Priority Pram Proposal

Have to work the Pram today and get in down on the Village Wharf tie up ring.

• Sand - 2hr.,     
• Interior Epoxy 2hr. coating - 6hr. dry,    
• Paint 2hr.  4hr. dry,   
• Fit seats and install 2 hr.   - 

So 18 hours total.
 It's possible to get done by tomorrow night... not probable though.

UPDATE.
Thanks to great performance from my Harbor Freight HVLP Sprayer  that I bought for less than $50 bucks about a year ago combined with my Porter Cable Pancake Compressor, I'm pretty sure that I'll get the Pram in the water by tomorrow evening.

POTW Week 24

Sometimes, you have momentous turning points in your life that happen subtly, and you don't even acknowledge the tremendous progress that you have made, but take it in stride in the swirl of everything going on.

That happened this week.   Seems like we crossed a river that has been an impenetrable boundary for so many years, yet we simply waded through and are now standing on the other side with a whole new landscape of opportunity.

ANNOUNCING....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 24th Week of 2012


Adam Sandler
David Spade
Norm Sherwood
Alex Khoury
Bob Tabor
Ben Mottola

I feel like Navin R. Johnson must have felt when he saw his name in the phonebook.

"Good things will start happening to me now"

Indian Fighters

Peeps....
I like to think of myself as an open-minded thinker... there being two sides to every story... my side and the wrong side.
~
So you would think that the tolerance and high mindedness of a mountain of a man like myself would be able to look past the foibles and idiosyncracies of the Harvard Native Indian Law Professor, Elizabeth Warren.
~
But I can't.
~
Not only that, I can't see how anyone could prefer her over a straight shooter like Scott Brown.  Yet there are some who defend and support her.
~
A nice girl named Malika just came to my front door with an Environmental Petition, asking me for money, which I politely refused to give.  Then she asked me if I was supporting Warren or Brown.  I said "Absolutely Brown" and she tried to keep a straight face.
~
I just don't get it.

A Respectable Dark and Stormy.

I just had the best Dark and Stormy that I ever drank... outside of the ones that I make.
~
Down at the Boston Yacht Club, the pretty bartender filled the 10oz glass 3/4 full with ice, then filled the glass half full with Gosling's Black Seal Rum.  She then filled to the brim with Gosling's Ginger Beer and added a lemon slice.
~
Yes... I would have preferred Stephan's Ginger Beer, but that was the only flaw.
~
Finally we have found an outside source that has the right ratio of GB to Rum.  The Landing Restaurant claimed to have the best, but they were way off.
~
May have to spend more time at the BYC.

Another Liz Lament

Just watched the latest Elizabeth Warren ad where she squints her eyes and tells us how hard it is out there for us Middle Class types.  More pandering, but that's politics.
~
The part that has gotten under my skin is where she talks about the high cost of college and the government cutting college loans.
~
Earth to Liz.... you are a teacher who makes over $300k to teach one college course.   So don't talk about the bad government cutting loans so that students can finance your LA LA Land Academian lifestyle.
~
I'm not going to spin into the ceiling on this one.   It's nothing as bad as her 1/32 Affirmative Action status... but it is still freaking irritating.
~
Yet the media keeps saying she is neck and neck with Scott Brown in the polls.  I don't believe that, and I don't believe that Liz is an Indian either.

Unsavory Price of Liberty

Lots of paperwork at Nanepashemet Telecom these days.  It's always been interesting to me that the paperwork is a lot more burdensome then the actual work product activity.
~
There should be some sort of paperwork per activity ratio.   Maybe Mayor Bloomberg in NY can regulate this into law as he seeks to limit the intake of sugary drinks and popcorn.
~
The Mayor knows what's best for us and wants the government to make us criminals if we drink over 16oz. of Coca-Cola in a single container.
~
Wonder who will be handling the paperwork on this?
~
Bloomberg might be 100% right about the impact of sugary drinks on our health... but he is 100% wrong to  arm his opinion with the force of law and intrude on our personal liberty of choice.  The road to hell is paved with good intentions.... and it turns into a slippery slope where one limitation leads to another until our liberty is eroded..... that's why the left tends to slide to oppression and subjugation.
~
It's sad to see a fat kid with a Twinky and a 16oz Big Gulp.   But it's his parents responsibility to teach him to make the right choice.... not the government's.   And yes, some dipshit parents will allow their kids to make the stupid choices.  Once again, this is the unsavory price of liberty that must be absorbed to protect our overall freedom.

Adam Sandler for the Starring Role

Joanne ran into Adam Sandler this afternoon in downtown Marblehead during a pause in a take of GrownUps 2.  She said he looked like a real nice guy.
~
Maybe I'll give him the a shot at the Nanepashemet Movie script.  I was always hopeing that Richard Gere or Harrison Ford could play the lead, but Sandler might be more appropriate.
~
Maybe Joanne would be happy with Salma Hayek playing her as the Mountain of a Man's wife... fine with me.  At least she's used to the Marblehead location as she navigates the stairs of the Custom House with her little daughter on the right.
~
 I'd be fine with anyone from Beyonce to Julia Roberts.   But more towards Salma or Beyonce.
~

I'm pretty certain that Matt Damon would take a pass at the lead role... even though I'm willing to let bygones be bygones.

Homes for Peeps Program

LOL - Search by the date.  Thanks.

The response to the Beverly Ave. Nanepashemet House for rent post was so strong that it rented almost immediately.  A tip of the hat to Mooseknuckler Brian Donovan for referring the new lucky tenants.
~
 I was surprised at the amount of prospective qualified tenants and felt a little bad that I couldn't help many more of them out.  Obviously, there is a trend in the local Marblehead Market for people who wish to rent rather than own.   Because of this, we have decided to open a new program at Nanepashemet Real Estate to purchase single family homes for rent, and have slated about four acquisitions for the next year.
~
We have kept all of the applications that we received on file and will contact you as we have additional units for rent.  We are also opening opportunities for investment in this program to those would like to participate in this strong upscale rental market, but don't wish to deal with the issues of property management.
~
Not all of the homes will have the historic significance of being the birthplace of this pathetic Blog, but we'll do our best to find places worthy of Nanepashemet Peeps.
~
If you know of any homes that may be ready to come on the market, we would greatly appreciate the tip.  You may even end up as a Peep of the Week!

