Pondering at Easter

Happy Easter to my Christian Peeps.
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This holiday is the cornerstone of Christianity.  If Christ rose from the dead, he most certainly was divine and his teachings were those of God.
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I believe this.   And I also believe in teachings of the Buddha and other incarnations of the Divine who have appeared from time to time to try to help humanity in sorting out this crazy existance that we share on Earth.
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Why must religions be at odds?  Can't they all have certain Universal Truths that are interpreted through their respective historical and cultural prisms?
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Imagine how may lives would have been saved if people didn't kill in the name of their religion.

Latest Nanepashemet Truths

A Leader is Gender Neutral... M-F-H.

Large Corporations are cesspools of mediocrity.

Day trading is gambling.

Gary Sinise is the best actor alive...for may reasons.

Successful Organizational Management

Peeps...
I bet you didn't know that I am an enlightened manager.   But it's true.  Over the years, I've discovered the optimal ways to organize an enterprize and get the most out of employees.
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And since I'm feeling particularly magnanimous tonight, I've decided to share some of my enligtened management techniques with you.
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First and foremost.... hire good people.   Hire the best you can find.  And for God's sake, hire people who are smarter than you.

Many managers secretly are afraid of their employees, and purposefully hire mediocre people who are dumber than them and will never eclipse them.... wicked insecure and a stupid move.    Smart people will rise you up.  Mediocre people keep you in the status quo at best.

Second.... figure out the people that you can trust, and get rid of anybody that you don't.    Peeps... even if Einstein works for you, if he is an asshole, it will inevitably get disastrous in time.

Third... after you trust the smart people who work for you.... empower them.  That means create an environment where they have to make their own decisions.... and allow them to make mistakes.

Once your people realize that you have their backs and won't throw them under the bus if they make a mistake... a magic thing happens.   Their productivity freaking soars.   They are able to use their intelligent creativity on your behalf and they take initiative that you could never even conceive of.  The whole organization moves upward.

And Finally... Fourth... support and promote your people.   Make them believe that you would jump on a grenade for them...  because you actually would.  Protect them from the predators that lurk in large organizations.... like HR and Contracts Administration.   If they are winners, help them move up through the organization.  Even if they leave your direct control, they will remember and help you because of the support and assistance that you gave to them.

Then... repeat the process.
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BTY... this is an alien and radical method for many large corporations and many senior managers will be severely threatened by this approach.   But you don't really want to work in those types of organizations anyway.

The List of Truth - a New Nanepashemet Service

Everyday, in every way, I'm getting better and better.
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It's true Peeps... and to demonstrate this, the Mountain of a Man has a new Blog feature.... a page to the right dedicated to an organic and growing list of Nanepashemet Truths and Facts..

So now... before you send me a neurotic vm, text, or email, please consult this list and your pathetic inquiry may be already answered, and you won't have to wait to contact me.

Here's the current sample and there's a lot more to come.

• The Shroud of Turin is a true image of Jesus Christ.
• UFO's and Extra-Terrestrial Beings exist.
• Liberals who label others as racist are struggling with their own psychological beliefs.
• Climate change exists, but it has nothing to do with Republicans.
• We dodged a bullet when the people of Tennesee prevented Al Gore from becoming President.
• Abortion is Capital Punishment to unborn human beings, legal or not.
• The Pyramids are not tombs, but are undiscovered advanced ancient techologies.
• God has no preference for either straight or gay people.
• Christian leaders who interpret the will of God have lost their way in the Universe.
• Some Psychics have true ability to foresee the future, others are phonies.
• No race of humans is morally better than the other... given the same situations and technologies, each would exploit the others in the same fashion.
• All religions pervert the path to God that humans strive to take.
• Barach Obama is a product of hope and redemption for past racist policies of America.
• Reincarnation is real... we've all been here many times.
• BigFoot is real... so is the Loch Ness Monster.
• Every living thing has the spark of the divine, but some people are consumed by evil.
• There is no such thing as eternal hell.... the Hindu's have it right.... Earth is the place to work off offenses to the Universe that you have committed.
• It is a lot more terrifying to be born than to die.
• The underlying state of life is a feeling of daily pure joy.
• Revenge is pointless and self destructive.
• Everything happens to everybody according to God's Universal Plan.
• Every skill takes discipline and practice... we are always bad before we get good.
• Honesty to yourself and others is the highest virtue.... but everybody tells lies everday.
• Liberals Feel, Conservatives Think... the world needs both kinds.
• Everyone should have a cat or a dog.
• Mountain climbing is a stupid sport.
• The Bible should be two books... the Old Testament is a tribal record with some crazy stuff, and the New Testament is the Chronicle of a Perfect Master.
• Male child molesters should be castrated.
• Obamacare is an idea executed with extreme incompetence.
• The President and his Family are not royalty, and we should not pay for more than one reasoable vacation per year.
• Republicans stand on their own... Democrats need a Village.... our society needs both.
• Struggling against Obesity is a big improvement over dying from malnutrition.

