compromise with Conservatives to end Congressional gridlock.

But it seems that I may have misjudged.

  • He doesn't like Trump, which is fine, but he calls him Hitler.... a stupid, immature and bad move by Seth.
  • He not only aligns with the Evil H, but campaigns in NH for the disgusting, immoral candidate.
  • He walks out of a moment of silence on the House Floor.
  • And he joins the 2nd Amendment issue by misrepresenting assault rifles in a move that divides rather than unites us on the issue of gun control.

I'm disappointed.... but not yet willing to completely give up on the young promising leader.

He now is calling for Federal Background checks and removing the right to purchase firearms by people listed on the Federal no-fly list.

On it's face, I agree with Seth W. Moulton.

Background checks cannot be disputed, but If bureaucrats like FBI Director Comey can erase your 2nd Amendment right by simply adding you to a "no-fly" list, you better have a trustworthy system of due process to enable you to dispute and resolve your "listing" and restore your rights. People don't trust Liberals to incorporate this, and it seems to be a slippery slope for eliminating our essential right for self-protection.

Evil H has already made clear that she wants to take our handguns. And this loophole to eliminate our rights would fall right into manipulating hands like hers.

The inaccuracies that Liberals put Assault Rifle debate is a smokescreen.

Democrats have ignored instances where total gun control is in effect..... like in in Chicago where guns are banned.
But the stats by the Chicago Tribune below illustrate that this is a foolish and faulty policy in eliminating our right to self protection granted to Americans by the 2nd Amendment of the United States Constitution

Chicago YEARLY TOTALS JAN. 1, 2016 - JULY 10, 2016 - 2,0541 shooting victims. JAN. 1, 2015 - DEC. 31, 2015 - 2,988 shooting victims.

Don't make the whole country like Chicago.

Friday, July 08, 2016

A Missed Opportunity

Once again race relations is in the news as the tragedy in Dallas unfolds.

Police apprehended a Black suspect and in an ensuing struggle, he was shot four times and died.

Some believe that the Police felt that he was trying to draw a pistol.

Others believe that he was murdered by the police brutally for no reason.

Then snipers killed five, opening fire on police in Dallas.

In the meantime, the carnage continues in Chicago where a person is shot every two hours.... living in a City where guns are outlawed.

When Obama was elected some 7 1/2 years ago, I distinctly remember the feeling that even if I did not agree with his Liberal politics, that race relations would finally cease to be an issue in this country.

Not by a long shot.  His leadership, or lack thereof, has exacerbated any improvements in this area, and we so much worse off than when he was elected.  The phrase "Black Lives Matter" has been invented during his tenure.  Such a travesty that people legitimately feel that they have to express their feelings on race in this matter.  

Obama hasn't drawn people and races together.   He has pushed them apart with a one sided ingrained ideology.

Electing the first Black President should have been a healing event.

Seems like we missed a great opportunity.

Wednesday, July 06, 2016

Eight Year Motto



It's Latin for "Don't Let the Bastards Get you Down."

Probably will come in handy for the next eight years or so.

Tuesday, July 05, 2016

Potential Waste of Time

So Hilary dodged another bullet today.   Even better than when she was under fire by Serbian Snipers.  FBI Commish Comey said that his above reproach investigation did not uncover enough to indict.   If you think that Comey is anything less than a Kool Aide Connoisseur, then you are a sadly mistaken witness to this rigged of all justice systems.   When he was dancing around the designation of the Orlando assholes as terrorists, you had to know that the Evil H would yet emerge again despicably scott free.  Then, Wild Bill's chance meeting with the Secretary of the Justice Department, talking about their grandkids for a half hour, sealed the deal.

If you can't smell the stink, then hightail it to an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist, because you definitely have a diminished sense of smell.

Peeps.... I know the alternative is a boorish, ego-maniac who is capping out his career by reaching out for the POTUS Gold Ring,  but at least Trump is not evil.  Being obnoxious in other situations might be enough to cast him aside.

Hillary on the other hand, is an evil manipulator, who will stoop at nothing to maintain a power base that she uses to enrich herself right in front of her sheep-like followers eyes.   She has been fined, fired and sanctioned for her dishonesty so many times that to recite the litany gets too long to believe.
Peeps.... I will hold my nose and support Trump before voting for such a morally repulsive congenital Liar.   Can you imagine eight more years of Clinton largess?  It would be such a waste of time.

Friday, July 01, 2016

A Cherished Holiday

Peeps......
It's Friday July 1st.  Monday is the 4th of July.
A magical weekend here in Marblehead, MA, where the birth of the United States was a hard fought ordeal with great personal sacrifices.  Men from Marblehead served prominently under General Washington at Bunker Hill, New York and Trenton, and Marblehead privateers served admirably on the seas harassing British Shipping.

The Town suffered greatly with the loss of men and commerce, and when Washington visited after the War, he remarked how worn and delapidated it looked.

He was gazing at the same Old Town structures that we see today, totally refurbished and commanding premium residential prices.  George would be impressed at the present condition of the homes that he lamented about.

We never leave the Town during the Fourth of July.   It becomes busy and crowded culminating with the Fireworks in the Harbor, and there is an undercurrent of excitement, friendliness, and basic contentment.  The sacrifice of our ancestors is the cause of of this.  I hope that in some cosmic way, they can sense that we appreciate what they did.

America was born as a tainted country.... burdened by the existence of slavery.... but with an underlying sense of the goodness that ultimately would be brought by freedom.  The economics of slavery shackled the nation.   Washington and Jefferson knew it was immoral but could not equate the way to divest of it.  Nonetheless, they extolled the virtues of Liberty, even as the hypocrisy of slavery remained.

Now it is gone.... with deep scares that still have not healed.

So it is that our country still has flaws that we must continually address,   And we differ in our view of what these flaws are, and what measures must be done to correct them.

But the beauty of our country is that we have the freedom to debate, argue, insult and cajole in the pursuit of each individual's conception of liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Your MOAM is not adverse from engaging in a little insulting and cajoling from time to time.   I have my distinct ideas  of what is best for the nation.  And I feel free to try to negate those who I think are detrimental to our continuing health and prosperity.

But I cherish the fact  that I have the right, born from the blood of my ancestors, to execute my freedom to express my opinions.

Happy 4th of July Peeps.

It is a holiday that is huge in its importance to our way of life.

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Listening to your Garden Grow

So many of you persistent Peeps have been asking the MOAM about the status of the Aquaponics project.

Normally I ignore such annoying inquiries.... I mean... get your own freaking project.  Don't be bugging me about mine all of the time.

