Doug's Tuna

Fellow Blogger, Doug Maxfield, http://northshorewaterman.com/  caught this 800 lb. Bluefin Tuna the other day, that was worth a little less than $15k to our Japanese raw fish enthusiasts.  ~

Congratulations Doug.   I personally prefer mine packed in oil with a little mayonaise and some chopped celery.  Potato chips and Ginger Ale on the side.

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That's Doug standing to the right.

Pretty Women

I was on a sailboat with a full moon in Marblehead Harbor having drinks and appetizers with these pretty women tonight.
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Life is good.... Even for Mountain of a Man standards.

Ethan Bowling

Kennedy Legacy

Who would have figured that in only one or two generations, this family of American royalty would father such self-indulgent, mis-guided. and frankly embarrassing offspring?
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Irish Catholic American working  class Democratic families like my own were so proud and hopeful for the Kennedy's.

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Jack Kennedy, a legitimate WWII hero, would have been labeled a conservative today, and his brother Bobby had extraordinary courage and conviction.  They protected the nation from a real Russian threat, and steered the nation away from the cancer of racism.

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We are forever in their debt.

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But, Ted got caught in the downstream backwash and can never be forgiven for what he did in Martha's Vineyard.  At the time, the whole nation was in denial that this unbelievable death occurred at Chappaquidick Island.   I remember just wishing that it didn't happen and hopeing that he was not to blame.   He was though....and, he should have been convicted of manslaughter.... The national sense of denial gave him a stay of that sentence.  Maybe he turned out to be a Senator of consensus as he grew older, but there are a lot of those around.  He was saved only because he was a Kennedy.

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It seems that John Jr. would have been the exception had he survived, but after that.... not so much.  Caroline's run for the Senate was a disaster as she demonstrated an inarticulate lack of passion and purpose. 

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Seems like a legacy of entitlement and self-absorption characterized by drugs, infidelity, and  a liberal epithet thrown out once in awhile to keep things stirred up has defined the rest of the clan.   Literally no one who is a thinking person could rationally be inspired by what has emerged from that gene pool.

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Caroline Kennedy recently has stated that the family is "at it's lowest point ever" as they scrap over the remains of Ted's estate.  Every family has it's phucked up issues.  Maybe it's unfair to have held the Kennedy's to a higher standard.

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But they gave us so much hope in the beginning.

Gun Control

The 2nd Amendment to the United States Constitution states.... "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
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In other words, you can't take away our Black Powder Flintlocks and Swords.... because that was exactly what the FF's were referring to.
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The right to bear arms was conceived by the Founding Fathers when a farmer in his field basically had the same weapons technology as a squadron of Redcoats marching down the road.     The ability of local militia to defend themselves and repel an armed invader was available then, but long gone now. Time to ban guns. Technology has outrun the good intentions of our Founding Fathers.
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There's too many innocent people being gunned down by mental cases who get their high powered killing machines legally.    I've been taking my chances with a baseball bat handy anyway... would rather get the bad guys on the run, rather than come at us with legal weapons.
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If we followed the intent of the Founding fathers, every farmer would be sporting assault rifles and anti-tank grenades.  This is crazy.  If we ban guns, only the bad guys will have guns.   So let's ban them, define the bad guys, and rout them out.
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 I've been wrestling with this one for awhile, because I hate to take away a right that we have, and wouldn't mind packing a Glock myself, but it's the conclusion that I have arrived at.
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For the hunters and shooting enthusiasts among you, I would make this suggestion... Black Powder Flintlocks and Bows and Arrows.   That is the technology embraced in your Constitutional Right, and this should not be banned.  
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I never heard of a mass murder with Flintlocks.
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The patriot below has her actions illustrated by WWII Japanese.  Today's technology would blow her away.

Call Me Maybe

My Grandkids sing this song.

Weddings and Baudy Comments

Tommy O and I mixed and poured 16 eighty lb. bags of concrete mix into 4 twelve inch Sonotubes reinforced with four 1/2" steel 4' rebar each this morning to form the foundation for the O'Shea pool deck.  Then we laid out the joist system and Tommy is ordering the lumber while the concrete cures.
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I was going to do some odds and ends at 32 Beverly Ave. afterward, but there is plenty of time for that, and I have to rest up for the evening festivities.  We will probably end up doing some Saturday night stuff with the Johnsons whose daughter, Amanda, also was a recent recipient of a positive marriage proposal.
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So there will be a lot of deck and wedding talk tonight, in between the baudy Buck behavior with it's concomitant chastising from the females.
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Looking forward to it.