Enough for now.

I would recommend checking the page for new entries daily.... some of you should look hourly.

Nanepashemet Nod to Lynch

Peeps...
I'm not going to screw my head into the ceiling over this mounting Massachusetts race for US Senate.
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After the Democrat Machine engineered the campaing for a phony  Cherokee to put a  honest and talented guy like Scott Brown back on the pine, I lost my taste for investing any emotional capital in this.... so I concede the race to the Democrats.  
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The Nanepashemet Nod in this one goes to Stephen Lynch, who I think is a more independent thinker than the headline seeking and rather pompous Representative Ed Markey, who seems to feel that he should be the anointed one for this Liberal owned Senate seat.
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When Markey proudly boasts that he is endorsed by Planned Parenthood, I gladly choose his opponent.
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I'm not even going to discuss the Republicans.  Nobody like Scott will sneak up on these guys, because even they are not as presumptuous as Martha Coakley.
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So that's it.   Leave me alone on this one.... OK????  The Nod has been executed and there is nothing left for me to pontificate to you about.

Tiger on Top

With his recent victory in the 2013 Arnold Palmer Invitational, Tiger Woods has resumed his place as the Number 1 Ranked Professional Golfer in the world.
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I for one, am pretty happy for him.
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Yes, he cheated on his wife, having sex with any gorgeous white woman that came his way.
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Yes, he isn't a "give back to the Hood" ethnic role model trying to inspire other minorities to greatness.
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Yes, he seems a bit too self absorbed and stiff, rather than giving himself shamelessly to an adoring public.
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Peeps, maybe  I'm flawed as I'm sure you know, but I don't give a rat's ass about any of that Tiger stuff.  All I care about is the uncanny closeness to perfection that he has attained by hitting a dimpled ball around a manicured landscape.

Truth be told, if Lindsay Vonn made a run at me, I can't guarantee how I'd score on the fidelity scale.  I'd like to say that my life bond with Joanne would remain unscathed, but Vonn would be a hell of a challenge. 

But that wouldn't effect the thousands of you hapless Peeps who read this unsavory blog daily...... would it????
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So that's why I like Woods.   Off the course, he's just an asshole like me and you.  But on the Golf links... he's something extraordinary that we are priviledged to observe.
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.... Just like this Blog.

The Vikings

I've become a fan of The Vikings series currently being aired on the History Channel.

The historical context and acting is interesting, and the wooden long ships are the balls.

Contrary to popular opinion, the Vikings did not wear helmets with horns sticking out of them.

Spring Projects

Spring is here.  I don't care about the temperature, I'm done with winter and the cold weather as well.  And I've also rolled out my list of spring projects, few of which I can afford nor have the time to accomplish.
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Unfortunately, most of the stuff has to do with maintenance and remodeling, as well as getting the boats up to par.  The Aquaponics project is as the end of the list, and the Marblehead Gunning Dory can't even fit, so there is no real sex appeal.
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But if I can get in a good push, maybe those will see some life before summer is over.

Recommended by a Discerning Brew Critic

Dory Power Alternative

 Torqeedo Electric Outboard motors.