You’re Not Special

David McCullough Jr.’s commencement address: You’re Not Special

This speech was given to the graduating class of Wellesley High School, and is an articulate and modern rendition of the need to extinguish the ego... because of the practicality of it.
~
It is worth taking the time to read.

Middleborough OKs $20 fines for swearing in public

Middleborough OKs $20 fines for swearing in public

Have they defined which words are swears?  Who makes that determination and why?    This one runs into our constitutional right to free speech.  Once again, the cost of living in a free society is dealing with the unsavory effects of freedom.

Seems to me, that the problem here is disturbing the peace by yelling.  I have no issue with censuring this.  But the content of the yelling should not be banned.

Boston Celtics Eras

Celtics lost last night in a hard fought series against the Miami Heat.
~
It's probably time for the franchise to start another chapter... or Era.
~
Since I'm getting on the older side of middle aged, I've been witness to quite a few of these Eras....Cousy Era, Russell Era, Havlicek Cowens Era, Bird Era, and now the Pierce Garnett Allen Era.
~
Each one of these gave their own glory to the storied basketball team.

Cousy Era

~

Russell Era

Cowens Havlicek Era

Bird Era

Pierce, Garnett, Allen Era

There will probably be another transition before the new Era gets a name, but it's only a matter of time before the tradition continues.

POTW Week 23

I don't know if it was that bison hamburger that I had at Ted's or what, but I have been one hurting buckaroo today and decided to take my first "rest" day from running.  Not that it slowed down the pace at Nanepashemet Telecom, where we were processing the substantial gains made in New Haven yesterday.
~
Announcing....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 23rd Week of 2012.


Maria Rowen
Gail Johnson
Robert Towne
Joe Collins
Trish Rockett
Wayne Webster

Tomorrow, Saturday morning, we will be hitting the Cybex then out for a run.  Hopefully that will clean out the cobwebs.   In the afternoon, we will be back at Beverly Ave. celebrating Katie O' Shea's matriculation.  Plus it's our wedding anniversary, so I'll be revving up the charm with Joanne to see if she'll hang for a few more years.  And to top everything off, it is Gail Johnson's birthday.
~
Once Again, we will be ready for the challenge.

Yin Yang

After a series of highly successful meetings in New Haven, where Frantz saw the power of a Mountain of a Man in full Nanepashemet Telecom mode, I started the drive to deadhead home at about 4:30PM.
~
Walked into the Sundance house at 11:00PM.
~
What?
~
Hartford traffic at a standstill, accidents and backups on the Mass Pike, a stop off for a beer at Ted's in Westboro with my partner, Mike Elsier, and finally the General Edwards Bridge being shut down forcing a detour back through Revere, down the Marsh Road and through downtown Lynn.
~
At least the Celtics- Heat game was on, although the Celts were clobbered by LeBron James and will be going to Miami for a seventh game.  That was depressing radio.
~
It was like the yin and the yang, all in one day.
~
Tremendous business success, then the commute from Hell.
~
I guess if you are going to go through these extremes, I'm happy to have the business success.... so it's all good.

Creole Translation

Back to New Haven this morning.
~
I'll be cutting through Hartford to pick up my favorite Radio Frequency Engineer, Frantz Pierre.
~
Frantz is a Haitian who spends a lot of the time during the commute on his cell phone speaking in Creole to his wife.  Every once in a while, he throws in a French or English phrase.
~
Basically, I speak English and can piece together French, so it's the Creole part that has me wondering what the hell he is talking about.
~
As far as I can see, he's not dissing me or my driving.... unless I consult my Creole to English Dictionary, it's impossible to verify.  But,  I try to always be on my best behavior with Frantz, because I'm not sure whether he practices Voodoo and I don't want to find out.  Although that RF stuff basically is Voodoo.
~
At any rate, we'll be surveying a couple sites and then meeting with an important Landlord, then returning to Boston just in time to sample the evening commuting traffic.
~
You never work a day if you love your work.

MOAM Burden

Girls in Yoga Pants,  Nanepashemet, Bar Stool Sports, ESPN
~
What do these quality Blogs have in common???
~
They are the exact order that POTY Kerry D'Orio's husband, Brendt, looks at every morning to get his Mojo on.
~
In that order, every morning.
~
No wonder Brendt is as cool as he is.  Not only is his Trophy Wife the 2012 Peep of the Year, but he nourishes his mind every morning in the proper disciplines.
~
Now do you see why it is so important to maintain quality Nanepashemet Posts every day????  Suppose I missed a couple of days posting neurotic and useless wisdom to the Peeps?  Brendt's outlook would completely be skewed by yoga, bar stools and TV Sports programs.  He would most likely be slanted and off center as his life tittered toward a tilted and unbalanced outlook.
~
I hate to feel responsible for Brendt's well being.   But obviously I am.  It is another burden that a Mountain of a Man must bear.

Tolerance and Running

Even though I pleaded with you Peeps to slow down on the Voice Mails... you kept them coming.
~
Keep it up, and I will never tell you how the running program is going again.   But this time, in special regard for the fact that being a Mountain of Man means that you have be especially tolerant and a genuinely nice person, which I am for all worthy instances, I decided to let you in this one last time.
~
If my knee and my back holds out, I'm confident that I'll be competitive in a 5k that is slated for the first Week in August and a 10K that will be held mid-September.
~
These are good sanctioned races, but I won't be disclosing the time and place to you for reasons of security and crowd control.
~
BTW... I'm not checking on weight loss, but meticulously measuring running pace and distance... and have been improving daily.  And I'm positive that the left knee would be a mess right now without the use of my knee brace.  At some point after the 5K, I'll check on the body weight, but this isn't about appearance... it's about performance.
~
This is the last post for awhile on this subject.  It is almost as boring as Elizabeth Warren's Native American heritage... but not quite.