Engaged

Brady Boyle asked for my daughter, Katelyn's, hand in marriage last night.
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She said yes.
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Congratulations and heartfelt best wishes to two tremendous human beings.
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Brady has been in our life for some time now as one of Mike's Best Buds from St. Michael's and we are thrilled, happy, and a bit relieved as well.
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Joanne has had a contented smile on her face all morning.
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Celebration will be held in the usual manner commonly known to you Nanepashemet Peeps.
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Welcome to the Nestor Family Inner Circle of Trust, Brady.  I'm sure you'll find it to be an enigmatic, weird and wonderful place as we do.

First Dark and Stormy

Nathaniel Clarke dropped by with his girlfriend, Katarina, tonight and we introduced the attractive, Croatian-Aussie-Brit to her first Dark and Stormy.  As she proceeds forward in her life, she will undoubtedly find that the first was indeed the best.
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Our boy, Nathaniel, is a very special Peep and it's aways a treat when he drops by from his world travels.  He is going to a rather ackward wedding in DC with Mike and Pam.
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It is the ackward situations that define the person that we are.   Nathaniel will do fine.

Losers, Pretenders, and Perverts

Peeps...
Now that this Blog has gone internationally viral, there are a ton of spam comments sent everyday. 
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Some of the stuff is autodeleted but that still leaves a lot of sicko, perverted comments that I have to wade through..... not a good use of time for a Mountain of a Man.
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Generally, I could care less how disgusting the spam comments are... I just don't want to accidentally publish them and violate the purity and sanctity of this pristine Nanepashemet forum.
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So if you still have the need to comment on the wisdom and solace that I exhume here daily.... you'll have to join this Blog.   Naturally, anyone of you who joins will have your comments published unaltered, and in the pathetic form that you sent them to me.
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For the most part, the Pervs and other Dementos are too cowardly to sign up and expose themselves, so this should take volume of Spam way down.
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That will weed out the Losers, Pretenders and Perverts and save me precious and  valuable hours..... which I will convert to more of the thoughtful, insightful, and critical posts which you have grown to depend upon in guiding your daily lives.
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Screening

Today, when I was riding into Boston for lunch with a couple of SuperPeeps, I saw Adam Sandler playing pickup basketball in Swampscott.  He had some pretty good moves for an older guy.   That's the extent of my involvement with the production of "Grownups 2".
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And speaking of screening.... I learned how to fix window and door screens really well today and replaced the mutilated screens at 32 Beverly Ave.  It's pretty simple, and I will take the mastery of this trade to even greater heights in the days to come.

Win-Win

The Plumbers finished the job at Beverly Ave. today and removed the rest of the debris.   I also gave them a dining room table for their efforts.  Looks like a win win deal all around which is the way I like to do business.

Scan' em and Chuck 'em

Peeps...
I've come to the realization that I hardly ever look at paper records.  It's just too much bother to open file cabinets and search for something that you filed 9 months ago if at all.
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And the Mail comes in every day and piles up on your desk.  If you don't process it, it becomes a project in and of itself.
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But for the past few weeks, I've been opening everything as soon as it comes, scanning the keeper stuff and throwing everything away. No paper files.  it is all electronically stored on my computer and backup memory sticks.
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 Nothing piles up, everything is processed immediately.  No envelopes sit ominously on my desk with me perilously avoiding opening them.
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It is the way to go Peeps.   I am a liberated Mountain of a Man.  If I need anything, I just do a search on my computer and the record is right in front of me without even bending over at the file cabinet.
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Plus, I don't fear any boogie men in the pile of unopened mail, because nothing is unopened.
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Now my goal is to go into the file cabinets and purge all of the paper records that I have accumulated over the years, but never look at.
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Scan' em and Chuck 'em