This might be the way to go with the Marblehead Gunning Dory.  They have a solar charge option and are equipped with GPS which measures the distance that you can cover with the remaining charge.

New Haven City Hall Wainscotting

Nanepashemet and Yale - Mano a Mano

Yale University Art Gallery

Outdoor Sculpture - Yale Art Gallery

I Don't Get Modern Art

Clinton, Kerry and Bush Recently Strode here.

Yale University - Old Money

Frank Pepe's Pizzaria - Must See in New Haven

 

Yes - My Diet went to Hell. But it was Worth IT!

 

Luck of the Irish

Happy St. Patrick's Day, or Lá Fhéile Pádraig if you are conversant in Gaelic.
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This is probably the most popular unofficial American holiday, and I'm told that it is more popular here than in Ireland.
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Fully 24% of Americans claim they have some Irish descent in them, with another bump claiming the heritage on this day.  The fact that this day is so popular would have been enigmatic in the earlier days of this country when the Irish were vilified and discriminated against.
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Every Boston kid with an Irish name knows what "No Irish Need Apply" means as the Yankees sought to subjugate and hold back the surging Irish Immigrant population.  I remember my mother clearly teaching me this fact at a young age.  And if you look at the history of the Irish, the phrase "Luck of the Irish" is enigmatic to say the least.
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The brutalizaton of the Irish and attempted genocide by the British over the past three centuries, causing widespread immigration to America, Latin America and Australia was a bit high on the unlucky scale. (And for the record, the potato famine of the mid 1800's could have easily been abated by the British, who stood by and watched millions suffer without offering aid).
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Maybe the Irish are looked at as "Lucky" because they persevered over egregious treatment by the British and then the American Yankees.  All the while, keeping their spirit, music, and culture alive and vibrant.
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I guess if you have that stamina and persistence, you are indeed lucky.
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The Americans and their friends who lift a brew and toast the patron Saint of Ireland today are the prodigy and embodiment of a people who could be bent but could't be broken.

 

Erin Go Bragh!

Ireland Forever!

Weighing In

Lately, Peeps, everytime I run into one of you, I get asked about the status of my weight loss program.   Which has it's own immitable message to me.   Obviously it doesn't look like I've dropped anything substantial.
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But that's ok... I started at a pretty hefty size, and this is a marathon, not a sprint.  I've allocated a considerable block to time....  up to Katelyn's September wedding date... to acheive my weight loss goal.  
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The first three weeks or so, I was a bit manic....watching every morsel consumed,  counting calories and weighing myself constantly.   That was good to convince myself that weight loss was attainable.  And it gave me a more indepth insight into the amount of calories that we can pack in without even knowing it.   But it also brought on an unacceptable level of self awareness and guilt.   Who wants to judge every bite that you take, then measure and fret that it might upset your daily goal?
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The most important thing is balance.  Watch what you eat, but don't obsess.  Enjoy in moderation, and above all, exercise.   It is the exercise that is the key to easing the manic issues of counting calories.  Plus the exercise makes you feel good immediately... despite the discomfort and pain of the actual effort.
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At this point, I don't know how much I've lost because I'm resolved not to let the scale set my state of mind.  I will weigh in when I can fit into my old jeans comfortably.  And I hope that is in a month or so of eating and drinking in moderation and daily gym sessions.

Black Joe's Pond

Steer Swamp

Steer Swamp

Ice Out on Hawthorne Pond

Ice Out, Ducks in.

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I went down to check out the possiblities of catching some Bluegill or Goldfish from Hawthorne Pond which is off of West Shore Drive.
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Maybe they could be introduced to the Aquaponics operation this summer.

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We brought the kids down there when they were little and the pond was filled with overgrown Goldfish or Koi.

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It is alot more overgrown now.
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Tomorrow I'll hike through Steer Swamp at the Beacon Street entrance and see what Black Joe's Pond has to offer.  \\
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Between, Black Joe's, Hawthorne and Redd's Pond, the aquaponics fish component should be adequately stocked this summer.