But I realize the leadership position that being a Mountain of a Man is.... and that many times, it is my obligation to stoop to the cravings and dispositions of those less fortunate.

So WTF.... here is the aquaponics status.

The project is the FREAKING BALLS!!!!!!  Even better than I had envisioned.


  • The fish are thriving in the fish tank.
  • Then plants are blasting out of the grow beds.
  • And the Bell Siphons are draining the beds like a finely tuned Swiss Watch.


It is completely satisfying to watch the system operate in harmony with the siphon drains periodically pouring into the fish tank in random fashion, and the swirl filter pipes pouring the fish fertilized water back into the grow beds, whose water levels rise and fall in a predictable format.

The sound of water spilling into the grow bed and fish tank, and the gurgle of the bell siphons at the end of their periodic vacuum cycle adds a nice dimension.... like listening to your garden grow!

Last Thursday, Joanne made tuna fish sandwiches for lunch.   She makes them special.... chopping up red onions and celery, when I'm usually too lazy to add anything but Hellman's Mayonnaise.  When she was done, two small bottoms of celery stalks that had been in the refrigerator were left.   I took these, nestled them into a grow bed, and this morning, new celery plants are quite visibly sprouting.

We are on the second crop of lettuce on plants that have been cut back a few weeks ago.... tomato plants have to be strung up because they are too big to stand on their own, and pepper plants are filled with green peppers.  Zuchinis are just around the corner.

The fish seem vibrant and full of energy.   They are still very wary of me, but I hope to gain their trust and friendship soon.

I spread coffee grounds around the perimeter of the beds, and this seems to have repelled the gopher that harvested my conventional garden plants around this time last year.

Some tweaks have been necessary.  In order to keep the bell siphons kicking in regularly, the volume of water pumped from the fish tank has to be aggressive.  I am on my second 1000 gph pump and have to change out pumps and check the inside mechanism when the flow slows down,  Then the rate of flow overpowers the swirl filter and I had to install an overflow valve that returns excessive water back to the fish tank.

And the rate of evaporation has been greater than I had expected.  Boston is in a dry spell and it hasn't rained much lately.  When the water in the grow beds is drained, the pea stone grow media drys out quickly.  Tap water has to be introduced into the swirl filter to keep the level in the fish tank up every couple of days.

Also the solar system powering the water pump is only reliable when the panels are exposed to direct sunlight.... about four hours a day.   If I want to use off grid power twenty four hours a day, I have calculated that I will have to add six additional panels to the two that are now in service.  Maybe this is a project to take on in the fall.... but until then, the solar system will only be supplemental.

I haven't yet trimmed out the tanks with pine so that the galvanized tank support pipes are still exposed and unsightly.  That will get done sometime this week.

Next weekend is the 4th of July.  We will stage a photo shoot then and you can judge for yourself.

Saturday, June 25, 2016

End of Quarter Double Down

Peeps....
It's been one of those stressful, no fun weeks.

End of the quarter histrionics.... customers needing to check corporate boxes.   We vendors at the bottom of the food chain are prone to excessive beatings at such times.  Rushing to get normal things done creates mistakes, which exacerbates the already frayed nerves.

When people tell me to double down, at times when I'm already doubled down.... I tend to have highly disrespectful and slightly vulgar thoughts.   As a professional trying to practice my profession, and as a businessman trying to make money, I'm already working at a pace that some would call feverish.  It gets pretty hard to maintain your cool when you then get extolled with corporate threats or pep talks.

But that's when being a MOAM kicks in.   You basically have no idea what my real thoughts are under my cool professional demeanor.   And the freaking work gets done regardless.

So this Saturday morning, I'm kicking back with Joanne and our 18 month old grandson, Connor, who spent the night with us.  After trashing the living room and watching some Sesame Street movie, our plan is to get in the backyard and trash stuff around there.

Later, Katelyn will come by, and I will supplement the trashing with some Bent Water Pearls.... ultimately resulting in being totally trashed sometime this evening.

It is a day that I deserve.

Friday, June 24, 2016

More Calf Roping and Less Bull Riding

Spent many hours in the F150 today, doing permit work in Cambridge and Boston.

Something has to be done about traffic.  It is a waste of time in your life... even if Howie Carr is on the radio.  I'm really loving that fact that BO's bromance with Cameron of the UK has hit a little snag since Cam is losing his PM job.  You think BO will put another bust of Winston Churchill in the Oval Office???    Me Neither.

Anyway....

Feeling good about the Libbies in Britain taking it on the chin.  Get England out of the EU and in charge of their own country again.   This will bleed into common sense support for Trump and border control.  Dems can feel the pendulum swing.   They had their sandbox for Obama's eight years but it's time to halt the Bullshit.  They are whining big time and doing crap like taking over the House Chambers in a failed attempt to prove the they give a shit while chowing down on pizza and Chick Fil A takeout.

Muslim refugees pouring into the West would not be doing so if someone with Balls would kick the shit out of Isis and restore the refugees into their own land.  Once the Leader of the Free World is not an Indonesian, Kenyan, Muslim sympathizing, Narcissistic Chicago Commie whose qualification to lead is skill on a teleprompter.... we can get this rodeo back on schedule...   More calf roping and less bull riding.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

My Mother's Obituary

I used to believe that the worse possible thing would be to open the newspaper and see the obituary of one of your family in it.

And so it was that today, the Lynn Daily Evening Item carried the Obit of my mother, Winifred C. Nestor.
~
Winifred Nestor, 90
Ft. Lauderdale, FL — Winifred Crosby Nestor, age 90, of Ft. Lauderdale, formerly of Lynn, died Thursday, June 16, 2016 in Ft. Lauderdale after a lengthy illness. Born and raised in Lynn, she was a graduate of the Essex Agricultural Institute Nursing Program in Danvers and had worked as a Nurse at Union Hospital, Saugus General Hospital and various nursing homes throughout the area.  She was the devoted wife of John J. Nestor, retired Lynn Firefighter who predeceased her.
She is survived by two sons, John Nestor of Marblehead and his wife Joanne, and James Nestor of Fort Lauderdale and his wife Linda, as well as grandchildren Delanie Nestor of Fort Lauderdale, Ryan Nestor of Marblehead, Katelyn Boyle of Wenham and Michael Nestor of Beverly and three great grandchildren.

Service information: Services are private.  Donations may be made to My Brother’s Table 98 Willow Street, Lynn, MA 01901.
~
She was miserable in her old age, having lost her eyesight and generally her will to live.  All of her family except for me and my brother had passed.   She lashed out at others rather than try to pass her final years in peaceful decorum.