Nanepashemet Nod to the NCAA

The NCAA hammered Joe Paterno and the Penn State football program today because of the covering up and enabling of the child molester Sandusky.
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I feel bad for all of the innocent people caught up in this, football players who chose to play for Penn State because of a storied program history, but I applaud the NCAA for its aggressive and appropriate action.
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Did you see that.... Cardinal Bernard Law????  I give the NCAA a lot more credit than the Catholic Church, which saw fit to exile the good Cardinal to Rome rather than make him face the justice due for the victims of Law's policy.
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Imagine letting Sandusky use the Penn State facilities for years after knowing what a pervert he was.... and imagine Law transferring molester priests from parish to parish just to keep the lid on the despicable acts.... causing more and more needless victims.  Both Penn State Football and the Catholic Church cared more for their image that the welfare of helpless victims that could have been saved.
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The NCAA saw the criminal for who he was.... not only the molester, but also the enabler.  But the Pope wisked away the Boston Cardinal for the good of Holy Mother Church.
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Penn State Football is not more important than one young kid who is psychologically mauled for life, and neither is the Catholic Church.

Ocean Reminder

Peeps.... Twice in the last 25 years, I thought we were going to capsize in a boat in the open ocean.  Yesterday was the second time with 10 foot white crested swells coming in right after another at the mouth of the Gloucester Harbor.  Will Murray was at my side at the helm and Joanne and Lynda were doing most of the screaming.
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Even a Mountain of a Man like me got a bit stressed out at the situation.
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We had gone to Stellwagen to see whales.... skunked on that, then headed to the Ipswich end of the Annisquam.  Had an enjoyable lunch tied up outside of Wingesheak Beach and then we headed down the Annisquam, and after some tricking currents and manuevering, went under the Gloucester Harbor raised bridge.   White caps hit us immediately into Gloucester Harbor and grew steadily until they turned into 10 foot cresting swells.
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After two attempts to get out of the mouth of the harbor we wisely elected to seek a tie up at the Mad Fish Restaurant in the inner Gloucester, and called for a ride home.
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This morning, Ryan drove me to the tie up and I made the trip back.  Waves were at 2 to 3 foot height, and the ride was still uncomfortable, but the WhaleEye is now back home.
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I've said it before... the ocean allows you to ride upon it, and has the ability to take you at any time.  Yesterday was a good reminder.

Tuna Lips said 7:02 PM

Same could be said fer Chantilly Hossentwat. Ride her at yer own risk.

Good Dog Taste.

The post holes at Tommy O's deck didn't go as planned.   Some big ass boulders only a foot or so down.   On one I drilled 1/2" holes with a masonry bit to pin rebar in the boulder and will hope that the building inspector lets this stand for the sonotube footing.  If not, we have a lot more digging to do.
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After the footing holes, I went over to the Nanepashmet House and built the basement staircase railing.   Turns out, I had some nice pieces of meranti mahogany and some red oak in the garage.  These hardwoods always combine nicely and I was pretty happy with the way the railing came out.
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It probably won't win a ribbon from the Woodworkers Guild, but it is solid Nanepashemet quality.   The tenants liked it, and their dog was a big fan.   And I liked their dog as well.

Another BYC Friday Evening

Another Friday night on the Boston Yacht Club porch didn't dissapoint.  For the fifth Friday in a row, the weather was perfect and Marblehead Harbor held us spellbound as we sat in rocking chairs for a few hours at the end of the hectic workweek.
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This week, our companions were two of my favorite people, Will and Lynda Murray.
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The fact that Lynda had raw egg in her Caesar Salad dressing causing her allergies to close her breathing passages and needed Will to run out to CVS to get her some Benadryl didn't spoil anything.

Obama Ad Whiplash

I ordered an Obama bumper sticker today too.
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After hearing his ad where he gets Romney to say that he wants to get rid of Planned Parenthood, then the ad lies about what Planned Parenthood is all about....... I felt that I should order a bumper sticker to commemorate the biggest ideologue who ever drank Kool Aide from a Lefty Spigot.
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Just because I'm for Gay Marriage doesn't mean that I have my Gadar on full power all the time.  Gays don't bug me unless they stick their sexual preference in my face.  Or act really Faggy just to show that they are Gay.... you know what I mean.
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But Obama seems to think that being Pro-Choice (I can kill my fetus if it is inconvenient to me) and Pro- Gay Marriage (which is pure pandering to all of those Fabulous Types who comprise 10% of us) is something to put up front and center to win our vote.  Once again, this guy misses the mark, because he has no clue what the mark is.
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The issues aren't about abortion or gay matimony....they're about the ability of this country to maintain an economic stability, and compete in a world economy when we are grossly indebted to countries like the Peoples Republic of China.  The issues are about jobs and the small businesses that create jobs,   Obama never had a job in the private sector.  He simply doesn't get it even though he went to Harvard and taught Constitutional Law at the University of Chicago.  I stopped being impressed by Harvard years ago.
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But Obama panders, and the country falls farther behind.  Planned Parenthood is a despicable fraud of an organization with a name that is designed to disguise its intent to destroy human fetuses on a widescale basis.  If Obama is for it, then I'm against Obama.