VM Not Accepting Messages at this Time

Peeps -
Please lay off of all of the voice mails and email asking how my comeback running program is coming.  There is nothing more irritating that a VM FULL message on your iPhone.  I use that phone for business you know.....  like making real money at Nanepashemet Telecom.
~
 Although it would be cool if you kept sending me those checks for the quality Nanepashemet apparel that those hard working Indonesians keep manufacturing in that low wage sweat shop of theirs.  Not that I would back off from the Telecom business now that the tsunami has hit.
~
But to give a mass answer to your annoying inquiries... the running is doing fine.  I fully intend to start taking some Master's Division Hardware home from some targeted road races in August and September when my muscle and respiratory systems respond to the mental demands that I am now suggesting to them.
~
Plus my knee is holding out fine with the knee brace which doesn't seem to be affecting my speed any.  
~
My real fear is that the road races that I enter after ten to fifteen weeks of training will be overflowing with spectators wishing to catch a glimpse of the new and improved Mountain of a Man as he used to appear in his older athletic days.  It could require a great deal of extra police details which could blow the budget of these worthy fund raising endeavors.
~
It's always something.  I can't sweat all of the details.

Gone Guts and Gonads

I've gotten a lot of email lately from Peeps claiming that their comments haven't been published on this Blog.   Why you would want this is beyond me, but your sad obsession with all things Nanepashemet is a weakness that many share... so who am I to question??
~
The simple truth, O Obsessed Ones, is this.  If you sign on as Anonymous, your comments get automatically deleted.   It's not that I would not like to see them... which I don't.... it's just that we operate here with a certain amount of character which says that if you have something to say, you should have the balls to put your name against it.
~
So the site automatically sends your worthless scribbles to oblivion where they belong, and even I, the MOAM in charge, misses the chance to see your pathetic phrasing.    I continually see the URL's of people whose URL trail to this blog shows that they have attempted to published a comment and their URL indicates that they hit the Blog over and over to see their sad Anonymous ramblings to the same empty result.   Kind of funny actually.  They so want to see that the shit that they have put up in a gutless fashion sticks in some way.
~
However, if you suddenly develop even a minor resemblance of a gonad, and come up with a name that ultimately can be traced, then you are automatically published and your words of wisdom are showered upon the thousands of Peeps who hover constantly for anything that resembles a turn from their ordinary humdrum existence.  You will have made it.   Your Shit will Stick.   Thousands... even dozens of Peeps will know that you exist.
~
You even don't have to put up your name and telephone number...you can use a pen name.... just sign up for an account that can ultimately be traced.  No Guts.... No Glory.
~
So the power to publish is yours, not mine. But, as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility.    Don't feel like you have to be at a Mountain of a Man level of greatness to put comments on this Blog.  You will ultimately be judged by the Peeps for what you are, not what you want to be.  So it can't be that bad, can it?
~
And if you sign up and still don't see your carefully crafted attempts at literary mediocrity have made it side by side with the Pulitzer Grade Nanepashemet Blog Posts????   Just keep trying Bunky.  You just might get lucky... or ....Maybe you'll quit after a while and get a life.

POTW Week 22

Yes, I've been lax lately about the coveted Peep of the Week selections.
~
The problem is that as you Peeps have grown from hundreds, to thousands, to millions across the globe, it's hard to service all of you with your needy wants and desires.
~
Even a Mountain of a Man has his limits.

Announcing...
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 22nd Week of 2012


Matt Damon
Bill Hillegas
John Edwards
Rajon Rondo
Adam Sandler
Nathaniel Clarke

I realize that this is an all male selection, but those of you who know me best, know that there is not a sexist bone in my body.   Actually... one bone might be a little sexist from time to time, but that's only temporary.
~
For the most part, the selection process is too complex for most of you Peeps to figure out... especially the foreign Peeps, and explaining it is taxing... MOAM or not.
~
So you just have to trust in your hearts the natural purity and goodness that causes these names to ooze to the surface of this pathetic post within such an awful Blog.
~
Have a nice day Peeps, and keep a sharp eye out for posers and assholes.

Taking a Run

If you happened to be driving on Beacon Street in Marblehead this morning, and saw a slightly rotund, soaked to the bone, middle aged guy doing a jogging imitation... that was me.
~
Thanks for not running me over  and putting me out of my misery.  Or maybe not.
~
The photo to the right is a pretty good rendition of what the rainy path ahead looked like without my glasses on.
~
There is an iPhone app called IMapMyRun which turns a simple jog into a tome of graphics and statistics.  It verbally calls out your mile times and instantly uploads photos like this onto the web. Then it converts your loop into a 3D video.
~
But I need the App that trims 60 lbs or so off of a lazy middle aged couch potato with little or no effort or pain... and little or no running.
~
Because the running part is the hard part.  At any rate, usually I blow out my knee when I try to start running again, but the knee felt ok with a knee strap support.  So maybe we'll take a run at this effort again.

       
 

Not Guilty

John Edwards is found not guilty of misuse of campaign funds.
~
That's why this is a good system of justice.  You can be a slimy scumbag to your family and lie your ass off about your personal life as you knock up Bimbos and such and ride roughshod over your dying wife, but the justice system allows you to be an asshole, as long as you don't break the law.
~
Enjoy your freedom, John.  Find a hole to crawl into where the other cockroaches live.  You are not guilty.

Andy Anonymous said...8:51 AM

There are many assholes out there, Mountain of a Man. Thank you for pointing out this one. Keep up the excellence.

