Lobster Count

Tommy and I pulled the traps tonight and came up with five keepers and eleven shorts  Some of the shorts were borderline.
~
That's one keeper lobster for every two traps that we pulled.  I'm no marine biologist, but sixteen lobsters  in one ten trap haul seems like a lot.  Especially given that there are dozens of other traps in competition with ours.
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The sea bottom around Marblehead seems  to be crawling  with these delectable criitters which taste so good when steamed and served with drawn butter.
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If we maintain this ratio, we will harvest abount 10 lobsters per week and over 100 lobsters over the remainder of the summer.  I'd estimate that over 2000 keepers will be taken from Marblehead waters this summer by recreational and commercial lobstermen.
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Can the fishery sustain this???  Like I said, I'm no  marine biologist.  But my guess is that these crustaceans are holding their own.  And as long as the regs against taking shorts, bigs and females are honored, there will be enough to go around for the time being.

Doug Maxfield said...

2:1 thrown back vs. kept...you ol' sea farmer you. Just keep tending your crop until they're big enough for the pot.

Evil Plot

Last night at a hearing of a Planning Board in Western Massachusetts, a Board member pinned back the President of a Condominium Association who has asserted that my client's tower would drop the property values of his Condo complex.   The Board member asked him to substantiate this claim.  Give some evidence where this has happened.
~
Didn't expect that to occur.  Usually we are subject to unprotected assault as the perpetrators of evil towers at these hearings.  People can make all sorts of wild and insulting claims with no pressure to legitimize their assertions.
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For instance, we were accused of aiding to the drug traffic in the area, and it was stated that we should  pay a monthly stipend to each owner at the condominium.   Both of these points were new highs/lows for me at hearings like this.
~
The Board Member's question.... to actually explain an inflammatory remark.... was a refreshing change.  
~
We will eventually get the approval to build this tower, after hearings throughout the summer and the expense of substantial legal fees.   And the condo's value will not be diminished, nor will drug traffic pick up in the area, nor will the tower make people sick, nor will it fall down and kill someone.
~
This too shall pass, as I inflict my evil plot to build wireless towers and wreck the lives of all in my path.

Lobsters for the 4th

With the help of Tommy O, we dropped all ten traps at strategic places off of the islands in Marblehead Sound.   The competition for the tasty crustaceans seems pretty intense with traps all over.
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I avoided the mud around the Salem Harbor Lighthouse this year because of all of the gross, jelly like stuff that grew around the traps.  Even though the area was productive, some of the alien life forms kind of turned me off from fishing that area.
~
Had a little engine trouble, where the connectors to the battery had corroded and it was difficult to get the charge necessary to turn over the engine.   Mark Ryan of Ryan Marine jumped on that one and fixed it today for which I was really grateful.   It's nice to have a boat mechanic service that you can trust and actually gets work done promptly.
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We'll check the traps tomorrow and hopefully there will be Lobsters for the 4th.

European Vacation

Mike has gone to London and will probably find a pub to watch the England-Germany World Cup Soccer game today.  That is also probably the only way that I could sit through  an entire soccer match without actively seeking out a freshly painted wall to watch for dryness.
~
But hanging out with a packed pub full of drunken, screaming Brits has a certain appeal.
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I won't be watching the match on TV here Stateside.
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After London, Mike is supposed to head down to Majorca in the Mediterranean Sea for the rest of his single guy vacation.  I'll bet he has some stories to tell when he gets home for the 4th of July.    And I bet that Joanne and I don't hear the best ones.

POTW Week 25

I keep telling you Peeps to play the hand that is dealt to you, run a new play everyday... that everything happens for a reason.... and that everything happens for the best.  That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Announcing....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 25th Week of 2010

Emily Engardia
Maria Rowen (Automatic Lagavulin Rule)
The Counter Clerk at Winchester Fishing Company who claims that Bigfoot has been seen three times on Cape Ann.
Doug Maxfield
Wayne Webster
Kathy Peabody

Did you happen to notice that we had an automatic selection this week????  Maria Rowen came through big time with the unexpected and highly appreciated gift of the King of Scotch.  Like I said... everything happens for the best.

Needs, Trends, and Gaps

I was thinking of changing careers this morning... Maybe I'll hone my acrobatic skills and join the Cirque du Soleil.   They probably have a slot for an overweight, middle-aged white guy, because I never see one in their ads.
~
That's why I'm such a good businessman.... I have this inate ability to spot the needs, the trends, and the gaps.
~
But then again, I can't leave Nanepashemet Telecom.  The Apple IPhone is the killer technology that will tultimately drive the demand for the wireless antenna site infrastructure that we provide.  Just have to be on the right surfboard when this big wave hits.