Improving on Perfection

Yesterday when I put out that deck post, I had no idea of the response that I would get.   Hundreds (Dozens actually) of emails and voice mails asking me to look at their property and suggest a pool side deck, or a hot tub deck, or a regular sit outside and barbecue deck.
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If you are really serious, you should come by Tommy O's Beverly Ave. Estate to see theMOAM Deck Master in action.  And while you're there, I can run you across the street to the Nanepashemet House to show you one of the many in my pristine collection.  After a little repair due to the damages from some misuse, that deck is receiving the oohs and ahhs that it traditionally received from all comers.
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Don't feel obligated to bring a six pack of cold Sam Adams Summer Ale when you make your homage visit.  That's entirely unnecessary.  Nor should you go the ultimate distance and bring me a bottle of Lagavulin.... the legendary King of Scotch.
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Although if you did, you may get substantially boosted up the growing waiting list for an authentic Nanepashemet Deck, after the O'Shea masterpiece has seen the final deck plank screwed in for a lifetime of quality enjoyment.
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I may just have to curb things a bit at the thriving Nanepashemet Telecom business, as I meet the need for perfection in state-of-the-art deck construction.
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Did Michelangelo have this same problem?
Probably.

Michelangelo of Deck Construction

Peeps...

Many of you frequently ask me for my home improvement advice which I freely give.   But the fact remains that your Mountain of a Man is a full bore Home Improvement Contractor, licensed by the Commomwealth of Massachusetts, so my advice to you is not only free.... it's also official.
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Truth is, I've held the license for quite some time now and just had to renew it in time to pull the permit for Tommy O's deck.     That deck will be a pristine, state of the art example of a lifetime of training, just like the other decks that I have in my extensive deck building portfolio.
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The key to a Nanepashemet deck is in the over-engineering.   We double up on the joists. posts, and headers and end up with a structure that you could land a heliocopter on.  The post holes that are supposed to go down 36" by code, go down 42" and the concrete is reinforced with #4 rebar.
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Stepping on a Nanepashemet deck is like closing the door to a Mercedes.  Solid quality.
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After that, the artistic side kicks in with orginally designed and constructed railings, stairs and finished decking.  You could get aroused just thinking about it.
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But don't start bugging me with requests for deck projects.   The O'Shea deck is slated to be a work of art, and you can't rush  perfection.  Did Michelangelo get rushed to paint the Sistine Chapel????? Hell no.
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So Back Off.

Brown on the Bumper

I ordered my bumper stickers from the Scott Brown campaign today.  It wasn't a hard decision.   When I contacted the Elizabeth Warren folks they offered Wampum and some authentic Cherokee recipes for Maize and Succotash in a brash attempt to get me to festoon the Nanepashemet vehicles with pictures of Warren with feathers and buckskins.
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Peeps.... you know I can't be bought... don't you???
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Maybe I can... but it would take a hell of a lot more wampum than the Moonbats were willing to deliver.
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Brown however offered the stickers free of charge with no strings attached.
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You should order you own...http://www.scottbrown.com/show-your-support-with-a-scott-brown-bumper-sticker/    When it comes to supporting a true Brown man over a fake Native American, this Nanepashemet Mountain of a Man has gone Brown.

Nanepashemet Milestone

Sometime today, this pathetic Blog was hit by one of you hapless Peeps for the 150,000th time.   That's a lot of seeking for solace and wisdom, don't you think?
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Naturally, I'm honored by the milestone.  Most of you have handled the addictive nature of this Blog responsibly, but a few have real problems.  You've allowed this Blog to rule your life... living from post to post.... thinking every vague reference is about you.... coming back to check for hours on end every day.
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I've told you that the cure for this is to send me money everytime you hit Nanepashemet.... and granted many of you have sent me money which I've donated to my favorite charity... the JJ Fund.   But not enough to bring about a significant cure.
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You have to dig deep to get this monkey off of your back... because I'm not going anywhere and this Blog is here to stay and can only get worse

Nanepashemet Nod for President

In a speech to his supporters in Roanoke, VA yesterday, President Obama said the following....