She was always aggressive and outspoken, and would say biting comments that caused pain.... but I don't think she was a bad person.  I know that she loved my father, my brother and I, and as a young mother she ran an organized household.   When she was first married, she took in my Uncles Dick and Bill which was a stormy relationship.  Then she bore twins, one of whom died at childbirth and the other, my brother Edward, lived with cerebral palsy until his death by pneumonia at age four.  I was a one year old at the time.

She was particularly critical of any girl that I brought home, and her relationship with my wife Joanne was tempestuous at best.   But I always knew that in a wierd way, she was professing her love for me and my brother. when she attacked our other loved ones.

Having quit high school, she obtained a licensed practical nurse designation after attending the Essex Agricultural Institute Program in Danvers.   I remember how hard she studied, and how proud my father was of this accomplishment.  Then later, after my father had passed, she went back and got her GED.

She smoked since she was 14 years old.  It was a habit that I resented and abhored.   I couldn't stand the sight or smell of cigarettes and wished that she would stop.   It was a scourge of my childhood, but she defiantly would state that it was her only vice..... she didn't drink, didn't run around..... but she sure as hell would smoke those Chesterfield unfiltered butts.

Yet she lived to be 90 regardless.

She had moved to Florida and lived in a senior citizen trailer park by the time my kids were born and right after my father died on Christmas Day, 39 years ago.   I think she had a good life down there for a while, participating in park activities, taking trips to the Bahamas and other retired stuff.   Thankfully, my father's pension as a retired firefighter covered her financial needs.

She kept in touch with all of her extended Crosby family members.... my cousins that I really never knew.... and was close with her childhood friend Honey.

But everybody eventually died around her.... her brother, her nieces and nephews.   And she fought like hell with my brother who was devoted to taking care for her.   It was not pretty.

When my brother called and told me that she had passed,  I asked him if he was going to have a ceremony down in Ft. Lauderdale, but he said that everybody who knew her was dead.   He wants to take her ashes and spread them on my father's grave at the Lynn Firefighter's plot in Pine Grove Cemetery.

I think that they both would like that.

Mom... you taught me how to act, and how not to act.... and I pray that you will Rest in Peace.  I'm sure that we will cross paths again in God's Great Plan.


Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Growing Pains

So Peeps....
I think that your MOAM is all grown up now.

At least I'm old enough to know that this world is a boundless free-for-all populated by political leaders who treat others like sheep and blatantly lie to enhance their power.

And the Sheep do not care.

They are content to be lead by such obsequious leaders who actually are mirrors of themselves or who they wish themselves to be.

Truth, ethics and integrity are completely missing as the sheep lie and deceive in order to keep their individual interests feathered.

I used to think that if you gave someone all of the objective facts, they would form an honest opinion. But they assemble the facts into pre-conceived notions and distort the conclusions to fit their subjective agendas.

Is the truth unobtainable?

I'm  grown up enough now to admit that it is.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Quite a Haircut

Today, after a morning of wireless design reviews at the Boston Redevelopment Authority, I dropped by Silver Shears in Marblehead to get the haircut that Joanne has been harassing me about.  Silver Shears sounds pretty hoity toity, but it isn't.... I qualify for the senior citizens rate of fourteen bucks.

And lately, I have been getting it cut stylishly short.  Trying in vain to stay relevant with the times.

So I was waiting for the young barber who does the cool cuts, when the 75 year old guy asks me if I wanted him to give me a haircut.    I told him, to buzz me with Number 3 clippers and take a lot off the top.  He gave me a modest trim and thinned out the top a little.

But I didn't have the inclination to correct him or resist.  He was talking about what life was like when he was a kid in Lynn and Salem, and I listened to his recollections and went along with whatever haircut he came up with.

A haircut didn't seem more important than listening to his stories.

Then shortly after I got back to the office, my brother called and said that my mother had passed away 15 minutes ago.  Winifred Alberta Nestor was 90 years old last March and was not aging gracefully by any means.

She was willful, and sometimes paranoid... with no filter between her head and her mouth,  So she said some pretty screwed up things over the years.  People either loved her for it, or stayed away.

But even though she was a pain in the ass sometimes, she was my Mother, and I loved her, and have a lifetime of memories - both good and bad.  She is with my father now, who has been gone for 39 years.  She never seemed attracted to any other man as far as I know.

She wasn't a person at peace with herself.  I hope the afterlife changes that.

I love you and I will miss you Mom.

Monday, June 13, 2016

An Inconvenient Truth

Another gun massacre in a gun free zone. The inconvenient truth is that we must maintain a responsible armed citizenry.... as the 2nd Amendment acknowledges.

Gun control laws like we have in Massachusetts allow people who pass a background check to possess firearms for concealed carry.

It is not just out right to bear arms ..... it has become our obligation.

Islamic Terrorists will continue to target gun free zones to cowardly pick off their victims.  We have to responsibly eradicate these zones.

This is sad.... it is inconvenient... it shouldn't be this way.... but it is and we have to respond appropriately.   Not by denial or the enactment of laws that further endanger us.

Saturday, June 11, 2016

Benghazi Still Bothers the Hell Out of Me.

Aquaponics Update

The aquaponics project is moving along. Seventeen fish are in the fishtank, pooping and adding ammonia, nitrates and bacteria that are circulating up to the grow beds.  The beds in tune are filtering out these nutrients and returning purified water back to the fishtank.

A critter got into the fish pellets a couple of nights ago, and spilled the bucket, but didn't seem to eat too much.  That was my fault for not securing the cover.

The only problem is that the bell siphons are not dependable, and only one bed seems to be really thriving.

But the whole system looks cool as hell.  A number of SuperPeeps such as Tommy O and Brendt D'Orio have dropped by for a personal tour, which your MOAM is only to happy to provide.

We have harvested a good size salad's worth of lettuce already, and the tomatoes and peppers are kicking along nicely.  But the cauliflower looks pretty bad and the parsley is a bust.  I'd like to get some kale in there soon

Settled Science



With all of the personal trials going on recently that is none of  your business, this MOAM has been blowing off steam on Facebook threads.... mostly about Presidential Politics.

But the thread yesterday with some Liberal Friends about the "Settled Science" of Global Warming (aka "Climate Change" to fit the narrative since it just doesn't seem to be too warm lately) was a vigorous exchange and a nice respite from ranting about the Evil H.

I truly believe in climate change.  The boulders in my backyard are clear indications that mile high glaciers recently scraped their way through the neighborhood.  But the mammoths and cave men didn't cause this, and neither do Republicans as my Libbie friends like to fret about.

And you can look at the Al Gore "documentary" as the fabricated political propaganda that it is and still be in favor of environmental  measures to keep our country healthy.

