Monday, November 09, 2009

Closing Out Adirondack


It's about 31 degrees this morning, but the weather report says that Boston will get up to 70.  When the day heats up, I'm going to sneak in a last spray coat of marine varnish onto Katelyn's Adirondack Chair.  That will leave it with one coat of epoxy resin and four coats of varnish.
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That should be enough to protect the chair from the outside elements for a few years.
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After the varnish has dried solid, I'll sand it down with 220 grit paper with my random orbit sander to get the surfaces completely smooth to the touch.   A little furniture polish will restore the shine and the chair will be ready for delivery to Kate's condo.  I'm surprised at how comfortable the chair is to sit in.  The seat and backcontours seem right and it's extremely solid feeling.
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Should give Kate many enjoyable hours of reading, contemplating and entertaining on her South Boston deck.
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Course I have other things to do this week as well.  But it will be nice to closeout this Adirondack project.  I know that Lisa Panakio Rowe will miss me talking about it.

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Health Haiku

So the fix is on to jam this health bill down our throats.  My prediction is a future of incompetent and mediocre care for the masses and acceptable treatment only to the very wealthy.
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So if you are wealthy, you'll be healthy.
If you poor, you'll be sore.
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Just a little "Health Haiku" for the Peeps to enjoy.
~

Saturday, November 07, 2009

POTW Week 45

Did I tell you that our team stepped up big on this new Nanepashemet Telecom opportunity?
They really hit it hard, and I have no doubt that we will deliver the quality that the customer deserves

ANNOUNCING.... Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 45th week of 2009


Deb Burke
Kelly Light
Dick Man   (yes.... that's his real name, so back off.)
Jim Lundgren
Patrick Piscatelli
Tommy O' Shea

Next week, the job gets past launch stage and will hit a rhythim of acheving metrics that will get us to the finish line.

Pissed and Perplexed

What is the value of randomly killing people in a shooting spree?  With all of the Muslim Terrorist Acts, I still don't really know what the gripe is.  If it is because a group of Israelis inhabit a patch of dry dirt in your neighborhood..... that just seems to be a little weak.  You would think that they could get over that.
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Is it genetic?  Some kind of medieval mentality stretching from the Crusades?  Is there some sort of inferiority complex that causes these pointless lash outs?
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I never did anything to those guys.... yet I just missed having a seat on one of the 9-11 United Flights out of Boston to LA that flew into the Trade Center.   If I had been killed that day, over something that bears no explanation, I would have been even more pissed and perplexed.

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Obvious Observation

You listen to people like Rush Limbaugh and Jay Severin rant and rave, and you think that they are seriously over the top..... that they have to be outright exaggerating about the liberal bias of the mainstream media.
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Then you sit placidly watching ABC News with the self righteous Charles Gibson making sure that it is reported that a "single" Muslim shooter did all of the carnage at Ft. Hood, Texas.... and they roll in a sound clip from out of nowhere saying, "I wish his name was Smith."  Not Nidal Malik al Hassan.
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Why are these thought police, aka national network newcasters like Gibson and Couric, so dedicated to negate the obvious conclusion that this nation is under attack by members of the Islamic faith?
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I just don't get it.  They keep telling us that an apple is a banana.... when it is a freaking apple for all to see.   Are all apples rotten???? Course not.
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And don't even think that you can label me anti-Islamic.
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I'm not condemning every Muslim.  I have Muslim friends... and they know that I'm no bigot.  But that doesn't stop me from making the obvious observation that certain members of the Muslim faith are simply out to indiscriminately kill us.
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So are Limbaugh and Severin over the top??? or are they just vociferous in their observation.  I guess I trust them a bit more with the truth than the smug Gibson.


Maria Rowen said...
Back in September when Acorn was outed for it's support of prostitution and Charlie Gibson was asked to comment...his comment was..."ha ha ha". I listen to Jay (James) Severin (Severino). He is extremely articulate and he knows his civics. He has his "schtick" and he knows how to use it. I also listen to Rush. He is to talk radio what the 'Mountain of a Man' is to this blog...a monster of a media machine. Is shock/jock/talk radio over the top? Maybe... but why is the current administration trying to shut it down...? I'll say good night now...
 
Piscatelli said...
Don't lose sight that Ms. Pelosi is ramming through the health care on a special saturday session. Use google, get the congressional office number, call you looney left rep, and while telling they are wrong on the merits is likely a losing proposition, telling them that the whole process is moving too fast, it is undemocratic and purely political. There needs to be a robust debate in Washington over a 2000 page bill (plus a 700+ page amendment) that was issued nine days ago. No one can say they agree, because you have to read it to agree. Note also there are nearly thirty cross references that modify existing law, that have to be look into. No way anyone has read this. So attack them on process. They are too blind in thinking they are right. Tell them the process and the voice of the people is be subordinated to the demagoguery of politicians and the will of lobbyists. No transparency. Its worth a shot. Don't lose sight on health care because of Hood, not today at least.
Jim L. said...
When these types of events happen, we all tend to generalize and rush to judgement. I found myself wondering why someone with a name like that could attain the rank of Major in the United States Army! Then I thought about it for awhile and figured there's gotta be some high ranking christians and jews, too! I'm not sure I'm real comfortable with that either. But, yeah, there are members of Islam at war with this country. However, they're not alone. There are other religious groups not happy with us. There are political groups not so happy either. One thing though about this Hassan, he's a loon! And, quacks like him come in all kinds of flavors. Let's not forget Tim McVeigh and his buddy Terry Nichols or how about Ted Kaczynski. Then we have a couple of nice kids from Colorado, Eric Harris and Dylan Kiebold. One thing they all have in common is, they lost it. The silicon chip inside they're heads switched to overload! And, that seems to be able to happen to some people no matter what they're creed or color is.
 