" If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help.  There was a great teacher somewhere in your life.  Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive.  Somebody invested in roads and bridges.  If you’ve got a business -- you didn’t build that.  Somebody else made that happen.  The Internet didn’t get invented on its own.  Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet."
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This above all says to me why our President doesn't get it.  If he ever experienced running his own business, he could never fabricate a statement that "you didn't build that" as you daily meet the challenges to make your business move forward.   That is a cutting insult to millions of small business owners who have made sustained personal sacrifices to make their businesses viable.
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"Somebody else made that happen."  ?????  Who?  Who pulled together the customers, the bank, the employees, and the vendors to make my business happen?... and who spent the hours and the money and the sleepless nights to make a simple business success happen????  SOMEBODY ELSE?????
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WTF is he talking about???

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It's crystal clear to me now, that he has no experience, and no agenda but Government spending, because he can't conceptualize anything else.   Government created the Internet?   I thought it was Al Gore!

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Nanepashemet Nod for Mitt Romney.  There is no other choice.

Trophy Wife in Training said....7:43 AM

Such contempt for achievement. He needs to stop channeling Elizabeth Warren. When are you Rollin out bumper stickers?
Kerry D'Orio

Paradise

Bacon and Eggs on a summer Sunday July morning.
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Does it get any better than this?
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No it doesn't.

Tuna Lips said....6:30 PM

Short of throwin' a hump into the roadhouse ham lyin' next to me on any given Sunday, I has to agree with ye. Loves me some bacon and eggs.

Good Old Days.

I was over at the Beverly Ave house today in the garage working like the old days when Kathy and Jim Peabody came by to interrupt me with a beer.... just like the old days.
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I really like  the old days.
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So we invited the Peabody's over to the Sundance House for dinner.  The old days aren't over yet.

Friday Evening

So it's Friday night, we did the BYC porch thing for a light grill dinner, which has become a most enjoyable event, then headed back to the Sundance House.
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The grandkids are over for the weekend and are at D'Orio's for Friday night videos.  Current POTY Kerry D'Orio has sent a couple of cryptic texts which we are trying to decipher and Joanne and I are settling in for a relaxing Marblehead Summer evening.
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Life is freaking good... isn't it?
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I'm on my second can of Harpoon's UFO Unfiltered Wheat Beer and have added an orange slice per the recommendation on the can.  Peeps... it's a taste sensation.   I am totally in admiration of this remarkable brew.
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I can sense an official Nanepashemet endorsement in the works.

Dennis Miller Show

Went to see Dennis Miller at Hampton Beach last night with my friend, Peter Lojko.
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Peter introduced me to the Telecom business and is one of my two professional mentors, so I was really excited that he invited me to the Miller event.
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Dennis Miller delivered as usual....  one hour non-stop, hard hitting jokes and insight.  I was tired from laughing at the end.
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I also was impressed with Hampton Beach.... the Boardwalk is cleaned up and you don't get the general public jolt that I was expecting.
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An overall highly enjoyable evening.

Another Process

Peeps....
Remember the tenant that we evicted, then collected a Compensatory Damages Judgement for his contempt of the process?
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We are very close to introducing him to a new process contained in the Massachusetts General Laws Criminal Harrassment statute.  The next couple pieces of evidence will wrap this up according to the police.
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My guess is that this self-destructive guy is ultimately heading for jail time, all due to either incompetence, stupidity or both.
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Intimidation of a Mountain of a Man?  Highly Impossible.   
Maximus.
So Close.  One or two more is all we need,

Official Constable of Nanepashemet

Made the New Haven run today, but not before I picked up some documents from Constable Paul Minsky of Swampscott who did such a good job serving and executing legal stuff for me recently that he merits the coveted endorsement as the Official Constable of Nanepashemet.
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It's been a while since I've added to Nanepashemet Official Endorsements, and Paul was a suitable choice to break the ice.
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Peeps.... if you ever need to serve legal documents, I highly recommend that your hire Paul.  He gets it done, and has a lot of respect in the profession. A good Constable is worth it  in these situations.... you get what you pay for.
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Hopefully, I won't have to utilize Paul's services too much in the future, but it's nice to know that he is there when you need him.
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After the Minsky business, I headed out the Mass Pike and down Rt. 84 to meet some landlords and survey some rooftops for one of my carrier customers.   Usually, when we get to this stage, I can close the deal for a telecom site, and today was no different.