I like to fish in Boston Harbor, which was a polluted mess in my childhood a generation ago. Environmental legislation eliminated this pollution without people like John Kerry and BO telling us that the our biggest problem was melting ice caps, and that this was "Settled Science" so get in step and STFU.   A bit Fascist for my taste.

The Harbor was cleaned up and Stiped Bass returned.   So did Turkeys, Coyotes, Raptor Hawks, Deer and a host of other critters who never showed up in the neighborhood when I was a kid.  This was all due to RCRA clean up that happened without political fabrication of global doom.

Forty years ago, people were worried that the world couldn't add any additional human population.... the "Population Bomb" was the moniker.   And we were lectured that there was only a little petroleum left to go around.  Certainly not enough to last forty years.   Facts didn't bear these fears out.

Libbies like to call people who disagree with their position as "Deniers".   I am one of those.   I actually have heard of legislation filed in California to fine people who profess denial of Climate Change.   Too bad Fascism still exists.

I definitely will not last the next 40 years to show my fretting FB Lefty Friends that they were wrong, But then again.... they won't be around either.

Thursday, June 09, 2016

Sheep Talk

Maybe I went a little too far yesterday.... with all of the Evil H lamentations and rants on Facebook the morning after she clinched her nomination from the "SuperDelegate" rigged Democrat primaries.

I know that I called one Libby a Sheep and told her to "BAA".

That probably was uncalled for.

But the early morning fawning by ABC News and H's proclamation that she has broken the "Glass Ceiling" with quite a bit of self adulation pretty much put me over the top.



But then again.....

If you are one of Hillary's supporters, I can only say this to you.

BAA, BAA, BAA,

You are a mindless sheep, oblivious to the disgusting characteristics of this odious manipulator.

No Offense.

Saturday, June 04, 2016

Evil H and DNA

Peeps....
I know that some of you are pretty good practical jokers and like nothing more than to put one over on this MOAM.

So when I was out washing my truck on this sunny Marblehead Saturday morning, I experienced a slight jolt to my system when I got the pressure washer to the back of the F-150.

There are three categories of practical jokes in my MOAM book.

1.  Category 1 - LOL... that is pretty funny.
2.  Category 2 - Who the Phuck Did THAT!
3.  Category 3 - Whoever PHUCKING DID THAT to me IS PHUCKING DEAD!!!!!




This one is kind of between Category 2 and 3.

I have carefully removed the offensive sticker and have sent it to the Crime Lab for a comprehensive DNA analysis and fingerprint examination.

I don't want to blame the wrong person for this slanderous action.

But I'm thinking.... Dale Johnson or Peter Crawford.

They are both low enough to do this and their DNA is probably easily attainable.

For those of you who get cheap chuckles from this kind of caper, please note that thousands of mentally challenged Peeps who live on every comment or gesture made by the MOAM could actually vote for the EVIL H if they saw this despicable sticker on my pristine F150.

This could tip the freaking election.

Friday, June 03, 2016

Woe to Fish

Bought my Massachusetts Fresh Water Fish License at Dick's Sporting Goods in Danvers today on the way home from some Friday afternoon permitting action at Boston ISD.

With the rows of fishing tackle and other apparatus to capture fish at that store, you would think that there wouldn't be a fish left in Massachusetts by the end of the year.   It is like an arsenal stuffed with weapons to do battle with stupid fish.

Course I stocked up a little bit.  Some drop shot hooks, regular hooks, bobbers, sinkers and other stuff designed to help me slay panfish without mercy down at Redd's Pond.

It is going to be a massacre.

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Don't Disagree

Hate to use a double negative, but I don't disagree.

Gorilla Lives Matter

The mother who let her child run wild at the gorilla exhibit at the  Cincinnati Zoo is responsible for the death of a magnificent silver back gorilla.

Plain and Simple.  Take responsibility for your actions.

She should be prosecuted.

Monday, May 30, 2016

Buddy for the Buds

Peeps....
I know you don't care about my opinion and some of you even get pissed when I give it anyway.

Which is awesome motivation for me to keep pumping out my thoughts, preferences and truthful ideas.

So in the spirit of irritation and outright annoyance, I am compelled to let you know that I now have found my choice as the world's best beer.


This is brewed in Lynn down at the old Lynn Lumber site on the Lynnway.   Chris Crawford is one of the owners, but just because I view Chris as one of the family, that has not clouded my independent judgement.  They do a lot of IPA's which I am not particularly fond of, but the Pearl is Legit.

Bent Water Pearl American Wheat Ale has eclipsed Sam Adams and even Guinness on the MOAM's taste buds.   And those are mighty hard buds to please.

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Operational Aquaponics

There is a lot of criticism on the web regarding the operation of Bell Siphons.  Maybe I'm missing something, but the ones that I built and installed using standard instructions from on-line sources are working like a charm.

The Grow Beds fill up with water, the siphon kicks in, and the entire bed is emptied of fluid with a satisfying burp at the end of the cycle.... then the bed starts to fill again.  

The pressure sending the water to the fish tank is really amazing as the water spills out of the 3/4" PVC pipe and splashes into the fish tank causing a nice aeration effect.   Then, like magic, the flow stops altogether as the grow beds are filled to the brim of the siphon.... when the process starts again.

We planted some tomatoes, sweet potatoes, peppers, zucchini and lettuce yesterday, and I swear they grew significantly in just one day.


The only problem thus far is that the water in the fish tank remains a little cloudy due to the dust on the clay grow rocks.  This  seems to be clearing up though.

Next weekend, we add the fish to the system, and finish the vegetable and herb plantings.

Joanne and I have been saving the Keuring K Cups for coffee every morning and the amount of coffee grounds accumulates substantially after a week of so.   I've been sprinkling the grounds around the perimeter of the beds in the hope that this will deter the Ground Hog who wiped out our traditional garden that was located in this same place in just one Ground Hog gluttonous evening.

I still want to trim out the beds in cedar or pine, but all of the major components of this project are now in place as the development phase now morphs into operations.  Looking forward, I have to figure out the best way to deal with keeping this in place during the cold weather months.

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Aquaponics Pre-Launch

The Bell Siphon's worked surprisingly well.  There is some tweaking to do, but they seem to work as designed.

A bit of a setback this morning was the need to dig out the grow media in one of the beds and add some support beams because the bed cage was obviously stressed.    The support beams did the trick.

I planted some stock that Joanne bought from the Marblehead Garden Center when the grow beds and bell siphons seem to be in synch..  The wilted lettuce immediately came to life in the grow media.  We added tomatos, peppers, sweet potatoes and zucchini.   The plants look pretty good and there is plenty of room left in the grow beds for more stock.