Papal Poetry

No Matter how much we Hope,
If its Black Smoke that means Nope,
But you really shouldn't Mope,
None of the Cardinals is a Dope.
They will shortly scale this Slope.
And choose a Brand New Pope.

Vote for the Pope

Peeps.... so many of you keep asking me who I support for the next Pope.   It's a tough call since the Pontiff enjoys a status of infallibility, unlike that of the MOAM, who admittedly makes a mistake from time to time.
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As a young Catholic, I actually bought into that infallibility claim, until as a Freshman at UMASS with basically no money to buy food on the weekends, I took a course in European History and found that the Popes were rather political and given to stuff like fathering illegitimate children, murdering rivals, and a host of other rather worldly pursuits.
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And while I was taking this course, learning this historical perspective, the priests at the Newman Center were regaling me at Sunday Mass for donations, when I was basically waiting for Monday morning when the Dining Commons opened.
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Not a good combination for maintaining a kinship to the Catholic Church.  So I drifted away and rarely looked back.
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As God's representative of Earth, the Pope doesn't pull it off for me.  Plus the medieval rituals, funny hats, ostentatious surroundings, secrecy, etc. seems a bit out of step.
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I see where there are some CatholicsComeHome.org ads on the TV, so I checked out the website and found more of the same.   If I was not going to Church, they were willing to let be come back, and forgive me.  But what about me forgiving them????
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I believe in the divinity of  Christ and view myself as a Christian, although with a firm belief that this is only one path to God..... certainly not the only one and the one true way.
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But I would come back to the church on these conditions.

1.  Allow women to be Priests.  Does God really restrict leadership roles to men?

2.  Allow Priests to marry.  Enough of this stupid celibacy  which was only voted on because of church property inheritance  issues in medieval times.   Plus, it would attract people to the priesthood, who didn't need to prey on little boys and girls.

3.  End this Papal Infallibility Bullshit.  Il Papa is not infallible.   He's just the guy in charge of a huge international operation, and should be recognized as such.

4. Send Cardinal Bernard Law back to Massachusetts where he should stand trial for facilitating the abuse of  hundreds of Catholic children at the hands of perverted priests in his Archdiocese.

.

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That's all I need.   Then maybe I would drop a dollar in the collection basket every few Sundays or so.
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As for the new Pope.  I kind of like Cardinal Francis Arinze  of Nigeria.  
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I actually have no freaking idea who he is but the Irish bookies are taking odds on him, along with Cardinal O'Malley from Boston.   Really the only time you read about the Church in Boston these days is when they close a local parish church in complete disregard to the neighborhood communicants who have worshiped there.... so I don't know what O'Malley brings to the table.

But Seriously ....Who it is  doesn't affect me in the least, and I highly doubt that he will accept my conditions.  So I have no recommendations to the Papal Conclave at this time.

Growing the Middle Class

My old friend from UMASS, Jack Rabbitt, just gave me a great idea to help President Obama in his quest to build the Middle Class, and I've decided to lead the way in volunteering for the effort

Write a big check.... as much as you can.... made out to me.   I will selflessly redistribute this money to members of the lower classes, in an effort to elevate them to middle class status.   And all this for a small administrative charge on my part.

And please, don't shower me with praises for undertaking this effort.  It's just my patriotic duty, right Libs?

Affable for Affleck

Just watched "Argo", the Ben Affleck film that won the Academy Award.
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Nanepashemet doesn't give out awards for films... yet.... but if it did, Argo would definitely be in the running.
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I have the dubious distinction of being contemporaneously very aware of the events that took place in the film, and the Affleck effort was worthy of the Academy's distinction.

POTW Week 10 of 2013

I hate shoveling snow in March.  You know it will be gone in two days, but if the postman falls and breaks his leg within that time, you are screwed.

ANNOUNCING.....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 10th Week of 2013

Brian Donovan
Brendan Ahern
Pat Piscatelli
Ethan Nestor
Elizabeth Hasselbeck
Lynda Murray

Freaking Snow.

Have to Catch Up, because of SketchUp.