Cherokee Nation, Cherokee Tribe

The Cherokees are protesting Elizabeth Warren's fraudulent claim that she is one of them at the Massachusetts Democratic Convention this week.
~
Deval Patrick, our Governor, has recently endorsed Warren saying that people don't care about the Cherokee issue.
~
Well Deval, I'm a person, and I care.
~
So right there, you are dead wrong .... Mr. Smarty Pants Governor.  And you obviously don't care that people lie about their minority status.   But then again, you've got it made.... nobody could say that you're not an African American.... because you look like one.
~
Warren is another story.  If she walked down the street with an eagle feather headdress and a tomahawk smoking a peace pipe, nobody would mistake her for anything more than she is... a lilly white, mid-western caucasian, slightly neurotic, liberal woman.
~
Liz....If you want this issue to go away, quit lying about it.  Admit that your "family tales" were wrong and that you shouldn't have told the colleges to light up their Affirmative Action numbers by hiring you.
~
I don't blame the Cherokees... I wouldn't want you to side up with me if  I was a card carrying native either.
~
But this could be your lucky day, Professor Warren.   Because today you are going to receive a rare gift... free advice from the Mountain of a Man.
~
Here's exactly what you have to say to get this stupid issue behind you.   Say this word for word and then shut the fuck up about the whole subject.
~
Here goes.
~
"Obviously I'm not a minority.  And I should have never allowed some crazy family rumor that can't be substantiated to be a reason to check a box that I'm an American Indian.  But it happened, it is stupid, I'm sorry about it, and I ask you if I can be forgiven for this bad indiscretion and you evaluate me for what I would like to do as Senator for the Commonwealth.  I'm sorry, and I would like the permission of the electorate to move on."
~
That's it Liz.   Stop the Bullshit about you are proud of your family and your heritage.  Every family has a bunch of Lunatics in it and your's is obviously no exception.
~
Maybe you'll still lose... I know I won't be voting for you....(I'll be voting for a real Brown man)  but at least you will salvage a little integrity and could move past this ridiculous situation

Lojoko Said...7:35 PM

Right on Sitting Bull!

Wu Wei

The Sage is occupied with the unspoken

and acts without effort.

Teaching without verbosity,

producing without possessing,

creating without regard to result,

claiming nothing,

the Sage has nothing to lose.

- Lao Tzu

Lao had his shit together, don't you think?

~

His concept of Wu Wei, or Action through Non-Action is central to ultimate success.   It means that all striving, all action should be done in a natural, uncontrived way in perfect response to the flow of events that the Universe passes before us.

~

Which reminds me.... need to get some Nanepashemet Telecom invoicing out today.

~

But shouldn't Wu Wei mean that the Universe just sends me the money, without all of the accounting and mailing that invoicing entails?

~

And no Peeps.  I am not the Sage referred to by Lao Tzu.    Not by a freaking long shot.  
~
Obviously I remain unenlightened.

Go Pre... Eternally

How can you look at this photo and not love Track and Field?  

~

The Finn in front was Lasse Viren, who won the race and was suspected of blood doping.  We hated him. 

~

 Steve Prefontaine is the American in third place, who ultimately finished fourth in this unforgettable 5,000k  at the Munich 1972 Summer Olympics. I was on the UMass Track Team at the time and we all lived vicariously through the exploits of Pre, and others like Marty Liquori, the great miler from Villanova.  These guys were good runners and cool at the same time, and they were like the rock stars of Track and Field.  

~

This was a time when growing your hair long and wearing a mustache was a sign of individuality and rebellion, and Pre was definitely a rebel as he railed against the conservative ruling  agency of the sport... the American AAU.

~

We were all liberals then... because liberals represented change and change was required in a society that discriminated against minorities and women and sent our military to defeat in a civil war in Vietnam that was none of our business.

~

Now things seem to have changed.   Now Liberals like Elizabeth Warren lie about being a Cherokee Indian minority.   That's the kind of stuff that makes me label myself as conservative, which would have been unthinkable when Steve Prefontaine was running that race.

~

Prefontaine died in a tragic car accident 37 years ago.    You have to wonder what he would have done and where distance running would be in this country if he wasn't taken at such a young age....  but his spirit lives on in people who love the sport and remember the class and passion that he exhibited.

GrownUps 2 in Marblehead

Adam Sandler's company, Billy Madison Productions is in Marblehead these summer days shooting GrownUps 2, which is the sequel to the Classic, GrownUps... a 2010 movie that I forget exactly what it was about.
~
Many of you Peeps have posed the reasonable yet irritating question...."Have they asked the Mountain of a Man to take a small role in the production... as an extra or  bit player or something.???
~
No, they haven't.
~
So I can't really vouch for the ultimate quality of this film.
~
Nevertheless, I'm pretty excited to potentially catch a glimpse of my favorite comedian, Chris Rock, who has been seen locally and has a speaking part.
~

And it will be cool to see scenes from Marblehead.   That last film about Marblehead concerned the cemetery that is down the street from my house, and the scenes were nothing close to the real thing.
~
 Crew and Extras Parking is around the corner from my house.  I'd even be willing to let them use the Columbia Herreshoff Tender if they had a rowing scene.

The Routine of Dying

The guy who lives across the street from me died today.
~
The Ambulance, Fire Engine and Patrol car charged up to his address and the Emergency Workers rushed in with equipment and a stretcher, but then they strolled out and leisurely repacked the stuff into their vehicles.
~
After a while, the Emergency Vehicles drove off and a Funeral Hearst with suited undertakers took the curbside place.  Then, a gurney with a quilted covering was lifted out of the house by the funeral parlor staffers.
~
So that was it.
~
I didn't know the guy, and wouldn't recognize him if I bumped into him on the Town Hall staircase.  But I still felt bad.  The processing of the event... by professionals who live their lives in this situation..... seemed depressing.   It should be more eventful when you die.... not a daily set of routines.

Apprehension and Twisters

I'm patiently waiting this evening for a line of thunder storms for roll through.  Need the rain for some grass seed that I planted in the front lawn.  But the weatherman also talked about some tornado warnings and I have a strong new found respect for the fury of a tornado after witnessing the path one tore through in Western Mass last summer.  A hundred yard wide path of mangled trees and damaged buildings, cutting a long swarth through the landscape and hopping over Route 84.
~
I certainly don't expect a tornado, but I'm still shocked by the devastation that these storms can create.  Imagine the force that can snap mature tree trunks in half.... like a massive karate chop.   That's the power we are talking about.
~
Hopefully, the country will dodge  these storms a little better than last year, when tornado alley in the MidWest was hit time and time again.
~
As you know, a Mountain of a Man like me doesn't scare easily.   And I'm not exactly scared of a freaking Tornado either.... but remain mildly apprehensive.

Another Keeper

Nice Keeper.

Ryan is either a lucky bastard, or a damn good fisherman.
Have to go with the good fisherman alternative.

Mark Vona and his new boat found a couple more landed by world traveler Nathaniel Clarke and Mike Nestor.   Mark is a great fisherman and never reveals his locations.  But between these two pictures and the island backgrounds, I think I can get a general idea Mark.   Plus, I can always ask these guys.