I'm a bit concerned over the cloudiness of the water in the fish tank due to the dust on the clay grow media rocks.  If it  doesn't clear up by tomorrow, I'm going to purge the water from the system and add all new water.

I doubt if this would kill the fish, but it is a major impediment to the aesthetics of the system.  Clear water and a view of the fish is deal breaker in my view.

Tomorrow, I have to clean up the mess in the fish tank area, with tools, cords, hoses etc, all over the place.  The stone retaining wall has also taken a beating during the plumbing and leveling process, and this has to be rebuilt.

I've already started t to brag to Tommy O on how awesome this system is, so housekeeping is in order before he comes by to inspect.

Friday, May 27, 2016

Transition from Planning to Implementation

Tomorrow morning is "Bell Siphon" Morning.
Bell Siphon:
Having Installed the feed lines, bulkheads and return feeds in the aquaponic project, tomorrow I will finalize the bell siphons and fill the beds with the clay stone grow media.

This is not a drill Peeps.... This is the real Enchilada.

If the Bell Siphons work, the plants will be installed and the cycle will begin.  Maybe next week, I will try to get Rich Mah to take me to his secret Bluegill and Pumpkinseed fishing spot and we will move from planning to full scale implementation.

Thursday, May 26, 2016

WeekEnd Outlook

Could it possibly be Thursday night?  This is another week that flew by.  Not enough days and not enough hours in the day to get the work done.

There is a three day Memorial Day weekend in store and the weather promises to be a great summer kickoff.

The bathroom can be put together, and the final plumbing to the the Aquaponics project will be completed, after which I will add the grow media and move this into the implementation mode.   In the middle of this, I hope to get out on the Lagavulin for a little harbor cruising.

The Evil H seems to be on the run with the Inspector General's report about the scumbag use of her State Department email, and Trump and Sanders may be staging a debate.

Except for some really crappy personal issues, all seems to be right with the world.

Sunday, May 22, 2016

A Nice Respite



Peeps.... Ryan had the PT 4x6 timber retaining wall removed from the old Nanepashemet homestead, so I grabbed them and cut to size in order to level the aquaponics grow beds.  It was a perfect reuse of this stock and I used most of the old wall for the aquaponics foundation.  The Dewalt 10' portable table saw came through like a champ ripping this stock to the proper dimensions.
Then I rigged up the swirl filter in a 28 gallon blue plastic drum, ran temporary pvc plumbing from the filter to the fish tank, ran the hose to the fish tank and tested out the 1100 gph pump.  Worked like a charm and is still out there circulating water from the tank to the fish tank.  It was drawing 64 watts on the solar power system when I checked last.  The pump seems to have plenty of muscle to aggressively move the water up to the swirl filter tank level.
So now literally all of the heavy lifting is done.  I have to run the plumbing from the swirl filter to the grow beds and install the bell siphon return plumbing to the fish tank and then this system will be ready to add the grow media and introduce plants and fish.
I'm sure that we will hit a snag while tweaking the system implementation by so far so good.
I also managed to attend the Bent Water Brewery opening in Lynn, have an overnight with the grandkids and  visit  the nursing home to see Bam with Joanne and Mike, plus  checked in with my Brother and Mother who is in a Florida Hospital...... a busy weekend that I'm happy to conclude.
It's been a nice respite from constantly bitching about Liberals and Hillary Clinton though.

Friday, May 20, 2016

Rigor Mortis Prediction.



Peeps.....
It's freaking happening.

In a fit of productivity, I cut the IBC Totes into a fish tank and three grow beds today at the Peabody Warehouse.

It's clear to me, due to the harsh metal cuts on the cages, that I have to trim out all of the sides and tops of the tank and beds with #2 pine.

So tomorrow I'll grab some stock that I have at the Peabody Warehouse, transport the tank to Marblehead, go to Ryan's house to pick up some PT 4x4's that he has left from his driveway renovation, and put the bones of this system together.

By the end of the day, I expect to be on the deck, nursing rigor mortis with some Sam Adams.

Thursday, May 19, 2016

African Safari

Yesterday I booked tickets to Johannesburg, South Africa via London, England.

It will be a long flight.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Dealing with Do Do

Yesterday, I prophetically posted that there was a possibility that I would be waylaid by contingencies today in the effort to move the aquaponics project forward.

And so it was that issues at Nanepashemet Telecom as well as some unforeseen personal stuff dominated the day and prevented any attention being applied to the time sensitive project.

Planning for contingencies is an integral part of project management.

In other words,.... "Shit Happens".

Dealing with the Do Do is as important as meeting project milestones.

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Consumed by Contingencies

After a morning of aggressively searching out stuff to invoice for at Nanepashemet Telecom, I headed over to the Peabody Warehouse when the AR received a nice little boost.

I stopped at the Danvers Liberty Tree Home Depot first to get some radiator covers for the bathroom renovation then drove to the Warehouse to dismantle the IBC Tote Cages and begin to dissect them into the Aquaponics Grow Beds and Fish Tank.

One of the immediate problems is that the Totes are from different manufacturers and although they are both 275 gallon containers, they are substantially different in the way that they are framed out in their cages.   The dilemma was to establish a way to cut the cages that would make the system look symmetrical and after standing around in a stupor, I finally took my Bosch JigSaw with a metal cutting blade, marked some measurements and cut away.

Three quarters into the first Grow Bed, the metal cuttling jigsaw blade snapped in two.  Naturally, I only had one spare in the jigsaw tool case so I finished cutting with that one, and hightailed it over to Peabody Builders Supply to pick up the baseboard and moulding for the bathroom.

I ordered some more blades through Amazon this evening, but will have to get to Home Depot tomorrow and pick up additional metal cutting blades before I get back to Peabody.

Tomorrow, unless a crisis erupts at Nanepashemet Telecom, I should be able to get to the Warehouse and make all of the final cage cuts. After cutting the plastic tanks to size,  it will be back to Home Depot to pick up 4x4 PT landscape timbers which will be used to level the Grow Beds.

By Thursday, I hope to be heavily into constructing the PVC plumbing that connects the system together, but it will probably be pushed to Friday because I have a feeling that tomorrow will be consumed by contingencies.

The Bell Siphon system has me concerned as I have researched it further.  Apparently these systems have to be tweaked extensively.   I have a feeling that this is going to be a pain in the ass to get itworking properly.

Sometime next week, I hope to be filling the tanks.

Monday, May 16, 2016

Aquaponics Explanation

aquaponics

So many of you Peeps have been asking me how the Aquaponics system will work.  This is a good graphic explanation of the process.