Business Rhythms

So I started the day today by going to the Dentist.  Never a good start of the day.  I was anticipating taking care of some odds and ends and didn't hold a great deal of hope for business advancement.
~
Wrong.
~
We were awarded a job by one customer, got some great insight and indications of new business with another and closed out two construction jobs in Dedham and Jamestown, RI.
~
That' s why I always get irritated with people who claim to know so much about business.   Because you never can really predict what will happen on a day to day basis.  Sure... you can pick the trends, and try to influence decisions.  But the actions of business seem to follow a rhythm of their own.

Tuna Lips said...
Ise finds them highjenists often has large jugs which is prime fer spectatin' whilst in that funny blue chair with the plastic fer spillage, if ye knows what I thinks.

Now, like my pappy, I tends to loosen my drawers when so reclinified, not fer no particular reasonin' cept to ease the persure of my gut against my sciatica. Feller can't be blamed fer payin' to relax, exspechally when the stress of someone pokin' arounf yer mouth is upon ye.

I "ll say it again, I did not have genital contact with that big jugged tooth lady's pants or any part of her garmentery. I is not an animal!

Cyber Bad Mood

I've decided to cool it on Facebook.
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You post something stupid that gets misinterpreted, or you say something sarcastic that just comes across as mean spirited, then people respond with a little trash talk that pisses you off, then you're sitting there in a bad mood.... for no freaking reason whatsoever!!!!
~
There is enough legitimate stuff in my life to get pissed off about.   Stupid shit in Facebook isn't one of them.
~
So I've decided to cool it on Facebook.   If you want to aggravate me bad enough, you can always leave a comment on this pathetic blog.  But then again, this Blog is about me pissing other people off.... it's not supposed to be the other way around.

Lauren Rathbone  said...
I am so mad at facebook right now..I got that spam virus and it sent my friends emails and postings suggesting a weight loss plan, or a free iphone, or some acai berry thing. And people have been emailing me or texting me all day asking if I think they are fat..WTF..


Jim L. said...
Don't let trash talk throw you off your game. That's how Larry got into other player's heads. It only worked when they let it.


Shake it off and have a good weekend.

More White House Beer

My friendly "Thought Police" on Good Morning Anerica are all aghast over the critical remarks made by our commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, about his impressions of President Obama.  Naturally, if you read the article in The Rolling Stone, it is no big deal, under normal circumstances.
~
But the cries for his resignation are bellowing from our elite liberal thinkers.  Imagine opining that Biden and Obama have some faults!!!
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Regardless, the General has protocols that have been crossed, and he should be replaced
~
BO has the General on the carpet in the White House this morning.   Let's see if a beer can solve this one.

Lauren Rathbone  said...
I wanted to let you know, that I purchased the sam adams perfect pour glasses for Fathers Day, for both Jason and my DAD. I was a big hit, and worth the drive to JP to get them. Even though I got really lost trying to find the brewery with two angry kids..So thanks the blog inspired my fathers day this year. Hope you had a good one.

Maria Rowen said.....
Ah…the written word is Mc-Chrystal-clear and better than any open mic mischief with Senator BiteMe… But once again America looks bad and that’s not good… And we lose a four-star… because whether you like it or not…the boss however ‘dis-engaged’ is still the boss… So bring on the beer and while you all opine I shall owine…cheers!

Division 1 Endorsement

We found some time during a slow day at Nanepashemet Telecom to get to the Winchester Fishing Company in Gloucester and replenished the lobster trap supplies.  The came the call from Ben Martin to meet he and Scuba Steve Lewis down at the Three Cod to say goodbye to Benny before he made the drive to Texas A&M..
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I was never a big college football fan, but now that the Nanepashemet Blog has an official endorsement for an NCAA Division One team.... namely the Aggies of Texas A&M, we'll be keeping close tabs.
~
Benny will be missed in these parts.

Tuna Lips said....
Reminds me of the time ole One Tit Tammy passed. Sure, she was about 98 oounds soaking wet, more close to 70 towards the ends, but that gal, bestruck by carsinoma given a 2 pack a day Winston habit, never lost her fire, to the very end. Would not consort with "outsiders", and, assma soaked lungs be damned, sheed a sucked the crome offa trailer hitch to the day they found her face down in a puddle nearby the pond we watered ole Sal, Pappy's mule, back when we was relocated to the swamp cuz o' Pappy's love of nature and the local folks asking him to get to the swamp. Good times.

Recommended Hits

Peeps...
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Don't you ever get sick and tired of reading this pathetic Blog????
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It's not such an  outrageous question...... even I look for a  little variety once in awhile.  I'll admit that I check in with some other blogs almost daily.   The authors are not as neurotic as I am, and sometimes they skip a few days between posts.... while I have averaged 1.39856 posts per day for the past four years here at good ole Nanepashemet.
~
The first Blog I usually check is Harvey's Thoughts, which features the stylings of Harvey Rowe, an accomplished attorney and claims adjuster who has a strong committment to Catholic values and practices what he preaches.  Harvey is an old partner of mine and a trusted friend, and I highly recommend that you Peeps check in with his "Thoughts" if you want a dose of centered and moral values.  Plus he is pretty sharp on his insights on pro sports.
~
The second Blog that I usually check is Northshore Waterman, whose author is Doug Maxfield from Essex.  Doug likes to make people think that he is the consummate Blue Collar fisherman from Cape Ann, when in reality he is a highly skilled English major touting from St. Michael's College in Vermont.  His wife, Sarah, is also a wicked smart Harvard grad.   That said, Doug gives great insight  into the life of a Cape Ann Fisherman, and he's pretty funny too.   Doug was best buds with my son, Ryan  at St. Mike's and I bought the WhaleEye from him.