Annual Memorial Day Reflection

It's Memorial Day, and those of you who have followed this pathetic Blog over the years know that I always get sentimental on this day of remembrance... thinking about my father, my grandfather, my father-in-law, friends... all who sacrificed a great deal in the defense of our country.
~
I've always regretted that I didn't contribute... was in Army ROTC until I got my draft number and was safely out of the range of being drafted for service in the Vietnam War.  Vietnam was a disastrous policy for the country, and I had no willingness to go at the time, but the mistakes that we made there geared us up and gave us the lessons that we needed for the War on Terrorism.
~
Vietnam was a war that we fought while trying to act like we were not at war.   It was a terrible posture.  We sent our guys there for tours of duty.... they would be in firefights one week then shipped back walking the streets of their hometown like nothing was happening.   And the abuse they took from protester's at home was horrendous.  The war was stupid policy, but the veterans who fought were following orders like their brethren did from the Revolutionary War onward.   They should never have been criticized.
~
My father was dead against me going to Vietnam as well, and encouraged me to get a 2nd Lieutenant's commission through ROTC in the mistaken notion  that an officer had a better chance of survival.   Ironically, those guys were the first to be casualties in Vietnam... for all sorts of reasons and my high draft number probably saved me.
~
But Memorial day is not about politics.   It is about our service men and women, past and present, who have answered the call to put their lives on the line so that we can maintain our freedoms and way of life.  They should have our thanks and admiration.

Bill Hillegas said...
For me, this Memorial Day has brought about a sad awareness of the increasing disappearance of World War II veterans, and the realization of what is really lost when they have all gone. My father was a WWII vet and a large portion of the adult men I grew up around were WWII vets. These were guys whose psyche and values were molded by the Great Depression and the war. From my experience, what we will really lose when they are all gone is their example. I’m talking about the way they looked at life every single morning when they got up to go to work. In general, these were tough, no-nonsense men who valued personal responsibility, hard work and respect for others and their property. The concept of entitlement was a totally foreign idea to this generation. When you shook hands with one of them you knew you were shaking hands with a man. Those of you who lived around these WWII vets during their prime will know what I’m talking about. The rest of you just missed out. It is their on Annual Memorial Day Reflection

BPop said....
My mom and pop were both WW2 vets. Mom was a major in the Army nurse corps, and Dad was a Sgt Maj in the 82nd Airborne. Both were in for the duration, and both are gone now. I miss them always, but today is special. I did my 6 yrs '68 to '74 in USN submarine service,  Did my 6 years '68 to '74. Submarine service. My mom was a Major in the Army (nurse) in Europe and served on the front lines in what were later referred to as Mash units. Dad was a first Sgt in the 82nd airborne in the same theater and didn't like gliders or chutes much. Sure miss them everyday, but especially today. BPop

Not Kenyans

They have their numbers on so it looks like the Nestor siblings are running in that South Boston Half Marathon this morning.
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They look pretty happy don't they?   It would be nice to see the same pose a couple of hours from now.
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My prediction is that neither of them will win.   They were brought up in Marblehead... not the Kenyan Foothills.
~




Thanks to Pam Georgian, we have a nice after picture.  They still look happy and are toting a little hardware as well.

Conservative Metamorphosis

My friend, the other Mountain of a Man, Bobby Brown, came up with an interesting insight yesterday morning.
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For all we bitch about government waste and bureaucratic ineptitude.... you know what government agency is freaking the most efficient?????
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You are correct, Kemosabe.  It is the IRS.  The Internal Revenue Service can slice and dice you with ruthless efficiency.... as good as anything that the private sector can dish out.
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Plus you are guilty until proven innocent with the IRS.  They levy first, strip you clean,  then ask questions later.
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BTW... Bobby Boy... Last time I checked, you were a Bill Clinton supporting Dem.  How are you leaning now after the IRS roughed you up a bit????
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Not that a Mountain of a Man like Bob couldn't take a little loving from the Taxman.  But as the saying goes.... a Conservative is a Liberal who has just been mugged.

Wicked Tuna Reality

So my son, Ryan runs into Captain Dave from the National Geographic Wicked Tuna series at the Marblehead "Hungry Betty's" restaurant last night.   Turns out that the series is pretty much what we expected... contrived for the camera.   There's no rivalries... the Captains don't even freaking know each other.  They only met for the series.
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And the times when they said they were at Jeffrey's Ledge when we could tell  they were a few miles out of Gloucester????  They were a few miles out of Gloucester.
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Anyone who thinks that these reality series are really reality are missing a few marbles anyway.  It's still good entertainment.

Painting the Pram

Today we will be priming and painting the pram until it is pristine.  A Perfect Pastime.
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I know what you're thinking..."He's a Poet and He don't No it."
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It's all about iambic pentameter Baby.

High Honors

We last won this coveted award in 2009.... And I've been informed by an email that avoided my spam filter that we are up for the honor in 2012.
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For a small fee, we can get these cool paperweights that show everyone that we are the best of the best.
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Who the hell won in 2010 and 2011?
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Must have been someone wicked good to beat us out... or freaking stupid to get scammed into buying these phony award trinkets.

Liberal Advice from Hollywood

Hollywood Liberals like Matt Damon, Susan Sarandon, and George Clooney are so far removed from the real world and the struggles that we all must go through.
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Government policies frequently kick the shit out of us Goobers just trying to run a small business in the country, or to hang on to a corporate job,  or to make ends meet while we get continually harpooned by taxes, fees and regulations.  

These policies don't effect these out-of-touch Moonbats in the least.  How could they?  Doesn't matter which elected officials are ruining the economy or spending our tax dollars.   These people are uneffected .... whatsoever.
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So they can flip out their stupid political comments to show that they don't know shit about what's going on.... out here.... in their audience.
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It can't be all their fault.   If I made $100 million per movie for my ability to act like someone I'm not, I'm sure I would be a little out there in my opinions as well.  (in the Lizzie Warren spirit of avoiding plagiarism, that comment was made to me by my wicked smart son, Mike.)
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But don't tell us who to vote for.... because you have no freaking idea what is really going on.
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Shut up and act.  We need you to help us forget, not let us hear how completely out of touch you are.