Something has to power the pump which circulates the water in this system... that is what my solar energy installation is for.

The only outside management in a well functioning system would be the proper application of fish food.

I'll be installing the tanks later in the week during lulls in Nanepashemet Telecom action.

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Aquaponics Project Development

So today, the battery power system was installed, the trench was dug to connect the solar panels to the power system, and the panels are ready to be connected.  Plus I mowed the lawn and put the second coat of poly on the Bathroom hardwood maple floor.  Over the week, I prepared the shed to accomodate the fish tank.

They don't call me a Mountain of a Man for nothing.

But May is half over and I really want to get this Aquaponics system in high gear by Memorial Day.

Tomorrow, the power system gets tweaked and finalized, and I'd love to get to the Peabody warehouse to start cutting the IBC Totes for the Fish Tank and Grow Beds.  But I also have to get to Kate's Wenham home for a family cookout.

By next weekend, the bathroom could be done, and the Fish tank and Swirl Filter may be in place.

Or maybe not.

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Aquaponics WBS

Everything is in place.

It is like Christmas Eve when you have to assemble all of the freaking toys.

All of the equipment minus water, plants and fish present and ready to be assembled.

  • Solar Panels
  • Battery Bank
  • Charge Controller
  • AC Power inverter
  • All PVC fixtures to assemble three Bell Siphons
  • 55 Gallon Blue Barrell for the Swirl Filter
  • Two 275 Gallon IBC totes to fabricate into one fish tank and three grow beds.
  • PVC fixtures and tubing to assemble all of the drainage and Plumbing
  • Aqua Rox Clay stone growing media (a whole shitload of it).
  • 1100 GPH water pump.

Now there is nothing to it but to do it.

I've taken the time to item this into a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) which we Professional Project Managers are trained to do..... yet never really do in real life.


  • Assemble Pressure Treated Lumber frames for the Solar Panels.
  • Dig a trench from the Solar Panel location to the battery pack and inverter station under the Deck.
  • Run the solar cable and grounding wire through PVC Pipe in the trench and power up the system.
  • Dig a trench and run PVC conduit for the Pump to AC Inverter Power Cord.
  • Cut 1/4 of the Fish Tank IBC Tote and set aside as a grow bed.
  • Use the 3/4 remaining IBC Tote for the Fish Tank and drill a hole to connect the pump.
  • Assemble the 55 gallon swirl filter and install hole fixtures,
  • Run the pump infeed tube from the fish tank to the swirl filter.
  • Cut the other IBC Tote into two grow beds utilizing the top and bottom quarters of the tote.
  • Set up the grow beds on a pressure treated elevated frame allowing access to the bottom of the beds.
  • Cut holes in the beds and install the Bell Siphons.
  • Connect the Bell Siphon outlets to draninage to PVC plumbing running back to the Fish tank and spilling into it to oxygenate the fish water.
  • Run PVC plumbing from the Swirl Filter to the Grow Beds.
  • Wash the Aqua Rox Clay stone against a sifter screen to minimize dust.
  • Add the Stone grow media into the grow beds.
  • Add a layer of stone to the bottom of the fish IBC tote for appearance.
  • Add water to the fish tank
  • Turn on the pump to move water to the swirl filter.
  • Adjust the infeed and outfeed water flow from the swirl filter to the grow beds.
  • Keep filling the system from the fish tank, to the swirl filter to the grow beds until the Bell Siphons start to discharge.
  • Monitor water filling until the fish tank, the swirl filter and the grow beds are in balance.
  • Add ammonia to the fish tank to begin the nutrient cycle.
  • Add plants to the grow media.
  • Cycle the system for a few days.
  • Go fishing for Golden Shiners.
  • Introduce the fish to the fish tank and establish feeding cycles.
  • Trim out the tanks and grow beds in wood.
  • Tend to the grow beds and care for the fish.
  • Monitor pH and tweak to find out why plants aren't growing and fish are dying.
  • Become discouraged and disenchanted... beginning a spiral of self loathing.
  • Watch pitifully as the entire thing turns into a quagmire in my backyard.
  • Endure catcalls, taunts and various levels of vituperation from former friends and loved ones.
  • Abandon and dump the evidence.
  • Deny that you ever even contemplated such a project.

The  End.



Moving Rox


The FedEx guy breaking down this pallet said there were 40 bags, each with 50 lbs of Aqua Rox Clay Stone Grow Media.

So it actually doesn't look that bad on the front lawn.

But by the fourth or fifth bag that he handed to me, he asked, "Does your Wife know about this?"

I didn't catch his name, but I don't think he is an FB Friend.

He earned a good tip for helping me transfer those bags.... now I have to make a final move to get them under the deck before the day gets too late.

Monday, May 09, 2016

A Little Aliteration

So Peeps...
I bought 40 cubic feet of this fine grow media product and am set to take FedEx delivery sometime tomorrow.

The need is really for only 27 cubic feet, but there was a significant discount to buy a 40 cubic foot pallet, so that's the direction we took.

Course, that's about 2000 lbs of this specialized clay rock.... which is 1 ton for those of you with a conversion function on your Hewlett Packard.

I can just envision Joanne with her tender inquiry tomorrow.."What the HELL is all that SHIT in the Driveway??????"

When she finds out that it is for the Aquaponics Project which she now knows virtually nothing about, I'm sure she will see the virtue in a short period of minimum yard clutter.

Or maybe not....

I can always have Katelyn console her....

Or maybe not....

Whatever.   Tomorrow the rubber meets the road and the Aquaponics way of life will be cresting upon us.   A new liftetime of vegetables and plants grown in a harmonic cycle of nutrient exchange with Fluttering Finned Fish.

Or maybe I'm Phucked.

Friday, May 06, 2016

Saturday Multi-Tasking

I'm starting to believe that multi-tasking is big time Bullshit.

You can only do one thing at a time.... and for the most part, you can only get one thing done in a day.

So here I go again, planning a highly productive weekend, when in reality only one or two things will really get done.

What our minds can conceive, our bodies can achieve.... but with a considerable time lag.

Whatever....

Tomorrow, I have a hard stop at 3:30 PM when I will take the S550 out to Lexington, MA and attend my grandson, Ethan's, baseball game.

Before then my hope is to complete the hardwood floor installation in my half bath and also transport the solar power system from Peabody to Marblehead.   That means that the floor gets done by 10:00AM and the Solar system is delivered by 2:00PM....

Not wholly optimistic, but doable.

Perplexing Points for Pondering Propagation

So I called the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife to ask about a permit which would allow the propagation of native fish.   The Code of Massachusetts Regulations indicates that Bluegill could be raised with a permit but absolutely bans Tilapia from being kept in MA.