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Return of the Pendulum

Independents, the largest political group in the country, voted for Republicans yesterday.  And Gay marriage was defeated in Maine.
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Seems like a conservative surge.  This pendulum is swinging before any of BO's campaign promises have been kept.  Where is health care reform?  Why are we still in Iraq?  When will you figure out your "strategy" in Afghanistan. 
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Granted, he did teach us how to sneeze in our sleeve, and enjoyed beer after his "rush to judgement" race relations teaching moment.  But I had some great teachers in the Lynn Public School system that already covered alot of the basics for me.
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It will be interesting to see how the Obamanistas spin this.
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As always, I will continue to view this with my fair and balanced, open minded approach.

Maria Rowen said...


The spin is in...Robert Gibbs reports the President wasn't even watching the results last night. How insulting to Corzine and Deeds..oh well…Maybe BO should plan on watching the returns in 2010…

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Surf's Up

Did I mention to you already that Nanepashemet Telecom had a kick ass day today??
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Well we did.
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The only thing better than winning a new job is putting together a world class team and launching the project.
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When a new team exhibits enthusiasm and starts brainstorming about efficiencies.... it's like the smell of napalm in the morning.....  smells like Victory.
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Everyday won't be like today in this project.... so we'll enjoy the feeling and ride the wave.

Soft Moose Porn

My Friend, Bill Hillegas, who has a tender, romantic side to him, poses the following question....




Is this statutory rape???
Or just a moosedemeanor.....?



If anyone else has some good soft Moose porn... please let me know.


Tuna Lips said...
That moose shows mighty fine form, in terms of mountin' his selected one fer breedin'.
Maria Rowen said...
There can be no moosetake here...the heart knows what the heart wants...
 

Appeal to the Geeks

So I get a call from my good friend, Harvey Rowe,saying that he can't email me.   That the email is undeliverable.  I have the same thing happen to me when I try to email Mike Rockett's company.
 ~
I think that Harvey believes that I blocked him or something.  If I knew how to do that, I would definitely ban a whole pile of people, but not him.
~
If any of you techo geeks have an idea about how to abate this problem, please send me an email  to....

jnestor@nanepashemet.com

If your suggestion is annoying or inspiring, you may even find yourself as a Peep of the Week.

Sunday, November 01, 2009

Going to the Dogs

Had a nice visit in Ayer this morning.  Ryan looks good and he has been upgraded to the "Dog Training Program".   The camp trains dogs -  collies, labs, even poodles - to be guide dogs for disabled veterans.
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Ryan says that the dogs are so well trained that they would not eat a piece of pepperoni pizza unless you directed them to do so.
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Apparently, these dogs have a hell of a lot more discipline than me.
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So I predict that Jack Dog will be getting a cousin when Ryan gets home.

Tuna Lips said...


Shucks, that is quite a civilified pooch. Pappy had a mean ole coonhound, name of Throttler. Kept him at the still to fend off moochers and wet brains after that liquified gold. Pappy ferget to feed him from time to time, he took to eatin' his own droppins'. How comes I got that ideer when ole Shoo and me wuz being held captive by those reefer growers in west virginny.

Additional Adirondack

I hate to paint.  So I've continually invested in spray painting machines to make the job go faster.
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When they work, they are awesome.   A nice even coat of varnish with no drips, and done in no time.
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   But I hardly ever get them to work probably.   The cup on my gravity fed, high velocity low volume (HVLP) sprayer was welded in the spray gun with dried varnish from the last job.
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So I had to break out the brush for the first coat of marine varnish on Kate's Adirondack Chair.

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Naturally, the brushed finish is dripping quite a bit.  I'll wait 24 hours for it to completely dry, then spend some time sanding out the drips and streaks.
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By then, the spray paint cup  will have been soaking in mineral spirits for over a day, and I should be able to twist the lid off.  Then I'll hit the chair again with a nice light spray coat with no drips or splotches.
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If the weather and my schedule permit, I'll get another light sanding in after a day, then hit it with another coat of spray.
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By that time, the chair will have one coat of epoxy resin and three coats of marine varnish.  If that is the smooth and blemish free finish that I am seeking, maybe the chair will be ready for delivery to Katelyn's South Boston condo by next weekend, after our Fresh Ayer run.
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If not, I will repeat the process a couple more times and aim for the weekend after.
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You can't rush these things.  This is a priceless work of art after all.  An original Nanepashemet piece destined for a special display when they construct the Mountain of a Man Museum someday.



Katelyn Nestor said...
Dad - it looks AMAZING! I can't wait to put it on my deck! Nice work! Can I take it back this weekend?   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Did anybody notice that I said that you can't rush these things?   ! The photo looks good, but there is still a sanding and a coat or two, and my workweek is a killer.  So delivery by the weekend is a big IF. ~   BTW.... do you notice the haze in the first picture, and also a ghostly bar on the garage door?  When I took the picture, none of that stuff existed.   I'm thinking that the spirit world is doing their own inspection of the handiwork.

No News is Good News

We'll be out for some Fresh Ayer this morning, then I hope to get a coat of varnish on the Adirondack Chair.
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Before the HVLP sprayer gets cleaned out for this session, it would be nice to get the Nanepashemet sign varnished as well.  I probably have about six hours of carving left, then the sign has to be sanded and framed.  Plus I should hit it with a coat of epoxy resin as well.
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I know you are probably bored by these project posts, but there is no current political or social event that is particularly aggravating at this time.  Which is a good thing.  It's nice to stay calm and centered from time to time.
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I suppose that I could get agitated by a Bernie and Phyl's commercial, but that's no big deal.

Maria Rowen said...


I wonder if life would be boring if every day was exciting...