A Fine Facebook Investment

Facebook went public and the shareholders are losing money as the shares plummet.
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So they're suing.
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What pussies!
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It was impossible to be conscious and breathing over the past three weeks and not hear stories that the stock offering was grossly overpriced.  Then when people buy the stuff and it drops... they are whining?
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I am so sick of the rash of phonies that seem to abound the landscape these days.   You lose money in the stock market, it's the company's fault... you don't pay your rent and get evicted, it's the landlord's fault... your kid never studies and flunks out of school, it's the teacher's fault.
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The fact that society is so tolerant of these losers probably shows that we are good people generally.... surrounded by pussy losers.

Rain Delay

A dash down to Connecticut yesterday and pervasive rain and drizzle has postponed a couple of coats of marine grade paint on the Pram hull now that the epoxy has cured.
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It's good for the grass, I guess, but I'd like to finish this step on the Pram because I have to finish some substantial restructuring of the interior.  We'll be installing new seating and hopefully setting the rig up for sailing.
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It would be nice to get it on my Village Wharf Ring by the end of the weekend.

@BT. Go this Route

http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIII/TitleIII/Chapter239/Section1A

@BT...   This is the route we are taking if necessary. If any problems on the exit you then go with  Summary Process with served notice to domicile and places of employment.   Be ready to serve immediately after the move date if the move hasn't occurred.   Plus, you should get a complete photographic record of current conditions with witnesses to litigate for any malicious damages. We got ours during the code inspection, which   is  actually a good tool for this.   Good luck with yours.  Sorry this happened to you too.  Hope this helps.

Recipe for Integrity

This Elizabeth Warren Story is haunting.
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 I have to admit that this issue has become obsessive to me. Just gets more infuriating as it goes along.
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 It's one thing to lie about your Affirmative Action status, but to back it up with the preposterous notion that someone with 1/32 Indian blood would be privy to handed down recipes from their 1/32 kinfolk is just plain insulting to any thinking person. The plagiarizing just makes it even more bizarre.
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 Our liberal friends seem to be holding their breath on this one and wishing it will go away, but how can it? It is fundamental to the character of the candidate. 
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This isn't about Right or Left... it is about personal honesty and integrity.

Morning Thought to Ponder

If a Man Farts....
And there is no woman around to tell him that he is a gross pig....
Did he still Fart?
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Ponderous
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Now get off of your Ass and don't squander your obligation to make this world a little bit better today.

Summer Start Prep

Next weekend is Memorial Day... the start of summer
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As most of you know, summer is the magic season here in the Coastal Town of Marblehead, Massachusetts.  Between fishing, boating, tie-ups at the islands, cookouts and hanging out on the Yacht Club Porches,  we try to find the time to get some work in and make some money.
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Every summer is important.  You'll be dead a long time... so you really can't afford to waste the summer in Marblehead.
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So I spent some hours this weekend getting the Pram and the Tender ready for the water.  I sanded and epoxied the outside hull of the pram and got it ready for a coat of primer and some finish coats of paint.  I won't make the mistake this year of putting bottom paint on the pram.  It's more of a problem always having the bottom paint come off on your hands than powerwashing whatever growth decides to reside on the pram bottom.  I know that there will be algae and barnacles galore on the bottom within a month, but I'd rather deal with that than bottom paint residue on your hands.
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The Herreshoff Columbia Tender is another problem altogether.  Trying to keep the whole thing with a natural finish has been a nightmare.   The outside hull is fine, but the gunnel rails and the seats can't seem to hold a coat of epoxy and marine varnish, and the interior flooring panels have to be screwed down on rails and hold all sorts of debris underneath.
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I'm going to spraypaint the interior from the seats down... White.  Marine White High Gloss.  And I will omit the flooring panels all together.
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Even though the seats are laminated mahogany, oak and cedar... the fact that epoxy and varnish peals away within a season has me looking for a better maintenance alternative.   Have to go with the paint and see how that works this year.
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There's probably another 20 hours of work left to get these boats up to the MOAM standard of excellence. I would love to squeeze these hours in before the end of the week, but I doubt it.  Have to head down to New Haven, and that always kills any personal hours left in the week.

Remedy for Excessive Blog Hits

Peeps.
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I can tell from the excessive amounts of hits lately that some of you are a bit obsessed with this Nanepashemet Blog.   Not that I can blame you.  It's beyond the capabilities of most of you not to be enamored with the exploits and ideas of a Mountain of a Man like me.
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But excessive searching on this Blog can be injurious to your health... kind of like the four hour stiffy that Viagara ads warn you about.
~
Part of the problem is that the average Peep tends to think that every vaguely worded post is all about them personally.... which portends the huge ego and mental feeblemindedness that this pathetic blog seems to attract.
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And the frustration that this engenders is horrific, especially when the hapless Blog Reader finally reaches the conclusion that the Blog is not about them at all... that they are insignificant and minute blobs of protoplasm hopelessly trying to find meaning within the digital ramblings of a MOAM, and getting no satisfaction whatsoever.
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After extensive consultation with some of the finest psychologists, self- help quacks and acupuncturists in the ten mile radius around my house, I have come to the following suggestion.
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Don't look for meaning from me.... send money instead.
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Each time you Google "Nanepashemet", send a $10 cash money American Bill in the mail directly to me.
After a while, you will be so broke that you won't be able to buy food, and the hunger will aid in a gradual decline in the number of daily blog hits that you make.
~
And don't think you can get around this by Googling "John Nestor Marblehead"  or " Mountain of a Man" instead of  "Nanepashemet".  You must send the ten spot cash to get the cure.   And for God sakes, don't even think of leaving a comment  (unless you are Tuna Lips, of course) .... that could cost you thousands.
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If you want to risk screwing with the IRS, you can write off the payments to charity.  Because I will be using the money to fund the MOAM Foundation.... dedicated to the financial well being of me....  easily the most worthy charity that you could donate to.
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And when you relapse, just double up on the payments.  Don't think of yourself as a Loser... just a recovering Nanepashaholic.