The well meaning staffer at the state office recommended that I use Tilapia for the system, and said that Bluegill is actually not domestic to Massachusetts.

The verbal direction is diametrically different than how I read the code.

Then, one guy at the state agency suggested that I just go to a bait store and buy live golden shiners.... and he emphasized that I would not need a permit at all.

Peeps... I'm trying to do the right thing here... maintain the public trust by not violating any of the Commonwealth's laws.   I just want to get fish to pooh in the tank so that I can grow vegetables.  And it would be a shame if I couldn't use fish that live in the pond naturally just a mile away.

If all else fails, I can always go to PetSmart and buy some Goldfish.... but that just doesn't seem to be a cool way to go.  It's not the money.    I could buy a fishing license for $27 bucks, travel to a secret spot that Rich Mah knows about, and legally catch and transport 20 shiners or so.  After paying for lunch and beers with Rich, that would be a lot more money than buying Goldfish.

Meanwhile, I'm taking delivery on the Aqua Rocs grow media which is being delivered to FedEx in North Reading where I will pick it up on Monday.   That is the last piece of the puzzle left and I will be putting the system in the ground next weekend.

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Mah-velous Plan

So I'm waiting for orders to come in from McMaster-Carr, Allied Aqua, and Amazon... after which the only thing lacking to assemble the aquaponics system will be fish, plants and water.

Rich Mah, an old classmate and current FB Friend, has volunteered to help me fish for local Bluegill stock to populate the fish tank,  If you can believe his Facebook posts, Rich is a killer freshwater fisherman, and I have offered to get him onto the Lagavulin and fish for some Stripers in the salt after the Bluegills have been stocked.

I think about twenty Bluegill would be enough.  Rich thinks it's a no brainer.

That is one hell of a win-win deal from my standpoint.

I order a lot of stuff on-line, and have never had an issue to date.  Amazon is a great company, and McMaster-Carr has every piece part that you can imagine.  You stay up late at night, theorizing what nut, bolt or hardware fixture that you may need, get on-line to McMaster-Carr, hit the button and the thing shows up in forty eight hours..... sometimes faster.   And the unbelievable thing as that McMaster doesn't ask for a credit card.  They ship the stock, then send you a bill.

Allied Aqua is a dedicated aquaponics supply house out of the Kansas City, Mo. area.  Their prices and selection seem superior after many nights of Googling for aquaponics resources.  I bought the pump, clay rock growing media and numerous gaskets and PVC fixtures from them and am anxious to see if the quality and service is what I anticipate.

Meanwhile the solar energy system to power the pump is complete and cooking away at the Nanepashemet Peabody warehouse along with the two 275 gallon IBC totes that I bought from Tropical Juice in Salem.  Sitting there also is all of the PVC pipes and fixtures from Home Depot that will be fabricated into the water distribution system and the bell siphon units,

I told Rich that he will get the call in late May to transfer Bluegill from Redd's Pond to a life of leisure and fish happiness in the Nanepashemet Aquaponics Tank.

UPDATE:
Nix on this.  It is illegal to keep live fish from a pond in Massachusetts per 321 CMR 4:00.
Thank God that we live in the land of the free.







Fish for Bluegill


Native Bluegill


NATIVE BLUEGILL  (Lepomis macrochirus)

The preferred alternative for the fish species in my aquaponics system is locally caught Bluegill.

Now that the grow media and pump has been ordered and in delivery, all of the components except the plants and the fish. 

 Everything should be assembled by the end of May and then the system water will be cycled with plants prior to adding the fish.  I will wait under that time for the final determination..... fish for Bluegill or order Trout.

UPDATE:
Nix on this.  It is illegal to keep live fish from a pond in Massachusetts per 321 CMR 4:00.

Thank God that we live in the land of the free.

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Turning to Trout

I've decided to order twenty 6" Rainbow Trout to stock the Aquaponics fish Tank.

Need to check if the New Hampshire trout hatchery will deliver sometime in May.
http://www.hyonahilltrout.com/trout.htm

The choice centered around Bluegill, Trout, Goldfish, Koi, or Tilapia.

Bluegill - no local sources.  I could fish for these myself at Redd's Pond, but that would have been time consuming and you can't be sure what some of my Marblehead Liberal Neighbors would squawk about if they saw me hauling away 5 gallon pails of live fish.

Tilapia - a favorite for aquaponics, but it is a warm water fish and I intend to keep the fish outside in the cold weather.

Goldfish - widely available at local and on-line sources, but boring and the trout are actually less expensive.

Koi - cool fish but wicked expensive.  They are probably a good choice despite this because of their longevity - 20 yrs or more.

Rainbow Trout - hardy cold water fish.  Very pretty to look at.  would make a tasty meal if we elected to harvest them.  And if my research is correct, I can have them delivered rather inexpensively from HY-ON-A HILL TROUT FARM in Plainfield, NH.

 So Rainbow Trout gets the nod.  I feel they are more resilient than Brook Trout and better to look at than Brown Trout.

Friday, April 22, 2016

Late April Weekend.

April is an important month.  Because if you live in New England, the best months of the year are June, July, August, and half of September.  So you don't want to be burdened with job and household jobs during these months.  You want to be fishing, riding your Bike and doing anything but house chores.  The time to get this stuff done is April and May.  And April is half gone.

This weekend looms important per the above standard.  I don't want to be painting, or building stuff or anything else once June kicks in, so it's imperative that I get a shitload of stuff done in April, and this is one of the last weekends left.

So, the choices for this weekend are as follows.....


  • Rake the yard and get all of the debris to the dump.
  • Uninstall the bathroom and get the wall ready to paint.
  • Finish the Solar Pump installation and move from Peabody to under the Deck.
  • Cut the IBC Totes for the growing beds and the fish tank.


The old Me would think that all of this can get done this weekend.  I would be ecstatic to get three out of four.

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

PC Pussification

Would somebody please tell Curt Schilling that freedom of speech is dead in this country????

How dare he say the type of hate speech that offends Trannies by criticizing their right to pee as they see fit!!!!

If there is a God in Heaven, Schilling will be immediately removed from his sensitive position  as a Baseball Analyst on ESPN.

We may be Pussified, but at least we can stay PC!!

Remove Schilling before even one more Trannie has to endure his insensitive, hateful opinions.

Baseball analysis deserves no less.

BTW.... here's what really offends me these days.  I so sick and tired of the Phoney Liberal Bullshit doled out by assholes who make major issues out of stuff like allowing trannies to go to the Girl's Room.