~
Peeps...
~
I really don't give a flying flip what you do with your free time.   But  if you are going to spend it wasting away in Cyberspace,. you could do a lot worse than giving these insightful  Blogs a look every once in awhile.
~

Traps Set

Out of the ten traps that I had last year, I lost three and only three were ready to go into service today.   The other four need additional line and painted buoys.
 ~
Plus I have to head up to Gloucester to the Winchester Fishing Company on Washington Street which is the Lobster equipment supplier to replace the three lost traps with lines and buoys.
~
But three traps are out there... and I can't tell you where, but they're in a place that we pulled some nice lobsters last year.   The largest had me and Tommy O all psyched.  About five pounds of beautiful crustecean, but then it lifted its tail and it was covered in eggs.  A FEMALE!  
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Since I abide by all laws and regulations, this beauty was set free.   Hopefully in a few years, I will be harvesting her offspring.

Pure Soccer Excitement

It's official.
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Soccer is much more exciting than watching paint dry.   And I don't care what color paint it is.... or what the paint is drying on.
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Doesn't matter if it is oil-based or latex.... Soccer is still more exciting.
~

If you don't believe me, paint a wall right next to your TV and turn on the World Cup.   You'll find yourself watching the TV way more than 50% of the time.

TommyO said...


Excellent observation.


Linda and I were yukking it up while reading your comparison. TommyO and Linda.

Grillwork

Lots of people dropped by to celebrate Grandson Will's birthday today.  As usual, Joanne did most of the work, but I manned the grill.
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And that's something.... right?
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The secret of good grilling is that you need both high heat in the 500 degree range and low heat in the 300 degree range.  So you sear the meat for the first couple of minutes at high heat on both sides then patiently slow cook the meat at low heat until it's done to  rare, medium, or well done.
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But the real secret is to pay attention.
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You can't be knocking down beers and carrying on with the company if you expect to produce some good grillwork.  I use a timer and constantly turn the meat at five minute intervals.  Chicken takes three times as long as everything else and hotdogs and burgers go on dead last.
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If you're trying to talk to me while I'm grilling, and I seem aloof and unattentive... that's because my mind is on the freaking grillwork.  I'm sure that whatever you are saying is totally interesting and relevant, but it can't be more important than screwing up the meat.

POTW Week 24

Epoxy Resin is the preferred modern glue for boatbuilding.  But it is tough to apply, hard to finish, requires multiple coats of marine varnish to keep it from deteriorating due to UV rays, and if it is pierced, it peels and causes substantial sanding and refinishing.  I think that I am leaning toward a preference for paint these days.
~
But if the epoxy is done right, it looks the balls.

Announcing....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 24th Week of 2010

Sue Sue Raiche
Ray Allen
Ben Martin
Kobe Bryant
Carrie Paige
Linda O'Shea

I'll epoxy the seats in the Tender tomorrow morning after I drop three or four of the first lobster traps of the season.

Big Move for Benny

Big News Peeps!!!!
~
You remember Mega-Super Peep, Ben Martin, who is the offensive line coordinator of the Official NCAA Football Team of Nanepashemet, Merrimack College???
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Ben just accepted a job as the Offensive Line Coach at Texas A&M in Houston.
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Way to go Benny!!!!
~
This is a trip to the big time and Ben really deserves it.   Not only are the Aggies of national caliber in football, they also are at the apex of NCAA Division 1 Track and Field.
~
This is just another example of the power of the Nanepashemet Blog.  As soon as we designated Merrimack as an official endorsement, great things happened to Ben.
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But now we probably will be leaving Merrimack and giving the endorsement to Texas A&M.  I have to think about the implications of this for awhile.

Great Grandkids

The Grandkids are coming over this weekend.  Their visits have become the highlight of our life.  I know that most of you think that I live for this pathetic Blog.... and I'll admit that the Blog has its place.... but since we are the proud grandparents of the best Grandkids in the World, that takes the priority.
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We'll get them out to see their Dad at FreshAyer, and Kate and Mike will be dropping over to hang out with them.  Since Will has only just turned three and Ethan is 1 1/2, it is hard to see how that have gained centerstage in such a short time, but they have  great personalities and are really fun to be around.
~
Will is proficient in Latin and Greek, and Ethan likes to solve polynomial algebraic equations.  And they both love to chase tennis balls.
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Just kidding.... except for the tennis balls.
~
I'd like to teach them how to build boats, and play the guitar, and a whole bunch of other stuff.   But in the end, they are on their own path, and will move to a destiny of contribution and fulfillment that meets the unique requirements of their time in this life.  I'm just happy that we are in the mix.