Sorry for the lapse in Posts... Peeps.
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I kind of went on a binge trying to learn the SketchUp 3D CAD program.
( SketchUp Download www.sketchup.com  )

 My benchmark is that it takes about 40 hours to become proficient in a major program like Excel, Access or certainly a CAD program.  After that, you have to maintain practice, and you continue to learn.
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With Excel, which I am very comfortable with, after about twenty years or constant spreadsheet use, I still learn new stuff all of the time.  And I'm sure that I haven't scratched the surface.
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A couple of times, I have taken a stab at AutoCAD, because being able to design on the computer is a highly useful skill, but I always seemed to fall short since designing is not a central job function in my career path.  But the SketchUp program has really struck a chord.
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Except for building a boat, which requires strict attention to a set to tested plans, I usually design on the fly with my woodworking and home remodeling projects.  Tommy O' Shea's deck is an example.   But being able to lay out the design on paper, and making changes and modification before the work is actually implemented is a vastly better way to proceed.
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I like to plan out how the various project components will come together in my mind, and no CAD program has been intuitive enough to convince me to commit to paper first... until now, with this free SketchUp program.  That said, the learning curve is still substantial.

Blanket Chest/Toy Chest Design

This is a Blanket Chest or a Toy Chest along the lines of the one that I made for Grandson Will a few years ago.   Just tried to reproduce the design in Sketchup.   I have to make one for Ethan and will probably make a few more.

Aquaponics System Cost and Sales Price

Here is the materials takeoff for Vers. 2 of the Aquaponics design.  But don't get too excited.... this doesn't include Labor, Overhead and Profit.
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If I were to custom design and build this for you, it would go for the low discounted price of $9,899.00.

Aquaponics Version 2

After contemplating the initial design, I thought that the one plant tank was a little small. 

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This version uses the same one pump to send the fish water to a holding tank that sits atop the pump cabinet which waterfalls into two plant  tanks, each of which have a waterfall drain back into the fish tank which will be below grade.  The tanks will be trimed with 2x bench stock and slate stones as appropriate.

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Not a heck more work to double the planting space.  We are getting close to the final version

 

 

The SketchUp program that I designed this with is available free on-line and is really worth taking the time to download and learn.  My knowledge is rudimentary, but I plan to stick with it.

Aquaponics Design

This is the initial design that I produced with SketchUP.

The fish tank is on the left, and the fish poop and other effluent gravitates to the bottom of the tank where it is pumped to the plant tank. The plants, floating on styrofoam "rafts", absorb the organic fertilizer, and return clean, oxygenated water via a waterfall drain back to the fish tank.

The four foot deep fish tank will be three feet below grade with a foot above the ground. The two foot deep plant tank will sit on grade. Excavation will be the toughest part of the project and includes trenching to the house for the electrical conduits running to the water pump located at an enclosure at the end of the plant tank.

The tanks will be made of pressure treated plywood, reinforced with West System Epoxy and fiberglass fabric, and coated on the inside with a product called BrewCoat, which is designed to coat the inside of potable water tanks. The system will hold a combined 1,330 gallons and will be pumped with a 1000 gallon per hour water pump, that will be attached to a timer so that the water periodically circulates 24 hr/day.

The fish tank will be lined underground with polystyrene panels for insulation, and a grid floor with be set at the two foot level which will allow fish to go to the bottom of the tank to avoid cranes and raccoons, but will stop kids from sinking to the bottom of the tank if they fall in by accident (or on purpose).

Joanne wanted me to make some raised planting beds for vegetables, but we can have fish with our vegetables with this rig. I have the material budget at $1,100 and 11 man days will be required. And there is no particular credit to the man days even if a Mountain of a Man is doing the work.

The big contingency will be if I hit ledge when I dig the ditch for the fish tank.