Maddies Fishing Tournament Entry

The Flying Elvis team talleyed   (1) 35" Striper, (1) 20" Cod, (3)  flounders and a Harbor Seal. They let the seal go, but I wish they kept it. Heard there were some great seal recipes in the Pow Wow Chow book.
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They probably didn't win because Mark Vona was in the tournament and we don't have the results yet.

Mackerel

Mackerel are running in Salem Sound.   Brendt and Ryan hit them big on Tinker's Buoy as they fished for live bait.
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When I was a kid, we used to eat them.  They are strong tasting,  dark and oily, but if you like fish, still good.  And highly nutritious... twice as much Omega3 oil as salmon.
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They also put up a nice fight for a small fish and are a lot of fun to land with light tackle.  Good lobster trap bait too.

Sweet Charity

Nobody likes to be lied to.
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It always brings on an aggressive reaction from those on the receiving end.
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But when you start to see that the liar really believes the lie, and there is a persistent pattern of denial and misstatement, on many levels of background, history and normal facts,  it becomes apparent that there might be some sort of mental impairment.
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Anger then turns to sympathy.

~
That changes everything. You get pissed at an Asshole, but you feel pity for the Mentally Deranged.

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In their condition, they are just poor losers trying to cope.  They place the source of their bad fortune on everybody else by lying to themselves.  When they get fired, it's the Bosses fault.  When they lose their house, it's the Banker's fault.   When their kids act like spoiled jerks, it's the Teacher's fault.  They project all of their shortcomings on to others. Maybe they're not trying to screw people all the time.  Maybe they just can't help it.
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They don't have the mental ability to realize that they are the cause of their own problems.   They don't take responsibility for their own lives.   They continually lie to themselves and others.

Some might be content to call them Assholes, but there has to be a deeper mental disturbance going on here.  And the pattern goes on and on.
~
Thank God for Charity.  But then again, they lie in order to get it.... about their job, income, etc.  And the pattern is perpetuated.  Unfortunately, the legal system doesn't have a way to manage these types, and sooner or later, their lies buy them time in the joint.

Pow Wow Chow???... WOW!

Just when you think that the Warren "I'm 1/32 Indian, so I checked the Affirmative Action Box" issue has run it's course, now comes the bombshell that she contributed plagiarized recipes to POW WOW CHOW, that classic of American Indian Cuisine.


Pow Wow Chow, A Collection of Recipes from Families of the Five Civilized Tribes : Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole [Paperback], is available from Amazon.
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Apparently, Elizabeth Warren reached deeply into her 1/32 heritage and came out with some old family recipes that her family enjoyed after a buffalo hunt or a little stint in the sweat lodge with the Medicine Men.  Funny how those native cuisine recipe chestnuts get handed down... even to those who have 31/32 white blood coursing through their native veins.  It explains why Liz always orders the Buffalo Jerky appetizer at the Harvard Law Luncheon soirees.

This fraud is running for the US Senate  to represent Massachusetts.  Some might say that the Commonwealth deserves a NutJob like this pulling the strings from Washington.  If she was running against Kerry, maybe even I would throw her a vote, but she's taking on Scott Brown, who is one of the few pols that I actually believe is level headed and trying to do the right thing.
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My old friend, Wayne Webster put a lot of great stuff out about our Indian Wannabee on Facebook the other day, and I pushed like hell to provoke some of my Lefty friends to come to her aid with some hanging Facebook strings..... and didn't get one taker.

That's how bad she is.  Even the Dems won't touch this one.

My hypothesis stands... You have to be weird to run for politics, in the first place, but there are weirdos.... then there are Holy Shit, NO FREAKING WAAAY Weirdos.....
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......Which is the category currently taken by the Cherokee Chef who grew up to be a Harvard Law Professor.

Road to Hell

I believe that Florida seventeen year old, Trevon Martin, was a punk who beat the shit out of George Zimmerman.   And I believe that George Zimmerman was afraid for his life and shot Martin out of self defense.
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But George Zimmerman is guilty as sin.  He was told by the Police to back off, yet he voluntarily put himself in harm's way.  If he had obeyed police orders, Martin would be alive... punk or not, and Zimmerman would not be weathering judgement for murder.
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Because Martin is Black, race baiters like Jesse Jackson have taken advantage of the situation, trying to fan the flames that keep haters like them in business.   That's been a tragic side show within an overall tragic situation.
~
Zimmerman is probably a good guy... with good intentions.  But the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, and his poor judgement is sending him down the road.... which he deserves.

Anonymous9:14 AM

Let's get technical for a moment; the police said, "we don't need you to do that"--they never said for him to get back into his car and drive away. Knowing this will be fundamental part to refute the charges.
Frank

---------------------------

Appreciate your point Frank, but he didn't have to get involved.  He called the police.  It was their call.  Now a kid is dead and his life is ruined

Piscine Prognostication

It happens every year.  Some Hollywood types begging me to take the Nanepashemet Blog into some sort of tawdry reality show series.    And every year, I tell them to go to hell.  My story is not for sale.  At least not for sale cheaply.   And I'm definitely not doing it now that fishing season is around the corner. 

We've got all of our fishing tackle organized as hell, and have big plans to tune up all of the loose ends on the WhaleEye.
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Got a call this morning from another of my legal buddies telling me of his fishing success down on the Cape this weekend. The piscine aficionado landed some blues and schoolie stripers, and was right at the verge of his enthusiasm transforming into bravado. Not that I can blame him. If I caught Blues and Stripers this early in the season, I'd be bragging my ass off.
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Tomorrow, I'm thinking of taking the CEO of a promising wireless startup in the public safety networks sector to lunch at the Boston Yacht Club. I thought I might impress him with the ambiance of Marblehead Harbor, but it appears that he lives on the Monterrey Peninsula in California, which is probably the most spectacular ocean venue that I've yet seen.
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So I'll have to find another way to impress him. Maybe with fishing stories  Or Maybe he will invest in the Nanepashemet Reality Series..
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Anyway.... I predict the best fishing season ever this year. Tuna, Stipers, Blues and Lobster. Not necessarily in that order.