TommyO said...
Looks Great

Corporate Shelter

BP is screwed up. 
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A huge, international corporation with nobody who can speak on their feet.  Their Swedish President comes in and says he is concerned for the "small people".  Then they send their Chief Executive, Tony Hayward, who testifies in Congress that he is significantly without the facts.
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Guys... .this is the fight of your lives.  You really should come to the game ready to play.  Even if you are doing a good job at this clean up project, your communication skills negate anything.
~
I think of the years that I spent in a Fortune 500 corporation, and the clueless, corporate-speak phonies that I had to endure.... You could almost transpose their faces onto these BP losers.  In a corporate shelter and just incompetent on their feet.

Finals Outcome.

Celtics lost in a hard fought game 7 against the Lakers.  This was a classic series between the most storied franchises in professional basketball.  It was worth staying up late to watch.

Leak Before Links

President Obama has played 6 rounds of golf since the oil leak broke - less that 60 days ago.   I haven't had the time to get a single round in, but then again, I've been pretty busy at Nanepashemet Telecom.   Does this seem petty on my part????  I guess maybe it does.
~
When you get to be President, you get the perks.  Case in point - I asked Paul McCartney to drop by the house last weekend for some beer and barbeque.   Absolute no show.  Yet Obama had both Paul and Bono over recently for a meal that I bet he totally expensed.
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BO - you've got to get serious.   Kids are still being shipped back from the Middle East in body bags, Pelicans and Shrimp Boat fishermen are in for some serious shit.   If I were you, I'd give the links a rest until you at least take care of the leak.

Cessation of Hostilities.

Sometimes I think I overdo it with the "Mountain of a Man" stuff.
~
But then I have days like today when I realize just what a Mountain of a Man that I really am!
~
I had left the house in the F-150 around 7:00AM and headed south through Boston and Providence to the City of Groton, Connecticut...... A trip I have made far too many times over the last year and a half.
~
The drama unfolded about 10 o'clock this morning as I advanced into the sanctorum of the enemy.  After a quick stop in the Men's Room, I was fully prepared to engage in mortal combat and win what was legally and rightfully mine.

~

When the Building Department Counterclerk saw me, she slowly rose from her chair, picked up some plans and documents that were bound in elastics, handed them to me, and said..... "Here you go."

~

Thus ended the epic confrontation after months of struggle.

~

I'm sure the trauma and the bad dreams will fade with time.

Glorious Quest

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." [Psalm 23:4]
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Yes Peeps....
~
I'm facing my Demons and heading back to the City of Groton, Connecticut tomorrow morning.
~
If I were a Norseman, they would probably be writing a Saga about it right now.   Don Quixote has nothing on me.
~
Once again, I will be boldly striding into the City Hall, seeking relief for my beleaguered telecom customer.  Whether I emerge victorious, or again be sent in shame with my tail between my legs.... only time will tell.
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But a Mountain of a Man doesn't back down.... no shying away from adversity.... no avoiding conflict or controversy.   Tomorrow, we will again make the Glorious Quest.

Rubber, Road, and Oil

This is where the rubber meets the road for President Barack Obama.  The oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico is not a hazy 10,000 page piece of legislation like the Health Care Bill.  You can see and touch the oil slicks, and it will take the management and marshalling of specific physical resources to effect the cleanup.

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If he has the management ability, the cleanup will solidify his Presidentcy.....or expose an unfortunate shortcoming.
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A big part of project management is communication of the plan progress to stakeholders.  Not only does the Federal Government need to effectively plan and implement.... it also has to communicate the results effectively.

Making Sense

Thank God that the Celtics are playing tonight.   Between the Obama address and other bullshit that is going on, I really need to focus on something that makes sense.... like a Basketball game.

Stupid and Ackward

If you believe the reports of ABC News, people on the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico are being told that they can't work in the cleanup unless they are part of the official BP cleanup effort.  That's great.  Take individual initiative right out of the mix.  Don't allow people to help themselves.  Have people stand around and let the federal government direct BP what to do.
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Does this sound like liberal ideology to you???  We're from the government.  We know better.  We will take care of you...... deteriorating into regulation, bureaucracy and incompetence.
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I'm officially frustrated. 
~
This is a low tech clean up effort that Americans could handle with a little competent action and leadership.  Governor Jindal of Louisiana likes it when President Obama flies down there because he says that is when the pace of the federal effort is picked up.  Nice plan.  Have the President of the United States babysit the federal workers.
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I've been to Louisiana numerous times.  Been in the Bayous and salt marshes of the vast Mississippi River Delta.   It is a beautiful area, and I'm not worried for a second that it will be ruined forever.  The mess will be cleaned, and the oil, which is a natural substance will break down and be absorbed.  Too bad it has to be this stupid and ackward.