Johnny We Hardly Knew Ye

Peeps...
So many of you recently have been asking me lately what is the deal with our Congressman from the 6th Congressional District here on the North Shore of Massachusetts.
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Don't you read the freaking newpapers??? Can't you figure this shit out for yourself????

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Obviously not.... so in the interest of getting you pathetic whiners off of my back for the next day or so, here is the scoop as I see it.
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Congressman John Tierney is under siege lately because of his wife's involvement with his brother-in-law's illegal gambling business headquartered in the offshore Carribean island of Antiqua.
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Apparently, Tierney's wife kept the books and cashed checks to herself of a couple hundred thousand dollars.... as well as some other company perks.
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And Tierney took two trips to Antiqua to the company headquarters.
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But when the shit hit the fan and his wife went to the Joint for 40 days or so, the Congressman claimed that he knew absolutely nothing.
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Johnny We Hardly Knew Ye
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Here is the complimentary Nanepashemet political advice for the beleaguered Congressman.... Fess Up.   You are going down faster than Barney Frank on his honeymoon, so you might as well do it with a little integrity in the mix.
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Obviously you knew something.... or you would have to be accused as a dim witted nincompoop... and that you are not.   So say something like...."I was scared for my wife when I found out that she had gotten so deep into this, and my judgement was flawed by not coming forth to the authorities.   I am sorry and wish to move on from this dreadful matter that has engulfed my family."  And, sorry to say, you should then resign and become a lobbyist or something.
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Everybody has family that strays from the path once in awhile.  This would appeal to a more sympathetic response to your unfortunate plight, and you wouldn't be insulting everybody's intelligence by claiming that you were blind to all of the Horseshit around you.
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For the record, Peeps, I think that John is a pretty good guy, and I'm sorry to see him take this hit.
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And no Peeps.....  I absolutely will not be running for his seat.  If I was elected, I'd have to resign almost immediately with all of the Bullshit in my past.

Old Neighborhood

Peeps...
We laid out Tommy O's deck today and I already have it built in my head.   Now all we have to do is get it out of my head and into his back yard.  We spent the day in the old Beverly Ave. neighborhood with the neighbors working in the garage like the old days.
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As much as I like the Sundance House, I miss woodworking in the garage and the Peeps in the neighborhood who would drop by and successfully get me to shut down the work with a friendly beer... or three.
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Being back on the deck and in the basement brought back such great memories with the Peabody's, O'Shea's and others being so close by.
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But the new tenants are moving in this week.  Business is business.  @BT

POTY Deck

Getting ready to build another deck.... this one will be a throwback to the first deck that I ever built..... a pool deck.
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Former POTY Tommy O'Shea has been most gracious in letting the grandkids use his pool, and his family is pure fun and class.....and we are happy to be able to help him tie a pool deck to his house with about 200sf of deck area  level with the pool.
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We went down to the Marblehead Building Department yesterday and pulled a permit from Building Inspector Bob Ives, and I'm pretty excited about the design and potential use for this deck.
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Should take less than a month to build and will greatly enhance his property.

Friday After Monday

Peeps...
It was one of those weird work days.... coming off the celebrations of the 4th on Wednesday.
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Seemed like a Monday, with a tough case of the Blahs.  Did a little Permit work at the Town Hall, coordinated some leases and surveys, sent out a few bills, kept my eye on some other minor details.
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Tomorrow is Friday.
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I've had a lot of weeks at Nanepashemet Telecom recently when it seemed like Friday came right after Monday.   But nothing like this week.

A tip of the hat to the Marblehead Police.   Spent a little time with good  friends discussing the procedure for criminal charges if malicious damages and theft occur when you already have a civil judgement with compensatory damages.   Shitty talk for the 4th of July, but it is what is is.     Consequences can be substantial, but this Loser Defendant seems to have a penchant for self-destructive, self-delusional behavior.... so we are standing by until the end of the day and will gladly pay for the legally forced move that remains on schedule.    Never cancel the eviction process and the moving vans until the house is clean.  Plus the judgement on the Tenant from Hell pays for it all.