If everything goes well, this system should be in place in the backyard by June, and we will stock it with Bluegill fingerlings and grow tomatoes and cukes. 
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I like the idea of the Bluegills because they are a hardy fish found in local ponds, and the kids may like to catch them for fun.  You could go with Koi or Goldfish if you wanted an ornamental fish tank, or you could stock with Tilapia or even Rainbow Trout if you wanted to raise the fish in the system specifically to harvest as food.
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Doug Maxfield, who used to have the second best Blog in cyberspace, northshorewaterman.com, before his last post some time ago, kept a largemouth bass, Bassford, in a tank in his living room for six years, so that is an option, although I would think that Bass could outgrow the aquaponics tank.

Sinkholes and Sequestration

So you hit the sack after a long day, and try to get in some z's.   You've locked the door and have your Smith and Wesson 380 close by in the nightstand, so nothing can really screw with you and your snooze.... right?
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Well, if you were that poor Bastard in Florida, shortly after you entered slumber, the freaking ground gives way under your house and you are buried alive.
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Man... talk about Bad Kharma!
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Word is that Nancy Pelosi says that the sinkhole crisis is due to the Republicans and Sequestration.

POTW Week 9 of 2013

So many things to think about lately.... what with aquaponics, weight loss, sequestration and other cutting topics on the agenda.  It's easy to lose your focus and forget about some of the really important things.... likely choosing the Peep of the Week.
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Granted I've been very lax at this obligation, but it's time to rededicate to this weekly feature that is so popular with Nanepashemet Peeps of all Persuasions.  It used to be that if I forgot to make the selections, so many of you would object that I'd almost feel a little bad.   But time and age have hardened me a bit, and I've become less vulnerable to your bitching and moaning.
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Anyway...
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ANNOUNCING.....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 9th week of 2013.

Mike Nestor
Jon Dolan
Chris Crawford
Dick Coppola
Nick Avagianos
Kim Hause

Now that that's all done, I think I will look out the window to see if everything is ok now that Sequestration has hit with all of its insidious consequences.  The Prez says that the shit is hitting the fan, and he wouldn't fib a little... would he?

Self Absorbent and Narcissistic

Peeps...
For the last two days it's been back and forth to New Haven County.   Lots of miles logged on the White F-150.  So I'm kind of wiped out as I write this, and have a ton of email to attend to.
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But it was worth it, and the last two days may go down in Nanepashemet Telecom history as a crucial business turning point.   At least the potential is there.
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Being a Mountain of a Man means that you can't get your hopes up too high, nor can you drag your ass through the doldrums.  You've got to keep that even middle ground.
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Then I get back and check on Facebook and I find that one of my old classmates from Lynn English High School posted, while I was pre-occupied in Connecticut,  that this Blog is self-absorbent and narcissistic.  
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Being open minded and kind hearted, I didn't take offense.   Just because someone is a Dick, that doesn't make him a bad person.    Damn... I've always admitted that this pathetic Blog is indeed pathetic, and normal adjusted people really shouldn't read it,  but those comments lingered in my mind and began to cut like a knife.  Might be time to go on a bender.
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Just because this Blog is all about me, ....what I think, what I feel, and what I do...  that doesn't make it self absorbent and narcissistic.... does it?   .....I don't think so either.  Granted, with the Mountain of a Man status that I have anointed upon myself, it does appear to be a bit pretentious at times....   But the truth cannot be held back.
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So many of you lack the ability to form your own opinions and live you own lives, that I have been forced to carry this formidable weight of giving you truth and direction multiple times a week.   Kind of like the way the Liberals do (I can't imagine how Barack copes.... maybe he and I can start a support group or something).   And the thousands, even dozens of hits that the Blog gets in a week is testament to the obligation I have to dribble out a little wisdom to the multitudes as much as possible.
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I can't be responsible for people slitting their wrists, or jumping off cliffs just because I've cut down on the daily posts.    What do you think this is????  Sequestation or Something?????     I have to "Keep Calm and Carry On" no matter what cutting criticism is hurled in the MOAM's direction.
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So Peeps.... you have to realize... it's all about ME... but only for the benefit of YOU.
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Except for You,   DICK.

Doug Said....

Haters gonna hate. Personally, I enjoy reading about your bowel movements and long car rides.