Catching the Wave

Oh Baby...
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After a little comic diversion this morning, the day really picked up.
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Remember that business tsunami that I told you Peeps about a few months ago?
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Wax the surfboards.
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Screw surfboards.... need some heavy duty white water rafts.
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Time to catch the wave.

Another Kennedy Tragedy

Kennedy Tragedy.
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Man... These words seem to go together, don't they?
~
Is it that the family is cursed? Or is it that they have been American royalty, watched closely, and go through the same challenges, setbacks, and foibles as any extended American family?
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 Maybe due to their celebrity, we see every bit of their bad luck.

Film Extras

After an insignificant little detour today, we were back to making money at Nanepashemet Telecom.   Plus, it seems that Adam Sandler and his Marblehead GrownUps 2 film crew is looking for extras, and naturally, the Mountain of a Man is at the top of the list.

~

I'm not a little concerned that I will steal any scene that I appear in the background and really piss off those Hollywood types.

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Just another MOAM burden that we must bear.

Milking the Culture

Seriously.
~
Never heard of a sippy cup?
~
Nobody asked me, but in this culture, I'll bet real American Dollars that this kid turns out be be an Asshole.
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Because his mother sure looks like one.
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Here's the thing, Mommy.... your little prince is going to get a royal schoolyard screwing regularly in his formative Middle School Years because of your little mammary indiscretion.
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At least he would if he went to Eastern Junior High in Lynn like I did.
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Not that I would ever have taunted him....I prefer homogenized ice cold milk anyway.
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But I wonder what happens when the Momma's Little Darling gets a stiffy?
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C'mon Time.... let's uncover some more investigative journalism..... get to the Nub of the Matter... so to speak

Casting Federal Stones

A good friend of ours just got socked with a Federal Indictment for doing something stupid.  She'll be going away, because the way the Feds work, if you don't take a plea and agree to go away for a few years, they put the hammer down and push for the maximum.    Did she do it?  Probably.  But let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
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I know I won't be throwing any.

anallaroundgirl said...10:15 PM

That seems to be going around a lot in this country these days.

Forward Looking from the Past.

I was explaining one of my concerns with my old friend and Attorney,  Harvey Rowe last evening and he agreed to take out his legal skills and bring them to bear.  All of my friends would like to help, but Harvey with his litigation skills can absolutely  help and I'm expecting a really positive week.... like the old days.

Looking forward to it.

Don't Care

So much of the Morning News is just gossip for filler.
~
Is there anyone who really cares about John Edwards and Rihal Hunter and the campaign money that was funneled to try to keep the knocked up Bimbo quiet as Edwards sought the highest office of the land?
~
And does anyone really care that John Kerry chose this complete asshole as his Vice-Presidential Running Mate?
~
And does anyone care about Kerry's inside investment and his tax evasion with his multi-million dollar yacht that he had built in New Zealand, when he could have revitalized a New England Boatbuilding company with that investment?
~
And does anyone care that Obama was doing drugs in High School, but the evil Romney cut someone's hair?
~
And unless you are a Homo, does anyone really care whether you get married to someone with similar genitals as you?
~
It's just Gossip.  Except for the Kerry Stuff, I don't care.

tuna Lips Said...6:23 PM

Ise likes me some sn*tch. For the record. Honest Injun and such. Part of my platform.

Pier Fishing

It was the first beautiful warm evening of the early summer, so I rigged up my casting rod and headed for the new pier down the lane in Gerry Playground.  Ryan had said that some guy down there claimed to have landed a keeper Striped Bass, so I thought I'd give it a try.
~
The new pier was blocked by a piece of plywood, so I had to give my overweight, overage body a little challenge in scaling the fence to get out to the end.  I did it... but it wasn't pretty .... either getting on or getting off.  When they get the floats in, it will be a lot easier.
~
Two fish jumped which was a good sign, but none were enticed by my offering as the sun went down past Salem Harbor.
~
I will be trying again.

Swinging Pendulum

The Washington Post doctors up a story about Romney in High School, manipulates witness accounts, and besmirches the reputation of the now deceased victim according to his family.... but Barach, his grade transcripts etc. etc. are untouched.  
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I don't get it.   When I was a young man, I used to think that Liberals stood for truth and justice.  Maybe they did back then.  Maybe the pendulum has just swung.

Happiest Coastal Towns in the US

According to Coastal Living Magazine's new rankings based on sunny days, beach quality, low crime, commute time, education of residents and other factors the happiest Coastal Towns in the US are....

1.   Kiawah Island, S.C.

2. Naples, Fla.

3. Sausalito, Calif.

4. Lake Bluff, Ill.

5. Tiburon, Calif.

6. Laguna Beach, Calif.

7. Half Moon Bay, Calif.

8. Chatham, Mass.

9. Jupiter, Fla.

10. Lahaina, Hawaii

11. Marblehead, Mass.

12. Stinson Beach, Calif.

13. Cohasset, Mass.

14. Duxbury, Mass.

15. Solomons Island, Md.

These lists are always subjective crap shoots.  I know for a fact that there are numerous miserable bastards in Nanepashemet's home town of Marblehead.  And when we owned a condo in Naples, the Condo Commandoes never seemed too chipper either.  

On the other hand, when I did my work stint for a year out in California, I headed on the forty mile trek to Half Moon Bay as much as I could, and Sausalito, under the Golden Gate Bridge wasalso  stunning.

I guess when you get familiar with a place, you start to take it for granted,,,, so I have to agree, Marblehead is really the Balls.

Mitt the Bully

Now they're saying that Mitt Romney was involved in a bullying episode against a gay kid while he was in high school.
~
Romney says he doesn't recall, but that he did a lot of stupid stuff in high school and he's sorry if he offended anyone.
~
We'll see where this leads.  Wonder what nasty things will come out about BO growing up as a young Muslim lad in Indonesia?
~
I'd hate to be blamed for the stupid stuff I said and did in High School.
~
The Spindoctors have hit on a nice combo here though... bullying and gay bashing.  I don't agree with bashing gays, but I've seen a lot of times when Scumbag Girly men whine "Bully" because they are legitimately getting their clocks cleaned with some nice Payback.   It's OK for them to screw with people, but when it comes back their way, they are being "Bullied".  
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Don't let the tears stain your Bib.