Special Summer Treat

Mike says that the WhaleEye is performing really well, and I bought my recreational lobster permit, so  I guess it's time to drop some traps and begin working the bottom of Salem Harbor and Marblehead Sound.
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If other years are any indication, we will be harvesting the tasty crustaceans in a week or so, and offering up some fantastic weekend cookout fare on the deck throughout the rest of the season.
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Summer in New England.  Something Special.

4th Reflection

A mid-week holiday.  Happy 4th of July.  Ryan has the Grandkids and Mike is in Town with Pam, so the day will start strong and get much stronger.  Not sure what plans Kate and Brady have, and I promised Tommy O that I would hang with him for some quality holiday time before the day is over.
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We have to keep up the pace at Nanepashemet Telecom, so it won't be a blow out holiday for me.
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Brendt D'Orio gave me some fresh caught Striped Bass that I will chunk up, batter, and throw in the turkey fryer for a special holiday treat.... and   I'll definitely fit in a Dark and Stormy or three, and probably a rocks glass of Lagavulin to commemorate the birth of this great nation.  But not until I get a Harbor Row in with the Tender when the Tides are right.
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The original 4th of July in 1776 was quite a stressful affair for our Founding Fathers as they literally put their life of the line so that the white males in this country could inherit basic freedoms.   Two patriots of that effort, Thomas Jefferson, a slaveholder, and John Adams, an anti-slavery advocate, who both collaborated and competed heavily with each other in their careers, died on the same day fifty years later.   Adams last words were, "Jefferson survives.".... but he had just passed.
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In another forty years or so, slavery was abolished after 600,000 Americans perished fighting each other, and the country was truly on its way to basic freedom for all.  Eventually, the country saw fit to give women equal access to our rights.... and of course, 100 years after the Civil War, Blacks were still denied equal access to the privileges of this country.  But this has changed too.
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I guess the moral of this little diversion is that we are not perfect.   But we should constantly strive to correct the shortcomings in our nature and in our institutions.   And this country gives us the platform do do it.
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To all of you Peeps, who I pretend to be annoyed by.... but really truly cherish......Enjoy your Holiday.

Ramping Down

It should be a quiet day as we ramp down for some serious relaxation over the 4th..... but probably won't turn out that way as Nanepashemet Telecom remains in high activity mode with our new Boston Microwave project starting, New Haven showing no let up, and that big European customer continuing to keep us fully engaged.  Plus some other minor details that we are managing.
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Only a Mountain of a Man like myself could squeeze the relaxation into this scenario, and I am prepared for the task.

UPDATE:   Even though I don't drink Miller... it's a great country and it's Miller Time.
Have a Happy 4th of July.  Now it's my turn.

Salt Water Fishing License

It was a nice row, out from the Riverhead Landing along the shore side. of the Harbor, out into the Sound and then around Brown's Island, through Little Harbor, close to Fort Sewall, and back down the Marblehead Harbor Channel.
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By the time I got back to Riverhead, the tide was out and  there were fifty yards of sand from the ramp to the Tender at the edge of the water.  Put the F150 into 4 Wheel Drive and the sand easily supported the truck and boat trailer.   A nice paddle surfer helped me to lift the Tender onto the trailer, so no issues really.
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Peter Crawford with  his beautiful Cabin Cruiser and son Chris were at the BYC Fuel docks and I went by the Flying Elvis with the D'Orio's, Ryan and the grandkids on the way out, but didn't see any other Peeps during the row.
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I felt ok but am pretty sore today, but one incident disturbed me greatly.  As I was coming out of the Litttle Harbor after circumnavigating Brown's Island, I was about 50 yards out, when I saw a small 12' Whaler with three older teens who were sitting there jigging for mackeral.
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I was about 20 yards away, when up behind them comes a big official looking "Environmental Police" Utility Vessel, and the weekend volunteer boat cops start questioning the kids and tied up for about ten minutes.  I'm sure they were bagging the kids for fishing without the $10 Massachusetts Saltwater License.
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Massachusetts now requires a license to fish in the ocean.  And what services to we get for this?  What purpose does it support?   But  these bad kids were violating it and had to be pulled over by Police in a $75,000 power boat.   Apparently the services that the Commonwealth of  Massachusetts provides for this license is screwing with some poor kids harmlessly jigging for mackeral.  
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Undoubtedly they will be future Republicans.