Brutal Blog Background

For some psychological or perhaps metaphysical reason, I remain fascinated by the history of this Blog's namesake... the Great Sachem Nanepashemet of the Naumkeag band and ruling over the Massachusetts and Pawtucket native people of New England.
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It is a little known fact that throughout the 1600's, Massachsetts was the scene of war and pestilence, the likes of which this nation has never experienced again.... not in the Civil War, WWI or WWII.
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The Tarratine war, which occurred between 1607 and 1630 and the concurrent plague and smallpox epidemics took a thriving Native American population of thirty thousand Massachusetts coastal inhabitants and reduced it by 90%.... or three thousand survivors.  This paved the way for the English settlers to move into the highly cultivated agricultural lands of the Massachusetts tribes with minimal cost and resistance.
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The Tarratines of Nova Scotia and Northern Maine established contact with the French and became emissaries of a emerging industry of providing North American furs to a European fashion market.  Disagreements in trade negotiations between tribes caused violence and indignities which were escalated into invasion and war raids by the Tarratines into Massachusetts tribal lands.  They were aided by a technological advantage.... gunpowder and firearms supplied by their French benefactors.
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The invaders indisciminiately killed women, children, and even infants.  Prisoners were rarely taken and if they were, they were tortured and usually burned at the stake.  Most raids were conducted at night. It was a terrifying and horrific period.  There frequently were not enough tribespeople left alive to bury the dead.
~
Nanepashemet had sent a war party to aid the Penobscots of Maine and they had success in their skirmishes with the Tarratines in mid-Coast Maine.  But the vengeful Tarratines sent wave after wave of raiders against Nanepashemet in Salem, Marblehead, and Ipswich and he moved to a fortified position in a stockade fort located in a hill in Medford, MA north of the Mystic River.
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There the Tarratines laid siege to him and he was killed in battle in 1619.  Hostilities lessened after that but still continued as two of Nanepashemet's sons were wounded in a raid on the Agawam village in present day Ipswich a few years later.   His daughter-in-law was captured and brought back to Maine, but she was returned by an English settler on the Pemaquid peninsula who paid a ransom and brought her back to the Naumkeags.
~
Before the century ended, King Phillips War again decimated the New England Indians as well as the Puritan settlers in a war that had the highest percentage of casualties that this nation has ever experienced.  I would tell you more, but I'm kind of running out of gas on this post.   Plus you are probably so bored that you are contemplating opening your veins and bleeding to death.
~
Sorry.....I told you at the beginning that my fascination with this was a bit over the top.  But I bet you never realized that our quaint little New England region was the site of such anquish and carnage within the armreach of our modern historical record.

To find out more, see Remembering the Tarratines and Nanepashemet  by John V.Goff

Thrills and Angst

Celtics are up 3 games to 2 over the Lakers with the final two games to be played in Los Angeles.  It's been a hard fought series and any doubt that Kobe Bryant is the best player in the game has got to be dispelled.  His ability to make contested shots is incredible.
~

But the Celtics counter with a team of solid professionals, each of whom have the ability to break open the game.

~

Its been a great series to watch.  The only downside is when the camera pans to shots of John Havlicek in the stands.  He really looks older and it seems like yesterday when he, Dave Cowens, and a different Celtics team was providing the same thrills, hope and angst.
~
Tempus Fugit.

Broken Plan

Sometimes a plan falls apart through lethargy.   That's what happened yesterday.  After I got back from the WhaleEye test run, I hit the couch and didn't emerge until it was time to take a shower before the company came at 5:00PM.
~
The plan went to Hell.  A lesser person may have sunk to the depths of self-loathing.
~
But that doesn't make me a bad person.   Even a Mountain of a Man can run out of gas once in awhile.   And it was overcast and rainy anyway, so my landscaping chores would have been even more miserable.
~
So I forgive myself and will try to get some productivity in today.   We're taking a break from a visit to FreshAyer this weekend, and I thought that I could get some stuff done, but maybe we just needed a rest.

Tuna Lips said...
au contrary mi amigo, it makes you a fine feller, in keepin' with the times. Lethargizin' is the wave of the future, me and Shoo been pre- science about that, true to the best practicatin' of Pappy. Sell some hooch and skunk bud on the side to make fer a special festivizin', and plain folk like us appreciates ye just fine.

Big Day

Big day in store for this Saturday.
~
I'm first heading down to the Pram at Village Wharf and will be taking that out to check on the WhaleEye.  We'll fire up the engine and christen the season with a litle spin around Salem Harbor.
~
But it's not a great boat day today, so I'm going to get to the Town Dump and load up the pick up truck with some loam to landscape the backyard with.
~
If I'm still ambitious, I'll try to finish the work on the Pram Centerboard and epoxy repair the Tender, although the odds are that rigor mortis will have set in after the landscape work.
~
4:00 PM is a big deadline to stop all activity and clean up because Buck Johnson and his Trophy Wife, Gail, are going over for dinner, with drinks starting at 5:00PM.  It's Gail's birthday weekend, so I'm sure that Joanne will rev up her culinary skills.