It is aggravating that we are allowing our society to become oppressed  by Pussies intent on pushing their egotistical PC crap.

If you don't like what Schilling says, don't listen to the Phucking ESPN Baseball show.
Stupid Pussies.

Friday, April 15, 2016

Foward with Aquaponics



So this week, in the midst of championing the business success of Nanepashemet Telecom, your MOAM got some milestones checked off in the real important category.... the Aquaponics Project.

The solar power experiment came off without a hitch at the Peabody warehouse, where two 100 Watt Photo Voltaic Solar Panels are supplying current to two 12 volt 100 Amp Hour batteries.  The connected AC Power inverter drives shop tools with ease.

I will use this off grid power system to fuel the 92 watt 1100 gallon per hour water pump which will be the heart of the aquaponics project.  Have not bought this submersible  pump yet but there is a huge selection available for less than a hundred bucks.

Then on a whim, I was on Highland Ave. in Salem last Wednesday and dropped into the  Tropical Juice Plant which had advertised the availability of 250 gallon IBC food grade totes about six months ago on Craig's List.  Drove away with two of these babies in great condition for $100 each, which I felt was a great price for items of this quality.

So now, I have to pick up the PVC items tomorrow morning at Home Depot in order to make three Bell Siphon systems, which I can build from plans that I found on the Web.  The IBC Totes have to be disected into four containers.... one for the fish, and three to contain grow medium for the plants.

I've laid out the whole system where the conventional garden was that the groundhog ate in one night last July.... have not disclosed this to other members of the family however. I've found that these types of disclosures are best made after the system is already in place.

aquaponics ibc - Google Search:

BTW, I'm going to trim this all out in pine and the final result will look the balls.

Aquaponics System How To | One IBC Tote System at The Aquaponic Source: Aquaponics / Fish Farm


The below Bell Siphon system should be done sometime next week.

Picture of Building the Siphon

Model # C4703
Internet # 100116710
Store SKU # 232483
3/4 in. CPVC CTS Slip x FPT Female Adapter 4  $       1.18  $       4.72
Model # C4704HD34
Internet # 100347148
Store SKU # 187747
3/4 in. CPVC CTS Slip x MPT Male Adapter 4  $       0.44  $       1.76
Model # 96735
Internet # 100299374
Store SKU # 584130
#18 O-Rings (10-Pack) 4  $       2.27  $       9.08
Model # 57471
Internet # 202280935
Store SKU # 193712
3/4 in. x 10 ft. PVC Schedule 40 Plain-End Pipe 10  $        2.93  $      29.30
Model # 531095
Internet # 100161921
Store SKU # 193860
3 in. x 10 ft. PVC Schedule 40 DWV Plain-End Pipe 1  $      17.74  $      17.74
Model # 531137
Internet # 100161954
Store SKU # 193852
2 in. x 10 ft. PVC Sch. 40 Plain-End Pipe 1  $        8.87  $        8.87
Model # PVC021161600HD
Internet # 203811678
Store SKU # 232777
2 in. PVC Sch. 40 Socket Cap 3  $        1.32  $        3.96
Model # C406-007
Internet # 100347455
Store SKU # 187976
3/4 in. Schedule 40 PVC 90-Degree Elbow 24  $        0.40  $        9.60
Model # PVC021081600HD
Internet # 203811562
Store SKU # 536636
1-1/2 in. x 3/4 in. PVC Sch. 40 Reducer Bushing 3  $        1.54  $        4.62

Picture of Make a Bell Siphon

Thursday, April 07, 2016

Documenting the Lapse

It's been a little while since the last post.

So what have I been doing while not Posting in this pathetic Blog, you may or may not ask?

Although the overwhelming response is that you really don't give a rat's ass what I do... I'm going to tell you anyway.   I mean.... what the hell are you continuing to read this for anyway????

So lately, I've been....

  • Playing the Banjo when Joanne goes to bed.
  • Watching the OJ series.
  • Working on my solar energy portable power system.
  • Making Pizza.
  • Worrying about the health of older relatives.
  • Laboring over Nanepashemet Telecom spreadsheets.
  • Waiting for snow to melt.
  • Not exercising.
  • Going to sleep at night while looking at weird Youtube videos about aliens, fake moon landings, and other stuff.
  • Planning a South Africa trip.
  • Taking Henry to the vet.
  • Obsessively posting about the evil H. on Facebook.
  • Watching Fox talk about the POTUS race 24/7.
  • Thinking about remodeling the bathrooms.
  • Getting aggravated by Liberals on Network Media.

..... and other stuff that I don't feel like mentioning to you.

So you can see that a Blog lapse was entirely justified.

Friday, April 01, 2016

Damnable PP

Peeps....
Lately I've been involved in some emotional exchanges on Facebook regarding abortion.

I realize that this is a no-win topic.  But it is a discussion that drags at the core of  the human race.

When you have federally funded organizations like  Planned Parenthood advocating for the sale of human fetus parts, to stay silent in my mind is akin to knowing that the Nazis gassed millions, but remaining mum.

And make no mistake about it.... I believe that those who operate the Planning Parenthood debacle are as glib about human life as Dr. Josef Mengele.

That said, I am Pro-Choice regarding abortion.

I believe that a women has the right to put the fetus in her body to death.

It is a legal right.... but before you read on.... being legal is not the same as being moral.  The Nazi's legally gassed Jews and Gypsies..... a moral abomination.

The State has the right to exact capital punishment on humans... under legal processes....and a women has the right to kill her fetus in our society.

Both should be done only after intensive examination, and never casually.

When you look at a sonogram of a one month fetus, and see the heart beating.... you have to be a savage not to acknowledge that this a human life.   To exterminate this life, because it is inconvenient... is barbaric.

Yet barbarism is not foreign to humans.  Less than 200 years ago, it was legal in the United States to treat people as property and own slaves.  There were some in the United States that were passionate about the right to own slaves, and were willing to go to war to maintain that right.

Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, started the organization as a means to cull the African American population, which she viewed as "human weeds".  I believe that the people who advocate casual abortion are the incarnation of the proponents of slavery in this country.  Whether it is a coincidence that they both are Democrats is notwithstanding.

I recently came across a Facebook post, wishing that Donald Trump's mother had aborted him.

It is this level of glibness on the topic that is wrong and nauseating.

Pro-Choice women passionately cry out that no one has a right to tell them what they can do with their own body.  I agree.  That is their solemn responsibility to judge whether they have a moral standing and reason to kill the fetus growing within them.

But to treat the extinguishing of human life as a matter of convenience or birth control, particularly in the context of abortion factories like Planned Parenthood, is damnable.