POTW Week 23

This weekend, we'll be dropping some lobster pots and reving up for the season on the water.

Announcing....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 23rd Week of 2010.

The Counter Clerk at the Groton Building Department.
Gail Johnson
Brady Boyle
Mark Rowe
Jai Singh Khalsa
Oprah Winfrey

Right now, there are some happy lobsters crawling around the bottom of Salem Sound, who have no idea how close they are to being dispatched to lobster heaven via a kettle of boiling water in my kitchen.

Orda Fo Nesta

We ordered Chinese take out from Fen Wang House in Marblehead this week..... but we got a white, suburban, nice young Anerican born girl who was the order taker on the phone.
~
It just wasn't the same.

Pisc said...
I like the Fresh Ayer Clock.

Change in Format

After almost five years of publishing this pathetic blog, I decided to change the presentation template.  Essentially I eliminated that background Lighthouse that had no real significance for me outside the fact that I thought it looked cool and this blog is supposed to be about boatbuilding.
~
It's not like the Lighthouse was located in Marblehead or anything.  If you miss it, you can always see it on Harvey's Thoughts, since Harvey Rowe plagiarized it from me along with my Crusher codename a year or so ago.
~
So I got a bit minimalist.... closer to the nitty gritty.... at the lowest common denominator.
~
I do encourage you Peeps to comment on these demented, dispicable postings as much as you can.  It's hard when me, Tuna Lips and Maria Rowen get stuck carrying the load most of the time.  Not that I don't appreciate TL and Maria.   But I miss comments from the Insidious Bob Wojcik and Archrival Joe Collins.
~
Relative Blog newcomers like Sue Sue Raiche and Jim L have helped to pick up the slack.  Plus Pisc can always be counted to sound in from time to time.
~
And guys like Tommy O know that this Blog can make you famous.
~
Who knows.... if you annoy/inspire, you might even become a POTW.   Irritating/inspirational Blog comments always grab attention when I get down to the weekly selections.  Although, I remain steadfast that anybody who asks me if they can become a Peep of the Week are banned from such designation for eternity.... or at least until I forget that they asked.    Which usually takes about a week or so.



Maria Rowen said...
Cheers to the change! It reminds me of a mission-style chair - clean lines and comfortable. For this appreciated peep...there is still lots more to learn about boats, birds and sometimes bears...

Freaking Bear

The Freaking Bear ate me again today in my favorite New England venue - the City of Groton, Connecticut.
~
I have never gone in that City Hall and come back with my objective in probably eight attempts now.   And it's not me.... because I'm wicked good at what I do.... by virtue of the fact that this stuff hardly ever happens to me.
~
But in the City of Groton.... I get skunked every time.
~
This is not to be confused with the Town of Groton, Connecticut, where I have been my normal, competent, productive self.  Which is even more maddening.
~
I came close though, gaining two out of the three approvals that I needed.......but really thought that I could close this project out today.   I'll make another run at it next week.

Bear Meat

Tomorrow I'm going to take another run at the City of Groton, Connecticut.
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You know the saying "Sometimes you eat the Bear, and sometimes the Bear eats you." ???
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Well....  the Bear has eaten me each and every time that I've gone to the City of Groton for the last year and a half.
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But tomorrow, I'm going to eat the freaking Bear.

Bright Outlook

Sometimes you wake up, and it just feels like you are going to have a good day.
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Positive visualization is so important.  I continue to harbor the potentially perverse belief that everything happens for a reason, everything occurs for the greater and ultimate good, and that the normal state of being for human beings is a state of pure joy.
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That philosophy tends to piss off people who perceive their lives as fraught with sadness and difficulties.   But if I made a list of all of the bad shit that has happened to me in this life, I'd probably start each day by crawling into a ball, sucking my thumb and rocking back and forth.
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On the other hand, I can look at all of the bullshit that I have endured and can assign a very positive outcome that is a direct result of the adversity.
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Sure I'm not Donald Trump, which was my goal in my thirties, but I've been exposed to a lot of wealthy people since then, and wouldn't trade my life for theirs for a second.   And there has been some toxic relationships, but without which, some of our greatest relationships wouldn't have materialized.
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If you look at negative situations as the pathway to a greater alliance with your natural state of pure joy, then your outlook can really change.
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Like I said, I have a feeling that today is going to be a really good day.

Sue Sue  Raiche said...

It was a great day 37 years ago and will be today.
Happy Anniversary to you and Joanne.

Jim L. said...
It's probably a good thing your goals changed from 30 years ago. That hair wouldn't look any better on you.

Tuna Lips said...

Soundin' like a gay, no erfence meant to the missus, Man up, boy!

Crisis Control

Now our friendly thought police at ABC News are telling us that there are "not one oil slick, but hundreds of thousands of small slicks."
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That's a good thing.
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An oil slick in the ocean is not a technological challenge to clean up.   You surround it with absorbent booms, then pump it up.  If there are thousands of small instances like this, then the challenge is not a technological one, but purely logistical.
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How do we get the proper amount of vessels with booms and skimmers to the priority slicks???  I would think that even the Obama administration can figure this out.
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And the other tactic that the ABC Shepard's are touting is to point out a floating oil slick and then lament that there are no clean up vessels in the area.   But with a finite amount of vessels available, the prudent thing is to attend to those slicks that are threatening ecologically sensitive areas first.... ie. the Coastal area.
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A slick in the middle of the ocean is no big deal.  If fish are stupid enough to swim through it, or birds dumb enough to land in it, then Darwin's theory will fix those problems.
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So the available resources should be deployed on a triage basis.  Tending to the worse cases first then moving to the rest.   I wonder if the alarmists can handle this approach.  What do you say, Congressman Markey???
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If President Obama needs Nanepashemet Project Management to outline this approach and provide direction, we can fit this into our work schedule.  We will charge the government rate.
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My prediction is that this crisis will have less legs that the Swine Flu pandemic scare.

Good Grooming

Today I've decided to get a haircut.  I know what you're thinking... "How does a Mountain of a Man like J. get the time to fit in something as mundane as a haircut?"
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It's a solid query.
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I always wait until everything is seriously overgrown and well outside the standards of good grooming.  
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But there is never enough time, until I let it go long enough so that it tops the priority list for the day.
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I would like to buzz it all off, but Joanne warns me that that might make my head look big.
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Can't risk that.

Maria Rowen said...

From this female peeps perspective, any and all manscaping maneuvers are mandatory. Furthermore scientists in Germany have discovered people with big heads are smarter...So go get a good grooming guide then go get your buzz on...

Save the Pelicans

If you follow this Blog, you may have noticed that I am a bit partial to birds.  I just love the little critters.... the way they sing and chirp and stuff.

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So it's been a little painful to see the Pelicans soaked in oil as the prime examples of the BP oil leak in the Gulf.
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Seems like they are taking the brunt of the ecological beating.  I'm sure that if the media could find dead fish or ducks or dolphins, they would be mixing them in..... but so far, only Pelicans.
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Never had a Pelican visit the feeder.... but that's not unusual.   It's usually stocked with sunflower seeds and I rarely stuff a herring into it.

Pram Launch

Mike came home to hang with the Grandkids, so I had the second pair of hands needed to get the Pram down at the ring on the Village Wharf.  Naturally a couple of little details became challenges such as the ring size being too small for the theft chain to pass through.
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So I rigged up a temporary arrangement to lock down the Pram, which will require some future modification. 
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I have to admit that the Pram cuts a fine figure next to the store bought fiberglass dinghies and inflatables that are the norm down there.  Maybe I'll take a picture and let you judge for yourself.
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Shortly after we returned, a thunderstorm cell stormed through and dropped sheets of rain, so I went down before the Celts Lakers game got hot with the intention of hauling the boat onto the dock and draining the rainwater.   But a steady breeze was cutting across the harbor, really tossing the pram around and it seemed to be be holding its own with the rainwater that it took on, so I opted for tomorrow morning.
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Plus, I want to row out to the mooring and check to see that everything has been seasonally maintained by Mid-Harbor Marine before I take Ryan Marine to task for failing to put the WhaleEye on the mooring as promised.

Pisc said...

I was telling my old man about Sammy Khairi and Hooters. And explaining how our friend of Jordanian background pounded vendors into submission, wearied by the hammers from Thayer El Samir Khairi, forged over centuries. A salaam alai'kum (and that predates Barry's nonsense).

Crystal Clear

Usually when politicians use the word "clearly", things are not clear at all.  They throw this adjective out there to sway people to their point of view.
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When Congressman Ed Markey says that criminal penalties are necessary because British Petroleum has "clearly violated the laws of nature".... what the hell does that mean?  Does he know of some legal code that our teachers neglected to tell us about?
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He reminds me of a eighth grade debater.   Lots of emotion, with big gaps of logic left out.
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Markey isn't stupid.  So I wonder what his motives are when he spouts stuff like that.  Too often it seems that liberal spokesmen treat us like sheep.  They, as the shepards, herd us by whistling phrases that "clearly" point out the way we are to think.
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Markey seems to be frantically striving to assign blame to this recovery effort.... which has to be frustrating because President Barack Obama has wisely assumed responsibility after some of his party faithful tried to knee jerk the blame onto the Bush Administration.  Obama did the right thing by nipping this strategy in the bud.

Harvey Rowe said.....
Ed Markey was a Malden Catholic Graduate.....I don't know what happened after that......



Pisc said...
Realize they drilled that far off shore because the green folks said anything closer was a hazard. Ironic, not in a smug way. a mile deep is a long way. The idea was to protect the environment.

POTW Week 22

Launching the Pram on the Village Wharf ring sometime today.  Before I do this, I have to dry fit the sprit sailing rig to the mast and finish the cap on the centerboard.  I'm toying with the idea of leaving the mast on the boat when I leave it on the ring.   Even if some nutcase stole it, it would be easy enough to replace.

Announcing....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 22nd Week of 2010

Bob Wojcik
Mark Ryan
Rafe Hershfield
Bianna Golodryga
Tipper Gore
Emily Engardia

Have to take a run down to West Marine for the final cleats and hardware required.  Maybe I'll take Grandson Will for his first of many trips to the marine hardware store with his Grandfather JJ.

Peruvian Prisoner

The little Dutch Boy from Aruba, Joran Van der Sloot, who killed Natalie Holloway now has murdered a 21 year old in Peru, Stephanie Flores.   Unfortunately, the Aruban judicial system could not convict him, so he was free to ruin more lives.
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The self centered asshole was free to travel internationally and take a gambling holiday in Lima.
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I hope the Peruvians find a nice piece of hell on earth for him for the rest of his selfish, worthless life.  May he live for many years in constant agony, then enjoy his eternal damnation.
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It's times like this when I wish I was a Peruvian Prison Guard.

Beat LA

Game 1 of the Celtics - Lakers Championship series doesn't mean much.  The momentum can swing widely over a seven game series.
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But I'm going to watch anyway.
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Beat LA.

Pisc said...

If it were anyone other than LA, I wouldn't, but I will.

LA blows. Bunch of wannabes and half assed gangsters, talking big about shooting other half assed gangsters and making movies that go straight to dvd.

Banks shot wins this one. We invented the bank shot, Cousy, Hondo, Jo Jo, etc.

Between the Lines

There seems to be quite a bit of scrutiny lately of this Blog.  Peeps doing searches to see if I let my guard down and disclosed something.  That's possible... but unlikely.  I'm just too old and cagey.
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You can draw your own conclusions here.  Read between the lines.  And if you are an offending party, and you think I'm talking precisely about you.... maybe I am, and maybe I'm not.  The fact is that probably I'm not, but I'll never admit anything one way or another.   I get some solace from the thought that this probably causes you Narcissists a great deal of extra angst and neurosis.
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The bottom line is that 100 years from now, we will all be dead.... and you and all the drama will be totally forgotten anyway.   So it's important to live in the present, and make the best of the cards that you are dealt everyday.
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If you don't do that, you tend to seem like a pathetic loser over this brief period of existence that is your life.

Master at Masts

The mast for the pram sailing rig is almost done.  
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Three 3/4" thick, 2 1/4" wide 8' long boards were cut from a single piece of 1x8x14 clear spruce stock that was lying on the lumber rack for a couple of years.   The boards were then laminated with thickened West System, fast set epoxy, clamped, and left to dry overnight.
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Then I cut the corners into an octogon with my bandsaw and sanded the corners to a rough curve with a spar sanding jig that I rigged up a while ago to use inverted sanding belts with a tensioning jig that is turned by my  25 year old, 1/2" Milwaukee drill.
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I manually planed down the high spots with my Lie Neilsen Block Plane, which is easily the classiest tool that I own.  The final spar sanding was done with the heavy duty flap sander that I bought mail order from Grizzley when I used to be prone to irrational late night Internet tool ordering.   It's a damn nice flap sander though, and who knew that I'd be needing it for spar and oar fabrication at the time????
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So with a little epoxy and varnish, the mast will be ready for line cleat hardware, and this Pram will be tested under sail.

Spilled Oil

I haven't told you how I feel about the BP oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico yet.
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That's because it's so hard to figure out what's going on after the Media rings the "Crisis" Bell.
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And whatever you think of the Obama administration, you have to admit that they are a bit prone to exaggeration
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Witness the recent Swine Flu pandemic, now that the government is dumping unused vaccine.
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So when they say that this is an environmental disaster of epic proportions and that the crisis rivals the carnage of Hurricane Katrina..... I'm just not on board yet..... especially with news film of BO walking the beach and saying " These are the tar balls they are talking about."    Tar balls are not Katrina.
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My favorite journalists on ABC News are all over this story.... Speaking with Passion.   The Governor's kid, Andrew Cuomo, pointed to some oil on some marsh grass tonight and said dramatically, "And when this is gone.... it's gone forever."   Ecologically and scientifically speaking, Andrew is dead wrong.  Nature has huge recuperative powers with this type of thing.
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And Congressman Ed Markey, with his finger pointing and name calling..... all the while offering no solutions or alternatives.... well I guess that is Ed Markey for you.  He hasn't helped me to make up my mind either.  Plus I don't know why we are sitting back and asking British Petroleum to solve this.  Just because they have financial liability, it's the American Homeland that is supposedly under siege.
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I'm pretty sure that there will be some ecological and economic damage out of this.  And my heart goes out to the people who live and work on that shore and are so frightened by the uncertainty.  But, just as we avoided the massive pandemic of the swine flu, maybe this too shall pass.